Buffalo Remains Undefeated

by Heather Engel / NHL.com Independent Correspondent. 10.19.21

BUFFALO — The Buffalo Sabres won their third straight game to start the season, 5-2 against the Vancouver Canucks at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.

Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons each had a goal and an assist, and Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson scored 23 seconds apart to break a tie in the third period for the Sabres (3-0-0), who have won three in a row to start the season for the first time since their four-game run in 2008-09. Craig Anderson made 32 saves.

Bo Horvat and Justin Dowling scored, and Thatcher Demko made 38 saves for the Canucks (1-2-1), who played without defenseman Quinn Hughes because of an undisclosed injury.

Horvat gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead at 5:57 of the first period. Tanner Pearson won a battle behind the net before passing to Horvat in the slot.

Okposo scored his 200th NHL goal at 8:22 with a shot from the right circle to tie it 1-1.

Dowling put the Canucks back in front at 16:01 when he deflected Luke Schenn‘s point shot to make it 2-1.

Girgensons tipped in a shot from Okposo at 17:37 of the second period to tie it 2-2.

Skinner gave the Sabres a 3-2 lead at 3:33 of the third period, lifting a backhander from his knees past Demko.

Thompson scored 23 seconds later at 3:56 to make it 4-2, sweeping in a loose puck after Demko couldn’t control a rebound.

Rasmus Asplund scored an empty-net goal at 17:05 for the 5-2 final.