Final
Sabres down Penguins
Apr 24, 2013 - 3:35 AM Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Steve Ott netted the game-winner late in the third period to help the Buffalo Sabres edge the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-2, on Tuesday at CONSOL Energy Center.Thomas Vanek scored twice and added an assist, while Jochen Hecht had the other goal for the Sabres, who snapped a two-game skid. Ryan Miller posted 40 saves in the victory.
"It's always nice to win," Miller remarked. "I thought the guys did a nice job of sticking together and playing hard."
Jarome Iginla and Chris Kunitz each scored once, while Marc-Andre Fleury allowed three goals on 32 shots for the Penguins, who had their seven-game win streak snapped.
"This is a week before the playoffs, we want to be sharp and we want to have good habits and be playing that way and tonight, it wasn't," Iginla admitted.
With the score locked at 2-2 late in the third period, Mark Pysyk threw a shot on net from the low left circle that Fleury turned away, but Ott was there to bat the puck out of midair for a 3-2 lead with 2:34 remaining.
The referees immediately went to video review, which showed Ott's stick was just under the height of the crossbar for a good goal.
Miller then fought off a Pittsburgh flurry before Vanek netted an empty-netter with 32.4 seconds left to account for the final margin.
Buffalo struck first with 7:11 left in the opening frame when Vanek blasted a one-timer from the slot past Fleury, but Pittsburgh answered just 20 seconds later when Kunitz rifled a shot from the top of the left circle that Miller got his glove on, but it wasn't enough to keep the puck from trickling across the goal line to tie the game.
After a scoreless second stanza, the Sabres grabbed the lead just over six minutes into the third when Vanek won a scrum on the left boards and fed Hecht for a one-timer at the 6:11 mark.
A delay of game penalty against Christian Ehrhoff just past the midpoint of the period helped the Pens find the equalizer, as Iginla rifled a shot from the top of the left circle that sailed through a screen and beat Miller high to the far side at 11:02.
Game Notes
This game was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was bumped back to Tuesday after Pittsburgh's contest against the Boston Bruins was moved from Friday night to Saturday afternoon due to the city-wide lockdown during a manhunt on Friday for the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings ... The Sabres wrapped up their road slate at 10-11-3 ... Pittsburgh forward Evgeni Malkin (upper-body injury) returned from a four-game absence and recorded an assist in 21:18 of ice time ... Pysyk, Cody Hodgson and Drew Stafford each registered two assists for the Sabres.
- BUFFALO: 4
PITTSBURGH: 2
Final
Apr 23 10:07 PM - Buffalo Empty Net Goal - Thomas Vanek (20), from Cody Hodgson at 19:27.
Sabres 4, Penguins 2 3rd - 0:33Apr 23 10:03 PM - Pittsburgh Power-Play Goal - Jarome Iginla (14), at 11:02.
Sabres 2, Penguins 2 3rd - 8:58Apr 23 9:43 PM - BUFFALO: 1
PITTSBURGH: 1
End of 2nd
Apr 23 9:04 PM - BUFFALO: 1
PITTSBURGH: 1
End of 1st
Apr 23 8:12 PM - Buffalo Goal - Thomas Vanek (19), from Cody Hodgson and Drew Stafford at 12:49.
Sabres 1, Penguins 0 1st - 7:11Apr 23 7:58 PM - BUFFALO: 0
PITTSBURGH: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Apr 23 7:38 PM
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