• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Strong third period helps Buffalo down Isles

Jan 24, 2011 - 12:49 AM Uniondale, NY (Sports Network) - Tyler Myers and Nathan Gerbe each registered a goal and an assist in the third period, as the Buffalo Sabres defeated the New York Islanders, 5-3, in the backend of a home-and-home set at Nassau Coliseum.

Tyler Ennis and Jason Pominville also had a goal and a helper, while Paul Gaustad added a marker for Buffalo, which recovered from a 5-2 loss to the Islanders on Friday and have won three of four overall.

"It was a good third period for us," said Ennis. "We needed this win today. It was a good team effort out there."

Ryan Miller turned aside 31-of-34 shots to pick up the win.

Matt Moulson tallied twice and Jack Hillen scored once for the Islanders, who have dropped six of their last eight. Rick DiPietro made 18 saves in defeat.

"I thought we played hard. We had a couple of mistakes that wound up in the back of our net, so it's a tough one to swallow," Moulson said.

Tied at 2-2 after two periods, Buffalo had some carry-over power-play time from the second with Josh Bailey in the box serving a double-minor for high sticking and the Sabres capitalized.

Ennis took a pass from Myers at the right circle and sent a backhand pass to Gerbe, who fired it home from the left side at 1:48.

Myers was then credited with a goal after deflecting Gerbe's pass toward the net from in close. The puck went off an Islanders defenseman and squeezed through DiPietro, clearly crossing the line, but was initially ruled not a goal. However, a brief replay confirmed the puck crossed the line and Buffalo was ahead 4-2 at 3:51.

Hillen's point blast got by Miller to pull the Islanders within one at 16:37, but Pominville secured the win with an empty-net goal with 24 seconds remaining.

Gaustad gave the Sabres the lead just 15 seconds into the contest and it remained a 1-0 game until Moulson's power-play tally tied things 1:15 into the second on a wrist shot from in the low slot.

Buffalo went back in front at 4:58 when Ennis took a feed from Jochen Hecht and got a soft backhander through DiPietro that finished off a line rush to make it a 2-1 game

Moulson then scored his second of the game at 13:27 to pull New York even again. P.A. Parenteau's wrister was stopped by Miller, but the rebound sat in the crease and Moulson, coming in late, stuffed the puck into the wide-open net.

Game Notes

Buffalo has won four of its last five on the road...Miller improved to 11-8-1 in his career against the Islanders...John Tavares recorded a pair of assists for New York.