McCabe scores late, but Sabres fall short to open homestand

Jake McCabe scored late to put them within earshot, but the Buffalo Sabres ultimately fell short of a comeback in a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils at KeyBank Center on Tuesday night. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Sabres, who had swept their road trip in Western Canada last week.
The Sabres had managed to hold all three of their opponents without an even-strength goal on that road trip, which they hoped would translate as they began a five-game homestand. But instead of being on their toes, Phil Housley said, they got caught on their heels too often against a Devils team fighting for their playoff lives.
"Our five-on-five game wasn't where it needed to be," Housley said. "We talked this morning about where they are as a desperate team. They just played with more urgency. I didn't think we respected the position they were in. Coming off a road trip, you would've thought we would have gained confidence and been sharp."

Miles Wood opened the scoring for New Jersey early in the second period, riding a burst of speed to get behind the Buffalo defense and scoring off his backhand as he cut across the net. The Devils added to their lead 5:31 into the third when Taylor Hall beat Robin Lehner with a shot to his glove side.
The Sabres cut the deficit in half on McCabe's goal, scored with four seconds remaining on their third power play of the night and with 5:02 remaining in regulation. McCabe drew a cross-check from Nico Hischier to put them back on the power play less than two minutes later, opening the door for a comeback.
From that point on, the Sabres got close - Ryan O'Reilly had the best chance at tying the game on a rebound in the crease - but they never did close the gap. Kyle Palmieri sealed the win for the Devils with an empty-net goal in the game's dying seconds.
"We knew what they bring," McCabe said. "They check hard, they skate, they're a really fast team. They're always on top of you, always in your face. We weren't ready to make that next play, and they won a lot more battles than us. Our inconsistent play tonight, you saw the result."
The Sabres had scored a combined nine goals in their last two games, both of which were shutout victories. The difference in production from those games to this one stemmed not from their work in the offensive zone, said alternate captain Jack Eichel, but rather from their own zone.
Eichel thought the Sabres too often opted to break the puck out along the wall, leaving possession up for grabs, as opposed to hitting their open man up the middle.
"I don't think we checked as well," Eichel said. "I thought they played with some good speed. I thought we did a better job of breaking the puck out [on the road trip], which obviously leads to playing in their end, and I don't think we did a very good job of that tonight."
The one goal the Sabres did get - scored by McCabe on a shot from the above the left faceoff circle - came with traffic in front of Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid, who otherwise had a clear line of vision or had been bailed out by the shot blockers in front of him for much of the night.

"I think they front a lot of pucks and even if we get it by that first layer, the D-men or the low forward were stepping and blocking the shots from us defensemen," McCabe said. "We need to do a better job of getting it down there and pucks and bounces to the net."
What seemed most disappointing for the Sabres was the fact that they squandered an opportunity to carry momentum onto their home ice. Nine of Buffalo's 14 games in February will be played at KeyBank Center, a building where they've only managed six wins this season.
Why that is, they still have no answer. But McCabe said to expect an inspired performance when they return on Thursday.
"It's tough," he said. "We want to bring that hockey that we showed we can play out west to this arena and for our fans. You guys saw that we can play that way and we all see it too, so we need to play that way for our fans and for this city. Tonight's unacceptable but we get another shot at it on Thursday."

Lehner sets personal shutout record

Lehner began the night just 7:33 shy of the career-best shutout streak he set in February 2016. He got that and more, keeping the Devils off the board until Wood scored in the second period to snap the streak at 145:15.
The goalie ended his night having allowed two goals on 27 shots.
Buffalo's team shutout streak, meanwhile, ended at 199:19. According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was the Sabres' longest streak since Ryan Miller and Martin Biron combined to hold opponents scoreless for a franchise-record 226:24 from Jan. 16 to 25, 2004.

Up next

Buffalo's five-game homestand continues Thursday against the Florida Panthers. Coverage on MSG-B begins at 6:30 p.m. with GMC Game Night, or you can listen live on WGR 550.
On Saturday, the Sabres will welcome Vladimir Tarasenko and the St. Louis Blues to KeyBank Center at 7 p.m. Looking to bring the whole family? Family Packs - which include four 300-Level tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas and four popcorns - are available here.
If a pregame happy hour is more up your alley, tickets for Saturday's Sabres Style Girls Night Out are still available. The purchase includes one 300-Level ticket for the game, admission to the pregame party featuring Sabres alumni and participation in the Gold Carpet Experience during intermission.