Buffalo falls 5-4 in overtime to the Penguins after losing a 2-goal advantage.
By Wes Crosby / NHL.com Correspondent
PITTSBURGH, PA. — Sidney Crosby scored for the first time in 12 games, and Conor Sheary got his second goal of the game 16 seconds into overtime to help the Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Buffalo Sabres 5-4 at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday.
Crosby battled with Evander Kane behind the net before feeding Sheary near the right post. Sheary snuck a shot inside the post for his eighth goal of the season.
With the Sabres leading 4-3 in the third period, Phil Kessel scored for the fourth consecutive game to tie it. Evgeni Malkin sent a cross-ice pass to Kessel, who dropped to one knee and one-timed a shot past Robin Lehner with 6:11 remaining in the period.
The Penguins (10-7-3) are 12-0-1 against the Sabres (5-9-4) since a 4-1 loss on April 2, 2013.
After Crosby tied it 3-3 with 2:45 remaining in the second period, Benoit Pouliot scored a power-play goal to give Buffalo a 4-3 lead with 6.7 seconds remaining in the period. The goal was Pouliot’s sixth, all in the past 10 games.
Crosby ended his 11-game drought by collecting a rebound off a shot from Kessel and shooting past Lehner during a power play. He hadn’t scored since Oct. 20, in a 4-3 win against the Florida Panthers.
The drought ended one game shy of Crosby’s NHL career high of 12, from Nov. 23, 2011, to March 22, 2012.
Jack Eichel scored for the first time in nine games to give the Sabres a 3-1 lead 16 seconds into the second period, before Sheary made it 3-2 with a wrist shot under Lehner’s right pad during a 2-on-1 at 4:28 of the second.
Kane scored on a 2-on-1 to open the scoring at 3:45 of the first period, and Sam Reinhart scored a power-play goal with 3:07 left in the first to make it 2-0.
Patric Hornqvist scored with 19 seconds left in the first to make it 2-1.