On the same day the Sabres opted to keep him with the big club, Mikhail Grigorenko scored the first goal of his NHL career, but it wasn't enough as Buffalo dropped a 4-3 decision to Toronto in overtime. Matt Frattin's 2nd of the night came with 1.5 seconds remaining in the extra frame.
The Leafs got the scoring started about midway through the opening period on Jay McClement's first goal of the season. McClement skated between Tyler Myers and Jordan Leopold to jam in a rebound off the post. Just a little over five minutes later, Jason Pominville's fourth of the year tied the game on the power play. The Buffalo captain finished off a scramble for the puck in front of the Toronto net by lifting a shot over the shoulder of James Reimer. Mike Weber took on Mike Brown in a scrap near the end of the first. Weber went after Brown after the Maple Leafs forward boarded Patrick Kaleta, who suffered an upper body injury on the play.
Andrej Sekera gave the Sabres a brief lead in the second period, taking a beautiful pass from Drew Stafford and going backhand to roof a shot past Reimer. Toronto then grabbed the lead right back with a pair of goals within 2:41. The equalizer came just 1:12 after Sekera's goal when Frattin breezed toward the net and poked home a rebound. Not long after, Cody Franson let a shot go from the blue line that worked its way through traffic and behind Miller, giving the Leafs a 3-2 lead.
Buffalo tied it up 7:10 into the third on Grigorenko's first-ever NHL goal. The 18-year-old rookie forward slipped a backhand shot through Reimer's pads to make it a 3-3 game. The two sides appeared to be headed to a shootout, but Frattin stunned the First Niagara Center by finding the net at the 4:59 mark of OT.
The Sabres are now losers of four games in a row and head to Boston to face the Bruins on Thursday. Hear the call on WGR SportsRadio 550 and the Buffalo Sabres Radio Network.
1st Period
Goals
9:25 - TOR - Jay McClement (1) (Nazem Kadri, Nikolai Kulemin)
14:28 - BUF - Jason Pominville (PPG) (4) (Marcus Foligno, Thomas Vanek)
Penalties
13:08 - TOR - Mike Brown (2 min., delay of game)
17:34 - TOR - Mike Brown (2 min., boarding)
17:34 - TOR - Mike Brown (5 min., fighting)
17:34 - BUF - Mike Weber (2 min., instigator)
17:34 - BUF - Mike Weber (5 min., fighting)
17:34 - BUF - Mike Weber (10 min. misconduct)
2nd Period
Goals
2:28 - BUF - Andrej Sekera (1) (Drew Stafford)
3:40 - TOR - Matt Frattin (2) (Cody Franson, Leo Komarov)
6:21 - TOR - Cody Franson (1) (Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak)
Penalties
17:46 - BUF - Jochen Hecht (2 min., unsportsmanlike conduct)
17:46 - BUF - Jochen Hecht (2 min., roughing)
3rd Period
Goals
7:10 - BUF - Mikhail Grigorenko (1) (Mike Weber)
Penalties
None
Overtime
Goals
4:59 - TOR - Matt Frattin (3) (John-Michael Liles)
Penalties
None
Goaltending
TOR - James Reimer (29 saves, 32 shots)
BUF - Ryan Miller (20 saves, 24 shots)
Power Plays
TOR - 0 of 2
BUF - 1 of 1
Three Stars
1.) Matt Frattin (2 G, 0 A)
2.) Mikhail Grigorenko (1 G, 0 A)
3.) Cody Franson (1 G, 1 A)


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