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Sabres 5, FLAMES 1
Varada scores two to lead Buffalo over Calgary
CALGARY (CP) -- While Vaclav Varada was putting the puck in the net Saturday night, fellow Czech Dominik Hasek was keeping it out.
Thanks to Varada's two goals and Hasek's 30 saves, the Buffalo Sabres moved closer to an Eastern Conference playoff berth with a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames.
"We needed the points tonight, I guess maybe more than them," said Varada. "It's tough battle in our conference but some teams are still struggling -- Carolina is losing, Montreal isn't playing that well. It's right there for us, we just have to do it."
The win moved the Sabres within one point of the New York Rangers and the Pitsburgh Penguins, who are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference. Buffalo and New York each have nine games left, but Pittsburgh has 11.
After giving up six goals in losing to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night, Hasek was back in form against Calgary. The all-star goaltender was treated to a little impromptu ovation from his teammates when he returned to the dressing room after the game.
"I got back to the dressing room a few minutes late and they gave me a big applause, it was funny," Hasek said with a laugh. "I haven't played well lately so I guess that's why they did it."
Buffalo won for just the second time in their last 10 road games (2-6-2).
"I've been struggling, the whole team's been struggling, especially on the road where twice in a row we gave up six goals," Hasek said. "Tonight, the defence helped played great, they helped me out a lot and made my job easier, it was the way we should play to make the playoffs."
Dixon Ward, Curtis Brown, and Maxim Afinogenov also scored for Buffalo. Chris Gratton and Vladimir Tsyplakov each contributed a pair of assists. Jason Woolley had one assist to extend his points streak to six games (two goals, four assists).
Gratton has a goal and five assists in five games since joining Buffalo from Tampa Bay in a March 10 trade that sent Brian Holzinger, Wayne Premiuea, Cory Sarich and a draft pick to the Lightning.
Jeff Shantz scored the lone goal for the Flames, whose playoff hopes continue to fade.
Calgary has lost six in a row, including four straight at the Canadian Airlines Saddledome. With 10 games remaining, Calgary trails the eighth-placed San Jose Sharks by seven points in the Western Conference.
"We're in a slump right now and obviously not helping ourselves out at all in the standings," said Flames centre Marc Savard.
Losers of 10 of their last 11 road games, Calgary now heads out on a four-game road trip beginning tonight in Edmonton.
Varada opened the scoring 1:10 into the second period after Flames defenceman Derek Morris turned the puck over when he fell as he carried the puck out of the Calgary end.
Gratton pounced on the loose puck and centred it to Vladimir Tsyplakov, who relayed it to Varada for a one-timer that beat Grant Fuhr.
Buffalo made it 3-0 when Ward and Brown scored 47 seconds apart midway through the period.
Ward's goal came with Flames centre Marc Savard in the penalty box for slashing at Hasek's glove long after the Buffalo goaltender had covered the puck.
"Tonight they got one goal and we seemed to just fold," said Savard. "One little thing seems to set us back and we can't let that happen, we have to keep going."
Hasek lost his shutout bid 4:30 into the third period when Shantz poked in a puck.
Afinogenov restored the three-goal margin at 12:54 and Varada closed out the scoring on a breakaway with six seconds left.
Buffalo went 2-for-5 with the man-advantage.
Calgary outshot Buffalo 12-2 in the third.
Hasek finished with 30 saves.
Fuhr finished with 16 saves.
Summary
-----------------------------
Buffalo 0 3 2--5
Calgary 0 0 1--1
-----------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: Housley, Cgy (holding), 9:04;
Varada, Buf (hooking), 14:39.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Buffalo, Varada 5 (Tsyplakov, C Gratton),
1:01. 2, Buffalo, D Ward 9 (power play) (C Gratton, Woolley), 12:21. 3,
Buffalo, Brown 19 (Satan, Gilmour), 13:48. Penalties: V Bure, Cgy (Ob
holding the stick), 5:12; Woolley, Buf (slashing), 8:53; Savard, Cgy
(slashing), 10:59; C Gratton, Buf (Obstr hooking), 18:42.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 4, Calgary, J Shantz 11 (Iginla, Krivokrasov),
4:30. 5, Buffalo, Afinogenov 15 (power play) (Tsyplakov, Holland), 12:54.
6, Buffalo, Varada 6 (unassisted), 19:54. Penalties: Wiemer, Cgy ( double
high sticking minor), 9:28.
Shots on goal:
---------------------------------
Buffalo 5 14 2--21
Calgary 10 9 12--31
---------------------------------
Power-play Conversions: Buf - 2 of 5, Cgy - 0 of 3. Goalies: Buffalo,
Hasek (31 shots, 30 saves; record: 9-9-5). Calgary, Fuhr (21, 16; record:
5-12-2). A:16,466. Referees: Trottier, Watson. Linesmen: Gibbs, Parker.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS
Buffalo Calgary
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
Afinogenov 1 0 even 2 Begin 0 0 even 0
Brown 1 0 even 2 Clark 0 0 even 1
C Gratton 0 2 +2 1 Cowan 0 0 -1 2
D Ward 1 0 even 3 D Shannon 0 0 even 1
Gilmour 0 1 even 0 Dollas 0 0 even 1
Holland 0 1 +2 0 Housley 0 0 -1 2
Mckee 0 0 +1 1 Iginla 0 1 -1 3
Patrick 0 0 -1 2 J Shantz 1 0 +1 3
R Warrener 0 0 +1 0 Krivokrasov 0 1 even 4
Rasmussen 0 0 even 1 M Bureau 0 0 -1 0
Ray 0 0 even 0 Morris 0 0 -2 4
S Barnes 0 0 even 0 Nazarov 0 0 -1 0
Sanderson 0 0 even 0 Regehr 0 0 even 0
Satan 0 1 even 2 Savard 0 0 even 1
Smehlik 0 0 -1 2 V Bure 0 0 -1 6
Tsyplakov 0 2 +2 0 Werenka 0 0 even 0
Varada 2 0 +2 2 Wiemer 0 0 -3 3
Woolley 0 1 +2 3 Wilm 0 0 even 0
Roloson Healthy M St Louis Hand
Peca Shoulder Johansson Back Injury
Zhitnik Finger Injury Lindsay Hand
Taylor Healthy Charron Healthy
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