Dylan Strome and Alex Tuch scored twice apiece as Washington outshot Buffalo 34-21 to earn a one-goal win.
Washington turned a 34-21 shot advantage into a 4-3 win over Buffalo, with Dylan Strome and Alex Tuch supplying all four Capitals goals. Strome finished with two goals, an assist and three points, while Tuch added two goals. Jack Quinn scored for the Sabres, who stayed within one in a game neither side broke open. Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 30 saves on 34 shots (.882 save percentage), while Washington’s Charlie Lindgren stopped 18 of 21 (.857). Neither team scored a power-play goal. Washington also led 26-15 in hits and 21-9 in blocked shots. Buffalo committed 23 giveaways to Washington’s 15, a costly possession gap in a one-goal result.
Key Performers
Dylan Strome, Washington: 2 G, 1 A, 3 P, 5 shots, +3, 0 PPG, 0 hits. Alex Tuch, Washington: 2 G, 0 A, 2 P, 3 shots, +1, 0 PPG, 2 hits. Goalies: Charlie Lindgren—18 saves/21 shots, .857; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen—30/34, .882.
Standings Impact
Washington and Buffalo entered tied at 10 points; the Capitals’ win puts them ahead in the standings. Buffalo’s two-game losing streak extends to three.
DYMA Insight
The Capitals backed up their higher power-index position—18th at 62.2, compared with Buffalo’s 26th at 48.2—with a 13-shot edge. Washington’s 21-9 advantage in blocks and Buffalo’s 23 giveaways point to the possession battle behind the narrow result.