Sparks were flying early at the Lenovo Center during Whalers Night on Thursday evening. Immediately after the opening puck drop in the first period, Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens and Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi dropped their gloves and began exchanging some big punches.

The Buffalo Sabres visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night in an Eastern Conference matchup at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh.

The Sabres look to carry their home-ice momentum on the road. The Buffalo Sabres head to Raleigh's Lenovo Center for a Thursday night matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes. Buffalo, 6-1-0 in its last seven games and riding high after Tuesday’s third-period comeback against Anaheim, looks to keep it rolling against a slumping-of-late Hurricanes team.

The Hurricanes jumped out an early lead on Thursday and never looked back. Before the halfway point of the first period Carolina had a 3-0 lead.

This affiliate content is not influenced by our advertising relationships, but AP and Data Skrive might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content.

The reeling Hurricanes came home desperately needing to find a way forward. A fight and two early goals — and a two-point night from Mikko Rantanen — did the trick in a 5-2 win over the Sabres.

The Hurricanes scored three first-period goals in a span of 3:32, and though the Sabres had opportunities to rally, their power play failed them in a 5-2 loss at Lenovo Center.