BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jeff Carter scored a power-play goal 1:36 into overtime Friday to give the Penguins a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center.
Brock McGinn’s one-time blast from the right wall somehow got through Sabres goalie Craig Anderson, putting the Penguins in front with 3:30 remaining.
But Kyle Okposo scored a power-play goal exactly two minutes later, capitalizing on a foolish hooking penalty by Evgeni Malkin, to send the game into OT.
Given how sloppy the Penguins were in the first two periods, they deserved to be down heading into the third. The surprising part was how long it took the Sabres to get the lead. Jeff Skinner made it 2-1 in the final minute of the second.
The Penguins were fortunate to escape the first period without being buried in a multiple-goal hole. They were completely out of sorts as the Sabres sent a barrage of shots at Tristan Jarry. The goalie even had to alertly stop a teammate when a Jan Rutta pass nicked Rickard Rakell’s stick and skipped in on the goal.
One young fan summed up their start well when he shouted, “Penguins suck!”
Despite the lopsided early play, they still got an opportunity to take a 1-0 lead on the power play late in the period. Two of the four Sabres defenders had to discard broken sticks. But Malkin and the Penguins didn’t make them pay.
The power play clicked in the second period. Jake Guentzel, who couldn’t bury a breakaway earlier in the period, beat Anderson through an effective Rakell screen. That made it four games in a row with a power-play goal for the Penguins.
But the Penguins let the Sabres seize the lead with two goals in 67 seconds.
Late in the second period, Victor Olofsson beat Sidney Crosby up the ice to score on a 3-on-2 rush. Then the defensive duo of Brian Dumoulin and Jan Rutta lost track of Skinner. Tage Thompson snapped a quick pass to Skinner, who sliced through the crease and put his shot past the blocker of a sliding Jarry.
Rakell tied the score 2:53 into the third, tucking a rebound past the long left leg pad of Sabres goalie Craig Anderson. Crosby made it all happen with incredible hustle. He stacked the pads to make a sliding keep-in at the blue line. Then on one knee he flipped a pass to Danton Heinen, charging in from the bench.
ICE CHIPS
— The second defense pair of Dumoulin and Rutta had a rough night. They had difficulty getting the puck out of the zone on clears and controlled breakouts and struggled while defending. Coach Mike Sullivan may need to split them up.
— Skinner was assessed a match penalty late in regulation after he cross-checked Guentzel. The two slashed each other before Skinner hit him up high. Guentzel briefly went to the dressing room and was back before the start of overtime.
— Heinen’s assist on Rakell’s third-period goal was his first point since Nov. 23.
— Kris Letang participated in the optional morning skate, sporting a new tinted visor during his latest on-ice workout, but he didn’t play against the Sabres. Letang has missed five straight games after he suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 28.
— Ryan Poehling missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. He made the trip and was cleared for contact prior to Friday’s morning skate.
— Josh Archibald was in the lineup after taking a maintenance day Thursday. He had a bead on Thompson, the Sabres star, any time they shared the ice.
COMING UP
The Penguins and Sabres will face off again Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, the conclusion of the season series against the Sabres. The team is off Sunday.
