Voracek, Blue Jackets rally past Sabres for OT win

BUFFALO --Jakub Voracek scored 16 seconds into overtime, and the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied for a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Thursday.

Voracek took a drop pass and gained speed through the neutral zone before beating goalie Dustin Tokarski with a wrist shot from the top of the right face-off circle. It was his second goal in 43 games this season.
"It felt good because it was in overtime, it was the winning goal," said Voracek, who had not scored since Nov. 13. "I don't put much pressure on myself if I don't score for a while. I mean, I never had a scoring drought this long in my life (30 games), so it was kind of was like, 'All right, as long as I play my game, you're going to pick up either an assist on a winning goal or make a difference with something else.' I've been in those struggles, goal-scoring droughts a lot of times, and I'm too old to get it in my head, so I would just say just do your job and everything's going to come."

Brendan Gaunce and Oliver Bjorkstrand scored in the third period for the Blue Jackets (22-22-1), who have won four of five. Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves.
"We certainly don't want to make it a habit (having to come from behind)," Columbus coach Brad Larsen said. "The thing about tonight is that the turnovers were an issue for us … but we found a way. We get that goal, a huge goal there by Gaunce. And then our power play comes through and settled us down and gave us some energy to get back in it."
Tage Thompson had two assists, and Tokarski made 30 saves for the Sabres (14-24-8), who have lost nine games this season after leading entering the third period (10-3-6).
"It is a mental game. There's no question," Buffalo coach Don Granato said. "I mean, you just have to keep fighting through it. You just do. Your belief system has to maintain strength. This is what makes or breaks you, is how you deal with that psychologically. … You've got to just move forward. It's aggravating, it's frustrating, but we need to make sure our belief system is strong so our passion and energy show on every shift."
Gaunce scored his first of the season to get Columbus within 3-2 at 4:48 of the third period, beating Tokarski five-hole from a bad angle in the left circle.
Bjorkstrand tied it 3-3 at 14:25 on the power play. He scored from near the left post after taking a pass from Patrik Laine, who split the defense along the right wall.
"We want to have a good power play, and we know what it takes," Bjorkstrand said. "It's sticking to the game plan, and I think we are executing that. That's what's creating the chances."

Jack Roslovic gave Columbus a 1-0 lead at 9:05 of the first period when his pass attempt from along the goal line deflected off Buffalo defenseman Mark Pysyk's skate.
Rasmus Dahlin tied it 1-1 at 3:27 of the second period with a point shot that fluttered off the glove of Merzlikins.
Kyle Okposo put the Sabres ahead 2-1 at 18:23 with a one-timer off a pass from behind the net by Mark Jankowski.
Alex Tuch scored 12 seconds into the third period to extend the lead to 3-1. He received a pass alone at the top of the crease, pulled the puck to his forehand, and shot off the right post.
"Honestly, we got that 3-1 lead, we had a couple of good shifts afterward and then we started changing the way we were playing," Tuch said. "We were playing too much defense, sitting back. We just gave them opportunities that I didn't think we did in the second period. First period we were getting our legs under us after a nine-day break or whatever it was. Honestly, we have to be better in longer stretches. Sometimes we can have a bad shift, but we're not allowed to have back-to-back-to-back shifts where we're hemmed in our zone and not simplifying, getting away from our game."

NOTES: Laine has scored 10 points (six goals, four assists) in a five-game point streak. … Columbus has scored at least four goals in each of its past five games. … Blue Jackets defenseman Gavin Bayreuther left in the third period because of an undisclosed injury and will be reevaluated on Friday, Larsen said. … Tuch has scored 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 14 games this season.