Sabres finally skate their way into win column
Phil Housley finally got win No. 1 with the Sabres on Sunday in Anaheim.
Chad Johnson made 25 saves, Benoit Pouliot scored the go-ahead goal in the last minute of the second period and Buffalo beat the Ducks 3-1 for Housley’s first victory as an NHL coach.
“It feels great, obviously,” Housley said, “but I have to tip my hat to the guys in that locker room.”
Justin Bailey and Johan Larsson also scored for Buffalo, which had lost five straight to open Housley’s first season.
“We haven’t been playing our best hockey,” defenseman Jake McCabe said. “He’s been patient with us . ... Hopefully, it’s the first (win) of many.”
Bailey scored 1:26 into his first regular-season game. Goalie John Gibson made the initial save on a shot by Larsson but couldn’t cover the puck. Bailey swooped in as Gibson dove across the crease during a scramble and sent a backhand shot under the goalie’s chest.
“The play was pretty simple,” Bailey said. “I came off the bench and brought pucks to the net, which caused a little bit of confusion and I was fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time.”
With score 1-1 in the second, Josh Manson turned the puck over to Pouliot. He got the puck to the front of the Ducks’ net, where it bounced off the skate of Anaheim defenseman Cam Fowler and past Gibson.
“That’s the way it’s going,” Gibson said after Anaheim dropped to 2-3-1. “If we’re not scoring, we have to be better defensively. I have to be better.”
The Ducks controlled a majority of the play in the third, but could not get the tying goal. Larsson iced the game with an empty-net goal.
Golden Knights 3, Bruins 1: Alex Tuch and Vadim Shipachyov each scored in their Vegas debuts as the host Golden Knights improved to 4-1. Boston center Ryan Spooner and defenseman Adam McQuaid both left in the third period because of injuries and did not return.
Kings 3, Islanders 2: Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist and goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped 23 shots in his first start for host Los Angeles as the Kings improved to 4-0-1.
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