The Buffalo Sabres dropped a 5-2 decision to the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night at KeyBank Center, with special teams playing a key role in the outcome.
ORANGE GAME WEEK: Syracuse football returns home to host Louisville Saturday night (preview) Buffalo (44-21-8) fell behind early as Detroit capitalized on the power play, getting goals from Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond before Marco Kasper added another late in the first period to make it 3-0. The early deficit put the Sabres in catch-up mode for the remainder of the night.
Tage Thompson got Buffalo on the board in the second period, cutting into the lead and providing a spark. However, the Sabres were unable to build momentum, going 0-for-3 on the power play. Rasmus Dahlin later added a goal to trim the deficit to two, but Detroit responded with another tally to maintain control before sealing the win with an empty-net goal in the final minutes.
Alex Lyon made 14 saves as the Sabres struggled to slow Detroit’s early push. The loss marked Buffalo’s third straight game without a win (0-1-2), though the team remains tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Red Wings converted twice with the man advantage while the Sabres could not capitalize on their own opportunities.
Buffalo continues its homestand Saturday against the Seattle Kraken, with puck drop set for 5:30 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
