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.

Ryan McLeod scored his first-career hat trick and the Buffalo Sabres held on for 4-2 win against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.

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.

FINAL | Sabres 4 - Hurricanes 2 Lindy Ruff addresses the media Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen addresses the media Dylan Cozens addresses the media Ryan McLeod addresses the media The Sabres conclude their three-game homestand Friday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tickets are available here.

Ryan McLeod scored on the first shot of the game, again just before the second period horn, and was awarded an empty-net goal for his first career hat trick in the Sabres’ 4-2 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night at KeyBank Center.

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.

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.

Thompson logged an assist and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Hurricanes.

It may not have been his first goal, but former Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan McLeod scored a goal last night that he won't soon forget. Actually, he scored three of them. And he made a little bit of history in the process.

McLeod scored three goals, took three shots on net, added two PIM, blocked two shots and went plus-3 in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Hurricanes.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Ryan McLeod scored two goals and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Wednesday night. Dylan Cozens and Tage Thompson also...

Monday vs. Washington in helping Alex Tuch (two goals) and JJ Peterka (two assists) to some of their best work in recent weeks.