Buffalo 3, Tampa Bay 2 (SO)
Sabres rally for shootout victory over Lightning
Myers nets winner in sixth round of shootout
TAMPA, Fla. — At one end of the rink, Ryan Miller went down to one pad and pumped a fist. At the other, Tyler Myers raised his arms and was tackled by his teammates. Eventually, the two stars of the shootout converged to celebrate the Buffalo Sabres' stunning victory.
The Sabres, down by a goal in the final seconds of regulation Saturday, rallied to send the game to a shootout then rode their hot goaltender and hot-shot rookie to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Myers was the only player out of 12 to find the net in the extra session, while Miller gave him the opportunity by stopping all six Lightning breakaways.
"We've spent time at length talking about the extra points you can gain in shootouts and the difference that can make by the end of the year," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "When your goalie stops that many, you've got to take advantage of it."
Myers did. The 19-year-old defenseman went left, then dipped the puck past goaltender Mike Smith into the right side of the net. The Sabres poured off the bench after watching their record improve to 6-1-1.
"I went to my backhand to try and pull him over, and when I saw he went down I pulled it back to my forehand. He almost got his glove on it, but luckily I put it in," Myers said. "Early in my junior career I took some shots and didn't do so well, so they stopped putting me out there. But I'm happy I scored on my first one in the NHL, and I'm happy we got the win out of it."
It took last-minute drama to earn the victory, but it shouldn't have been a surprise the Sabres pulled a magic act.
The Sabres have long made themselves at home in Tampa Bay. They have been victorious in 22 of their 32 visits, treating their vocal supporters who invade St. Pete Times Forum to a string of high moments. Another came when Drew Stafford tied the game with a bad-angle shot with 16.1 seconds left in the third period. It brought a large Blue and Gold roar back to the Channelside District.
"We were trying to get some dirty goals, and we happened to get one at the end, so it was huge," said Stafford, whose team finished its Florida trip 2-0 after beating the Panthers, 5-2, on Wednesday. "You couldn't ask for a better result."
The teams entered the final period tied 1-all before the Lightning scored the go-ahead goal with 15:34 to go. Nathan Paetsch fed defense partner Steve Montador behind the Buffalo goal, and as Montador backpedaled, his stick struck the base of the net. Lightning second-year pro Steven Stamkos got the loose puck and skated to the front of the net to beat Miller.
"Stamkos had a full forehand wraparound there, so he had a lot more power than I did on my stick," said Miller, who made 24 saves. "My stick just ended up being the ramp that sent it up over my pad."
Stafford's late tally continued a game-long trend. Goals came in the final minute of the first and second periods, too.
The Lightning struck first, and they used nearly every tick of the opening period to do so. With the seconds heading toward zero, Vincent Lecavalier chopped a backhand over Miller's shoulder as the green light to signal the end of the period began to shine.
The combination of an overhead camera and clock isolation shot showed the puck crossing the goal line at 0:00.6. The Bolts backers among the crowd of 15,804 roared as Lecavalier accepted high-fives.
The Sabres finally evened matters in the final minute of the second. Tim Kennedy rushed rookie Victor Hedman and deflected the defenseman's pass. The puck went directly to Mike Grier in front of the net. He shot high over a sprawling Smith with 45.5 seconds to go.
"I was watching, and he was looking at his partner and not up the ice," Kennedy said of Hedman. "I knew that if he got the puck he wouldn't see me coming, so I just kind of read that play, jumped him, and fortunately the puck went to Griersy and he put it in the back of the net."
The Sabres, who flew home following the contest, play the final game of three straight on the road Wednesday when they visit the New Jersey Devils.
"We were definitely rewarded at the end," Miller said. "I'm happy to get that point and then get the extra one in the shootout."
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