Buffalo Sabres Dominate Islanders 5-0 as Alex Lyon Ties Franchise Record with Ninth Straight Win

New York — Jason Tucker scored twice, and goaltender Alex Lyon stopped 26 shots to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday, tying a franchise record with nine consecutive wins.

Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Alex Tuch also scored as Buffalo improved to 18-3-1 in its last 22 games. Ryan McLeod and Mattias Samuelsson each recorded two assists, contributing to the Sabres’ third straight victory and fifth win in seven games.

Lyon, who joined Buffalo in July after two seasons with Detroit, earned his sixth career shutout and matched Gerry Desjardins’ 1976-77 record for consecutive wins. His performance highlights Buffalo’s growing stability in net and strengthens their push for a top playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

David Rittich made 16 saves for the Islanders, who returned home after a seven-game road trip with a 3-3-1 record. Rittich, starting for the first time since January 17, fell to 11-7-3 this season. Bo Horvat also returned to the Islanders’ lineup after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

The scoring began 33 seconds into the second period when Zucker converted a wrist shot rebound from Jack Quinn. Thompson extended the lead to two with 13 seconds remaining in the period. Zucker added his second goal 25 seconds into the third, followed by Dahlin scoring into an empty net at 14:02. Tuch completed the scoring shortly afterward by tipping a Samuelsson shot past Rittich.

Buffalo’s dominating performance showcased offensive depth and disciplined defense, while Lyon’s record-tying streak underscores the team’s confidence in goal. The win maintains Buffalo’s momentum as they prepare for a Tuesday matchup at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Islanders will look to rebound against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.

This victory reinforces Buffalo’s status as one of the NHL’s most in-form teams and signals potential for continued success as the season progresses, particularly with Lyon providing elite goaltending and the roster firing on all cylinders.