Detroit — Up, down, back up again for the Red Wings.
They’ve been streaky these last several weeks, but right now the Wings are on the upswing, with Saturday’s 3-2 overtime victory over Buffalo the latest win.
And this one was dramatic, with Lucas Raymond scoring the winner, his ninth goal, just 26 seconds into overtime while skating up ice and snapping a shot past Buffalo goaltender Dustin Tokarski.
Buffalo’s Jeff Skinner scored at 18:23 of the third period with Tokarski pulled, Skinner’s sixth goal, tying the game 2-2, tipping Cody Eakin’s shot from the wing.
Carter Rowney and Pius Suter scored goals 1 minute, 19 seconds apart to give the Wings a 2-1 second-period lead.
BOX SCORE: Red Wings 3, Sabres 2, OT
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 26 shots while making his third consecutive start.
The Wings outshot Buffalo 41-28.
It was the Wings second straight victory, after having gone winless in four games, and winning four of five.
The Wings play Tuesday in Boston.
Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead in the second period with his fifth goal.
Brett Murray slapped a pass to Cozens near the net front, and Cozens redirected the puck past Nedeljkovic at 5:05.
But the Wings quickly regained control.
Rowney earned his second goal at 9:56, during a scramble in front of Tokarski. The goal was originally credited to Filip Zadina, but Rowney got his stick on the puck last, with Tokarski prone on the ice.
The Wings quickly struck again to take the lead.
Tokarski made the stop on Moritz Seider’s shot from the point but let the puck dangle into the slot, where Suter backhanded the rebound for his fifth goal, at 11:15.
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan