The sight of his parents sitting beside him and the standing ovation from thousands of Sabres fans nearly brought Ray to tears before he even started his acceptance speech.

“OK, you got to stop or I’m going to cry,” said Ray, who played 14 of his 16 NHL seasons in Buffalo. He inspired a rule change in the NHL, entertained fans with his fights, racked up 3,207 penalty minutes, and became a beloved figure in Buffalo, transitioning smoothly into broadcasting Sabres games.

“I came to this town, I didn’t need glasses, I was in shape, I had hair, I left it all here for you guys,” Ray said to begin his speech.

“It’s hard to believe I’ve been in this organization for 37 years,” he said at the end. “And on those nights that I was coming off the ice, and there was blood coming out of your face somewhere, that wasn’t red. That was blue and gold,” he added, referring to the Sabres’ team colors.

Ray, now 56, was drafted by Buffalo in the fifth round of the 1988 draft. He played for the Sabres from 1990 to 2002, then spent parts of two seasons in Ottawa before retiring. He was inducted as the 44th member of the team’s Hall of Fame before a game against the Nashville Predators.

His penalty minutes remain a franchise record, and he ranks sixth on the NHL’s career list. In 900 career games, Ray scored 41 goals and 91 points.

Although his many fights are what most people remember, Ray had a few key offensive moments. He scored a goal on his first career shift, beating goalie Tom Barrasso with a slap shot in a 4-2 win over Pittsburgh on Oct. 21, 1989. He also scored three career playoff goals, including the game-winning goal in a 5-2 victory over Toronto in the 1999 Eastern Conference finals, a series Buffalo went on to win.

Ray was known for wearing tear-away jerseys during fights, giving him an advantage over his opponents, who would be left holding his jersey while Ray continued to throw punches. This led the NHL to introduce a rule stating that players who fought without their jerseys would receive game misconducts.

“He played the game with fire. He wasn’t just a tough guy, but he was the toughest,” said former teammate Brad May. “There’s no better feeling knowing Rob Ray has your back.”

Ray, who is from Stirling, Ontario, adopted Buffalo as his hometown. He is known for leading the Sabres alumni association and for his charitable work, including delivering toys to children in need each Christmas Eve.

Ray was honored on the ice with many of his former teammates, along with his wife and two children. Sabres co-owner Kim Pegula, who had been recovering from a serious cardiac arrest in June 2022, also attended the ceremony, marking her first appearance at the arena since the incident. She watched from a suite with her husband, Terry.

Ray took time to pay tribute to each of his coaches and the late NHL Hall of Fame broadcaster Rick Jeanneret, saying, “I miss you, buddy. We all do.” Jeanneret had helped Ray get his start in broadcasting after retirement.

Former rival Tie Domi, who fought Ray many times, sent a video message. “They changed the rules because of you. The streaker, the fighting streaker,” Domi said. “I’m proud of you man. Our friendship goes way beyond hockey.”

Ray expressed his regret that the NHL had phased out the enforcer role through rule changes aimed at limiting fighting in the last two decades.

“I think that sometimes what we lose in our game is it’s all about winning and losing and it’s all about stats, you forget it’s an entertainment business,” Ray said. A member of the late-90s Sabres, known as the hardest working team in hockey, he reflected, “We didn’t win a lot of games back then.

But we played hard and people respected it. They liked it. They knew that we might not win, but you know what, ‘I may see a fight tonight. I might see two.’ And that was kind of the draw that lured them.”

The post Former NHL enforcer Rob Ray becomes emotional as he is inducted into the Sabres Hall of Fame in Buffalo appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Both teams, sitting near the bottom of their conferences, will meet in Buffalo on Friday night. They each have 43 points, with Buffalo in last place in the Eastern Conference and Nashville near the bottom in the Western Conference.

Since an early losing streak, Buffalo has a record of 8-7-1 but has only managed back-to-back wins twice. However, they broke through on Tuesday with a dominant 7-2 victory at home against Boston.

“We’ve said through all of these (games), even in a lot of the disappointments, we’re in this thing together,” said Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff.

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each scored a hat trick and added an assist in the win. Buffalo matched its season-high goal total after struggling to score in recent games. Thompson has nine goals and 10 assists in his last 16 games, while Peterka has four goals and nine assists in 12 games this month.

“It’s starting to open up a little bit,” Thompson said. “And when you get stuff rolling like (Tuesday), you’ve got to just ride that wave and keep firing pucks at the net and get to the net. When you do that, good things happen.”

Despite the win, Buffalo hasn’t had much success against Nashville lately, losing the last three meetings, including two at home. Nashville, meanwhile, has lost two straight after a season-high five-game win streak.

This season, Nashville has struggled with consistency, losing at least two consecutive games in regulation six times. They have only won two or more straight games four times.

After scoring 27 goals during their five-game win streak, Nashville has scored just three goals in their last two games. In a 3-1 loss to Vancouver on Wednesday, they posted 32 shots on goal but only managed a single first-period goal.

“We’ve been creating a lot of offense, so it’s looking up for us right now creating-wise,” said Tommy Novak, who has seven points in his last five games. “(Wednesday night) stings to not close that one out and get the lead.”

Despite the recent struggles, the Predators remain optimistic for their upcoming road games against Buffalo and Pittsburgh.

“There’s great energy,” said Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette. “There’s great effort. Just, this league is hard.”

Predators’ star goalie Juuse Saros stopped 19 of 21 shots against Vancouver but has allowed 11 goals in his last three starts. Backup Justus Annunen has been strong, going 3-0-0 in January despite a 3.00 goals-against average.

Filip Forsberg’s 10-game point streak ended Wednesday. Forsberg had nine goals and 10 assists during that stretch.

Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been solid in net recently, with a 2.35 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in his last three starts. Backup James Reimer has only one win in eight starts since joining the team but has been solid in January, stopping 61 of 67 shots.

The post Predators and Sabres aim to climb out of conference basements in Nashville matchup appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Malkin’s Milestone Goal and Emotional Journey

Malkin, who had been thinking about reaching the 500-goal mark for over a year, expressed relief and happiness after finally achieving it. “I really wanted to score [the 500th goal] last year,” he said, reflecting on his long journey to reach this milestone. The Penguins’ captain, Crosby, had assisted Malkin during his own 500th goal in 2022 and returned the favor on Wednesday. Crosby set up Malkin’s goal with a creative pass behind the net, and Malkin, while sitting on the ice, managed to score past the Buffalo goalie.

Crosby, who had a front-row seat to Malkin’s goal, expressed admiration for his teammate’s achievement. “It was a pretty awesome goal,” Crosby remarked, remembering the moment fondly. The two players, who have been teammates for almost two decades, have shared many such moments. Their connection has been a cornerstone of the Penguins’ success, leading to three Stanley Cup victories. Malkin’s 500th goal solidified his place as one of the top goal-scorers in Penguins’ history, ranking third, while also becoming the 20th player to score 500 goals for a single team.

Malkin’s Historic Achievement and Penguins’ Legacy

Malkin’s 500th goal places him in exclusive company. He is only the second Russian-born player in NHL history, after Alex Ovechkin, to achieve this milestone. He joins Crosby, Ovechkin, and Steven Stamkos as active players with 500 goals. This achievement makes the Penguins only the second NHL team, after Montreal, to have three 500-goal scorers in their history. Both Crosby and Malkin’s consistent contributions continue to shape the team’s success, with the Penguins continuing to excel with these superstars leading the charge.

