The tension in KeyBank Center reached a boiling point Friday night as the Buffalo Sabres fended off a relentless third-period surge from the Chicago Blackhawks, ultimately sealing a decisive 6-2 victory. In front of a roaring sellout crowd, Alex Tuch emerged as the hero, completing a hat trick to cap Buffalo’s first game following the holiday break.
Tuch’s standout performance propelled the Sabres (13-19-4) to consecutive wins for the first time since late November. His clutch goals secured a much-needed victory, pushing Buffalo to a 7-9-3 record on home ice. Despite Chicago narrowing a once-dominant four-goal lead to two, the Sabres never faltered, showing resilience that had eluded them in recent weeks.
Buffalo exploded out of the gates, scoring four unanswered goals in the opening period. Zach Benson, Jack Quinn, Dylan Cozens, and Tuch each found the back of the net as the Sabres dominated possession and silenced the Blackhawks’ attack. By the time Chicago registered its first shot on goal, the Sabres had already built an insurmountable lead.
Tuch’s three goals were his 10th, 11th, and 12th of the season, a breakout performance for the first-line winger. Meanwhile, Rasmus Dahlin orchestrated the offense with two assists, showcasing the elite vision that makes him the Sabres’ cornerstone on the blue line. Rookie Zach Benson continued his hot streak with a goal and an assist, further solidifying his place in the lineup.
First-Period Barrage Sets the Tone
The Sabres wasted no time asserting control. Dahlin’s pinpoint saucer pass set up Benson for an easy backdoor tap-in, opening the scoring midway through the period. Just 15 seconds later, Tuch deflected a Tage Thompson slap shot past Chicago’s Petr Mrazek, who had a night to forget. Jack Quinn extended the lead to 3-0 with a blistering one-timer, and Cozens closed the frame with a goal off the rush, capitalizing on a turnover by Tyler Bertuzzi.
Buffalo outshot Chicago 11-2 in the first period, with the Blackhawks unable to mount any sustained pressure. Rookie sensation Connor Bedard was neutralized early, his lone highlight being a shot that hit the post.
Chicago Pushes Back in the Second
Chicago began to find its footing in the second period, aided by the goaltending switch to Arvid Soderblom, who replaced Mrazek after the first. The Blackhawks managed to generate more chances, and Bertuzzi finally broke through with a wrist shot late in the frame. Despite Chicago’s surge, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stood tall, denying several high-danger chances from Bedard and Ryan Donato to maintain Buffalo’s 4-1 lead entering the final period.
Tuch Seals the Deal
The Blackhawks made things interesting early in the third when Seth Jones capitalized on a defensive lapse to cut the deficit to 4-2. However, Buffalo’s penalty kill shone moments later, as Mattias Samuelsson’s shot block and Luukkonen’s clutch save on Teuvo Teravainen quelled Chicago’s momentum.
Tuch delivered the dagger just as his penalty expired. Collecting a neutral-zone pass, he skated into the offensive zone, surveyed his options, and ripped a low wrist shot that slipped through Soderblom’s pads to make it 5-2. The hat trick was completed in style when Tuch intercepted a pass at the blue line, broke in alone, and buried a shot high to the blocker side.
Standout Performances and Next Steps
Luukkonen finished with 14 saves, earning his 10th win of the season, while Buffalo’s skaters outshot Chicago 34-17. Tuch’s three-goal night headlined an offense that has now scored 13 goals in two games, following their 7-1 thrashing of the Islanders before the break.
Zach Benson continues to impress, scoring in back-to-back games, while JJ Peterka extended his point streak to six contests with a slick assist. Dahlin’s leadership on the blue line and Quinn’s emergence as a consistent offensive threat have bolstered Buffalo’s push to climb back into contention.
The Sabres now head west for a grueling four-game road trip, starting Sunday in St. Louis. The team looks to carry this momentum into challenging matchups against Dallas, Colorado, and Vegas.
Final Thoughts
Friday’s win was a statement performance, showcasing a Sabres team firing on all cylinders. With Tuch rediscovering his scoring touch and young stars like Benson and Quinn stepping up, Buffalo may finally be turning a corner. The sellout crowd at KeyBank Center left with renewed optimism—an energy the Sabres will aim to sustain on their road trip.
