BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Sabres ended yet another lost season on a winning note, getting coach Lindy Ruff his weeklong-awaited 900th victory.
Ryan McLeod had a goal and two assists, Alex Tuch and JJ Peterka each added a goal and an assist, Peyton Krebs and Jack Quinn also scored, and James Reimer made 22 saves as the Sabres beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 in the regular season finale Thursday night at KeyBank Center.
Tuch, whose likeness was used for bobbleheads given out on “Fan Appreciation Night,” matched a career-high with his 36th goal and tallied his 112th blocked shot, a record for NHL forwards in the past 20 seasons. Tuch also received The Rick Martin Memorial Award voted on by fans for a third consecutive season.
Snapping a four-game skid to finish with a 36-39-7 record and 79 points in the standings, Ruff concluded the first season of his second stint behind Buffalo’s bench by becoming the fifth coach to win 900 NHL games.
Buffalo will miss the playoffs for a 14th consecutive season, continuing the longest drought in NHL history.
The Sabres will clean out their lockers and conduct exit interviews starting Friday morning. General manager Kevyn Adams and Ruff are scheduled to meet with the media on Saturday.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.