Crosby reached another major milestone during the game, recording his 1,600th career point. The achievement was marked by a secondary assist on Bryan Rust’s power-play goal. Crosby is now one of just 10 players in NHL history to reach this mark, a testament to his longevity and elite performance. At 37, Crosby continues to be a key player for the Penguins, as he is closing in on 600 career goals and climbing up the all-time points list. Crosby’s remarkable consistency shows no signs of slowing down as he moves closer to passing Penguins legend Mario Lemieux for eighth place in NHL history.

The post Malkin Reaches 500 Goals, Crosby Surpasses 1,600 Points in Penguins’ Memorable Win Over Sabres appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Jonathan Drouin tied the game and forced overtime when he scored with 7.7 seconds remaining. Toews also had two assists, Cale Makar scored twice, Mikko Rantanen and Drouin each added a goal and an assist, Ross Colton scored a goal, and Nathan MacKinnon provided three assists for Colorado.

The Avalanche won despite losing goaltender Scott Wedgewood to an injury. Wedgewood was hurt 1:27 into the third period when Zach Benson collided with Colorado’s Parker Kelly near the net, falling into Wedgewood’s right leg.

The goalie was unable to continue and was helped off the ice after making 14 saves on 18 shots. He was replaced by Mackenzie Blackwood, who saved two out of three shots. Jason Zucker scored a hat trick and also assisted, while Benson and Bowen Byram also scored.

Tage Thompson had three assists, and Luukkonen made 23 saves for Buffalo.

Canucks 4, Kraken 3 (SO)

J.T. Miller scored the only goal in the shootout, helping Vancouver beat Seattle for just their second win in the past seven games (2-2-3).

Max Sasson, Conor Garland, and Tyler Myers scored during regulation for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko stopped 11 out of 12 shots before leaving with an apparent lower-body injury after a collision with teammate Noah Juulsen. Kevin Lankinen replaced him and made 13 saves on 15 shots.

Matty Beniers and Vince Dunn each had a goal and an assist, and Chandler Stephenson also scored for Seattle, which had its two-game winning streak stopped. Philipp Grubauer, starting his third game in a row for the injured Joey Daccord, stopped 19 of 22 shots.

Hurricanes 3, Panthers 1

Jaccob Slavin scored with 7:30 left to break a tie and give Carolina a win over Florida in Sunrise, Fla., getting revenge for two losses last month.

Brent Burns scored Carolina’s first goal, and Martin Necas added an empty-netter with 28 seconds remaining. The Hurricanes won only their second road game in the last 10 (2-6-2). Pyotr Kochetkov saved 25 shots.

Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers, and Sergei Bobrovsky had a strong performance in goal, making 37 saves. Florida had beaten Carolina twice in December, winning 12-3 overall, including a 6-0 shutout.

Wild 4, Capitals 3 (SO)

Matt Boldy scored in the second round of the shootout to give Minnesota a victory over Washington.

Boldy bounced back from hitting the post late in overtime by scoring in the shootout. Marc-Andre Fleury kept the win secure by saving Alex Ovechkin’s shot to end the game.

Tom Wilson and Martin Fehervary scored for Washington, and Charlie Lindgren made 30 saves. Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist for Minnesota, while Marco Rossi and Yakov Trenin also scored. Fleury stopped 28 shots.

Rangers 2, Bruins 1

Jonathan Quick made 32 saves, earning his 399th career win and helping New York snap a four-game losing streak with a win over Boston.

Quick, now New York’s No. 1 goalie with Igor Shesterkin injured, earned his first win since Nov. 30. He is one win away from joining Marc-Andre Fleury and Sergei Bobrovsky as the third active goalie to reach 400 career wins.

Mika Zibanejad and rookie Brett Berard scored for the Rangers in the first period. Quick allowed only a goal to Elias Lindholm in the second. Boston’s Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves.

Ducks 4, Jets 3 (OT)

Troy Terry scored his second goal of the game with 1:26 left in overtime, lifting Anaheim to a win over Winnipeg.

Terry also had an assist, Radko Gudas had a goal and an assist, Leo Carlsson also scored, and John Gibson made 27 saves, adding an assist on the game-winner. The Ducks won for the third time in a row, tying a season-high streak.

Alex Iafallo had a goal and an assist for Winnipeg, while Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry also scored. Josh Morrissey had two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves. The Jets have now lost two straight.

Maple Leafs 2, Islanders 1

Bobby McMann scored twice, including the game-winner on the power play with 2:59 left in regulation, as Toronto defeated New York in Elmont, N.Y.

McMann’s third two-goal game of the season was all Joseph Woll needed to secure the win for the Maple Leafs. Woll stopped 32 shots as Toronto won for the third time in four games.

Scott Mayfield scored for the Islanders, who have lost three straight. Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves.

Red Wings 5, Blue Jackets 4

Jonatan Berggren’s breakaway goal with 36 seconds left broke a tie and gave Detroit a win over Columbus.

Alex DeBrincat had a goal and two assists, Dylan Larkin and Patrick Kane each had a goal and an assist, and Erik Gustafsson also scored for Detroit, which improved to 3-1-0 under new coach Todd McLellan. Cam Talbot made 21 saves.

James van Riemsdyk scored twice and had an assist, Zach Werenski added a goal and two assists, and Sean Monahan scored for Columbus. Elvis Merzlikins made 21 saves.

Stars 4, Senators 2

Roope Hintz scored twice, including the go-ahead goal midway through the second period, and Dallas won its third straight by beating Ottawa.

After Dallas trailed 2-1, Jamie Benn and Hintz scored within 1:08 of each other in the second period. Matt Duchene added a third-period goal to help seal the win, with Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston both providing two assists. Jake Oettinger made 11 saves.

Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist for Ottawa, and Ridly Greig also scored. Leevi Merilainen made 21 saves, and Ottawa went 0-for-4 on the power play.

Utah 5, Flames 3

Lawson Crouse scored twice, including the game-winner, and Clayton Keller added a goal and an assist to lead Utah to a win over Calgary.

Logan Cooley and Kevin Stenlund also scored, and Olli Maatta had two assists for Utah, which ended a five-game losing streak. Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves.

Blake Coleman had a goal and an assist, and Connor Zary and Brayden Pachal scored for Calgary. Dan Vladar made 21 saves and stopped an Alexander Kerfoot penalty shot in the third period.

Golden Knights 5, Flyers 2

Ilya Samsonov made 23 saves, winning his fifth straight start, while Pavel Dorofeyev scored the game-winning goal in a three-goal second period as Vegas beat Philadelphia.

Mark Stone had a goal and an assist, and Nicolas Hague, Alexander Holtz, and Tanner Pearson also scored. Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin each had two assists for Vegas, which extended its unbeaten streak to 5-0-1 against the Flyers.

Tyson Foerster and Travis Konecny scored for Philadelphia. Aleksei Kolosov made 22 saves.

Sharks 2, Lightning 1

Mario Ferraro scored the game-winning goal after a fight, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic had a point in his season debut as San Jose broke an eight-game losing streak by beating Tampa Bay.

Ferraro scored after fighting Mitchell Chaffee in the second period. Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Sharks, and Vlasic returned after missing the first 40 games of the season.

In a matchup of Russian goaltenders, San Jose’s Yaroslav Askarov made 24 saves to defeat Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, who made 23 saves. Anthony Cirelli scored Tampa Bay’s only goal.

