Buffalo Sabres Fall Flat In Vancouver

The Buffalo Sabres didn't have much going for them Monday night in Vancouver.  For the second night in a row the Sabres opened the scoring when captain Brian Gionta whacked a high shot past former Sabre goaltender Ryan Miller.  But it was all Vancouver after that.  The Canucks scored four straight goals on their way to a 5-2 victory to hand Buffalo its second straight loss while ending their own five-game losing streak.

Winger Radim Vrbata led the Canucks with a hat trick, the first hat trick scored against the Sabres this season.  Penalties a major problem for the Sabres in this one.  The Canucks were 1 for 6 on the power play, but having to kill so many penalties took a lot of steam out of the Sabres attack.

Sam Reinhart scored the other Buffalo goal, his 8th of the season.  Linus Ulmark took the loss in goal, his sixth straight loss.

The Sabres look to salvage something out of their 3-game western swing when they conclude the trip Thursday night against the Calgary Flames.