BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Alex Tuch had his fourth career hat trick to push his season goals total to 22, leading the surging Buffalo Sabres to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.
Alex Lyon made a season-high 37 saves for his 10th consecutive victory to break the franchise record set by Gerry Desjardins in December 1976.
Tuch reached the 20-goal mark for the fourth straight season and fifth overall. Mattias Samuelsson also scored to help the Sabres win for the 20th time in 24 games.
Adrian Kempe scored for Los Angeles, and Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves. The Kings had won three straight and earned points in a six in a row.
Tuch opened the scoring on a power play with a shot that went off Cody Ceci's skate and past Kuemper at 7:14 of the first period. Samuelsson made it 2-0 with 8:43 left in the period.
Tuch's second of the game made it 3-0. He deflected Bowen Byram's shot at 6:29 of the second.
Kempe cut it to 3-1 with a power play goal 1:18 later.
Tuch added an empty-net goal with a minute left in the third.
Up next
Kings: At Philadelphia on Saturday.
Sabres: Host Montreal on Saturday night.
