The Buffalo Sabres tried to see if they could beat the defending champions without any defensemen. Predictably, it didn’t work, but it wasn’t quite as bad as you might think.
The Sabres were missing four blue liners due to injury, and lost another one during the game, but were still tied with the Penguins at one late in the third period. And then two tough bounces (or two create-you-own-luck goals, depending on who you’re rooting for) happened, and the Sabres ultimately fell to the Pens 3-1.
One of the major stories of the game was Rasmus Ristolainen earning a 5-minute interference and a game misconduct for this hit on Jake Guentzel halfway through the first period.