Game 5: Sometimes ghosts just keep haunting

The Sabres' 6-5 overtime loss to the Penguins featured a couple of legendary foes making it a night to remember in Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres skate in warmups prior to their meeting Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. (Photo: Joe Yerdon)

PITTSBURGH — What a strange, exciting (complimentary), exhilarating game this was for the Pittsburgh Penguins. For the Buffalo Sabres it was also exciting (derogatory), maddening, and ultimately, disappointing.

The Sabres dropped a back-and-forth game 6-5 in overtime in which they had leads of 3-1 and 5-4. They also trailed 4-3 at one point early in the third period as well.

The Sabres chased Penguins starting goalie Tristan Jarry when they scored three goals on their first five shots in the first period and weren’t able to breakthrough backup Joel Blomqvist until midway through the third period.

They also blew an early 3-1 advantage by playing the sort of hockey we watched them play in Prague in which turnovers, penalties and odd-man rushes contributed to the Penguins’ goal rush that included Evgeni Malkin scoring his 500th career goal.

Even though there were some good things to take away from the game—namely J-J Peterka’s two goals in his first game back from a concussion—the sour turns throughout it that included allowing the tying goal with 46 seconds left in the third and a questionable tripping call against Tage Thompson in overtime that gave Pittsburgh the 4-on-3 they used to win the game on Sidney Crosby’s first goal of the year in a game in which he had three points and eclipsed the 1,600 mark for his career.

Old names from the past that perpetually haunted Buffalo doing it all over again in the current day. Sometimes the ghosts never go away.

More on a tough loss with a lot of layers to it ahead.