The Buffalo Sabres erased a two-goal deficit Saturday but couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Buffalo moved to 4-3-2 on the season after earning a point in the Atlantic Division matchup.
Syracuse football plagued by second-half turnovers in home loss to Louisville (full coverage) Cole Caufield delivered the game-winning goal in overtime, denying the Sabres an opportunity to secure their second point of the night.
Josh Norris opened the scoring in the first period, giving Buffalo an early 1-0 advantage before Montreal responded with three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead.
Buffalo continued its recent trend of battling back from deficits, overcoming a two-goal disadvantage for the third consecutive game and fifth time this season.
Jack Quinn sparked the comeback with his fifth goal of the season, marking his third goal over the past two games. His goal came shortly after a four-on-four situation expired, giving him his first career shorthanded tally.
Tage Thompson brought Buffalo even in the third period, scoring his 218th career goal to move into sole possession of 10th place on the franchise’s all-time goals list.
Thompson surpassed Jason Pominville with the milestone and now trails Rene Robert, who ranks ninth in Sabres history with 222 goals.
Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen finished with 30 saves on 34 shots, including a crucial stop against Alex Newhook on a breakaway late in the second period.
Despite the overtime defeat, Buffalo collected six of eight possible points during its stretch of four Atlantic Division games.
Buffalo returns home Wednesday to face the Philadelphia Flyers, looking to build on its recent performances. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
