The Buffalo Sabres continue to struggle with the team's sixth straight loss after a 5-4 overtime defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes at KeyBank Center.
The Sabres battled back twice in this game to tie the hockey game and eventually force overtime, including a goal from Johan Larsson with just 40.7-second remaining in regulation to tie the contest at 4-4. The team earlier battled back from a 3-1 deficit in the second period to tie the game at 3-3 with 6:25 to go in the third period.
Buffalo wasted no time in shaking off the rust from not playing for the past six days after returning from Stockholm, Sweden for the NHL Global Series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
A couple of minutes later, the Hurricanes found their way on to the scoresheet with a floater from forward Jordan Staal that found its way past goalie Carter Hutton and in. After Staal's original shot was blocked, his second attempt deflected up and found it's way over a screen of Warren Foegele and Henri Jokiharju before plopping behind Hutton.
Once again, the Sabres went to the power play, but forward Kyle Okposo took a hooking penalty that eventually gave Carolina the man advantage. With less than 20-seconds to go on the power play, Aho was able to re-direct a Teuvo Teravainen pass intended for Erik Haula that just got through Hutton and in for the 2-1 Hurricanes lead.
Carolina took the 2-1 lead heading into the locker room for the first intermission, but the Sabres were not too far behind in the shot department with 10 to the Hurricanes' nine.
The Hurricanes came out of the dressing room hot, and was able to generate their third goal of the night courtesy of Teravainen in front of the net. After Carolina's original shot from the point was blocked, Andrei Svechnikov threw a backhand pass to the left of Hutton to a wide open Aho, who's shot ended up going in off the stick of Teravainen.
The Hurricanes controlled much of the second period to the point where it didn't look like the Sabres could get back into the game.
That changed when Sabres forward Curtis Lazar blocked a shot from the point and then took off to the races. The recent call-up from the Rochester Americans blazed down the ice on a breakaway and fired a shot over the blocker of Mrazek to get Buffalo back within one.
The Sabres responded well after the Lazar goal, controlling the rest of the period and out-shooting the Hurricanes 10-7 in the middle frame. However, Buffalo still trailed 3-2 on the scoreboard.
The beginning of the third period was relatively uneventful, but the Sabres did a nice job of continuing to press the Hurricanes and creating offensive scoring chances.
Buffalo was able to get the game-tying goal with 6:25 remaining in the period as defenseman Henri Jokiharju took advantage of a Brett Pesce turnover in front of the net. The second-year defenseman quickly took the turnover and fired it through Mrazek to tie the game at 3-3.
With 4:27 remaining in regulation, the struggling Sabres penalty kill was forced to go back to work after Sam Reinhart was called for a high-sticking penalty. It took the Hurricanes just 33-seconds to re-take the lead as Svechnikov fired a wrist shot through a screen set by Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen on Hutton, and the puck beat the Sabres goalie over his right shoulder.
Overtime:
Overtime:
The Sabres will finish up their quick two-game homestand on Saturday night with a matchup against the Ottawa Senators for "Hockey Fights Cancer Night" at KeyBank Center. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. with the Paul William Beltz Pre-Game Show starting at 6 p.m. with Pat Malacaro.