Perry scores 2 as Ducks drop Sabres
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Corey Perry had two goals and an assist to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
Rickard Rakell, Antoine Vermette and Andrew Cogliano also scored for the Ducks (29-17-10), who snapped a three-game losing streak. John Gibson made 21 saves.
Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen scored for the Sabres (22-22-10). Robin Lehner made 39 saves.
The start of the game was dominated by goaltending until Perry opened the scoring with 2.3 seconds left in the first period after being left alone for an extended period of time. Perry looped into the slot before picking up his 10th goal of the year on a wrist shot through Lehner's legs.
Eichel evened the score with a power-play strike 6:04 into the second period after a quick passing sequence in the Ducks zone. Following a faceoff win, the Sabres got the puck to Eichel in the slot with two quick passes and he made no mistake on his 13th goal of the year. The goal came just two seconds into the power play.
Rakell made it 2-1 55 seconds into the third period following a terrific feed by Perry. Perry took the puck inside before giving it back to Rakell on his left, and Rakell had an easy finish for his team-best 22nd goal of the year.
Vermette made it 3-1 5:46 into the third, making the Sabres pay for a costly penalty by center Ryan O'Reilly. O'Reilly was given a four-minute penalty for high sticking after his stick caught Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf in the face following a faceoff, and Vermette scored 21 seconds later. The goal came off a deflection from close range on a shot from the point by defenseman Brandon Montour.
Perry picked up his second goal of the night midway through the third period. Perry picked up a rebound at the side of the net and deposited it home to make it 4-1 with 9:49 remaining.
Ristolainen got one back for the Sabres with 1:38 remaining on a terrific backhand effort. Cogliano added an empty-net goal with 55.9 seconds remaining.
NOTES: C Zemgus Girgensons, D Taylor Fedun and C Evan Rodrigues were scratched for the Sabres. Rodrigues and Derek Grant were recalled from the AHL's Rochester Americans before the game. Grant was reacquired by the Sabres off waivers on Feb. 6 from Nashville. ... It is Rodrigues' second call-up of the season; Rodrigues has 27 points (9 goals, 18 assists) with the Americans this season. ... D Sami Vatanen, D Korbinian Holzer and C Joseph Cramarossa were scratched for the Ducks. ... This was the first of two meetings between the Sabres and Ducks this season. The second and final meeting takes place March 17 in Anaheim.