Sabres lament slow start following loss to Kings

With his team prepping to face the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday morning, Phil Housley stressed the idea that the Buffalo Sabres would need to brace themselves for an early push. The Kings came to Buffalo with an eye on keeping their playoff hopes intact after three-straight road losses.
The push came, but the Sabres were unprepared. The Kings scored one goal on 19 shots in the first period and added three more goals in the second on their way to a 4-2 win at KeyBank Center. Housley said afterward that he felt his players had been unready to play.

"We prepare the same way we do every game," he said. "I think it's up to the individual to take the information that's given to them and use it. But at the same time, you have to know that the LA Kings - and the position they're in just on this road trip - you have to know they're going to come with a push.
"We weren't prepared for that, so we have to just get better tomorrow, learn from it, show them and continue to try to work at it."

Michael Amadio and Anze Kopitar scored two goals apiece for the Kings, while Dustin Brown tallied two assists. Amadio opened the scoring with 8:34 remaining in the first period on a shot that beat Robin Lehner between the pads, the product of a neutral-zone turnover by the Sabres.
Still, Lehner turned away 18 shots in the period and the Sabres entered the second intermission down by only a goal. In the second period, things snowballed. Benoit Pouliot tripped to the ice while attempting a breakout pass at the Buffalo blue line, leading to a 2-on-1 goal for Kopitar.
The Kings would score on their next two shots, tallying three goals in the span of 5:33. Lehner did not return for the third period after allowing four goals on 30 shots. Chad Johnson made six saves in relief.
"I wish we all had the answer," Lehner said. "I wish I had the answer to why I stopped 18 shots and let in a brutal one. I wish I knew. We're not doing it on purpose. … At the end of the day, it was a 1-0 game going into the second. No matter what, if it's a 2-on-1, I want to make that save."
The Sabres came out looking like a new team in the third period, outshooting the Kings 18-6 and tallying goals from Marco Scandella and Rasmus Ristolainen. It was another example of how they can play when they stick to their game plan, as they did in recent wins over Boston and Tampa Bay.

"It's happened in the past," alternate captain Jason Pominville said. "We had nothing to lose, we competed better than they did, we kept it a lot simpler than we did early, we got pucks deep.
"We played the exact same way in the third as they played in the first, where they had us on our heels. We had looks because we simplified, we got pucks deep, were physical."
Added Scandella: "When we establish our game, we have a great team here. We move the puck well, we're fast. When we don't do that we look slow, wasting energy, always backchecking and playing defense."
How can they establish their game on a more consistent basis? That's the question the Sabres are still trying to answer.
"There's no reason for it," Scandella said. "We should be ready every night, especially in our building."

Up next

The Sabres will wear their Winter Classic jerseys for their afternoon matchup against the Washington Capitals on Monday. Get to the game early to receive a commemorative Winter Classic jersey towel, and click here to learn about Monday's Kids Day offer at KeyBank Center.
Can't make it downtown? Coverage on MSG-B begins at 2:30 p.m. with the GMC Game Night Pregame Show, or you can listen live on WGR 550. The puck drops at 3.