Jack Quinn’s first career hat trick powered the Buffalo Sabres to their eighth consecutive victory, a 6-3 defeat of the San Jose Sharks at KeyBank Center on Tuesday night. The win extended Buffalo’s impressive run and solidified their position atop the Atlantic Division.
Quinn, who also registered an assist, opened the scoring just over four minutes into the first period, converting a feed from Jason Zucker and Ryan McLeod. He added his second goal later in the period, and completed the hat trick with an empty-netter, capping a dominant performance. Alex Tuch and Beck Malenstyn also found the back of the net for the Sabres, while Rasmus Dahlin and McLeod each recorded three assists.
The Sharks, despite a goal from Macklin Celebrini – his 33rd of the season – and tallies from Kiefer Sherwood and Alexander Wennberg, could not contain the Sabres’ offensive surge. San Jose goaltender Yaroslav Askarov faced 20 shots, while Buffalo’s Alex Lyon stopped 18.
The Sabres’ winning streak is the first of eight games or more in a single season in franchise history. At 40-19-6, Buffalo is closing in on ending a 14-season playoff drought. The team’s 40 wins represent the second-highest total in the past 15 years.
For the Sharks, the loss was the second in a stretch where they have allowed 12 goals in their last two games, bringing their season total to 233 goals against – the fourth-highest in the NHL. Despite the setback, San Jose remains within striking distance of a Western Conference playoff spot, trailing Seattle by a single point for the second wild card position.
Celebrini, the 19-year-old Canadian Olympian, continues to draw attention with his exceptional offensive output. His 90 points in 62 games this season place him sixth among teenage players in NHL history, behind only Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, Dale Hawerchuk, Jimmy Carson, and Steve Yzerman. He has amassed 158 points in two seasons.
Logan Stanley made his Sabres debut after being acquired from Winnipeg at the trade deadline, engaging in a first-period fight with Sharks forward Zack Ostapchuk. Malenstyn also dropped the gloves for the second consecutive game.
The Sharks continue their road trip Thursday night at Boston, while the Sabres host Washington.
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