Buffalo Sabres at Vancouver Canucks
· National Hockey LeagueKulich puts up three points, Buffalo Sabres come back to top Vancouver Canucks 3-2
JJ Peterka also scored and had an assist for the Sabres, while Tage Thompson scored his team-leading 21st of the season. Rasmus Dahlin registered two assists.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 32 shots for a Buffalo side that was coming off a 6-4 loss to the Kraken in Seattle on Monday.
Elias Pettersson and Phillip Di Giuseppe — with his first of the season — scored for the Canucks, and Thatcher Demko made 23 saves.
Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers served the first game of the three-game suspension he was handed for cross-checking Oilers blueliner Evan Bouchard in the face late in Vancouver’s 3-2 win on Saturday.
Sabres: Veteran winger Jason Zucker was sidelined by illness after contributing a goal and an assist in Seattle on Monday. Buffalo opted to go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen in Vancouver.
Series tied 1-1
Scoring Summary
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Goal | 1st Period 17:34 | Tage Thompson Goal (21) Wrist Shot, assists: Jiri Kulich (3) |
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Goal | 2nd Period 3:05 | Phillip Di Giuseppe Goal (1) Backhand, assists: Carson Soucy (6), J.T. Miller (24) |
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Goal | 2nd Period 10:29 | Elias Pettersson Goal (11) Wrist Shot, assists: Quinn Hughes (39), Brock Boeser (14) |
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Goal | 3rd Period 8:42 | Jiri Kulich Goal (8) Tip-In, assists: JJ Peterka (23), Rasmus Dahlin (27) |
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Goal | 3rd Period 13:33 | JJ Peterka Goal (11) Slap Shot, assists: Rasmus Dahlin (28), Jiri Kulich (4) |
Statistics
BUF |
VAN |
|
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Blocked Shots | 12 |
| 19 | Hits | 15 |
| 3 | Takeaways | 3 |
| 26 | Shots | 34 |
| 0 | Power Play Goals | 0 |
| 2 | Power Play Opportunities | 1 |
| 0.0 | Power Play Percentage | 0.0 |
| 0 | Short Handed Goals | 0 |
| 0 | Shootout Goals | 0 |
| 25 | Faceoffs Won | 25 |
| 50.0 | Faceoff Win Percent | 50.0 |
| 22 | Giveaways | 12 |
| 1 | Total Penalties | 2 |
| 2 | Penalty Minutes | 4 |
Vancouver Canucks Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Elias Pettersson, C | Out | Dec 13 |
| Marco Rossi, C | Injured Reserve | Dec 12 |
| Teddy Blueger, C | Injured Reserve | Dec 8 |
| Filip Chytil, C | Injured Reserve | Dec 6 |
| Derek Forbort, D | Injured Reserve | Oct 28 |
Buffalo Sabres Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Tuch, RW | Day-To-Day | Dec 12 |
| Josh Norris, C | Day-To-Day | Dec 12 |
| Colten Ellis, G | Injured Reserve | Dec 11 |
| Jason Zucker, LW | Injured Reserve | Dec 9 |
Game Information
Rogers Arena
Location: Vancouver, BC
Attendance: 19,064 | Capacity:
Location: Vancouver, BC
Attendance: 19,064 | Capacity:
2025-26 Atlantic Division Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PTS | OTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tampa Bay |
18 | 11 | 39 | 3 |
Detroit |
18 | 12 | 39 | 3 |
Boston |
19 | 13 | 38 | 0 |
Montreal |
16 | 11 | 36 | 4 |
Florida |
16 | 13 | 34 | 2 |
Toronto |
14 | 12 | 33 | 5 |
Ottawa |
14 | 13 | 32 | 4 |
Buffalo |
13 | 14 | 30 | 4 |
2025-26 Pacific Division Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PTS | OTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Vegas |
16 | 6 | 41 | 9 |
Anaheim |
19 | 12 | 39 | 1 |
Los Angeles |
14 | 8 | 37 | 9 |
Edmonton |
15 | 11 | 36 | 6 |
San Jose |
16 | 14 | 35 | 3 |
Seattle |
12 | 11 | 30 | 6 |
Calgary |
13 | 16 | 30 | 4 |
Vancouver |
11 | 17 | 25 | 3 |




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