Buffalo Sabres scored own goal, losing 5-2 to Utah

The Buffalo Sabres suffered a disappointing 5-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club, largely due to a critical mistake. During a delayed penalty, they accidentally scored an own goal, a mistake they had recently made before. This error made it harder for the Sabres to come back in the game. The incident happened late in the third period when the Sabres were down 3-2. They had pulled their goalie, James Reimer, to add an extra attacker after Utah's Kevin Stenlund received a penalty. However, Tage Thompson misdirected a pass, which went into their own empty net. This mistake gave Utah a 4-2 lead, putting Buffalo in a tough spot to recover. Thompson acknowledged his mistake, saying he was not aware of the delayed call. He regretted not making a more aggressive play when they had the chance. The own goal was credited to Stenlund, even though he was heading to the penalty box at the time. This was the second time in just two weeks that the Sabres mishandled a delayed penalty situation. Earlier against the Tampa Bay Lightning, they failed to apply pressure during a similar power play due to miscommunication. Coach Lindy Ruff expressed frustration about their ongoing struggles with power plays. With their chances for the playoffs slipping away, the Sabres need to regroup and avoid making costly mistakes if they want to break their postseason drought.