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Stafford lifts Sabres over Wild in OT

Mar 7, 2011 - 2:00 AM St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Drew Stafford scored just 46 seconds into overtime as the Buffalo Sabres took a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.

In the extra session, Stafford skated into the Minnesota end, cut to the front of the net and stuffed it past the left side of Jose Theodore for the win.

Rob Niedermayer scored his first goal of the season and Jason Pominville also lit the lamp for the Sabres, who have won two straight and three of four.

Jhonas Enroth made 24 saves to help Buffalo move one point ahead of idle Carolina for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"It feels pretty good, but we're not done yet," said Stafford. "We're not going to stop. We know how we can play and we're going to keep going out every night."

Warren Peters and Marek Zidlicky each had a goal for the Wild, who have dropped three of four. Theodore made 30 saves in the loss.

"I really liked the way we played the second period," said Minnesota head coach Todd Richards. "I thought we controlled the majority of the period. It was a good third period and then a great individual effort from Stafford in overtime won it for them."

The first goal of the game was Buffalo's as Pominville scored 83 seconds in. On the rush, a pass by Steve Montador from the low left circle to the right side set up Pominville for the easy tap in.

Niedermayer scored his first goal of the year and in a Buffalo uniform 2:04 into the second when, from in front, he jammed home a rebound between the pads of Theodore.

However, Minnesota made it a 2-1 game with 5:47 left in the second as a sharp pass from the right boards by Brad Staubitz to the front saw Peters jam the puck home.

The Wild then tied the game with 2:27 to play in the middle stanza on the power play. Pierre-Marc Bouchard held the disc behind the net and threw it to the high slot where Zidlicky lasered a shot past Enroth.

Game Notes

Minnesota hosts Colorado on Tuesday...Buffalo, which is 3-0-1 on its seven- game road trip, plays in Pittsburgh on Tuesday...Buffalo has won three straight and five of the six past games in Minnesota...Buffalo went 0-for-2 on the power play while Minnesota was 1-for-2.