BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Jiri Kulich scored twice, Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs and Tyson Kozak each had a goal and an assist, and the Sabres skated to their third consecutive win, 7-3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night at KeyBank Center.
James Reimer, the starting goaltender in each of Buffalo’s past three victories, made 22 saves as the Sabres beat the Penguins for the first time this season and moved within three points with three games in hand of surpassing Pittsburgh and climbing out of last place in the Atlantic Division.
Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson also scored, Rasmus Dahlin and Bowen Byram had two assists apiece, and 14 different players made the scoresheet for the Sabres.
Thompson scored his 37th of the season to put Buffalo ahead 27 seconds into the game, and Krebs made it 2-0 within the first opening five minutes before Sidney Crosby scored for the Penguins later in the first period.
The rest of the Sabres goals came in the second period, including the two that raised Kulich’s tally to 14 in his rookie. Tuch’s goal was his 28th.
The Sabres visit the Philadelphia on Saturday with a chance to move past the Flyers and out of the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
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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.