Seattle, Wash. (WGR Sports Radio 550/WBEN) - After starting a long six-game road trip 0-3-0, the Buffalo Sabres rebounded with three-consecutive wins, capped by a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday at Climate Pledge Arena.
Late in the opening period, the Sabres broke the ice and grabbed a 1-0 lead.
On a 2-on-1 rush, Noah Ostlund and Josh Norris played pitch-and-catch, which ended in a beautiful one-timer from Ostlund on his off-wing.
There was concern after the play for Norris, who crashed hard into the end boards after dishing the puck off to Ostlund. Norris got the stick of Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans caught up under him, and was slow to get off the ice.
The Sabres center did remain in the game despite the scare.
At the halfway point of the second period, the Sabres doubled the lead to 2-0.
Alex Tuch stole the puck from Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn in the offensive end, and a breakdown in Seattle coverage allowed Tuch to locate Peyton Krebs and Tage Thompson all alone bearing down on goalie Joey Daccord.
Krebs then fed Thompson on the 2-on-0 chance, and the Sabres forward scored his 16th of the season and extended his personal scoring streak to four games.
Seattle responded two-and-a-half minutes later, though, trimming the Buffalo lead in half.
Forward Chandler Stephenson potted a goal just six seconds into a Kraken power play, keeping things close at 2-1.
That ended up being as close as Seattle would ever get, though.
In the third period, the Sabres withstood a bevy of chances that the Kraken threw at goalie Alex Lyon and company.
The icing on the cake was an empty-net goal from Zach Benson that offered the team some much-needed breathing room inside the final minute of play.
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SCORING RECAP
First Period:
BUF: 17:09 - Noah Ostlund (4) (Josh Norris, Alex Tuch)
SEA: NONE
Second Period:
BUF: 10:08 - Tage Thompson (16) (Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch)
SEA: 12:24 - Chandler Stephenson (6) PPG (Vince Dunn, Jordan Eberle)
Third Period:
BUF: 19:14 - Zach Benson (2) ENG (Jack Quinn, Ryan McLeod)
SEA: NONE
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Blue Star Home Services Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Tage Thompson - BUF
2.) Alex Tuch - BUF
3.) Chandler Stephenson - SEA
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What's next:
The Sabres return home to host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night at KeyBank Center. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. with Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray on the radio call on WGR Sports Radio 550.