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BOX SCORE
DENVER (AP) – While the Buffalo Sabres celebrated, the Colorado
Avalanche merely shrugged.
As the standings will attest, Buffalo's 3-2 overtime victory
Saturday held more meaning to the Sabres as they maneuver for
position in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
|  | | Buffalo Sabres defenseman Alexei Zhitnik, left, celebrates with teammate Stu Barnes, who scored the winning goal in overtime. |
"This was big," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "Any time you
get two points this time of the year, it's big. You don't expect to
come west and get two points."
Entering Saturday, five points separated New Jersey and Toronto
for the 3-7 playoff spots in the East, with Buffalo residing in
sixth. Stu Barnes gave Buffalo its 76th point when he beat Colorado
goalie Patrick Roy on a breakaway 2:08 into overtime.
The Avalanche, who lead the NHL with 92 points, outshot the
Sabres 35-16 but were content with gaining one point for an
overtime loss. They erased a two-goal deficit and opted to be
aggressive in the extra period.
"We said on the bench after the third period that it was a
non-conference game and we wanted to go for that point," Colorado
coach Bob Hartley said. "There was no common sense in trying to
play defensive hockey or trying to play conservatively."
Curtis Brown and Doug Gilmour added goals for the Sabres, and
backup goalie Martin Biron stopped 33 shots. Biron made his first
start since Feb. 13, allowing Dominik Hasek to rest before Sunday's
game at Dallas.
"I was really up. Many of the guys over there were people I
watched growing up in Quebec -- Ray Bourque, Patrick Roy," Biron
said. "So I was really excited about that goal at the end. I said
to myself, `Put it in the net and let's go on to Dallas.' "
Joe Sakic extended his goal-scoring streak to four games, and
Peter Forsberg had a goal to run his point streak to six games for
Colorado, which had won four straight.
"When you're playing an Eastern Conference team, you're just
trying to get a win," Sakic said. "The loss isn't going to hurt
you. The only thing out there is you're trying to add a point in
the standings."
Sakic was involved in the decisive goal as he lost the puck to
Jean-Pierre Dumont deep in the Buffalo zone. Dumont found Barnes
streaking up the middle, and Barnes flipped the puck through Roy's
legs for his 17th goal of the season and his fifth game-winner.
"We came in here knowing we had a huge challenge ahead of us,"
Barnes said. "We played a great first period, let down in the
second period and wanted to throw it all out there in the third
period and see what happens."
Colorado, playing its first game in six days, trailed 2-0 before
Forsberg scored midway through the second period. It was the
Avalanche's first goal against Buffalo at home since Oct. 28, 1997
-- a span covering 161 minutes, 22 seconds.
Sakic tied it on a power play with four seconds left in the
period. At that point, Colorado had a 25-6 shot advantage.
"In the second period, we were just battling, trying to hang
on," Brown said. "They kept coming wave after wave."
Buffalo took only three shots in the first period, but scored on
two of them.
Brown converted a centering pass from Vladimir Tsyplakov after a
Colorado turnover at 3:28 and Gilmour scored a power-play goal at
18:27.
Jason Woolley set up Gilmour by drawing Roy out of position near
the left post. Gilmour took the pass and put a shot between the
legs of Colorado defenseman Bourque, who moved in front of the net
while Roy scrambled outside the crease.
Roy finished with 13 saves.
Game notes
Colorado D Greg de Vries returned after missing three games
with a separated shoulder. ... Roy surpassed 52,000 minutes played
and needs 527 more to pass Tony Esposito for third on the career
list. ... Hasek had started eight straight games, and is scheduled
to return to the net Sunday at Dallas. ... Forsberg has six goals
and 10 assists during his six-game points streak. ... Buffalo has
won three straight in Denver. ... The Sabres are 2-1 on their
five-game road trip.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Buffalo Clubhouse
Colorado Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 3
San Jose 2
Buffalo 3
Colorado 2
Florida 2
Atlanta 2
Montreal 3
Philadelphia 1
Tampa Bay 6
NY Islanders 0
Ottawa 3
Toronto 2
Washington 4
Pittsburgh 3
Calgary 3
St. Louis 2
Los Angeles 6
Detroit 3
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