The Buffalo Sabres extended their winning streak to eight games with a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, powered by Jack Quinn’s hat trick that he sealed with an empty-net goal.
Jason Zucker and Beck Malenstyn broke the game open with goals scored four minutes apart in the second period. Alex Tuch also found the net, recording his 300th career point with Buffalo in his 600th career NHL game.
Captain Rasmus Dahlin and Ryan McLeod each contributed three assists in the win.
Alex Lyon made 17 saves to improve to 15-2 in his past 17 starts. The goaltender’s been a key factor in Buffalo’s recent surge up the standings.
For San Jose, Macklin Celebrini, Kiefer Sherwood, and Alexander Wennberg scored in the losing effort. Yaroslav Askarov finished with 20 saves as the Sharks opened a five-game road trip sitting one point behind eighth-place Seattle in the Western Conference standings.
Celebrini’s goal marked his 33rd of the season and gave him 90 points in just 62 games. The 19-year-old Canadian Olympian joins elite company with that milestone.
Only Sidney Crosby (54 games in 2006-07) and Wayne Gretzky (56 games in 1979-80) reached 90 points in fewer games as teenagers.
The Atlantic Division-leading Sabres improved to 29-5-2 in their past 36 games. That stretch began with a 10-game winning streak and continued after their thrilling 8-7 victory over Tampa Bay in their previous outing.
Buffalo’s record now stands at 40-19-6 as they continue pushing toward ending an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.
The team’s 40 wins represent the second-highest total in the past 15 years. They need just two more victories to match their 2022-23 season total.
Second Period Surge
The Sabres took control with a 3-1 lead when Malenstyn scored 4:59 into the second period. Peyton Krebs chipped the puck out of Buffalo’s zone, and Malenstyn chased it down before working around defenseman Sam Dickinson and beating Askarov glove side.
Zucker extended the lead to 4-1 by tapping in a rebound after Askarov stopped Quinn’s one-timer from the left circle.
Up next
Sharks: At Boston on Thursday night.
Sabres: Host Washington on Thursday night.
