At The Final Horn: Capitals 6 – Sabres 0

The Buffalo Sabres found themselves without a goal for the second straight game and the sixth time this season in a 6-0 loss to the Washington Capitals at KeyBank Center on Monday. 

Buffalo is 0-9-2 over the last 11 games and 2-13-2 since returning from a two-week COVID-related pause on February 15.

Carter Hutton made 24 saves for Buffalo. 

The Sabres were also shut out on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Capitals, meanwhile, have won six in a row and five straight on the road.  

Evgeni Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom, Richard Panik, Daniel Sprong, Garnet Hathaway and Alexander Ovechkin scored for Washington. Vitek Vanecek stopped all 23 shots he faced. 

What happened

Hutton built off his strong start on Thursday stopping the first 11 shots he saw in the first period, including a breakaway save on T.J. Oshie five minutes into the game. 

However, the 12th shot eluded him, giving the Capitals a 1-0 lead when Kuznetsov wristed in a shot from the right halfwall with 1:14 remaining in the period. A Sabres penalty had expired seconds before the puck found the back of the net. Washington outshot Buffalo 13-2 through 20 minutes. 

The Capitals jumped out to a 3-0 with a pair of goals in 3:18 to start the second period.

Backstrom knocked in a rebound from an Oshie chance 2:41 into the period and then Panik snapped a one-timer from about 46 feet out, giving the Capitals a three-goal edge.

With 4:53 remaining in the second, Sprong roofed one in on a breakaway.

Justin Schultz’s point shot through traffic was deflected in by Hathaway at the 6:46 mark of the third period. 

Ovechkin netted his goal with 3:39 remaining in regulation.

Worth mentioning 

With his goal, Ovechkin tied Phil Esposito for sixth on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 717 goals.

The Sabres nearly had a four-minute power play midway through the second period. Curtis Lazar was bleeding from the mouth after a collision with Zdeno Chara and the officials booked the Capitals defenseman with a double-minor for high sticking. However, just before the puck was dropped to commence the man advantage, the officials took another look on video replay. 

They then ruled that Chara’s skate – not his stick – clipped Lazar has he fell to the ice behind the net and they rescinded the penalty. 

Coming up 

Buffalo faces the New Jersey Devils on the road tomorrow night. Faceoff from Prudential Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. on MSG and WGR 550 with pregame coverage starting at 6:30 on MSG.