The Penguins snapped a three-game losing streak, improving to 19-20-8. The Sabres, now 17-23-5, will look to address their defensive and penalty-kill issues. Earlier this season they lost 11 straight games and have lost five of their last eight games.

With the Penguins leading the Sabres 4-2 and Buffalo's goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at the bench, the Sabres would put the puck into the corner and the puck would come to Nedeljkovic. With that goal, Nedeljkovic would become just the second goalie in the Penguins' history to score a goal.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen wasn't able to bail out the Sabres when they began to make mistakes in the second period. Their starting goalie was outplayed by Penguins backup Alex Nedeljkovic, as Pittsburgh scored four consecutive goals and held on for a 5-2 win in KeyBank Center.

Luukkonen was sharp in Wednesday's 4-2 win over Carolina as he turned aside 35 shots. Luukkonen is 14-13-4 with a pair of shutouts, a 2.99 GAA and an .898 save percentage. The Penguins are averaging 2.96 goals per game in 2024-25.

The Pittsburgh Penguins travel to Buffalo to face the Sabres in a pivotal Eastern Conference matchup at KeyBank Center. Welcome back to NHL Predictions here on Last Word on Hockey!

Alex Nedeljkovic became the second goaltender in Pittsburgh Penguins history to score a goal during a 5-2 victory against the Buffalo Sabres, at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Friday. His score came on an empty net at 17:18 of the third period.

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Owen Power and Zach Benson scored for Buffalo and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 14 saves ... and Rust made it 4-1 at 1:09 of the third. Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, center ...

Buffalo recorded a season-high 42 shots in the loss. A rough second period, with six penalty minutes and three goals allowed, sank the Buffalo Sabres as they lost 5-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday at KeyBank Center.

Nedeljkovic scored when he sent the puck from behind the net down the ice and into an empty net with 2:42 left in the third.

Luukkonen stopped 21 of 24 shots in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Flames. The other two goals were empty-netters in the final minutes of the third period. Luukkonen has alternated wins and losses over his last six outings,

Seth Jarvis had two goals and sparked the Carolina Hurricanes' big second period in a 7-4 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday in Raleigh, N.C. Sebastian Aho and Jarvis both had a goal and two assists in the five-goal second.