J.T. Compher had a goal and an assist, including the go-ahead score midway through the third period, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on Wednesday night in Denver.

Martin Kaut got his first NHL goal, Gabriel Landeskog also scored, and Pavel Francouz made 31 saves to help the Avalanche win their fourth game in a row.

Zemgus Girgensons and Curtis Lazar had goals, and Carter Hutton stopped 31 shots for the Sabres, whose modest two-game winning streak ended.

Colorado was already without three key forwards, and it played without second-leading scorer Andre Burakovsky (upper body). He is considered day to day.

One of Buffalo's new forwards acquired at the trade deadline, Dominik Kahun, was scratched due to a lower-body injury.

The game was tied 2-2 after two periods, and the Avalanche appeared to take the lead again early in the third. However, the goal was waved off because Tyson Jost redirected a shot with a high stick.

Colorado eventually went in front when Joonas Donskoi fed Compher in front of Hutton, and the center buried it at 11:54. It was his 10th of the season.

Hutton went off for an extra skater with 1:16 remaining, but the Sabres couldn't get the equalizer.

The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead with their first of two power-play goals on the night. Nathan MacKinnon put the puck in front of the net, and Compher slid it over to Landeskog, who put it in just inside the post for his 17th goal at 14:24 of the first period.

Buffalo tied it less than two minutes later when Kyle Okposo passed to Girgensons in front of Francouz, and Girgensons tipped it in. It was his 12th of the season.

Kaut gave Colorado the lead again when he scored on a rebound at 7:15 of the second, but the Sabres again answered when Lazar deflected a shot by Jake McCabe at 14:56 of the second. It was Lazar's fifth of the season.

--Field Level Media