BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Artturi Lehkonen scored with 4:22 left, and the Colorado Avalanche overcame a four-goal deficit in a 5-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.
Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and added an assist as the Avalanche scored four third-period goals. Joel Kiviranta and Logan O’Connor also scored. Backup goalie Scott Wedgewood stopped all 22 shots he faced taking over after starter Alexander Georgiev allowed four goals on eight shots in the first 11:49.It was Wedgewood’s debut for Colorado after being acquired in a trade of backup goalies with Nashville last weekend.
The Avalanche overcame a four-or-more goal deficit for the fourth time in team history, and first since rallying from four goals in a 5-4 OT win over Pittsburgh in March.
Tage Thompson scored twice for Buffalo, which is 0-3-1 in its last four. JJ Peterka and Beck Malenstyn also scored and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed five goals on 43 shots. Lehkonen’s winner came after Luukkonen stopped Calvin de Haan’s shot from the left point. Parked in front, Lehkonen scored the rebound through the goalie’s legs.
Takeaways
Avalanche: Yet another comeback for the Avalanche, who began the day allowing a league-high 37 first-period goals. The Avalanche improved their league-leading record to 7-10 when trailing after the first.
Sabres: A frustrating ending for team that took its foot off the gas after the opening period. This marked the second time the Sabres have blown a four-or-more goal lead in team history. The other time was a 10-4 loss to Calgary on March 12, 1988.
Key moment
Aside from Lekhonen’s goal, Mackinnon tying the game by deflecting in Mikko Rantanen’s point shot with 12:21 remaining.
Key stat
Kiviranta, O’Connor and MacKinnon scored in a span of 6:20.
Up next
The Avalanche continue their five-game tip at Carolina on Thursday, while the Sabes continue their five-game homestand, facing Winnipeg on Thursday.
PENGUINS 5, PANTHERS 4, OT
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Rust scored 1:31 into overtime and the Pittsburgh Penguins avoided another late collapse by beating the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Tuesday night.
The Penguins let a three-goal third-period lead evaporate when Florida’s Sam Bennett, Adam Boqvist and Matthew Tkachuk scored within a 4:32 span to pull the Panthers even at 4.
Rust, however, extended Pittsburgh’s winning streak to four by flipping a wrist shot from the right by Spencer Knight for his eighth goal of the season.
Rookie defenseman Owen Pickering scored the first goal of his career for the Penguins, and Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marcus Pettersson also scored for Pittsburgh. Tristan Jarry made 37 saves on a night the Penguins spent mostly pinned in their own end.
Tkahuck scored twice for Florida, but the Panthers saw their three-game winning streak snapped as Knight stopped just 11 of the 16 shots he faced.
Takeaways
Panthers: Florida dominated everywhere but the scoreboard. If not for a shaky performance from Knight, who was coming off his first shutout of the season, the Panthers would have cruised.
Penguins: the 20-year-old Pickering has more than held his own since making his NHL debut on Nov. 16. His first goal — a shot from the point that threaded its way through traffic — should serve as another confidence boost.
Key moment
Rust’s winner allowed the Penguins to exhale. It’s been a rocky opening two months for Pittsburgh, which has made a habit of blowing multiple-goal leads. Not this time.
Key stat
The Penguins have won their last five home games against the Panthers that have gone to overtime.
Up next
The Panthers play at the Flyers on Thursday, and the Penguins visit the Rangers on Friday.
SHARKS 2, CAPITALS 1
WASHINGTON (AP) — William Eklund scored 39 seconds into overtime, Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves and the San Jose Sharks ended the Washington Capitals’ winning streak at four by beating them 2-1 on Tuesday night.
The Capitals fell to 4-2-1 since captain and leading goal-scorer Alex Ovechkin was sidelined by a broken left fibula. They fell behind early and failed to make it five comeback victories in a row, despite Logan Thompson making 29 saves and Nic Dowd scoring his seventh goal of the season.
Blackwood was dominant at the other end, turning aside quality chances and keeping Washington off the scoreboard on three power plays. Tyler Toffoli scored with one minute left in the first period, and the Sharks won their third in a row.
Rookie Macklin Celebrini picked up the secondary assist on Eklund’s OT winner to extend his point streak to five games. The top pick in the draft has four goals and four assists during this stretch.
Takeaways
Sharks: They were far more prepared from the drop of the puck, and that paid off with Toffoli’s goal. Coach Ryan Warsofsky’s young, rebuilding team built some good habits that should benefit them in the long run.
Capitals: On a positive note, they did not allow four or more goals, as they have in the past three games. But they also lost their recent scoring touch, failing to adjust to the shots Blackwood was stopping with some ease.
Key moment
With 2:17 left, Celebrini drew a 4-minute double-minor penalty for high-sticking on Tom Wilson to put the Sharks on the power play. That carried over into overtime, and Eklund scored on the 4-on-3 advantage.
Key stat
The Sharks have won eight of their past 11 games in Washington.
Up Next
The Sharks continue their road trip Thursday at Tampa Bay, while the Capitals visit Toronto on Friday.
