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Capitals lose preseason opener to Sabres 4-3 (SO) in Spencer Carbery’s coaching debut

By Ian Oland

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September 24, 2023 5:00 pm

The Washington Capitals lost to the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 (SO) in their first preseason game of the new campaign. In front of a half-full Capital One Arena, the Caps debuted a new, more-open, and quicker system under new head coach Spencer Carbery.

The game started sloppy as the matchup came three days into Training Camp for both teams, but the pace and rhythm improved as the action went on.

The Capitals were dealt one setback as veteran, third-pairing defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk was lost late in the third period after taking a shot to his right hand/wrist.

The game opened with only a handful of shots in the first five minutes of the first period as both teams struggled to connect on passes. There were also four different minor penalties in the first 6:48 of the game (three committed by the Capitals) that messed with the game’s flow.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel struck first for the Capitals 14:52 into the first period, sending a wrist shot past Sabres’ goaltender Eric Comrie. NAK was set up in the slot with a deft pass by Riley Sutter, the effective fourth line center of the 2023 Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears.

The Capitals took a 2-0 lead in the second period after Ryan Hofer, a 2022 sixth-round pick of the Capitals, found a rebound and scored on his backhand. Henrik Rybinski sent the one-timer to the net that was initially stopped. The goal came 13:02 into the second period.

The 21-year-old Hofer, was a point-per-game player (68 points in 66 games) for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips and Kamloops Blazers in Canadian major junior hockey last season.

Just two minutes and 56 seconds later, JJ Peterka struck back, bringing the Sabres within one after a breakaway. Capitals goaltender Clay Stevenson, the likely backup in Hershey this season, went to the full splits to stop Peterka’s initial breakaway attempt, but was unable to stop his second chance from behind the net, as the Sabres’ forward gathered his rebound and banked the puck off Stevenson’s body and in.

The Sabres tied the game early in the third period after a Peyton Krebs redirect in front of the net.

The Sabres’ first-round pick from the 2023 NHL Draft (13th overall), Zach Benson, gave Buffalo a brief 3-2 lead with a tip-in try, 8:59 into the third. The 18-year-old, high-scoring prospect had 98 points (36g, 62a) in 60 games for the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild last season.

Sonny Milano tied the game 4:32 later, after quickly jumping off the bench for a shift change. Anthony Mantha, who was mostly invisible during the game, chipped the puck to Milano who weaved through three Sabres defenders with speed and scored.

The game went to overtime where neither team found the back of the net. The Sabres won the game 4-3 in the shootout after JJ Peterka and Brandon Biro scored on their attempts. Sonny Milano was the only player for the Capitals to score. Hendrix Lapierre was stopped while Dylan Strome hit the post.

The Capitals outshot the Sabres 32-27. 2023 Calder Cup playoffs MVP, Hunter Shepard, was impressive and stopped all 18 shots he faced. Clay Stevenson was beat on three of nine Sabres’ shots.

Headline photo: kurly/RMNB Crashers

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