Alex Tuch put on a show for the Buffalo Sabres, netting two goals and an assist in a thrilling 8-5 victory over the Washington Capitals. The high-scoring affair at Capital One Arena saw Buffalo take control with an offensive explosion, continuing their late-season surge with their sixth win in nine games. Tage Thompson also delivered a standout performance, scoring twice, while Jack Quinn chipped in with a goal and two assists. James Reimer held his own in net, making 24 saves to help the Sabres secure a statement win.
Despite the loss, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin provided another historic moment, inching closer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goal record. Ovechkin tallied his 890th career goal and added two assists, moving within five goals of the legendary milestone. However, Washington struggled to keep up defensively, conceding eight goals for just the second time this season. Logan Thompson had a rough night in goal, managing just 15 saves as the Capitals dropped their third straight game.
The game saw momentum swing back and forth early on, with Jakob Chychrun opening the scoring for Washington before Buffalo responded with back-to-back goals from Thompson and Ryan McLeod. Tuch gave the Sabres their first two-goal cushion in the second period, deflecting a point shot past Thompson. Buffalo extended its lead further with goals from Sam Lafferty and Thompson early in the third, but Washington battled back with tallies from Aliaksei Protas and Ovechkin to cut the deficit to 6-5.
Just as the Capitals threatened to complete their comeback, Tuch struck again, tipping in Mattias Samuelsson’s shot to restore Buffalo’s two-goal advantage. Peyton Krebs sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute, capping off a wild night in Washington. With their playoff hopes all but out of reach, the Sabres continue to play spoiler, while the Capitals will need to regroup quickly as they push toward the postseason. Ovechkin’s chase for history remains the biggest storyline in D.C., but on this night, it was Tuch and the Sabres who stole the show.