4 check: JJ Peterka sparkles for Sabres on Jeff Skinner’s special night

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — On a night when the Sabres celebrated Jeff Skinner skating in his 1,000th NHL game, it was the winger who supplanted him on Buffalo’s top line who pointed the way to victory.

JJ Peterka scored twice to take the team lead with 28 goals on the season, with an assist on Tage Thompson’s 27th, as Buffalo (36-35-5) staved off playoff elimination for a few more days with a 6-2 win against the Washington Capitals (36-28-10), the club currently clinging to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Rasmus Dahlin added a goal and and two assists, a tally matched by Alex Tuch and Thompson, giving Buffalo four players with three or more points in a game for the first time since December, 2022. Zemgus Girgensons tipped in the first goal, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 23 saves as the Sabres won for the fifth time in their past seven home games.

Scoring spree

The Sabres took command early in the third period when Dahlin, Thompson and Tuch scored in a span of 2:30, chasing Washington goalie Charline Lindgren after he allowed six goals on 31 shots.

Peterka got the go-ahead goal on a a power play with 3:10 remaining in the first period, and he made it 3-1 midway through the second to notch a multi-goal game for the fourth time since Jan. 24.

The 22-year-old Peterak has been one of the hottest scorers in the NHL of late, with seven goals in his past six games. He has eight goals and 11 points in 12 games since moving to the top line with Thompson and Tuch.

“He’s been great as of late, for sure,” Skinner said. “Yeah, he’s got a tremendous amount of skill. Obviously, he’s a young guy, he’s going to continue to grow and continue to get better. So, it’s nice to see. That line’s really, really buzzing right now and we’re all kind of feeding off it. So yeah, he played another great game tonight and yeah, great job by him.”

Skinner’s milestone

The 31-year-old Skinner was celebrated for becoming the 13th player to appear in his 1,000th NHL game while playing for the Sabres. Tribute videos were shown throughout the night, and Skinner was joined by friends and family for a pregame ceremony on the ice during which general manager Kevyn Adams presented skinner with a silver stick.

“Congrats to Skinny again and his family,” Dahlin said. “We needed that win for Skinny so he can have a great night tonight after the game, too, with his family so they can celebrate. It’s something special.”

“He’s been here the whole time I’ve been here,” Dahlin added. “My first year, he never let me pay for dinner once, so he really took me and Casey Mittelstadt under his wing and he helped us with a lot of things. And then just every year he’s continued being such a good pro and takes care of himself and just being a really good guy around the team. And he always brings a smile, so he’s the perfect teammate and I have a lot to thank for him.”

Playoff race

Bouncing back from a 3-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, the Sabres not only slowed the Capitals’ late-season playoff push but thrust themselves in the mix of a muddled Eastern Conference playoff race. Five points now separate eighth-place Washington and 12th-place Buffalo with two weeks left in the season.

Buffalo closes its five-game homestand Friday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

***

Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.