ANAHEIM, Calif. — Recall Justin Bailey. Visit Honda Center.
The Buffalo Sabres found the winning formula Sunday night, ending a five-game streak of utter frustration.
Bailey, called up from the AHL Rochester Americans earlier in the day, scored a first-period goal and the Sabres defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-1, giving new coach Phil Housley his first career victory.
“This isn’t about me, it’s about those guys in that locker room,” Housley said. “They’ve been through a lot and found a way to win tonight. They really gutted it out to win a game tonight.”
Yes, they did. And they no longer share a dubious honor with Phoenix. The Sabres improved to 1-4-1, leaving the Coyotes (0-4-1) as the only team in the NHL without a victory.
The winning effort began early.
The 6-foot-4, 214-pound Bailey backhanded a rebound past Ducks goaltender John Gibson with 1:26 expired. It was his third goal in 41 NHL games.
Bailey, Buffalo’s second-round draft pick in 2013, recorded 43 goals — and 81 points — over his first two seasons with Rochester. He scored twice in the Americans’ season opener Oct. 6 against Syracuse.
“(Bailey) provided that spark we needed,” Housley said. “He did a really good job after flying five hours.”
The Sabres have now won consecutive games at Anaheim for the first time since winning six straight from Jan. 7, 1998 to Oct. 24, 2003 — when Honda Center was still known as the Arrowhead Pond. Buffalo claimed a 2-1 win here last season in a 10-round shootout, the longest road game in franchise history.
Center Johan Larsson picked up his first goal of the season — against an empty net — with 23.4 seconds remaining to seal this win. Larsson also assisted on Bailey’s goal.
Benoit Pouliot was credited with the game-winning goal after teaming with Sam Reinhart to harass Anaheim defenseman Josh Manson. The result was a turnover in front of the net and a 2-1 lead with 31.3 seconds remaining in the second period.
The flukish score offered a rare bit of luck for Buffalo, a team playing its third game in four nights and coming off a 4-2 loss at Los Angeles less than 24 hours earlier.
After allowing three power-play goals against the Kings, the Sabres went 4 for 4 on the penalty kill against Anaheim. The Ducks are now 0-for-21 on the power play through six games.
The Ducks were playing without longtime captain Ryan Getzlaf, who missed his fourth game with a lower-body injury suffered in practice last month. Also missing for Anaheim: high-scoring winger Patrick Eaves (lower body), veteran center Ryan Kesler (hip) and a pair of key defensemen — Hampus Lindholm (shoulder) and Sami Vatanen (shoulder).
“It doesn’t help, getting behind. That’s obvious,” said center Chris Wagner, who scored a short-handed goal for Anaheim. “Then you’re chasing the game, maybe squeezing your sticks a little too tight. It’s not fun, playing from behind. We don’t expect to do that every night.
“We’re just not mentally, you know, there I guess. We’ve been struggling a bit.”
The Sabres have allowed an NHL-worst five short-handed goals in 2017-18. They gave up only four all last season. It didn’t matter after the final horn. Not in the raucous Buffalo locker room.
This time was reserved for positive vibes. Hockey, at long last, seemed fun again.
“At this point, I just want to keep playing because it’s been a while since we’ve felt like this,” Reinhart said.
The Sabres travel to Las Vegas to face the expansion Golden Knights (4-1-0) tomorrow night at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas turned back Boston 3-1 on Sunday.
The wounded Ducks (2-3-1) are idle until Montreal visits Oct. 20.
NOTES: Buffalo outshot Anaheim 31-26 in front of 15,821 fans. … Anaheim D Cam Fowler was skating in his 500th career game. … Buffalo G Chad Johnson made 25 saves. … Anaheim finished with 11 giveaways.
