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Sabres look to snap out of funk

Jan 27, 2007 - 3:41 PM Buffalo (33-13-4) at NY Islanders (22-21-5) 7:00 pm EST

UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) -- The Buffalo Sabres are the top club in the Eastern Conference, but they have not looked like it lately.

The Sabres will try to snap out of their funk when they visit the New York Islanders on Saturday.

Buffalo slipped to 2-4-1 in its last seven contests after a 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday. Chris Drury scored both of Buffalo's goals on the power play.

The Sabres' 187 goals are the most in the NHL, but they have only netted 20 in their last seven contests. Buffalo scored nearly one-third of those in a 6-3 triumph over the Boston Bruins on January 17.

The Islanders dropped a 5-4 overtime contest against Atlanta on Friday. Mike Dunham stopped 26 shots in the final 54 minutes for New York, which has dropped 10 of 13.

Prior to the NHL lockout in 2004-05, the Islanders had won seven straight games against the Sabres but since then have lost six in a row against their in-state rivals, including two this season.

Hoping to avoid its fifth straight loss at home, New York has not won at home since a 2-0 victory over the New York Rangers on December 26.