Dylan Guenther Buffalo Sabres Utah Hockey Club James Reimer Karel Vejmelka Logan Cooley Mikhail Sergachev Utah Athlete injuries NHL Ryan McLeod Sports J-J Peterka Beck Malenstyn NHL hockey
# Dylan Guenther puts Utah ahead to stay in 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres

March 21st, 2025 04:13 AM

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Dylan Guenther scored on a rebound with 5:47 to play to put the Utah Hockey Club ahead to stay in a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

Guenther's team-leading 25th goal of the season gave Utah a 3-2 lead before the team added a pair of empty-netters.

Mikhail Sergachev had two goals, including one of the empty-netters, and Logan Cooley also scored a goal. Karel Vejmelka stopped 25 shots.

JJ Peterka scored a goal for the Sabres in his return to the lineup after missing three games with a lower-body injury. His power-play goal came with 11 seconds left in the first period.

Ryan McLeod also scored a short-handed goal for Buffalo and James Reimer had 27 saves.

## Takeaways

Buffalo: The Sabres are in last place in the Eastern Conference but had won three of their previous four before Thursday's loss.

Utah: The Utah Hockey Club earned a critical two points in its quest for a playoff spot. The team is in 11th place in the Western Conference with 73 points, four points behind eighth-place St. Louis, which beat Vancouver 4-3 in overtime on Thursday night.

## Key moment

Beck Malenstyn's goal 11 seconds into the second period that would have given Buffalo a 2-1 lead was disallowed after a video review for goaltender interference.

## Key stat

McLeod has seven points (two goals, five assists) in his last seven games, including one point in each of his last five contests. His current five-game point streak is tied for the longest of his career (Oct. 12 to 22, 2024).

## Up next

On Saturday, the Sabres remain on the road at the Minnesota Wild while Utah plays host to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl