It wasn’t easy, but the Sabers got their first win of the season by defeating the Lightning 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday night in Buffalo.
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It was the third appearance of head coach Don Granato’s men in the 2023/24 season. In today’s duel, the rivals scored the equalizer seven seconds before the end of the third period. Brandon Hagel was the author of this success, which forced everyone to work overtime.
It was Dylan Cozens who played the hero in overtime. The 22-year-old striker beat Jonas Johansson with a wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle.
Other Sabers scorers included Zemgus Girgensons and Jeff Skinner. Both skaters hit the mark in the first third. Hagel was also the one who scored the Bolts’ first goal, cutting the lead in half in the second period.
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Easy exit for Sorokin
In New York, Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin posted a 14-save shutout in a 1-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
It was the 17th career shutdown for the Russian, who has played in the National League since the 2020-2021 season.
The crowd favorite scored the only goal of the game in the second period. Mathew Barzal took advantage of the numbers and shot a one-timer that left goalkeeper Karel Vejmelka no chance. The latter received 31 throws.
The “Yotes” suffered two consecutive defeats in the Big Apple after losing 2-1 to the New York Rangers the previous day. They won their first game against the New Jersey Devils on Friday. The Islanders are undefeated in two games so far.