On Tuesday night (Nov. 7), the Buffalo Sabres played a tough game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Ultimately, they came up short in a 3-2 overtime loss. The final outcome aside, the Sabres have been playing better. In this game, they showed resilience and a don’t-quit spirit against a tough Hurricanes team.
The Sabres showcased their strong defensive game. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 24 saves, and Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin scored the goals.
Item One: Unfortunate Overtime Turnaround Seals Sabres Fate
In overtime, the Sabres kept possession of the puck for most of the first minute. However, once the Sabres lost the puck, it didn’t take long for Martin Necas to win the game. He took advantage of a tired group of Buffalo players to redirect one past Luukkonen from near the crease. It was Necas’ second overtime winner of the season for the Hurricanes.
The fact is that both teams played well, and the overtime outcome was the best possible scenario after such a strong game. Even Luukkonen said as much. After the game, he admitted that it was a valuable and hard-earned point.
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He noted, “I thought we locked it down defensively to get the point, at least.”
Item Two: Alex Tuch Had Another Solid Game
Tuch delivered another strong game for the Sabres. He scored an unassisted goal in the second period. After only registering an assist in his first six games of the season, he now has had four goals and five assists in his last seven games.
Item Three: Dahlin Scores Power-Play Goal in OT Loss
Rasmus Dahlin is looking more like a Norris Trophy candidate all the time. Dahlin scored a third-period power-play goal and contributed to the Sabres’ strong special teams play. On the goal, he started the play by passing the puck to himself off the boards as he crossed the Carolina blue line. He then weaved through three defenders and released a seeing-eye snapshot from the faceoff circle. The puck beat Hurricanes’ goalie Antti Raanta.
With his goal, Dahlin increased his season totals to three goals and 11 points in 13 games. His solid 73-point performance during the 2022-23 season might be only the start of his offensive upturn. For sure, he’s a young and talented defenseman who’s becoming a rising NHL star.
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Dahlin continues to develop both his offensive and his defensive skills. In addition to scoring, he also had two blocked shots and registered a plus-1 rating during the game. The Sabres are counting on him to lead them to a successful season.
Item Four: Luukkonen Was Not Quite Heroic Enough
Luukkonen had another strong game in the crease, making crucial saves to keep his team in the game. However, he wasn’t quite heroic enough last night to carry the win.
That said, a point is a point, and he came up with several key saves to help the Sabres force overtime. His excellent play gave his team a chance, despite the relentless offensive push from the Hurricanes.
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The 24-year-old has been reliable this season. He now has a 3-2-1 record with a 3.10 goals-against average (GAA) and a .899 save percentage. His statistics are improving every game as his consistency between the pipes is increasing. Given the Sabres’ early-season choices, it’s a bit surprising that Luukkonen has continued to be the go-to goaltender even after the return of Devon Levi from a lower-body injury.
What’s Next for the Sabres?
Despite the loss, the Sabres left the ice with a point and good feelings. Even their head coach, Don Granato, liked the team’s game. He commented on their resilience and response to the challenge that Carolina had given them.
As Granato noted, the game had a playoff-like intensity: “What a great atmosphere this is. It has a real playoff-atmosphere feel of intensity, and I thought our guys responded very well to it.” He noted that his team knows they can play even better.
The Sabres will face their next challenge when they return home to play the Minnesota Wild on Friday, Nov. 10.