Petr Mrázek pulled after allowing 4 1st-period goals in the Chicago Blackhawks’ 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Alex Tuch had a hat trick for the Buffalo Sabres in a 6-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.

Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn each had a goal and an assist in the first period. The Sabres also got goals from Zach Benson and Tuch to build a 4-0 lead, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen needed to make just two of his 15 saves in the opening period.

Tuch scored twice in the third period after Seth Jones cut the Sabres’ lead to 4-2

Buffalo’s victory was its second in a row following a 13-game winless streak (0-10-3) that briefly put the Sabres below the Hawks for the worst record in the NHL. Rasmus Dahlin had two assists after tallying four in Buffalo’s 7-1 win against the New York Islanders on Monday.

Tyler Bertuzzi had the other goal for the Hawks. Goaltender Petr Mrázek was pulled after allowing four goals on 11 shots in the first period. Backup Arvid Söderblom made 22 saves.

Takeaways

Hawks: They dropped to 5-14-2 on the road after going winless on a three-game trip. They have lost five consecutive away games with a three-game home winning streak in between. The Hawks play 11 of their next 13 games at the United Center.

Sabres: Consecutive blowout wins have restored some confidence and eased fan discontent after the third-longest skid in team history.

Key moment

Cozens set up Quinn’s one-timer on a rush 15 seconds after Tuch’s tip-in to make it 3-0 in the opening 13 minutes.

Key stat

The Hawks trailed by three before recording a shot on goal at 13:11 of the first.

Up next

The Hawks host the Dallas Stars on Sunday before playing the St. Louis Blues in the NHL Winter Classic on Tuesday at Wrigley Field. The Sabres visit St. Louis on Sunday.

Originally Published: December 27, 2024 at 8:52 PM CST