The post NHL Recap: Avs overcome goalie injury to beat Sabres in OT in Denver appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

This was the second time this season the Avalanche overcame a large deficit to beat the Sabres. On Dec. 3 in Buffalo, Colorado was down 4-0 after the first period but won 5-4. On Thursday, they trailed 3-0 after the first period and were down 5-3 in the third before making their comeback.

Jonathan Drouin tied the game with 7.7 seconds left in regulation, and Toews scored the game-winning goal in overtime after a breakaway. This victory extended Colorado’s winning streak to six games.

Toews also had two assists, and Cale Makar scored twice. Mikko Rantanen and Drouin each had a goal and an assist, while Ross Colton scored and Nathan MacKinnon registered three assists. The Avalanche won despite losing goaltender Scott Wedgewood to injury.

Wedgewood was hurt 1:27 into the third period when Zach Benson collided with Parker Kelly near the net, causing Wedgewood to go down and later be helped off the ice. He had made 14 saves on 18 shots. Mackenzie Blackwood replaced him, stopping two of the three shots he faced.

Jason Zucker recorded his third career hat trick and added an assist. Benson and Bowen Byram also scored for Buffalo. Tage Thompson had three assists, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 23 saves for the Sabres.

Zucker scored twice and Byram added a goal to give the Sabres a 3-0 lead midway through the second period. Makar’s goal made it 3-1, and Colton cut the lead to 3-2 early in the third. Benson’s goal restored the two-goal lead for Buffalo.

Rantanen scored on a power play to make it 4-3, and Zucker completed his hat trick to make it 5-3. Makar scored again to make it 5-4, and Drouin tied the game with a slap shot at 19:52 to send it to overtime.

The post The Colorado Avalanche rallied late to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in overtime in Buffalo appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Byram was sent to Buffalo on March 6 in exchange for Casey Mittelstadt. On Thursday night, Byram will play in Denver for the first time since the trade when the Sabres face the Avalanche.

This will be the second time Byram plays against the team that drafted him fourth overall in 2019. He recorded an assist in Colorado’s 5-4 victory at Buffalo on December 3. While he was mostly on the second defensive pairing in Colorado, he has become one of the top defensemen for the Sabres.

Byram ranks second on the team in ice time, averaging 23:21 per game, and he is third among defensemen in points with 21 (four goals, 17 assists). He is just eight points away from matching his career-high total set last season.

Tage Thompson leads the Sabres in scoring with 30 points (18 goals, 12 assists), while Alex Tuch is second with 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists).

Buffalo enters Colorado after a 4-2 loss to Dallas in the second game of a four-game road trip. Before Tuesday night, the Sabres had won three straight after going 0-10-3. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen played in nine of the 13 games during that rough stretch, but he has been solid overall, holding a 2.95 goals-against average despite the loss.

“I feel like those times when we get frustrated, we’re not playing on the same page. It plays against us,” Luukkonen said. “I think that’s what happens when we don’t get the offense we want.”

Luukkonen played against Colorado last month, when the Sabres had a 4-0 lead after the first period. However, the Avalanche scored five straight goals, including four in the third period, to win the game. That started a 10-3-0 run for Colorado, which is now on a five-game winning streak.

The Avalanche have dealt with several injuries this season, including another one Tuesday during their 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

Valeri Nichushkin left the game with a lower-body injury in the third period. This happened the same night Jonathan Drouin returned from an upper-body injury that had kept him out for 16 games. Drouin had two assists in just his sixth game of the season.

Colorado did not practice on Wednesday, so there was no update on Nichushkin’s status for Thursday’s game.

“It shouldn’t surprise me (if Nichushkin were sidelined), but it sucks,” coach Jared Bednar said. “We’ve talked about just trying to get deeper through our lineup. That will push us back up to four guys out again. It’s not easy. It makes your job that much more difficult.”

Bednar is fortunate that Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen have remained healthy all season. MacKinnon leads the NHL in both points (61) and assists (47), while Rantanen is tied for third with 54 points (21 goals, 33 assists).

The post Sabres’ Bowen Byram heads back to Denver to play the Avalanche appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Thomas Harley recorded two assists, and Casey DeSmith made 21 saves for the Stars.

Jason Zucker and Beck Malenstyn scored for Buffalo, which had its three-game winning streak ended. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 29 shots for the Sabres.

Roope Hintz gave Dallas a 1-0 lead at 9:49 of the second period. Robertson controlled the puck high in the zone before passing it to Hintz, who scored with a wrist shot on the glove side of Luukkonen.

Buffalo answered quickly, tying the game 1-1 just 31 seconds later. Tage Thompson tipped a shot by Bowen Byram under DeSmith, and Zucker was there to push the puck across the line.

Robertson gave the Stars a 2-1 lead at 2:35 of the third period, intercepting Jack Quinn’s clearing attempt and beating Luukkonen with a shot on the stick side from the right side.

Rasmus Dahlin kept the game close, preventing a goal by sweeping a puck off the goal line and out of the crease after it got behind Luukkonen.

At 4:57 of the third, Malenstyn scored for Buffalo, redirecting a shot from Sam Lafferty that deflected off his skate and past DeSmith, tying the game 2-2.

Dallas took the lead back at 11:32 when Wyatt Johnston deflected Harley’s pass from the left circle over Luukkonen’s shoulder to make it 3-2.

Esa Lindell sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 18:23, making it 4-2.

Both goaltenders were strong throughout the game.

DeSmith closed his pads on Jiri Kulich’s backhand shot from the right circle and then stopped Zach Benson’s rebound attempt just over three minutes into the first period.

Later in the period, Luukkonen used his blocker to deny Jamie Benn’s snap shot from the slot.

In the second period, Luukkonen made a great save on Logan Stankoven’s one-timer from the slot.

Benson nearly scored for the Sabres on a two-on-one break, slipping the puck past an outstretched DeSmith, but Nils Lundkvist was there to clear the puck off the line.

The post Stars defeat Sabres 4-2 to snap their winning streak appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Rasmus Dahlin, the Sabres’ captain, was a standout performer, tallying four assists—the most by any NHL defenseman this season and the first such feat for a Buffalo defenseman since 2008. While Dahlin acknowledged the satisfaction of the victory, he stressed that it was merely a step in a longer process to rebuild confidence and consistency. The win marked an emotional turning point after a month of frustration and near-misses.

The team’s struggles since November 23, when they last won against San Jose, were marked by heartbreak, including six one-goal losses and a historic blown lead against Colorado. Sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with just 28 points, the Sabres faced mounting pressure and disappointment. However, their performance against the Islanders demonstrated resilience, with a focused, full-team effort earning them their first seven-goal game of the season.

Key contributions came from players like Jason Zucker, who scored the third goal and highlighted the team’s determination to overcome overthinking and execute a complete game. The Sabres’ dominance was evident, as they silenced the Islanders’ home crowd and even drew boos from frustrated fans at UBS Arena. This victory, combined with a spirited effort in a recent 3-1 loss to Boston, showcased the team’s potential when playing at their best.

Under the leadership of veteran coach Lindy Ruff, who returned to Buffalo this season, the Sabres maintained a sense of purpose throughout their challenging losing streak. Ruff, whose long career includes a previous tenure with the team from 1997 to 2013, praised his players for their focus and determination. Team leader Tage Thompson echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of staying committed to the game plan and working hard. As the Sabres reset after the break, they aim to build on this victory and reignite their playoff ambitions.

