The Buffalo Sabres earned a weekend split with the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins, after the blue and gold doubled up the Penguins on Sunday afternoon 4-2 inside KeyBank Center.
The Sabres wasted virtually no time getting on the board, as just 26-seconds in, they scored their first goal against Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith since November 19, 2018.
Doing the damage on a 2-on-1 was a couple of youngsters in Dylan Cozens and Arttu Ruotsalainen.
It was Buffalo's first goal scored against DeSmith in just over three game's worth of time (180:18).
The Sabres built their lead to 2-0 in the early goings of the second period, when Sam Reinhart took a wrist shot from the right wing that was too much for DeSmith to handle.
It was Reinhart's team-leading 16th of the season.
Goal number 17 came a period later for Reinhart, as with 8:02 gone in the third, the veteran wired his second goal of the afternoon past DeSmith on the powerplay.
The Penguins broke up Dustin Tokarski's shutout bid with 9:42 to play in regulation, when winger Jason Zucker scored a goal right off a faceoff from the left circle.
Zucker's goal also meant that the Sabres would go another game without a clean sheet. To this point in 2020-21, Buffalo has not shutout an opponent.
The final Sabres goal of regulation came from Rasmus Asplund, and it was of the empty-net variety inside the final two minutes. It was the forward's sixth of the campaign as the Sabres came out of the weekend series with a split.
Pittsburgh's Teddy Blueger scored with 23 seconds to play, but it was for naught as all it did was alter the final score which was 4-2.
It was Buffalo's first home regulation win against the Penguins since February 19, 2012.
Losi and Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
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What's Next:
The blue and gold host the Boston Bruins as part of a makeup game on Tuesday, April 20. Puck drop inside KeyBank Center is set for 6:30 p.m. EST, and the Paul William Beltz Pregame Show with Mike Schopp and the Bulldog starts at 5:30 p.m. on the radio home of the Buffalo Sabres - WGR Sports Radio 550.
