Gaudreau nets OT winner as Flames beat Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Johnny Gaudreau’s magic touch has the Calgary Flames pointed back in the right direction.

One day after setting up the winning goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Gaudreau scored 2:40 into overtime to lead the Flames to a 2-1 comeback victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.

He did it in style, too. After Matthew Tkachuk scored the equalizer with 55.3 seconds remaining in the third period, Gaudreau and Mark Giordano completed a pretty give-and-go that left Gaudreau alone with an open net.

“You enjoy it,” Calgary coach Bill Peters said of Gaudreau, his leading scorer. “I’ve been on the other side of it, obviously, I’ve seen him in the league long enough. I just like the way he goes about it. He’s a passionate player and gets rewarded for his effort.”

The Flames (7-5-1) have bounced back with impressive back-to-back wins on the road after a homestand to forget.

Calgary lost 9-1 to Pittsburgh last Thursday before dropping a 4-3 shootout decision to Washington on Saturday.

“We’re getting where we want to be,” Giordano said. “Tonight was solid again. I didn’t think we gave up much. We’re getting to where we know what to expect out of each other defensively and we’re not cheating offence, and that’s resulting in wins.”

Down 1-0, the Flames took charge in the third, controlling the flow of play. They pulled goaltender David Rittich with more than two minutes remaining and Tkachuk tipped in a hard shot from Elias Lindholm.

Jack Eichel put the Sabres on the board first with a power-play goal with 3:30 left in the first period. The Sabres captain ripped a one-timer from the left circle into the top of the net, ending an eight-game goal drought.

The Sabres (6-4-2) were left frustrated after spoiling a terrific effort by goalie Carter Hutton. Hutton made 36 saves and was outstanding throughout the game.