Sharks burned by familiar foe in loss to Buffalo Sabres

NHL: San Jose Sharks begin seven-game homestand with loss to Jeff Skinner and the Buffalo Sabres.

SAN JOSE — Jeff Skinner scored the game-winning goal, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 on Saturday night.

Sabres forward Dylan Cozens extended his goal streak to three. Alex Tuch and Owen Power also scored for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 33 saves for his 14th win of the season.

Evgeny Svechnikov and Alexander Barabanov scored for San Jose, while Kaapo Kahkonen made 27 saves for his 12th loss of the year as the Sharks fell to 5-14-7 on home ice this season.

Skinner received a pass from Tage Thompson midway through the third period for his 21st goal of the year. He now has 12 goals in 20 career games against the Sharks.

At 3:01 of the first period, Cozens went coast to coast and beat Kahkonen through the legs for his 20th goal of the season.

Svechnikov deflected a shot late in the first for his sixth of the season and to tie the game at one.

Just like Cozens’s goal, Power was able to beat the Sharks netminder with a shot that went five-hole for his fourth goal of the season.

The Sharks dominated play throughout the second, outshooting the Sabres 9-2 halfway through the period. At 8:02 of the second, Erik Karlsson took a shot that rebounded off the backboards right to Barabanov to slide home.

Early in the third, Sabres forward Peyton Krebs was awarded a penalty shot but was stopped.

Tuch scored his 26th goal into an empty net to ice the game in the third.

UP NEXT

Sabres: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

Sharks: Host the Seattle Kraken on Monday.