Sabres Hold Off Kraken in 3-1 Win

On Sunday, Dec. 14, the Seattle Kraken hosted the Buffalo Sabres for their first matchup of the season. The Sabres struck first and had a lead in the second period. Although the Kraken tried to even the score, the Sabres took home a 3-1 victory.

Game Recap

Late in the first, Noah Ostlund and Josh Norris skated the puck up into the Sabres’ zone. Norris dished a pass to Ostlund, and he sent a rocket past Joey Daccord. Norris flew into the boards off the momentum from how fast he was skating, but did not appear to be injured. He finished out the game, recording a total of 15:46 on the ice.

Halfway into the second, the Sabres had another two-on-one chance. Peyton Krebs picked up the loose pass from Alex Tuch and sent a light pass to Tage Thompson as the two were in front of the net. He tapped the puck in to give the Sabres a two-goal lead.

Buffalo Sabres Celebrate
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson celebrates with center Peyton Krebs and defenseman Bowen Byram after scoring a goal (Blake Dahlin-Imagn Images)

Two minutes later, Rasmus Dahlin took a seat for cross-checking Matty Beniers. He won the initial faceoff, and the puck went straight to Jordan Eberle. He passed it to Vince Dunn at the blue line. He observed and spotted Chandler Stephenson and passed it up to him. He took a shot which bounced off the post and into the net.

While the Kraken pulled Daccord to try and make a last-ditch effort at a comeback, Zach Benson scored an empty net goal to ensure the Sabres won.

Next Up

The Kraken will be back in action on Tuesday, Dec. 16 when they host the Colorado Avalanche. The Sabres will head back home and have a couple days of rest before they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, Dec. 18.

The season series will conclude in Buffalo on March 28.

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