Wild hand Sabres seventh straight loss
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund scored two goals apiece to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 5-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.
Tyler Ennis also scored for the Wild (10-8-3). Devan Dubnyk made 30 saves.
Jordan Nolan had two goals for the Sabres (5-13-4), who have lost seven games in a row (0-5-2). Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart also scored.
Buffalo goalie Chad Johnson allowed three goals on 13 shots and was replaced by Robin Lehner to open the second period. Lehner made 17 saves.
Eichel opened the scoring 6:55 into the game, swiping the puck into the net from a hard angle for his sixth goal of the season.
The Wild quickly took control from there, scoring three goals in the second -- though the Sabres would mount multiple comebacks.
Ennis, a former Sabre, evened the score at 8:59 of the first on a terrific goal. Ennis spun inside the left circle and placed a backhand shot along the ice through Johnson's legs for his fourth goal of the season.
Granlund made it 2-1 on a two-on-one opportunity with 7:32 left in the first. Granlund kept the puck and buried a high shot to the blocker side for his fourth goal of the season.
Niederreiter made it 3-1 with 5:32 left in the first. Niederreiter redirected Mikko Koivu's shot from the point for his seventh goal of the year.
Nolan cut Minnesota's lead to 3-2 at 2:01 of the second on his first goal as a Sabre.
Niederreiter picked up his second of the night 7:57 into the second on a tap-in on a pass from Eric Staal behind the Buffalo net.
Granlund picked up his second of the night with 4:04 left in the second on a deflection from close range.
Reinhart made it 5-3 on a redirection with 1:35 left in the second. Nolan cut Minnesota's lead to one with 6:05 remaining, whipping the puck into the net from outside the right circle.
NOTES: D Casey Nelson, C Seth Griffith and LW Matt Moulson were scratched for the Sabres. D Zach Bogosian (lower body, 22 games) and D Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body, nine games) remain on injured reserve for Buffalo. ... D Kyle Quincey was scratched for the Wild. ... Sabres D Marco Scandella was a second-round draft pick of the Wild in 2008 and played in 373 games for Minnesota from 2010-17. ... This was the first of two meetings this season. The second takes place Jan. 4 in Minnesota.