Game Highlights
Game Stats
CHI  | BUF  | |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 17 | 35 |
| Faceoff % | 49.0% | 51.0% |
| Power Play | 0/1 | 0/1 |
| PIM | 4 | 4 |
| Hits | 35 | 24 |
| Blocked | 9 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 20 | 8 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 5 |
Goal Summary
Period 1
| 09:51 | BUF0-1 | Z. Benson (6) |
| Assists: R. Dahlin (18), B. Byram (15) | ||
| 12:23 | BUF0-2 | A. Tuch (10) |
| Assists: T. Thompson (10), R. Dahlin (19) | ||
| 12:38 | BUF0-3 | J. Quinn (5) |
| Assists: D. Cozens (11), J. Peterka (16) | ||
| 19:18 | BUF0-4 | D. Cozens (8) |
| Assists: J. Quinn (6) | ||
Period 2
| 16:39 | CHI1-4 | T. Bertuzzi (11) |
| Assists: T. Hall (12), C. Bedard (22) | ||
Period 3
| 03:06 | CHI2-4 | S. Jones (3) |
| Assists: P. Maroon (8), L. Reichel (8) | ||
| 05:48 | BUF2-5 | A. Tuch (11) |
| Assists: R. McLeod (11), S. Lafferty (1) | ||
| 15:06 | BUF2-6 | A. Tuch (12) |
Box Score
| Forwards | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | SOG | H | BkS | FO% | GvA | TkA | TOI |
| R. Donato | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 12:34 |
| J. Dickinson | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 40.0% | 0 | 0 | 14:28 |
| N. Foligno | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 20.0% | 1 | 0 | 13:57 |
| P. Kurashev | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 0 | 11:24 |
| T. Bertuzzi | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0 | 16:21 |
| T. Hall | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100.0% | 3 | 1 | 16:10 |
| L. Reichel | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57.1% | 0 | 0 | 14:31 |
| P. Maroon | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 33.3% | 1 | 0 | 14:06 |
| T. Teravainen | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0 | 14:37 |
| F. Nazar | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 71.4% | 1 | 0 | 14:34 |
| I. Mikheyev | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0 | 14:44 |
| C. Bedard | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 62.5% | 3 | 0 | 20:11 |
| Defense | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | SOG | H | BkS | FO% | GvA | TkA | TOI |
| S. Jones | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | 2 | 23:16 |
| C. Murphy | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 21:42 |
| K. Korchinski | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 1 | 16:51 |
| N. Allan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 19:43 |
| A. Vlasic | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 2 | 0 | 21:14 |
| T. Brodie | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 15:37 |
| Goalies | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Decision | EV SA | PP SA | SH SA | Shots | Saves | Save% | GA | TOI |
| P. Mrazek | L | 7/11 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 11 | 7 | 63.6 | 4 | 20:00 |
| A. Soderblom | 19/21 | 3/3 | 0/0 | 24 | 22 | 91.7 | 2 | 40:00 | |
| Forwards | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | SOG | H | BkS | FO% | GvA | TkA | TOI |
| Z. Benson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 15:43 |
| J. Zucker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | 16:35 |
| P. Krebs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 33.3% | 0 | 0 | 15:36 |
| J.Kulich | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 44.4% | 1 | 0 | 15:55 |
| J. Quinn | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0 | 14:48 |
| D. Cozens | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 33.3% | 1 | 0 | 15:56 |
| B. Malenstyn | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0 | 10:58 |
| R. McLeod | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 50.0% | 0 | 0 | 11:56 |
| T. Thompson | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 64.7% | 0 | 2 | 16:49 |
| J. Peterka | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0 | 16:16 |
| S. Lafferty | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 10:53 |
| A. Tuch | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% | 0 | 1 | 16:26 |
| Defense | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | SOG | H | BkS | FO% | GvA | TkA | TOI |
| B. Byram | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | 0 | 21:37 |
| M. Samuelsson | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 20:18 |
| O. Power | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 20:50 |
| R. Dahlin | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 21:17 |
| C. Clifton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0.0% | 2 | 2 | 18:52 |
| J. Bryson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 15:29 |
| Goalies | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Decision | EV SA | PP SA | SH SA | Shots | Saves | Save% | GA | TOI |
| U. Luukkonen | W | 14/16 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 17 | 15 | 88.2 | 2 | 59:46 |
