Anton Lander scores shootout winner as Oklahoma City rallies to beat Abbotsford

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - Anton Lander scored the shootout winner as the Oklahoma City Barons came back to defeat the Abbotsford Heat 5-4 on Sunday afternoon in American Hockey League action.

Lander beat goalie David Carr low to the stick side before Barons goaltender Richard Bachman stopped Max Reinhart to clinch the win. Bachman, who has started 27 of the Barons' last 30 games, made 33 saves.

The Barons never led in the game and needed Curtis Hamilton to tie it with just over two minutes to play in the third.

Austin Fyten recorded his first two-goal game of his career, while former Heat forward Roman Horak also scored for Oklahoma City (34-28-11), which maintained the final Western Conference playoff berth.

In the other crease, Carr was making his first AHL appearance, stopping shots for Abbotsford (40-25-8).

Brett Kulak recorded his first career AHL goal, while Ben Street, Brett Olson and Reinhart also scored for the Heat, who have clinched a playoff spot but ended their chances of catching Chicago for fourth place.

Lander tested Carr early, stealing the puck in the slot, but the Heat netminder made a nifty glove save to keep the game scoreless.

Olson opened the scoring at 10:45 on the power play. Derek Smith's point shot ricocheted off Sven Baertschi's skate right to Olson at the side of the net and he quickly backhanded it past Bachman for his 17th of the year.

Fyten tied the game at 5:56 of the second period, redirecting Brad Hunt's point shot.

However Kulak put the Heat back in the lead a little more than two minutes later. Ben Hanowski made a great play, drawing Bachman to the left right post before setting up Kulak's one-timer from the hash marks.

Street's team-leading 28th of the season doubled the lead at 14:31. Smith blocked a clearing attempt at the blue-line and quickly put a shot on net, where Street deflected it past the left pad of Bachman.

Horak drew the Barons back within one with a power-play goal at 17:21. First he drew a tripping penalty when he was hauled down by Smith on a partial breakaway. Then he scored his 22nd of the year, finishing off a give-and-go with Steve Pinizzotto to beat Carr glove side.

Fyten tied the game again, shovelling in Oscar Klefbom's rebound at the side of the net at 6:10 of the third.

However, Fyten took a slashing penalty a minute later and the Heat made him pay. Reinhart tapped in a feed from Street at 8:27 for his 20th of the year.

Oklahoma City once again evened the game with just over two minutes to go. Hamilton took a pass from Will Acton in the slot and wired a wrist shot past Carr's glove.