Ryan McLeod scored three goals for his first career hat trick and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2.

FINAL | Sabres 4 - Hurricanes 2 Lindy Ruff addresses the media Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen addresses the media Dylan Cozens addresses the media Ryan McLeod addresses the media The Sabres conclude their three-game homestand Friday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tickets are available here.

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Zucker’s net-front residence has yielded offense at both 5-on-5 and on a resurgent Buffalo power play. Since Dec. 21, with Zucker a regular on the top unit, the Sabres have gone 9-for-28 (32 percent) with the man advantage, seventh best in the NHL during that span.

Peterka's 23:37 of ice time was the most that he's played in his 200 NHL games. The winger totaled five shots on goal with eight shot attempts, and he had two assists.

Alex Tuch and JJ Peterka each scored goals in both regulation and the shootout to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals at KeyBank Center on Monday.

On Oct. 16 in Pittsburgh the Sabres started the habit of getting and blowing leads. Buffalo had a 2-0 and 3-1 first period lead against the Penguins only to lose in overtime on a Sidney Crosby overtime goal.

The Pittsburgh Penguins hit the road as they visit the Buffalo Sabres. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Penguins-Sabres prediction and pick. The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the game at 18-20-8 on the year,

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff swapped Ryan McLeod and Dylan Cozens atop the lineup during the win over the Hurricanes, a move that paid immediate dividends with both players scoring goals on their new lines.

Pittsburgh entered the Christmas break amid a 9-3-1 stretch but is 2-5-3 since then. The Penguins have been outscored 14-4 during their three-game slide, and blew a 2-1 lead Tuesday by allowing Seattle to score twice in a 50-second span during the third period of a 4-2 loss.

Practicing Thursday at KeyBank Center, the Buffalo Sabres once again focused on late-game, 6-on-5 situations. In Wednesday’s 4-2 win over Carolina, Buffalo yielded a 6-on-5 goal to Martin Necas before Ryan McLeod’s awarded, empty-net goal secured the victory.

McLeod’s hat-trick goal with 24 seconds remaining put the finishing touches on a bend-but-don’t-break performance by the Sabres, who were coming off a loss to Seattle in their most recent game in which goals against compounded into a blown lead.