The post Sabres Crush Islanders 7-1 to End 13-Game Losing Streak with Dahlin’s Four Assists appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Jack Quinn and Dylan Cozens each contributed a goal and an assist, Rasmus Dahlin added two assists, and Zach Benson scored for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 15 saves on 17 shots to earn his 10th win in 25 starts this season.

After a tough 13-game winless streak (0-10-3), the Sabres have bounced back, outscoring opponents 13-3 in their last two wins.

Tyler Bertuzzi and Seth Jones scored for the Blackhawks, who have lost three straight. Chicago is 1-10-1 in its last 12 road games.

Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrazek gave up four goals on 11 shots and was replaced by Arvid Soderblom, who saved 22 of 24 shots in the final two periods.

Buffalo scored four goals in the first period, starting with Benson’s tip-in goal at 9:51. Tuch added another tip-in at 12:23, and Quinn scored just 15 seconds later.

This was Buffalo’s second-fastest pair of goals this season, with Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka scoring 11 seconds apart in a 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 3.

A turnover by Connor Bedard led to another Sabres goal 42 seconds before the first intermission. Quinn grabbed the puck and passed it to Cozens, who finished it off to make it 4-0.

Bertuzzi scored the Blackhawks’ first goal in the second period. Jones added another for Chicago at 3:06 of the third, with an assist from Pat Maroon’s fake shot.

Just as the Blackhawks started gaining momentum, Tuch scored again at 5:48 of the third, beating Soderblom with a low-angle shot.

Tuch completed his hat trick at 15:06 of the final frame. He stole the puck from Alex Vlasic at the Sabres’ blue line, raced into the Chicago zone, and scored on a breakaway.

The post Alex Tuch’s hat trick leads Sabres to victory over Blackhawks appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Buffalo’s tough 0-10-3 stretch came to an end in a big way with a 7-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Monday. All the frustration the Sabres had built up over the past month seemed to be released during that game, giving the team a boost heading into the Christmas break.

“Great morale in the room right now heading into … a much-needed break for us,” forward Tage Thompson said. “Mentally, physically (we will) just now regroup … and reset for the second half of the season with a win under our belt and some good mojo.”

The 13-game losing streak had dropped the Sabres near the bottom of the league standings. With 28 points, they are just ahead of the Blackhawks, who have 26 points.

Chicago is on a two-game losing streak, including a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Monday. The Blackhawks lost their lead in both the first and second periods and fell behind in the third due to another late breakdown.

The Blackhawks have been outscored 49-32 in third periods, and they are tied for the most goals allowed in third periods this season.

“I thought it was (a) little bit the same story,” Chicago interim coach Anders Sorensen said. “The biggest thing I think is when the game is on the line. … (We’ve) got to be willing to go and play offensively at the same time. I thought we got sat back a little bit too much there.”

While the Blackhawks have struggled in many areas, one strength is their ability to kill penalties. Chicago’s penalty kill percentage of 85.3 is the fourth-best in the NHL, and in their last 13 games, opponents are just 1-for-37 on power plays.

On the other hand, the Sabres have scored on just 14.7 percent of their power plays, which is the fourth-lowest in the league. However, the power-play unit has shown some improvement, going 1-for-3 in each of the Sabres’ last two games.

Thompson leads Buffalo with 26 points (17 goals, 9 assists). Forward JJ Peterka has seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) in a five-game points streak.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had a rough 0-7-2 record with an .864 save percentage in nine games before making 27 saves on 28 shots against the Islanders. He is expected to start again for Buffalo on Friday after his strong performance.

Chicago’s Petr Mrazek missed two weeks with a groin injury before returning to play against the Calgary Flames on Dec. 21. Arvid Soderblom started against the Wild on Monday as the team is easing Mrazek back into action, but Mrazek is more likely to start after the three-day Christmas break.

Connor Bedard leads the Blackhawks with 30 points (9 goals, 21 assists). After a slow start to his second NHL season, Bedard has been playing better, scoring four goals and seven assists in his last nine games.

Buffalo has a 6-0-1 record against Chicago since the start of the 2021-22 season. This seven-game points streak includes a 4-2 win in Chicago on Oct. 19 in the first meeting between the two teams this season.

The post Sabres head into showdown with Blackhawks on a rare wave of momentum appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Saturday’s game mirrored previous performances with early adversity. The Sabres fell behind in the first period after missing several strong chances, a recurring theme in their season’s opening games. However, Greenway broke through late in the period, scoring the team’s first opening-period goal of the season. This ignited a surge of offense as Tage Thompson quickly followed with a go-ahead goal, and second-period contributions from Henri Jokiharju and Mattias Samuelsson solidified their lead. Alex Tuch sealed the win with an empty-netter, while Devon Levi anchored the team with 23 saves.

The Sabres’ victory was built on a strong all-around performance. They dominated high-danger scoring chances, outpacing the Panthers 16-5. This echoed their effort against the Kings, where they had also controlled play but were stymied by bad luck and strong goaltending. This time, persistence paid off. Tage Thompson stressed the importance of staying true to their system, believing that consistent execution would yield results. His confidence reflected the team’s growing maturity and focus.

Greenway continued to shine in his role, contributing not only offensively but also with his physical presence and defensive reliability. Following his goal, Greenway set the tone with a crucial neutral-zone hit that preceded Thompson’s tally. His all-around effort earned praise from teammates, including Thompson, who noted Greenway’s ability to disrupt opponents and create opportunities for his line. Greenway’s play exemplified the team’s gritty and cohesive approach.

The Sabres’ lineup adjustments also played a role in the victory. Head coach Lindy Ruff opted for an 11-forward, seven-defenseman configuration, allowing for more flexible line management. Buffalo native Dennis Gilbert made his debut, while Peyton Krebs stepped into a top-line role, contributing an assist and showcasing his versatility. Zach Benson, recovering from injury, received limited ice time but remains a promising young talent. Ruff expressed satisfaction with the lineup’s performance and hinted at further development opportunities.

Off the ice, the Sabres celebrated a significant milestone with Rob Ray’s induction into the team’s Hall of Fame. A franchise stalwart with 889 games as a player and two decades as a broadcaster, Ray was honored during the game by fellow Hall of Famers Ryan Miller and Dominik Hasek. An emotional Ray expressed gratitude for his lifelong association with the Sabres, while Ruff praised his contributions to the team’s culture and community, both on and off the ice.

The victory was more than just two points for the Sabres; it was a testament to their perseverance and belief in their process. Lindy Ruff acknowledged the relief of securing the win and emphasized the importance of maintaining their focus and energy. With three days to rest and prepare, the Sabres are poised to build on this success as they head into their next challenge against Pittsburgh. This win signifies a turning point and a renewed sense of confidence for a team determined to make its mark this season.

The post Buffalo Sabres Secure First Win of the Season with 5-2 Victory Over Florida Panthers appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

The Sabres’ struggles deepened following a team meeting in Montreal with owner Terry Pegula. Joel Armia opened the scoring for Montreal just 19 seconds into the game after Buffalo’s Owen Power mishandled the puck. Laine’s hat trick marked his 11th career three-goal performance and brought his season tally to six goals in seven games since recovering from a knee injury.

In other NHL action, the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied to beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in overtime, with Rickard Rakell scoring the game-winner off an Erik Karlsson assist. Evgeni Malkin and Matt Grzelcyk also scored for Pittsburgh, while Los Angeles saw goals from Adrian Kempe and Alex Turcotte. Pittsburgh’s Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 29 shots, while Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves.

