Tage Thompson continued his hot streak with his fifth goal in as many games as the Buffalo Sabres (32-36-6) secured a 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators (39-29-6) on Tuesday night at Canadian Tire Centre, completing a season sweep of their division rivals.
Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch each tallied a goal and an assist, while Mattias Samuelsson contributed two assists for Buffalo. Goaltender James Reimer was solid in net, making 33 saves to preserve the win.
The Sabres struck early, with Tuch capitalizing on a rebound at 8:38 of the first period to open the scoring. Dahlin extended the lead with a screened one-timer from the point at 11:51. Thompson showcased his skill in the second period, deking past Drake Batherson before finishing a give-and-go with JJ Peterka to make it 3-0.
Claude Giroux responded for Ottawa at 13:46 of the second, converting a centering pass from Tyler Kleven. However, Buffalo regained control in the third when Peyton Krebs intercepted a pass and beat Linus Ullmark on a breakaway to restore a three-goal lead. Jake Sanderson answered moments later, but Ryan McLeod sealed the win with a shorthanded empty-net goal at 17:21.
The Sabres will head home to host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].