Sam Gagner, center, is congratulated on his overtime goal Thursday.

The last-place Buffalo Sabres got a point on Thursday, but the 29th-place Arizona Coyotes got two.

So as predicted, tank-happy Sabres fans cheered when Arizona’s Sam Gagner scored in overtime to get Buffalo a little closer to drafting either Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.

“You don’t find bigger Coyote fans than here in Buffalo,” Sabres fan Dan Tyczynski said in a email before the game. “The bars go crazy when the Yotes score, and we can’t stand when we score. This town has been all about last place for the whole year, and we’re very close.”

In a night when fans’ Pray for McDavid sign was up again at First Niagara Center, the Sabres made a game of it, despite starting 0-3 goalie Matt Hackett. He made 38 saves, and his team forced overtime with a third-period goal by captain Brian Gionta, but stretched their losing streak to four.

The Sabres now trail the Coyotes by six points. If they finish last, they get a 20% chance at Ontario Hockey League star Connor McDavid in the draft lottery and an 80% chance of landing Boston University star Eichel.

Either generational prospect would be a start to helping turn around a struggling franchise.

The teams face each other again Monday night in Glendale, Ariz.