Jakob Chychrun, Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (39-29-9), who have won four of five. Alex Ovechkin and Pierre-Luc Dubois each had two assists.

Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (46-23-8), who are 2-3-2 in their past seven. 

Alex Lyon allowed three goals on five shots before he was replaced at 5:52 of the first period by Colten Ellis, who made 20 saves in relief.

Despite the loss, Buffalo qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011 when the Detroit Red Wings lost 4-1 at the New York Rangers earlier in the day, ending the longest drought in NHL history.

The Capitals scored three goals in a 2:37 span in the opening period.

Chychrun put Washington up 1-0 at 3:15, pouncing on the rebound of an Ovechkin shot in the left face-off circle and snapping the puck past a screened Lyon to the blocker side. 

Strome made it 2-0 just 20 seconds later at 3:35. Ovechkin sent a backhand pass to the front of the net and Protas fed the puck across the crease to Strome, who tapped it into an open net. 

McMichael extended the lead to 3-0 at 5:52. Chychrun’s initial wrist shot from the high slot bounced off the end boards in front to McMichael, who buried a snap shot at the right post to chase Lyon from the game.

Dahlin cut the deficit to 3-1 just 38 seconds later at 6:30 with a wrist shot from the slot over Thompson’s blocker.

Beck Malenstyn brought the Sabres to within 3-2 at 12:15. Dahlin’s shot from the right point deflected off Jordan Greenway in front, and Malenstyn gathered the puck and lifted it over the glove of a sprawling Thompson.

Protas made it 4-2 while the teams skated 4-on-4 with a snap shot under Ellis’ blocker from the right circle at 6:06 of the second period.

Ryan Leonard pushed the lead to 5-2 at 6:26 of the third period, taking a drop pass from Cole Hutson, then burying a wrist shot from just outside the left circle to the blocker side.

Tom Wilson scored a short-handed goal at 8:55 for a 6-2 advantage when he took a pass from McMichael as he drove the net and slid the puck under the right pad of Ellis after a forehand-backhand deke.