BUFFALO, N.Y. — The next time the Buffalo Sabres take the ice at KeyBank Center, it will be the regular season opener on Oct. 13 against the Ottawa Senators.
The Sabres beat the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2, Tuesday night.
The Sabres are coming off of another losing season at 32-39-11, an 11th straight without making the playoffs, but are looking ready to improve after the majority of their starting lineup played in the fifth of six preseason games Tuesday night against a large helping of the Hurricanes’ reserves.
But Buffalo played with speed and came out to a fast start. Just over 7 minutes to go in the first period, Vinnie Hinostroza opened up the scoring on a breakaway, with Jeff Skinner setting him up for a 1-0 Sabres lead.
Four minutes late, Tage Thompson came out of the penalty box off of a Carolina powerplay, blew by a defender, and beat Pytor Kochetkov, and the Sabres led it 2-0.
Thompson also dropped the gloves late in the period. With an assist on Hinostroza’s goal, Thompson had a Gordie Howe hat trick with a goal, assist, and a fight, all in the first period.
Dylan Cozens added on to it with a shorthanded breakaway goal for a 3-0 Sabres lead after a period.
The Sabres outshot the Hurricanes, 14-7 in the first but the shots were knotted 5-5 in the second with no goals.
Carolina came out of the gate hot in the third with two goals against Craig Anderson in the first three minutes of the period, within 19 seconds of each other, but Buffalo held on to win.
The Sabres wrap up the preseason Friday night on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
