Sabres rally in third period to down Penguins

Field Level Media|published: Fri 24th November, 20:50 2023

Nov 24, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Alex Tuch (89) and Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Alex Nylander (11) go after a loose puck during the first period at KeyBank Center. credits: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Tuch scored the game-winner with 2:44 left in regulation Friday as the Buffalo Sabres used a three-goal third period to top the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2.

Tuch converted a pass from behind the net by Jeff Skinner past Alex Nedeljkovic, with Casey Mittelstadt getting the secondary assist.

Skinner and Tuch each finished with a goal and an assist, Kyle Okposo also scored and Victor Olofsson added two assists for the Sabres, who have won two of three.

Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 31 saves.

Sidney Crosby and Lars Eller scored for the Penguins, who have lost four of five. Nedeljkovic made 31 saves.

Crosby gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 16:46 of the first. Jake Guentzel broke up a pass attempt by the Sabres in the left circle and got the puck to Crosby in the high slot. With linemate Drew O'Connor providing a screen, Crosby went to one knee and muscled a one-timer past Luukkonen's glove for his team-leading 13th goal.

The Penguins — who on Thursday restructured their power play to separate Crosby and fellow star center Evgeni Malkin onto different units — got their first chance with the man-advantage late in the second but could not convert. They finished 0-for-2 on the power play.

However, 26 seconds after that first power play expired, Eller boosted Pittsburgh's lead to 2-0. Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, in the left corner of his own, whiffed on an attempt to send the puck around the end boards. Matt Nieto grabbed the puck for the Penguins and set up Eller, who beat Luukkonen high on the far side at 16:44.

Nedeljkovic's personal shutout streak ended at 111:22 and Buffalo closed it to 2-1 with a power-play goal at 5:13 of the third. After Pittsburgh's Kris Letang turned the puck over, Tuch, from deep, sent a centering pass to Skinner, who deposited the puck in the upper-right corner.

The Sabres tied it at 10:52 of the third. Off a tic-tac-toe play, Okposo, in front, deflected a pass from Dahlin past Nedeljkovic's glove for his first goal.

—Field Level Media