The Buffalo Sabres win streak ends at eight games as the team fell to the Washington Capitals, 2-1, Thursday.
Washington’s Jakob Chychrun scored with 1:33 left to play and Charlie Lindgren made 29 saves in the win. Chychrun’s goal came when forward Aliaksei Protas passed to the defenseman in the circle and he fired it past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for his 23rd goal of the year.
Ryan Leonard also scored for the Capitals, who won for the second time in the past three games.
Sam Carrick scored for the Sabres and Luukkonen made 20 saves.
Carrick’s second goal in three games gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead at 6:02 of the first period after a no-look backhand pass from Beck Malenstyn.
Leonard tied the game at 2:14 of the second period when he fired a shot past Luukkonen while on a two-on-one.
Chychrun won it for the Capitals at 18:27 of the third.
Sabres defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Tanner Pearson made their team debuts after they were acquired at the trade deadline.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen slides across the crease to make a save during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
The Sabres can look to begin a new winning streak this Saturday when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Despite the loss, the Sabres still sit at the top of the Atlantic Division with 16 games remaining in the regular season.
The Sabres are in striking distance of ending a 14-year playoff drought.