Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Three different Buffalo Sabres players scored two goals to help lead the team to a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon at KeyBank Center.
The Sabres wasted no time taking a 1-0 lead over Philadelphia. Jeff Skinner scored his 15th goal of the season to cap off a shift where Dylan Cozens and Alex Tuch combined to keep the puck in the offensive zone. The line all received a point on the game's first score.
Rasmus Ristolainen was able to even the score at 1-1 with his second goal of the season. He was able to take a shot from just inside the blue line that gets through Michael Houser's pads. Saturday marked Ristolainen's first game back in Buffalo since a trade at the 2021 NHL Draft that sent him to the Flyers.
Philadelphia scored again less than a minute and a half later to gain a 2-1 lead over the Sabres. Claude Giroux was able to re-direct an Ivan Provorov shot for his 13th goal of the year.
Later in the period, Tuch fanned on a shot in the offensive zone and Tage Thompson was in the right spot to bury a one-time shot into the net. His 13th goal of the season tied the score 2-2 on the power play.
Philadelphia challenged the play for offside before the goal, but were unsuccessful. As a result, the blue and gold were awarded another power play chance.
Moments later, it was Thompson scoring again to give Buffalo a 3-2 lead late in the first.
Peyton Krebs scored his first career NHL goal on a deflection with two minutes remaining in the opening frame. Henri Jokiharju took a shot from the point that was tipped by Krebs and in.
That goal made the scores 4-2 in favor of Buffalo, and it also ended the day for Flyers goalie Martin Jones.
Krebs scored his second goal in as many periods when Rasmus Asplund made an outlet pass to the young forward as he came out of the penalty box. Krebs was called for tripping just seconds into the middle stanza, but finished off the breakaway for a 5-2 Buffalo lead.
Skinner scored his second goal of the game, and the Sabres' third power play goal of the afternoon, with his 16th goal of the season. It came less than five minutes into the third period and helped Buffalo balloon the lead to 6-2.
The Flyers scored a power play goal of their own in the final stanza to trim the deficit to 6-3. Giroux netted his second goal of the game, and his first power play score of the afternoon on the goal.
Michael Houser finished the afternoon with 30 saves on 33 shot attempts, earning his second win of the season in as many games.
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GAME RECAP
Scoring Summary:
First Period:
BUF: 1:29 - Jeff Skinner (15) (Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens); 15:33 - Tage Thompson (13) PPG (Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner); 15:57 - Tage Thompson (14) PPG (Rasmus Dahlin); 18:00 - Peyton Krebs (1) (Henri Jokiharju, Mark Jankowski)
PHI: 11:18 - Rasmus Ristolainen (2) (Travis Sanheim); 12:44 - Claude Giroux (13) (Ivan Provorov, Cam Atkinson)
Second Period:
BUF: 2:24 - Peyton Krebs (2) (Rasmus Asplund)
PHI: NONE
Third Period:
BUF: 4:36 - Jeff Skinner (16) PPG (Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson)
PHI: 14:49 - Claude Giroux (14) PPG (Travis Koneckny, Cam Atkinson)
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Penalty Summary:
First Period:
BUF: NONE
PHI: 5:54 - Travis Sanheim (Tripping - 2 min.); 14:37 - Zack MacEwen (Hooking - 2 min.); 15:33 - TEAM (Unsuccessful challenge - 2 min.)
Second Period:
BUF: 0:15 - Peyton Krebs (Tripping - 2 min.); 11:24 - Rasmus Dahlin (Roughing - 2 min.); 15:48 - John Hayden (Tripping - 2 min.); 18:30 - Jeff Skinner (Embellishment - 2 min.); 19:41 - Peyton Krebs (Hooking - 2 min.)
PHI: 18:30 - Zack MacEwen (Hooking - 2 min.)
Third Period:
BUF: 14:38 - Rasmus Dahlin (Holding - 2 min.)
PHI: 3:46 - Gerry Mayhew (High sticking - 2 min.)
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Losi and Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Peyton Krebs - BUF
2.) Tage Thompson - BUF
3.) Jeff Skinner - BUF
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What's next:
The Sabres will head out on the road for an extended road trip before the NHL All-Star break. First up is a meeting in Ottawa against the Senators on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. EST on the flagship home of the Sabres Radio Network - WGR Sports Radio 550. Pregame coverage with Mike Schopp and the Bulldog beings at 6 p.m. EST.
