Sabres wrap: Five-goal second period spoils Crosby's night as Buffalo rolls to win

Sabres wrap: Five-goal second period spoils Crosby's night as Buffalo rolls to win

Alex Tuch capped a five-goal second period with a shot that went off the post and in as the Buffalo Sabres steamrolled the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-3 to cap a two-game home stand.

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During the final moments of the second period Thursday night, fans in KeyBank Center began to chant, "We want seven!"
They got their wish.


Buffalo Sabres left wing Zach Benson (9) and center Tage Thompson (72) celebrate Thompson’s goal in the first period of their
NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at KeyBank Center on Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Joed Viera/Buffalo News)

Alex Tuch capped a five-goal second period with a shot that went off the post and in as the Buffalo Sabres steamrolled the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-3 to cap a two-game home stand.

Jiri Kulich scored twice for the Sabres, and Tuch, Tage Thompson, Tyson Kozak, Mattias Samuelsson and Peyton Krebs added a goal apiece. James Reimer made 22 saves while starting for the third game in a row and fourth time in five games.

The Sabres (30-35-6) have won six of their last nine games overall, and 10 of their last 12 on home ice, while the Penguins (29-34-11) are 1-3-1 in their last five games.

Thompson scored 27 seconds into the first period to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead, and it became 2-0 when Krebs added a goal 4:15 later on a tap-in around the Penguins' crease.

With his goal in the first period, Sidney Crosby set the NHL record with his 20th point-per-game NHL season. He surpassed Wayne Gretzky, who reached that mark 19 times in his career. The Sabres responded with one of their best second periods this season. They scored five goals on 12 shots against two Pittsburgh goalies. Penguins winger Blake Lizotte and Kevin Hayes added a goal apiece in the third period.

Sabres forwards Sam Lafferty (groin), Jordan Greenway (lower body) and Josh Norris (middle body) were not available to play, though Lafferty participated in the morning skate Thursday. Jason Zucker missed the game for a family matter.

The Penguins, meanwhile, did not have Evgeni Malkin or Thomas Novak.

First period​

• Penguins defenseman Kris Letang checked Zach Benson along the left wall to try to kill the Sabres' possession, but the second-year winger managed to get the puck to Thompson to start a 2-on-1 rush.

Thompson toe-dragged across the slot and scored his 36th goal of the season while Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk covered Jiri Kulich at the left post only 27 seconds into the game. Pittsburgh has allowed a goal on the first shot 14 times this season.
• Krebs' seventh goal of the season put the Sabres ahead 2-0 with 15:18 left in the first period. Defenseman Connor Clifton snapped a tape-to-tape pass and Krebs finished by directing the puck past Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry only 4:15 after Thompson scored.
• Crosby's slashing penalty gave the Sabres a power play with 13:19 remaining in the first period, but they did not have a shot on goal during the two-minute man-advantage.
• Rickard Rakell's pass from below the goal line went off Crosby's skate, but the Penguins captain settled the puck and scored his 26th goal of the season with a shot from the slot to cut Buffalo's lead to 2-1.
• Benson's high-sticking penalty in the offensive zone sent the Penguins to the power play with 5:12 left in the first period. Reimer made two saves to kill the penalty and keep Buffalo in the lead.
• The Sabres led 2-1 at the intermission, and they entered Thursday with an 18-7-5 record when leading at the end of the first period. The Sabres had six high-danger scoring chances at 5 on 5, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Second period​

• An aggressive play by Bowen Byram led to Kulich's goal. Byram carried the puck to the slot, and he dropped a pass back to Kulich, who snapped a quick shot over Jarry's right shoulder to make it 3-1 with 16:24 left in the second period. It was Kulich's 13th goal of the season and first since March 1.
• Penguins center Kevin Hayes cut across the slot and tried to score on a backhand shot, but Reimer made a save.
• Isak Rosen earned his first NHL point on Samuelsson's goal that made it 4-1 with 14:40 left in the first period. Rosen's seam pass to the right circle set up Samuelsson, who scored his fourth goal of the season with a shot to the far post. Jarry was replaced by Alex Nedeljkovic for the second game in a row.
• Clifton's interference penalty gave the Penguins a power play with 13:37 left in the second period. Sabres center Ryan McLeod hit the post during the penalty kill and Reimer made a save on Bryan Rust as Buffalo improved to 2-for-2.
• Lizotte gave the Sabres a power play with his high-sticking penalty. McLeod's shot from the slot created a rebound and Rasmus Dahlin passed to JJ Peterka, who flubbed the shot while Nedeljkovic was out of position.
• Kulich made it 5-1 with his shot from the left circle that soared over Nedeljkovic's glove with 8:26 left in the second period, and Kozak added the sixth goal by getting to a loose puck in the crease. Beck Malenstyn's shot leaked through to help Kozak score his third NHL goal and second in three games.
• Tuch's shot went off the post and in for his 28th goal of the season as the Sabres increased their lead to 7-1 with 25.1 seconds left in the second period. Kozak had the secondary assist for his first career multi-point game.