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3, powered by Nick Paul’s three-point performance. The Lightning scored three goals in the second period, including a critical five-minute power play. Columbus’ Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, and Mikael Pyyhtia each scored, but Tampa sealed the win with an empty-netter from Brayden Point. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves for Tampa, while Jet Greaves stopped 27 shots for Columbus.

The Carolina Hurricanes blanked the New York Islanders 4-0, with Pyotr Kochetkov earning his first shutout of the season by making 32 saves. Goals came from Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Martinook, and Tyson Jost. The Hurricanes’ dominant performance marked their first back-to-back wins since late November, while the Islanders suffered their second three-game pointless streak of the season.

In Nashville, Juuse Saros’ 25-save shutout led the Predators to a 2-0 win over the New York Rangers, snapping a difficult stretch for Nashville. Jonathan Marchessault and Adam Wilsby provided the scoring, while the Rangers extended their losing streak to three games. The shutout marked Saros’ third of the season and 26th of his career, reinforcing his role as a key player for the Predators.

The post Patrik Laine Scores First Hat Trick with Canadiens in 6-1 Victory Over Struggling Sabres appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Domi and Robertson each recorded a goal and an assist, while McMann contributed two assists for the Maple Leafs, who improved to 19-10-2 this season. Toronto coach Craig Berube commended their line for its physicality, tenacity, and ability to dominate puck battles, particularly when the team needed it most. Hildeby also delivered a solid performance in his third NHL start, making 24 saves and showcasing resilience after a previous loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The game saw Buffalo’s Jack Quinn shine early, scoring twice and providing the Sabres with a 3-1 lead midway through the second period. However, the Maple Leafs quickly turned the tide with a three-goal surge in just over two minutes. Robertson’s one-timer initiated the comeback, followed by Tavares scoring twice in quick succession—once deflecting Auston Matthews’ shot and again with a high wrist shot to the blocker side. Tavares sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minutes, achieving his natural hat trick and 15th goal of the season.

Despite the loss, Buffalo’s Jack Quinn reflected positively on his performance, noting increased confidence after his opening goal. Alex Tuch contributed a second goal early in the first period, but the Sabres could not maintain their early dominance. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff took responsibility for the ongoing losing streak, acknowledging the need to find solutions and better position the team to secure a win.

The victory underscored Toronto’s depth, as contributions from Domi, Robertson, and McMann added critical support to Tavares’ standout night. The Maple Leafs demonstrated resilience and adaptability in overcoming an early deficit. Meanwhile, the Sabres continued to struggle with consistency and execution, leaving the team searching for answers as their losing streak persists.

The post Tavares’ Hat Trick Scores Maple Leafs a 5-3 Comeback Win, Extends Sabres’ Losing Streak appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Laine scored his first goal in the first period with a one-timer off a pass from team captain Nick Suzuki, making him the second player in Canadiens history (since 1933-34) to score all of his first four goals with the team on the power play. Mark Recchi was the first to do so in 1994-95.

Laine wasn’t finished, though. In the second period, he scored two more one-timers just 70 seconds apart, beating Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen both times.

Laine’s 11 career hat tricks now rank third among Finnish-born players in NHL history, behind Hall of Famers Jari Kurri (23) and Teemu Selanne (22).

Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist, while Joel Armia and Josh Anderson also scored for Montreal, which snapped a two-game losing streak. Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Lane Hutson each added two assists, and Sam Montembeault made 20 saves for the win.

Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens scored a goal, and Luukkonen gave up six goals on 21 shots before being replaced by James Reimer, who made six saves.

This marked the Sabres’ 11th consecutive loss (0-8-3), following a visit by team owner Terry Pegula the day before in Montreal.

Armia opened the scoring just 19 seconds into the game after a puck deflected off an official’s skate. Laine almost scored again shortly after, but a review showed his shot hit the post and bounced back into play, not crossing the line.

Laine finally scored his first goal at 6:26 of the first period. Cozens made it 2-1 at 3:43 of the second period, but Slafkovsky quickly put Montreal back up by two goals just over two minutes later when his shot deflected off Luukkonen into the net.

Laine added two more goals to make it 5-1, and Anderson scored the final goal of the game with 45 seconds remaining in the second period.

The post Patrik Laine records a hat trick as Canadiens dominate struggling Sabres appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

“I’m almost lost for words, obviously,” said the 64-year-old Ruff, who has coached more than 1,800 NHL games. “It’s on me to solve this. This is the toughest solve I’ve been around, but it’s on me to get these guys in the right place to win a hockey game. And nobody else, just me.”

Ruff is hoping to find a solution on Tuesday when the Sabres finish their three-game road trip with a visit to the Montreal Canadiens.

Buffalo lost a 5-3 game to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday after letting go of an early two-goal lead.

Jack Quinn scored two goals in his first game back after being a healthy scratch for the previous five games.

“It’s frustrating,” Quinn said. “It (stinks) not playing but just used it as a chance to kind of find my legs and get a little pop coming back. … You see the confidence that they have in me, so just want to go out there and perform.”

Alex Tuch also scored a goal, and JJ Peterka had two assists on Sunday for the Sabres, who are now 0-7-3 since their last win on Nov. 23.

“Losing 10 in a row, there’s no good feelings,” Tuch said. “You’ve just got to work.” Despite the struggles, Buffalo is still one point ahead of Montreal, though both teams are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division.

The Sabres gave up a lead early in the third period in a 7-5 loss to the Canadiens on Nov. 11 in Buffalo, N.Y.

Montreal’s captain, Nick Suzuki, had two goals and two assists, and Cole Caufield scored twice in that game.

Suzuki’s eight-game point streak ended in the Canadiens’ 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night. He leads the team with 30 points and shares the lead in assists with rookie defenseman Lane Hutson (19).

Hutson scored a goal in the first period on Saturday, reaching 20 points in 30 games, joining forward Brendan Gallagher (2012-13) as the only Canadiens rookies in the past 30 years to achieve this.

“It’s pretty special,” Hutson said. “You never know when it’s going to be your last goal or your first goal. So, it’s cool, for sure, but I would have loved to have scored and won the game. Hopefully, we can do that soon.”

Caufield, who leads the team with 17 goals, has 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in his last 15 games.

Buffalo’s Tage Thompson, who leads the Sabres with 16 goals, has scored five of them this month. He also scored in the previous game against Montreal. Thompson shares the team lead in points with Tuch, who has 25 points and a team-high 16 assists.

The post Sabres aim to fix their road struggles in matchup against Canadiens appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Tom Wilson scored twice, and John Carlson contributed three assists for the Capitals, who have won four consecutive games and are 8-0-1 in their last nine. Logan Thompson made 19 saves.

Jason Zucker and Jiri Kulich scored for the Sabres, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves. Buffalo has now lost nine games in a row (0-6-3).

Zucker gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 1:36 in the first period. The puck deflected off Zucker’s skate after Jordan Greenway tipped a shot by Ryan McLeod, and it slowly went under Thompson’s pad.

Wilson tied the game 1-1 on a power play at 17:09 of the first period. After a faceoff win, Washington passed the puck around, and Carlson sent a shot-pass from the left circle that Wilson redirected past Luukkonen.

Wilson’s second power-play goal gave Washington a 2-1 lead at 5:11 of the second period. After Luukkonen saved Jakob Chychrun’s shot, Wilson quickly swept in the rebound.

The Sabres tied the game at 2-2 at 7:24 when Kulich deflected a shot by Bowen Byram from the blue line into the net.

