Nice to post a WINNING story for once!
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Lindy Ruff must have cringed, even as the Sabres led by four goals in the third period Tuesday night in KeyBank Center.
Owen Power fell while stickhandling in the offensive zone, leaving no one to defend as two Boston Bruins forwards rushed toward Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with the puck.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (23) blocks a shot from Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) during the second period at
the KeyBank Center on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
Ruff is tired of watching his players mismanage the puck. He's talked to them about it over and over again. It's a point of emphasis in practices and meetings. And, though only 4:19 remained, it was enough time for the Bruins.
Vinnie Lettieri carried the puck over the blue line, passed to Trent Frederic and finished the rush at the right circle with a high shot.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen extended his left arm, gloving the puck to ensure the Sabres would avoid a scare and celebrate their pair of hat tricks in a 7-2 win.
"I was even clapping on that one," Ruff said.
Luukkonen's heroics allowed the Sabres to enjoy a rare home win over the Bruins and a milestone for two of their best forwards. Tage Thompson scored three goals and added an assist. JJ Peterka scored three goals and assist on one of Thompson's.
It was the first time two Sabres had a hat trick in the same game since Drew Stafford and Derek Roy did it against the Atlanta Thrashers in January 2008. And the Sabres' onslaught against the Bruins happened after a long, disappointing, eight-day road trip. They lost three out of four games in Seattle and Western Canada.
No one could break through for the tying goal in a 3-2 loss in Edmonton. The Bruins couldn't contain the Sabres, though.
"I just think we really built off that second and third period we played in Edmonton where we kept pucks going to the net," said Ruff. "I thought really played a pretty solid first period and then made a couple great plays in the second to get the lead. We got rewarded. We missed too many opportunities in that last game, and it was good to see some of those go in."
Defenseman Mason Lohrei gave Boston a 1-0 lead 7:16 into the game with a low shot that went off Luukkonen's glove. The Sabres answered 55 seconds later with Thompson's first goal, a 102.5 mph slap shot from the slot. His second goal put them ahead 2-1 in the second period.
Peterka made it 3-1 with his shot from the left circle only 1:47 later, then Thompson completed the hat trick with a wrist shot from the right circle with 16:47 left in the third period.
Bruins captain Brad Marchand gave the Sabres a scare with his one-timer from the slot. Moments earlier, Swayman stopped Alex Tuch, who redirected the puck from a few feet in front of the crease. Marchand's goal didn't sink them, though.
Peterka sliced through the defense to score his second of the game only 30 seconds later, and he completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal. Zach Benson added a power-play marker to give Buffalo its most lopsided home win over Boston since a 6-1 victory on April 11, 2009.
The Sabres were 1-11-1 in their previous 13 home games against Boston and 3-19-3 in their previous 25 meetings overall. They're at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 19-26-5 overall record, but Ruff has them focused on turning their season around. They're 8-7-1 since their monthlong winless streak ended, and they're seventh in the league in 5-on-5 goal scored. He was waiting for them to get rewarded with a game like this one.
The Bruins (25-20-6) were 5-1-1 in their previous seven games, but they can fall out of a playoff spot with a loss at Thursday night. Their six-game winless streak earlier this month spoiled the improvement that they showed under their interim coach, former Sabres assistant Joe Sacco.
"They're a good team offensively," said Sacco. "We knew that coming in here. ... We need better pursuit from our forwards. We need better gaps from our defensemen in the neutral zone. It was a combination of a couple of different things tonight. You have to respect your opponent, especially offensively.
"They have a good blue line. They have some dangerous forwards, as we saw here tonight. We just weren't good enough."
• The Sabres' defensive-zone coverage had another breakdown a few minutes later when Bruins forward Charlie Coyle drove to the net and his low shot leaked through Luukkonen. Defensemen Henri Jokiharju and Jacob Bryson prevented Boston from capitalizing on the scoring chance.
• Thompson led a rush into the Bruins' offensive zone and briefly lost control of the puck before he sent a low shot on net that was stopped by Swayman.
• Tyson Kozak won an offensive-zone faceoff, then the Sabres rookie hit the side of the net on a backhand shot.
• Jason Zucker redirected Tuch's pass wide of the Bruins' net, continuing Buffalo's run of encouraging shifts in the offensive zone.
• Lohrei gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead when the defenseman skated around Benson near the blue line and shot the puck off Luukkonen's glove with 7:16 left in the first period.
• Thompson tied it 1-1 only 57 seconds later with a one-timer from the slot off a pass from Dylan Cozens. The shot was recorded at 102 mph, according to NHL Edge, and it was Thompson's fifth shot on goal of 100-plus mph this season.
• The Sabres outshot the Bruins, 10-5, in the first period and recorded eight more shot attempts (22-14).
• Peterka's 12th goal of the season made it 3-1 and occurred 1:47 after Thompson scored his second of the game. Peterka's snipe from the left circle went over Swayman's glove with 13:28 left in the second period.
