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Stafford, Tallinder help Sabres finally beat Devils in shootout

Feb 7, 2008 - 5:30 AM BUFFALO, New York (Ticker) -- Drew Stafford and defenseman Henrik Tallinder finally helped the Buffalo Sabres figure out how to beat the New Jersey Devils in a shootout.

Stafford scored the decisive goal in the bonus format and Tallinder added insurance as the Sabres posted a 3-2 win over the Devils on Wednesday.

Michael Ryan and Jason Pominville tallied in regulation and Ryan Miller made 24 saves for Buffalo, which has won five of its last six games.

"There's something about this year and playing those guys with the amount of shootouts we've been in," Miller said. "It's nice to get a win, get the points, especially that extra one."

Defensemen Karel Rachunek and Mike Mottau scored goals and Martin Brodeur turned aside 20 shots for New Jersey, which has lost four of six.

Stafford opened the shootout by beating Brodeur with a wrist shot. Zach Parise's backhander was off the mark, setting the stage for Tallinder's spectacular goal.

As Tallinder skated in, Brodeur sprawled to the ice as he went for the poke-check. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner, missed, however, leaving the net wide open for Tallinder, who buried his shot.

"A defenseman all together, it's pretty rare," Brodeur said. "I was just wanted to make him make a move. He's not used to that situation. It just didn't work out."

Tallinder's goal was the first of his career in the bonus format.

"Every shootout can go either way," Tallinder said. "You have to bear down a little bit. It's good to have some new guys out there so the goalie doesn't know every move."

"There are some players that are good on breakaways and some players that aren't very good," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said of his decision to use Tallinder in the shootout. "We've gone through breakaway drills, tried to keep some stats. The odds were starting to fail us with some of the guys we've been using. (Tallinder) has done pretty well in practice."

Miller easily denied Brian Gionta's wrist shot, sealing the win. The netminder had a certain plan in helping keep New Jersey off the board in the shootout.

"Parise, the times he's beaten me was with good speed and quick moves," Miller said. "I wanted him to change up. I think he was trying something new that I hadn't seen yet. He kind of lost that puck.

"With Gionta, I was closed on the glove (side) pretty well and I stayed a little higher."

While the outcome was different, the shootout was not unexpected. All four games of the season series ended in the bonus format, with the Devils capturing the first three.

"You don't see that too often," Parise said. "Unfortunately, we weren't on the winning end, but getting seven out of eight points against a team is pretty good."

"Four shootouts in four games, that's some pretty good hockey played by these two teams in this series, obviously when it's that tight," New Jersey coach Brent Sutter said.

It had to seem like deja vu for Buffalo, which squandered a two-goal lead for the second time in as many meetings with New Jersey but managed to prevail this time.

The Sabres grabbed a 2-0 lead, but Rachunek halved the deficit with 4:35 left in the second period. Mottau's shot forged a tie at 6:16 of the third, when his pass attempt inadvertently was banked off the back of Miller's leg and into the net by Buffalo defenseman Dmitri Kalinin.

It was only the third goal of the season for Mottau, who last scored in a 2-1 shootout win over Buffalo on December 28.

Ryan scored just 2 1/2 minutes into the game and Buffalo doubled the advantage at 8:04 of the second period, when Daniel Paille's pass deflected off Pominville's skate and past Brodeur at 8:04.

After video review, it was determined Pominville did not make a distinct kicking motion, extending his points streak to five games.

John Madden collected two assists for New Jersey, which had won 16 of the previous 23 meetings between the teams.