BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — The season has been "over" for a while, but on Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres were officially eliminated from playoff contention after a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. This now marks the 10th straight season where the Sabres haven't made the postseason, extending the longest playoff drought in the NHL.
With the loss, Buffalo falls to 11-26-7 with 12 regular season games left on the schedule.
The Sabres got off to a sluggish start, getting just three shots on goal compared to the Penguins' 12. At that point, they were lucky to only be down 1-0 after the first twenty minutes of play.
The energy picked up in the 2nd period with the young guys continuing to step up and make plays when the team needs them to. Tage Thompson scored his 4th goal in his last five games to cut the Penguins two-goal lead to one. In the 3rd period, down 3-1 at that point, Casey Mittelstadt, found the net, also for his 4th goal in his last five games to make it 3-2. The Sabres couldn't capitalize with the extra man, dropping to 5-3-3 in their last 11 games. Dustin Tokarski made 38 saves in net.
The Sabres are back on the ice tomorrow when they host Pittsburgh again. Puck drops at 3pm.
