At the Horn | Red Wings 6 - Sabres 5 (SO)

Jason Zucker scored two goals and an assist for the Buffalo Sabres, but the Detroit Red Wings erased a two-goal deficit in the third period and went on to win 6-5 in a shootout at KeyBank Center on Monday.

The Sabres led 5-3 entering the third period. Andrew Copp scored his second goal of the night to cut the Red Wings’ deficit to one, then Moritz Seider scored the tying goal with 4:18 remaining in regulation. Dylan Larkin, who had two assists, scored the shootout winner.

The loss extended Buffalo’s winless streak to seven games at 0-4-3.

Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond also scored for Detroit. Ville Husso allowed three goals on seven shots in 20 minutes of play before giving way to Sebastian Cossa, who stopped 12 of 14 shots in his NHL debut.

Zucker’s three-point night extended his point streak to four games. The Sabres also received goals from Zach Benson, Tage Thompson, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel while Ryan McLeod and Peyton Krebs had two assists each. James Reimer made 25 saves.

Buffalo was without captain Rasmus Dahlin for the third straight game due to back spasms. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Dahlin took a rehab skate Monday morning and could be ready to play by this weekend.

Jordan Greenway returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a middle-body injury and skated 14:39, including 2:46 shorthanded as part of a 3-for-3 night for the penalty kill.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Period

The Sabres emerged from a back-and-forth period with a 3-2 lead, led by a goal and an assist from Zucker.

Benson opened the scoring just 1:38 into the contest with a shot sent above Husso’s glove from the right half wall. Less than five minutes later, the Red Wings had taken the lead on goals scored 41 seconds apart by DeBrincat and Copp. DeBrincat got behind the defense and cut through the blue paint to bury a backhand chance; Copp was the recipient of a feed across the net from J.T. Compher.

The Sabres mounted their own response after completing their first successful penalty kill of the night. Seconds after the kill ended, Zucker sped down low toward the Detroit goal line and delivered a pass back to Thompson, who had gained position in front of his defender in the slot and buried a one-timer for his 15th goal of the season.

Zucker scored the go-ahead goal with 4:34 remaining. The Sabres worked the puck around the offensive zone with an extra attacker on for a delayed penalty until it found Zucker, who buried a wrist shot from the left circle with Greenway screening Husso.

Second Period

Detroit scored an early goal to briefly tie the score at 3-3, but the Sabres responded once again with two goals of their own – including Zucker’s second of the night – to carry a 5-3 lead into the second intermission.

Raymond scored the tying goal for the Red Wings 1:05 into the period on a shot taken from the slot on the rush. Aube-Kubel restored the Sabres’ lead 81 seconds later, burying a rebound off Cossa’s pad after Owen Power sent a shot through traffic from the point.

Zucker added to the Sabres’ lead at 9:46, driving right to left across the Detroit net-front and sending a wrist shot behind Cossa’s outstretched leg.

The Sabres completed their second successful penalty kill late in the period to protect the two-goal lead.

Third period

The Sabres were successful on yet another penalty kill early in the period, but the Red Wings still managed to pull off the two-goal comeback and force overtime.

Copp buried a loose puck in the blue pain for his second goal of the game to cut the deficit to one with 9:33 remaining. Seider picked the near-side corner from the right circle for the tying goal with 4:18 left to play.

Overtime

The Sabres had a chance to win a low-event extra period when McLeod burst through the defense for a breakaway, but his shot hit the post and deflected out of harm’s way.

McLeod’s attempt was one of two shot attempts taken by either team in overtime. The other was a Seider wrist shot that was blocked by Alex Tuch.

Shootout

Raymond scored on the Red Wings’ first attempt of the shootout, burying a backhand attempt behind Reimer’s right skate.

Tuch evened the shootout with a wrist shot on Buffalo’s third try, but Larkin clinched the win for Detroit on the following attempt, scoring off his forehand on the left side of the net.

HIGHLIGHTS

PHOTO GALLERY

POSTGAME SOUND

UP NEXT

The homestand concludes Thursday against the New York Rangers. Tickets are available here.

The game will be nationally televised on TNT and Max beginning at 7 p.m. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the radio call on WGR 550.