3 most impressive Buffalo Sabres from 7-1 win over New York Islanders feat. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

The misery finally ended for the Buffalo Sabres, as their 14-game losing streak is officially broken.

They picked up their first victory since their 4-2 triumph over the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 23, exactly one month ago, with a dominating 7-1 win over the New York Islanders at UBS Arena.

The win, which was a long time coming, improved Buffalo's record to 12-19-4, while the Islanders dropped to 13-15-7.

Buffalo grabbed a 2-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes of play thanks to goals from Beck Malenstyn and Jiri Kulich. They then opened the offensive floodgates in the middle frame, beefing up their lead to 5-0 after goals from Jason Zucker, Zach Benson, and Jack Quinn.

The Islanders managed to get one back, as Kyle Palmieri scored to end the shutout bid of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Known for pulling his goaltenders with ample time left in regulation, Islanders coach Patrick Roy lifted Ilya Sorokin from the cage with over half of the third period remaining on the clock.

But Tage Thompson ended any faint hope the Islanders had of a comeback by scoring into the open net for his 17th goal; Buffalo added another goal for good measure from Jiri Kulich.

3 most impressive Buffalo Sabres from 7-1 win over New York Islanders

#1. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Buffalo's goaltender, whom they made a clear commitment to by signing to a five-year contract, has struggled along with the rest of his teammates. It wasn't often that Luukkonen got the goal-scoring support he needed, while his performance levels varied.

However, he was a key contributor to the Sabres finally ending their streak of futility. He finished with 27 saves on the 28 shots that he faced, including five attempts from Maxim Tsyplakov, and two each from Matt Barzal and Bo Horvat.

#2. Jiri Kulich

Picking up the most points of any Sabres forward during Monday night's win, Kulich registered a pair of goals and an assist, playing one of the principal roles in Buffalo's win.

He had only four goals in the season coming into Monday's game, which has now increased to six. While it may not seem like much, Kulich's big night will help him moving forward.

#3. Rasmus Dahlin

The Buffalo captain has been facing intensifying scrutiny from fans and media for being the most visible figure on a team that had just dropped 14 straight games. However, he elevated his performance on Monday night, registering four assists while also finishing a +4.