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Flyers hang on to defeat Sabres

Nov 3, 2011 - 5:05 AM Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) - Scott Hartnell's goal capped a big opening period for Philadelphia and the Flyers held on to take a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center.

Sean Couturier and James van Riemsdyk scored goals 13 seconds apart less than two minutes into the game and Hartnell tallied a goal at the 6:23 mark of the first.

Ilya Bryzgalov let in two fluky goals, but finished the game with 29 saves to give the Flyers their second straight win.

Luke Adam had a goal and an assist while Andrej Sekera scored the other goal for the Sabres, who have lost four of five.

"It's a good offensive team. We give them chances like we did and they can certainly capitalize," said Sabres winger Thomas Vanek. "We got it together and played good but it was too late."

Ryan Miller gave up three goals on 11 shots and was yanked from net after the Hartnell goal. Jhonas Enroth came on and stopped all 15 shots he faced to keep his team in the game.

The Flyers came out on fire and scored just 1:43 in. A wraparound attempt from the left side by Jakub Voracek saw the rebound slide out to the left point where Andreas Lilja blasted a shot on net. Miller made the stop, but the rebound kicked out to the right circle where Couturier buried it.

Just 13 seconds later, the Flyers made it a 2-0 game when a neutral zone turnover saw van Riemsdyk get the puck, skate it in down the left wing and bury a wrister into the right corner.

About 4 1/2 minutes later, Hartnell made it a 3-0 game when he blasted a shot from the left circle that beat Miller cleanly.

Buffalo got on the board at the 7:49 mark of the second period off a lucky bounce when Sekera blasted a shot from the right point that hit off the backboards, which then went off the back of Bryzgalov's leg and into the net.

The Sabres made it a 3-2 game 8:29 into the third on another lucky break when Adam chipped the puck out front from behind the net where it hit off the skate of Flyer defenseman Kimmo Timonen and snuck past Bryzgalov.

Buffalo got a late power play when Andreas Nodl was called for elbowing and the team pulled Enroth for a two-man advantage, but were unable to net the equalizer.

"We barely hung on for that win," said Hartnell. "Bryzgalov had a couple of huge saves at the end in the last five seconds."

Game Notes

Hartnell has a three-game goal streak...Buffalo hosts Calgary on Friday...Philly hosts New Jersey on Thursday...These teams split the regular- season series last season, but the Flyers beat the Sabres in seven games in the opening round of the playoffs...The Flyers were 0-for-3 on the power play while the Sabres were 0-for-5.