BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jack Eichel had two goals and extended his NHL-leading point streak to 15 games, Victor Oloffson scored in the third period, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 on Thursday night.
Jimmy Vesey also scored and Linus Ullmark made 36 saves as the Sabres won their third in a row.
Matt Duchene, Colton Sissons and Ryan Johansen had goals for the Predators, who had a two-game win streak snapped. Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots.
Olofsson rebounded his own miss and scored the deciding goal midway through the third period. Oloffson’s initial shot from the right slot bounced off the end board to the other side of the crease, and the Sabres’ rookie lifted the puck over Saros’ shoulder for his 13th goal of the season.
Eichel scored two goals for the second straight game, bringing his season total to 22. He has 14 goals and 13 assists during his 15-game point streak that matched Chicago’s Patrick Kane for the longest in the NHL this season. Kane tallied 11 goals and 13 assists during his stretch that lasted from Nov. 2-30.
It’s the longest streak by a Sabres player since Tim Connolly had points in 16 straight games during the 2009-10 season.
Eichel scored both of his goals in the second period. He beat Saros with a rising wrist shot from the left circle to tie the score about five minutes into the period, and deflected a long shot from Henri Jokiharju to put Buffalo in front 3-2 with 5:39 remaining in the third.
Johansen got the tying goal for Nashville when he knocked in a rebound off Filip Forsberg’s shot less than two minutes later.
Duchene gave Nashville the lead in the opening minute when he manoeuvred around a sprawling Ullmark and scored from the left edge of the crease.
Vesey responded for Buffalo later in the first period. Receiving a pass from Rasmus Ristolainen in front, Vesey lifted a shot into the top of the net to record his 100th NHL point.
BOGOSIAN TRADE REPORT
Buffalo has a logjam on the blue line and Zach Bogosian reportedly wants out of it.
Bogosian requested a trade from the Sabres on Thursday after he was scratched from the lineup, according to a tweet from TSN’s Darren Dreger.
With Rasmus Dahlin returning after missing eight games due to a concussion, the Sabres have eight healthy defenceman on the roster. They dressed seven defenceman and 11 forwards against the Predators.
General manager Jason Botterill said he was “actively seeking” a trade to balance the Sabres’ roster three weeks ago.
That was before Bogosian returned after missing the first 22 games while recovering from off-season hip surgery. He is accounting for $5.142 million against Buffalo’s salary cap in the final season of a seven-year contract.
NOTES
The Predators had won eight straight in Buffalo. It was the second-longest active road winning streak against a single opponent in the NHL. Nashville’s last loss in Buffalo came on Dec. 1, 2008. … Dave Andreychuk, Adam Creighton and Mike Foligno were among a group of 16 players from Buffalo’s 1980s teams recognized during a pregame ceremony as part of the franchise’s 50th anniversary season. … Fans in attendance received gold, red, blue and orange t-shirts to resemble the colored seats at Memorial Auditorium, where the Sabres from 1970-96. … Predators D Mattias Ekholm played in his 500th NHL game.
UP NEXT
Predators: Host Dallas on Saturday ahead of four-game trip.
Sabres: Open three-game trip Saturday at New York Islanders.
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Jonah Bronstein, The Associated Press
