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Sabres clip Leafs with seconds left in overtime

Oct 16, 2007 - 3:27 AM By Dave Whalen PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BUFFALO, New York (Ticker) - The Buffalo Sabres made a frantic comeback in the third period and got a little help from Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Brian McCabe in overtime.

Buffalo exploded for four third-period goals and McCabe mistakenly shot the puck into his own net with 3.8 second left in overtime as the Sabres posted a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Maple Leafs on Monday.

Ales Kotalik got credit for the game winning goal. His slap shot from the left circle was initially stopped by Toronto goaltender Andrew Raycroft, but McCabe took a swipe at the puck, trying to clear it from the crease and it went off both posts and trickled into the net.

"I obviously didn't mean to put it in my own goal", said McCabe. "I had a guy on my back and just tried to clear the puck into the corner and it went off the post and in."

Chad Kilger scored his first two goals of the season and looked To give the Leafs a road win, but Jochen Hecht evened the score at 4-4 with 3:33 left in the third period.

"We just don't have a whole lot of confidence in our defensive game and it showed", Leafs coach Paul Maurice said. "We sat back and stopped making plays, which is the kiss of death, especially against a team that is going to wind it up like that."

Kilger scored his first goal of the season half way through the third period, giving the Leafs a 3-2 lead. Nik Antropov fed Kilger a hard pass from the left boards, and Kilger redirected it through Sabres G Jocelyn Thibeault.

Buffalo had played a strong two periods but had nothing to show for it until Adam Mair connected for his second, redirecting a return feed from Derek Roy into an open left side.

"We didn't play our game in the first 40 minutes", Kotalik said. "We talked about it before periods, that we have to better and play our style of game. We came out strong in the third, and got the quick goal from (Mair) and we believed we could comeback."

Jason Pominville connected 37 seconds later to tie the game at 2-2 before Kilger gave the Leafs a temporary lead. Simon Gamache opened the scoring for Toronto 15:33 into the first period when he one-timed a John Pohl pass from the low right slot.

It was Gamache's second goal in three games since being called up from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.

Nik Antropov made it 2-0 in the second period, pouncing on a rebound that Thibeault just missed covering up. Chad Kilger took a shot from the left circle that hit the far post. The Buffalo netminder reached out to smother it but Antropov popped it over him for his team leading fifth goal.

"We said these games are interesting and exciting", Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "I don't think anybody was disappointed from a fans standpoint, the entertainment value, but it's a killer on coaches."