Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - For a third-straight game, the Buffalo Sabres defended extremely well, and it transitioned into fast offense and a 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Alex Tuch came into the game with one goal in 12 games, and hadn’t scored at home since Nov. 29 against the Vancouver Canucks. However, he netted his third-career hat-trick to lead the way for Buffalo.
Buffalo scored four goals in the first period, and outshot the Hawks, 11-2. The Sabres have now scored 39 first period goals, which is third in the NHL and three off the league lead.
Rasmus Dahlin says this is the best he’s felt all season. He assisted on the first two Buffalo goals, giving him six assists in his last four periods.
The first was a gorgeous pass from the right point to a wide-open Zach Benson off the post. All the young winger had to do from there was steer the puck into the open net.
Just 2:32 later, Dahlin started a play to Tage Thompson, who put a puck to the net that was tipped in by Tuch.
Dylan Cozens and his linemates of Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka then went to work.
First, Cozens found Quinn in the slot, and the winger made no mistake for his fourth goal in five games.
Peterka also had an assist, extending his points streak to six games. He has two goals and six assists for eight points.
Before the period ended, Quinn found Cozens in front, giving him five goals and seven assists for 12 points in his last 16 games.
The Blackhawks made it 4-1 after 40 minutes, and then defenseman Seth Jones scored 3:04 into the third period. All of a sudden, it was 4-2, ad then Tuch took a penalty just 22 seconds later.
It was starting to look like the Colorado Avalanche game all over again from Dec. 3. Buffalo had a 4-0 first period lead on the Avalanche, and started the third period up 4-1, only to lose 5-4 in regulation.
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In this game, though, there was no panic.
The Sabres aggressively killed the penalty with Mattias Samuelsson blocking a key shot, and right after, Tuch got out of the box, came down through the right circle and scored a goal that Arvid Soderblom would want back. It allowed Buffalo to go back up by three, 5-2.
Tuch then capped off the hat-trick with less than five minutes remaining in regulation when he forced a turnover at his own blue line, streaked in on Soderblom and beat the Chicago netminder for his third goal of the contest.
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After losing six-straight regulation games and going 13 games without a victory, the Sabres have now won two-straight, and have gone from dead last in the NHL to 29th with a points percentage of .417.
Buffalo had gone eight games without a win in Buffalo, going 0-5-3. Their last win at KeyBank Center had been Nov. 14 against the St. Louis Blues.
Speaking of the Blues, that’s the Sabres' next opponent on Sunday in St. Louis. It starts a four-game Western Conference road trip with other matchups against the Dallas Stars, Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights.
Buffalo isn’t back home until Jan. 6 when the Washington Capitals are in town.