Sabres 3 - 1 Canadiens
Final
  for this game

Sabres take down Canadiens

Feb 1, 2012 - 4:21 AM Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - Paul Gaustad scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, as the Buffalo Sabres took down the Montreal Canadiens, 3-1.

Gaustad also had two assists for the Sabres, who have won two in a row on the road since a franchise-record 12-game losing skid as the guests. Ville Leino and Patrick Kaleta also lit the lamp.

Buffalo forward Tyler Ennis returned to the lineup after missing 17 games with an ankle injury. He had two shots in about 19 minutes of ice time.

Ryan Miller made 27 saves en route to tying Dominik Hasek's franchise record of 234 wins.

"We carried the play in the third," Miller said. "We got our goal and they had to pressure a little bit. But we worked hard at it. There were some openings and we took our chances."

Max Pacioretty scored the lone goal for the Canadiens, who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Carey Price stopped 37-of-39 shots.

Pacioretty gave Montreal a 1-0 lead at the 4:09 mark of the first period. Pacioretty's initial shot on a breakaway was stopped by Miller, but he jammed home his own rebound.

The Sabres tied the game at the 4:01 mark of the middle stanza. Leino's wrister from the slot got past Price.

Gaustad gave the visitors a 2-1 lead at the 6:17 mark of the third. Brad Boyes made his way around the net and fired a shot on net. Gaustad, positioned in front of the net, tipped the disc past Price.

"That's the type of goal we need to score," Price said. "He (Gaustad) didn't see the puck coming. It hit his stick and went in."

Kaleta's empty-net goal with 51.1 seconds remaining accounted for the final margin.

Game Notes

Buffalo has won six straight in the series and has claimed five in a row in Montreal...Sabres forward Thomas Vanek left the game after the first period with an upper-body injury...Montreal was without forwards Travis Moen and Petteri Nokelainen due to upper-body injuries...Ennis hadn't played since December 17...Gaustad had missed the last three games with an upper-body issue.






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