BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Kirill Marchenko scored three consecutive goals, including a nifty shot through his legs, for a natural hat trick, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the spiraling Buffalo Sabres 9-4 on Tuesday night.
Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and two assists, and Sean Kuraly, Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson had a goal and assist apiece. Erik Gudbranson also scored in an outing the Blue Jackets broke open by scoring seven consecutive times over a 21:52 stretch spanning the first and second periods.
Daniil Tarasov stopped 25 shots in bouncing back from a 6-3 loss to New Jersey in his season debut on Saturday.
For Buffalo, Rasmus Dahlin opened the scoring 30 seconds in, and captain Kyle Okposo ended the Blue Jackets’ seven-goal surge by scoring with 66 seconds left in the second period. Casey Mittelstadt had three assists, and Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens also scored for Buffalo.
The nine goals against were the most allowed by Buffalo since a 10-4 loss to Dallas in March, and marked yet another low for a Sabres team already in jeopardy of extending its NHL-record playoff drought to a 13th season. Questions are also being raised over the status of Buffalo’s third-year coach Don Granato.
The Sabres are 3-7-1 in their past 11, and have won consecutive games just once this season.
Much more was expected from a team that fell two points short of making the playoffs last season, and after general manager Kevyn Adams opened training camp in September by declaring the window of contention as being open.
Columbus was so dominant, it scored three times on consecutive shots over a 75-second in building a 6-1 lead before the game was half over.
Marchenko’s second goal on a shot from the top of the left circle led to the Sabres yanking Levi, who allowed four goals on 18 shots 7:37 into the second period. Marchenko completed his second career hat trick 18 seconds later by snapping a shot that glanced in off the bottom of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s glove. And Gudbranson scored next by beating Luukkonen with a rising shot from the top of the right circle.
Luukkonen finished allowing five goals on 16 shots. Devon Levi replaced him in the second period and gave up four goals on 18 shots.
The Blue Jackets closed the first period by scoring three times over the final 9:35, with Marchenko’s first goal being the highlight. The 23-year-old accepted Gaudreau’s pass to the left of the net and in one fluid motion slipped the puck through his legs and flipped it in for a power-play goal with 12 seconds left.
Sabres forward Jack Quinn made his season debut after having surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon in June.
UP NEXT
Blue Jackets: Host the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.
Sabres: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
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