Hurricanes Defeat Sabres 5-2 at Home

The Carolina Hurricanes returned to form with a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on 'Whaler's Night' at Lenovo Center, marking only their second win in seven games. The Canes dominated the first period, building a 3-0 lead with goals from Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho, and Mikko Rantanen, who contributed a goal and an assist. Taylor Hall also scored his first goal as a Hurricane, while Seth Jarvis capped the scoring with an empty-netter. Jesperi Kotkaniemi set the tone early by fighting Dylan Cozens at the opening faceoff, energizing the home crowd. The Sabres struggled defensively, with starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen pulled after allowing two goals, while James Reimer made 27 saves in relief. Despite a brief comeback attempt by the Sabres in the third period, the Hurricanes maintained control throughout the game.