BOSTON — Six goals in three games and no player with more than one. An anemic power play

that's in an 0-for-12 abyss. Two games lost after scoring the first goal.

The Buffalo Sabres knew it would be tough to score against the Boston Bruins in this

playoff series. But not like this. The offense is in a big-time funk and its big players are

key culprits.

"We generated more shots than they did and we just have to find a way to put them away,"

winger Jason Pominville said after Monday's 2-1 loss in TD Garden. "We had a few good looks

and tips and just weren't able to find any holes."

The Sabres had 33 shots on Tuukka Rask but the Boston goalie was rarely called upon to make

saves with any wow factor.

The only Sabres with two points in the series are Thomas Vanek (out with an injury), fellow

winger Raffi Torres (no goals since joining the Sabres at the trade deadline) and defenseman

Henrik Tallinder (four goals and 20 points all season).

No goals thus far from Derek Roy (26 in the regular season) or Tim Connolly (17).

Pominville (24) and Tyler Myers (11) have one. Paul Gaustad (12) has been blanked.

Connolly, in fact, didn't have a shot on goal a day after coach Lindy Ruff insisted

(hoped?) that he would be better than he was in Game Two.

The power play had three more futile attempts, finishing with just three shots on goal. The

Sabres barely had any sustained pressure in the Boston zone on them.

"It's definitely an area we worked on in practice and we have to keep working on,"

Pominville said. "You're not going to score every time but you want to at least get momentum

and you do that by getting shots and opportunities. I don't think we've been doing that too

well lately."

Asked how much of an albatross the power play is becoming to his team, coach Lindy Ruff

interrupted a question and shot back, "I guess as much as theirs."

The Bruins were 0 for 2 in the game to fall to 1 for 6 in the series.

Ruff then acknowledged the injuries to Vanek and fellow 20-goal scorer Jochen Hecht are

probably the major factor in what ails the Sabres.

"I think with the personnel out, we're struggling offensively," Ruff said. "You can't miss

some offensive personnel and have others not at the top of your game. We're struggling."

"We need to figure out a way to create some more scoring chances, let alone score a goal,"

said captain Craig Rivet, who joined the power play for Game Three. "We're aware we can be

better in areas.

"By no means are we going to be in panic-stricken mode. There's no panic in this room right

now. We know that we can do some things that are going to make us a better hockey team. One is

obviously power play."

The Sabres scored first for the third straight game on Mike Grier's first-period tally.

They lost for the second straight time, a far cry from their 31-6-4 record during the regular

season when posting the opening goal.

"Playoffs go against a lot of different patterns," Ruff said. "That's just the way it is.

Teams are going to lay it on the line and take advantage of situations."

"We usually have been pretty good with the lead," Grier said. "They've turned it up when

we've had a lead and we have to stick with it and match their intensity level."

Grier gave the Sabres the jump by taking a Torres pass and unleashing a quick snapshot by

Rask at 6:57 of the first minute. The Sabres then fired blanks for the final 53 minutes.

"I got a bounce with a little bit of room on one side," Grier said. "It hit the post and

went in. It was a good bounce for me."

The Sabres didn't get any others the rest of the night.

"This time of year, you have to have positive thoughts and keep working at it," Grier said.

"We've got the right guys out there, the guys we want with the puck making plays. I think

eventually we'll get it going."