Calgary, Alberta — Jonathan Huberdeau was instrumental in leading the Calgary Flames to a 5-2 victory against the Buffalo Sabres during a matchup on Thursday evening.
Huberdeau registered one goal and provided two assists in the process. Teammate Nazem Kadri also had a standout performance, contributing a goal along with two assists. Additionally, Jakob Pelletier made an impact with one goal and one assist. Empty-net goals were scored by Yegor Sharangovich and Mikael Backlund, sealing the victory for Calgary. Rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf was solid in net, racking up 32 saves, and improving his record to 17-7-2 with this win, marking his fifth win in his last six appearances.
Currently, the Flames are positioned in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, holding a three-point lead over the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues.
From the Sabres’ side, goals were scored by Tage Thompson and Mattias Samuelsson, while goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukonen managed 21 saves but fell to a record of 15-15-4.
The game saw both teams tied at 2 early in the third period until Pelletier found the back of the net at 2:29, redirecting a point shot from Brayden Pachal to give Calgary the crucial lead.
In terms of player highlights, Thompson has been on a scoring streak, netting goals in three consecutive games and leading the Sabres with 22 goals overall. Notably, he has also recorded at least one point in the last seven matchups against Calgary.
On the defensive side, the Flames had an impressive outing, having entered the game with the league’s 30th-ranked penalty kill but successfully shutting down all six power-play opportunities from the Sabres.
A key moment in the game arrived when the Sabres were attempting to equalize. Wolf, while his team was short-handed, made pivotal saves, including a critical stop against JJ Peterka’s one-timer and a close-range denial of Alex Tuch.
Statistically, Huberdeau made a mark as well, with his short-handed goal being the only score in the first period. He currently holds the second-highest number of first goals in the NHL with six, trailing only Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl who has tallied seven.
As for the upcoming schedule, the Sabres will conclude their four-game road trip with a match against Edmonton on Saturday, while the Flames are set to face off against Minnesota on the same day.
