Avery Hayes scores twice in his NHL debut, Penguins beat Sabres 5-2

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Avery Hayes (85) skates up ice during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Avery Hayes (85) celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes) — Pittsburgh Penguins forward Avery Hayes (85) skates up ice during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

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8:57 PM on Thursday, February 5

The Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Avery Hayes scored twice in his NHL debut, Arturs Silovs made 26 saves and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 on Thursday night in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.

Called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League with the Penguins hit by a series of injuries, Hayes tied at 1 at 9:18 of the period on his first shot on goal. He raced to beat defenseman Jacob Bryson to the puck and put a wrister past goalie Alex Lyon.

Hayes made it 2-1 with 1:13 left in the period, taking Anthony Mantha’s short, backward pass and knocking it in. He's the third Penguins player to score twice in his NHL debut, joining Rob Brown (two goals on Oct. 21, 1987) and Jake Guentzel (two goals on Nov. 21, 2016).

Hayes has 13 goals and 10 assists in 31 games this season in the AHL. He made his NHL debut with Blake Lizotte out for the birth of his first child, Rickard Rakell nursing a lower-body injury and Noel Acciari sidelined by an illness.

Fellow rookie Ben Kindel gave Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead at 7:44 of the second, Tommy Novak made it 4-2 with 4:29 to go in the third, and Kindel had a short-handed empty-netter with 14 seconds to go for his 14th of the season. The Penguins rebounded from a 5-4 overtime loss at the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

Tage Thompson scored his 30th goal of the season for Buffalo. Jason Zucker also scored, and Lyon stopped 27 shots. The Sabres have lost two in a row.

Zucker opened the scoring for Buffalo at 1:46 of the first period. Thompson scored on a power play to cut it to 3-2 at 1:55 of the third.

Up next

Penguins: Host New Jersey on Thursday, Feb. 26.

Sabres: At New Jersey on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl