BUFFALO, N.Y. — Ryan McLeod achieved his first career hat trick, scoring three goals, as the Buffalo Sabres triumphed over the Carolina Hurricanes with a score of 4-2 on Wednesday night.
Alongside McLeod, Dylan Cozens also contributed a goal, while Jason Zucker recorded two assists for the Sabres, who celebrated their third victory in four matches. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was impressive, stopping 35 shots throughout the game.
The Hurricanes got goals from Jaccob Slavin and Martin Necas, with Brent Burns providing two assists, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their second consecutive loss. Goalie Dustin Tokarski made 21 saves during the contest.
McLeod set the tone early by scoring just 43 seconds into the game, firing a shot past Tokarski. He netted his second goal with only 6 seconds remaining in the second period, extending Buffalo’s lead to 3-0.
The Hurricanes responded in the third period, with Slavin putting their first point on the board at 3:45. Necas brought the game closer with a goal at 3:10 remaining, narrowing the deficit to just one goal.
However, McLeod sealed the game with his third goal, finding the net with just 24 seconds left to finalize the score at 4-2.
Takeaways from the game highlighted the Sabres’ ability to maintain their lead after stumbling previously in games against Colorado and Seattle. This was the first time since the holiday break that the Hurricanes suffered back-to-back losses, as they had previously lost at Nashville and New Jersey around Christmas.
A pivotal moment in the match occurred when McLeod’s third goal was contested; he was slashed by Burns as he attempted to score into an empty net, resulting in the goal being awarded regardless of the circumstances.
Notably, McLeod’s standout performance marked the third occasion in his career where he scored multiple goals in a game and was known for achieving the fastest goal to start a game at KeyBank Center this season.
Up next, the Sabres are set to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, while the Hurricanes will welcome the Vegas Golden Knights to their arena.