Third period​

• Lizotte's goal was accidentally kicked in by Dahlin only 2:16 into the third period. Lizotte crashed the net to get to a rebound, and Dahlin nudged the puck over the line while trying to prevent the Penguins winger from reaching it.
• Sabres defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker was forced to fight after his big hit on Penguins winger Conor Dewar with 14:07 left in the third period. Dewar was given the additional penalty, which put Buffalo on the power play.

Lineup​

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff used the following lineup at the start of the game:
Zach Benson − Jiri Kulich − Tage Thompson
JJ Peterka − Ryan McLeod − Jack Quinn
Isak Rosen − Peyton Krebs − Alex Tuch
Beck Malenstyn − Tyson Kozak − Josh Dunne
Rasmus Dahlin − Mattias Samuelsson
Owen Power − Jacob Bernard-Docker
Bowen Byram − Connor Clifton

Next​

The Sabres' three-game road trip to Philadelphia, Washington and Ottawa begins Saturday with a matchup against the Flyers at 1 p.m.

 

[HipKat]

Jiri Kulich and the Sabres' other rookies 'really stepped up' in 7-3 win: Takeaways​

Jiri Kulich's 2-goal game shows Sabres' youngest players are improving in final weeks

Jiri Kulich, Tyson Kozak, Zach Benson and Isak Rosen combined for three goals with six points as the Buffalo Sabres rolled to a 7-3 win over the Penguins.

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Buffalo Sabres right winger Tage Thompson (72) passes the puck in the first period at KeyBank Center on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Joed Viera/Buffalo News

Tage Thompson made another play that showed why he is one of the NHL’s best goal-scorers.

The Sabres forward led a 2-on-1 rush toward Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry. As defenseman Matt Grzelcyk tried to take away the only passing option, Thompson dragged the puck across the slot and buried a shot for a goal only 27 seconds into the game Thursday night.


Sabres center Jiri Kulich celebrates his goal in the second period of Thursday's game against the Penguins at KeyBank Center. Joed Viera, Buffalo News

The goal was Thompson’s 36th of the season. Only 11 NHL players have scored more since the start of 2021-22. The Sabres needed more players to contribute if they were going to ruin another historic night for Sidney Crosby, and the youngest on their roster delivered.

Jiri Kulich, Tyson Kozak, Zach Benson and Isak Rosen combined for three goals and six points as the Sabres rolled to a 7-3 win over the Penguins in KeyBank Center.

Kulich (20 years old) had two goals, Kozak (22) had a goal with an assist, Benson (19) assisted on Thompson’s goal and screened the goalie on another, and Rosen (21) picked up his first NHL point with his assist on Mattias Samuelsson’s goal.

“A couple of young guys really stepped up,” Sabres winger Alex Tuch said.

The Sabres scored five goals in the second period to back James Reimer, who made 22 saves to spoil Crosby’s night. The three-time Stanley Cup champion became the first NHL player with 20 seasons averaging at least a point per game when he scored with 8:49 left in the first period to cut Buffalo’s lead to 2-1.

Jarry allowed four goals on 12 shots, and his replacement, Alex Nedeljkovic, gave up three goals on 10 shots in the second period. Peyton Krebs’ tap-in 4:42 into the first period made it 2-0; Kulich scored twice in a span of 7:58; Samuelsson’s goal was a shot from the right circle; Kozak swept a loose puck into the Penguins’ net for Buffalo’s sixth goal; and Tuch capped the second period with his 28th goal of the season.

Kulich may have been the best of the group, though. The rookie had four shots on goal, while his 19:07 tied the career high in ice time that he set in Calgary on Jan. 23. His 14 goals in 51 games are two more than JJ Peterka had as a rookie in 2022-23.

“You look at both shots, that’s elite shooting,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “The first one really wasn’t in a shooting position, and he got a lot on it. The second one was a bullet from where he shot it.”

Fourteen Sabres had at least a point, and seven had two points. Bowen Byram and Rasmus Dahlin had two assists apiece. The Sabres won for the sixth time in nine games, and they’ve won 10 of their last 12 games on home ice. They improved to 30-35-6, but did not escape last place in the Eastern Conference because the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Montreal Canadiens.

The Sabres could have been given a break from work Wednesday. They had four games in four cities across six days, and they had to do the same beginning Thursday night with the Penguins’ return to Buffalo. There’s only three weeks remaining in the season, though. Ruff is running out of time to prepare his players for 2025-26, at least the ones returning in the fall. Every meeting, practice and game matters, so he summoned them to KeyBank Center to watch video.

