Alex Tuch scored the tiebreaking goal 4:03 into the third period, propelling the visiting Buffalo Sabres to a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Thursday night.

The result was the second straight victory for a road team in the best-of-seven series, which Buffalo now leads 2-1.

Noah Ostlund and Bowen Byram finished with a goal and an assist for the Sabres, while Alex Lyon stopped 24 shots in his first start of the playoff run.

Tanner Jeannot scored the lone goal and Jeremy Swayman turned aside 25 shots for Boston.

Hurricanes 2, Senators 1

Logan Stankoven scored for the third straight game and Carolina put host Ottawa on the brink of elimination with a win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round series.

Carolina leads the best-of-seven series 3-0, a deficit that only four NHL teams have overcome to win a playoff series. Jackson Blake also scored for the Hurricanes. Taylor Hall had two assists, and Frederik Andersen made 21 saves.

Drake Batherson scored for the Senators, who have yet to have the lead at any point through three games. Linus Ullmark turned aside 25 shots.

Avalanche 4, Kings 2

Artturi Lehkonen collected one goal and one assist while pacing Colorado to a road victory over Los Angeles, putting the Avalanche on the verge of sweeping their Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Gabriel Landeskog, Cale Makar and Brock Nelson also scored for the Avalanche, who will look to close out the best-of-seven series when they play Game 4 on Sunday in Los Angeles. Colorado goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves.

Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe tallied for the Kings, who have scored only four goals in the series’ three games. Los Angeles goalie Anton Forsberg stopped 19 shots, and Alex Laferriere collected two assists.

–Field Level Media

Artturi Lehkonen collected one goal and one assist while pacing Colorado to a 4-2 road victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, putting the Avalanche on the verge of sweeping their Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Gabriel Landeskog, Cale Makar and Brock Nelson also scored for the Avalanche, who will look to close out the best-of-seven series when they play Game 4 on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Colorado goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves.

Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe tallied for the Kings, who have scored only four goals in the series’ three games.

Los Angeles goalie Anton Forsberg stopped 19 shots, and Alex Laferriere collected two assists.

Makar broke a 1-1 tie at 12:12 of the second period by finding the twine with a long wrist shot through the screen in front of the goalie for his first goal of the series.

Lehkonen’s third-period short-handed goal doubled the Avalanche’s lead. Taking advantage of Kempe fanning on a one-timer, Lehkonen sped away on a 2-on-1 rush and tallied when his pass attempt deflected off a defender’s skate and through Forsberg’s legs with 12:21 remaining.

Kempe made amends by converting a slick redirect for a power-play goal with 4:03 to go.

However, Nelson’s empty-net goal two minutes later rounded out the scoring for Colorado, which was the NHL’s top team during the regular season.

The loss leaves Los Angeles on the cusp of being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. Kings have lost six straight opening-round series, and they haven’t captured a series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014.

Landeskog opened the scoring with a fortuitous bounce at 5:29 of the first period. His long shot went wide of the goal but banked off the end boards and into the net off Forsberg’s skate.

The Kings drew even at 5:55 of the second period. Quinton Byfield sent the puck to the net off the rush and it ricocheted off Moore and into the cage to make it a 1-1 game.

The victory came at a cost for the Avalanche, as defenseman Josh Manson left the contest in the second period due to an upper-body injury.

–Field Level Media