SHOOTOUT
This time, it counts. The Sabres win it 3-2 in the shootout after having an overtime winner taken back after both teams had left for the dressing rooms.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen makes 30 stops and two in the shootout, while Ryan McLeod gets a goal and an assist in the defeat. The Oilers have now lost two in a row heading into Sunday afternoon's conclusion to this four-game road trip in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.
Round 1: Tage Thompson ✅ | Connor McDavid ❌
Round 2: Owen Power ❌ | Leon Draisaitl ✅
Round 3: Alex Tuch ✅ | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ❌
OVERTIME
2.0: SKINNER DENIES COZENS WITH TWO SECONDS LEFT! What game script is this?! To the shootout we go.
15.0: NO GOAL! WOW! Owen Power looked to have won it with only seconds to spare on a wrist shot from the top of the circle, but it's taken back for offside. The players had already gone to the dressing rooms. We have a short pause as we wait for the players to come back, but it looks like we're going to the shootout after the wild ending to overtime.
3:46: Skinner makes two clutch saves on Thompson and Power – using the blocker both times.
5:00: Overtime has begun!
THIRD PERIOD
0.0: We are tied 2-2 and heading for overtime after a hard-contested final 10 minutes.
4:17: The Skinner save emboldens the Oilers to push forward with a great shift from Evander Kane, Adam Henrique and Corey Perry. Kane nearly gets a breakaway and almost makes one for Perry before they challenge the Sabres with a hard crash to the net after a partial two-on-one.
6:05: BRILLIANT SKINNER SAVE! Thompson is stoned by Skinner between the hashmarks and the Oilers netminder controls the rebound to freeze play. That's his best save of the game, hands down.
8:21: Sabres goal. Jacob Bryson scores his second NHL goal on a backhand that catches Skinner off guard. It's been coming for the Sabres, who've hit a bunch of posts and have been dangerous despite registering only 17 shots. 2-2.
11:23: Alex Tuch OFF THE POST! Their fourth post of the game.
20:00: The third period is coming up!
SECOND PERIOD
0.0: No goals are scored in the second period, but there were plenty of chances – including two posts from the Sabres who were dangerous in the middle stanza.
8:38: McDavid is held again, drawing a penalty against Owen Power for Edmonton's third power play.
9:25: Thompson wires one off the post on a hard wrist shot. That's two posts for the Sabres this period along with a failed three-on-one rush, so they've missed some good chances.
14:03: Tage Thompson slashes McDavid for a two-minute minor penalty.
14:27: Corey Perry makes a great move and a backhand attempt, but Luukkonen makes a tremendous save.
18:28: Connor Clifton sifts one through and it strikes the crossbar.
20:00: The second period is underway!
FIRST PERIOD
0.0: McDavid strikes the post with a hard wrist shot in the game's final minute that was dominated by Edmonton. Tage Thompson cut the lead to 2-1, but Edmonton leads through 40 minutes off goals by McLeod and Foegele.
4:25: Buffalo gets it back. It hasn't been Tage Thompson's season after scoring 47 goals last year, but he puts away a lucky bounce on the power play from one knee after it got knocked down by Nugent-Hopkins. 2-1.
5:41: TURNOVER AND TAKEOFF! Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod intercept a pass up top and take off on a two-on-none short-handed breakaway, exchanging passes before it lands back on the stick of Foegele to score his career-high 14th goal of the season.
