National Hockey League
NY Islanders 3, Buffalo 2
When: 7:30 PM ET, Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Where: UBS Arena, Elmont, New York
Referees: Pierre Lambert, Chris Rooney
Linesmen: Brandon Gawryletz, Dan Kelly
Attendance: 17255

Hudson Fasching scored the tiebreaking goal and had an assist to lead the New York Islanders to a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday in Elmont, N.Y.

Casey Cizikas and Josh Bailey also had a goal and an assist apiece for the Islanders, who maintained their hold on the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves as New York improved to 5-1-1 in the past seven games.

Dylan Cozens and Kyle Okposo scored for Buffalo, which is six points behind the Islanders with three games in hand. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 36 shots.

The Sabres have lost two straight and four of their past five.

Fasching netted the decisive goal at 7:37 of the third period when he redirected a shot off his shin from the left of the net to make it 3-2. Officials initially waved off the goal due to a kicking motion, but the call was overturned after a video review.

Cozens gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead five minutes into the second period. Cozens took a loose puck from the wall in the neutral zone to the middle and skated into the Islanders' zone, cutting through Adam Pelech and Bo Horvat before firing a wrist shot from the inner hashmarks of the right circle far side.

Cizikas tied it 1-1 at 12:38 of the second. Fasching, from behind the net, sent a pass through the legs of Buffalo defenseman Owen Power to the front of the net, where Cizikas quickly pushed it through Luukkonen's pads.

That gave the home side life, and New York pushed in the second half of the middle frame. Fans thought the Islanders took a 2-1 lead with just over five minutes to go in the period on a Fasching backhand from the slot that prompted the goal light to go on, but the forward hit the left post.

New York outshot Buffalo 17-7 in the second period.

Bailey scored on the backhand down low to put the Islanders ahead 2-1 at 1:51 of the third period.

Okposo tied it 2-2 at 4:59 when he fired a point shot through traffic past a screened Sorokin.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Buffalo   NY Islanders
Dylan Cozens 1 Points Josh Bailey 2
Dylan Cozens 1 Goals Josh Bailey 1
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 1 Assists Alexander Romanov 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen .923 Save Percentage Ilya Sorokin .917
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 36 Saves Ilya Sorokin 22
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Buffalo 24 2 0-2 2-2 4 18
NY Islanders 39 3 0-2 2-2 4 32
Upcoming Games
  • NY Islanders will play their next game on the road against Pittsburgh. The Islanders have a W/L % of .515 after a win and .485 after a loss.
  • Buffalo will play their next game at home against Dallas. The Sabres have a W/L % of .594 after a win and .419 after a loss.