Postgame Report

CALGARY – Difficulties on the power play overshadowed an otherwise strong performance by the Buffalo Sabres in their 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday.

The Sabres went 0-for-6 with the extra man and allowed a pair of shorthanded goals to bookend the scoring. It was a drop-off from the unit’s strong play of late, having operated at the eighth best clip in the league (28.2 percent) since Dec. 15.

“Our power play let us down,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “Let us down big time. Not only let us down but gave up opportunities. … A night where three or four opportunities could have made the difference in the game, could have won us the hockey game. I thought our 5-on-5 play (was) real strong. Power play killed us.”

Lindy Ruff addresses the media

The Sabres earned a commanding 58-40 lead in 5-on-5 shot attempts and drew seven minor penalties, the first of which saw Jonathan Huberdeau open the scoring on a shorthanded breakaway. Rasmus Dahlin had attempted to break up a clearing attempt, but the puck banked off his stick and toward Huberdeau as he exited the Calgary zone.

Huberdeau’s wrist shot beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to his blocker side, giving the Flames a 1-0 lead midway through the first period.

“They tried to clear it, I tried to poke it, and it went right to them,” Dahlin said. “It’s one of those days.”

The Sabres pulled ahead with a pair of goals during the second period, both of which stemmed from shots taken from the point by Mattias Samuelsson. Samuelsson’s first shot beat goaltender Dustin Wolf with Beck Malenstyn and Dylan Cozens crowding the net. The second shot was deflected in by Tage Thompson.

“I think we generated a lot of shots,” Samuelsson said. “Obviously, a smaller goaltender on the other side, just try to get to the paint and get a couple greasy ones.”

Calgary evened the score at 2-2 less than four minutes after Thompson’s go-ahead goal. Huberdeau, as he was hit hard along the boards, delivered the puck to an oncoming Nazem Kadri in the offensive zone for an odd-man rush. Kadri shoveled a bouncing backhand attempt in behind Luukkonen.

“I've got to be better on that,” Luukkonen said. “There’s some bounces on it, he kind of shot it off my glove and off my pad and whatever, but that’s kind of where I have to step up. I’ve got to be better.”

Jacob Pelletier scored Calgary’s third goal on a deflection just 3:29 into the third period. The Sabres had three power plays from that point on but were unable to push the tying goal past Wolf, who finished with 32 saves.

Yaran Sharangovich scored an empty-net goal to pad Calgary’s lead with 2:45 remaining. Buffalo got one more power-play chance on a delay of game penalty, but Blake Coleman intercepted the puck off the faceoff and set up another empty-net goal for Mikael Backlund.

“Not good enough,” Dahlin when asked about the power play. “Too many mistakes. I think we wanted it the easy way, honestly.”

Here’s more from the loss.

FINAL | Flames 5 - Sabres 2

1. Jason Zucker – the Sabres’ leader in power-play goals this season – was scratched for the second straight game due to an illness. His availability for Saturday’s game in Edmonton remains in question.

“He’s still not doing too well,” Ruff said. “Hopeful that maybe he turns the corner. He was a little better later today. But (if he turns a corner), now you’ve got a guy that hasn’t ate much. It’s been a bug that’s been going through the team.”

The Sabres dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen in Zucker’s absence, just as they had in their win in Vancouver on Tuesday.

2. Thompson extended his point streak to five games, including a goal in each of the last three contests. He leads the Sabres with 22 goals this season.

3. Dennis Gilbert made his return to Calgary, where he played 67 games over the last two seasons. The defenseman skated 7:18 and had three hits.

Up next

The Sabres’ four-game road trip concludes in Edmonton on Saturday afternoon. Coverage on MSG begins at 3:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 4.