Victor Olofsson capped a two-goal performance by scoring 36 seconds into overtime to propel the host Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday.
Tage Thompson scored twice in the third period before picking up an assist on Olofsson’s winner. Olofsson converted a pass from defenseman Rasmus Dahlin past Arvid Soderblom (41 saves) as Buffalo snapped a modest two-game losing streak.
Jeff Skinner and captain Kyle Okposo each notched two assists and Craig Anderson turned aside 23 shots for the Sabres.
Chicago’s Jason Dickinson scored a power-play goal in the first period and Sam Lafferty and Taylor Raddysh tallied in the second for the Blackhawks, who have dropped two in a row following a four-game winning streak.
Buffalo native Patrick Kane played in his 1,115th career game to move into third place all-time in franchise history. He entered the contest tied with defenseman Brent Seabrook.
Lafferty converted a goal-mouth scramble by banking the puck off Anderson and into the net to give Chicago a 2-1 lead at 4:49 of the second period.
Like Lafferty, Raddysh scored his third goal of the season after cleaning up a rebound on the doorstep. Philipp Kurashev’s shot from the point provided a rebound for Raddysh, who tapped it home at 6:20 of the second period.
Thompson converted a rebound to halve the deficit at 11:55 of the third before swatting the puck out of the air with 3:13 left in the period.
Buffalo registered the first nine shots of the game and appeared to open the scoring after Olofsson pounced on a loose puck in the right circle. Chicago, however, successfully challenged an offside entry prior to the apparent goal.
Undaunted, Olofsson made good off a faceoff in the offensive zone and unleashed a blast from the high slot past Soderblom. The goal was his fifth of the season and fourth in his last four games.
Dickinson answered nearly four minutes later after converting a goal-mouth scramble for his third goal of the season.
–Field Level Media
