With trade speculation swirling about Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens, 20-year-old Jiri Kulich impressed coach Lindy Ruff on the first line.

The Buffalo Sabres haven't clinched a playoff berth since 2011-12. Their ongoing struggle to rise out of the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings

FINAL | Sabres 4 - Hurricanes 2 Lindy Ruff addresses the media Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen addresses the media Dylan Cozens addresses the media Ryan McLeod addresses the media The Sabres conclude their three-game homestand Friday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tickets are available here.

(AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens (24) celebrates with right wing Alex Tuch, left, and right wing JJ Peterka (77) after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Buffalo, N.Y ...

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff swapped Ryan McLeod and Dylan Cozens atop the lineup during the win over the Hurricanes, a move that paid immediate dividends with both players scoring goals on their new lines.

Ryan McLeod scored his first-career hat trick and the Buffalo Sabres held on for 4-2 win against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. Dylan Cozens also scored for the Sabres, who have won three of four. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 35 saves.

In their last six road games, the surging Montreal Canadiens have remarkably beaten five of the last six Stanley Cup champions (Florida, Tampa Bay, Vegas, Colorado, Washington) − and somehow

Kaapo Kakko scored twice in the third period, Joey Daccord made 33 saves and the Seattle Kraken overcame an early two-goal deficit to beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 on Saturday.

On Monday the Buffalo Sabres started their four-game road trip with a very sub-par effort in Seattle losing to the Kraken 6-4. On Tuesday the venue changes to Vancouver to play a Canucks team that beat Buffalo in overtime in late November.

The Buffalo Sabres started their four-game Western Conference road trip on Monday with a very sub-par effort in Seattle against the Kraken. The venue changes Tuesday, as Buffalo will face the Vancouver Canucks.

Tuch entered Monday's play with 14 goals and 19 assists in 45 games – and holding a team-best rating of plus-15. HE had three short-handed goals, no power-play goals and scored just once over an 11-game stretch during the club's 13-game winless streak.

Jared McCann had a goal and two assists while John Hayden, Chandler Stephenson, Matty Beniers, Jamie Oleksiak and Adam Larsson also scored for Seattle. Ryker Evans tallied a pair of assists, and goalie Joey Daccord stopped 25 of 29 shots. The Sabres went 1-for-3 on the power play and killed one of two shorthanded situations.