Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes

Necas scores another OT winner as Hurricanes beat Sabres 3-2

Necas redirected the puck from near the crease. He also scored in overtime Oct. 26 against Seattle and has nine career OT goals — six in the past two seasons.

His latest winner came after the Sabres had possession of the puck for most of the first minute in overtime.

“We got the puck and they were tired out there,” Necas said.

Carolina defensemen Tony DeAngelo and Brady Skjei scored in regulation to help the Hurricanes win for the fifth time in six games — with three of those wins coming in overtime. Skjei also had an assist and Antti Raanta made 20 saves, including two early in OT.

The Hurricanes are 5-0 in games extending beyond regulation this season, going 4-0 in overtime and winning once in a shootout. Since last December, Carolina has won 10 straight regular-season games decided in overtime to tie for the second-longest streak in NHL history.

Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin scored Buffalo’s goals. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 24 shots.

“I thought we locked it down defensively to get the point, at least,” Luukkonen said.

Necas’ fifth goal of the season came off the second assist of the game for Sebastian Aho.

“Talented players seem to find ways to make things happen,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

Aho delivered the pass from the left side. Necas did the rest, moving within one of matching Aho’s franchise record for overtime goals.

“When it’s going well, you feel comfortable and confident,” Necas said. “I like it.”

Aho and Skjei share the team lead with eight assists apiece.

Less than 90 seconds after Skjei’s go-ahead goal off a pass from Aho in the third period, the Sabres tied it at 9:23 on Dahlin’s power-play goal. It was just the fifth power-play goal of the season for Buffalo.

The Hurricanes have power-play goals in five consecutive games after DeAngelo converted unassisted in the first period. Now all Carolina defensemen have at least one goal this season.

The Sabres pulled even at 1 in the second when Tuch turned a Carolina turnover into an unassisted goal. He has three goals in the past two games.

Raanta has half of Carolina’s eight wins this season. His workload is expected to increase after Monday’s announcement that goalie Frederik Andersen is out indefinitely because of a blood-clotting issue.

“He was solid tonight and that’s what we need,” Brind’Amour said.

Buffalo is 1-8-2 in its last 11 road games against Carolina.

“What a great atmosphere this is,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “It has a real playoff-atmosphere feel of intensity, and I thought our guys responded very well to it, to the point that there’s a bigger taste in their mouth.”

UP NEXT

Sabres: Home vs. Minnesota on Friday.

Hurricanes: At Florida on Friday.

CAR leads series 1-0