BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres had to go to overtime after squandering a two-goal, third-period lead, but they still made it a perfect 10.
Jeff Skinner scored his team-leading 19th goal 1:19 into overtime, and the Sabres won their 10th straight by beating the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Rasmus Ristolainen scored off a deke around Brent Burns, and Nathan Beaulieu also scored for Buffalo, which hasn’t lost since Nov. 4.
The streak matches the longest in Sabres history and is the NHL’s best run since the Columbus Blue Jackets won 16 in a row from Nov. 29, 2016, to Jan. 3, 2017. Buffalo won 10 straight twice before, and most recently by going 10-0 to open the 2006-07 season.
Carter Hutton stopped the first 32 shots he faced and 36 overall to extend his personal-best winning streak to eight, during which he’s allowed just 15 goals.
Joe Pavelski scored twice for the Sharks in the final 81/2 minutes to up his team-leading total to 15.
SENATORS 4, FLYERS 3: Brady Tkachuk scored twice in the third period and Matt Duchene scored the eventual winner with 2:59 left, lifting Ottawa over host Philadelphia in the Flyers’ first game since they fired GM Ron Hextall.
The Flyers showed why Hextall is out of work and Coach Dave Hakstol could be the next to go. They coughed up a 3-1 lead in the third over the final 6 minutes and have lost 6 of 7.
Tkachuk made it 3-2 late in the third and he tied it on a tip-in with 6:31 remaining. The Flyers turned it over in their end and Duchene batted the puck past Anthony Stolarz into the net for a 4-3 lead.
Jake Voracek, Radko Gudas and Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers in front of scores of empty seats inside a home arena once among the most imposing in the NHL. Flyers fans have turned away in droves and tickets were selling on the secondary market for $6 in the mezzanine level, a minor-league price for a franchise that traditionally averaged 19,000 fans a game.
The fans might not be back for the next home game.
Hakstol might not be behind the bench, either.
Hakstol knows he’s in a precarious position with Hextall, who hired the coach with no NHL experience out of North Dakota in 2015, gone. Flyers President Paul Holmgren said the next general manager would decide Hakstol’s fate.
“Given the scenario we are in, that’s a pretty reasonable process,” Hakstol said before the game. “Whoever that is, he will come in and evaluate me as head coach and whether or not he likes what he sees and I’m the right guy.”
Hakstol, in his fourth season, has led the Flyers to pair of playoff berths and his job appeared to be in jeopardy after the Flyers lost 6-0 to Toronto on Saturday. Instead, it was Hextall who was fired with the Flyers (11-11-2) mired in mediocrity and fighting for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But it was more than the sagging record that sent Hextall packing; Holmgren said the former GM was “unyielding” in his philosophical approach of building the Flyers into winners through the draft and a lone-wolf style of management. Hextall had tuned out input from other decision makers in the organization and had yet to make a big splash with the type of trade that could transform the Flyers into instant contenders.
DUCKS 3, LIGHTNING 1: Ryan Miller made 34 saves, Nick Ritchie had a goal and an assist, and visiting Anaheim beat Tampa Bay.
Miller won his 373rd game, moving past Andy Moog for sole possession of 17th place on the career wins list. He also moved within one victory of tying John Vanbiesbrouck for the most by a U.S.-born goalie.
HURRICANES 2, CANADIENS 1: Curtis McElhinney stopped 48 shots and Carolina won at Montreal.
Victor Rask and Trevor van Riemsdyk scored for the Hurricanes, who have won 4 of 5.
McElhinney, who’s emerging as the top goaltender in Carolina, made 21 saves in the third period for his fourth straight victory.
Phillip Danault scored for the Canadiens, who extended their losing streak to five games. Carey Price made 20 saves.
NOTES
KINGS: The Kings activated goaltender Jonathan Quick off injured reserve.
Quick, 32, has missed the last 12 games due to a lower-body injury.
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