Johnson Makes 25 Saves, Sabres Beat Ducks 3-1
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chad Johnson made 25 saves, Benoit Pouliot scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Sunday night.
Justin Bailey and Johan Larsson also scored for Buffalo, which got its first win in six games this season.
Chris Wagner had a tying goal in the second period for Anaheim, and John Gibson stopped 28 shots for the Ducks.
Bailey scored 1:26 into his first regular-season game. Gibson made the initial save on a shot by Larsson but couldn't cover the puck. Bailey swooped in as Gibson dove across the crease during a scramble and sent a backhand shot under the goalie's chest.
Gibson started despite leaving after the first period against Colorado on Friday with an upper-body injury.
Midway through the second period, Evander Kane slashed Gibson while the goaltender was playing the puck behind the net.
The Ducks have yet to score a power-play goal this season. The team's best opportunity came when a scrum in the crease led to Anaheim forward Derek Grant being bumped inside the goal, along with the puck. Officials whistled the play dead after the puck had crossed the goal line. A video review was initiated, and it was determined there was no goal because the referee was in the process of blowing his whistle when the puck crossed the line.
Late in the second period, Corey Perry's slashing penalty put Buffalo on the power play for the third time. The Sabres had 13 seconds remaining with the extra man when Wagner got in behind Kane and Rasmus Ristolainen. The forward deked twice and beat Johnson to tie it.
Buffalo has given up a league-high five short-handed goals through six games this season.
With 31.3 seconds left in the second, Josh Manson turned the puck over to Pouliot. Pouliot haphazardly got the puck to the front of the Ducks net, where it bounced off the skate of Cam Fowler and past Gibson to put Buffalo up 2-1.
Larsson iced the game at 3-1 with an empty-net goal.
NOTES: Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Eaves were out of the lineup again for Anaheim after re-aggravating injuries from training camp. ... Buffalo F Kyle Okposo did not play for the second consecutive game due to an illness. ... Cam Fowler played in his 500 NHL game, all with the Ducks. At 25, Fowler is the youngest Ducks player in franchise history to reach the 500-game mark.
UP NEXT
Sabres: Visit Las Vegas on Tuesday night.
Ducks: Host Montreal on Friday night.
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