Sabres wrap: Peyton Krebs, Ryan McLeod spark offense in win over Stars
Tage Thompson scored a highlight-reel goal in the third period to help the Sabres pull away for a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars in KeyBank Center on Tuesday night.
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Tage Thompson scored a highlight-reel goal in the third period to help the Sabres pull away for a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars in KeyBank Center on Tuesday night.
Thompson carried the puck over the blue line, curled in the high slot to buy time for a passing option to emerge, dished it to Owen Power and made himself available in the left circle to hammer a one-timer past Stars goalie Jake Oettinger to give Buffalo a three-goal lead with 15:43 left in the third period.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1), defenseman Connor Clifton (75) and Dallas Stars center Sam Steel (18) battle for position in front of the net during the second period
at KeyBank Center on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. Joshua Bessex/Buffalo News
The Sabres (3-4-1) won consecutive games for the first time this season and handed the Stars (5-2) their second loss. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 29 saves for Buffalo, but his shutout was spoiled with 4:36 left in regulation when Thomas Harley's shot deflected off Jason Zucker's stick and over the goalie's shoulder.
The Stars scored again 2:24 later when Tyler Seguin was left open backdoor when Dallas had an extra attacker on the ice and its net empty. Alex Tuch added an empty-net goal to help the Sabres secure the win.
Peyton Krebs and Ryan McLeod scored 83 seconds apart to put the Sabres ahead 2-0 at the end of the second period. Krebs' goal was his first of the season, while McLeod has four goals in his last five games.
The Sabres were 3-7 in their previous 10 games against the Stars, who have yet to allow a goal in the first period this season.
First period
• The Sabres' starters, including Peyton Krebs' line, gave up a 2-on-1 rush only 12 seconds into the game, then nearly allowed two additional scoring chances before they managed to exit the zone.• Krebs was called for cross-checking only 2:44 into the game, but the penalty kill did not allow a shot on goal against the Stars' power play, which entered Tuesday ranked 29th in the NHL.
• Jiri Kulich forced a cross-slot pass instead of using his shot to try to beat Oettinger.
• Luukkonen had to make a challenging save when the Sabres allowed Stars center Wyatt Johnston to skate to the front of Buffalo's net with 12:35 left in the first period.
• High-danger scoring chances were 5-1 in favor of the Dallas midway through the period, according to Natural Stat Trick, and the Stars had a 7-2 edge in shots on goal.
• Buffalo began to threaten offensive when Dylan Cozens drove to the net and attempted to fire the puck between Oettinger's legs. Kulich then nearly setup Jack Quinn for a goal at the far post with a cross-ice pass, but Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen tied up Quinn's stick to prevent him from getting a shot off.
• Rasmus Dahlin almost became the first player to score a first-period goal against the Stars this season. The defenseman forced his own rebound past Oettinger, but Dallas' Thomas Harley managed to clear the puck from the crease.
• Dahlin took a tripping penalty when he lost an edge and turned over the puck. The Sabres' penalty kill did not allow a shot on goal, though, and Buffalo finished the first period with more shots on net (10-9) than Dallas.
Second period
• Oettinger made a blocker save on Cozens early in the period before Connor Clifton was called for the Sabres' third penalty of the game.• The Sabres allowed only one shot on goal during the ensuing power play, then Luukkonen had to stop a difficult chance created by Stars winger Sam Steel.
• Johnston had another shot from the slot that Luukkonen stopped with 13:53 left in the second period, and Logan Stankoven had a shot from the right circle off the rush after Henri Jokiharju turned the puck over at the Sabres' offensive blue line.
• Cozens hit the post on the Sabres' power play in the second period, which also featured a one-timer from Kulich, whose attempted was gloved by Oettinger.
• Krebs gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead with 7:39 left in the second period when he batted the puck out of the air after Beck Malenstyn tipped a shot that rang off the crossbar.
• McLeod made it 2-0 only 83 seconds later when he finished a 2-on-1 pass from Jason Zucker with 6:16 remaining. Owen Power assisted on both goals, the second of which began with his breakout pass to create the odd-man rush.
Third period
• Former Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, now with Dallas, had a shot on goal while Luukkonen was screened by a Stars player early in the third period.• Thompson scored his fifth goal of the season when he carried the puck over the blue line, curled to buy time until he could pass to Power and hammered a one-timer past Oettinger to make it 3-0.
• Stankoven hit the near post with a shot on Luukkonen from the right circle with 10:45 left in regulation.
• Harley's goal was a shot from the point that went off Zucker's stick and over Luukkonen to make it 3-1.
• Cozens hit the side of the empty net with under four minutes remaining in regulation.
• Seguin scored to cut the lead to 3-2 when he was left open backdoor and finished a pass from Matt Duchene.