Beauvillier's OT goal lifts Islanders over Sabres

Anthony Beauvillier scored with 1:56 left in overtime Saturday afternoon as the host New York Islanders edged the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in Uniondale, N.Y. Beauvillier picked up a loose puck at the Sabres' blue line, raced up the ice and shuffled the puck a handful of times as he neared goaltender Linus Ullmark before firing a shot into the far corner of the net.

Michael Dal Colle and Jordan Eberle scored for the Islanders, who have won three straight and four of five. Goalie Semyon Varlamov made 33 saves. Victor Oloffson scored in the second period and Jack Eichel forced overtime by tying the game late in the third for the Sabres, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Ullmark recorded 23 saves.

Veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian was a healthy scratch for Buffalo for a second straight game. Canada's TSN reported Bogosian requested a trade after the first healthy scratch of his career Thursday night. The Islanders took the lead in opportunistic fashion early in the first.

Sabres center Jeff Skinner beat Dal Colle to a loose puck deep in the Buffalo zone and nudged the puck to Ullmark. But instead of smothering the puck, Ullmark tried clearing it behind the net. Beauvillier picked off the pass and dished to Dal Colle, who beat Ullmark from point-blank range with a shot that sailed beyond his stick hand at the 5:11 mark. Brock Nelson was whistled for holding the stick 4:37 into the second to set up the Sabres' game-tying power-play goal. After an exchange of the puck beyond the faceoff circles, Oloffson's slap shot hit the top post and caromed past Varlamov, who was screened by teammate Adam Pelech and Buffalo center Sam Reinhart.

Impressive efforts by Nelson and Beauvillier created the go-ahead goal early in the third. Nelson wrestled the puck away from the Sabres' Henri Jokiharju along the boards behind the Buffalo net but quickly lost control. Beauvillier then raced in, beat Marco Scandella to the puck and passed to Eberle, who was among a gaggle of players in front of the net. Eberle went to one knee and fired the shot that beat Ullmark 4:50 into the period.

The Sabres threatened several times thereafter before finally tying the score just as a power play -- caused by a roughing penalty on Mathew Barzal -- was expiring. Buffalo peppered Varlamov and scored the equalizer when Eichel pounced on a rebound and put it home with 1:46 left. --Field Level Media

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)