Islanders shut out for second straight sport in loss to Sabres – CBS Information

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By CBS New York Group
Up to date on: March 14, 2024 / 11:35 PM EDT / CBS/AP
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Ukko-Pekko Luukkonen stopped 21 photographs for his fifth shutout of the season, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the New York Islanders 4-0 on Thursday night time to match a season excessive with their third straight win.
Victor Olofsson, Dylan Cozens and Zach Benson scored 5:13 aside throughout a second-period surge as Buffalo outshot the Islanders 29-11 via two intervals and 37-21 total. Benson added an empty-net purpose with 4:54 remaining.
Buffalo improved to 8-3-1 in its previous 12 and continued inching again into rivalry. The Sabres pulled three factors behind the Islanders and Purple Wings, who had been tied for the second wild card.
“I believe we have now confidence. We all know we will beat any workforce. And, we all know that each sport issues so much proper now,” Cozens mentioned. “If we’re gonna go down, we’re gonna go down with a struggle. We will play like we actually don’t have anything to lose.”
The Sabres took benefit of an Islanders workforce closing a four-game street journey, with the primary three video games performed on the West Coast. The problem for Buffalo now could be opening a five-game street swing that begins at Detroit on Saturday.
“I do not suppose we have to change a lot. It is simply attempting to maintain going what we’re doing proper now,” mentioned Luukkonen, who did not have an NHL shutout earlier than this season, and now has 4 in his previous 21 begins. “When you form of lose sight of the following sport and begin to suppose too far forward, you actually do not do any favors for your self.”
The Islanders, coming off a 3-0 loss at Los Angeles on Monday, had been blanked for the sixth time this season, and have not scored in a span of 121:48, courting the ultimate minutes of a 6-1 win at Anaheim on Sunday.
Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 photographs in dropping to 8-3-2 in his previous 13.
The Islanders have dropped two straight since having fun with a season-best 6-0 run, and a minimum of get to return dwelling to regroup.
“You may’t dwell on it. You may’t really feel sorry for yourselves or suppose that we’re out of it,” Bo Horvat mentioned. “We’re nonetheless very a lot on this factor. I believe we undoubtedly should play so much higher than we did tonight and we have to try this with this subsequent dwelling sport.”
Although not examined usually, Luukkonen made a number of key saves. His greatest got here with 8:02 left within the second interval, when Luukkonen bought throughout to get a chunk of Horvat’s blast from the appropriate circle with the puck trickling simply large of the far publish.
The 25-year-old is 10-3-1 in his previous 14, by which he is allowed a mixed 28 objectives, and 16-8-1 since claiming the beginning job in late December.
Olofsson opened the scoring 4:28 into the second interval with Buffalo capitalizing on the NHL’s worst-ranked penalty-killing workforce.
It took simply 18 seconds after Anders Lee was penalized for interference for Buffalo to win the faceoff and have JJ Peterka thread a go via the center to Olofsson, who one-timed a shot from a foul angle to the appropriate of the online.
Cozens made it 2-0 by changing a rebound in entrance after Sorokin bought his proper pad out to cease Connor Clifton’s shot from the appropriate circle. Benson scored by deflecting in Henri Jokiharju’s shot from the blue line, and with teammate Jordan Greenway screening Sorokin.
UP NEXT
Islanders: Host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Sabres: At Detroit on Saturday.
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First revealed on March 14, 2024 / 9:52 PM EDT
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