Jiri Kulich scored the deciding goal with 6:40 remaining in the third period to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at KeyBank Center on Saturday. Buffalo rallied from an early two-goal deficit and recovered after trailing late in the second period to secure the home win.
The Blackhawks struck first by generating two quick goals in the opening frame. Ryan Donato scored his first goal of the season on a wrist shot at 7:59, assisted by Alex Vlasic and Nick Lardis. Tyler Bertuzzi widened the gap to 2-0 at 11:24 with his first of the season off assists from Anton Frondell and Teuvo Teravainen. Buffalo answered before the intermission when Jack Quinn sent a wrist shot past goaltender Spencer Knight at 16:24, assisted by Zach Metsa.
Tage Thompson pulled the Sabres even at 5:41 of the second period with a tip-in goal for his first tally of the campaign, set up by Louis Crevier and Josh Norris. Chicago regained the lead at 18:18 when Oliver Moore converted a wrist shot for his first goal of the year, assisted by Frondell and Vlasic. Buffalo responded again in the third period as Rasmus Dahlin beat Knight with a snap shot at 6:10 off feeds from Peyton Krebs and Mattias Samuelsson to level the score at 3-3. Kulich then snapped home the game-winner at 13:20, assisted by Owen Power and Thompson.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 12 of 15 shots to earn the victory in net for Buffalo. Knight turned aside 24 of the 28 shots he faced in the loss for Chicago as the Sabres held a 28-15 advantage in shots on goal. Neither team generated offense on the man advantage, with Chicago finishing 0-for-2 on the power play and Buffalo going 0-for-3.
The win moved the Sabres to 1-1-0 on the regular season, while the Blackhawks dropped to 0-3-0 and remained winless through their first three games.
Buffalo hosts the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, October 21. Chicago returns home to face the Montreal Canadiens on Friday, October 23.
