Oilers 4, Sabres 2
EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Edmonton Oilers won their third game in a row, a 4-2 decision over the Buffalo Sabres. Taylor Hall and Teddy Purcell each had a goal and an assist, and goalie Anders Nilsson, who has started every game during the Oilers winning streak, made 32 saves. Nilsson is now 8-7-1 on a team that, at 11-15-2, is four games under .500.
The Sabres entered the third trailing by two goals and outshot the Oilers 16-6, but Nilsson shut the door.
Sabres rookie center Jack Eichel's backhanded effort put the Sabres ahead 1-0 just 6:58 into the game.
But, less than three minutes later, Edmonton tied it. On a delayed Sabres penalty, Hall floated a shot toward the net that deflected off Purcell. The tip gave Sabres goalie Chad Johnson no chance.
At 16:06, right winger Jordan Eberle gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead, converting a nifty pass from center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. From behind the red line, Nugent-Hopkins slid the puck between the legs of Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian and found the tape of Eberle's stick.
With just 1:05 left in the first, and the Oilers on the power play, Hall extended the lead to 3-1, banging the puck into an open net after a pass from Purcell banged off a couple of bodies on front of the goal.
The Sabres cut the deficit to one at 13:22 of the second. With Oilers defenseman Eric Gryba in the box, center Ryan O'Reilly's backhand found the top corner of the goal. Earlier in that power play, Oilers center Anton Lander had a golden chance for a shorthanded marker, but his effort was denied thanks to Johnson's glove.
The Oilers went up 4-2 with 2:17 left in the second. Left winger Luke Gazdic was shoved toward the net during a goalmouth scramble. Gazdic's momentum carried the puck in the goal; the play was reviewed and the goal stood. Buffalo coach Dan Bylsma challenged the play that was already reviewed and, unsurprisingly, the goal still stood. It was Gazdic's first point of the season.
NOTES: The Sabres called up C Cal O'Reilly from their AHL affiliate in Rochester, N.Y. on Saturday. He is the brother of Buffalo C Ryan O'Reilly. Cal O'Reilly was a healthy scratch Sunday. ... The Oilers swept the season series with the Sabres in 2014-15, winning both games by 3-2 counts. ... Oilers LW Benoit Pouliot (lower body) and D Andrew Ference (undisclosed) were the latest additions to injured reserve, joining C Connor McDavid (broken clavicle), LW Rob Klinkhammer (undisclosed) and RW Nail Yakupov (ankle). ... The Oilers called up LW Ryan Hamilton from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, Calif., to fill Pouliot's roster spot. Hamilton was scratched along with D Mark Fayne. ... Sabres D Mark Pysyk (lower body), C Cody McCormick (blood clot), G Robin Lehner (ankle), C Tyler Ennis (upper body) are on injured reserve. Sabres D Mike Weber was out with a knee injury.