Rasmus Dahlin had three goals and two assists Tuesday night to power the visiting Buffalo Sabres past the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-4.
Dahlin, in his eighth NHL season, all with Buffalo, completed his first career hat trick with an empty-net goal at 19:16 of the third period. The five points matched the three-time All-Star defenseman’s career best.
Tage Thompson added a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who have won four in a row and are on a 19-3-1 surge. Josh Doan, Alex Tuch and Jack Quinn also scored. Mattias Samuelsson added three assists.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed two goals on five shots before leaving in the first period with a lower-body injury. Colten Ellis replaced him and stopped 16 of 18 shots.
Auston Matthews and Max Domi each had a goal and two assists for the Maple Leafs, who were winless (0-4-1) on a five-game homestand. Bobby McMann had a goal and an assist. Matthew Knies also scored. Joseph Woll made 24 saves.
Buffalo led 3-2 after the first period.
Thompson put the puck in the net at 3:52 but it was disallowed after a video review revealed an offside.
Toronto took the lead when Knies poked home a loose puck from a scramble at 7:44.
Dahlin tied the game 1:45 later when his shot banked in off defenseman Morgan Rielly’s skate.
Toronto regained the lead when Matthews knocked in a big rebound at 10:49. Ellis replaced Luukkonen at 12:08.
Doan scored on a power play when his pass deflected in off defenseman Troy Stecher’s stick at 13:16. Steven Lorentz was off for cross-checking.
Thompson, playing in his 500th NHL game, scored at 18:05 from above the right circle through traffic.
McMann tied the game at 3-3 with a 30-foot wrist shot to the blocker side at 11:17 of the second period.
Dahlin reached 400 career points when he tipped in Samuelsson’s shot at 18:17 of the second.
Tuch scored from a sharp angle 16 seconds into the third period to bump the margin to two goals.
Quinn scored from the right circle at 11:33 of the third.
Domi scored at 14:59 of the third on an 11-foot wrist shot.
The Maple Leafs paid tribute before the game for the 50th anniversary of Darryl Sittler’s NHL-record 10-point game, Feb. 7, 1976, in an 11-4 victory against the Boston Bruins.
–Field Level Media
