BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jeff Skinner scored at 1:50 of overtime and the Buffalo Sabres beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Friday night.
J.J. Peterka and Jordan Greenway also scored for the Sabres, who recovered after giving up a 2-0 lead to improve to 3-0-1 in their last four games. Devon Levi made 32 saves in his NHL debut to help Buffalo pull five points behind Pittsburgh for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
Kaapo Kakko and Adam Fox scored for New York, which has lost two straight but pulled three points behind second-place New Jersey in the Metropolitan Division. Jaroslav Halak made 31 saves.
In the extra period, Skinner gathered the puck after a pass from Owen Power, skated between a pair of defenders and fired a shot past Halak. It was Skinner’s 32nd goal of the season.
Levi, who played at Northeastern University the past two seasons, signed a three-year entry-level contract on March 17.
Peterka gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead with 8:40 left in the first period when he buried a no-look backhand pass from Dylan Cozens for his 11th.
Greenway made it 2-0 at 7:39 of the second when he took a pass from Casey Mittelstadt up the right side and one-handed a shot past Halak for his fourth.
Kakko got the Rangers on the scoreboard when he batted a floating puck past Levi after Filip Chytil’s shot was blocked wotj 7:43 remaining in the middle period.
Fox tied it 2-2 when he poked a loose puck during a net-mouth scrum past Levi at 9:45 of the third for his 12th.
UP NEXT
Rangers: At Washington on Sunday in the finale of a three-game trip.
Sabres: At Philadelphia on Saturday night to open a three-game trip.
