Tuch’s Hat Trick Helps Sabres Snap Flyers Points Streak

The Flyers‘ seven-game points streak started two weeks earlier on March 17, when they beat the Buffalo Sabres thanks to a hat trick by Owen Tippett. On Saturday, it came to an end at the hands of the Sabres with another hat trick, this time for the opposition.

Alex Tuch scored three goals to lift the Sabres to a 6-3 win over the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center.

The Flyers got the scoring started at 16:35 of the first period. Morgan Frost remained hot with a snipe from the right circle for his 17th goal of the season to make it 1-0.

With just 10 seconds remaining in the opening period, the Sabres got the game tied. Kyle Okposo scored his 11th goal of the season to make it a 1-1 game through 20 minutes.

Shots were 14-5 Flyers.

The Sabres kept the momentum early in the second, scoring three times in the first 3:46. Tuch got his big night started at 1:25. Jordan Greenway scored 1:15 later. Jeff Skinner scored 1:06 after that and in a span of 2:21, the Sabres had opened up a 4-1 lead.

With just under three minutes remaining in the period, Tuch scored his second of the game, but it was quickly answered by Frost’s second of the game and 18th of the season to make it 5-2 through two periods.

Shots were 31-22 Flyers through 40 minutes.

At 5:11 of the third, the Flyers cut the lead to two as Travis Konecny scored his team-leading 28th goal of the season in his return to the lineup after missing 16 games. 

The Sabres answered that goal with 3:27 remaining, as Tuch finished off the hat trick with a shorthanded goal off a turnover to make it 6-3.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 39 saves on 42 shots in the win. Felix Sandstrom made 23 saves on 29 shots in the loss.

In addition to Tuch’s hat trick, Casey Mittelstadt had three assists and Skinner had a two-point game. 

The Flyers are right back on the ice on Sunday evening to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at 6 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• PHI Morgan Frost (17) (Brendan Lemieux, Wade Allison) 16:35
• BUF Kyle Okposo (11) (Peyton Krebs, Mattias Samuelsson) 19:50

2nd Period

• BUF Alex Tuch (33) (Casey Mittelstadt) 1:25
• BUF Jordan Greenway (5) (Tyson Jost, Rasmus Dahlin) 2:40
• BUF Jeff Skinner (33) (Mittelstadt, Owen Power) 3:46
• BUF Tuch (34) (Mittelstadt, Skinner) 16:02
• PHI Frost (18) (Joel Farabee, Travis Sanheim) 16:24

3rd Period

• PHI Travis Konecny (28) (Noah Cates) 5:11
• BUF Tuch (35) SH (Jack Quinn) 16:33

Game Statistics