GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Linus Ullmark stopped 36 shots for his first career shutout, and rookie Rasmus Dahlin scored his first career goal to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night.
Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist, and Conor Sheary also scored for the Sabres. Ullmark, making his season debut, appeared in his 27th career NHL game.
Arizona failed to score for the third time in their first four games — including the second time at home.
Antti Raanta had 20 saves for the Coyotes, who have two goals this season despite outshooting their opponents in every game.
The Coyotes went 0 for 3 on power plays and are 1 for 12 on the season. Defenseman and captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson took a nasty spill when he was tripped up late in the game on a hit by Patrik Berglund.
Ekman-Larsson was able to return to the ice moments later, just before Skinner scored on a backhand with 3:31 to play in the third.
Buffalo took a 1-0 lead on Dahlin's goal 2:45 into the game. Skinner got around Coyotes defenseman Jason Demers and Raanta, leaving the puck for the 18-year-old Dahlin and the first overall pick in this year's NHL draft tapped it in.
A cross-checking penalty on Arizona's Christian Fischer set up Buffalo's first power play of the game, and Sheary beat Raanta on his blocker side after Sam Reinhart faked a shot and dished the puck out to Sheary. The goal, with 1:54 left in the first period, gave Buffalo a 2-0 lead and was the first power-play goal allowed by Arizona this season.
The Coyotes missed a pair of good chances late in the second, with Ullmark stopping shots from close range by Richard Panik and Fischer before the period ended.
Notes: Former Coyotes D Zbynek Michalek, who played 612 career games with the team, dropped the ceremonial first puck before Saturday's game. Michalek is second among defensemen all-time in games played for Arizona. ... F Josh Archibald (upper body injury) was scratched and has missed the first four games of the season. ... Sheary's three goals tied him with C Jack Eichel for the team lead. ... Sabres C Vladimir Sobotka played for the first time since the season opener on Oct. 4. He then missed the next three games with an upper body injury.
UP NEXT
Sabres: At Vegas on Tuesday night.
Coyotes: At Minnesota on Tuesday night.
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