Penguins 4, Sabres 3
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Defenseman Kris Letang had three assists to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday afternoon.
Right winger Patric Hornqvist, left winger Scott Wilson, right winger Phil Kessel and center Matt Cullen scored goals for the Penguins (30-20-8). Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 24 saves.
Defenseman Zach Bogosian and right winger Brian Gionta scored for the Sabres (24-29-7). Goalie Robin Lehner made 27 saves.
Hornqvist opened the scoring 8:09 into the first period off a deflection. Hornqvist redirected defenseman Trevor Daley's shot inside the right post for his 12th goal of the year.
Bogosian evened the score with 6:12 remaining in the first. The defenseman blasted a one-timer from deep in the Penguins zone for his second goal of the year.
Wilson made it 2-1 5:28 into the second period moments after a questionable cross-checking penalty by Sabres center Jack Eichel turned a Sabres' power play into a 4-on-4 opportunity. Letang found Wilson wide open to the right of the Sabres' net with a cross-ice pass and Wilson lifted a high shot into the top of the net for his third goal of the year. All of Wilson's goals have come in the last three games.
Kessel made it 3-1 with 2:10 remaining in the second after a great pass by Letang and another Sabres defensive breakdown. With Kessel stationed to the left of the Sabres net, Letang fed a long cross-ice pass from behind the right circle. With a wide-open net and no Sabres nearby, Kessel easily scored his 19th goal of the season.
Cullen made it 4-1 7:52 into the third on a shorthanded breakaway. Lehner initially stopped Cullen's wrist shot but the puck eventually trickled through the goaltender's pads and into the net.
Gionta got one back for the Sabres 13 seconds later off a deflection. Gionta tipped Bogosian's shot from the point to make it 4-2 at 8:05.
After pulling Lehner, Bogosian made it 4-3 with 21.4 seconds remaining on a long shot through traffic.
NOTES: C Ryan O'Reilly (lower body), D Carlo Colaiacovo and D Cody Franson (upper body) were scratched for the Sabres. O'Reilly and Franson were injured in Buffalo's 4-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday. According to the Buffalo News, O'Reilly could miss several weeks. With 49 points (17 goals, 32 assists), O'Reilly is Buffalo's top scorer. ... With O'Reilly out, the Sabres recalled RW Justin Bailey from the AHL's Rochester Americans. ... D Ben Lovejoy, LW Sergei Plotnikov and G Jeff Zatkoff were scratched for the Penguins. ... This was the second meeting between the two teams this season. Their third and final meeting takes place on March 29 in Pittsburgh.