Sabres Battle Hard but Fall Late to Bruins as Winless Streak Hits 13

The Buffalo Sabres delivered a resilient defensive effort at TD Garden on Saturday night, limiting the high-powered Boston Bruins to just 19 shots. However, Morgan Geekie’s late power-play goal sealed a 3-1 victory for the Bruins, extending Buffalo’s winless streak to 13 games.

Geekie’s decisive goal came with a mere 1:45 left in regulation, snapping a tied game and dashing Buffalo’s hopes for a much-needed breakthrough. Brad Marchand added an empty-net tally moments later, solidifying the result in a game that could have swung either way.

A Game of Inches and Missed Opportunities

The Sabres kept pace with the Bruins for much of the contest, trading defensive stops and creating high-danger chances in front of netminder Joonas Korpisalo. Despite conceding the opening goal to Charlie Coyle on a first-period breakaway, Buffalo found a spark late in the second period when JJ Peterka capitalized on the power play.

Peterka’s goal, his second in two games, capped off a dominant offensive-zone shift where the Sabres kept Boston hemmed in, forcing a tired Bruins defense into mistakes. Jason Zucker’s relentless forechecking created the turnover, and Peterka wasted no time snapping a shot past Korpisalo’s blocker.

Entering the third period tied 1-1, Buffalo showed flashes of brilliance, including a highlight-reel sequence where Alex Tuch nearly buried a loose puck in the crease. Connor Clifton also came agonizingly close, hitting the post with a blistering wrist shot.

A Painful Turn of Events

The Sabres thought they had dodged disaster midway through the third when head coach Lindy Ruff successfully challenged a potential go-ahead goal from Geekie, citing an offside entry. The reprieve was short-lived, however.

A tripping penalty against Sam Lafferty with under two minutes remaining gave Boston its third power-play opportunity of the night. Buffalo’s penalty kill, which had been strong until that point, finally broke down as Geekie fired a high shot from the slot. A collision near the crease left James Reimer with little chance to react, and the puck sailed into the net.

Marchand’s empty-netter with 51.5 seconds left was the final blow, ensuring Buffalo’s 13th straight game without a victory.

Depth Tested Once Again

The Sabres were forced to navigate the back-to-back without captain Rasmus Dahlin, who logged heavy minutes in his return from injury the previous night. Ruff described the decision to sit Dahlin as precautionary, but his absence left a noticeable void on the blue line.

Buffalo’s depth was further tested with Jack Quinn and Dennis Gilbert out as healthy scratches, leaving younger players like Jiri Kulich and Beck Malenstyn to shoulder more responsibility.

James Reimer, in his second start of the season, performed admirably despite the loss. He made 16 saves, including a string of crucial stops early in the third period, keeping the Sabres within striking distance.

Looking Ahead

The Sabres, now 11-19-4 on the season, will have little time to regroup before their final game ahead of the holiday break. They’ll travel to UBS Arena to face the New York Islanders on Monday night, searching for a spark to end their prolonged skid.

Despite the result, Saturday’s game offered glimpses of potential for a team still battling to find consistency. With Dahlin’s full-time return looming and young talents like Peterka stepping up, brighter days could still lie ahead for Buffalo.

Stay tuned to Sabres Insight for more updates and analysis as the Sabres continue their fight to turn the tide.