Sabres' 4-goal 2nd-period surge fuels 4-3 win over Flyers
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Tage Thompson's go-ahead goal capped a four-goal, second-period outburst and the Buffalo Sabres rallied to a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in a meeting of non-playoff contenders Saturday night.
Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and assist and Kyle Okposo and Vinnie Hinostroza also scored for the Sabres, who trailed 2-0 less than four minutes into the opening period. Craig Anderson stopped 18 shots.
Buffalo’s four-goal period matched a season high, which came in the first period of a 6-3 win over the Flyers on Jan. 22.
Joel Farabee, Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny scored for an injury-depleted Flyers team featuring a lineup that included five rookies. Philadelphia has lost nine of its past 11, and four straight, in which it has been outscored by a combined margin of 22-8.
The Flyers' pop-gun power-play unit, which entered the day ranked last in the NHL, fizzled by failing to convert all four opportunities, including three over the final 12 minutes of regulation. Philadelphia has now converted two of its past 36 power-play opportunities.
Martin Jones stopped 25 shots and has allowed 19 goals in his past five appearances, two of them victories.
Buffalo overcame a sleepy start in allowing Farabee and Tippett to score on the Flyers’ second and third shots on goal. The Sabres turned the tables in the second period by outshooting the Flyers 18-4.
Hinostroza tied it at 3 by beating two Flyers defenders to a loose puck in the slot and snapping a shot to beat Jones inside the right post with 4:24 left in the second period — and 90 seconds after Konecny’s goal.
Thompson scored with 2:02 left in the period, and with Flyers rookie Noah Cates penalized for hooking. Buffalo worked the puck to Casey Mittelstadt in the right circle, where he fed a pass through the middle to Thompson, who roofed a shot in from the left circle.
The second period continues to be a struggle for the Flyers, who have been outscored by a combined 94-66 in the middle frame this season.
Okposo’s goal was his 20th of the season, marking his third career 20-goal season, and first since scoring 22 in 2015-16, his final year with the New York Islanders.
The Sabres have now won the past four meetings against Philadelphia, marking Buffalo's best run since winning five in a row from Oct. 10, 2001 to Oct. 22, 2002.
PUCK CONTROL
Jeff Skinner’s puck-handling ability played a key part in setting up Dahlin’s goal, which tied the game at 2 at the 8:27 mark of the second period.
Skinner gained the blue line, drew a delayed hooking penalty called against James van Riemsdyk, and then cut across the middle without losing control. Avoiding two defenders at the left boards, Skinner kicked the puck back to his stick before feeding Dahlin, who scored while being left wide open at the right post.
SCRATCHES
Flyers: RW Cam Atkinson missed his second game with a lower-body injury. Atkinson was scheduled to skate in Philadelphia on Saturday and considered 50-50 by coach Mike Yeo to play Sunday, when the Flyers host Buffalo. C Nate Thompson returned after missing one game.
Sabres: D Mattias Samuelsson returned after missing one game with a lower body injury. LW Anders Bjork played for just the second time in 21 Buffalo outings, and replaced Cody Eakin in the lineup.
RATING RISTOLAINEN
The fresh start Flyers D Rasmus Ristolainen was seeking upon being traded by Buffalo to Philadelphia last summer hasn’t translated into a playoff berth. He has yet to be part of a team to qualify for the postseason after spending his first nine seasons with the Sabres.
"We’re not a winning team right now, but you look at the holes that we have, that’s not because of Rasmus," Yeo said of Ristolainen, who could miss the remainder of the season with an upper-body injury.
"Obviously, now we've got to get healthy guys back. We’ve got to fill in other holes, whatever the case is," Yeo added.
"But we do believe that we can be a winning hockey team with him in the lineup."
Ristolainen, who signed a five-year contract extension last month, has two goals and 16 points in 66 games this season.
UP NEXT
Teams conclude a two-game home-and-home set at Philadelphia on Sunday.