Necas scores in OT, Hurricanes top Sabres

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Martin Necas scored at 1:30 of overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 win against Buffalo Sabres at PNC Arena on Tuesday.

Necas redirected a pass by Sebastian Aho at the top of the crease on the rush. Buffalo was caught with Owen Power, Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch on the ice for the entire overtime, leaving Necas, Aho and Brady Skjei time to control the puck leading to the game-winner.

“It’s a bunch of criss-crosses with the puck,” Necas said. “They were tired out there. Every time you see that, I feel like you don’t want to shoot the puck. You want to create more and more until they get real tired and something on the back door opens up just like what happened."

Skjei had a goal and an assist, Aho had two assists, and Antti Raanta made 20 saves for the Hurricanes (8-5-0), who have won two in a row and five of their past six.

“We didn’t give up a ton, we just missed a lot,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I liked our game. We stuck with it and got the result.”

Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin scored for the Sabres (6-6-1). Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 24 saves.

“I thought Luukkonen was real good,” Buffalo coach Don Granato said. “I thought we cleared out a lot again. Shot selection was easier for him to read. They know they can play better. There were plenty of good things, and also plenty of things that we can make adjustments on.”

Tony DeAngelo gave Carolina a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 12:43 of the first period on a wrist shot from above the right circle that deflected off Jordan Greenway.

Tuch’s fourth of the season tied it 1-1 at 3:51 of the second when the forward poked the puck off the stick of Seth Jarvis in the low slot. The puck bounced off Raanta's right pad and Tuch converted on his own rebound just as a Hurricanes power play had expired.

Skjei made it 2-1 at 7:54 of the third, taking a cross-ice pass from Aho for a one-timer in the right circle.

“I thought we did a good job of shutting them down,” Skjei said. “Obviously, we didn’t capitalize on all our chances, but when it counted, we beared down.”

Dahlin retrieved his own chip off the left-side boards on a Sabres power play and beat Raanta with a wrist shot past the glove to tie the game 2-2 at 9:23.

“(It was) a rolling puck; there's always excuses you can make. I can do a little bit better there,” Raanta said. “Other than that, I felt my movement was good, tracking the puck and a couple diving saves.”

Luukkonen rebounded for Buffalo from his previous start when he made 19 saves in a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday.

“It wasn’t a perfect game by any means, but I think we locked it down defensively to get the one point at least,” Luukkonen said. “We didn’t give them much. A couple times, when they got the puck rolling in the zone, that’s when they’re most dangerous. That’s at least a positive.”

NOTES: Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a blood clot issue. He is expected to make a full recovery. … Necas scored his ninth NHL overtime goal, second in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers franchise history only to Aho (10). … Carolina has scored a power-play goal in five straight games. … The Hurricanes are 4-0 in overtime (one shootout). … Carolina defensemen have 10 goals this season, the most in the League. It led the NHL last season with 59. … Aho has 1.47 points per game against the Sabres in his career, the most among active players; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby is second with 1.43.