Sabres halt six-game skid with shootout win
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Cal O'Reilly scored in a shootout to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night at KeyBank Center.
Anders Nilsson made 46 saves and William Carrier scored his first NHL goal for the Sabres (6-8-4), who snapped a six-game losing streak.
Buffalo also ended a nine-game losing streak against Pittsburgh and beat the Penguins with Sidney Crosby in the lineup for the first time in 15 meetings.
Crosby scored his 12th goal in 12 games, tying Winnipeg's Patrik Laine for the NHL lead.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 25 saves for the Penguins (11-4-3), who closed out a three-game road trip and were playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
Nilsson made saves against Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang in the shootout. He made four of his saves in overtime, including one on a Letang breakaway.
Crosby scored the tying goal on a power play with 14:14 remaining in the third period. Just nine seconds after Buffalo's Cody Franson went to the penalty box for interference, Chris Kunitz collected the rebound off Malkin's shot from the point and set up Crosby for a sliding snap shot from the right slot.
The Penguins controlled the action throughout the first two periods, outshooting the Sabres 27-16, but could not generate a goal. Nilsson made 18 saves in the first period.
The Penguins kept the puck in the offensive zone for a stretch of more than three minutes in the second period but still couldn't put one past Nilsson.
Carrier gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead 8:16 into the first period when he deflected Taylor Fedun's shot from the point and the puck trickled between Fleury's pads.
NOTES: Penguins RW Patric Hornqvist missed his second straight game with a concussion. LW Tom Sestito and D Steve Oleksy were healthy scratches. ... C Ryan O'Reilly (oblique), C Jack Eichel (ankle), D Dmitry Kulikov (lower back) and D Zach Bogosian (knee) remain out indefinitely for Buffalo. ... F Cal O'Reilly and F Cole Schneider entered the Sabres lineup after being recalled from the minors earlier Saturday. ... The NHL credited Penguins RW Phil Kessel with an assist after reviewing Friday night's 3-2 overtime victory over the New York Rangers, raising his team-leading total to 12 entering Saturday's game. ... Linesman Greg Devorski was honored for officiating his 1,500th NHL game.