Sabres rally from another 2-goal hole, top Sharks

JJ Peterka scored twice to help the visiting Buffalo Sabres rally from a two-goal deficit for a second straight game in a 5-2 win against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

Buffalo also trailed by two in a 5-3 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.

Dylan Cozens had a goal and two assists, Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist, and Casey Mittelstadt had two assists for the Sabres, who are 7-4-0 in their past 11 games. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 23 saves.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jan Rutta scored, William Eklund had two assists, and Kaapo Kahkonen made 31 saves for the Sharks, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Vlasic gave San Jose a 1-0 lead at 8:06 of the first period on its second shot on goal. Eklund's shot from the low wall hit Luukkonen's stick and deflected out to the other side, and Vlasic pinched to the top of the left circle and scored short side on a screened Luukkonen.

Ruutta made it 2-0 at 10:42 with a shot from the blue line that deflected off the stick of Buffalo defenseman Ryan Johnson in the slot and into the net.

Peterka cut it to 2-1 at 14:14. Cozens took a rebound around the back of the net and sent a cross-crease pass out front to Peterka.

Jordan Greenway tied it 2-2 at 18:01. After Mittelstadt won a battle along the right wall, Tuch collected the loose puck and brought it to the bottom of the right circle before feeding Greenway for a quick wrist shot from in front.

The Sabres took their first lead of the game early in the second period.

Mittelstadt pressured Sharks center Nico Sturm into a turnover in the San Jose zone and maintained possession before sending it to Tuch, who beat a screened Kahkonen from the inner edge of the right circle for a 3-2 Buffalo lead at 1:36.

Peterka connected from the right circle off the rush to push it to 4-2 at 4:33 of the third period.

Cozens scored an empty-net goal at 15:44 for the 5-2 final.

—Field Level Media