NHL: Sabres steamroll Sharks en route to 8th straight victory

Jack Quinn recorded a hat trick and an assist, Jason Zucker added a goal and an assist, and Rasmus Dahlin contributed three assists as the Buffalo Sabres defeated the visiting San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Tuesday, marking their NHL-best eighth consecutive win.

Alex Tuch and Beck Malenstyn also scored for Buffalo, which has gone 29-6-2 since December 9. The Sabres moved four points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning atop the Atlantic Division.

Alexander Wennberg notched a goal and an assist for San Jose, who have lost eight of their last 11 games (3-5-3). Keifer Sherwood also scored for the Sharks, while teen sensation Macklin Celebrini added his team-high 33rd goal.

The Sabres are averaging 4.5 goals per game during their win streak and quickly took control against the Sharks. Quinn opened the scoring just 4:12 into the game off a feed from Zucker, with Ryan McLeod, who had three assists, starting the play.

Less than 90 seconds later, Tuch, playing in his 600th NHL game, scored his 28th goal of the season to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead on a deflection off a Dahlin slapshot.

San Jose’s Celebrini cut the deficit with 7:06 left in the first period, capitalizing on a Sabres giveaway. Will Smith intercepted a pass and set up the 19-year-old for his fourth straight game with a goal, and fifth in six games.

Early in the second period, Malenstyn extended Buffalo’s lead with a spectacular individual effort. Zucker added another goal less than four minutes later, following a save from San Jose goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, who stopped 20 shots but allowed five goals.

Sabres goalie Alex Lyon made 17 saves, including key stops late in the second period against Zach Ostapchuk, Collin Graf, and Tyler Toffoli. Sherwood scored with 30 seconds remaining in the second period for his 20th goal of the season and third in four games.

The back-and-forth continued in the third. Quinn scored 42 seconds in, and Wennberg responded seven minutes later to bring the Sharks within two. Quinn sealed the win with an empty-net goal, completing his first career hat trick with 2:46 remaining.

The victory gave Buffalo 40 wins for just the second time in the past 15 seasons. Tage Thompson’s 11-game point streak came to an end.

—Field Level Media/Reuters