The Buffalo Sabres erased a two-goal deficit and earned a 3-2 shootout victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night at KeyBank Center, snapping a three-game winless stretch.
ORANGE GAME WEEK: Syracuse football returns home to host Louisville Saturday night (preview) Buffalo (45-21-8) trailed 2-0 midway through the second period before beginning its comeback. Rasmus Dahlin sparked the rally with a power-play goal, marking the 100th of his career and making him just the second Sabres defenseman to reach the milestone. Peyton Krebs tied the game with 8:21 remaining in regulation to force overtime.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen anchored the comeback, finishing with 32 saves and stopping all four Seattle power plays. He then denied both shootout attempts he faced to secure the win.
In the shootout, Tage Thompson and Jack Quinn each converted, with Quinn continuing his strong season in the skills competition. The Sabres improved to 5-0 in shootouts this season, while Luukkonen remained perfect, stopping all seven attempts he has faced.
Buffalo’s penalty kill delivered a bounce-back performance, going 4-for-4 after allowing two power-play goals in its previous game. The Sabres also avoided consecutive regulation losses, a streak that dates back to early December.
With the win, Buffalo maintained its tie with the Carolina Hurricanes atop the Eastern Conference standings with 98 points and moved two points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Atlantic Division.
The Sabres conclude their homestand Tuesday against the New York Islanders, with puck drop set for 7 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
