At the Horn | Kraken 6 - Sabres 2

After building an early 2-0 lead, the Buffalo Sabres saw the Seattle Kraken storm back for a 6-2 win Saturday at KeyBank Center.

The Sabres dominated the opening frame, but the Kraken flipped the score with five goals in a 13-minute span between the second and third periods.

Buffalo’s goals came from Sam Lafferty, his second of the season, and Jack Quinn, his third in the last two games. JJ Peterka tallied a pair of secondary assists.

Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 24 saves on 29 shots.

Kaapo Kakko scored two goals for the Kraken. Ryker Evans, Andre Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand also scored, and Branden Tanev added a late empty netter. Joshua Mahura and Jared McCann both recorded two primary assists and goalie Joey Daccord stopped 33 of 35 shots.

The Sabres went 1-for-5 on the power play and killed off three of four shorthanded situations.

Here’s more from the loss.

First Period

Lafferty opened the scoring 2:37 into the game. On the rush, his shot from the top of the right circle deflected off defenseman Vince Dunn’s stick and through Daccord. It marked Lafferty’s second goal of the season and first since Nov. 7.

Ryan McLeod was penalized for tripping at 9:47 but the Sabres killed it off. He then drew a high-sticking call at 16:29.

Buffalo capitalized on the power play at 17:16 as Quinn fired home a one timer from the bottom of the left circle. Rasmus Dahlin earned the primary assist, teasing a shot attempt from up high before pivoting and passing to Quinn.

Shortly after, Dennis Gilbert was hit into the boards by Bjorkstrand and fought the Seattle forward in response. Gilbert received an additional roughing minor, though, sending the Kraken to their second power play – that man advantage was cut short by a Kakko holding-the-stick penalty in the final minute.

The lopsided period saw Buffalo take a 2-0 lead and hold a 29-2 edge in 5-on-5 shot attempts.

Second Period

Jacob Bryson went to the box for tripping 2:36 into the period, but Luukkonen made a couple saves in another successful Sabres penalty kill.

Five minutes in, a Dahlin hit on Brandon Montour led to a lengthy scrum at Seattle’s blue line. Dahlin got two minutes for roughing while Tye Kartye got four, sending Buffalo to the man advantage; the Sabres didn’t score, and Owen Power’s stick work helped disrupt a shorthanded breakaway chance for Tanev.

Twelve minutes into the period, an extended offensive-zone shift for Buffalo resulted in Peterka hitting the post with a one timer.

Then, at 12:48, Evans got Seattle on the board after a failed clearing attempt by the Sabres. The goal ended Luukkonen’s 102-minute stretch of shutout hockey, which dated back to the third period Monday versus Washington.

The Kraken tied it 2-2 at 19:12 as an uncovered Burakovsky deposited the rebound from Mahura’s point shot.

Seattle’s second-period surge included a 14-9 advantage in shots on goal and 14-8 in scoring chances, although both teams recorded 23 shot attempts.

Third Period

Buffalo couldn’t convert on a full two-minute power play to begin the third.

The Kraken took a 3-2 lead at 3:08, with Bjorkstrand’s shot bouncing around the crease, off Bryson and across the goal line.

And 38 seconds later, Kakko beat Luukkonen with a wrist shot to extend Seattle’s lead to 4-2.

Seattle went to the power play immediately after and Kakko scored again at 5:26 to make it a 5-2 game.

With Luukkonen pulled, Tanev scored an empty netter at 16:25.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

GAME PHOTOS

UP NEXT

The Sabres continue their three-game homestand Wednesday versus the Carolina Hurricanes. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. and tickets are available **here**.

The game will be nationally televised on TNT and truTV and streaming on Max.