Elmont, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The good vibes keep flowing for the 2025-26 Buffalo Sabres.
It was all Buffalo on Saturday at UBS Arena, as the Sabres won their 18th game in a stretch of 22, 5-0, over the New York Islanders.
After a scoreless first period, Jason Zucker got the scoring started a mere 33-seconds into the middle stanza.
Jack Quinn's slot shot generated a juicy rebound off to the left of Islanders goalie David Rittich. Fortunately for the blue and gold, Zucker was parked there on the goal line, and made a deposit for the game's first goal.
Buffalo started the second period with a statement, and ended it with one too. With a mere 13-seconds separating the teams from second intermission, Zach Benson fooled Rittich by sending a puck back out in front to Tage Thompson, rather than skate behind the net like Rittich thought he was going to.
There was only 38-seconds of game-time between Thompson's late-period goal, and Zucker's second goal of the afternoon. The veteran winger made it a 3-0 lead just 25-seconds into the third period of play; his second-such score inside a period's opening minute of action.
The game really got away from the Islanders in the waning moments. Head coach Patrick Roy pulled Rittich with over six-minutes left in the game, and Rasmus Dahlin made the best of the vacated net. His empty-net goal made it a 4-0 contest with 5:58 to play.
The blue and gold weren't done there, though. It ballooned to a 5-0 lead 36-seconds later, when Alex Tuch tipped home a Mattias Samuelsson shot with Rittich back in his net.
Defenseman Michael Kesselring was credited with the secondary assist on Tuch's goal. It was Kesselring's first point as a Buffalo Sabre since his offseason arrival from Utah.
Not to be forgotten amidst all the offense was the stellar play from Alex Lyon for the Buffalo Sabres. Lyon put on a show between the pipes, posting his second shutout of the season, and sixth of his career. Furthermore, the win was Lyon's ninth-in-a-row as his renaissance season kept on rolling along.
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SCORING RECAP
First Period:
BUF: NONE
NYI: NONE
Second Period:
BUF: 0:33 - Jason Zucker (12) (Jack Quinn, Ryan McLeod); 19:47 - Tage Thompson (27) (Zach Benson, Mattias Samuelsson)
NYI: NONE
Third Period:
BUF: 0:25 - Jason Zucker (13) (Ryan McLeod); 14:02 - Rasmus Dahlin (8) ENG (Peyton Krebs); 14:38 - Alex Tuch (18) (Mattias Samuelsson, Michael Kesselring)
NYI: NONE
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BlueStar Home Services Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Alex Lyon - BUF
2.) Jason Zucker - BUF
3.) Tage Thompson - BUF
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What's next:
Buffalo's road trip wraps up against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. with Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray on the call.