Oilers Come from 2 Goals Down to Beat Sabres 4-3

    The Edmonton Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock couldn’t believe his team’s luck in the third period of the game against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. The period ended without goals, while the Oilers grabbed an important 4-3 win.

    The team from Edmonton scored three goals in the last 3:31 of the second period. Kyle Brodziak scored one, Leon Draisatl was once again on the scoresheet, scoring his 41st goal of the season, along with one assist. Darnell Nurse and Zack Kassian both scored for the Oiler, while Connor McDavid had two assists.

    Mikko Koskinen had 35 saves while managing to save his net in the second and in the third period, making a significant contribution to his team’s 29th win the regular season and their third triumph in a row.

    Jack Eichel scored a brace, with Casey Mittelstadt also on the scoresheet for the Sabres, who recorded their 8th loss in the last 10 games.

    Edmonton Oilers

    NHL team Edmonton Oilers logo printed on goalie helmet ,product shot – dean bertoncelj / Shutterstock.com

    The Sabres could have scored an equalizer in the third period, but the Sabres missed two chances to score into an open net. But they were lucky in the final minute of the game when it McDavid missed an open net.

    Linus Ullmark was substituted at the end of the second period after conceding four goals from 20 shots, and three in the second period. Carter Hutton entered the game and saved all seven shots he faced.

    The Battle for Playoff Continues

    The Sabres continue to drift away from the playoff, although at it looked like they would surely secure a spot, especially after their 10 consecutive wins back in November. On the other hand, Edmonton has 65 points and is now only 6 behind eighth-placed Minnesota.

    Speaking after the game, Draisatl said the team would not stop until it was over or until they were in. The Oilers have the fighting spirit, but will that be enough, remains to be seen.

    But it was a different story after the first period ended. It was Eichel who scored a goal to put the Sabres 3-1 in front 2:36 left on the clock. Commenting on this part of the game, Eichel said the team had shown excellent form in the first period.

    And it appeared nothing would drastically change in the second period until the last 3:30. The Oilers not only managed to tie the result but also took the lead, completely overcoming the two-goal deficit they had.

    The Oilers play their next game against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday at Rogers Place, while the Sabres will travel to Chicago where they’ll face the Blackhawks the same day.