BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Jaccob Slavin scored 2:15 into overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 5-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.
Jordan Staal, Derek Ryan, Elias Lindstrom, Justin Williams and Slavin each had a goal and an assist to help the Hurricanes win their second in a row to close out a season-long six-game trip. Cam Ward made 37 saves.
Jack Eichel had his first career hat trick and assisted on Jake McCabe’s goal for the Sabres. McCabe also had two assists, and Evander Kane had three assists. Chad Johnson stopped 29 shots. Buffalo has lost its last six overtime games.
Lindholm set up Slavin in the slot for the winning goal after Ward stopped Kane on a breakaway.
Eichel had goals 10 seconds apart in the third period to tie it. He scored on a long straightaway shot through traffic and then got his 11th of the season and a wrist shot from the slot with 10:26 left in the period.
Staal, Ryan and Lindstrom scored within a four-minute span of the third period to give the Hurricanes a 4-2 lead seven minutes into the third period.
Staal scored off the rebound of Jacob Slavin’s shot to tie the game at 2-2 three minutes into the third period. Ryan deflected Brett Pesce’s shot into the net to put Carolina ahead about a minute later and set up Lindhold on a 3-on-2 to extend the lead just before the 13-minute mark.
Buffalo got its first two goals off rebounds. McCabe made it 2-1 a little over a minute into the third period on a wrist shot from the right circle following Eichel’s shot.
Eichel scored his first goal on backhand from the left side of the crease. Ward made the initial stop after Kane deflected McCabe’s long slap shot.
After a scoreless first 30 minutes, Williams knocked in the rebound from Jordan Staal’s shot midway through the second period. The Hurricanes held the lead for just 30 seconds before Eichel’s goal.
NOTES: Eichel had the Sabres’ first home hat trick since Thomas Vanek on April 5, 2011. … Sabres D Nathan Beaulieu returned to the lineup after missing five games due to an illness. … Buffalo has not scored a power-play goal against Carolina in the last 12 meetings. … This was the second of three matchups between the Hurricanes and Sabres this season. They play again Dec. 23 at Carolina.
UP NEXT
Hurricanes: Return home to play Columbus on Saturday night
Sabres: Three days off before hosting Boston on Tuesday night.
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