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Vanek helps Sabres get revenge vs. Thrashers

Dec 31, 2006 - 5:12 AM BUFFALO, New York (Ticker) -- Thomas Vanek helped the Buffalo Sabres avenge an earlier loss to the Atlanta Thrashers.

Vanek scored two goals and set up another as the Sabres downed the Thrashers, 4-1, for their third straight victory.

The win gave Buffalo a measure of revenge against Atlanta, which posted a 5-4 shootout triumph on October 28 to end the Sabres' season-opening 10-game winning streak. The loss prevented Buffalo from setting the league record for most consecutive victories to start a campaign.

"They're the team that beat us for the first time this year," Buffalo's Jason Pominville said. "It's something we had in the back of our minds. We wanted to have that kind of revenge, and overall played a good, solid game."

Vanek's first goal with 3:07 left in the third period gave the Sabres a 3-1 lead. During a power play, the 22-year-old Austrian deflected Maxim Afinogenov's shot over goaltender Kari Lehtonen's shoulder.

The left wing sealed the win less than two minutes later, when he scored into an empty net for his 22nd of the season.

"I can't fault the effort," Atlanta coach Bob Hartley said. "I felt we skated very well. We played a good game. There's some games that you lose that you feel that you didn't have a chance. In tonight's game, I can't fault my players. (The Sabres) showed up to work. They got their chances at the right time and took advantage of them."

Co-captain Daniel Briere had a goal and an assist and Afinogenov and defenseman Dmitri Kalinin each set up two tallies for Buffalo, which has won four of five.

Pominville also scored, netting his 18th goal when he took a pass from Briere on a 3-on-1 rush and rifled a shot past Lehtonen for a 2-0 lead with 3:15 left in the second period.

"They're a team that doesn't give you much," Pominville said. "I think they played pretty solid in their own end. We were fortunate to get a rush on my goal, and Danny (Briere) made a great pass and I was fortunate to get one in."

Glen Metropolit scored the lone goal for the Thrashers, who had their five-game winning streak snapped.

Ryan Miller, who made 29 saves in a 4-1 win over Carolina on Thursday, again stopped 29 shots in this one.

"With a little luck here and there, we would have gotten the two points, but Miller played very well today," Lehtonen said. "I think he was the key to the game."