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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Jaromir Jagr's first point in five games
didn't make him any happier.
Jagr had two assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo
Sabres 6-4 on Friday night but the NHL scoring champion is still not
pleased with his play.
|  | | Winger Rene Corbet gets the puck past Dominik Hasek to put the Pens on the board in the first period. |
"It doesn't matter," Jagr said, when asked about breaking his
streak. "I've told you many times, don't ask me that stupid
question."
"This is not tennis," said Jagr, who hasn't scored a goal in
seven games. "This is not about me. This is about the team, all
right?"
Josef Beranek scored the game's decisive goal 5:15 into the
third. Beranek took a pass from Jagr and ricocheted a shot off
Buffalo defenseman Alexei Zhitnik and into the net to put the
Penguins up 5-4.
Alexei Kovalev and Robert Lang each scored two goals -- Lang's
second coming on an empty-netter set up by Jagr -- and Andrew
Ference had his first career multipoint game with three assists to
lead the Penguins.
Dominik Hasek fell to 10-15-5 in his career against the
Penguins, his most losses against any team.
The Penguins peppered Hasek with 31 shots and kept the Sabres on
the defensive for much of the game. Pittsburgh's Garth Snow had 28,
including several during a furious push by Buffalo in the game's
final moments.
"They're a great offensive team. They have very skilled
players," Hasek said. "They like to play a wide-open game and we
gave them too many chances, especially in the first period."
Pittsburgh outshot Buffalo 15-4 in the opening period but held
just a 2-1 lead, after scoring two 4-on-4 goals within 15 seconds.
The puck was in the Sabres end for the majority of the first 20
minutes and Pittsburgh was able to create several odd-man breaks.
Only several highlight-reel saves by Hasek kept the Sabres within
one.
"He definitely saved them in the first period," Lang said.
"It could've been a totally different game if he wasn't standing
on his head, but that's what he is."
The second period was another fast-paced affair. Buffalo got
goals from Chris Gratton, J.P. Dumont and Miroslav Satan. Lang and
Kovalev scored for Pittsburgh as the teams were tied heading into
the final period.
Kovalev scored on a 40-foot slap shot that got under Hasek's
right arm.
"That was definitely a knuckle puck," Kovalev said. "When I
saw that puck rolling, those pucks I never pass. I always try to
let it go."
After Beranek's goal in the third, Pittsburgh was forced to kill
a penalty when Jagr was called for unsportsmanlike conduct with
7:27 left. He argued with an official about a non-call when Jagr
was checked into the boards. Buffalo wasn't able to get a shot off
during the power play, however, and Pittsburgh kept the lead.
"It was an open game and it was an up-and-down game,"
Pittsburgh coach Ivan Hlinka said. "I think it was a good game to
watch. It was a good game for our team for sure because we'll take
the two points."
Game notes
Pittsburgh's Jagr, Lang, Beranek, Jiri Slegr and Martin
Straka and Buffalo's Hasek and Richard Smehlik were Czech Republic
teammates on the club that won the gold medal at the 1998 Olympic
Games. Penguins coach Ivan Hlinka was the coach. ... The Sabres
entered tied with Los Angeles for the best home power play,
converting 28 percent. They were 1-of-6 against Pittsburgh. ...
Buffalo D Jay McKee missed his second straight game with a
concussion sustained Nov. 25 against Montreal. ... The teams play
again Saturday night at Pittsburgh.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Buffalo Clubhouse
RECAPS
Pittsburgh 6
Buffalo 4
Washington 3
Boston 2
Atlanta 5
Tampa Bay 3
NY Islanders 0
New Jersey 0
Detroit 3
Florida 1
Chicago 2
Nashville 1
Colorado 4
Dallas 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Josef Beranek's shot deflects off a defender and past Dominik Hasek.
avi: 987 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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