The Sabres responded with their fifth game of seven-plus goals this season. And they won their third game in a row, despite playing without Jason Zucker, Josh Norris and Jordan Greenway.

Unrestricted free agency is months away, but the Sabres will try to add more experienced players to their roster this summer. There are glaring holes on defense, and another impactful forward may be needed. The potential additions don’t change the fact that Buffalo’s top prospects need to continue to improve, especially as the best players on the roster become more expensive with the salary cap rising this summer.

Tuch, Byram, Peterka and Ryan McLeod may receive substantial raises this summer, which makes it even more important for the Sabres to enter next season with a path for Kulich and Benson to produce, while Kozak and Rosen are either depth in Rochester or Buffalo. Their play Thursday night was a sign that they’re improving amid the tumult.

“Coming up, they play the right way,” Krebs said. “That’s the biggest thing. 'Benny,' he’s always around the net making plays and doing this thing. Winning battles. Jiri is always on the right side of the puck. ... It’s good to see. That’s how we want to build with guys coming into our organization, with those foundational details. If we continue to do that and everyone falls in line, then we’re going to have more success.”

Here are other takeaways from the game:

1. Impression​

Jacob Bernard-Docker, 24, made another strong impression with his two blocked shots in 16:49 of ice time.

The defenseman was physical around the Sabres’ net and drilled Connor Dewar into the boards with a clean check in the third period. Dewar forced Bernard-Docker into a brief fight. Bernard-Docker is showing that he should be a candidate to play on the right side of Buffalo’s defense next season.

“He showed he was hungry, every shift,” Ruff said. “I really liked his game. I liked the fact he ate a couple of pucks for us, a couple big blocks. A heck of a hit. … He’s pushing guys to say, ‘I want to be part of this. I’ve got my opportunity, and I want to prove I can stay in the lineup.’”

2. Milestones​

The overall stat line may not wow you.

Thompson’ 63 points lead the Sabres, but he was tied for 37th among NHL forwards after the game Thursday night. It doesn’t change the fact that he is having another outstanding season. The 27-year-old forward is four goals away from 40, a mark only one other Buffalo forward (Jeff Skinner) has reached since 2009, and Thompson accomplished that feat two seasons ago when he finished with 47.

Thompson ranks second among NHL skaters in even-strength goals, trailing only Leon Draisaitl, and he is the third Sabres skater with 30 or more even-strength goals in a season since 1993 (Skinner, 2018-19; Jason Pominville, 2006-07).

"I think there’s a new maturity to our game where everyone’s committing to when we do have a lead," Thompson said.

3. Next steps​

Kulich was given a first-line assignment as soon as he was ready to return from a concussion, and the rookie looked comfortable centering Thompson and Benson.

Kulich earned the opportunity through reliable defense and faceoff wins. He showed again Thursday that his shot is also among the best on the team. The 2022 first-round draft pick couldn’t pull back the puck when he received a pass from Byram in the slot, but Kulich still snapped it quickly for his first goal. Then, as Benson screened Nedeljkovic, Kulich scored on a wrist shot from behind the left circle.

No matter how well Kulich plays over the final 11 games, he should join the Rochester Americans for the Calder Cup Playoffs. Kulich has missed 11 games because of injury or illness. He has impressed in his debut season, but he would benefit from the opportunity to play a prominent role for the Amerks.

4. Next​

The Sabres' three-game road trip to Philadelphia, Washington and Ottawa begins Saturday with a matchup against the Flyers at 1 p.m.

 

[swiper]

This is a Jekyl & Hyde team. Too young. Adams really missed what was all discussed last summer: he badly needed to add a veteran defenseman to play with Owen Power and a veteran scoring winger.

He rode Benson and Krebs for some unknown reason. These two lead the team in stupid penalties (by far) along with Dahlin. At least Dahlin's play forgives him partially for all his stupid penalties. But Benson does nothing. He's not special. Nor is Krebs. Both players could be, and should be upgraded. Send them both to Winnipeg for Nikolaj Ehlers. Then go get Brandon Tanev.

 

[HipKat]

This is a Jekyl & Hyde team. Too young. Adams really missed what was all discussed last summer: he badly needed to add a veteran defenseman to play with Owen Power and a veteran scoring winger.

He rode Benson and Krebs for some unknown reason. These two lead the team in stupid penalties (by far) along with Dahlin. At least Dahlin's play forgives him partially for all his stupid penalties. But Benson does nothing. He's not special. Nor is Krebs. Both players could be, and should be upgraded. Send them both to Winnipeg for Nikolaj Ehlers. Then go get Brandon Tanev.

I like the way you think, man