Flames strike twice late to edge Sabres

Last-minute goal by Tkachuk and overtime winner by Gaudreau give Calgary back-to-back wins

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Matthew Tkachuk scored with 55.3 seconds left in the third period, Johnny Gaudreau followed with an overtime goal and the Calgary Flames rallied past the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Gaudreau finished a pretty 2-on-1 rush 2:40 into OT. With Buffalo centre Jack Eichel on defence, Gaudreau and Mark Giordano completed a give-and-go that left Gaudreau with an empty net. Sabres goalie Carter Hutton committed to Giordano, leaving Gaudreau alone in front.

Tkachuk tipped a shot from Elias Lindholm to tie it. Lindholm’s one-timer from the bottom of the left circle was deflected by defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen and Lindholm.

David Rittich made 28 saves for the Flames, who have won two straight.

The Sabres have points in five straight games (3-0-2) for the first time since a ninegame point streak in 2012. Hutton was terrific for Buffalo throughout, coming up just short of his first shutout as a Sabre. He made 36 saves.

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 Flames appeared to even the score at the start of the second period but officials ruled that a whistle blew before the puck went into the net. After a sensational stick save by Hutton that prevented a Lindholm shot from crossing the goal line, the puck went into the net on a second opportunity — but officials had already blown the whistle. A replay review upheld the decision. STARS 4, CANADIENS 1

At Montreal, Devin Shore scored and added two assists as Dallas beat the Canadiens for their first road win of the season. Esa Lindell, Miro Heiskanen and Alexander Radulov, with the empty netter, scored for the Stars (6-5-0) in the second match of their six-game trip. Ben Bishop made 34 saves. Jason Spezza played in his 1,000th career NHL game. Brendan Gallagher scored for the Habs (6-3-2) while Carey Price stopped 18-of-21 shots in defeat. With the Stars leading 2-1 in the third, Shore put the game to bed with a short-handed goal at 9:27.

A bad giveaway by Montreal’s Artturi Lehkonen behind his own goal gave the puck right to Shore, who chipped a backhander top corner past Price.

— AP Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau, right, puts the puck past Buffalo Sabres goalie Carter Hutton during the overtime period of an NHL hockey game on Tuesday in Buffalo, N.Y. Calgary won 2-1.