Sabres fall behind in opening 91 seconds and never get going against Flyers
Sabres fall behind in opening 91 seconds and never get going against Flyers
The Buffalo Sabres were looking to put forth a better effort against the Philadelphia Flyers after a fortunate 5-2 victory earlier this week in which they were outshot 40-15, but the Sabres quickly fell behind and were outworked by the Flyers in a 5-1 loss at Key Bank Center on Friday.
Philadelphia jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead, with goals from Scott Laughton and Louie Delpedio coming in the opening two minutes and Travis Konecny scoring on a breakaway late in the period. Garnet Hathaway extended the Flyers lead in the middle frame. Henri Jokiharju got Buffalo on the board early in the third, but any momentum was squelched by Bobby Brink’s goal midway through the third.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who made 38 saves in the win on Wednesday, made just 14 saves in the loss, while Samuel Ersson earned his first win of the season with a 21-save effort.
Here are three takeaways from Buffalo’s 5-1 loss to Philadelphia:
Inconsistent UPL
Luukkonen started the season with strong winning efforts against Ottawa, Colorado, and a 38-save victory in Philadelphia on Wednesday, but in Friday’s loss, he allowed five goals on 19 shots. While not being wholly responsible for the defeat, the Sabres were in need of a strong start from Luukkonen, as they got against Colorado last Sunday, keeping the Avs off the scoreboard at the start of the game.
Last season, the 24-year-old’s inconsistency cost Buffalo valuable points down the stretch, and with the club falling behind early, they really cannot afford to bleed points deeper into the season.
Outhustled
After only 15 shots in their win on Wednesday, the Sabres continued to have a difficult time breaking through the Flyers defensive alignment, registering only four first-period shots.
"I don't think we played with enough urgency right away. We know that team comes out and works and we have to match your work ethic and play with a purpose," Sabres captain Kyle Okposo said after the game. “We just couldn't get going to start, then we were behind the eight ball, and we just couldn't catch up from there."
Power-less
No Sabre had a particularly strong evening, defenseman Owen Power’s performance was eye-catching. The 20-year-old blueliner played just under 25 minutes and was on the ice for all five Philadelphia goals.
"(Power) had a tough night, but there wasn't much help in instances where there should have been in certain places,” Granato said. “It was a group thing."
The Sabres finish off their third game in four nights against the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Saturday. Devon Levi will make his first start since suffering a lower-body injury on October 19.
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