Sharpen Up: November 30, 2021 | Looking back at Hockey Fights Cancer

The Buffalo Sabres hosted their annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Monday in partnership with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. It was an emotional night and we'll get to the highlights here in Sharpen Up.
The team lost to the Seattle Kraken 7-4. Jeff Skinner scored twice while Dylan Cozens potted his sixth of the season, Kyle Okposo extended his point streak to four games (2+3) with a pair of assists, and Brett Murray scored the first goal of his NHL career in a multi-point effort (1+1).
However, the Kraken earned the two points thanks in no small part to a pair of shorthanded goals in the first period.
We have the recap for you here as well.
Here's what you need to know.

Hockey Fights Cancer Night

It was Hockey Fights Cancer Night in Buffalo. In partnership with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, the organizations hosted events throughout the evening in support of local cancer patients and their charitable organizations as part of an NHL-wide initiative to raise money and awareness for cancer research.

Watch the pregame video open and ceremonial faceoff here:

All fans attending the game received a Sabres Hockey Fights Cancer scarf.

An online auction featuring unique Sabres autographed merchandise and experiences is now running at Sabres.com/Auctions until Friday, December 10 at 9 p.m., with all proceeds benefitting Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
To commemorate the night, all Sabres players wore lavender Hockey Fights Cancer themed jerseys and use sticks with lavender tape during warmups. The jerseys are also being auctioned off at Sabres.com/Auctions.

Sabres coaches and broadcasters wore commemorative Hockey Fights Cancer ties:

Before the game, Sabres forward Alex Tuch made a surprise visit to Roswell:

Sabres alumni Mike Foligno and Larry Playfair also stopped by:

On the broadcast, Rick Jeanneret and Dan Dunleavy shared why the fight against cancer is so personal to them:

Foligno then joined Dan on the pregame show to talk about his family's experience battling cancer:

Rick the team dog also made an appearance at the game:

During the first intermission Dr. Candace Johnson and Dr. Renier Brentjens spoke with Brian Duff about the work Roswell Park is doing and the importance of the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative:

And after the game, in what has become an annual tradition on the final segment of the postgame show, Martin Biron and Duffer shared their Hockey Fights Cancer placards and talked about the people they were thinking about on a special night:

Last night's recap

Let's take a look back at the game itself.

Sabres.com's Jourdon LaBarber has the story:
Don Granato had little time to run practices as the Sabres navigated their recent stretch of five games in seven days, a fact he felt may have caught up with his young team on Monday.
The Sabres allowed shorthanded goals on two separate power plays on their way to falling behind 3-0 during the first period, a deficit that proved insurmountable in a 7-4 loss to the Seattle Kraken.
"We didn't have a sense of urgency at the start with respect to details," Granato said. "That was obvious. We allowed too much, too easy and then fought, obviously, the rest of the way as a result."
Buffalo cut its deficit to two goals on four occasions but allowed a Kraken response each time. Jeff Skinner scored twice for the Sabres, who also received goals from Brett Murray and Dylan Cozens. Murray's goal was the first of his NHL career.

The Sabres entered the game having not allowed a shorthanded goal all season.
"I think the details slipped," Granato reiterated. "We're, I would say, an evolving team, a younger team. This was a lot of growing pains, I believe."

Dustin Tokarski, starting for the third time in four days, made 25 saves.
"I think in games you've got recognize there's some pretty big swings and you have to find a way to come out on the right side of some of those big moments," Skinner said. "I think for us tonight we didn't do a good job.
"We had a few power plays that didn't go as planned and then I think we even had more opportunities to get it back there. We definitely had opportunities, we just didn't seem to be able to sustain any type of momentum."
Read the full Postgame Report here.
Rasmus Dahlin also recorded his 100th career assist. He and Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes became the first players drafted in 2018 to hit the milestone. They both accomplished that feat last night.
With 219 games played, Dahlin required the second-fewest games to record 100 career assists among defensemen to debut with the Sabres, behind only Phil Housley (160 GP). Hughes did it in 151 games played. Thanks to #NHLStats for those numbers.

What's next

The Sabres are set to practice today at KeyBank Center before heading out to Florida. The team will play the Panthers on Thursday.
We'll have full practice coverage for you here on Sabres.com.
Faceoff on Thursday is set for 7 p.m. on MSG and WGR 550. The road trip will conclude Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.