Sabres use third-period rally, defeat Canucks in shootout

BUFFALO -- The Buffalo Sabres scored two goals late in the third period to rally for a 4-3 shootout win against the Vancouver Canucks at KeyBank Center on Saturday.

With the Sabres trailing 3-1, Jeff Skinner scored his 12th of the season to make it 3-2 with 2:27 remaining in the third. Sam Reinhart tied the game 3-3 with 1:47 remaining off a rebound from the left circle.
It's the second straight game the Sabres have won when trailing after two periods; they were losing 5-4 entering the third period against the Montreal Canadiens and won 6-5 in overtime Thursday.
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"It's a good feeling to have that belief," Reinhart said. "You're going to run through adversity throughout the year and you sort of need to keep that belief. Things aren't going to go your way, you're going to have bad nights. Tonight I think wasn't our best night, but we found a way to get the job done and get two points."
Nathan Beaulieu scored, and Carter Hutton made 36 saves for the Sabres (9-6-2). Casey Mittelstadt scored the deciding goal in the shootout.

Loui Eriksson, Jake Virtanen and Erik Gudbranson scored, and Jacob Markstrom made 34 saves for Vancouver (10-6-2), which extended its point streak to six games (4-0-2).
"That's not good when you're up 3-1 with under five to go, you need to close it out. It's as simple as that," Gudbranson said. "That definitely burns, but we've got to use it to our advantage and not let it happen again."
Beaulieu scored on a tap-in to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 4:43 of the first period.
"I try to get a puck on net, [Rasmus Dahlin] whipped it over to me, and I miss the net," Beaulieu said. "I knew [Kyle Okposo] was going to get it with some serious time so I just tried to get open. He made a world-class play."

Eriksson tied it 1-1 when Markus Granlund passed to him in front at 18:16 of the second period. Virtanen gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead 1:10 later with a backhand from the left circle that beat Hutton on the far side at 19:26.
Gudbranson's shot from the point went through traffic to extend the lead to 3-1 at 3:44 of the third period.
"A lot of the guys are playing well. We're playing some good hockey," Canucks forward Bo Horvat said. "It's unfortunate to give up that point. I thought we had a pretty solid game for 55 minutes; it's just a matter of closing it out."

They said it

"They found some holes. That top line's good, they're creative, and if you give them a little bit of space they're going to take a mile, so that's kind of what happened." --Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson
"He comes in here, he's positive between periods, he's on us to get those goals and he knows that we're never out of games. … I think we're starting to believe in each other. I know that we know we're never out of games. He's building an identity for us. I think the more and more we stick to it and believe in what we're trying to do and believe in him and believe in ourselves it's working out." -- Sabres captain Jack Eichel on coach Phil Housley

Need to know

The Sabres overcame trailing by a multiple goals in the final five minutes of the third period and won a regular-season game for the seventh time, the first time since March 24, 2010 (3-2 shootout win against Montreal). … Eriksson extended his point streak to four games (four goals, three assists). ... Gudbranson extended his point streak to five games (two goals, four assists).

What's next

Canucks:At the New York Rangers on Monday (7 p.m. ET; MSG, SNP, NHL.TV)
Sabres: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV)