It took 10 rounds in the skills competition but Zemgus Girgensons finally ended the ordeal with a goal to give the Buffalo Sabres a 2-1 win over the Ducks in Anaheim 
Friday.
Anders Nilsson made 39 saves through extra time in picking up the win and then made seven saves on nine shooters in the shootout.
“We’ve been struggling all season long with shootouts,” Nilsson said. “It’s nice to get a win tonight. … It was good for our confidence, even though it’s coming late in the season.”
The loss dropped the Ducks to 37-23-11 and kept them one point clear of the Calgary Flames who beat the Dallas Stars Friday in regulation.
“We definitely had our chances,” Anaheim’s Rickard Rakell said. “It’s too bad we didn’t get two points, but we need to move forward and focus on the game [at the San Jose Sharks on Saturday].
Ryan O’Reilly was credited with a goal in regulation for the Sabres on a deflection in front of the net.
Rakell scored the only Ducks goal of the game to give them a 1-0 lead.
“At one point in the second period, we were outchancing them 7-1, and then they get a goal,” Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said. “That gave them life, and we had all kinds of opportunities before that. We just didn’t finish.”
WATCH: All Sabres vs. Ducks highlights
Jonathan Bernier took the loss on 30 saves.
“I didn’t think we were as sharp with the puck. We had 22 shots that were directed toward the net that we missed. We had a 40-shot night. They had a bunch of blocked shots on us. That’s an indicator we weren’t sharp enough around the puck,” Carlyle said.
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