Sloppy Second Period Dooms Flyers in Loss to Sabres

BOX SCORE

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Flyers have been at their best in the second period this season.

Except when they play the Buffalo Sabres.

The Sabres scored three times in the second period of Tuesday night's 4-1 victory over the visiting Flyers (see Instant Replay). They also outscored the Flyers 3-0 in the second period of their previous meeting on Oct. 25 at Wells Fargo Center, before the Flyers came back for the 4-3 shootout win.

In their other 40 games, the Flyers have outscored opponents 53-34 in the second period. They rank second in the NHL in second-period scoring behind the New York Rangers.

The Flyers were pleased with the way they played for two-thirds of Tuesday night's game. But the wayward second doomed them to their ninth loss in 11 games.

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"First and third, we played some good hockey and the second period was a little different," captain Claude Giroux said. "We didn't support each other as much. First and third period, we played as a unit of five. It makes our job a lot easier when we play together."

Sam Reinhart's power-play goal on a tight-angle wrist shot from the left side of the net gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead 5:15 into the second period. The Flyers' struggles snowballed from there.

"After we gave up the PP goal against, from there we didn't check well the rest of the period. That was the difference," coach Dave Hakstol said. "Coming back into the zone on our rush coverage, we didn't sort."

That's how the Sabres got their second goal 3:24 later. William Carrier was uncovered skating up the left side and beat Giroux to a rebound for a wrist shot that Steve Mason had little chance to stop.

"Unfortunately, in the second there we were off our game plan and we paid for it," defenseman Andrew MacDonald said.

Evander Kane gave Buffalo a 3-0 lead with just nine seconds left in the third period. Kane came up with the puck after it bounced off MacDonald's skate and whistled a high wrist shot passed Mason.

"It's a tough one to give up," MacDonald said. "Anything late in the third period like that. There's a big difference between being down two and three going into the third. We had the same mindset going out. We knew we had to battle back. But the third one made it tougher."

The Flyers were able to score three goals in the third period the last time the two teams met. But on Tuesday, they could only muster a power-play goal from Brayden Schenn – after Mason was pulled to make it 6-on-4 – with 2:07 remaining.

"In the third, we pressed hard," MacDonald said. "But it was too little, too late."

Mason said the Flyers' second-period wounds were self-inflicted.

"We did it to ourselves," Mason said. "We were sloppy and they came with speed off the rush and we've got to do a better job in the second period overall. I think when we go back and look at the tape, it was a lot of what we did wrong in the second and not what they did to force us. It was all our own doing."

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