BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Kyle Okposo had a goal and an assist, helping the Buffalo Sabres bust an offensive slump with three power-play goals in a 4-2 win against the Calgary Flames on Monday night.
Johan Larsson, Matt Moulson and Marcus Foligno also scored for the Sabres, who reached three goals in a game for the first time in 11 chances, since a 3-1 win at Winnipeg on Oct. 30. Buffalo has won consecutive games for just the second time this season.
Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist and Mikael Backlund also scored for Calgary, which is coming off a 3-2 win at Detroit on Sunday night. Buffalo got two assists each from Sam Reinhart and Taylor Fedun, who now has four assists in three games since being called up from the AHL.
Robin Lehner had 29 saves for the Sabres, and Brian Elliott turned away 28 shots for Calgary.
Backlund opened the scoring in the first period, but the Sabres answered with three goals in a span of 101 seconds in the second to take a 3-1 lead. Penalties to Dougie Hamilton and Troy Brouwer at 10:02 gave the Sabres a 5-on-3 advantage, which they converted into a pair of goals. First, Okposo took a pass from Reinhart and fired a wrist shot into the back of the net. On the Sabres' next shot, Larsson redirected Evander Kane's wrist shot between Elliott's legs.
Buffalo wasn't finished. Brouwer took another penalty with 7:04 remaining in the second, and Moulson cashed in with his sixth power-play goal of the season, giving him a share of the league lead in power-play goals.
After Tkachuk scored 22 seconds into the third to cut the Sabres' lead, Buffalo answered two minutes later when Foligno slid an odd-angle backhand shot behind Elliott's left pad.
Elliott has now allowed 22 goals and is 0-6 in his last six starts for the Flames. Calgary's six penalties were its most in a game since it had eight penalties in a 4-2 loss to Carolina on Oct. 20. The Sabres' three power-play goals were a season best.
NOTES: Sabres C Ryan O'Reilly practiced on Monday, and coach Dan Bylsma expects the top-line forward to return to the lineup later this week. O'Reilly missed his fifth straight game with an oblique injury. ... Bylsma said the next step in C Jack Eichel's recovery from a high left ankle sprain is to begin practicing with the team. Eichel, who was hurt a day before the season opener last month, skated individually for the seventh straight day. ... Flames F Kris Versteeg (groin) missed his ninth straight game, but coach Greg Gulutzan said there's a good chance he'll be ready to return on Wednesday, when Calgary plays at Columbus.
NEXT UP
Flames: Play at Columbus on Wednesday night.
Sabres: Close a four-game homestand hosting Detroit on Wednesday night
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