Utah Hockey Club scores final 3 goals, pulls away from Sabres

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Hockey Club scored three goals in the third period and defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 at Delta Center on Thursday.

Mikhail Sergachev scored twice for Utah (31-27-11), which has won five of its last seven at home. Karel Vejmelka made 25 saves.

“I think the second half of the game, and especially in the third period, we won more battles,” said Utah coach Andre Tourigny. “We had a good period. The scoring chances were 8-3 in the third period for us. So I think it's all related to our level of battle.”

Utah is four points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a game in hand.

JJ Peterka and Ryan McLeod scored for the Sabres (27-34-6), who had won their previous two games. James Reimer made 27 saves.

“We got off to a good start in the game,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. “I thought we were playing well, moving the puck well. We turned it over, and they made us pay dearly for it.”

McLeod scored on a short-handed breakaway at 1:32 of the third period, beating Vejmelka on the blocker side to tie it 2-2. McLeod has seven points (two goals, five assists) in his past seven games.

“We know they have a lot of pace over there,” said McLeod. “They're going to make a lot of plays. We were right there in that game, we just didn't get the right bounces tonight.”

Dylan Guenther gave Utah a 3-2 lead at 14:13, picking up a rebound and firing into an open net.

“I don't even think we really played our best out there, but we found a way to win,” said Guenther. “That's the main thing and just make sure we're ready for the next one.”

Utah scored an empty-net goal at 18:50 when Tage Thompson’s pass back bounced off the side boards and trickled into his own net during a delayed penalty. The goal was credited to Kevin Stenlund.

“[I was] just trying to make a pass to the point there to [Dahlin],” said Thompson. “We got the puck, and I wasn't really aware that there was a delayed call. So, had that been the case, then yeah, I probably would have just tried to attack and shoot or make them touch it. But yeah, they're kind of sitting there and I thought I had a lane to [Dahlin] to the top and it just went through everybody. So, bad play by me and even worse result.”

“Obviously that was lucky,” said Sergachev. “But to get those lucky bounces, you've got to work hard, and I think in that little stretch in the third, we worked hard and had a lot of chances to score.”

Sergachev added another empty net goal while short-handed at 19:41 for the 5-2 final.

Logan Cooley scored at 17:27 of the first period off a pass from Nick Schmaltz to give Utah a 1-0 lead.

Peterka answered on the power play at 19:49 with a one-timer off a pass from Jason Zucker to tie it 1-1.

Beck Malenstyn appeared to give the Sabres a 2-1 lead 11 seconds into the second period, but Utah challenged, and video review determined no goal for goaltender interference.

Sergachev scored at 11:50 with a shot from the point to give Utah a 2-1 lead.

“What's going on here, it's a lot of learning,” said Tourigny. “It's learning on steroids and we need to keep going and keep doing our job at that point and stay in the hunt. You need to wear opponents down and that's the way it will be. If we want to make it [to the playoffs], it will be by one point so every point is important.”

NOTES: Guenther scored his ninth game-winning goal, which is second in the NHL this season behind Leon Draisaitl (10). ... Peterka pulled the Sabres even and recorded his second straight 20-goal season. He became the third Germany-born and trained player in NHL history with multiple 20-goal seasons before age 24, following Draisaitl and Tim Stutzle (three each).