Alex Tuch's overtime goal lifts Sabres over Oilers, snapping losing streak

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Alex Tuch scored 33 seconds into overtime and the Buffalo Sabres snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

Josh Doan had a pair of goals and Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists for the Sabres, who won just their third road game of the season. Rasmus Dahlin had three assists.

Colten Ellis saved all six shots he faced in the Sabres’ net before leaving the game late in the first period due to an injury and being replaced by Alex Lyon, who made 21 saves.

Connor McDavid had two goals for the Oilers, including one with just two seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime. Vasily Podkolzin also scored for the Oilers and Stuart Skinner made 24 stops.

Doan now has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his last six games. Thompson moved into a tie with of Tuch for the team lead with 26 points.

McDavid now has 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 18 games.

The Oilers have gone 8-7-5 against the Sabres in their last 20 games despite the large disparity in their overall records during that time span.

Sabres: At Vancouver on Thursday night.

Oilers: Host Detroit on Thursday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Buffalo Sabres goalie Alex Lyon (34) bats the puck away as Edmonton Oilers Adam Henrique (19) and Conor Timmins (21) look on during second period NHL action in Edmonton, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press via AP)

Buffalo Sabres b63, Bowen Byram (4) and Josh Dunne (44) outmaneuver Edmonton Oilers Zach Hyman (18) during second period NHL action in Edmonton, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid moves the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press via AP)

Buffalo Sabres goalie Alex Lyon (34) bats the puck away as Edmonton Oilers Adam Henrique (19) and Conor Timmins (21) look on during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press via AP)

Buffalo Sabres Alex Tuch (89) celebrates a goal with Mattias Samuelsson (23), Tage Thompson (72), Peyton Krebs (19), and Owen Power (25) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press via AP)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other top officials have gathered to discuss preparations for the ruling party's first full congress in five years, state media reported Wednesday. The top-level meeting will set new priorities as the U.S. and South Korea seek a resumption of talks with North Korea.

The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim presided over a plenary meeting of the Workers Party's Central Committee on Tuesday. It said participants began discussing unspecified key issues related to the party congress and reviewing this year's state policies.

KCNA gave no further details, but observers say the plenary meeting will likely last a few days and set an official agenda for the party congress, which is expected to be held in January or February.

The congress, the top decision-making organ of the Workers’ Party, was revived by Kim in 2016 after a 36-year hiatus. Experts say Kim aimed to increase the party’s authority as part of efforts to solidify his grip on power.

The focus of outside attention on the congress is whether Kim will respond to U.S. and South Korean efforts to improve ties. North Korea has steadfastly rebuffed the U.S. and South Korea's calls to resume talks since Kim's high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019, but some experts say Kim could return to talk with the U.S. next year.

In an apparent response to Trump's repeated outreach, Kim suggested in September that he could return to talks if the U.S. drops “its delusional obsession with denuclearization” of North Korea.

Meanwhile, South Korea's military said North Korea fired several artillery rounds off the North's west coast on Tuesday. Observers say the artillery launches were likely part of the North Korean military's wintertime training.

Last year, Kim declared that his country was abandoning its long-standing goal of peaceful unification with South Korea and ordered the rewriting of the North’s constitution to mark the South as a permanent enemy.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, attends a plenary meeting of the Workers Party's Central Committee in North Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)