Buffalo’s switch to goalie Alex Lyon in net paid off as the Sabres beat the Boston Bruins 3-1 for a 2-1 lead in their first round series.
Coach Lindy Ruff gave Lyon the start after he finished up a Game 2 loss. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had been pulled in that game after giving four goals on 19 shots, including a long flip shot from center ice.
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Alex Lyon made 24 saves, giving up only the game’s opening goal to Boston’s Tanner Jeannot. Buffalo denied Viktor Arvidsson‘s penalty shot at 9:50 of the second period before scoring the game-tying goal just 1:08 later.
Noah Ostlund, an injury replacement for Josh Norris, drove down the left wing and slipped a pass from beyond the goal line to Bowen Byram in the right circle, where he knocked home a low wrister over Jeremy Swayman‘s glove.
Alex Tuch scored the winning goal, sliding down to the top of the left circle to snap a shot high on Swayman in the third period.
Ostlund scored an empty-netter.
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Hurricanes take 3-0 series lead vs. Senators
Logan Stankoven scored for the third consecutive game and the Carolina Hurricanes put the Ottawa Senators on the brink of elimination with a 2-1 win in Game 3.
Carolina leads the best-of-seven series 3-0 and Game 4 is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.
Jackson Blake also scored for the Hurricanes. Taylor Hall had two assists, and Frederik Andersen made 21 saves.
Drake Batherson scored his second goal of the series for the Senators, who have yet to have the lead at any point through three games. Linus Ullmark made 25 saves in the loss.
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Carolina went 0-for-4 on the power play; Ottawa was 0-for-5 and is 0-for-12 for the series.
Stankoven opened the scoring, giving the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 5:13 of the first period. Hall got his own rebound after a shot on the rush, circled behind the net and then passed across to Stankoven, who scored on a wrist shot from the left circle.
Brady Tkachuk got in alone against Andersen early in the second period, but his backhand attempt was stopped.
The Senators had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:28 midway through the second period but did not convert.
Ottawa defenseman Jake Sanderson left the game at 10:07 of the second period with an apparent injury after taking a shot off his left hand. He had earlier taken a shot to the head from Hall.
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Batherson tied it 1-1 at 16:06 when he received Nick Cousins‘ pass in the slot, went to his backhand and lifted it in over Andersen’s pad.
Blake put the Hurricanes back on top 2-1 at 17:29. K’Andre Miller received a pass at the point, skated down to the top of the left circle and passed down across to Blake, who scored past the diving Ullmark from the far post.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sabres, goalie Alex Lyon beat Bruins; Hurricanes take 3-0 lead
