Kulich scores twice, Sabres edge Predators

BUFFALO -- Jiri Kulich scored the go-ahead goal, his second of the game, at 17:56 of the third period to give the Buffalo Sabres a 4-3 win against the Nashville Predators at KeyBank Center on Friday.

Tage Thompson spotted Kulich in the left circle for a cross-ice pass off the rush, and Kulich beat Justus Annunen short side.

“It’s pretty special, a special day,” Kulich said. “My parents are here for the first time (from Czechia), so I hope they enjoyed the game.”

Rasmus Dahlin had two assists, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 28 saves for the Sabres (20-26-5), who have won two in a row.

“That’s what it takes,” said Dahlin, who will represent Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off, to be held in Montreal and Boston from Feb. 12-20. “I mean, if you’re down one goal or whatever coming into the third, it doesn’t matter. The game is 60 minutes. That’s what we did today.

“We’ve got to continue to build on this. We’re playing good now with puck control. It wasn’t pretty for 60, but we found a way, and that’s what it takes in this League.”

Brady Skjei had a goal and an assist for the Predators (18-25-7), who have lost three straight. Annunen made 23 saves.

“It’s frustrating, to say the least,” Skjei said. “We had moments in that game where we were playing really well. Didn’t come out probably how we wanted but fought back into it and then started playing really well in the second period and glimpses of the third. Just giving up plays. Definitely frustrating.”

Ryan McLeod gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 2:25 of the first period. Jack Quinn’s point shot deflected off Dahlin and McLeod in front before trickling by Annunen.

Kulich took a stretch pass from Dahlin at the blue line to the right circle and sent a wrist shot bar down far side to make it 2-0 at 8:41.

“[His parents] should be proud of the way he played,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “He played a heck of a game. I thought he out-legged them a couple of times. His play in his own end for a young centerman was really good.”

Luke Evangelista cut it to 2-1 at 10:56 when his tip of Justin Barron’s point shot went off the right post and in.

Skjei’s point shot deflected off Sabres forward Alex Tuch and fluttered over Luukkonen to tie it 2-2 at 17:06.

Tommy Novak tipped Skjei’s shot from the high slot past Luukkonen’s glove to put the Predators in front 3-2 at 2:51 of the second period.

“I don’t think we got too down on ourselves too much,” Tuch said. “Even when they got the lead, I thought we had a lot of positivity on the bench. I think we didn’t give them too much momentum. I thought we weathered the storm in the second there for a bit and we were able to capitalize and tie it up late in the second period, and that gave us some momentum going into the third and then I thought we played a really good, solid third period.”

Jason Zucker tied it 3-3 at 12:26 when he redirected a pass from Tuch off a give-and-go stick side from the front of the net.

The Predators had a chance to regain the lead early in the third with a four-minute power play but managed only one shot on goal in 3:21 with the man advantage before negating the remainder with their own penalty.

“Kind of threw away the game,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “Made classic mistakes at the wrong time and gave them free offense, free goals. I thought lots of the game, especially through the second, I thought we owned the game and lost momentum on the power play. Weren’t that great in the third and made some mistakes.”

NOTES: Ryan O'Reilly assisted on Evangelista’s goal for his 800th NHL point. He’s the third player from the 2009 NHL Draft to reach the milestone, after John Tavares and Matt Duchene. … Predators goalie Juuse Saros did not dress because of illness and is day to day. …. Dahlin’s two assists gave him 257 in his NHL career, moving him past Mike Ramsey for second most by a defenseman in Sabres history. … Dahlin reached the 30-assist mark for the sixth time to pass Doug Bodger for second most by a defenseman in Buffalo history. … Before the game, the Sabres honored former forward and current TV broadcaster Rob Ray with a ceremony for his induction into the team’s Hall of Fame.