Hello, sports fans. Welcome back to RMNB’s live blog where your Washington Capitals will take on the Buffalo Sabres in the first of a four-games-in-six-nights stretch
After a fun night of hockey on Sunday night where Ryan Leonard and Cole Hutson won gold with Team USA at the World Junior Championship and the Hershey Bears held their Teddy Bear Toss… please read this I’m very proud…
… now Alex Oveckin is back to pick up his chase of Alex Ovechkin’s goals record.
The Capitals will go with the same lineup that defeated the New York Rangers on Saturday. Charlie Lindgren will get the start in goal and oppose the best goalie name in all of hockey: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
The Capitals-Sabres game is airing on Monumental Sports Network and I think NHL Network? Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call. Puck drop is a little after 7:00 pm.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Buffalo Sabres
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Puck is dropped.
Sabres go to the power play 1:02 in after Aliaksei Protas is called for holding the stick. A birthday penalty! Happy birthday, Pro.
🚨 1-0 Buffalo Sabres. BUF Goal: JJ Peterka (13). Assists: A. Tuch (17), R. McLeod (13). Time: 04:38.
JJ Peterka in his 200th @NHL game ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/5IREquitTj
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 7, 2025
JJ Peterka beats Charlie Lindgren with a snapshot to the far post. Unbelievable shot. Sabres take the 1-0 lead less than 5 minutes into the game.
Big Pro crumples to the ice after taking a high stick from Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Tough birthday game so far, geez. Capitals get their first power play at 5:40.
🚨 1-1 tie. WSH PPG: Tom Wilson (17). Assists: J. Chychrun (17), D. Strome (33). Time: 06:10.
Wilson with a one-timer from the high slot that beats UPL.
Protas stopped on a breakaway.
Caps and Sabres get in a fracas with 1.4 seconds left in the period. Brandon Duhaime wanted to fight Jiri Kulich but the young Sabre was not interested in chucking hands — probably for the best. Both players to the box for matching minors.
At intermission: The Capitals and Sabres are tied 1-1. Buffalo is outshooting Washington 10 to 6 and are out-attempting the Caps 17 to 15.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
🚨 2-1 Buffalo Sabres. BUF Goal: Alex Tuch (13). Unassisted. Time: 01:07.
Tuchy you THIEF 😤#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/IUxA15Pwul
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 7, 2025
Tuch gets by Chychrun and beats Lindgren glove side on a breakaway.
Charlie Lindgren loses his catching glove and makes a pad save with it off. KEEP YER GLOVE ON CHARLIE.
Tage Thompson takes the puck hard to the net and is checked into Charlie Lindgren by both Martin Fehervary and Dylan Strome.
🚨 2-2 tie. WSH Goal: Tom Wilson (18). Assists: A. Protas (17), J. Carlson (22). Time: 11:29.
Wilson’s got 2! He finds a rebound as his feet and pops the rebound home.
John Carlson has his head down in the defensive zone with the puck and is hit cleanly (maybe a smidge late) by Krebs. Dylan Strome and another Capitals player go after him immediately giving the Sabres a penalty at
🚨 3-2 Buffalo Sabres. BUF PPG: Tage Thompson (19). Assists: R. Dahlin (23), J. Peterka (19). Time: 12:49.
TAGE. pic.twitter.com/tZCVbsFXLZ
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 7, 2025
Tage Thompson blasts a one-timer home from the Ovi spot giving the Sabres back the lead. His shot was going 103.7 MPH.
Thompson nearly scores again on a semi-breakaway but Capitals’ pressure forces his shot wide.
At intermission: The Sabres lead 3-2 and dare I say they’ve outplayed the Capitals so far in this game? Buffalo is outshooting Washington 18 to 15 and are out-attempting the Caps 37 to 34.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Nic Dowd switches it up against the Sabres and decides to draw a penalty instead of take one. Tage Thompson to the box for tripping at 1:01.
Protas hits the crossbar. Caps putting a ton of pressure on the Sabres now.
Sabres with a two-on-none breakaway and miss the net. lol That was Alex Tuch who called his own number there.
Strome to the box for boarding at 6:04 of the period. That’s two not-so-great penalties from him tonight.
Sabres seem to play dangerously closing out games. They swarm in the D-zone, leaving players on the opposite side of the ice wide open. The Caps have already had several chances, but haven’t been able to convert.
Peyton Krebs high-sticked Tom Wilson around the right ear/neck area, but no call. Wilson was very chatty about it at the bench.
🚨 3-3 tie. WSH Goal: Aliaksei Protas (18). Assists: J. Carlson (23), P. Dubois (26). Time: 15:47.
Protas has himself a birthday goal! Carlson sends a no-angle pass toward the net and Pro swats at it, and it goes in top corner somehow. That’s John Carlson’s 700th point of his career.
At the end of regulation: The game remains tied 3-3. The Capitals outshot the Sabres 25 to 22 and out-attempted them 50 to 40 at five-on-five.
Overtime
To 3-on-3 overtime we go.
Sabres get the first big chance, a huge one-timer from the top of the circles, but Lindgren makes a huge save — even with Tage Thompson hounding him for a rebound and a leaky puck.
Charlie Lindgren stops Jason Zucker on a breakaway – huge.
Shootout
❌ Tage Thompson shoots it into Lindgren’s left pad
✅ Pierre-Luc Dubois scores to the far side with a sneaky snap shot.
❌ Jack Quinn kicks his leg out and goes to his backhand, but Lindgren gets over to stop it.
❌ Dylan Strome curls to the middle of the ice but UPL makes the save with his blocker.
✅ Alex Tuch scores dekeing Lindgren out of the net.
❌ John Carlson shoots third for the Caps and is pretty easily stopped. Not sure about that decision by Carbery.
✅ JJ Peterka with a wicked shot, beating Lindgren.
❌ Jakob Chychrun shoots fourth, he makes some moves, but runs out of space, and it’s over. Really curious shootout picks by Carbery.
Sabres win 4-3 (SO).
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