Islanders top Sabres in OT
NEW YORK -- Mathew Barzal scored 1:08 into overtime Wednesday night as the New York Islanders mounted a late comeback to beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 at Barclays Center.
Barzal scored seconds after entering the ice on a shift switch. Barzal took the puck near center ice from Josh Bailey, weaved through the Sabres defense and fired a shot from between the faceoff circles that sailed past goalie Robin Lehner.
Bailey forced overtime by scoring with 1:09 left in regulation for the Islanders (20-13-4), who have won two straight for the first time this month. Jason Chimera scored in the second period. Goalie Jaroslav Halak made 35 saves.
Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo scored for the Sabres (9-20-8), who lost 11 of 14 (3-7-4). Lehner made 31 saves.
Following a scoreless first period, the Islanders took the lead following an end-to-end rush 3:41 into the second. Cal Clutterbuck took a cross ice pass from Casey Cizikas and fired a shot that bounced off Lehner's pads and to Chimera, who was all alone near the crease and fired a shot into the back of the net as Chimera was stuck leaning to the right.
A turnover by Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk led to the Sabres' tying goal with 10:17 remaining. Boychuk's clearing pass from behind the net was intercepted at the blue line by Marco Scandella, who fired the puck toward Halak. The puck skittered behind the net and to Jack Eichel, who passed to Girgensons, whose backhanded shot from the doorstep went past Halak.
Okposo, who was drafted by the Islanders in 2006 and spent the first nine seasons of his NHL career with the club before signing as a free agent with the Sabres in July 2016, broke the tie with 8:27 left in the third when he won a battle for position with New York left winger Andrew Ladd to the right of the net and put back a rebound of a shot by Evander Kane.
The Islanders pulled Halak with about 80 seconds left and Bailey scored on the subsequent rush. Referees initially ruled Bailey didn't score, but a replay at the next stoppage with 34.8 seconds left revealed the goal.
NOTES: The Islanders scratched RW Steve Bernier, D Ryan Pulock and C Alan Quine. ... Islanders rookie C Mathew Barzal earned the NHL's second star of the week honors for the week ending Sunday. ... The Sabres scratched D Victor Antipin, D Josh Gorges and C Scott Wilson. ... Sabres C Ryan O'Reilly returned to the team after missing Saturday's game to attend the birth of his child.