Zemgus Girgensons nets the game-winning goal in the 3rd period.
By Ross McKeon / NHL.com Contributing Correspondent
SAN JOSE, CA. — Zemgus Girgensons broke a tie at 12:15 of the third period, and the Buffalo Sabres defeated the San Jose Sharks, 4-3, at SAP Center on Saturday.
Marcus Johansson had a goal and an assist for Buffalo (7-1-1), which won back-to-back games to wrap up a three-game road trip to California and has five victories in its past six games. Linus Ullmark made 29 saves.
Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl and Marcus Sorensen scored for San Jose (3-5-0), which had won three in a row. Martin Jones made 31 saves.
It was the first game of a home-and-home series between the teams; they will play again at Buffalo on Tuesday.
Hertl tied it 2-2 with a power-play goal 44 seconds into the third period.
Jeff Skinner gave the Sabres 3-2 lead at 2:28, but Sorensen tied it at 2:50.
Girgensons put Buffalo back in front when he found a loose puck in the slot after Johan Larsson’s initial shot hit Kyle Okposo before it could reach the net.
Buffalo took a 2-1 lead at 17:03 of the second period when Casey Mittelstadt’s redirected goal was overturned following a video review.
Johansson scored at 12:10 of the first period to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead.
Meier scored his first goal of the season at 16:00 of the first to make it 1-1.