Vancouver, British Columbia (WGR Sports Radio 550) - A couple of streaks came to a halt on Thursday night in Vancouver.
Zach Benson was finally able to net his first goal of the season and first tally since March of last season. His second-period goal ended up being the game-winner for the Buffalo Sabres in a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.
For the team, Benson's game-winner helped the Sabres earn their first regulation road win since April of last year.
Just 7:36 into the first period, the Sabres opened the scoring with authority.
Some good work down deep from Ryan McLeod led to an opportunity in the high slot for Rasmus Dahlin. McLeod fed Dahlin from behind the net, and the Sabres captain stepped into a slap-shot that trickled in off Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko.
Vancouver tied the game just before period's end, though.
With just 10.6 seconds left in the first, forward Kiefer Sherwood beat Alex Lyon on a power play to send the teams to the locker rooms in a 1-1 stalemate.
Just over six minutes into the second period, the Canucks grabbed the lead for the first time.
Forward Max Sasson split the defensive pairing of Bowen Byram and Mattias Samuelsson, and capped the play by sneaking the go-ahead goal under the legs of Lyon.
About three minutes later, Tage Thompson scored for the third-straight game this week. Dahlin located Thompson in the slot, and a bit of hesitation helped the Sabres forward beat Demko clean and tie the score, 2-2.
Still in the second period, the tide turned back in the Sabres' favor, as Buffalo re-claimed the lead with a power play tally. A beauty of a passing play was finished off by Benson, who, at long last, netted his first goal of the season. It was also his first goal since March 12, 2025.
Benson's goal ended up being the game-winning goal, as both sides were held scoreless in the third period of play.
Lyon and the Sabres withstood the late Canucks' push for the tie, and as a result, the Sabres won their first regulation road game since April 1, 2025.
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SCORING RECAP
First Period:
BUF: 7:36 - Rasmus Dahlin (3) (Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn)
VAN: 19:49 - Kiefer Sherwood (13) PPG (Conor Garland, Quinn Hughes)
Second Period:
BUF: 9:12 - Tage Thompson (15) (Rasmus Dahlin); 14:46 - Zach Benson (1) PPG (Josh Doan, Tage Thompson)
VAN: 6:15 - Max Sasson (6) (Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson)
Third Period:
BUF: NONE
VAN: NONE
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Blue Star Home Services Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Rasmus Dahlin - BUF
2.) Tage Thompson - BUF
3.) Max Sasson - VAN
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What's next:
The six-game road trip culminates in Seattle on Sunday night with a matchup against the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. with Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray on the call.