Sabres score 6 in 3rd period, blank Kings

BUFFALO --The Buffalo Sabres scored six goals in the third period, and Craig Anderson made 40 saves in a 6-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.

Tage Thompson scored twice and had an assist, Alex Tuch and Victor Olofsson each had a goal and an assist, and Dylan Cozens had three assists for the Sabres (13-14-2), who are 4-2-2 in their past eight games.
"It took us a little bit to get to our game," Thompson said. "I think we tried to force a little bit too much offense. … But, obviously, [Anderson] stands on his head, keeps us in the game for a while there, and then we find our game, and from there, we start rolling. I think that doesn't happen if 'Andy's' not standing on his head."
Anderson made 16 saves in the first period and 14 in the second for his first NHL shutout since March 26, 2019, when he made 35 saves against the Sabres as a member of the Ottawa Senators.
"I think it's a great accomplishment as far as obviously, I get the individual credit for it, but it doesn't go without the team in front of you doing the job that they're supposed to do," Anderson said. "I think kudos to the guys for paying the price tonight and doing the little things right, paying attention to details. The shutout's just the result of us paying attention to the details."

Pheonix Copley made 25 saves for the Kings (15-12-5), who are 2-2-1 to start a six-game road trip that included a 5-0 loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 8.
"We didn't have it in the third," Los Angeles coach Todd McLellan said. "We gave up six goals in the third period; [four] of them came after the 10-minute mark. That'll tell you enough."

Thompson gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 1:21. Cozens won a face-off in the left circle to Thompson in the high slot, and he scored bar down on a 5-on-3.
Olofsson extended it to 2-0 at 9:56 on a one-timer from the left circle.
"The second goal was a chip in, simple, puck behind the opponent's net," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "Right away, [Rasmus] Asplund jumps in, change sides behind the net, Victor Olofsson's open. And so, we pushed depth, we changed sides, which causes coverage change, find a pocket, and that was a very, very big goal in how it happened. That was something we weren't willing to do enough early on. And then obviously, that opened up the game."
JJ Peterka scored 13 seconds later at 10:09 to push it to 3-0 when he finished at the right post after receiving a give-and-go pass from Jack Quinn.
The Kings have allowed consecutive goals in under 30 seconds in two of its past four games, including 26 seconds apart against the Maple Leafs. They also allowed two goals in 1:31 in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
"I don't know if I can pinpoint anything," Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar said. "Bottom line is, we've got to figure it out and not allow that to happen."

Tuch spun around in the slot and scored on a power play to extend it to 4-0 at 14:31, and Thompson made it 5-0 with a one-timer from the left circle at 16:27 for Buffalo's third power-play goal of the game.
"We took six penalties in the last half of the game, a lot of them in succession, only one in our zone," McLellan said. "So, that tells you enough about our game."
Peyton Krebs tapped in a pass from Olofsson atop the crease at 18:33 for the 6-0 final.
Anderson made 40 or more saves in a shutout for the first time since Feb. 12, 2013, when he made 42 with the Senators against the Sabres.
"It's incredible," Thompson said of Anderson. "And especially at goalie, I mean, I think it's such a taxing position on your body, and for him to be in the League this long and still be this successful is just a testament to obviously how good he is and how much work he's put in over the years."
NOTES: It was Anderson's 43rd NHL shutout. ... The Sabres scored six goals in the third period for the fifth time in franchise history. … Kings defenseman Drew Doughty had five shots on goal, one hit and three blocked shots in 25:47 of ice time after missing one game with a lower-body injury. … Thompson has 44 points (23 goals, 21 assists), the third-most through 29 games in Sabres history. Only Pat Lafontaine (52 points in 1992-93) and Gilbert Perreault (48 points in 1974-75) have more. … Cozens has four multiassist games in his past six games. … The Kings were without forward Viktor Arvidsson, who returned to Los Angeles to await the birth of his second child.