Alexander Ovechkin may not have scored a goal in this game, but he didn’t need to as his Washington Capitals defeated the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 4 to 2 at HSBC Arena.
Just 1:57 into the game, Brooks Laich scored his 11th goal of the season on a power play. Seven minutes later, David Steckel shot the puck, which was consequently saved by Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller, but Chris Bourque, son of Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque, scored his first career NHL goal off of the rebound. After the first period, Washington led 2 to 0.
In the second period, Nicklas Backstrom scored on a power play to put the Capitals up by a field goal after the middle frame.
7:41 into the third period, Adam Mair scored to put Buffalo on the board. With 1:03 left in the third period, Washington was given a 2-minute penalty for too many men on the ice. The Sabres consequently pulled Miller from their net to give themselves a 6-on-4 advantage. However, Boyd Gordon scored shorthanded on the empty net to put the game away. With less than eleven seconds left in regulation, Clarke MacArthur scored a moot power play goal for Buffalo.
Washington goalie Jose Theodore made 31 saves on 33 shots while Buffalo’s Ryan Miller made 27 saves on 30 shots.