Strome put the Capitals back in front 3-2 at 11:05 in the third period, redirecting Carlson’s pass in the slot past Luukkonen for his 10th goal of the season.

Chychrun sealed the win with an empty-net goal from his own zone, making it 4-2.

The post Tom Wilson scored twice to lead the Washington Capitals to a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

During their losing streak, the Sabres have gone 0-5-3, with seven of those losses occurring at home. Six of the losses were by just one goal, and on three occasions, they had a lead going into the third period. Twice, they were ahead by multiple goals after two periods.

“To be honest with you, I think they’re all feeling it,” said Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff. “They’re all feeling the effects of losing and losing at home. My job is to try to keep the spirit in the right place.”

Ruff has focused on two key areas for improvement: shots on goal and the power play.

The Sabres are 24th in the league with 623 shots on goal during 5-on-5 play. They’ve missed the net 455 times, which is the fourth-most in the NHL.

“We have to start finishing more,” Ruff said. “That is, the inside plays that we were making, getting around the net and just hitting the net more on key opportunities. We’re still a team that misses the net too much.”

The Sabres’ power play has struggled too, converting just 1 of 26 chances in the past 10 games. Before this stretch, they had a much better 11-for-37 success rate in the previous 11 games.

Ruff made adjustments to the power play at practice, moving Tage Thompson (who leads the team with 16 goals) from the left circle to the bumper spot.

“Looking to get Tommer in a different spot where he’s not covered all the time, where we can get more motion,” Ruff explained. “I just think if we can get Tommer around the net where he can get around the net, get away from the net, where all of a sudden a defenseman isn’t going to leave the net, he can empty that bumper position and get a little bit more rotation.”

The Capitals, on the other hand, are looking to extend their eight-game point streak. They are 7-0-1 in that stretch and haven’t lost in regulation since Nov. 23.

Washington is coming off a 2-1 overtime win against the Columbus Blue Jackets, leaving them tied for second in the NHL, just one point behind the Winnipeg Jets for first place.

“It’s been fun so far,” forward Aliaksei Protas said. “We’ve got a great group of guys who compete for each other, fight for each other. We don’t give up. … We know in the end of the day, we’ve got to be patient and we’ll find a way to win the game, so that’s what we’re doing so far, and we’ve got to keep it rolling.”

Protas has been a big part of that success, with eight points (four goals, four assists) in his last seven games. He has 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in total, just three points shy of his career-high from last season.

“He’s just relentless,” said forward Pierre-Luc Dubois. “He plays well on the penalty kill and is just such a smart player. He is sneaky, one of our most valuable players every night.”

The post Rising Capitals face off against struggling Sabres appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

The Sabres are in the middle of a seven-game losing streak, which is the longest active streak in the NHL. They are tied with the Nashville Predators, who will play Calgary on Tuesday night, for the longest current drought. Both teams have also lost three games in overtime or a shootout during their losing streaks.

Buffalo’s streak has been frustrating for the youngest team in the NHL. In Monday’s 6-5 shootout loss to Detroit, the Sabres were ahead 3-2 after the first period and 5-3 after the second, with goals from Jason Zucker and team leader Tage Thompson. However, the Red Wings tied the game in the third period and forced overtime.

Buffalo has had the lead after the first period in five games during the losing streak and has led after two periods in two of those games. The losing streak has led to fans booing the Sabres loudly during their home games.

After practice on Tuesday, coach Lindy Ruff spoke to reporters and said the team didn’t make the right choices as the Red Wings applied pressure, which has been a problem throughout the streak.

“We were making some good plays,” the coach said. “We just didn’t get comfortable enough when they were trying to stress us out by pinching down the walls and coming at us.”

The losing streak has also coincided with a poor stretch from Buffalo’s power play. Since the game in Anaheim on Nov. 22, the Sabres have scored just one power-play goal in 24 opportunities. Before that, they had scored at least one power-play goal in 10 of their previous 11 games.

While Buffalo is tied for the longest current losing streak, the Rangers will come into Wednesday’s game with the worst record in their last 10 games (2-8-0).

This rough stretch has come during a difficult time for the Rangers. Last Friday, they traded defenseman and team captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, who is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and a draft pick. The Rangers had been trying to trade Trouba since the offseason.

The Rangers lost at home on Monday for the second time in as many days. They only managed a short-handed goal from Will Cuylle in a 2-1 loss to Chicago, which is tied with Nashville at the bottom of the standings. The loss was met with boos from the crowd at Madison Square Garden.

After the game, Laviolette spoke to reporters and said he understood the fans’ frustration. Whatever is causing the team’s poor performance, he said, needs to be fixed in the locker room.

“There’s been some positive signs inside the room, (but) not (Monday),” he said. “… I thought the intention in the first was good. The execution was off, and both slipped in the second and third.”

Ruff said the Sabres might welcome Mattias Samuelsson back into the lineup on Wednesday. Samuelsson has been dealing with a lower-body injury and last played on Nov. 11.

Ruff also said that Rasmus Dahlin is “progressing” as he recovers from back spasms that have kept him out since Dec. 3, but he did not give a timeline for when the defenseman might return.

The post Struggling Rangers and Sabres are both facing boos as they prepare for their upcoming matchup appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Andrew Copp scored twice, and Moritz Seider added a goal and an assist. Alex DeBrincat also scored, while Dylan Larkin and J.T. Compher each recorded two assists. Larkin sealed the win with the decisive goal in the shootout.

Detroit goalie Sebastian Cossa made his NHL debut, earning the win after replacing Ville Husso, who was pulled after allowing three goals on seven shots in the first period. Cossa made 12 saves. Alex Tuch scored Buffalo’s only shootout goal.

Jason Zucker contributed two goals and an assist for the Sabres, who have now lost seven games in a row (0-4-3). Tage Thompson, Zach Benson, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel also scored for Buffalo. Ryan McLeod and Peyton Krebs each registered two assists, and James Reimer stopped 26 shots in goal.

The Sabres were up 3-2 after the first period.

Buffalo took an early lead when Benson scored with a wrist shot at 1:38. DeBrincat quickly tied it with a backhand goal at 4:05, assisted by Larkin. Copp then gave Detroit the lead with a tip-in at 4:46 off a shot from Compher.

Zucker tied it up at 10:25 with a shot from Thompson, and later, while the Red Wings were penalized, Zucker gave Buffalo the lead again at 15:26 with a goal from the left circle.

Raymond evened things up at 3-3 early in the second period, scoring from the right circle at 1:05. Aube-Kubel put Buffalo back ahead at 2:26 with a rebound goal, his first of the season.

Zucker scored again to make it 5-3 midway through the second, but Copp closed the gap for Detroit, scoring at 10:27 of the third. Seider tied the game with a goal from the right circle with 4:18 left.

Despite a tripping penalty on Seider with 2:19 remaining, the Red Wings managed to force overtime.

The post Red Wings triumph in shootout to snap losing streak and prolong Sabres’ slump appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

They will look to end the losing streak when they play the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.

On Saturday, Detroit lost 2-1 at home to Colorado.

“No one is happy in the locker room. Why should we?” said defenseman Moritz Seider. “We’re losing games that are winnable. Just can’t find ways to get it done. Obviously it’s really frustrating but we shouldn’t be lying to ourselves. We need to be better.”

Last season, the Red Wings went through a seven-game losing streak in February and March but were still in the playoff race until the very last game of the regular season. During that stretch, they were outscored 36-12.

