Okposo scores 3 times as Sabres beat Red Wings 6-3
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Kyle Okposo scored three times, Casey Mittelstadt had two goals and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-3 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory.
Jeff Skinner also scored for Buffalo, and Owen Power, Zemgus Girgensons and JJ Peterka each had two assists. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 28 saves and won his third straight start.
The Sabres had not practiced for a week. The Buffalo-area is recovering from a blizzard that killed at least 40 people.
BUFFALO, NY - DECEMBER 29: Jeff Skinner #53 of the Buffalo Sabres celebrates his second period goal against Magnus Hellberg #45 of the Detroit Red Wings during an NHL game on December 29, 2022 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joe Hry
Dominik Kubalik scored two goals for Detroit, which lost for the seventh time in nine games. Jordan Oesterle also scored, and Magnus Hellberg made 29 stops.
Buffalo grabbed control with four goals in the second period, opening a 5-0 lead. Okposo had two of the goals, beating Hellberg at 11:21 and 14:02.
Okposo sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 3:38 left, No. 6 on the season. It was the captain's first hat trick since Feb. 7, 2016, when he played for the New York Islanders.
Mittelstadt put Buffalo ahead to stay with 4:28 left in the first. He tapped the puck past Hellberg after a slap shot from Peterka went off the skate of Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman and right to Mittelstadt.
Skinner made it 2-0 when he intercepted a pass from Filip Hronek and snapped in a shot for his 17th goal.
Kubalik got his goals 1:48 apart in the third period, the latter on the power play at 4:23. Oesterle cut the Sabres' lead to 5-3 at 7:11.
UP NEXT
Red Wings: Host Ottawa on Saturday night.
Sabres: At Boston on Saturday.