In Buffalo, New York, Alex Tuch emerged as the hero in a tight contest between the Buffalo Sabres and the Vegas Golden Knights, securing a 4-3 victory for the Sabres with a decisive goal during the shootout. This match brought some relief to Buffalo, which had been struggling, losing seven out of their previous eight encounters.
Rasmus Dahlin, Ryan McLeod, and Jason Zucker each found the back of the net during regulation for the Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, tending goal for Buffalo, recorded 16 saves and was pivotal in the shootout, blocking two out of the three shots faced from the Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights, with Jack Eichel, Brett Howden, and Pavel Dorofeyev scoring, suffered their third loss in four games. Vegas goaltender Adin Hill delivered a robust performance by making 34 saves throughout regulation and overtime periods, though it wasn’t enough to claim the win.
Eichel managed to push Vegas ahead 3-2 with a goal coming just 2:33 before the conclusion of the third period, marking his 21st of the season. Undeterred, Rasmus Dahlin responded powerfully for Buffalo, leveling the score with only 13.6 seconds left, and notching his 12th goal of the year.
An unfortunate incident occurred for the Sabres when forward Jiri Kulich sustained an injury midway through the second period after a collision with Howden.
Buffalo had a significant edge in shots, even with key players J.J. Peterka and Josh Norris missing from the lineup. The team managed an impressive 37 shots to Vegas’ 21, despite Norris being sidelined with an undisclosed injury after joining Buffalo from Ottawa at the trade deadline.
The day prior, Adin Hill signed a six-year, $37.5 million contract extension with Vegas yet faced only his second loss in seven recent starts. A crucial moment arrived when Luukkonen was substituted for an additional attacker, enabling Dahlin to equalize the game with a blistering shot from the blue line to push the contest into overtime.
Dahlin’s late-game heroics marked a significant milestone as he became the first Sabres defenseman to equalize in the final minute of a game since Tyler Myers did so against Columbus back in January 2014.
Looking forward, the Sabres are set for a challenging four-game road trip starting against the Boston Bruins on Monday. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights are scheduled to play the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.
