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Power play propels Ducks past Sabres

Feb 3, 2009 - 7:37 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Chris Kunitz and Corey Perry netted a power-play goal apiece in the third period to lift the Anaheim Ducks to a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.

Defenseman Chris Pronger also tallied and Jonas Hiller made 21 saves for the Ducks, who have won three of their last four games.

"We had some structure, things we wanted to implement as part of the game plan and we were able to execute those and the power play turned up big enough to win," Pronger said. "We got two goals that gave us a cushion."

Teemu Selanne and blue-liner Steve Montador had two assists apiece for Anaheim, which did not allow the Sabres to record a shot for nearly the first 12 minutes of the final session.

Patrick Kaleta and defenseman Craig Rivet scored and Patrick Lalime turned aside 33 shots for Buffalo, which concluded its season-long, six-game road trip with a 3-3-0 record.

With the score knotted at 1-1, Kunitz collected his 14th goal of the season at 3:34 of the third.

"We have a group of guys out there that feel confident," Kunitz said. "Any time you wear them down the first time, you just have to put the puck on the net. Any time you can capitalize on it, it makes everybody feel better, feel more positive."

After Pronger fired the puck into the zone, the Sabres failed to maintain possession behind the goal line. Selanne forced a turnover to Andrew Ebbett behind the net and he delivered a centering pass to Kunitz, who converted with a one-timer between the pads of Lalime.

"I was just trying to put it up on the net," Kunitz said. "I didn't get as much of it as I wanted and it trickled back on him. As long as you hit the net, you have a chance of putting it in. I was just trying to redirect it on net."

Just over five minutes later, Perry doubled the advantage with his 17th tally of the campaign. Montador fired a slap shot from the high slot that Lalime stopped, but Perry stuffed in the rebound at 9:44 to give the Ducks a 3-1 lead.

"It was a good shot by (Montador). It just squeaked through the goalie and it was sitting there on the line," Perry said. "Those are the kind of goals we need to have coming down the stretch. They call them garbage goals, but somebody has to be there."

Rivet cut the deficit in half with 6:33 remaining, burying a rebound off Paul Gaustad's attempt. But Buffalo could not tie the game, failing to score during a power play over the last 1:41.

"We played well in the first. We got into a little bit of trouble in the second period. But I didn't mind our third period," Ruff said. "I thought our workers did a good job. I didn't like our skill guys tonight, they didn't get enough done for us.

"Our workers were good tonight. Those guys weren't getting the job done. There wasn't much coming from up top. The guys down below were getting most of the work done."