The Buffalo Sabers thought they could move towards a fourth victory in five games Thursday night, but the team took their foot off the accelerator a little too early against the Colorado Avalanche.
A late comeback in the third period allowed the Avalanche to inflict their second straight victory on the Sabers, this one by a score of 6 to 5. Devon Toews played the hero 48 seconds into overtime, thanks to a breakaway goal, to give the Avalanche a sixth straight victory.
The problems seem to be starting all over again for Buffalo, which seemed to have gotten its head above water with three straight wins, after ending a series of 13 straight defeats. However, they suffered a defeat against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, then the Avalanche on Thursday.
Quebecer Jonathan Drouin was at the heart of the Avalanche’s comeback with a performance of a goal and an assist. Drouin scored the tying goal with eight seconds left in the third period to force overtime.
Placed at the top of the slot, Drouin took advantage of a nice throw from Nathan MacKinnon to score with a good one-timer. He has three goals and five assists in seven outings this season.
MacKinnon had three assists Thursday night, while Toews had success with a goal and two assists. Cale Makar scored twice while Ross Colton and Mikko Rantanen also scored.
MacKinnon sits atop the NHL with 64 points this season and became the first player with 50 assists this season in 39 games. He is only the sixth player in NHL history with 50 assists in fewer than 40 games, after Waye Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Adam Oates, Denis Savard and Bobby Orr.
Jason Zucker was brilliant with a three-goal, one-assist performance in the Sabres’ loss, while Tage Thompson had three assists. Zach Benson and Bowen Byram also rocked the ropes.
The Avalanche lost goaltender Scott Wedgewood in the third period, just before Benson’s goal. The latter fell on Wedgewood’s leg and the goaltender writhed in pain on the ice. The referees did not stop the game and Benson scored into an empty cage immediately afterwards.
-The game got off to a bad start for the Avalanche, who saw the Sabers build a three-goal lead midway through the game. Zucker contributed to all three of those goals.
Assisted by Drouin, Makar, however, reduced the gap with 5:02 to play thanks to a superb feint which allowed him to score with a good wrist shot afterwards.
The Avalanche and Sabers traded a few goals in the third period, but Zucker’s third goal seemed to put the game out of Colorado’s reach with 3:51 remaining.
However, this was to know Jared Bednar’s men very poorly.
While the Avalanche had withdrawn its goaltender, Makar reduced the gap with a powerful one-timer, his 13th goal of the campaign.
Drouin then reduced the gap, then Toews completed the job in overtime.
Colorado will host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday evening, who will complete a six-game trip.
