Quinn has goal, assist, Sabres top Predators to end 3-game skid

NASHVILLE -- Jack Quinn had a goal and an assist for the Buffalo Sabres, who ended a three-game skid with a 5-3 win against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.

Kyle Okposo scored the go-ahead, short-handed goal in the third period, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 38 saves for Buffalo (21-18-2). Jeff Skinner, Dylan Cozens and Victor Olofsson also scored.

Ryan Johansen had a goal and an assist, and Juuse Saros made 28 saves for the Predators (19-17-6), who have lost three straight.
"I think we felt good going into the third, obviously had a lot of momentum," Predators captain Roman Josi said. "Gave up one on the power play, the short-handed goal, which was the tiebreaker.
"That can't happen on the power play, when you have a chance to score. If you can't score, [at least] get some momentum. Can't get scored on."
Okposo gave the Sabres a 4-3 lead at 6:43 of the third, redirecting Ilya Lyubushkin's shot through his own legs and past Saros. Okposo won a puck battle against Josi and Tommy Novak to set up the goal.
"[Okposo] is a worker," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "He's a leader by virtue. That was vintage Kyle Okposo. The work, the combination, you see that grind, you see that work and then to finish, you see a fine touch, a fine skill. That's [Okposo]."
Quinn scored at 16:49 for the 5-3 final.
"It was nice to see it go in that time of the game, especially after missing that open net a couple of minutes earlier," Quinn said.

Skinner put Buffalo ahead 1-0 at 11:37 of the first period, scoring on a breakaway after receiving a stretch pass from Tage Thompson. Skinner has 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in his past 20 games.
Josi tied it 1-1 at 15:23 with a slap shot from the right face-off circle that hit Luukkonen's glove and trickled behind him on a power play.
Cozens gave the Sabres a 2-1 lead at 2:05 of the second period from the slot off a backhand, cross-ice pass from JJ Peterka. Cozens has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his past nine games.
Olofsson extended it to 3-1 at 8:58 of the second with a power-play goal, a one-timer from the right circle over the right shoulder of Saros.
Buffalo has scored five power-play goals in its past six games.
"I think our guys felt and knew when they were playing the right way," Granato said. "They had some control over the game. Things were working well for them. It [was] just getting back to that."
Jeremy Lauzon cut it to 3-2 at 15:10, taking Cody Glass' pass from behind the net and beating Luukkonen from the slot.
Johansen scored 40 seconds later to tie it 3-3, redirecting Dante Fabbro's shot from just inside the blue line.
"They got a couple of quick goals," Okposo said. "I never felt like we were out of control the entire game. They had one shift after that where the crowd got into it, but I felt like we were in pretty solid control that whole game.
"We just knew we needed to come out in the third period and play the way that we know how, and we were pretty confident."
NOTES: Quinn was recalled from Rochester of the American Hockey League on Friday. Forward Peyton Krebbs was loaned to Rochester. … Cozens' goal was his 14th, an NHL career high … Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin had an assist and has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in his past 10 games … Predators forward Juuso Parssinen had an assist to extend his point streak to six games (one goal, seven assists).