DENVER – David Jones scored a power-play goal 4:17 into overtime and Peter Budaj stopped 37 shots, helping the Colorado Avalanche snap a two-game skid with a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.
Daniel Winnik, Ryan O'Reilly and Matt Duchene also scored for the Avalanche, picking up the scoring slack in the absence of Paul Stastny, who was scratched just before the game with flulike symptoms.
Tomas Fleischmann set up the decisive goal as he carried the puck into the zone and then dished it to Jones, who knocked it past goalie Ryan Miller.
Thomas Vanek, Jochen Hecht and Steve Montador scored for the Sabres, who had a two-game winning streak stopped.
Luke Adam nearly scored the go-ahead goal with around 6 minutes left in regulation. The only thing that kept his rolling shot out of the net was the stick of teammate Tyler Ennis as he reached into the goal area.
With Budaj on the ice, and the net empty, Adam's shot was bound for the back of the goal, but the puck hit Ennis' stick right at the goal line.
The play was reviewed, and it was determined that the puck didn't completely cross the line.
The Sabres took a 3-2 lead early in the third period when Hecht and Montador scored 1:03 apart.
The Avalanche took a quick timeout to regroup and answered when Duchene knocked in a rebound that was loose in front.
Winnik staked the Avalanche to a 1-0 lead late in the first period by beating Miller with a wrist shot on a breakaway. T.J. Galiardi set up the goal after flipping the puck up ice to an awaiting Winnik.
The lead lasted only 33 seconds as the Sabres took advantage of a double-minor penalty on Ryan O'Byrne for high-sticking. Vanek, standing on the doorstep of the net, tapped in a pass from Drew Stafford for his team-leading 15th goal.
Buffalo then allowed a short-handed goal when Winnik sent a pass across the crease to O'Reilly, who slapped in a shot to give the Avalanche a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Colorado went 0 for 3 on the power play in the first period and generated few chances.
The Sabres began a three-game road swing through the Western Conference. They play San Jose on Thursday and in Phoenix on Saturday.
Notes: The Sabres played in Denver for the first time since Oct. 25, 2008, a game they lost in a shootout. ... Avs prospect D Tyson Barrie will play for Canada in the gold-medal game against Russia on Wednesday in the World Junior Championship. ... Sabres forwards Patrick Kaleta and Nathan Gerbe were scratched, along with D Chris Butler.
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