Jeff Skinner scored four goals and had an assist in a 5-3 win for the visiting Buffalo Sabres over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
Tage Thompson also scored and Craig Anderson made 29 saves for the Sabres, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Mike Hoffman, Jeff Petry and Joel Armia scored for the Canadiens, who are 0-8-2 in their past 10 games and winless in three games under interim coach Martin St. Louis. Sam Montembeault, making his second start in as many days, made 27 saves.
Skinner put the Sabres ahead 1-0 at 3:41 of the first period, deflecting in Casey Fitzgerald’s point shot. Alex Tuch picked up an assist on the goal and had two more on the day, giving him 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 15 games with the Sabres.
Hoffman tied it 1-1 at 1:11 of the second period, one-timing a slap shot from the right circle past Anderson.
Skinner made it 2-1 Buffalo at 10:15. Skinner took a feed from defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and skated to the top of the left circle before beating Montembeault high stick side.
The Canadiens quickly responded, tying the game 58 seconds later. Jake Evans sent a pass to Petry at the blue line and the defenseman fired home his second of the season to make it 2-2 at 11:13.
Armia gave the home side their first lead of the afternoon at 16:09 of the middle frame. Ryan Poehling, behind the net, sent a between-the-legs backhand pass to Armia in front for the 3-2 lead.
Thompson tied it 3-3 on the power play at 18:24. Skinner intercepted a Montreal clearing attempt and dished over to Peyton Krebs in the right circle, who quickly fed Thompson at the bottom of the left circle.
Skinner completed the hat trick on a delayed penalty at 8:16 of the third period to make it 4-3 Sabres when the puck went in off his skate as he broke in with Petry on his back. He scooped up a loose puck in front of Montreal’s goal and scored his fourth of the game and 20th of the season to make it 5-3 at 18:14.
–Field Level Media
