In Buffalo, Dylan Cozens scored at 1:46 into extra time on Tuesday night to give the Sabres a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“That was big to get that win, especially after giving up a goal with seven seconds left,” Cozens said. “That would be frustrating to lose that game. But those are the types of games we need to win. Low-scoring, gritty games and games where we just find a way.”
Tampa Bay had rallied from an 0-2 deficit to tie the game and force the extra session.
“I felt our guys had that sense of objective the entire game but had to fight really hard and really late to get it,” Buffalo coach Don Granato said. “I told them they earned it. They deserved the win by the effort, by the focus and circumstances throughout. Lots of different challenges, but they plowed through it.”
Brandon Hagel scored for the Bolts with seven seconds left on the regulation clock to help them earn the loser’s point. It was his second goal of the game.
“I had no idea what time it was,” Hagel said. “Everything kind of was feeling slow motion and then [Brayden Point] just kept throwing it at the net, so I’m like, oh, there must be only seconds left. So I’m just trying to get a stick on it, trying to get it at the net and maybe something happens, and something did happen.”
Devon Levi made 21 saves in the Sabres win, their first of the season.
Zemgus Girgensons picked up a marker with nine minutes gone in the first period for a 1-0 lead to the Sabres.
“I just thought we got better and better,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “I never felt that we were in trouble. It’s unfortunate we didn’t touch the puck in overtime, but they deserved for sure a point, maybe two out of that. You’ve just got to keep plugging away. This league can humble you and you’ve got to have that mental fortitude to fight your way through it. But you’re going to look at a lot of what we’ve done as a group, it’s been excellent. We just haven’t been able to generate when we’ve needed to.”
Jeff Skinner pushed the lead to 2-0 at 15:28 of the opening frame.
Hagel started the Tampa rally with 2:02 left in the middle frame for a 2-1 deficit headed to the third.
“It’s obviously a step in the right direction,” Hagel said. “I mean [one point is] better than none. I thought we played fine tonight. I think we had the puck lots, did everything but get it past them one more time in extra time. We didn’t touch the puck once, and sometimes that happens and they were able to find one. But a lot better, I thought.”
Jonas Johansson made 28 saves in the Tampa loss.
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