Islanders don't generate much offense in loss to Sabres

BUFFALO — Semyon Varlamov didn’t look like a goalie playing his first game of the season, or his first game that counted since April 1. He was sharp, bailing out his Islanders teammates time after time.

Eventually, though, it was too much. The Islanders’ struggles clearing their own zone and getting the puck deep into the Sabres’ zone — in general, generating much energy — led to a second straight loss, 3-1, on Saturday night at KeyBank Center.

“We were turning way too many pucks over,” Bo Horvat told Newsday after the Islanders’ first road game. “It was just not our hockey. We weren’t playing the way we regularly play. We weren’t hard on pucks. They backtracked really well and we were just turning it over and feeding their transition. It wasn’t our best night.”

Varlamov made 40 saves but the Islanders (2-1-1) dropped both ends of their weekend back-to-back and have lost six straight road games to the Sabres.

They also have been held to one goal in two of their first four games. Eric Comrie made 24 saves for the Sabres (2-3-0). Defenseman Noah Dobson scored at 18:39 of the third period on a shot that deflected off a Sabre, denying the 28-year-old journeyman his third career shutout in 48 NHL games and second against the Islanders.

“Yeah, just turnovers,” Dobson said when asked why the Islanders failed to sustain an attack. “Especially in the second [period]. We didn’t manage the puck not even close to nearly good enough. When you have the long change [to the bench] and you keep turning it over, they keep coming back at you and you’re stuck in your end for the whole period.”

The NHL’s official scoresheet credited the Islanders with only five giveaways, but they knew better.

“Just through the neutral zone, our puck management has to be better,” coach Lane Lambert said. “That’s two nights in a row where we’re trying. The intentions are good. But unintended consequences come along with that when you turn the puck over in the neutral zone, certainly against fast teams. You find yourself back in your own zone and spending way too much time there.”

The Islanders lost to the Devils in overtime, 5-4, on Friday night at UBS Arena, allowing four power-play goals in five chances.

The Sabres went 0-for-3 on the power play even after defenseman Ryan Pulock was called for tripping 15 seconds into the game. But the Sabres held a 31-16 shot advantage through two periods and a 2-0 lead.

Joel Skinner finally got the puck past Varlamov from the right circle at 16:37 of the second and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson blasted one through from the high slot with 36.7 seconds remaining in the period.

“We weren’t as crisp as we needed to be,” Anders Lee said. “Our detail wasn’t where it needed to be on a back-to-back. It has to be better. On top of that, a little bit of execution. The puck wasn’t settling for us enough and we were making mistakes and they were coming right back at us.”

Dylan Cozens made it 3-0 as he scored from below the left circle at 2:40 of the third period.

Varlamov kept the game at 0-0 despite the Sabres’ relentless pressure through much of the second period by stopping Casey Mittelstadt’s one-timer at 12:24 and stoning J.J. Peterka’s backhander at the post at 13:39 and Victor Olofsson’s tip-in try at 14:14.

“He kept us in the game right from the start,” Lambert said. “I thought our goaltender was good.”

But not so much for the rest of the Islanders.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.