“We had that stretch last year where we were bad. We earned that losing streak,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “This feels a little different. Bottom line is we’ve got to do more to flip these games.”

Lately, the Red Wings’ main source of goals has been Lucas Raymond, who scored their only goal on Saturday with a tip-in of a Dylan Larkin shot. Raymond has eight goals in the last nine games.

Other forwards, like Patrick Kane (three goals in 22 games), Vladimir Tarasenko (four goals in 26 games), and J.T. Compher (three goals in 26 games) have not been performing as expected.

“A lot of frustrated guys in the room,” Compher said. “It’s got to be our group of guys to find a way out of it. It’s there for the taking. A lot of games, it’s right there, but it’s got to be the guys to step up and get the job done.”

The Sabres are also struggling. Buffalo is currently on a six-game losing streak (0-4-2).

Most of those losses have come at home, including a 5-2 defeat to Utah on Saturday. During this losing streak, Buffalo has not scored a second-period goal.

“I think we’re starting games really well and I don’t know if it’s a bit of complacency or what it is, but we’ve got to fix the second periods,” forward Jason Zucker said. “It seems like we come out in the third and get a bit of that fire back and start playing again. We’ve got to fix it.”

Before this losing streak, Buffalo had won three games in a row and had a winning record. The Sabres are hoping to end their 13-year playoff drought. Detroit has the second-longest playoff drought, which has lasted for a franchise-record eight years.

The good news is one of these teams will get a much-needed win.

“We just need to get back to executing the way we know how to,” Zucker said. “It’s not a care thing, this room cares. This room has a lot of guys that care and want to do the right thing. It’s about doing it time and time again.”

The Red Wings and Sabres have each won one game in their season series. Buffalo won the first game 5-3 at home on October 26, and Detroit won the second game 2-1 at home on November 2.

The post The Wings and Sabres face off as both teams are on extended losing streaks appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

For the third game in a row, the Sabres led after the first period but couldn’t hold on to that lead, losing their sixth consecutive game (0-4-2). This is Buffalo’s longest losing streak since they lost eight straight games from October 25 to November 19, 2022.

The Utah defensemen’s goals gave them a 2-1 lead less than four minutes into the second period, with some help from Buffalo players.

Kesselring, playing in his 100th game, scored to tie the game. He prevented the Sabres from clearing the puck at the blue line, and Barrett Hayton recovered it and set up Kesselring, who took a shot from above the faceoff circles. The puck went in under the crossbar as Buffalo winger Alex Tuch screened goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Right after, Utah’s Michael Carcone got past Jacob Bryson’s check, and Dennis Gilbert pushed him into Luukkonen, knocking the goalie off his crease. Alexander Kerfoot, who had two assists, passed the puck to Sergachev, who fired it into the open net with 16:18 remaining in the second period.

Nick Schmaltz extended Utah’s lead with 52 seconds left in the period. It was his fourth goal in three games after going the first 23 games without scoring.

Jack McBain and Kevin Stenlund added goals in the third period to seal the win for Utah.

Kesselring finished with two points, also assisting on Schmaltz’s goal, and 10 Utah players earned at least one point.

Tyson Kozak scored his first career NHL goal midway through the first period to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead, and Jiri Kulich scored Buffalo’s second goal with 2:20 remaining.

Those were the only goals Karel Vejmelka allowed, as he made 23 saves. Luukkonen also saved 23 shots.

The Sabres were without defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who missed the game due to back spasms. Dahlin also missed Thursday’s overtime loss to Winnipeg.

The post A strong second period by Utah’s head coach helped extend the Sabres’ losing streak to six games appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor also scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves. The Jets had struggled with a 3-7-0 record since winning 15 of their first 16 games. Lowry took advantage of a two-on-none with teammate Josh Morrissey, who had two assists, and scored with 1:01 left in overtime. The win ended their three-game road skid and also saw Mark Scheifele add two assists.

Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens scored for the Sabres, who have gone 0-3-2 after winning seven of their previous nine. Buffalo is also in a 0-2-2 slump at home.

The Sabres took the lead early, scoring just 3:27 into the game. Thompson, who was left open in the circle, hit the post for his 14th goal of the season, breaking an 0-for-16 power-play drought. Winnipeg quickly tied it less than a minute later when Haydn Fleury threw the puck toward the net, and Vilardi redirected it in for his 10th goal.

Buffalo regained the lead with 8:31 left in the first period when Zach Benson set up Cozens for a goal.

The Jets answered in the second period, tying the game 3:06 into the frame with a power-play goal from Connor that got past Luukkonen.

Buffalo thought they had regained the lead with 2:24 left in the second when Tyson Kozak, a Manitoba native making his NHL debut, appeared to score. However, the goal was reviewed and overturned for goaltender interference.

The Sabres played without their captain, Rasmus Dahlin, who is dealing with back spasms.

The post Jets snap season-high losing streak with overtime victory appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

The Buffalo Sabres have also been having trouble getting victories recently.

Both teams will try to avoid their fifth consecutive loss when they play each other Thursday night in Buffalo.

Winnipeg had an incredible start to the season, winning 15 out of 16 games. During that stretch, the Jets averaged 4.6 goals per game. Since then, they’ve gone 3-7-0, averaging just 2.2 goals and scoring one or none in six of those games.

“I don’t know if I can pinpoint it now,” said Winnipeg star Mark Scheifele about the team’s offensive struggles. “I think it’s just a matter of wearing teams down. Obviously, everyone’s gunning for us and they know they got to play us hard. So, I think it’s just a matter of getting back to looking at the blueprint that we were doing earlier and just try to get back to that.”

On Tuesday, Winnipeg only scored one goal, a late goal by Scheifele, in a 4-1 loss to St. Louis, dropping their home record to 9-2-0.

“We need to be better as a group. That’s the biggest thing,” said Jets coach Scott Arniel. “We won all those games as a team and this isn’t going to change here. Everybody’s had a little bit of fault (with) these losses and now it’s a case of us sticking together and going on to the next game on the road here and finding a way to win that hockey game.”

Winnipeg has now lost six times on the road, and they’ve dropped three straight while in a 3-6-0 slump. The Jets are also in a stretch where 11 of their next 13 games are away from home.

Despite their road struggles, Winnipeg has won three in a row and five of their last six games in Buffalo, where the Sabres have lost three straight. Buffalo also blew a 4-0 first-period lead in their 5-4 loss to Colorado on Tuesday.

With that tough loss, Buffalo has gone 0-3-1 after winning seven of nine.

“We just need to be better,” said Sabres star Alex Tuch, who got his team-leading 23rd point with an assist against Colorado.

“Call (Tuesday’s loss) a learning experience. Honestly, just don’t forget how this feels. … We didn’t want to lose multiple games in a row, let alone four now.”

While Winnipeg is struggling to score, Buffalo has allowed 12 goals in their last three games, including nine in two home games. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who made 36 saves on Tuesday, has been in goal for Buffalo’s last two home games. Meanwhile, James Reimer, who has been the backup since the Sabres claimed him off waivers on Nov. 13, has stopped 48 of 52 shots in his two starts.

“We have a top-three team in Winnipeg (Thursday), we have to be ready for them,” Tuch said.

Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor is tied with Scheifele for the team lead with 13 goals, and he has scored six in 12 games against Buffalo. However, he hasn’t scored in his last six games.

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has allowed eight goals in his three-game losing streak. Backup Eric Comrie, a former Sabre, has a 3.04 goals-against average and is 3-3-0.

