"Let's Just Forget This Game Exists": 2025-26 Regular Season, Game 22: Carolina Hurricanes at Buffalo Sabres

The Canes' road trip is at its end (finally) with some Sunday afternoon hockey in Buffalo. For the team's second matinee of the season, they certainly hope it goes better than the first one, when they failed to start on time and lost in Boston. The team has points in six straight games, including all three games on the trip (2-0-1). The Sabres are coming off a dominant 9-3 win over the Blackhawks on Friday night, so they're feeling themselves a bit, too. Andrei Svechnikov was set to skate in his 500th NHL game, although it feels like just yesterday that he made his NHL debut in 2018. As we approach the first major holiday of the season, the Canes need to finish strong, especially with the rest of the division faltering a little this week. They were handed a tough bout of adversity, with Jordan Staal declared out for the game with an illness.

Scoring Summary
1st Period
BUF (5:51-PP)- Alex Tuch (8) (Ryan McLeod (7) & Josh Doan (8))
CAR (14:36-PP)- Shayne Gostisbehere (2) (unassisted)
2nd Period
BUF (3:55)- Jack Quinn (5) (Ryan McLeod (8) & Jason Zucker (6))
BUF (18:36)- Beck Malenstyn (2) (Peyton Krebs (6) & Tyson Kozak (2))
3rd Period
BUF (19:38-EN)- Tage Thompson (12) (Zach Benson (9))

My Thoughts
There's no use in belaboring the point with anything that we just witnessed from the Carolina Hurricanes. It was truly ugly from start to finish for the visitors today. Not having their captain was a problem, though I'm not convinced that there is anything that he could've done to prevent this either. I don't care if half of the team is sick right now. That was not an acceptable effort level from the Hurricanes, and they know it. They were fortunate to get out of the first period in a 1-1 tie. They gave up a goal to Buffalo's power play and had one taken off the board for goalie interference. Fortunately, the Canes' power play decided to answer. Shayne Gostisbehere was the only Hurricane with a point today, putting one into the net with Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen out of position after contact. It salvaged an otherwise mediocre period. 

The second period was where this game was lost, and the second goal epitomized everything you need to know about this afternoon. Frederik Andersen was forced to make a 2-on-1 save and two more massive stops in quick succession shortly thereafter. The Canes failed to get the puck out and lost their assignments, hanging Andersen out to dry as Jack Quinn scored from the top of the crease. Late in the period, Sebastian Aho opted not to play the body 1-on-1 against Beck Malenstyn. As a result, Aho will be on the highlight reels, getting worked past for a breakaway goal. Sure, you'd like a stop there, but the team played with fire one too many times. I can't put anything that happened today on Andersen. He got no support from the group in front of him, yet he'll have to shoulder the loss on paper.

This is one of those "flush it and move on" games. I wouldn't blame the team if they never watch the tape from this game because I don't think there's anything they can learn from it. They pretty much lucked into a goal and showed no semblance of the team that we've seen many times throughout the season. The Sabres beat them at their own game, keeping the Canes without a shot until well into the period and locking them down in the third period to prevent a comeback from materializing. They've been on the road a lot, so getting them home for a long stretch will be good for the group. Acknowledge that this one was bad and get ready for the Rangers on Wednesday.

First Star of the Game: No one
I usually reserve "no one" for shutout losses, but I can't pinpoint a single player who I feel deserves this moniker today. Frederik Andersen might be the closest to it. I just can't bring myself to give it to anyone. 

Next Up: The Hurricanes begin a seven-game homestand on Wednesday night against the New York Rangers before celebrating Thanksgiving. The Winnipeg Jets will follow on Black Friday, and the Calgary Flames will be in town to finish the month next Sunday. After another multi-day break in the action, the Canes finish the homestand with Toronto, Nashville, San Jose, and Columbus in early December.

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