BUFFALO, N.Y. — With a whiteboard in his hand and the game slipping out of reach on the scoreboard, Penguins assistant coach Todd Reirden drew something up.
The Penguins had been largely out-shot and out-played by the Buffalo Sabres for the overwhelming majority of the night. The frustrating forecheck hemmed the Penguins into their own zone. Poor puck management didn’t help matters.
But with less than five minutes remaining and the Penguins down by one goal, coach Mike Sullivan called a timeout to keep the top power play unit on the ice. Then, Reirden choreographed a play in which Evgeni Malkin fed the puck from below the goal line that found Kris Letang atop the right circle. The scoring defenseman tied the score, 3-3.
In doing so, the Penguins forced overtime and stole a point in a game they were largely outplayed. But the team that played better got the result, when Buffalo's Alex Tuch beat Casey DeSmith in the shootout.
Final: Buffalo 4, Penguins 3.
From the jump, the Sabres controlled play. The Sabres forecheck kept the Penguins hemmed in the zone for the first several shifts. In the first period, the Penguins had just three total shots until Bryan Rust ripped a shot off the crossbar on the penalty kill with just under four minutes remaining.
The Sabres eventually captured a 1-0 lead with 2:45 left in the first. From the right dot, Tage Thompson scored his 26th goal of the season on a wrist shot that found space over DeSmith's glove hand.
In the second, Sidney Crosby scored just 26 seconds into the period and Malkin banked one in the closing minutes. But in between, Buffalo was the better team. It looked like Crosby might light a spark early. Off the rush, Rust found the Penguins captain racing into the offensive with speed.
However, the Sabres continued to carry the play. Buffalo generated seven high-danger chances in the second to the Penguins' two, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Buffalo center Zemgus Girgensons eventually capitalized on one of those prime chances to reclaim the lead, 2-1. Assigning blame on the play is about as tough as spelling Zemgus Girgensons. Penguins winger Danton Heinen over-skated the puck behind the net and then defenseman John Marino’s clearing attempt bounced right to Buffalo in the slot.
A fortunate bounce evened the score. From below the goal line, Malkin backhanded a pass in front. It hit a skate and went in for his third goal in three games. The tally tied the score with just 1:14 left in the second period.
Thompson struck again just 1:01 into the third period, as the Sabres reclaimed the lead, 3-2. The Penguins, at the end of a power play and in the middle of a line change, blew their coverage. Two Penguins were below the goal line on the play while Thompson was left all alone again in the right circle.
It looked like that would be it for the Penguins, as the Sabres controlled zone time and puck possession for most of the final frame. However, Letang’s late tally gave the Penguins new life.
However, one point was it.
The Penguins road trip continues on Friday against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
