Saturday, Apr. 28 3:00pm ET
Goalie Hedberg closes door on Sabres
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BOX SCORE
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – Andrew Ference and the Pittsburgh Penguins
are getting all the right bounces in the playoffs.
|  | | Kevin Stevens does his best to distract Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek from a first-period shot. |
With scoring star Jaromir Jagr injured, unsung defenseman
Ference stepped into the role of hero, banking a shot off Buffalo's
James Patrick for the go-ahead goal in Pittsburgh's 3-1 victory on
Saturday.
Ference broke a 1-1 tie with 11:51 left in the third period,
giving the Penguins a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven second-round
series. Game 3 is at Pittsburgh on Monday.
The Sabres are 0-15 when losing the first two games of a playoff
series.
"That was a horrible shot," Ference said, laughing. "I
couldn't really shoot it directly at the goalie because the guy was
going to block it. So I just tried to put it off, but not like
that. It just kind of flubbed off my stick."
Fittingly, it was a defenseman that scored for the Penguins, who
have committed themselves to playing better in their own zone and
allowed only 11 goals in eight playoff games.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff talked about bounces, too – the ones
that haven't gone his team's way.
"We haven't really caught a bounce yet," Ruff said. "You've
got to work to make your breaks. We worked hard enough to get some.
But they took advantage in the last 30 minutes."
Mario Lemieux was in the perfect spot to watch Ference's goal
flutter into the net – he was battling Patrick inside the goal
crease. Asked if he angled Patrick at the puck, Lemieux smiled and
said: "No, I'm not that good."
The Penguins have won six of their last seven playoffs games,
and four in a row for the first time since 1996.
They're doing it with a renewed commitment to defense, an
all-around scoring attack, and sharp goaltending from rookie Johan
Hedberg, who starred in Thursday's 3-0 series opener.
Hedberg stopped 21 shots Saturday, including 11 in the final 20
minutes.
The Sabres played better, rebounding from their flat effort in
Game 1, but still had trouble generating scoring chances.
"We gave it everything we had," the Sabres' Donald Audette
said. "The puck just didn't bounce our way. ... We played the best
we can."
Robert Lang and Alexei Kovalev also scored for the Penguins.
Stu Barnes scored the Sabres' goal.
Not only do the Sabres find themselves down in the series, but
they could be missing as many as three top defensemen.
Alexei Zhitnik and Jay McKee both sustained concussions. Buffalo
also is minus Richard Smehlik, who's missed the last two games with
an ankle injury.
Zhitnik, who leads Sabres defensemen with six playoff points and
the team in ice time, was knocked cold with 5:20 left in the first
period. Carrying the puck, Zhitnik was cutting across the middle of
the ice when Kovalev leveled him, his elbow catching Zhitnik across
the chin.
McKee was shaken up following a collision with Lemieux in the
second period. McKee initiated the hit but was knocked back onto
the ice, bleeding from the mouth.
Kovalev, who wasn't penalized, said he caught Zhitnik with his
shoulder.
Pittsburgh forward Josef Beranek, filling in for Jagr on the top
line, sustained what the Penguins are calling a groin injury in the
second period. He did not return.
Sources told ESPN that Jagr missed the game with a shoulder injury, not a charley horse he got in the second period on Thursday.
Jagr spent 20 minutes in practice Friday, after which he complained about soreness.
About 90 minutes before the game, Jagr was spotted outside the
Pittsburgh dressing room talking to coach Ivan Hlinka in their
native Czech. The conversation ended when Jagr pointed his stick in
Hlinka's direction and the coach turned and walked away.
Game notes
The Sabres made one change to their lineup, inserting RW
Rob Ray for LW Vladimir Tsyplakov. ... LW Krzystof Oliwa took
Jagr's spot in the lineup, playing his first game since Game 4 of
the first-round series. ... Lemieux had an assist, giving him four
goals and eight points in his last five games. ... The Penguins are
6-0 in the playoffs when scoring first.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Buffalo Clubhouse
Penguins-Sabres Series Page
Sidelined with shoulder injury, Jagr, coach exchange words
Sabres' Zhitnik knocked out early, helped off ice
RECAPS
Pittsburgh 3
Buffalo 1
Colorado 2
Los Angeles 0
New Jersey 6
Toronto 5
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Robert Lang slides the puck past glove of Dominik Hasek for the goal.
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Andrew Ference scores for Pittsburgh.
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Alexei Kovalev hammers Alexei Zhitnik with this shot.
avi: 1010 k
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Check out some post-game comments from Dominik Hasek and Mario Lemieux.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN'
'Cable Modem
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