Oct. 22 (UPI) -- NHL referee Francois St. Laurent made one of the plays of the game during the Buffalo Sabres' win against the Los Angeles Kings.
He managed to catch a flying hockey stick in front of the Kings' bench on Saturday at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The catch came in the second period.
The Sabres were on the attack before losing the puck during the sequence. Sabres forward Vladimir Sobotka was attempting to win the puck by against Tanner Pearson in Buffalo's offensive zone. But Sobotka lost his stick after reaching it it. The stick went flying way behind the play, spinning through the air and nearing the Kings' bench.
Luckily for Los Angeles, St. Laurent was standing in front of the bench. The referee reached both hands up and snagged the stick before it could hit any of the players.
The Sabres picked up another win on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks and are now on a three-game winning streak. Buffalo hosts the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. on Thursday at KeyBank Center. The Kings are on a four-game losing streak entering a game against the Stars at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
