Sabres' Jiri Kulich scores early, late in edging Predators

Rookie Jiri Kulich scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal with 2:04 remaining, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the visiting Nashville Predators 4-3 on Friday night.

On the transition, Sabres star Tage Thompson sent a pass across the high slot for Kulich, who drilled a shot past Nashville goalie Justus Annunen (23 saves) to record his second two-goal game. The Sabres won consecutive games for just the second time in January.

Ryan McLeod and Jason Zucker also scored and Rasmus Dahlin added two assists for the Sabres, who overcame blowing an early 2-0 lead.

Brady Skjei had a goal and an assist for Nashville, which has lost three in a row after winning five straight.

Perhaps inspired by the pregame ceremonial induction of beloved Sabres enforcer Rob Ray into the club's Hall of Fame, Buffalo opened a 2-0 lead 8:41 into the contest.

Just 2:25 in, a net-front McLeod got enough of his stick to push in the puck off a rebound of Dahlin's shot. A little more than six minutes later, an open Kulich streaked in and beat Annunen up high.

However, by period's end, Nashville had tied the game.

With 9:04 left in the first, Luke Evangelista, back from missing eight games due to a lower-body injury, tipped in Justin Barron's shot from near the blue line.

The Predators leveled the contest with 2:54 remaining before the first intermission. The goal came just after their power-play ended, as Skjei's slap shot appeared to deflect off of McLeod's stick, then fluttered over the head of a screened Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (28 saves) and in.

The Predators went ahead on another tip-in, just 2:51 into the second period. This goal came from Tommy Novak off another shot from Skjei.

However, the Sabres stopped the bleeding and tied the game at 3-3 with 7:34 left in the middle frame. Zucker was the benefactor of a two-on-one with teammate Alex Tuch.

Veteran Nashville netminder Juuse Saros was not available Friday due to illness.

--Field Level Media