• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Hecht's late goal lifts Sabres past Flyers

Dec 22, 2007 - 5:36 AM By Dave Whalen PA Sportsticker Contributing Writer

BUFFALO, New York (Ticker) -- Martin Biron and Daniel Briere did not enjoy their return to Buffalo as much as they would have liked to - thanks to Jochen Hecht.

Hecht scored the game-winner late in the third period and Ryan Miller made 20 saves to lead the Buffalo Sabres to their fifth consecutive victory, a 3-2 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night.

Defensemen Brian Campbell and Jaroslav Spacek both had two assists for the Sabres, who have also won 12 of their last 16 contests.

Both Biron and Briere returned to the town where they established their careers for the first time since leaving Buffalo. Biron was traded in February, while Briere signed an eight-year, $52 million contract in the offseason.

"We're a young team. I think we're still in the stages where we're trying to learn how to stay patient, how to find ways to win those games," Briere said. "We haven't been very good in the tight games lately. I thought tonight we were on the right path and then for a couple seconds of lack of focus and the puck is in the back of the net."

With the score knotted at 2-2, Hecht notched his 12th goal of the season to provide the final margin with 2:51 left in the final session. Hecht picked up the puck at the edge of the crease and launched a wrist shot past Biron's glove side.

"Henrik Tallinder took a shot up the point off a good forecheck where they turned it over," Hecht said. "Danny Paille deflected it, went off Marty, came to my right and I just banged it with my backhand and it went in."

Miller played a solid game behind a stout defensive effort by the Sabres, but the Flyers grabbed a 2-1 edge in the second period after scoring a pair of goals in a 47-second span.

Jeff Carter broke into the zone after receiving a sharp pass from Scott Hartnell at the blue line. Carter beat Miller just under the left arm at 2:13 of the middle session.

Joffrey Lupul followed that up with his 13th tally of the campaign. While on a power play, Lupul one-timed a skate pass from Denis Tolpeko over the right shoulder of Miller from the slot.

The Sabres tied the score at 2-2 with a man-advantage tally at 4:30 of the third period. Ales Kotalik unleashed a slap shot off a cross-ice feed from Spacek that beat Biron on the glove side. It was Kotalik's 10th goal of the season and seventh on the power play.

Briere had a chance to give Philadelphia the lead midway through the third when he broke up the left wing, but Miller denied his backhand shot.

"It's fun to compete," Miller said. "I don't take additional pride, I want to win every night. It was fun to play against them.

"Danny had a few looks, he might of redirected that one that hit the post. He was smiling at the faceoff. I'm glad to walk out of here with the last laugh."

Buffalo jumped out to a 1-0 lead late in the first period when Biron kicked a redirected shot by Drew Stafford over his left shoulder and just across the goalline with 2:05 remaining. Play continued momentarily but the official indicated a goal and after a brief review, the goal was confirmed.

Biron, who played in 300 games as a Sabre goaltender - third most in team history, stopped 32 of the 35 shots he faced.

"It was must win tonight and we had it and couldn't put it away so tomorrow is twice as important for us," Biron said.