• Samuelsson's hooking penalty gave the Bruins a power play with 9:26 left in the second period. Luukkonen stopped David Pastrnak's one-timer and Beck Malenstyn intercepted a lazy drop pass to help Buffalo kill the penalty.
• Rasmus Dahlin set up Zucker for a one-timer from the right circle with 4:13 remaining in the second period, breaking a stretch during the game in which the Sabres were outshot 7-1.
• The Sabres didn't earn a shot on goal during their 1:02 of power-play time to end the second period. Jack Quinn turned the puck over shortly before time expired.
• Buffalo led 3-1 the second intermission, the 18th time this season it held a lead after 40 minutes of regulation.
• Boston didn't have a chance to build off any momentum created by the successful penalty kill. Thompson completed the hat trick with a shot from the right circle to put the Sabres ahead 4-1 with 16:47 left in the third period.
• Pavel Zacha's high-sticking penalty gave the Sabres their second power play of the game with 12:26 remaining in regulation, but Cozens took a tripping penalty only 1:16 later.
• Swayman made a clutch save on Tuch when the Sabres winger redirected McLeod's pass a few foot in front of the crease, then Marchand scored at the other end of the ice with a one-timer to cut Buffalo's lead to 4-2.
• Peterka's second goal of the game gave the Sabres another three-goal lead, as the winger fought through a check and scored on a blocker-side shot to make it 5-2 with 9:17 left in regulation.
• Peterka completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal 14:26 into the third period.
The Bruins were without defensemen Brandon Carlo, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm. Wingers Mark Kastelic (upper-body injury) and Oliver Wahlstrom (illness) were also out.
Doors open at 5 p.m., and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6 p.m. for the start of the ceremony. The game begins at 7:08 p.m

Sabres wrap: Tage Thompson, JJ Peterka deliver hat tricks in rare home win over Bruins
Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka had hat tricks, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 saves as Buffalo rolled to a 7-2 win over Boston.
Lindy Ruff must have cringed, even as the Sabres led by four goals in the third period Tuesday night in KeyBank Center.
Owen Power fell while stickhandling in the offensive zone, leaving no one to defend as two Boston Bruins forwards rushed toward Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with the puck.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (23) blocks a shot from Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) during the second period at
the KeyBank Center on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
Ruff is tired of watching his players mismanage the puck. He's talked to them about it over and over again. It's a point of emphasis in practices and meetings. And, though only 4:19 remained, it was enough time for the Bruins.
Vinnie Lettieri carried the puck over the blue line, passed to Trent Frederic and finished the rush at the right circle with a high shot.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen extended his left arm, gloving the puck to ensure the Sabres would avoid a scare and celebrate their pair of hat tricks in a 7-2 win.
"I was even clapping on that one," Ruff said.
Luukkonen's heroics allowed the Sabres to enjoy a rare home win over the Bruins and a milestone for two of their best forwards. Tage Thompson scored three goals and added an assist. JJ Peterka scored three goals and assist on one of Thompson's.
It was the first time two Sabres had a hat trick in the same game since Drew Stafford and Derek Roy did it against the Atlanta Thrashers in January 2008. And the Sabres' onslaught against the Bruins happened after a long, disappointing, eight-day road trip. They lost three out of four games in Seattle and Western Canada.
No one could break through for the tying goal in a 3-2 loss in Edmonton. The Bruins couldn't contain the Sabres, though.
"I just think we really built off that second and third period we played in Edmonton where we kept pucks going to the net," said Ruff. "I thought really played a pretty solid first period and then made a couple great plays in the second to get the lead. We got rewarded. We missed too many opportunities in that last game, and it was good to see some of those go in."
Defenseman Mason Lohrei gave Boston a 1-0 lead 7:16 into the game with a low shot that went off Luukkonen's glove. The Sabres answered 55 seconds later with Thompson's first goal, a 102.5 mph slap shot from the slot. His second goal put them ahead 2-1 in the second period.
Peterka made it 3-1 with his shot from the left circle only 1:47 later, then Thompson completed the hat trick with a wrist shot from the right circle with 16:47 left in the third period.
Bruins captain Brad Marchand gave the Sabres a scare with his one-timer from the slot. Moments earlier, Swayman stopped Alex Tuch, who redirected the puck from a few feet in front of the crease. Marchand's goal didn't sink them, though.
Peterka sliced through the defense to score his second of the game only 30 seconds later, and he completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal. Zach Benson added a power-play marker to give Buffalo its most lopsided home win over Boston since a 6-1 victory on April 11, 2009.
The Sabres were 1-11-1 in their previous 13 home games against Boston and 3-19-3 in their previous 25 meetings overall. They're at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 19-26-5 overall record, but Ruff has them focused on turning their season around. They're 8-7-1 since their monthlong winless streak ended, and they're seventh in the league in 5-on-5 goal scored. He was waiting for them to get rewarded with a game like this one.
The Bruins (25-20-6) were 5-1-1 in their previous seven games, but they can fall out of a playoff spot with a loss at Thursday night. Their six-game winless streak earlier this month spoiled the improvement that they showed under their interim coach, former Sabres assistant Joe Sacco.
