Gordon's late goal lifts Oilers past Sabres 3-2

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Boyd Gordon scored with 4:16 to play in the third period to give the Edmonton Oilers a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Gordon notched the game-winner off a giveaway by Andrej Meszaros, taking a pass from Teddy Purcell on a 2-on-1 break and poking the puck into an empty net with goalie Michal Neuvirth out of position.

Iiro Pakarinen and Mark Arcobello also scored for the Oilers, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

Matt Moulson and Drew Stafford scored for the Sabres, and Neuvirth made 49 saves as Buffalo lost its second straight. Stafford has eight goals and two assists in seven career games against Edmonton.

Purcell had two assists for Edmonton, which erased 1-0 and 2-1 deficits in the game. Victor Fasth made 29 saves in the win.

A wide-open first period saw plenty of chances for both teams, with Edmonton registering 19 of the 31 shots on goal in the scoreless period.

Brian Flynn stepped around a sliding Oilers defenseman on a 2-on-1 break, but his backhand shot hit Fasth before trickling through the crease.

Neuvirth slid across to deny Pakarinen's low shot with 8 minutes gone in the period. He later stopped David Perron's quick move from behind the net to keep the period scoreless.

Cody McCormick's late shot from the slot beat Fasth but hit the crossbar.

Moulson opened the scoring 37 seconds into the second when he stepped into the left faceoff circle and fired a pass from Brian Gionta through Fasth's legs.

Pakarinen tied it just 43 seconds later with a low shot past Neuvirth.

Fasth stopped Tyler Ennis as both tried to gain control of a loose puck and Ennis careened into the goal with the Oilers goaltender.

Stafford carried the puck into the Oilers zone before cutting to the right and lifting a wrist shot over Fasth's right shoulder at the 6:34 mark of the third to give Buffalo a 2-1 lead.

The Oilers got the equalizer at 11:42 when Perron's odd-angled shot rebounded to Arcobello, who chipped it over Neuvirth's left shoulder.

NOTES: Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret and former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly received loud ovations in a puck-drop ceremony to honor the NHL's Hockey Fights Cancer campaign. Both are now cancer-free ... Oilers captain Andrew Ference served the final game of a three-game suspension for a hit to the head of Vancouver's Zack Kassian.