The Sabres survived despite becoming the first team in NHL shot tracking history (to 1965) to score a goal in a 20-minute period without a shot on goal.

Watch as Sabres forward Ryan McLeod attempts to put the puck into the Hurricanes' empty net before having his stick slashed by Brent Burns, resulting in an empty net goal being automatically awarded instead of a penalty shot for his first hat trick. The Buffalo Sabres will take wins any way they can get them.

Burns notched two assists and eight shots on goal in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Sabres. Burns has racked up five helpers and a plus-4 rating over his last five contests. The defenseman helped out on third-period tallies by Jaccob Slavin and Martin Necas as the Hurricanes attempted to make a comeback that ultimately fell short.

The Sabres have given up 145 total goals (3.4 per game), ranking 27th in league action in goals against. With a goal differential of -15, the team is 23rd in the league. The Sabres have not shut ...

Ryan McLeod scored two goals and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Wednesday night. Dylan Cozens and Tage Thompson also scored and Jason Zucker had two assists for the Sabres, who won for the third time in four games.

The Sabres got a fourth goal in the third period to ice the game — despite not recording a shot on net in the entire period, an NHL first.

Ryan McLeod scored two goals and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Wednesday night. Dylan Cozens and Tage Thompson also scored and Jason Zucker had two assists for the Sabres, who won for the third time in four games.

The Carolina Hurricanes couldn't mount a comeback against the Buffalo Sabres as a Ryan McLeod hat trick was the difference in a 4-2 loss.

BUFFALO -- Ryan McLeod got his first NHL hat trick in a 4-2 win for the Buffalo Sabres against the Carolina Hurricanes at KeyBank Center on Wednesday. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 34 saves and Dylan Cozens scored for the Sabres (17-22-5), who are 6-3-1 since a 13-game losing streak (0-10-3).

Neither I nor the Sabres attempted a shot on goal during the third period of Buffalo’s game against the Hurricanes Wednesday night. We’re so alike in many respects. However, despite going shotless over the 20 minutes,

The Hurricanes continue to dazzle from an analytical standpoint, even if the results haven't been there on the scoreboard lately. However, the Sabres will give Carolina a great chance to grab a W on Wednesday night.

McLeod’s hat-trick goal with 24 seconds remaining put the finishing touches on a bend-but-don’t-break performance by the Sabres, who were coming off a loss to Seattle in their most recent game in which goals against compounded into a blown lead.