Even under circumstances some would consider dire, Matt Ellis didn’t see the uncertainty weighing on any of the Buffalo Sabres’ players or coaches.
When the Sabres took the KeyBank Center ice Wednesday for their first game since Dec. 17, they were without head coach Don Granato and six players who were in the lineup before the holiday break: Vinnie Hinostroza, Jeff Skinner, Zemgus Girgensons, Dylan Cozens, Mark Jankowski and Jacob Bryson, all of whom remain in the NHL’s Covid-19 protocols. Combined, they account for 35% of the team’s goals this season.
Ellis, an assistant coach on Granato’s staff who played nine seasons in the NHL, stepped in to run the bench, and five players were summoned from Rochester over a two-day span, most notably top prospects Peyton Krebs and JJ Peterka. There was also the long-awaited addition of Alex Tuch, 25, a talented power forward who hadn’t played in six months because of shoulder surgery.
Yet, through all the calamity and turnover, the Sabres showed their fans that a franchise beset by a 10-year playoff drought is showing signs of the blue-collar identity that made Buffalo fall in love with hockey long ago.
Sluggish at times following the long break, the Sabres roared back from a two-goal deficit to tie the score before they couldn't overcome more sloppy play in the third, leading to a 4-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils.
"I don't think our expectations going into that game were anything other than winning," said Sabres center Tage Thompson. "We had the guys in the room to do it. ... That's kind of a good game to get our feet wet again. Get the rust off and now there's no excuses."
The Sabres (10-16-5) finished with only 22 shots on goal -- including 19 over the final two periods -- after earning standing points in each of their previous four games.
Thompson scored twice in a span of 2:44 in the second period to help the Sabres rally, Tuch recorded an assist in his first game since the blockbuster trade that sent Jack Eichel to Las Vegas and the prospects' potential flashed throughout. Ethan Prow, who, at 29, was playing in his first NHL game, scored in the third period.
Brett Murray fought a Devils defender for a hit from behind on Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Dahlin made more remarkable plays. The Devils (11-15-5) had lost six straight entering the game, but we saw in recent seasons how even one absence of a key player could send the Sabres into a tailspin. In addition to those in Covid-19 protocols, Ellis was without several injured players, most notably Casey Mittelstadt, Robert Hagg and Colin Miller.
The issues started on the back end, particularly with breakouts. Poor passing led to extended zone time for New Jersey, and the Sabres had too many one-and-done possessions.
"The battle and the compete was there," said Ellis. "The execution at times was definitely sloppy. It took us a little while to get into the game and even at that point, finding a true rhythm to the game. Looking back on some of the games where we had success as a group, we've been able to find that rhythm and play a certain way. Tonight it felt a little bit off."
This was Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s worst NHL game this season. While Luukkonen's teammates did him no favors by giving up too much defensively, he allowed four goals on 42 shots because of poor rebound control in the crease.
With the score tied 2-2 entering the third period, New Jersey pulled away behind goals from Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich. The Hughes goal occurred moments after a Sabres clearing attempt went off an on-ice official, and Sharangovich tipped a Ty Smith shot for a 4-2 lead with 13:10 remaining in regulation.
At times, the Sabres looked like a team that had only one full practice with this lineup. Ellis cobbled together lines after Krebs, Peterka and Arttu Ruotsalainen arrived Tuesday.
The Sabres didn’t record their first shot on goal until 8:32 into the game and had only three through the first period. They faced a 2-0 deficit at the first intermission after Luukkonen allowed two goals on 11 shots.
"We didn't get the result we wanted tonight and that was my biggest concern, not only playing for the Sabres but trying to get a win with the guys in the locker room," said Tuch. "We were really disappointed. ... We gave up way too many shots."
Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton opened the scoring on the power play with a one-timer slap shot from near the blue line that went between Luukkonen’s legs, and New Jersey made it 2-0 when Jesper Bratt scored off a rebound.
Thompson, though, tipped Tuch’s shot only 33 seconds into the second period and scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season on a breakaway. The Sabres looked outmanned in the third until Prow skated deep into the offensive zone and scored his first goal in the NHL with 5:22 remaining to cut the deficit to 4-3.
"A lot of new bodies in, unique circumstances that carried a little bit of weight for everybody," said Ellis. "Having to handle that and new faces playing with different players and shift in, shift out, trying to find chemistry. There were definitely some challenges."
Here are other observations from the game Wednesday night:
1. Message delivered
Murray didn’t hesitate. Neither did Krebs. When Okposo crumpled to the ice on a hit from behind, Murray and Krebs immediately skated over to confront Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. It was Murray who dropped the gloves and dropped Siegenthaler to the ice with multiple punches. The crowd roared in approval and Murray encouraged more cheers as he walked down the tunnel.
"We wanted to win for each other," said Tuch. "Murray there, standing up for (Okposo), that's the type of team we have. Murray isn't a fighter by any means. ... Sticking up for each other is something we take pride in. Really working, battling and playing hard for each other."
2. Around the boards
With Girgensons on the Covid-19 list, defenseman Mark Pysyk was an alternate captain for the first time this season. … Prow and Peterka, teammates with EHC Red Bull Munchen in Germany last season, took the rookie lap together ahead of their NHL debuts. Prow has played 255 games between the AHL and ECHL. … Dahlin finished with a team-high 24:47 of ice time. ... Neither Tuch nor Krebs recorded a shot on goal in their Sabres debuts.
3. Next
The Sabres are scheduled to play the New York Islanders (8-12-6) in UBS Arena on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.
