The Washington Capitals can't catch a break.
Jason Chimera's goal brought the Caps back into the game, but Zack Kassian's goal less than 30 seconds later restored the Buffalo Sabres' lead to 3-1 after 40 minutes at First Niagara Center.
Chimera's penalty shot gave the Caps some much-needed momentum. After being dragged down by Christian Ehrhoff on a breakaway, Chimera beat Jhonas Enroth top-shelf - so much so that the puck got stuck underneath the padding - for his team-leading ninth goal of the season at 6:39.
Kassian killed that momentum 27 seconds later with his first career NHL goal. His simple snapshot got past Tomas Vokoun on what could be characterized as a soft goal. Buffalo outshot the Caps 9-8 in the period and are outshooting them 21-15 for the entire game.
Follow this StoryStream throughout the game for updates. For more on the Caps, visit SB Nation's Capitals blog, Japers' Rink.