At the Horn | Sabres 3 - Hurricanes 0

Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch continued their respective scoring streaks and the Buffalo Sabres extended their winning streak to a season-best five games with a 3-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.

The Sabres also extended their home winning streak to seven games – their longest such streak since the 1999-2000 season – and improved to 8-1-0 in their last nine games overall.

James Reimer made 33 saves for his first shutout of the season and extended his personal winning streak to seven games. It’s tied as the seventh-longest winning streak for a goaltender in Sabres history (two shy of Gerry Desjardins’ record of nine games).

Thompson extended his goal-scoring streak to a career-best five games, netting his 44th of the season to move into a tie with William Nylander for second in the NHL. It was his 37th even-strength goal, breaking a tie with Leon Draisaitl for first in the NHL.

Tuch scored NHL-leading sixth shorthanded goal of the season to extend his point streak to seven games. JJ Peterka also scored a goal.

Pyotr Kochetkov made 15 saves for the Hurricanes.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Period

The two teams emerged from the first period scoreless despite chances for both sides.

Two of those chances belonged to Ryan McLeod, who was turned away on an early breakaway and later outraced an aggressive Kochetkov to a loose puck in front but sent a sharp-angled shot off the side of the open net.

The Hurricanes outshot the Sabres 12-5 but were held off the board by Reimer and a successful late penalty kill, which was highlighted by a hard hit from Rasmus Dahlin on Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake.

Second Period

Thompson and Tuch stayed hot and propelled the Sabres to a 2-0 lead in the middle period.

Thompson delivered an end-to-end effort to put the Sabres on the board 1:32 into the period, stealing the puck from Blake at the defensive blue line and then beating Kochetkov with a hard wrist shot from the right faceoff circle.

Tuch’s shorthanded goal doubled the lead with 3:15 remaining. The play spawned from a center-ice faceoff win by McLeod, which was sent backward to Bowen Byram. Tuch drifted toward the offensive end, caught a stretch pass from Byram, and buried his shot between Kochetkov’s pads with defenseman Brent Burns draped on his back.

Reimer made nine saves in the period, including a point-blank glove stop on Sebastian Aho from the slot.

Third Period

Jack Quinn stole the puck from Taylor Hall at the Carolina blue line to create an odd-man rush and set up Peterka’s goal 1:58 into the period.

Reimer made 11 saves in the period to complete his shutout.

PHOTO GALLERY

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

POSTGAME SOUND

UP NEXT

The Sabres open their final road trip of the season in Columbus against the Blue Jackets on Thursday. Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7.