"They're a good team offensively," said Sacco. "We knew that coming in here. ... We need better pursuit from our forwards. We need better gaps from our defensemen in the neutral zone. It was a combination of a couple of different things tonight. You have to respect your opponent, especially offensively.
"They have a good blue line. They have some dangerous forwards, as we saw here tonight. We just weren't good enough."
First period
• Lohrei cut to the slot and snapped the puck over the Sabres' net less than three minutes into the game.• The Sabres' defensive-zone coverage had another breakdown a few minutes later when Bruins forward Charlie Coyle drove to the net and his low shot leaked through Luukkonen. Defensemen Henri Jokiharju and Jacob Bryson prevented Boston from capitalizing on the scoring chance.
• Thompson led a rush into the Bruins' offensive zone and briefly lost control of the puck before he sent a low shot on net that was stopped by Swayman.
• Tyson Kozak won an offensive-zone faceoff, then the Sabres rookie hit the side of the net on a backhand shot.
• Jason Zucker redirected Tuch's pass wide of the Bruins' net, continuing Buffalo's run of encouraging shifts in the offensive zone.
• Lohrei gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead when the defenseman skated around Benson near the blue line and shot the puck off Luukkonen's glove with 7:16 left in the first period.
• Thompson tied it 1-1 only 57 seconds later with a one-timer from the slot off a pass from Dylan Cozens. The shot was recorded at 102 mph, according to NHL Edge, and it was Thompson's fifth shot on goal of 100-plus mph this season.
• The Sabres outshot the Bruins, 10-5, in the first period and recorded eight more shot attempts (22-14).
Second period
• Thompson gave the Sabres a 2-1 with his fourth goal of the season only 4:43 into the second period. Mattias Samuelsson passed the puck from the left point to Ryan McLeod in the right circle. McLeod immediately sent a cross-ice pass to Thompson, who finished with a shot for his 24th goal of the season.• Peterka's 12th goal of the season made it 3-1 and occurred 1:47 after Thompson scored his second of the game. Peterka's snipe from the left circle went over Swayman's glove with 13:28 left in the second period.
• Samuelsson's hooking penalty gave the Bruins a power play with 9:26 left in the second period. Luukkonen stopped David Pastrnak's one-timer and Beck Malenstyn intercepted a lazy drop pass to help Buffalo kill the penalty.
• Rasmus Dahlin set up Zucker for a one-timer from the right circle with 4:13 remaining in the second period, breaking a stretch during the game in which the Sabres were outshot 7-1.
• The Sabres didn't earn a shot on goal during their 1:02 of power-play time to end the second period. Jack Quinn turned the puck over shortly before time expired.
• Buffalo led 3-1 the second intermission, the 18th time this season it held a lead after 40 minutes of regulation.
Third period
• Zucker's shot went over the net as Marchand's penalty expired early in the third period.• Boston didn't have a chance to build off any momentum created by the successful penalty kill. Thompson completed the hat trick with a shot from the right circle to put the Sabres ahead 4-1 with 16:47 left in the third period.
• Pavel Zacha's high-sticking penalty gave the Sabres their second power play of the game with 12:26 remaining in regulation, but Cozens took a tripping penalty only 1:16 later.
• Swayman made a clutch save on Tuch when the Sabres winger redirected McLeod's pass a few foot in front of the crease, then Marchand scored at the other end of the ice with a one-timer to cut Buffalo's lead to 4-2.
• Peterka's second goal of the game gave the Sabres another three-goal lead, as the winger fought through a check and scored on a blocker-side shot to make it 5-2 with 9:17 left in regulation.
• Peterka completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal 14:26 into the third period.
Postgame
Bruins captain Brad Marchand: "Obviously, we're desperate right now. We can't afford to have games like this where we're not prepared. We need every point. They're a better team than what their record shows. We can't take that team lightly. They're extremely skilled, and they have some of the most talented players in the league. You have to come prepared to play and compete harder than that. They got a couple saves at the right time where it could have been a different game, but we still didn't push enough."Notable stat
Cozens had another strong game with two assists and five shots on goal in 18:58 of ice time. He also won 10 of his 18 faceoffs, and the Sabres outshot the Bruins 12-3 at 5-on-5 when Cozens was on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick.Lineup
Sam Lafferty, Dennis Gilbert and Connor Clifton were the Sabres' scratches Tuesday night. Jordan Greenway remains on injured reserve while he works his way back from a middle-body injury that required surgery and has kept him out of the lineup since Dec. 15. He's expected to re-join the team for practices soon.The Bruins were without defensemen Brandon Carlo, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm. Wingers Mark Kastelic (upper-body injury) and Oliver Wahlstrom (illness) were also out.
Next
Rob Ray will become the 44th member of the Sabres Hall of Fame when the beloved broadcaster and former player is inducted in a pregame ceremony Friday night before a game against the Nashville Predators.Doors open at 5 p.m., and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6 p.m. for the start of the ceremony. The game begins at 7:08 p.m