Pittsburgh 5, Buffalo 1
When: 7:30 PM ET, Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Where: First Niagara Center, Buffalo, New York
Referees:
Mark Lemelin, Tim Peel
Linesmen:
Brad Kovachik, Steve Miller
Attendance:
18408
By SportsDirect Inc.
Penguins 5, Sabres 1: Captain Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each scored a goal and set up another as Pittsburgh sent Buffalo to its eighth consecutive home loss.
Harry Zolnierczyk scored in his return from the minors while Brian Gibbons and James Neal netted third-period goals as the Penguins reached 40 wins in their 57th game - the fastest they have hit that mark in franchise history. Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 24 shots to earn his league-best 31st win and improve to 7-1-1 in nine career starts in Buffalo.
Drew Stafford scored for the fifth time in six games for the Sabres, who absorbed their third defeat in a row and 10th in 12 contests (2-7-3). Ryan Miller made 29 saves in falling to 2-4-2 in his last eight outings.
Pittsburgh used its star power to take command in the middle session, with Crosby breaking a 1-1 tie by splitting a pair of defenders, veering in and wristing a shot over the glove of a helpless Miller during a power play at 2:08 to halt a five-game goalless drought. Malkin made it 3-1 on a breakaway with 2:12 left in the period, stealing the puck from Jamie McBain and shrugging off the defenseman before undressing Miller with a perfect deke.
Buffalo broke on top just before the six-minute mark of the opening period, when Stafford swept home the rebound of Tyler Ennis' wraparound attempt. The Penguins tied it nine minutes later as Zolnierczyk, promoted from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League earlier in the day, accepted a feed from Craig Adams in front and lifted the puck over Miller.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Crosby extended his point streak against the Sabres to 17 games, collecting 10 goals and 18 assists in a run that dates back to Dec. 29, 2007. He also has hit the scoresheet in all 14 contests in which he has played in Buffalo. ... Sabres D Tyler Myers was not in the lineup due to an upper-body injury sustained in Monday's loss to Edmonton. ... Malkin has three goals and three assists during a four-game point streak, while Ennis notched his 12th point in 13 contests with his assist on Stafford's tally.
Top Game Performances
| Pittsburgh |
|
Buffalo |
|
Sidney Crosby 2 |
Points |
Drew Stafford 1 |
|
Sidney Crosby 1 |
Goals |
Drew Stafford 1 |
|
Sidney Crosby 1 |
Assists |
Tyler Ennis 1 |
|
Sidney Crosby 1 |
Power Play Goals |
N/A |
|
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
|
Marc-Andre Fleury .960 |
Save Percentage |
Ryan Miller .853 |
|
Marc-Andre Fleury 24 |
Saves |
Ryan Miller 29 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
| Pittsburgh
|
34 |
5 |
1-4 |
1-1 |
9 |
26 |
| Buffalo
|
25 |
1 |
0-1 |
3-4 |
15 |
26 |
Upcoming Games
-
Buffalo will play their next game on the road against Ottawa. The Sabres have a W/L % of .133 after a win and .317 after a loss.
-
Pittsburgh will play their next game at home against NY Rangers. The Penguins have a W/L % of .700 after a win and .706 after a loss.
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