Buffalo Sabres Blow Out Washington Capitals, 6-2; Lapierre Earns 12th Point In 18th Game Since Recall


Photo by Ben Ludeman/NHLI via Getty Images

The Washington Capitals fell to the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 6-2 on Tuesday night in the first of their two visits to KeyBank Center in nine days. The loss dropped Washington to 36-28-10 (.554 points percentage) with eight games to go in the regular season. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 25 saves on 31 shots (.806) in the loss before Darcy Kuemper pitched four in relief.

Washington’s Lines

Alex Ovechkin — Connor McMichael — Ivan Miroshnichenko
Max Pacioretty — Dylan Strome — Sonny Milano
Michael Sgarbossa— Hendrix Lapierre — Aliaksei Protas
Beck Malenstyn — Nic Dowd — Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Martin Fehervary — John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin — Nick Jensen
Alexander Alexeyev — Trevor Van Riemsdyk

Lindgren
Kuemper

Scratched: RW Matthew Phillips, D Vinny Iorio

Out: D Ethan Bear (NHLPA players assistance program), RW Tom Wilson (suspended), C Nicklas Backstrom (hip), RW T.J. Oshie (undisclosed)

Buffalo’s Lines

J.J. Peterka — Tage Thompson — Alex Tuch
Zach Benson — Dylan Cozens — Jack Quinn
Jeff Skinner — Peyton Krebs — Jordan Greenway
Eric Robinson — Zemgus Girgensons — Victor Olofsson

Owen Power — Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram — Henri Jokiharju
Jacob Bryson — Connor Clifton

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Devon Levi

Scratched: C Tyson Jost, D Kale Clague, G Eric Comrie

Out: D Mattias Samuelsson (upper-body), LW Lukas Rousek (head)

Skinner appeared in his 1,000th career NHL game. He became the first player in league history to hit the milestone without playing in a single Stanley Cup Playoff outing prior.

FIRST PERIOD

Scoring

2:46, 1-0 Washington: Fehervary clapped a slapper through the five-hole of Lukkonen above the left dot after getting a feed from Sgarbossa from the high slot, stepping in, and winding up. Lapierre, whose secondary assist was the third in his last four games, has recorded 12 points (six goals) in 18 games since being recalled from Hershey.

15:42, 1-1: Dahlin deked around Malenstyn at the top, walked in, and ripped a shot that was tipped by Girgensons through the arm of Lindgren after getting a pass from the other point by Power.

16:50, 2-1 (PPG): Peterka took a pass from Benson, who was set up across by Tuch, that was too hard and went ahead of him, pulled the puck in front, and tucked the loose biscuit into a wide open net at the right post with Lindgren down and out.

Shots: 13-4 Buffalo

Other Notable Stats: 7-6 Washington in hits, 10-5 Washington in blocked shots

Screenshots: Natural StatTrick

SECOND PERIOD

Scoring

10:54, 3-1: After Tuch swatted the puck away from Aube-Kubel in the slot, Peterka picked the puck up in front, deked, and put one under the glove of Lindgren.

With 7:20 to go, Lindgren flashed the glove on Benson in front of the goal after Cozens set him up from the goal line.

19:15, 3-2 (PPG): Strome backhanded his own rebound in front of the goal past the left pad of Luukkonen after deflecting Carlson’s wrist shot from the point. Strome’s six power-play goals this season rank third on Washington, trailing only Ovechkin (12) and Oshie (seven). Strome has recorded seven points (three goals) in his last five games against Buffalo dating back to last season. Carlson tallied his team-leading 39th assist of the season on Strome’s power-play goal, marking his sixth point (three goals) in his last six games. Carlson has recorded three assists in two games against Buffalo this season.

Shots: 25-13 Buffalo, including 12-9 in the second

Other Notable Stats: 60% Washington on faceoffs, 18-11 Washington in hits, 15-12 Washington in blocked shots, both teams converted on their lone power play

THIRD PERIOD

Scoring

3:03, 4-2 (PPG): Dahlin’s slapper from up top beat Lindgren cleanly to the right pad after he played catch with Peterka, who was at the left half-wall.

4:48, 5-2: Thompson added a goal.

5:33, 6-2: Tuch slapped one past the blocker of Lindgren, who got pulled, from the left dot after getting a pass by Thompson from the point.

Shots: 35-24 Buffalo, but 13-10 Washington in the third

Other Notable Stats: 56% Washington in faceoffs, Buffalo finished two-for-two on the power play and Washington one-for-three, 24-23 Washington in hits, 18-17 Washington in blocked shots

Standings

Washington remained a point behind the Philadelphia Flyers (with two games in hand) by one point for third place in the Metropolitan Division. In addition, they remained tied with the Detroit Red Wings (two) for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals also lead the New York Islanders (with each team having played 74 games) and Pittsburgh Penguins (74) by three points, New Jersey Devils (74) by six, and Buffalo (one) by seven in the Eastern Conference wild-card standings.

Next game: Thursday vs. Pittsburgh (7 PM ET, Monumental Sports Network in-market, ESPN+ out-of-market)

By Harrison Brown





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