Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras controls the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Cole Knuble scores 2 as Flyers beat Sabres 3-1 for a third straight win

Oct 21, 2026 | 10:56 PM

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Rookie forward Cole Knuble scored twice to help the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Knuble, playing his second career game, scored his first two goals in front of his father, former NHL forward Mike Knuble, who played 1,068 games with five teams.

Trevor Zegras also scored and Dan Vladar made 27 saves to give the Flyers their third straight win after starting 0-6-3.

Jason Zucker made his season debut following sports hernia surgery and scored for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 23 shots for the Sabres, who are 1-1-2 in their last four games.

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin returned to the lineup after missing four games with an upper-body injury.

The Flyers grabbed a 2-0 lead late in the first period after Knuble’s first career goal at 14:49 and a power-play goal from Zegras at 19:17 when he batted a rebound of Matvei Michkov’s shot out of the air past Luukkonen.

Zucker’s power-play goal at 19:25 of the second cut it to 2-1.

Knuble’s second of the game 3:03 into the third made it 3-1 after he banked in the puck off Luukkonen’s skate.

Flyers forward Tyson Foerster returned to the lineup after a one-game absence because of an undisclosed injury.

SENATORS 5, PANTHERS 1

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — With fans chanting “We don’t need you!,” Ottawa defeated Brady Tkachuk and Florida.

Tkachuk, who spent eight seasons in Ottawa, including five as captain, was given a hostile reception in his return. He was booed regularly and the crowd aimed chants at him throughout the evening.

A number of fans even threw Tkachuk jerseys on the ice.

The Senators (7-3-0) lost goaltender Linus Ullmark to an apparent injury early in the third period. Ullmark, who allowed one goal on 18 shots, made a pad save on Tkachuk and then needed assistance getting off the ice.

Sam Ersson faced one shot in relief.

Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Shane Pinto, Warren Foegele and Stephen Halliday scored for Ottawa.

Tkachuk scored the lone goal for the Panthers (5-3-2), who had won three straight. Akira Schmid made 25 saves

The Associated Press