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Pominville, Roy score twice as Sabres top Maple Leafs

Jan 2, 2009 - 3:32 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Jason Pominville scored two of the Buffalo Sabres' three second-period goals in a 4-1 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

Derek Roy also had a pair of goals and added an assist for Buffalo and Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford each recorded two assists.

After a scoreless opening period, the Sabres beat Toronto goaltender Curtis Joseph for a trio of goals in a 4:39 span in the middle of the second session.

With Ian White serving a two-minute minor for hooking, Pominville's slap shot from just inside the blue line found its way through traffic and into the net for a 1-0 Buffalo advantage at the 6:50 mark.

Roy batted a rebound out of midair 2:21 later to double the lead and Pominville scored again on an unassisted tally with 8:31 remaining to conclude the scoring spree.

"We kind of had a box in one, Royzee (Roy) made a nice pass to me and I was able to get a shot through and it kind of had eyes and found a hole," Pominville said. "The second one was off a forecheck. I don't remember who it was, I got the puck off him and was able to walk in and found a hole again."

Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller made sure the lead stood, making 10 of his 27 saves in the third period. Miller also turned aside a penalty shot by Niklas Hagman with 60 seconds remaining in the opening period after Roy tossed the puck out of the crease during a scramble in front of the Buffalo net.

"Royzee (Roy) made a really good play actually to cover the crease because I kind of got caught up in traffic and was out of position so he made a smart play to make it go to a penalty shot," Miller said. "With Hagman, he went to change his speed and I didn't want to give him a chance to go around me, so I just kind of laid a poke-check out there to get in the way and he hit me right in the hip."

Toronto's lone goal was scored by John Mitchell. The Maple Leafs have managed two goals or less in four of their last five games (1-4-0).

"I think if we would have found a way to break the ice in the first period, on some of the chances we had on the power play, then obviously the chance that led to the penalty shot it might have been a different outcome," Toronto coach Ron Wilson said. "But we didn't capitalize on our chances and they capitalized on theirs."

Joseph had 16 stops in his second consecutive start in net after winning for the first time since April on Tuesday against Atlanta.

"We have to create something, no question," Joseph said. "The last game was so entertaining that this game didn't seem very entertaining at all so we have to work on that. If nothing's happening, we've got to do something. A big hit, a fight, a big goal or a big save, something."

Roy also added a power-play goal early in the third period for Buffalo, which won for just the second time in six games.