Chychrun’s late goal lifts Capitals, ends Sabres’ 8-game winning streak

BUFFALO -- Jakob Chychrun scored the go-ahead goal at 18:27 of the third period, and the Washington Capitals rallied to end the Buffalo Sabres’ eight-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory at KeyBank Center on Thursday.

Chychrun beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with a snap shot from the right circle off a backhand pass from Aliaksei Protas, who was below the goal line on the opposite side.

“Just a heck of a play by ‘Pro’,” Chychrun said. “I found myself kind of low and almost got a tip on the shot from [Trevor van Riemsdyk]. Me and Pro were just kind of whacking at it to keep it alive and once he went around the net, I just tried to find a little soft area and I don’t know if or how he saw me, but he put it obviously right on my tape. Great play by him.”

Ryan Leonard scored, and Charlie Lindgren had 29 saves for the Capitals (33-27-7), who had lost four of their past five games (1-4-0).

“Before the game we kind of talked about resolve and character,” Lindgren said. “Back to back, we know where we’re at in the standings right now, our backs are against the wall. The one thing I know about the Washington Capitals is we’re not going to quit. We’re going to continue to fight, and we showed that tonight. Credit to the guys in front of me. I thought they did a terrific job, fighting to the last second.”

Sam Carrick scored, and Luukkonen made 20 saves for the Sabres (40-20-6).

“I think they played a real smart game. Realizing in the first period we were all over them, they stacked it up pretty good at the line,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. “They were waiting for us to make some mistakes, and we made a few in the third period. … That’s what they were waiting for. And then we just lost coverage up top on their second goal. A mistake that ends up costing us maybe at least a point.”



Carrick gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 6:02 of the first period. Beck Malenstyn looped around the back of the net to the left circle and sent a no-look backhand pass to Carrick on the back door for the tap-in by Lindgren’s left skate.

The Sabres outshot the Capitals 15-3 in the first. Lindgren had to be sharp, including making three saves in a 10-second span on consecutive one-timers from Tage Thompson from the left circle on the power play with less than a minute remaining.

“That was probably one of the crazier sequences I’ve ever seen on the power play,” Lindgren said. “He was letting it rip three times in a row there. Obviously the guy can shoot the puck and thankfully kept those pucks out.”



Leonard scored for a third straight game to tie it 1-1 at 2:14 of the second period. He intercepted a pass intended for Logan Stanley at the left point and skated to the right circle for a snap shot that beat Luukkonen inside the far post.

“I thought our start was great. Our first was really good. They obviously had a little bit of a pushback in the second,” Thompson said. “I thought we got a little sloppy with the puck, a little cute, slowed it down a little too much. … I think we were one and done, a little perimeter, even off the rush. There weren’t too many times we had extended O-zone off our rush.

“Obviously, you’re not going to win every game. Tough, obviously, losing that one, but we just got to regroup as a team here. The schedule’s so dense right now, that we play every other day basically. So really no time to hang your head on this one and keep moving forward.”

NOTES: Chychrun’s goal was his seventh game-winner of the season, the most by a defenseman in a single season in Capitals history and one shy of the NHL record of eight set by Oliver Ekman-Larsson when he was with the Arizona Coyotes in 2015-16. … Lindgren earned his 67th win with Washington, tying Pat Riggin for seventh-most in its history. … Protas’ assist on Chychrun’s goal was the 100th of his NHL career. … Forward Connor McMichael played in his 300th NHL game. … Sabres forward Alex Tuch, who was a game-time decision, did not play because of a lower-body tweak. Ruff said he probably would have played if it had been a playoff game, but they opted to keep him out to allow it more time to heal. … Defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Tanner Pearson, acquired from the Winnipeg Jets prior to the Trade Deadline, each made his debut for the Sabres. Schenn played 14:31 with two hits and one block and Pearson had three shots in 8:58.