NHL roundup: Sabres stay red-hot after winning five in a row

[h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/buffalo-sabres/UobjtMIP/"]Sabres[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/pittsburgh-penguins-AkN0nWU6/?mid=xtGBr9XG"]5-1[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pittsburgh-penguins/AkN0nWU6/"]Penguins[/a][/h2][p]The Sabres reached 80 points on the season with a win. It surpassed their point total from last season (79) in 20 fewer games. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thompson-tage/lvRtlzSi/"]Tage Thompson[/a] extended his point streak to a career-best nine games after recording his 32nd assist of the season on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tuch-alex/fi2K37wb/"]Alex Tuch[/a]'s 25th goal that gave Buffalo a 3-1 lead in the second. [/p][p]Both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-josh/hEIOCK2D/"]Josh Norris[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/power-owen/dhz6Xl7J/"]Owen Power[/a] recorded a goal and an assist each, while goalie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/luukkonen-ukko-pekka/zmFi40uk/"]Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen[/a] made 27 saves on the night. [/p][p]Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin was ejected and given a five-minute major penalty for slashing.[/p][p]Buffalo improved 37-19-6, now tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning in points in the Eastern Conference, as they sit in third. Pittsburgh dropped back-to-back games as they fell to 31-17-13. [/p][embed guid="679ab203-8f37-4c51-9348-cacee8729152" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggmjXfvKNpE" social-type="youtube" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/columbus-blue-jackets/0vCzmbQ5/"]Blue Jackets[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/columbus-blue-jackets-0vCzmbQ5/florida-panthers-fc1eq8Pp/?mid=A7TItm2T"]4-2[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/florida-panthers/fc1eq8Pp/"]Panthers[/a][/h2][p]Columbus is now on a win streak themselves, earning their third in a row thanks to a pair of goals from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olivier-mathieu/QilPNhhG/"]Mathieu Olivier[/a] (11), along with a goal and two assists from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/provorov-ivan/bPOll2MF/"]Ivan Provorov[/a], who led all players with an [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/columbus-blue-jackets-0vCzmbQ5/florida-panthers-fc1eq8Pp/?mid=A7TItm2T"]8.9 rating out of 10 for the game[/a].[/p][p]Florida tried to rally in the third period with a pair of goals to cut the lead to 3-2, but Olivier's empty-netter was the final nail in the coffin. The Panthers have now lost four straight as they dropped to 30-29-3, sitting second-to-last in the Eastern Conference after winning back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.[/p][p]Columbus improved to 32-21-8, as they sit just outside of the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. [/p][embed guid="e8d0a711-7fac-439d-84ea-f71cfdeceff3" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDQI_i1neq8" social-type="youtube" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/utah-mammoth/hnwxhtVp/"]Mammoth[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/philadelphia-flyers-QySGG7oT/utah-mammoth-hnwxhtVp/?mid=GQR2pV24"]3-0[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-flyers/QySGG7oT/"]Flyers[/a][/h2][p]Mammoth goalie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vanecek-vitek/nqrsKNuL/"]Vitek Vanecek[/a] recorded his first shutout of the season and the 11th of his career, stopping all of Philly's 16 shots. He led all players with an [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/philadelphia-flyers-QySGG7oT/utah-mammoth-hnwxhtVp/?mid=GQR2pV24"]8.2 rating out of 10[/a] for the game.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guenther-dylan/tfwZEKb2/"]Dylan Guenther[/a] earned his 24th and 25th assists of the season on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schmaltz-nick/z5I6ox6i/"]Nick Schmaltz[/a]'s (24) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/keller-clayton/2VIMuNat/"]Clayton Keller[/a]'s (19) goals in the second. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carcone-michael/2mtWsezN/"]Michael Carcone[/a] (12) would send home the empty-netter to help Utah improve to 33-25-4 as they continue to hold the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. [/p][p]The Flyers fell to 28-22-11. [/p][embed guid="d20687cf-a2b7-4523-aa6a-aef7da5a904e" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOJ8f966_dI" social-type="youtube" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-rangers/O4zxeyWN/"]Rangers[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/new-york-rangers-O4zxeyWN/toronto-maple-leafs-ShE7Z8G3/?mid=4z8jepSq"]6-2[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-maple-leafs/ShE7Z8G3/"]Maple Leafs[/a][/h2][p]After going down 2-1, the Rangers unloaded for five-straight goals (four in the third period alone). Rangers rookie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chmelar-jaroslav/z513gMNO/"]Jaroslav Chmelar[/a] scored his first career goal with a wrister to give New York the 4-2 lead with under 10 minutes left in the third. