Isak Rosen scored his first NHL goal and Bowen Byram netted the winner in the shootout as the Buffalo Sabres edged the Washington Capitals, 4-3, on Saturday night at KeyBank Center.
Washington struck first with two goals in 58 seconds from Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas to take an early 2-0 lead. Buffalo answered immediately as Jason Zucker set up Tage Thompson for his fifth goal of the season, extending Thompson’s point streak against the Capitals to six games, the longest by a Sabre since Thomas Vanek (2010–13).
Midway through the first, Josh Doan found Alex Tuch for the equalizer, marking Tuch’s seventh straight home game with a point. Moments later, Rosen, recalled from Rochester on Friday, gave Buffalo its first lead with his first career goal, finishing off a setup from Jack Quinn.
Sonny Milano tied the game late in the second, but Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen kept the Sabres in control, stopping 31 shots overall, including 18 straight before the Milano goal. Buffalo killed off three penalties in the third, then held firm through overtime before Byram sealed the win in the shootout. Luukkonen went a perfect 5-for-5, denying all attempts, including Alex Ovechkin’s.
With the victory, Buffalo improved to 5-4-3 and has now earned points in six straight games and eight of its last nine.
The Sabres continue their homestand Tuesday against Utah at KeyBank Center, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].