By any measure – whether by registration, eye exam or even a graduated cylinder – the Buffalo Sabers are the worst team in the NHL.
They have had this designation a handful of times in the past decade, having not qualified for the postseason since 2011.
That said, they know better than to ignore a disheartening opponent.
“If you don’t bring your best game, if you play badly, any team in the league can hurt you,” said Penguins defender Kris Letang, via video conference. “Even though their track record now is not indicating that they are doing well, they will still make a good effort. They have skill. They have speed. Sometimes, when you go out and have nothing to lose, that’s when you’re the most dangerous.
“We can’t go around thinking about their record. We have to think about focusing on our game and playing the right way. ”
It was not easy, but the Penguins found their way on Saturday by defeating the Sabers 3-0 at the KeyBank Center, extending their winning streak to five best games of the season.
They also recorded their first shutout of the season.
Goalkeeper Casey DeSmith made 24 saves to improve his record to 6-2-0. It was the fifth shutout of his career and the first in almost two years (his last 5-0 win, also against the Sabers, on March 14, 2019).
But it took a while to gain leadership. In fact, at 36 minutes and 37 seconds, he was the most advanced in any Penguins game this season before a goal was scored for either side.
“You have to be able to play that kind of game,” said striker Jake Guentzel. “In these low-scoring games, you have to be patient and not be at high risk. It’s good to find different ways to win. It is good to know that we can have few goals and defend strongly ”.
The opening goal came from a regular source in Guentzel, at 16:37 of the second period.
After a direct confrontation victory in the Sabers’ left circle by Penguins striker Sidney Crosby, Letang established the puck on the left and made his way to the center point. From there, Letang gave a pass to attack Evgeni Malkin in the left circle. Examining the offensive zone, Malkin made a pass to the front of the line, where Guentzel redirected the puck on the net. Goalkeeper Carter Hutton made the initial save, but in the rebound that followed, Guentzel was able to hit the puck in mid-air, overtaking Hutton’s blocker for his 10th goal, becoming the first member of the Penguins to hit double digits in goals this season.
Guentzel extended a string of consecutive goals for three games.
“He just finds the ice where the opportunity presents itself to him,” said coach Mike Sullivan. “He has a knack for finding the bottom of the network. He’s a gunner. There is no other way to describe your game. He can be opportunistic. He doesn’t need a lot of chances to bury records. When he picks them up, usually some of them end up at the bottom of the net. ”
The goals of the empty net in Crosby’s third period, his 10th at 19:07, and striker Mark Jankowski, his second at 19:44, closed the scoring.
The Sabers are not the most difficult opponent that the Penguins will face this season. In fact, almost all other opponents will be superior, starting with two home matches against Fort Boston Bruins on Monday and Tuesday.
The Penguins enter these games with a rare winning streak and a little confidence, regardless of the opponent.
“We have been playing the hockey we wanted,” said Guentzel. “It was a full 60 minutes. It has been simple. Just put disks in and don’t be too risky. We just have to stick to it. ”
Seth Rorabaugh is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. You can contact Seth by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .
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