Saturday, December 22, 2018 07:00 PM (ET)

Sabres blank Ducks 3-0 to end two-game skid

Field Level Media
Dec 22, 2018

Linus Ullmark made 40 saves for his second NHL shutout and the Buffalo Sabres defeated the visiting Anaheim Ducks 3-0 on Saturday night.

Rasmus Dahlin, Jeff Skinner and Conor Sheary scored for the Sabres, who ended a two-game losing streak and swept the season series against the Ducks for the first time since the 2011-2012 season.

Jack Eichel had two assists to give him 18 multipoint games this season, moving into a tie for the league lead with Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.

John Gibson made 30 saves for Anaheim, which has combined for two goals during its three-game losing streak.

Dahlin ended an 0-for-9 stretch for Buffalo on the power play at 16:51 of the first period. It was the third goal allowed by the Ducks in five penalty-kill situations dating back to their 3-1 loss at the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

The Sabres were on their second power play of the opening period after Carter Rowney was called for slashing Lawrence Pilut. Eichel beat Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano to a loose puck in the corner with about 25 seconds left on the power play and passed it back to Rasmus Ristolainen at the left point.

Ristolainen skated into the middle before sliding to the puck to Dahlin above the right circle. He skated almost to the dot before sending a wrist shot over the glove of Gibson with 18 seconds left on the power play.

Skinner made it 2-0 at 11:12 of the third period, driving through the right circle and lifting a backhand shot into the top of the net from in close.

Ullmark improved to 8-1-3 in his 13th start of the season and 17th over the past three. His other NHL shutout came in his first start of this season, a 3-0 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 13.

Ullmark was starting because Carter Hutton was in net in a 2-1 loss at the Washington Capitals on Friday night. The Sabres improved to 5-1-2 in the second game of back-to-backs this season.

--Field Level Media

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