BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Victor Olofsson had a goal and an assist in the third period to lead the Buffalo Sabres past the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Jeff Skinner, Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens also scored for the Sabres, and Craig Anderson made 32 saves in the opening game of a home-and-home set with the Hurricanes.
Earning a point for the ninth time in 10 games (6-1-3), Buffalo held off being eliminated from the playoffs for an NHL-record 11th consecutive season.
Nino Niederreiter had a goal and an assist for Carolina. Jesper Fast also scored, Jordan Staal had two assists, and Frederik Andersen stopped 18 shots.
The Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes (45-17-8) have lost consecutive games in regulation while on the cusp of reaching 100 points for the second time in franchise history and clinching a fourth straight playoff berth
Rasmus Dahlin set up Olofsson’s go-ahead goal with 7:42 remaining in the third period. Dahlin sent a stretch pass from the blue line to the left circle, where a wide-open Olofsson sniped a wrist shot to the far corner for his 16th goal.
Olofsson assisted on the insurance goal by Cozens, his 13th, on a power play with 4:49 left.
Niederreiter tied it for the Hurricanes 4:10 into the third period. Staal threaded a pass from behind the net between two Sabres defenders to set up Niederreiter in the slot for his 22nd goal.
Buffalo went ahead 2-1 on goals from Skinner and Mittelstadt early in the second period. Skinner, a former Hurricane, finished a 2-on-1 with Tage Thompson to score his 29th at 1:21, and Mittelstadt got his fourth goal 4:38 later on a wrist shot from the right circle.
Staal recorded his 600th NHL point on Fast’s goal that gave the Hurricanes the lead at 14:58 of the first. Carolina’s captain poked the puck away from Buffalo’s Cody Eakin in the offensive zone, and Niederreiter’s backhand pass found Fast alone in front of the net for his 12th goal.
NOTABLE
Hurricanes forwards Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen each snapped seven-game point streaks. … Sabres forward Kyle Okposo played in his 900th NHL game. … Hurricanes center Steven Lorentz, the grandson of former Sabres player and longtime broadcaster Jim Lorentz, replaced Derek Stepan on the fourth line after being scratched in consecutive games. It was the first time in 105 NHL games that the 25-year-old Lorentz played in Buffalo.
UP NEXT
Carolina hosts Thursday night’s series finale.
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