The Sabres outshot the Oilers 41-34 in the 3-2 loss. EDMONTON – Jiri Kulich appeared to score the game-tying goal late in the third period, but a video review stifled the Buffalo Sabres' comeback effort in their 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Saturday.

The Buffalo Sabres played pretty well on Saturday in Edmonton against the Oilers, but some of the same problems that have lost them hockey games all season long cropped up again. Paul Hamilton shares

Hopkins' second goal of the game snapped a tie with 11:01 left as the Connor McDavid-less Edmonton Oilers overcame a barrage of Buffalo shots in the final two periods to beat the Sabres, 3-2, Saturday at Rogers Place.

Tage Thompson had taken a shot from the point, and Jiri Kulich was parked in front of the net battling for position. When the rebound bounced toward him, he kicked it toward the net attempting to get a stick on it.

My Oilers analysis Evan Bouchard has taken his shot generation to a completely different level of late, averaging 3.7 shots on 8.3 attempts over the last 10 games. That’s a significant jump from the 2.8 shots and 6.8 attempts he’s averaged on the season.

How far down the Oilers' pecking order has Skinner dropped? He played 13:34 in Thursday's 6-2 win over Vancouver − and that was his biggest ice time total since Dec. 3.

The Bruins, back in the playoff hunt after a 5-1-1 stretch, take on a Sabres team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

The Oilers signed University of Alberta Golden Bear goalie Tyler Palmer to an amateur tryout so he could serve as their backup. The last time something like this happened, January 2023, the Oilers had a 7-3 win over Chicago comfortably in hand so they gave Bears goalie Matt Berlin the thrill of a lifetime and put him in the game for the final 2:26.

The Edmonton Oilers went 2-1-0 in three games last week, improving to 31-15-3 on the season. With their win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon, they claimed the top spot in the Pacific Division for the first time in five years.

Believe it or not, it’s Jan. 28, and this is the first appearance by the Boston Bruins in Buffalo to take on the Sabres. Paul Hamilton has his game preview:

The Sabres didn't have a shot on goal for the first 11 minutes of this game but had a 19-7 advantage in the third period and didn't score. Over the final two periods, they had 36 shots on goal, 35 scoring chances and and 12 high-danger chances,