Sabres edge Flyers to keep pace in East
Posted March 5, 2011 4:35 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHILADELPHIA — Jason Pominville’s goal in the third period snapped a tie and led the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
The Eastern Conference-leading Flyers have lost three straight games for the first time since Nov. 26-Dec. 1. Their last two losses have come against Toronto and Buffalo, two teams less than five points out of the final playoff spot in the East.
Drew Stafford, Tyler Ennis and Andrej Sekera scored three straight goals in the second to put the Sabres ahead. Ryan Miller bounced back from a shaky first to allow one goal the rest of the way. Nathan Gerbe added an empty-net score late in the third.
Kris Versteeg, James van Riemsdyk and Kimmo Timonen scored for the Flyers.
The slumping Flyers, who have cruised atop the East for most of the season, haven’t been able to match the desperation of the teams fighting for a playoff berth.
Thomas Vanek set up the winner when he fed a perfect pass to a streaking Pominville, who tapped the puck behind goalie Sergei Bobrovsky 6:37 into the third for a 4-3 lead.
Miller held off the Flyers from there to keep the Sabres’ post-season hopes not only alive, but have them feeling good about a possible playoff matchup with the Flyers.
Buffalo shook off a 2-0 hole and stormed back in the second with three goals in 3:40 to take the lead.
Stafford spoiled the latest chance for the Flyers to get their first shutout of the season when he scored his 25th goal. Defenceman Chris Pronger had just stepped out of the penalty box to end Buffalo’s power-play opportunity.
The Sabres tied it 2-2 on an odd goal. Ennis was deep in the corner behind the goal-line, tossed the puck toward the net and it somehow slipped past Bobrovsky for his 14th goal. Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta was on his back and Flyers defenceman Sean O’Donnell stood on the crease, watching helplessly as the puck trickled by.
No luck needed on the third goal — just gritty effort. Sekera was stopped twice, corralled the second rebound, scooted behind the net and beat Bobrovsky on a wraparound for a 3-2 lead.
Buffalo fans clustered in the upper deck started a booming chant for their team, that was quickly drowned out by some Philly fan boos.
Timonen gave the orange-and-black faithful a reason to cheer. Braydon Coburn flipped a puck from along the boards to a wide-open Timonen in front of the net, who punched in his 100th career goal.
The Flyers had lost two straight games for the first time since late December and saw their lead in the Eastern Conference standings whittled to only three points.
They responded with a fiery first period in which they killed Buffalo’s two-man advantage and Bobrovsky stopped nine shots.
Versteeg, who two goals in Thursday’s loss versus Toronto, made it 1-0 with an early power-play goal. Van Riemsdyk beat Miller on a backhand shot for a 2-0 lead.
NOTES — The Flyers lost three straight games in regulation for first time since Oct. 14-21. … The Flyers assigned C Ben Holmstrom to the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL.
