Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke (45) shoots against the Buffalo Sabres during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Ducks celebrate after defeating the Buffalo Sabres during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Ducks left wing Chris Kreider (20) and Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry (19) react after scoring against the Buffalo Sabres during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Ducks right wing Troy Terry (19) celebrates after scoring against the Buffalo Sabres during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Ducks left wing Chris Kreider (20) reacts after scoring against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
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Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke (45) shoots against the Buffalo Sabres during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
ANAHEIM — The Ducks locked horns with a beast from the East and prevailed, 6-5 in overtime, against the Buffalo Sabres in a clash that had four lead changes at Honda Center on Sunday evening.
The Ducks extended their points streak to four games and kept their lead in the Pacific Division at four points after the Vegas Golden Knights also won Sunday, edging past the Dallas Stars.
Since the Olympic break, Buffalo had won 12 of its 13 previous games as part of a surge that became supercharged way back in December and carried the Sabres all the way into first place in the cutthroat Atlantic Division.
Troy Terry lit the lamp twice, including the overtime winner. Jackson LaCombe, Chris Kreider and Beckett Sennecke had a goal and an assist apiece. Mikael Granlund scored a goal as well. Leo Carlsson chipped in two assists. Ville Husso had 24 saves.
Owen Power and Zach Benson each notched a goal and an assist. Alex Tuch, Josh Doan and Jack Quinn also scored. Rasmus Dahlin contributed two assists. Alex Lyon made 27 stops.
In overtime, Carlsson generated a strong chance early before Terry ended the session 89 seconds in, stealing the puck from leading Sabres scorer Tage Thompson and lifting a backhand shot to convert on the breakaway.
As they did against the Kings on Saturday afternoon, Buffalo owned the third period. After turning a tie game into a 4-1 win a day earlier, they alchemized a 4-2 deficit into a victory with three straight goals, including two in 92 seconds.
But after ceding three consecutive goals, the Ducks earned a break with a penalty on Tuch with 2:34 left in regulation. They pulled Husso to make it six-on-four, nearly scoring off a Kreider deflection. He would come right back with a primary assist on a goal that secured a point, finding Granlund in the slot with 1:44 on the clock.
The Sabres got a go-ahead goal from Benson’s easy redirection of a backhanded pass from below the goalline by Dahlin with 8:23 to play.
Buffalo pulled within a goal when Quinn received a drop pass from Dahlin and fired a shot inside the far post, 4:39 into the third period. They then tied the game at 10:05 when Power’s shot off a faceoff win and through a layered screen touched a defender and then the twine.
The Ducks broke a 2-2 tie and then padded their lead, finding themselves up two goals after 40 minutes.
With 4:20 left in the second period, Terry put the Ducks up 4-2. They made noise on the rush, resulting in a shot for Tim Washe that Terry recovered before darting into the slot for a velvety backhand through Lyon’s six hole. That signified Terry’s 15th goal and 50th point of 2025-26, marking the first time the Ducks have had four 50-point producers in nine seasons.
Sennecke, who factored into Terry’s goal without earning a point, had scored a goal of his own, 2:35 into the stanza. Persistence across most of the ice by LaCombe drew a crowd of Sabres, leaving Sennecke alone against Dahlin. That allowed the NHL’s most prolific rookie to pad his total by driving the net hard, paralyzing Dahlin with a fake and scoring on his forehand. His 21st goal put him one behind Matthew Schaefer for the rookie lead, while his 54 points are tops among first-year players.
Buffalo ignited the fireworks with a goal 3:36 into the tilt before the Ducks responded with two power-play tallies in less than three minutes, at 9:27 and 12:23. Yet the score was tied following an equalizer with 2:46 left in the frame.
Then, the Ducks were burned off a set breakout, when some defensive-zone hijinks between John Carlson and Pavel Mintyukov left Mintyukov alone with two attackers. Though he disrupted Noah Ostlund’s initial pass, the second one found Doan, who stopped the puck and flicked it past Husso.
The hosts had their first lead of the night off their second man-advantage marker. LaCombe sent a rising shot through an Alex Killorn screen for the blue-liner’s ninth goal of the campaign.
They had gotten on the board 26 seconds into their first opportunity. Terry’s daring zone entry through three defenders discombobulated the Buffalo penalty killers after they nearly stole the puck. That set the stage for Carlsson to find Kreider for a one-timer from just above the right faceoff dot, his 22nd goal as a Duck. That’s as many as he scored all of last season with the New York Rangers.
Tuch gave Buffalo an early edge after a stretch pass flummoxed the Ducks’ defense. Olen Zellweger was caught puck-watching on a play below the goal line that came out front to a wide-open Tuch for the opening goal.