Buffalo never got set after that. Jack Eichel scored 86 seconds later at 13:43, set up by Ivan Barbashev, and the Sabres went from holding the man advantage in a scoreless game to trailing by 2. The preview said Buffalo's crease had to hold up against a rested Eichel-Stone-Marner group. In that stretch, 2 of those 3 names did all the damage.
The schedule probably played into it too. Buffalo was playing an afternoon game less than 48 hours after beating Columbus 5-2 on Friday night. Vegas had 2 full days off. Neither team's goalie was confirmed beforehand, with Colten Ellis expected for Buffalo and Adin Hill only the likely starter for Vegas. Whoever was in the Buffalo net, the 2nd period was where it slipped away.
Vegas has won its last few games by 1 goal, but this one was different. The Knights scored 2 more in the 3rd. Buffalo's only goal came in the final period, with Vegas already up at least 2, which didn't change much. The Golden Knights won by 3 and never really had to defend a lead late.
For Buffalo, it ends a run where they'd won 4 of 5. The attack that put 5 on Columbus and had Tage Thompson leading the team with 10 goals managed 1 goal all afternoon. Thompson and Jiri Kulich, back from 5 games in concussion protocol, didn't produce anything in the 2 periods that decided it. Thompson, Benson and Krebs on the top line were supposed to be the counterweight to a tired back end. On Sunday they weren't.
The injury list didn't help. Konsta Helenius is still week-to-week at center, Alex Lyon still has no timeline in goal, and Justin Danforth and Matt Grzelcyk are both on IR. That leaves Buffalo thin down the middle and in net, and it showed on a short turnaround against a rested opponent. The Sabres fall to 8-6-3. Vegas leaves Buffalo having won every game of this road trip.
The win itself won't stick with anyone. The shorthanded goal will. Buffalo had a power play in a 0-0 game and came out of it down 2, and that's exactly the kind of mistake a tired team makes on the 2nd day of a back-to-back weekend.
