By Canadian Press

Oilers score 3 in second-period, rally to beat Sabres 4-3

Mar 4, 2019 | 8:58 PM

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Kyle Brodziak scored the go-ahead goal to cap a three-goal outburst over the final 3:31 of the second period, and rallied the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.

Leon Draisaitl scored his team-leading 41st and added an assist, to extend his point streak to 11 games in which he had combined for nine goals and eight assists. Connor McDavid set up two goals in a game Edmonton overcame a 3-1 second-period deficit. Defenceman Darnell Nurse and Zack Kassian also scored for Edmonton, which won its third straight in closing a five-game trip at 4-1-1.

Mikko Koskinen stopped 35 shots, including the final 27 after allowing Jack Eichel to scored Buffalo’s third goal with 2:36 left in the first period.

Eichel scored twice and Casey Mittelstadt also scored for the slumping Sabres. Buffalo dropped to 2-7-1 in its past 10, and is 13-22-6 since a franchise-record-matching 10-game win streak in November.

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Linus Ullmark was yanked at the end of the second period, and after allowing four goals on 20 shots. Carter Hutton took over and stopped all seven shots he faced.

Buffalo’s Jeff Skinner missed an open right side by directing a shot off the post with 7:34 left. Then with 3:40 remaining, Jason Pominville directed in Brandon Montour’s pass through the crease, only to have his follow through hit the puck and sweep it back out before it crossed the goal line.

While Buffalo continues its slide out of the playoff picture with a little over a month left, the Oilers continue making a late push.

Edmonton (29-30-7) has 65 points and moved out of a three-way tie for 11th, inching to within six points of eighth-place Minnesota.

The Oilers are 5-1-2 in their past eight, since a 1-8-2 skid.

The Sabres appeared to take control when Eichel eluded defenceman Kris Russell, who dropped his stick, and scored by driving to the net to put Buffalo up 3-1 with 2:36 left.

The Oilers struck by scoring three times on four shots on net to close the second period, and send the Sabers off to boos from the stands.

The run was capped by defenceman Adam Larsson having his shot from the right point deflect in off the skate of Brodziak, who was cutting through the middle. The puck sneaked in through Ullmark’s pads and dribbled into the net behind him.

The run began with 3:31 left, when McDavid, at the right boards, set up Kassian for a one-timer from the left circle.

Some 2 1/2 minutes later, Nurse scored on a one-timer from the left circle when he was set up by Draisaitl’s no-look pass.

Draisaitl, set up by McDavid, opened the scoring with a short-handed goal 1:28 into the game.

NOTES: Sabers D Zach Bogosian did not play and is listed day-to-day with a lower body injury. … Sabres D Jake McCabe will likely miss the remainder of the season with an upper body injury sustained in a 5-2 loss at Toronto on Saturday. … Draisaitl’s 41 goals equal McDavid’s total last year, which are the most for the Oilers since Mark Messier had 45 in 1989-90.

UP NEXT

Oilers: Host Vancouver Canucks on Thursday to open four-game homestand.

Sabres: At Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday to open two-game road trip.

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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

John Wawrow, The Associated Press