The 6-2 Sabres took to the ice at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester,NY. The Sabres faced off againsed the Washington Capitals looking for their 5th straight home win, while playing on their AHL affiliates rink.The Sabres opened the scoring 14:38 into the first period on a Power Play goal by Ales Kotalik. Kotalik took a pass at the right point from Maxim Afinogenov and rifiled a blistering slapshot past Capitals goaltended Olaf Kolzig for his 4th goal of the year.
The Washington Capitals responded quickly with a tally of their own as it took Jeff Freisen only 22 seconds to come down and wrist a hard shot past Sabre goaltender Ryan Miller.
Washington opened the second period scoring a quick goal 1:48 in with a back hand shot comming of the stick of Capitals forward Petr Sykora. The Sabres could not generate much of a forcheck in the offensive zone as the 3-6 Capitals held the Sabres who came in to the game leading the league in shots per game at 36.4 to only four shots in the 2nd period and a total of 17 throughout the game.
Buffalo opened up the 3rd period with their 2nd Power Play goal of the night comming of the stick of Jochen Hecht. Chris Drury was parked to the left of the Capitals net with the puck and tried to throw a pass through the crease that bounced off a Capitals defensemen and landed on the stick of Hecht who made no mistake and put the puck up and over the glove arm of Olaf Kolzig to tie the game at 2. The Sabres who gained some momentum, lost it a few minutes later when they took back to back penalties and were down two men. With 5 senconds remaining in the 5 on 2 the Capitals snapped their 0-26 skid on the Power Play as Jamie Heward slapped the puck over Ryan Millers left shoulder to give the Caps a 3-2 lead that would last for good.
The Sabres in the final minute of the 3rd period put together a strong forecheck in the Washington end with Ryan Miller on the bench for the extra attacker. The Sabres came up empty and were handed their 3rd loss of the season to make them 6-3 through their first 9 games.
The Sabres play friday night in New Jersey and will be looking to rebound againsed a struggling New Jersey Devils hockey club that also fell to the defeat of the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight 6-3.