BUFFALO, N.Y. – Jiri Kulich scored twice, including the decisive goal with only 2:04 remaining, leading the Buffalo Sabres to a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night at KeyBank Center.
The win propels the Sabres to 20-26-5 on the season, pushing them past the Predators, who now sit at 18-25-7 and have lost three straight games. This latest defeat was particularly disappointing for Nashville, who had hopes of ending their losing streak against one of the few teams below them in the league standings.
Right from the start, the Sabres demonstrated their tenacity. Buffalo quickly took control of the game with two early goals. Ryan McLeod opened the scoring just 2:25 minutes in, deflecting Jack Quinn’s point shot to give Buffalo the early lead. Following closely, Kulich struck with his first goal at 8:41 of the first period, firing off a wrist shot from the right circle for a 2-0 advantage.
Desperate for answers, the Predators rallied back. They found their footing later in the first period, with Luke Evangelista scoring to cut the lead to 2-1, redirecting Justin Barron's shot past Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Brady Skjei then tied the game at 2-2 with his own deflected shot at 17:06, leaving both teams even at the end of the first.
Things moved quickly through the second period, with Tommy Novak giving Nashville the lead at 3-2 at 2:51. Novak tipped Skjei’s shot past Luukkonen, but the Sabres quickly erased this advantage. Former Predator Jason Zucker scored at 12:26, bringing the game to 3-3 and setting the stage for the thrilling conclusion.
With the outcome still very much up for grabs, Kulich returned to the spotlight. After receiving a cross-ice pass from Tage Thompson, he unleashed another impressive wrist shot, beating backup goalie Justus Annunen on the short side, marking Kulich's second goal of the night.
“It’s pretty special, a special day,” Kulich reflected after the game. “My parents are here for the first time (from Czechia), so I hope they enjoyed the game.” His two-goal performance was significant, not only for the win but also due to the emotional support of his family’s presence.
Nashville's head coach Andrew Brunette expressed frustration post-game, focusing on the mistakes his team made at key moments. “Kind of threw away the game, made classic mistakes at the wrong time and gave them free offense, free goals,” he stated. “I thought lots of the game, especially through the second, I thought we owned the game and lost momentum on the power play.”
The Predators had opportunities to regain control of the match, particularly during several power-play chances. Despite having several potential scoring opportunities, they ended the evening 0-for-4 on the power play, marking their third consecutive game without capitalizing on these advantageous situations.
Brady Skjei shared his own sense of disappointment. “It’s frustrating, to say the least. We had moments in the game where we were playing really well.” Despite their formidable efforts, Nashville struggled to adapt late game when they needed it most, with Skjei adding, “Just giving up plays. Definitely frustrating.”
The Sabres have begun to find their rhythm, winning two of their last three games, which allows them to inch closer to escaping the lower depths of the standings. Meanwhile, Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen blocked 28 shots, securing his 17th win and proving pivotal during tense moments down the stretch.
With the defeat, the Predators fall to 30th place overall, increasing their chances of receiving one of the top picks during the upcoming NHL draft lottery. This transition has come as Nashville struggles after previously contemplating buyers at the trade deadline following their brief five-game winning streak.
The Predators now look to Saturday's matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins with hopes to halt their losing skid. With just 14 points separating them from playoff contention, each game becomes increasingly significant for Nashville’s aspirations this season.
The Buffalo Sabres, on the other hand, keep building on their recent momentum, leveraging strong play from promising young talents like Kulich to inspire both fans and teammates alike moving forward.