TUCH PUSH: Sabres squander lead but nudge past Oilers in OT

The Buffalo Sabres bounced back with a 4–3 overtime victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, overcoming a late collapse to end a three-game skid. Tage Thompson led the way with a goal and two assists, while Alex Tuch delivered the game-winner and Josh Doan scored twice.

Buffalo built a 3–0 lead but saw it disappear in the third period. Still, the Sabres recovered in OT when Tuch fired a quick wrist shot off a centering pass from Ryan McLeod just 33 seconds into the extra frame.

Goaltender Colten Ellis stopped all six shots he faced before leaving late in the first period with an upper-body injury. Alex Lyon stepped in and made 21 saves in relief. The Sabres also missed center Josh Norris, who was a late scratch due to illness and soreness, according to the team.

Connor McDavid kept the Oilers in the fight with two goals, including the dramatic game-tying strike with two seconds left in regulation while Edmonton had an extra attacker. Vasily Podkolzin added a goal, and Stuart Skinner finished with 24 saves as the Oilers’ run of three wins in four games came to an end.

McDavid sparked Edmonton’s comeback just 10 seconds into the third period, lifting a wrist shot over Lyon’s pad after collecting a loose puck along the right wall. Podkolzin cut the deficit to 3–2 moments later at 1:56, pushing in a loose puck from in front.

Doan opened the scoring at 19:01 of the first period with a power-play tip-in off a Rasmus Dahlin point shot, a sequence that began after Oilers forward David Tomasek struck Ellis in the head while driving through the crease. Ellis exited the game following the goal.

Thompson doubled Buffalo’s lead at 11:03 of the second period after stealing the puck from Evan Bouchard at the goal line and beating Skinner with a snap shot. Doan then made it 3–0 less than a minute later with a highlight-reel power-play tally, pulling the puck between his legs before finishing past Skinner on the far side. -Field Level Media/Reuters