It’s unclear if Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin, who has 19 points this season but none in his last four games, will play after leaving Tuesday’s game with back spasms.

The post Jets and Sabres enter their matchup on identical 4-game losing streaks appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

MacKinnon also had an assist, while the Avalanche got goals from Joel Kiviranta, Logan O’Connor, and Artturi Lehkonen. Lehkonen’s goal at 15:38 of the third period turned out to be the game-winner, completing a four-goal period for Colorado as they erased a 4-0 deficit.

Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev allowed four goals on eight shots before being replaced by Scott Wedgewood, who stopped all 22 shots he faced.

Tage Thompson started the scoring for Buffalo, getting a rebound goal at 3:22 of the first period, which the Avalanche unsuccessfully challenged. Thompson added a second goal shortly after, at 6:39, assisted by Jason Zucker.

Buffalo’s offense kept rolling when JJ Peterka scored just 11 seconds after Thompson’s second goal, assisted by Zach Benson. Beck Malenstyn then added another goal at 11:10 with a perfect pass from Nicolas Aube-Kubel.

The Avalanche responded by changing goalies, with Georgiev replaced by Wedgewood. MacKinnon scored Colorado’s first goal at 2:24 of the second period, taking advantage of a giveaway and firing a shot under the crossbar.

Colorado started their comeback early in the third period when Kiviranta scored off a rebound to make it 4-2. O’Connor followed up with another rebound goal at 15:30 to make it 4-3, and MacKinnon tied it up with a tip-in of Mikko Rantanen’s shot at 12:21.

The post Avalanche come back from 4-0 down to defeat Sabres appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Simon Holmstrom scored twice, marking his second career multi-goal game, both in consecutive matches. He netted the Islanders’ second goal and later added an empty-net goal in the final seconds.

The Islanders won for the third time in their last 11 games (3-4-4), avoiding a loss after leading into the third period. This win followed their 5-4 overtime loss in Washington the night before, where they blew a 4-2 lead.

Lee recorded his second consecutive multi-point game, despite the Islanders struggling at times to generate scoring chances. A goal from Matt Martin in the first period was ruled offside.

Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves to earn his 19th career shutout, leading the Islanders to their first shutout of the season. Sorokin made a crucial save during a short-handed 2-on-1 rush from Dylan Cozens and later stopped several shots with Buffalo’s extra attacker in the final minute.

Buffalo lost to the Islanders for the second time this season and suffered its third consecutive defeat. Sabres goalie James Reimer made 17 saves in his second start for Buffalo.

The Islanders broke their 0-for-14 power play slump just 20 seconds into their first man advantage. Lee positioned himself well in front of the net, fought off Buffalo’s Owen Power, received a pass from Kyle Palmieri, and redirected the puck past Reimer with his backhand.

The Islanders extended their lead to 2-0 a little more than two minutes later after taking advantage of a Buffalo turnover. Henri Jokiharju lost the puck at the blue line, and Lee raced down the left side, feeding Holmstrom, who finished the play by sending a shot over a sprawled Reimer.

The post Islanders overcome third-period struggles to complete shutout victory over Sabres appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

On the other hand, the New York Islanders are struggling, and it’s becoming hard for them to shake off their recent bad luck.

The Sabres will try to stay in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings, while the Islanders will look to fix their third-period struggles when the two teams meet in Elmont, N.Y., on Saturday night.

Both teams will be playing their second game in as many nights after losing in overtime on Friday. The Sabres lost 4-3 to the Vancouver Canucks, and the Islanders blew a third-period lead, losing 5-4 to the Washington Capitals.

Even with the loss, the Sabres are feeling positive, having gone 7-3-1 in their last 11 games. They are one of five teams within two points of the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots. Buffalo hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season.

On Friday, the Sabres managed to earn a point after coming back from a two-goal deficit in the third period against the Canucks. They outshot Vancouver 34-22 overall.

The Sabres also outshot the Minnesota Wild — who have the second-most points in the Western Conference — 39-29 in a 1-0 loss on Wednesday.

“We played with desperation, and that’s what this team has,” said center Dylan Cozens, who scored Buffalo’s first goal in the third period. “We don’t have any quit, we’re going to battle until the last buzzer and we’re going to keep fighting until the game’s over.”

The Islanders, who have lost eight of their last 10 games (2-4-4), are becoming desperate to fix their third-period problems. On Friday, they led 4-2 going into the third period but lost after allowing three unanswered goals. This is the seventh time this season they’ve lost after holding a lead going into the final period.

In their 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, the Islanders allowed three goals in the third period. They were outshot 9-3 in the third period and overtime on Friday.

The Islanders also failed to generate any shots during a power play late in regulation when Nic Dowd was called for slashing with 3:50 left.

Even though the Islanders are only three points out of a wild-card spot, they are tied for last place in the Metropolitan Division with the Pittsburgh Penguins. They are ahead of only the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, who both have two games in hand.

“Same story,” said Islanders left winger Matt Martin. “We continue to find ways to lose. It’s not good enough. I think we just shoot ourselves in the foot a lot. We’re just not taking advantage of big moments in games.”

The post Sabres look to snap small losing streak in matchup against struggling Islanders appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Tage Thompson, the Sabres’ leading scorer, told reporters after practice on Tuesday that he would be “ready to go” for the game against the second-place team in the Central Division. The 27-year-old center, who scored 47 goals and 94 points two seasons ago, has been out since Nov. 11 due to a lower-body injury. Even though he has missed five games, Thompson still leads the team with 11 goals and ranks third in points with 18.

The Sabres swept their California road trip, defeating Los Angeles, Anaheim, and San Jose over four days. After a break on Sunday and Monday, they returned to practice on Tuesday morning.

The winning streak has Buffalo tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. However, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff, who was last in charge when the team made the playoffs in 2011, knows his team needs to keep improving, especially against tough competition.

Ruff said that Tuesday’s practice did not start as well as he would have liked. “You come in off a road trip, and you’re hoping that the team can be ready to exceed the intensity that we were able to bring on the trip,” Ruff explained. “It’s the only way to get better.”

One area Ruff wants to improve is staying out of the penalty box. While on the road, Buffalo gave opponents 12 power-play opportunities, while they only had seven chances on the power play.

Minnesota is coming to Buffalo after a 4-1 loss at home to Central Division leaders Winnipeg on Monday. This was their second straight loss, following a shootout defeat to Calgary on Saturday.

Even though the Wild lost, they played hard. The team set a season-high 44 shots on goal, with half of those coming in the first period. The 22 shots in the first period were the second-most of any team in a single period this season, and the most the Wild had in one period in nearly seven years.

Wild head coach John Hynes felt his team played well but couldn’t get past Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner. “There’s some things that we can grow from the game, but we got a lot of hockey this week too,” Hynes said. “So, we got to put this one behind us, grab what we can take out of it, and then we got to make sure that we’re refreshed again (Tuesday) and we’re ready to go against Buffalo.”

Despite the two losses, Minnesota’s 30 points in 21 games match the franchise’s best start, which was set in the 2013-14 season.

Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov leads the team with 13 goals and 21 assists. His 34 points are tied for third in the NHL, alongside Vegas’ Jack Eichel, just one point behind co-leaders Martin Necas of Carolina and Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado.

Minnesota might be without defenseman Jakub Lauko, who left Monday’s game early with a lower-body injury. Hynes did not provide an update on Lauko’s condition after the game.

The post Tage Thompson set to return as Sabres host Wild appeared first on Sports Al Dente.