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cuylle-will/6oSywx7L/"]Will Cuylle[/a] (15) led the team with a pair of goals, his second multi-goal game of the season, and led all players with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/new-york-rangers-O4zxeyWN/toronto-maple-leafs-ShE7Z8G3/?mid=4z8jepSq"]an 8.7 rating[/a]. Meanwhile, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lafreniere-alexis/tGxLxpkq/"]Alexis Lafreniere[/a] led the team with three points (one goal, two assists). [/p][p]Toronto has now lost six straight games, having yet to win a matchup since the return from the Olympic break. They fell to 25-27-11, while the last-place Rangers improved to 24-29-8. [/p][embed guid="f05d245f-0cf8-4915-9972-409ea2428803" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZadw9SiHKY" social-type="youtube" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nashville-predators/QV0K6kn4/"]Predators[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/nashville-predators-QV0K6kn4/?mid=UiAkyRPj"]6-3[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-bruins/jeans23J/"]Bruins[/a][/h2][p]Despite Boston's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/geekie-morgan/YaldagM6/"]Morgan Geekie[/a] scoring a new career-high in goals with his 34th, which cut Nashville's lead to 2-1, the Predators unleashed four goals in the second period that proved to be too high a mountain to climb for the Bruins. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wood-matthew/GfsHNFsa/"]Matthew Wood[/a] (12) led the way with two goals, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/forsberg-filip/rHO2BcBm/"]Filip Forsberg[/a] led with three points, earning his 28th goal and bringing his assist total up to 25. Forsberg also led all players with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/nashville-predators-QV0K6kn4/?mid=UiAkyRPj"]an 8.7 rating[/a]. [/p][p]Nashville improved to 28-26-8, while Boston dropped to 34-22-5. The Bruins are hanging on to the second Wild Card spot as the Blue Jackets sit just one point below them.[/p][embed guid="033a5e04-ffed-40df-ae28-299999e95c27" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhDJvzB-Sps" social-type="youtube" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/winnipeg-jets/r3L8pAaJ/"]Winnipeg Jets[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/tampa-bay-lightning-YVE3zk1c/winnipeg-jets-r3L8pAaJ/?mid=C0BbgOdd"]4-1[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tampa-bay-lightning/YVE3zk1c/"]Lightning[/a][/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nyquist-gustav/x6hMqp0A/"]Gustav Nyquist[/a] scored his first goal of the season as teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scheifele-mark/2e6dppLs/"]Mark Scheifele[/a] recorded his 29th goal of the season and 46th assist. [/p][p]Kyle Connor led all players with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/tampa-bay-lightning-YVE3zk1c/winnipeg-jets-r3L8pAaJ/?mid=C0BbgOdd"]an 8.4 rating[/a] after tallying his 28th goal and 42nd assist. [/p][p]Winnipeg improved to 25-26-10 as they handed the Lightning their fourth-straight loss, falling to 38-18-4 on the season. [/p][embed guid="0e078e6e-1360-4d2f-9cab-f02e54a68497" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xk3rgVN-oc" social-type="youtube" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ottawa-senators/noTCHmWM/"]Senators[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/calgary-flames-EZekktRt/ottawa-senators-noTCHmWM/?mid=S8goHRl3"]4-1[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/calgary-flames/EZekktRt/"]Flames[/a][/h2][p]Martin Pospisil got things started for the Flames with his first goal of the season, but that's all she wrote from Calgary's side. [/p][p]Ottawa's Lars Eller (3) would tie it up 1-1 in the second before the Sens put up three goals in the third from Dylan Cozens (22), Tim Stutzle (29), and Shane Pinto (16). [/p][p]The Sens improved to 30-22-9, while the Flames dropped to 24-30-7.[/p][embed guid="4957a7de-52e4-4423-8db3-4e3826e0dcde" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmzCjGd-orE" social-type="youtube" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-kings/CIDo8i2o/"]Kings[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/los-angeles-kings-CIDo8i2o/new-york-islanders-xESz5TGG/?mid=MocyaUHc"]5-3[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-islanders/xESz5TGG/"]Islanders[/a][/h2][p]The Kings improved to 25-22-14 thanks to five goals from five different players. [/p][p]Forwards Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin, and Mikey Anderson each had two points with one goal and one assist each, while defenseman Brandt Clarke recorded two assists.[/p][p]The Islanders dropped their second straight as they fell to 35-23-5.[/p][embed guid="f814c6ba-5df6-4433-a1a5-c4ec35076b10" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_9pUrtmNSo" social-type="youtube" /]