Bogosian's OT goal sends Sabres past Canadiens
MONTREAL --- Zach Bogosian scored the overtime winner to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
Artturi Lehkonen and Phillip Danault connected in regulation for the Canadiens. Brian Gionta and Cody Franson also scored for Buffalo.
Carey Price stopped 35 shots for Montreal (28-13-7) and Robin Lehner had 36 saves for the Sabres (19-18-9).
A slow start to the first period gave way to a more energetic second half of the period, with both sides trading chances.
After Max Pacioretty was stopped by Lehner's pad and stopped himself on the rebound, Gionta and Evander Kane came close at the other end for the Sabres. Shortly thereafter, Jeff Petry couldn't get a strong shot off on a one-timer from the right circle.
Lehkonen opened the scoring at 3:54 of the second period. Lehner stopped Paul Byron's shot from the high slot but let a big rebound bounce out to Lehkonen, who fired from just inside the right circle.
The Sabres capitalized on the Canadiens' inability to get the puck out of the crease to tie the score less than a minute later. After his teammates couldn't get their sticks on it, Price tried to poke it out of harm's way to his left, but Kane got his stick on it first and fed Gionta, all alone on the right side.
Danault's 10th goal of the season put Montreal back in front 2-1. Pacioretty was patient along the right wall before dishing off to Petry at the point. The Canadiens defenseman fired a bullet from the blue line and Danault, screening Lehner, tipped it past the netminder.
Franson evened the score at 11:53 of the third period off a faceoff. Ryan O'Reilly won the draw directly back to the defenseman, who fired a shot from the blue line through several sticks and into the net.
Buffalo came close to ending it in the dying seconds of regulation, but Price stood tall on a partial break by Matt Moulson before following it up with a perfectly timed flash of the glove on Rasmus Ristolainen.
NOTES: Canadiens C Tomas Plekanec played in his 891st career NHL game, all with Montreal, giving him sole possession of 13th place on the franchise's games played list. ... Montreal RW Alexander Radulov dressed for his 200th NHL game. ... With D Jake McCabe injured against Detroit on Friday night, the Sabres recalled D Casey Nelson from the AHL's Rochester Americans to face Montreal. ... Buffalo scratched D Josh Gorges (hip) and LW Nicolas Deslauriers (healthy). ... The Canadiens kept the same lineup from Friday's win, leaving LW Daniel Carr and D Ryan Johnston as the healthy scratches. ... It was the first of two meetings between the clubs in a span of 10 days, both at the Bell Centre.