Sabres Rally Late, Beat Islanders 4-2 for Franchise Win No. 2,000

The Buffalo Sabres knew what was on the line Tuesday night, and they played like it when it mattered most.

With a chance to secure the 2,000th win in franchise history and reach the 100-point mark, Buffalo found a way late, pulling away in the third period for a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center.

It didn’t come easy.

The opening period was controlled and structured from Buffalo, even if it wasn’t flashy. They dictated play, outshot New York 12-5, and eventually broke through when Jack Quinn snapped home a power-play goal from between the circles. It was a deserved lead, and one that felt like it could’ve been bigger if a few passes connected in front of the net.

That same theme carried into the second, at least early. Buffalo continued to control the pace and generate chances, but couldn’t extend the lead. Midway through the period, the game started to tilt the other way, and the Islanders took advantage. A penalty opened the door, and New York capitalized quickly on the power play to tie the game at one.

From there, it had that familiar feel — tight, physical, and headed toward another down-to-the-wire finish. Buffalo fans held their breath when Josh Norris was shoved into the edge of the boards by Anders Lee and left the ice bleeding — Norris would return later with stiches near his lip.

The third period started with fireworks as Sam Carrick dropped the gloves with Lee to defend Norris immediately on the opening faceoff. Unfortunately Carrick was injured in the fight and never returned to the game.

The fight served it’s purpose however as Buffalo played with an edge from that point forward. Tage Thompson buried a goal to restore the lead, continuing his dominance against New York and extending his goal streak against the Islanders to four games.

New York answered to tie it again, and for a moment, it looked like this might be headed toward overtime like so many recent games. But this time, Buffalo didn’t let it get there.

With just over three minutes to play, Peyton Krebs finished off a beautiful feed from Alex Tuch to give the Sabres a 3-2 lead — the first time in his career he’s scored a go-ahead goal in the third period.

From there, Buffalo locked it down, and Bowen Byram added an empty-net goal to seal it.

It was a fitting finish for a night that carried weight beyond just two points.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was steady once again, including a key penalty shot save earlier in the game that kept momentum from swinging. It’s a small detail in the box score, but one that mattered — and one that continues to define his season.

Josh Norris quietly played a big role as well, picking up two primary assists, while Quinn’s goal and all-around play helped drive the offense throughout the night.

When it was over, Buffalo had done more than just win a hockey game.

Win number 2,000 in franchise history was secured, and with it came the team’s first 100-point season since 2009-10 — another milestone in what’s been one of the most impressive seasons this organization has had in years.

It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t easy, but it was exactly what good teams do this time of year — find a way late, and make it count.