The Sabres knew the Blackhawks had an early morning flight because of the NHL’s travel restrictions during the holiday break. That left an already beatable team more prone to start slow. Buffalo took advantage with a 12-4 advantage in scoring chances in the first period, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The Buffalo Sabres finally turned the car out of the skid, crushing the New York Islanders before Christmas. That didn’t solve anything – it’s hard to feel great after losing 13 straight games – but at least it temporarily stopped discussions of who the team should trade for.

The Buffalo Sabres appeared as if a weight had been lifted off of their shoulders after snapping their 13-game winless skid against the NY Islanders before the NHL’s Christmas break, bolting out to a 4-0 first-period lead against the Chicago Blackhawks and winning their second straight 6-2 in front of a post-holiday sellout crowd at KeyBank Center on Friday.

Sabres forward Alex Tuch dropped his immediate reaction to scoring his first career hat trick on home ice on Friday.

Alex Tuch scored 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,

Pregame analysis and predictions of the Buffalo Sabres vs. St. Louis Blues NHL game to be played on December 29, 2024 on ESPN.