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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Three weeks ago, the Buffalo Sabres were a
team desperate for offense. Then Doug Gilmour showed up.
Gilmour and Miroslav Satan each had a goal and three assists as
the surging Sabres won their fourth straight, beating the Carolina
Hurricanes 5-1 on Monday night.
|  | | Buffalo's Doug Gilmour, who had a goal and three assists, is denied by Carolina's Arturs Irbe, left, and Paul Coffey. |
"I don't think we can say enough about how Doug has helped
provide some offense," coach Lindy Ruff said. "Ever since he has
gotten here our offense has gone up dramatically. He has had a
history of being a great playmaker."
Gilmour was acquired from Chicago before the March 14 trade
deadline.
The Sabres moved past Montreal and into the eighth and final
playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with six games left, winning
only their 12th road game in 38 tries.
Gilmour became the 20th NHL player to record 1,300 career points
with his third-period assist and he added Buffalo's final goal with
8:29 left. Gilmour's big night ran his point streak to seven games,
scoring in every game since the March 10 trade.
"I will reflect back more on this more when I retire, but if
you look at when I broke into the league you never expect to do
anything like this," Gilmour said of his milestone. "You just
want to play and survive out there."
The Hurricanes fell three points behind the Sabres and remained
in 10th position. The two teams meet again Friday night in Buffalo.
"We've got a tough hill to climb right now," said Carolina
defenseman Glen Wesley. "It's not the best scenario we would have
liked, but we've still got opportunities. We can't count ourselves
out."
Carolina hit four posts, but could only manage a Gary Roberts
second-period goal against Dominik Hasek, who won his fourth
straight start.
"I was just lucky," said Hasek, who stopped 31 of 32 shots.
"Four posts and there was the game," added Carolina coach Paul
Maurice.
Roberts got the crowd of 15,395 into the game with his
game-tying goal, but Buffalo's Curtis Brown scored 17 seconds
later, picking up a rebound from a Satan blast and beating Arturs
Irbe.
"They had the momentum right there," Gilmour said. "We just
tried to jump into the play. We had a turnover real quick and we
capitalized on it."
Satan then scored his team-leading 32nd goal late in the second
as he capitalized on a Roberts turnover in the Carolina end,
beating Irbe from the right circle.
Satan set up Buffalo's fourth goal with 11:45 left, breaking in
on the right side and circling around the back of the net before
feeding Vladimir Tsyplakov for a one-timer from the slot.
Buffalo took a 1-0 lead midway through the first period on a fluke goal. Jay McKee's rising shot from the point hit off the back
of Carolina defenseman Steve Halko and past Irbe.
One day after firing 49 shots at the Islanders, Carolina
peppered Hasek with 13 in the first period, but hit a pair of posts
and couldn't beat the Czech goalie.
The Sabres played without captain Michael Peca, who began serving his two-game suspension for a forearm hit on Calgary's Valeri Bure last Thursday night.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Buffalo Clubhouse
Carolina Clubhouse
RECAPS
Buffalo 5
Carolina 1
Detroit 6
NY Rangers 0
Colorado 3
Chicago 1
Edmonton 2
San Jose 1
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