The New York Islanders opened their NHL season with a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night (Oct. 14) on the Islanders home ice. The Sabres have now lost two games in a row to begin a season that was supposed to be their first chance in a long time for a run to the playoffs. While the loss is not the kiss of death in itself, sooner or later the Sabres will have to start winning. Sooner is better.
In a losing cause, Jordan Greenway and Casey Mittelstadt scored for the Sabres. It wasn’t enough by two goals. Buffalo was coming off a 5-1 loss at home to the New York Rangers in their season opener on Thursday night (Oct. 12). Once again, goalie Devon Levi started the game, and he was better. Still, he was not good enough.
In this edition of Sabres News & Rumors, I’ll share some of the player news for the team as a result of this loss.
Item One: Casey Mittelstadt Scores His First of the Season
Mittelstadt scored a goal and added an assist in a game against the Islanders. Last season, he had a breakout year with 15 goals and 44 assists (for 59 points). He is expected to continue to contribute offensively this season. However, can he hit the 60-point mark?
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Mittelstadt had tied the score at 2:34 of the third with his first goal of the season. The 24-year-old center grabbed a loose puck in front of Islanders’ goalie Ilya Sorokin and beat him by roofing a backhand.
Item Two: Coach Granato Was Happier With This Game, Still…
After the game, Sabres head coach Don Granato discussed his team’s performance in the game. He shared that they showed more speed and attack; still, unfortunately, they hit two goalposts before the Islanders Casey Cizikas scored the game-winning third-period goal.
Granato shared “We looked a lot more like ourselves, more instances of speed and attack. Just before they scored that winning goal we hit two goalposts so the game could have gone the other way. We all have our own opinions on the final goal.”
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The Sabres challenged Cizikas’ goal, believing that Islanders’ defenseman Noah Dobson entered the offensive zone offside before the goal was scored. However, it was allowed to stand.
Item Three: Greenway Scored to Cut the Islanders’ Lead
Buffalo got on the scoreboard when Greenway found the back of the net 4:15 into the second period. That goal cut the Islanders’ lead to 2-1. He had a total of six goals and 11 points in 62 games last season, playing for both the Minnesota Wild and the Sabres. This season, he’s expected to primarily serve as a bottom-six forward.
Item Four: Zach Benson Pickes Up His Second Assist of the Season
Zachary Benson, the smallish (at 5-foot-9 and 163 pounds) 18-year-old Sabres’ left-winger, recorded his second career assist in his second NHL game. He was drafted by the Sabres in the first round (13th overall) in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
As his teammate, defenseman Connor Clifton noted, Benson “obviously had an awesome camp, just the way he sees the ice is pretty incredible for such a young player in the NHL.”
Clifton added that Benson has “been great, he’s earned his spot and he played great tonight. That line was by far our best.”
Item Five: Devon Levi Gives Up One Too Many Goals
Levi allowed two goals on seven shots in the first period against the Islanders. Despite Buffalo’s efforts to tie the game, he was beaten by Cizikas in the third period. Levi has now allowed seven goals on 59 shots and has lost his first two starts of the season.
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Sabres fans might expect that he might be replaced by one of the team’s backup goalies – either Eric Comrie or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
What’s Next for the Sabes?
Life doesn’t get any easier for the Sabres. They return home to meet the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night (Oct. 17). The Lightning are even on the season, but play the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night.
