Sabres Fall to Capitals 2-1 in Tight Contest

Luukkonen's strong performance not enough as Chychrun's late goal sinks Buffalo

Mar. 13, 2026 at 3:05am

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The Buffalo Sabres saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end on Thursday night, falling 2-1 to the Washington Capitals. Despite a solid outing from goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the Sabres were unable to hold off a late goal from Capitals defenseman Jeff Chychrun that proved to be the difference.

Why it matters

The loss drops the Sabres out of first place in the Atlantic Division, with the Tampa Bay Lightning now holding the top spot. The Sabres have also struggled at home of late, winning just 5 of their last 9 games at KeyBank Center.

The details

Luukkonen kept the Sabres in the game, making several key saves, especially in the third period when the Capitals outshot Buffalo 13-5. However, Chychrun's late goal proved to be the difference, as the Capitals defenseman was left wide open in the right circle and scored his 23rd goal of the season. The Sabres had their chances, particularly in the first period, but were unable to solve Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren, who made several impressive saves.

  • The game-winning goal by Chychrun came with just 1:33 remaining in regulation.
  • The Capitals outshot the Sabres 13-5 in the third period.

The players

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

The Sabres' goaltender had a strong performance, keeping his team in the game with several key saves.

Jeff Chychrun

The Capitals defenseman scored the game-winning goal with just over a minute remaining, his 23rd goal of the season.

Charlie Lindgren

The Capitals goaltender made several impressive saves to help his team secure the victory.

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What they’re saying

“He knew this morning, he came to me on the ice twice and talked about it. He's feeling OK, probably if it's a playoff type scenario he's a player, but he's dealing with something like why should we make it worse when a couple of days could make it that much better?”

— Lindy Ruff, Sabres Head Coach (WGR 550)

What’s next

The Sabres will look to bounce back on Saturday when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs, who may be without star forward Auston Matthews after he was injured in a recent game against the Capitals.

The takeaway

Despite the loss, the Sabres have shown they can compete with the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but will need to find a way to win more consistently at home if they hope to maintain their position in the playoff race.