The Buffalo Sabres fourth goal on Thursday kept getting changed between Tage Thompson and Ryan McLeod. It was the next day when I could actually sit down and talk to McLeod about getting his first NHL hat trick.

Zucker recorded two assists, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Hurricanes.

FINAL | Sabres 4 - Hurricanes 2 Lindy Ruff addresses the media Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen addresses the media Dylan Cozens addresses the media Ryan McLeod addresses the media The Sabres conclude their three-game homestand Friday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tickets are available here.

It may not have been his first goal, but former Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan McLeod scored a goal last night that he won't soon forget. Actually, he scored three of them. And he made a little bit of history in the process.

The Sabres survived despite becoming the first team in NHL shot tracking history (to 1965) to score a goal in a 20-minute period without a shot on goal.

Zucker’s net-front residence has yielded offense at both 5-on-5 and on a resurgent Buffalo power play. Since Dec. 21, with Zucker a regular on the top unit, the Sabres have gone 9-for-28 (32 percent) with the man advantage, seventh best in the NHL during that span.

Ryan McLeod registered a hat trick, one on the game's first shot, as the Buffalo Sabres held off the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2, Wednesday night in a nationally televised game in KeyBank Center.

The Buffalo Sabres (16-21-5) defeated the Ottawa Senators (19-18-3) by a core of 4-0. With two goals from Jack Quinn and three points from Ryan McLeod, the Sabres had their offense showing up, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped all 35 shots for his sixth career shutout and second of the season.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff swapped Ryan McLeod and Dylan Cozens atop the lineup during the win over the Hurricanes, a move that paid immediate dividends with both players scoring goals on their new lines.

The Pittsburgh Penguins hit the road as they visit the Buffalo Sabres. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Penguins-Sabres prediction and pick. The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the game at 18-20-8 on the year,

The Buffalo Sabres are on the brink of allowing their playoff drought to continue into its 14th season, despite rebuild after rebuild. First, there was the “tank for Connor McDavid”, but they failed at that and ended up with Jack Eichel instead.