The Utah Mammoth scored two power-play goals en route to a 4–1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night at KeyBank Center.
If the Sabres hope to get back to the playoffs this year, they urgently need to improve their special teams. Through five games, they’ve allowed six power-play goals, and their 62.5% penalty-kill rate ranks 30th in the NHL.
On a brighter note, the Sabres scored their first power-play goal of the season. Tage Thompson made an end-to-end rush and swept the puck past Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka to give Buffalo a 1–0 lead eight minutes into the first period.
The lead was short-lived. Just over two minutes later, Kailer Yamamoto charged the net and tapped in a pass from Barrett Hayton by Colten Ellis to tie the game.
The score remained tied until late in the second period, when veteran centreman Nick Schmaltz gave Utah the lead on the power play, jamming the puck in at the far post past Ellis at 15:23.
Anders Lee then made it 3–1 after Buffalo failed to clear the zone. Lee collected the puck in front of the net and beat Ellis.
John Marino put the game out of reach early in the third period with another power-play goal, blasting a shot through a screen from just inside the blue line to make it 4–1.
The Sabres pressed throughout the final 20 minutes, firing 13 shots at Vejmelka, but couldn’t get another puck through him. The score remained 4–1.
Buffalo will try to get back on track Monday afternoon when they take on the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center.
