Sabres wrap: Alex Tuch leads third-period rally as Buffalo roars back to win 3-2
The Sabres (24-27-5) have a six-game home win streak for the first time since November 2018, and they have won six of their last seven games overall.
There were troubling signs from the Buffalo Sabres after Leo Carlsson scored in the second period to give the Anaheim Ducks a two-goal lead Tuesday night.
The Sabres were overpassing, and they weren't trying to screen Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal.
Anaheim Ducks center Isac Lundestrom (21) races to catch up to Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) in the first period of their NHL game
at KeyBank Center on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. Joed Viera/Buffalo News
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff changed his lines at the start of the third period, and the adjustment awakened his offense.
JJ Peterka, Alex Tuch and Henri Jokiharju scored in a span of less than eight minutes to roar back from a two-goal deficit, as the Sabres took the lead and held on for a 3-2 win in KeyBank Center.
The Sabres (24-27-5) have a six-game home win streak for the first time since November 2018, and they have won six of their last seven games overall. Dylan Cozens also had three assists for Buffalo, which entered Tuesday with a 3-18 record when trailing at the second intermission.
Tuch and Jason Zucker were in the lineup after coach Lindy Ruff labeled them as "game-time decisions." They were excellent during a strong first period for Buffalo, but Anaheim led 1-0 at the intermission because of Mason McTavish's power-play goal 3:05 into the game.
The two teams combined for 28 penalty minutes in the first period, with the Ducks receiving three power plays. They did not score on a 4 on 3 but took advantage of a 5 on 3 when McTavish used a one-timer to beat Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The Ducks were 7-1-1 in their previous nine games.
First period
• Jordan Greenway and Rasmus Dahlin were called for minor penalties in a span of 53 seconds, which gave the Ducks a 5-on-3 power play for 1:07.• Anaheim snapped an 0-for-17 drought on the power play with McTavish's one-timer from below the right faceoff dot 3:05 into the first period. The Ducks entered the game with a negative-12 goal differential in first periods.
• Zucker nearly setup Tuch for a goal with a centering pass from behind the net, then Ryan McLeod had two shots on goal as the trio forced the Ducks to chase the puck.
• Dostal poked the puck off Tage Thompson's stick as the Sabres forward skated toward the Ducks' net on a breakaway. Thompson quickly gathered the puck and his shot created a rebound. Jiri Kulich was in position to snap it past Dostal, but the puck ricocheted and hit Kulich in the face. The 20-year-old center was forced to go to the dressing room for repairs.
• The Sabres had a 7-2 edge in shots on goal 12:42 into the first period when Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov took an interference penalty. Zucker and Rasmus Dahlin hit the post during the Sabres' power play, and Tuch's shot from the slot was stopped by Dostal before the penalty expired.
• Peyton Krebs' knee-on-knee hit earned the Sabres center a penalty, and he was swarmed by Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba, who received a roughing penalty for retaliating. It turned into a 4-on-3 power play for Anaheim when Buffalo was called for too many men on the ice.
• The power play ended for Anaheim with a scrum around Buffalo's net. Mattias Samuelsson and Frank Vatrano were called for matching penalties, but Krebs was also forced to fight Ryan Strome. Krebs dodged a few punches, then delivered a few before the bout ended. Strome was given an additional roughing penalty for instigating, giving the Sabres a brief power play at the end of the first period.
• It was only the 14th time in 55 games that Buffalo trailed at the first intermission. Kulich wore a full face shield when he returned to the game late in the period. The Sabres missed the net 15 times, but outshot the Ducks, 10-5.
Second period
• Tuch's hooking penalty 3:13 into the second period gave the Ducks their fourth power play of the game.• The Ducks took a 2-0 lead with Carlsson's one-timer from the right circle 4:58 into the second period. Luukkonen tracked the pass to Carlsson, but his legs weren't closed.
• Zucker couldn't corral the puck in the slot when McLeod led the rush, then Krebs tripped over the puck while trying to enter the offensive zone. Tage Thompson had a clear look at the Ducks' net, only to watch Dostal snare his shot with 7:11 remaining in the second period.
• Jack Quinn's shot from the left circle went off Dostal's glove, and Trouba batted the puck into the netting for a delay of game penalty with 6:16 left.
• The Sabres made too many mistakes on the power play, though. There were multiple turnovers and misfired passes with no traffic in front of Dostal.
• Ducks defenseman Brian Dumoulin suffered an injury while battling for the puck near the Sabres' bench with under two minutes to play in the second period.
• The Sabres had 50 shot attempts at the second intermission, but only 17 were on net and they trailed 2-0.
Third period
• Sabres coach Lindy Ruff changed his lines at the start of the third period. McLeod centered Kulich and Zucker; Thompson was between Tuch and Greenway; and Dylan Cozens centered Quinn and JJ Peterka.• Tuch set up Thompson for a point-blank scoring chance, but Dostal made the save less than two minutes into the third period.
• The Sabres cut their deficit to 2-1 with Peterka scoring his 16th goal of the season only 1:56 into the third period. Owen Power retrieved the puck at the half wall and sent a backhand pass to Cozens, who set up Peterka with a pass to the right circle.
• The Sabres tied it 2-2 when Tuch carried the puck below the goal line and snapped it off Dostal's back for his 20th goal of the season.
• Jokiharju gave the Sabres a 3-2 lead with a high, short-side shot over Dostal's left shoulder 9:31 into the third period. Jokiharju has two goals in as many games and three this season. He had a plus-3 rating against the Ducks.
• Quinn missed the net from the slot before Cozens' tip went a few feet wide of Dostal.
• Luukkonen stopped shots from Vatrano and Radko Gudas while Dostal was pulled for an extra attacker. Tuch missed the empty net from nearly 200 feet and Greenway was unable to hold the puck below the goal line. The Ducks re-entered their offensive zone, but McLeod cleared the puck.
Dahlin almost hit the empty net again, and the Ducks missed a seam pass before Greenway closed out the win by clearing the puck.
Lineup
With Tuch and Zucker available to play, the Sabres used the same lineup as Saturday night:JJ Peterka - Jiri Kulich - Tage Thompson
Jason Zucker - Ryan McLeod - Alex Tuch
Jordan Greenway - Dylan Cozens - Jack Quinn
Beck Malenstyn - Peyton Krebs - Zach Benson
Bowen Byram - Rasmus Dahlin
Mattias Samuelsson - Owen Power
Dennis Gilbert - Henri Jokiharju
Defensemen Connor Clifton and Jacob Bryson, and forward Sam Lafferty were the Sabres' healthy scratches for a second consecutive game. Ducks center Trevor Zegras was not available to play because he's serving a three-game suspension stemming from his high hit on Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen.
