• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Sabres hope to regain offensive prowess against Avalanche

Mar 9, 2007 - 3:10 PM Minnesota (37-24-7) at Buffalo (44-17-5) 8:00 pm EST

BUFFALO, New York (Ticker) -- Maybe the injuries are starting to catch up with the Buffalo Sabres.

The Sabres, who lead the league with 253 goals, aim to recapture their scoring touch when they host the Minnesota Wild on Friday.

Buffalo has only scored five times in its last two games after netting 31 tallies in its previous five contests. It still is without left wing Ales Kotalik, right wing Maxim Afinogenov and defenseman Jaroslav Spacek, who all are on injured reserve.

Having won five of their last seven games, the Sabres are looking to rebound from a 3-2 loss to Colorado on Wednesday.

Nathan Paetsch and Jason Pominville scored while Ryan Miller made 26 saves. Pominville has four goals and seven assists in his seven-game points streak.

The Wild snapped a two-game skid with a 2-1 victory over Boston on Thursday. Niklas Backstrom made 29 saves and Pierre-Marc Bouchard had a goal and an assist for Minnesota, which is 11-3-2 in its last 16 road games.

Backstrom rebounded from a sub-par effort on Tuesday when he was pulled after allowing three goals on nine second-period shots in a 3-0 loss to San Jose.