The Buffalo Sabres fourth goal on Thursday kept getting changed between Tage Thompson and Ryan McLeod. It was the next day when I could actually sit down and talk to McLeod about getting his first NHL hat trick.

Zucker’s net-front residence has yielded offense at both 5-on-5 and on a resurgent Buffalo power play. Since Dec. 21, with Zucker a regular on the top unit, the Sabres have gone 9-for-28 (32 percent) with the man advantage, seventh best in the NHL during that span.

Kulich played 17:47 in Vancouver, posted his first career three-point night and went 9-11 on faceoffs – but it was notable that he was 4-1 over the final 10 minutes and his faceoff win directly led to the winning goal.

McLeod has 10 goals and 14 assists for the Sabres and is on pace to shatter the career highs of 12 goals and 30 points he set last year for

The Buffalo Sabres visit the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Saturday afternoon. It concludes a four-game road trip for Buffalo which has seen losses in Seattle and Calgary sandwich Tuesday’s comeback victory in Vancouver.