Zach Metsa scored the first goal of his NHL career and the Buffalo Sabres held off a late rally to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 on Tuesday night at KeyBank Center.
Buffalo (22-15-4) won its 11th game in the past 12 outings and improved to five straight victories on home ice. The Sabres built a commanding 4-0 lead early in the third period before Vancouver mounted a comeback attempt.
Metsa extended the lead at 6:13 of the third period, converting in his 12th NHL game. Vancouver answered with three unanswered goals, beginning with a power-play tally by Jake DeBrusk. Elias Pettersson and Liam Ohgren then scored 39 seconds apart to trim the deficit to one with 4:05 remaining.
Following a timeout, Buffalo settled the game when Josh Doan fired a 166-foot empty-net goal with 1:24 left to secure the win.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen finished with 31 saves, recording a shutout through the first two periods. He highlighted his performance with a six-save penalty kill while protecting a 1-0 lead early in the game.
Alex Tuch paced the Sabres with a goal and an assist, setting up Ryan McLeod for a shorthanded score. Tage Thompson also found the back of the net. Metsa, a 27-year-old defenseman, signed his first NHL contract this past summer after beginning his professional career in the AHL with Rochester.
Next, the Sabres will visit the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].