HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — There's more to staying in the lineup than knuckles rapping on lumber. Jason Pominville wasn't going to take any chances, though, considering his next game will be his 300th in a row.

"Knock on wood," said the Buffalo Sabres' right winger, who tapped his fist on a wooden

bench while discussing his healthy milestone. "I knew it was coming. I wasn't sure when, but

now that I've found out, knock on wood."



Pominville will reach the mark tonight when he takes the ice against the Los Angeles Kings

in Staples Center. He has dressed for every game the Sabres have played since April 8, 2006, a

stretch of 3 seasons.

"It's been fun," Pominville said. "I've been fortunate to not have any issues with health.

Bumps and bruises, obviously there's some along the way, but not enough to keep me out of the

lineup. It's definitely exciting to be able to play that many games in a row."



Pominville has absorbed his share of hard hits and shot blocks through the years, but he

couldn't recall one instance in which he was so much as a game-time decision.

"Part of it is being lucky," he said. "Sometimes guys will block a shot a certain way, and

they end up hurting their foot or something. ... Some guys are unfortunate with some of their

injuries, and my side — I'll knock on wood again — I've been able to kind of stay

away from that."



Pominville hasn't been injured since breaking his leg in the minor leagues with Rochester

during the 2004-05 season. The last game he sat for Buffalo was April 7, 2006, and he was a

healthy scratch for the 4-2 loss to Philadelphia.

He came back the next game. And the next. And the next ...



He has a long way to go to set the NHL record, though. How long? Try another eight full

seasons. Doug Jarvis, who played for Montreal, Washington and the Hartford Whalers, played 964

straight games from Oct. 8, 1975 to Oct. 10, 1987.

Craig Ramsay holds the Sabres record for consecutive games played with 776 from 1973 to

'83.

Pominville, who chugs a liter of a Pedialyte-type drink after every on-ice session,

credits the liquids for allowing him to avoid the nagging groin and muscle injuries that can

send players to the sidelines.

"I think hydration has a lot to do with strains and stuff like that, so I try to drink as

much as I can," said Pominville, who has the league's seventh-longest active streak. "All it

takes sometimes is a rut in the ice that can not go your way. Again, I've been kind of

fortunate with not having any of those."



Pominville also extended kudos to strength and conditioning coach Doug McKenney. The

players have regular weigh-ins, which allows McKenney to suggest additional calories or fluids

to maintain their optimal weight.

"I feel better on the ice when I do take care of myself," Pominville said. "I enjoy doing

it."



Though he'll work tonight, Pominville and the rest of the Sabres took Wednesday off. They

completed back-to-back games Tuesday, dropping a 5-4 decision to the Anaheim Ducks. It was

their fourth road game in a six-night span.

The Sabres learned again Tuesday that anything less than a 60-minute effort can cost a

team. They allowed four goals in the opening 10:26 to fall in a 4-0 hole. The Sabres'

three-goal burst during the second period got them on the cusp of a comeback, but Anaheim

scored with 4:07 left in the game to take a two-goal lead and thwart the rally.

The loss ended the Sabres' streak of games with a point at 11 (8-0-3). They nonetheless

tried to focus on the rally instead of the result.

"We dominated the last 40 minutes," coach Lindy Ruff said. "It wasn't even close."



Tuesday's setback was the Sabres' first loss in regulation since a 5-2 defeat in Washington

on Dec. 23. They haven't lost back-to-back games since Dec. 7.