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Vanek nets two as Sabres bury Islanders

Oct 13, 2008 - 10:07 PM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) -- In a game filled with fights, Patrick Lalime and the Buffalo Sabres sent the New York Islanders down for the count.

Patrick Lalime stopped 23 shots in his Sabres debut and Thomas Vanek scored twice in a four-goal second period as Buffalo coasted to a 7-1 victory over the Islanders on Monday afternoon.

Jason Pomenville and Ales Kotalik each had a goal and two assists for the Sabres, who wore down the Islanders in a game that featured three separate fights in a second period melee and a total of 150 minutes in penalties.

"I thought everyone responded," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said of the fisticuffs. "It defines your team early in the year and it was awesome to see."

Lalime, who signed as a free agent to serve as the backup to Ryan Miller, had a relatively easy afternoon and did not allow a goal until Trent Hunter tallied early in the third.

"I knew two days ago that I would be playing today," Lalime said. "It's nice to get in there, and when I get the call, I'll make the best of it."

Joey MacDonald started his third straight game in goal in place of All-Star Rick DiPietro, who underwent knee and hip surgeries in the offseason.

MacDonald was not nearly as sharp as in the first two contests, allowing relatively soft goals to Jochen Hect in the opening session and Vanek early in the second.

DiPietro again dressed as a backup and coach Scott Gordon did not want to use his franchise player in a lopsided game, so MacDonald was forced to take the pounding.

"I can tell you right now, I'm not a strong believer in pulling our goalie to change momentum," Gordon said. "I want them to be looking over their shoulder to the bench. It's an opportunity for Joey to find a way to battle."

Hecht opened the scoring with a power play goal at 10:05 of the first period. Hecht skated around the net and his shot toward the crease deflected off the stick of MacDonald and then off his hip and into the net.

MacDonald also came up short on the second Buffalo goal 2:21 into the second. MacDonald could not hold on to a wrist shot by Maxim Afinogenov and the goalie fanned on a soft shot by Adam Mair off the rebound went into the net.

"Tomorrow's another day. I just to put this one behind me and go from there," MacDonald said. "I felt fine before the start of the game and things just got worse."

Vanek made it 3-0 seven minutes into the second with a shorthanded tally, scoring off a cross-ice pass from Daniel Paille.

"That's the first shorthanded one of my career," Vanek said. "Never scored one on any level."

Pominville scored off a rebound in front of the net 98 seconds later to give Buffalo a four-goal cushion.

The frustration for the Islanders boiled over on the ensuing faceoff when Mair and New York's Nate Thurmond tangled after the puck was dropped. Fights between New York's Brendan Witt and Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta and the Islanders' Sean Bergenheim and the Sabres' Craig Rivet followed.

When play resumed, Vanek put a backhander into the top of the net at 10:30 to make it 5-0.

"We were looking for the shortcut," Islanders captain Bill Geurin. "That's why we took so many penalties."

Kotalik and Clarke MacArthur scored in the third period for Buffalo.