Rasmus Dahlin played a pivotal role in the Buffalo Sabres halting a 13-game losing streak as they cruised to a commanding 7-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Monday night. The win marked Buffalo’s first triumph since November 23, when they defeated San Jose. The Sabres had endured a challenging stretch, going winless at 0-10-3 during the streak.
Jiri Kulich stood out with an impressive performance, contributing two goals and an assist, while goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen shone with 27 saves. Jack Quinn, Tage Thompson, Beck Malenstyn, Jason Zucker, and Zach Benson also found the back of the net for Buffalo. Kyle Palmieri managed to pull one back for New York with a goal late in the second period, his 12th of the season, though it proved inconsequential as the Islanders suffered their third loss in four games.
Zucker’s power-play goal early in the second period gave the Sabres a comfortable 3-0 lead, with Quinn extending the advantage to 5-0 before the period concluded. The disappointment among the Islanders faithful was palpable as boos echoed through the UBS Arena while the Sabres secured the resounding victory.
Ilya Sorokin put up a solid effort in goal for the Islanders, making 18 saves in his 11th consecutive start. The key moment of the game came when Luukkonen denied Jean-Gabriel Pageau a prime scoring opportunity late in the first period.
For the Sabres, the win marked their highest-scoring game of the season, surpassing their 6-1 victory over the New York Rangers on November 7. In contrast, the Islanders fell to a 6-8-2 record at UBS Arena.
Looking ahead, the Sabres will aim to build on this momentum as they prepare to face the Chicago Blackhawks at home on Friday. Meanwhile, the Islanders will seek redemption as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
