The Penguins headed into the Olympic break on a high note Thursday night when they visited the Buffalo Sabres, snapping a two-game skid with a gritty 5-2 victory. After a tough stretch that followed their six-game win streak, the Penguins turned to their youth to spark a comeback at KeyBank Center, led by a dream performance from Avery Hayes, who found the back of the net twice in his NHL debut. Ben Kindel was just as dangerous, also netting two goals to help Pittsburgh outpace a Sabres squad that got goals from both Tage Thompson and Jason Zucker, but ultimately fell to their second straight loss. For the Penguins, it’s a perfect momentum-builder as the league pauses for the Olympics, with them set to return to PPG Paints Arena on February 26th to host the New Jersey Devils, while Buffalo looks to bounce back in Newark on February 25th.

Pittsburgh Penguins Lineup:

Mantha – Crosby – Rust
Chinakhov – Novak – Malkin
Dewar – Kindel – Brazeau
McGroarty – K. Hayes – A. Hayes

Wotherspoon – Karlsson
Kulak – Shea
Solovyov – Clifton

Silovs
Skinner

Buffalo Sabres Lineup:

Krebs – Thompson – Tuch
Zucker – McLeod – Quinn
Doan – Ostlund – Helenius
Malenstyn – Kozak – Rosen

Samuelsson – Dahlin
Byram – Power
Bryson – Kesselring

Lyon
Ellis

Getting the Sabres on the board first, Jason Zucker gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead early in the opening frame at 18:14 with his 15th goal of the season. Egor Chinakhov lost the puck in the neutral zone when it was tapped away from him, and Ryan McLeod got the puck, passing it to Zucker at the blue line to the top of the left circle for a wrist shot that beat Arturs Silovs to the far side. Avery Hayes tied it 1-1 with his first NHL goal when he chased a loose puck with Jason Bryson, beating him to it for a short breakaway, and snapped it past Alex Lyon at 10:43. Later in the first period with 1:14 to go, Hayes gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead when Parker Wotherspoon kept the puck in Buffalo’s end and Anthony Mantha picked it up, sending a no-look pass between his legs from behind the net to Hayes low in the left circle, where he got it past Lyon glove side with a rising snap shot.

Ben Kindel extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 3-1, scoring his 13th of the season on a 2-on-1 with Justin Brazeau when he scored bar down from the left circle at 12:17 of the second period.

Tage Thompson cut it to 3-2 early in the third frame at 18:06, putting in his 30th goal of the season after taking a pass from Jack Quinn to lift a wrist shot short side from the goal line over Silovs’ right shoulder on a power play. With 4:28 to go, Tommy Novak put in the rebound of Chinakhov’s point shot past Lyon’s glove in front for his 11th goal of the season. Kindel picked up his second of the night, putting a short-handed goal in the empty Sabres net for the 5-2 final with 14 seconds left.

Avery Hayes on his NHL debut: “I honestly blacked out a bit, but it was a ton of fun. It was a great win for the team. …Right now, I can’t really put it into words. I’m just excited to see my family after. They were able to make the trip. I have no words right now, but it was a ton of fun.” – “I know it’s not that easy. It’s the hardest league in the world for a reason. I was just able to get a couple lucky bounces early. …I wasn’t really thinking. It was a great chip, great exit on the D-zone, and I was just able to get by him. I was lucky enough to put a low blocker in.”

Rutger McGroarty on Avery Hayes/assisting on Hayes’ first NHL goal: “I’m super excited for him, and honestly, it’s so well deserved. I mean, I’ve seen his grind for about a year and a half now. He’s an incredible hockey player… I’m so happy for him.”

Game Notes:

– Arturs Silovs made a total of 26 saves for Pittsburgh.

– Earlier in the day, Avery Hayes was recalled from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. …With his first NHL goal, Hayes is the first Penguins player since Kasper Bjorkqvist (Jan. 2, 2022) to score in his NHL debut. He also became the fifth Penguins player since 2000-01 to score within the first 10 minutes of his debut. The others are Jake Guentzel (1:02 on Nov. 21, 2016), Luca Caputi (2:30 on Feb. 3, 2009), Derrick Pouliot (6:56 on Dec. 20, 2014), and Tom Kostopoulos (7:32 on Dec. 29, 2001).

– After scoring his second goal in his debut, Hayes became the sixth player to score more than once in his debut since 2013-14. He joins Auston Matthews (4 on Oct. 12, 2016), Ryan Poehling (3 on April 6, 2019), Josh Doan (2 on March 26, 2024), Morgan Geekie (2 on March 8, 2020), and Jake Guentzel (2 on Nov. 21, 2016). …He’s also the seventh player to score both goals of his debut in the first period. He joins Harry Hyland (3 on Dec. 19, 1917), Jake Guentzel (2 on Nov. 21, 2016), Auston Matthews (2 on Oct. 12, 2016), Al Hill (2 on Feb. 14, 1977), Harry Cameron (2 on Dec. 19, 1917), and Joe Malone (2 on Dec. 19, 1917).

– The only other occurrence over the past 35 years for the Penguins where multiple rookies scored multiple goals in a game is Sidney Crosby and Michel Ouellet (Jan. 3, 2006). Avery Hayes (2-0–2) and Ben Kindel (2-0–2) represent the sixth instance.

– The Penguins are 29-15-12, lost two straight, but are 7-1-1 in their past nine games.

– Alex Lyon made a total of 27 saves for Buffalo.

– The Sabres are 32-19-6, and following a five-game winning streak, they’ve lost three of four.

– Jason Zucker opened the scoring, and for the Sabres (13-0-0), they have yet to lose when scoring first at home. The only other teams that have yet to lose scoring first on home ice this season are both the Colorado Avalanche (16-0-0) and the Anaheim Ducks (12-0-0).

– Recording his fourth 30-goal season with Buffalo, Tage Thompson (30-29–59) is tied with Alexander Mogilny, Rene Robert, and Thomas Vanek for the fifth most in franchise history. …He’s also the ninth player to score 30 goals this season. 2005-06 (10) is the only other season to feature as many 30-goal scorers entering an Olympic break.

– Rasmus Dahlin extended his assist streak to six games, which ties for the longest of his career (also 6 GP in 2024-25 and 2023-24). In franchise history, the longest assist streak is held by Phil Housley (8 GP in 1989-90 and 1984-85).

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