Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Sabres got back in the win column on Tuesday night with a 4-2 victory over the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes at KeyBank Center.
Victor Olofsson scored the game-winning goal in the third period, while Craig Anderson made 32 saves in the victory.
Each team got a chance on the power play in the first period, but both teams failed to convert.
It was the Hurricanes that broke into the goal column late in the period when Jesper Fast got in alone on Craig Anderson. This gave Carolina the 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
The Sabres got on the board early in the second period, as Tage Thompson fed Jeff Skinner on a 2-on-1 rush. Skinner put home his 29th goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1.
Just minutes later, the Sabres took the lead when Casey Mittelstadt snapped one far-side past goalie Frederik Andersen, making it 2-1 with 14:01 left in the second.
Carolina tied the game up early in the third period, as Nino Niederreiter put home his 22nd of the season.
Buffalo ended up re-taking the lead for good later in the final frame, as Rasmus Dahlin made a great play along the blue line, knocking the puck out of the air. He then found Olofsson all alone behind the defense, and the winger ripped a shot past Andersen to make the score 3-2.
Just moments later, Hurricanes defenseman Ian Cole took a hooking penalty and put Buffalo on the power play. The Sabres took advantage, as Dylan Cozens extended the lead to 4-2 with just 4:49 left in regulation.
The goal helped Cozens snap out of a long 17-game goalless drought.
The Sabres held off a late surge from the Hurricanes, hanging on for the 4-2 victory. Anderson finished the night with 32 saves in the win, and was named first star of the game.
With Buffalo's win over the Hurricanes, it also ended an 11-game losing streak to Carolina, dating back to the 2015-16 season.
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GAME RECAP
Scoring Summary:
First Period:
BUF: NONE
CAR: 14:58 - Jesper Fast (12) (Nino Niederreiter, Jordan Staal)
Second Period:
BUF: 1:21 - Jeff Skinner (29) (Tage Thompson); 5:59 - Casey Mittelstadt (4) (Rasmus Asplund, Mattias Samuelsson)
CAR: NONE
Third Period:
BUF: 12:08 - Victor Olofsson (16) (Rasmus Dahlin); 4:49 - Dylan Cozens (13) (Victor Olofsson, Peyton Krebs)
CAR: 4:10 - Nino Niederreiter (22) (Jordan Staal, Brett Pesce)
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Penalty Summary:
First Period:
BUF: 8:23 - Dylan Cozens (Tripping - 2 min.)
CAR: 4:19 - Tony DeAngelo (Slashing - 2 min.)
Second Period:
BUF: 14:56 - Vinnie Hinostroza (Slashing - 2 min.)
CAR: 2:26 - Brendan Smith (Slashing - 2 min.)
Third Period:
BUF: NONE
CAR: 13:37 - Ian Cole (Hooking - 2 min)
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Losi and Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Craig Anderson - BUF
2.) Victor Olofsson - BUF
3.) Casey Mittelstadt - BUF
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What's next:
The Sabres head out on to the road to start a four game road trip with another game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with pregame coverage on WGR with Schopp and the Bulldog starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.
