BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — James Reimer made 33 saves and helped lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.
Reimer’s first shutout of the season was the 31st of his career and first since Feb. 17, 2024, with the Detroit Red Wings when he made 38 saves against Calgary.
Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and JJ Peterka scored for the Sabres, who have won five straight for the first time since January 2023.
Pyotr Kochetkov made 15 saves for the Hurricanes, who have lost three straight. The loss clinched the Metropolitan Division title for the Washington Capitals.
Thompson extended his goal streak to five games with his 44th goal of the season at 1:32 of the second period.
Tuch’s sixth shorthanded goal and 34th of the season at 16:45 of the second extended his point streak to seven games.
Takeaways
Sabres: Buffalo has won 10 of their past 13 games and the late-season rally has been led by their top players, showing what could have been had they found their stride sooner. The Sabres were eliminated from playoff contention when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1.
Hurricanes: Forwards Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov returned to the lineup after short absences with injuries, but dropped their third straight on their four-game road trip.
Key moment
Tuch’s shorthanded goal came on a faceoff play in the neutral zone after Ryan McLeod won the draw and Bowen Byram hit Tuch streaking up the ice for the break in against Kochetkov.
Key stat
Thompson has eight goals during his five-game goal streak, which is team high most during a streak of any length since Miroslav Satan had 11 goals in eight games in 1998-1999.
Up next
The Sabres begin a three-game road trip in Columbus on Thursday and the Hurricanes close out a four-game road swing in Washington on Thursday.