Jiri Kulich has been on a tear. ©2025, Micheline Veluvolu

On Rob Ray’s special night, Sabres get two goals from Jiri Kulich, beat Preds

BUFFALO – Early in Friday’s 4-3 come-from-behind win, it appeared the Sabres might ride the emotion of Rob Ray’s induction into the team’s hall of fame to a convincing victory.

As Ray gave a heartfelt pregame speech on the KeyBank Center ice, the Sabres, all sporting blue shirts of the legendary tough, watched from the bench.

Then they pounced on the Nashville Predators, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead with owners Terry and Kim Pegula watching from a suite.

Center Ryan McLeod scored at the 2:25 mark. Rookie center Jiri Kulich followed at 8:41.

The Sabres had all the momentum against the lowly Predators. By the 17:06 mark of the opening period, the game was tied.

But unlike other times this trying season, the Sabres, who fell behind 3-2 in the second period, rallied to win.

Kulich’s second goal of the night 17:56 into the third period clinched the win before a crowd of 18,347 fans.

The way in which the Sabres earned their 20th win this season was fitting.

Defenseman Bowen Byram blocked a shot in the waning seconds to seal the game. Winger Zach Benson’s hustle drew an interference call after Kulich received a four-minute high-sticking penalty with the game tied 15 seconds into the third period.

“Improving our third periods is just is a really big deal,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “Solving when the other team comes with a lot of pressure is a big deal. Blocking a shot is a really big deal. Really all I talked about after the game was what Rayzor was, and he was the ultimate team player.

“On a night like this, to win that way and have what I thought was a really good team game, you got to feel good about it.”

The Sabres can feel good because they refused to buckle when they faced adversity. They’ve lost six games this season in which they’ve held a lead of two or more goals. They improved to just 3-7-3 this season when they’re tied after two periods.

They looked awful at times inn the second period, getting outshot 13-7 and falling behind 3-2 when Tommy Novak scored at 2:51. At one point, as the Predators held the puck in the Buffalo zone for an extended stretch, the crowd booed in disgust.

“They were outskating us through the neutral zone,” Ruff said. “We weren’t getting pucks deep. When you don’t get pucks deep and you’ve been out there 15 to 20 seconds and it goes the other way, you see what happens. You end up playing in your own end and you play tired.

“And I don’t think one time in the third period we got caught in that situation.”

Sabres winger Jason Zucker tied the game at 12:26, setting the stage for Kulich’s heroics.

The Czech, who played in front of his parents for the first time in Buffalo, has been on a tear, scoring four goals in the last five games. Overall, he scored 11 times in 37 games.

In the first period, he utilized his lethal shot to beat goalie Justus Annunen from the right circle. He scored the winner from the left circle after grabbing a nifty feed from linemate Tage Thompson.

Kulich, who’s centering the No. 1 line, narrowly missed his first NHL hat trick when he couldn’t hit an empty net late.

“I’m always so stressed when I got the empty net that far at the red line,” he said.

Still, it couldn’t spoil perhaps the best night of his young career.

“He’s unbelievable,” Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said. “I think he’s going to be one of the best in the league. At that age he is right now and doing the stuff he’s doing out there, it’s pretty special. It’s fun to watch, honestly.”

Ruff said Kulich’s parents should be proud.

“He played a heck of a game,” he said. “I thought he outlegged them a couple of times. His play in his own end for a young centerman was really good. And just the play Tommer makes on that little delay, bought a little time for him to get backside, which was just a heck of a goal and a good night for Rayzor.”

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