DENVER -- The Sabres were tantalizingly close to victory against the Avalanche, but Tyler Ennis' stick stopped teammate Luke Adam's shot from completely crossing the goal line late in regulation. Ennis then took a high-sticking penalty in overtime, allowing the Avs to score and earn a 4-3 victory.
"It’s just unlucky," Ennis said. "I don’t know how we have the whole net and it just somehow hits my stick that’s sitting there. I was just trying to battle on the last one there, and my stick gets caught. I try to lift the stick and it hits the guy in the face. Very unlucky today."
Said Adam, who had an open net on the power play with 5:50 to go: "I saw the puck squirt out and I had the whole net there. The one spot that I shot it, it just happens to hit Enzo’s stick. It’s a tough play, but that’s got to be a goal."
It would've been the Sabres' second power-play goal of the night, but they went just 1 for 8 and allowed a short-handed goal.
"The power play needs to be better," said Adam, whose team took a 3-2 lead with two third-period goals but quickly allowed the Avs to tie it and set up the overtime win. "We came out great to start the third with two big goals, and then unfortunately they got one right back. It was there for us. All night, the game was there for us. It would’ve been nice to capitalize on our opportunity."
---John Vogl
