Dylan Strome’s go-ahead goal for Capitals sends Buffalo to 9th loss in a row

WASHINGTON — A comeback attempt for the Sabres ended in the third period Saturday night when Dylan Strome scored the go-ahead goal for the Capitals inside Capital One Arena.

The Capitals’ 4-2 win handed the Sabres their ninth loss in a row, which is their second longest skid since they dropped 18 in a row during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves, but he did not stop Strome’s redirect that gave the Capitals the 3-2 lead with 8:55 left in regulation. Jakob Chychrun added an empty-net goal.

The Sabres (11-15-4) are 0-6-3 in their last nine games, while the Capitals (21-6-2) improved to 8-2-1 without injured star Alex Ovechkin.

Ryan McLeod’s pass went off Jason Zucker and past Capitals goalie Logan Thompson to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead only 1:36 into the first period. Special teams cost Buffalo again, though, as Tom Wilson scored a pair of power-play goals to put the Capitals ahead 2-1.

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The Sabres’ power play went 0-for-2 and their penalty kill went 1-for-3. They were behind 2-1 until Jiri Kulich tied it again in the second period when the Sabres rookie tipped a shot with 12:36 remaining.

• Luukkonen used his right leg to stop Pierre-Luc Dubois’ low shot only 57 seconds into the game.

• Zucker gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead at 1:36 by redirecting Ryan McLeod’s pass. The Sabres have scored first in 18 of 30 games this season, though they entered Saturday with only seven wins when doing so.

• Owen Power missed a shot on goal with traffic around Washington’s net, then the Capitals overpassed on a 2-on-1.

• Shots on goal were 9-4 in favor of the Capitals after Dylan Cozens’ turnover in the neutral zone led to Matt Roy’s wrister from the point with 10:06 left.

• Sabres winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel passed to defenseman Ryan Johnson during a 2-on-1, but Johnson’s shot was blocked by a Capitals player.

• Connor Clifton couldn’t finish a pass from Zucker around the Capitals’ crease with 7:39 remaining.

• Capitals winger Connor McMichael shot the puck through the crease after receiving a pass to the far post.

• Mattias Samuelsson couldn’t keep the puck in the offensive zone, which allowed Capitals winger Brandon Duhaime to skate in alone on Luukkonen. Power managed to slow Duhaime’s progress, but the official called a holding penalty on the Sabres defenseman while ignoring Duhaime holding Power’s stick.

• Wilson tied the score 1-1 by redirecting a pass over Luukkonen’s shoulder for a power-play goal with 2:51 left in the first period.

•  The Sabres were outshot 12-6 in the first period and, according to Natural Stat Trick, they had two high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5 compared to the Capitals’ four.

• Zach Benson took a tripping penalty in the offensive zone to give the Capitals a power play with 14:49 left in the second period.

• Wilson shot a rebound past Luukkonen for a power-play goal to give the Capitals a 2-1 lead with 14:11 left in the second period. Clifton didn’t tie up Wilson’s stick when Jakob Chychrun’s shot created the rebound.

• Sabres center Dylan Cozens fought Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary in response to a hit on defenseman Ryan Johnson with 13:40 remaining.

• Kulich tied it 2-2 when the Sabres center tipped Bowen Byram’s shot past goalie Logan Thompson with 12:36 left.

• Power sprung Alex Tuch for a breakaway, but the Sabres winger’s shot was stopped by Thompson.

• The Sabres’ first power play ended after 1:16 because Byram was called for an interference penalty.

• Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin was helped to the room after Jordan Greenway accidentally fell on his leg during a puck battle.

• Luukkonen made multiple saves during a Capitals odd-man rush, then McMichael’s hooking penalty put the Sabres on the power play with 1:25 to go.

The Sabres were outshot 13-10 during the second period but got to the intermission tied 2-2 and, according to Natural Stat Trick, generated seven high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5 in the middle frame.

• Thompson nearly scored a signature goal by stickhandling around traffic in front of the Capitals’ net, but he couldn’t finish on the backhand early in the third period.

• Luukkonen made a blocker save on Fehervary’s shot from the right circle with under 12 minutes remaining in the third period.

• Strome gave the Capitals a 3-2 lead by cutting toward the slot and redirecting Carlson’s pass to score on Luukkonen with 8:55 let in the third period.

• Luukkonen made a split save to prevent Strome from capitalizing on a chance from the slot with 7:32 to go.

Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin missed a fifth consecutive game because of back spasms, but winger Jordan Greenway was in the lineup despite missing practice Friday with soreness stemming from the middle-body injury that caused him to miss 10 games.

Henri Jokiharju, Jacob Bryson and Jack Quinn were the Sabres’ healthy scratches, while Sam Lafferty missed a seventh game with a lower-body injury. Lafferty has a chance to play Sunday in Toronto.

The Sabres play the Toronto Maple Leafs at 5 p.m. Sunday in Scotiabank Arena. Buffalo has won two of its last three games in Toronto, excluding a 2-1 overtime loss in March.

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