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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Erik Rasmussen called it luck. It looked
more like hustle.
With 5:21 left, Rasmussen poked a rebound off Toronto goalie
Glenn Healy as the Buffalo forward was sliding past the net to give
the Sabres a 2-1 victory over Toronto on Friday night.
|  | | The Sabres held Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin scoreless Friday night. |
The rebound came off Dave Andreychuk's slap shot from about 20
feet that Healy stopped but couldn't control.
"Opportunities come and you've got to take advantage of them,"
Rasmussen said. "I got a lucky bounce. Andy had a great shot. I
actually thought it had gone in the net. I just got lucky and I
just threw it off Healy's pads."
Rasmussen started the play on the other side of the ice when he
controlled the puck in the Sabres' zone and passed it up. Nearly
200 feet later, he had his second goal in two games.
"He started that play from below our goal line and just blew by
everybody," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said.
The win was the second straight for Buffalo, which stopped a
five-game winless streak with a victory over Carolina on Wednesday.
The Sabres are 4-0-1 at home, their best start since 1989-90 when
they went 13-0-1 at their former home -- the Memorial Auditorium.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Toronto. The
Sabres are 5-1-1 against the Maple Leafs at HSBC Arena.
"We were good in the third period, but we made a mistake on the
goal," Toronto coach Pat Quinn said. "One guy not working and
suddenly it's in our net."
While things ended well for Buffalo, they certainly didn't start
that way. Just 3:30 into the game Toronto grabbed the lead when
Maple Leafs forward Gary Roberts beat Dominik Hasek with a backhand
shot over Hasek's left shoulder. The goal marked the fourth time in
eight games that Hasek allowed a goal in the first four minutes.
"It's tough but if you win the game, who cares?" Hasek, who
had 19 saves, said. "On the other hand, of course I know for my
teammates and my team it's much more difficult to come from
behind."
The deficit was short lived.
Buffalo dominated play for the remainder of the opening period,
outshooting Toronto 10-0 in the period's final 10:20.
Chris Gratton tied the game with a power-play goal with seven
minutes left in the first. Stu Barnes fed Gratton with a
cross-crease pass that split Toronto defender Dave Manson and
Healy. Before the goal, Toronto had killed 23 straight penalties.
"I just closed my eyes and opened them at the right time,"
Gratton said. "Stewie put it through a very tight spot. I think
the goaltender got caught just a little bit out of position."
Friday was only the second start of the season for Healy, who
finished the game with 30 saves.
"When we turn it over, they've got some real speedy forwards.
That creates havoc for our defense," Healy said. "By not playing
all 200 feet, only playing 150 feet, we didn't get our offense
going."
Game notes
Andreychuk needs three goals to pass John Bucyk for 16th
place on the NHL's career list. ... Buffalo defenseman Rhett
Warrener ended his three-game scoring streak -- the longest of his
career -- when he didn't register a point against Carolina on
Wednesday. ... Last season, Toronto had the best road record in the
Eastern Conference going 21-18-2 with three of the losses coming in
overtime. The Maple Leafs are 2-2 on the road this season.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Buffalo Clubhouse
RECAPS
Buffalo 2
Toronto 1
New Jersey 3
Carolina 3
Columbus 3
Washington 1
NY Islanders 2
Montreal 1
Ottawa 6
Tampa Bay 0
Minnesota 3
Calgary 1
Florida 3
Nashville 3
Pittsburgh 4
NY Rangers 1
Phoenix 4
Dallas 2
Atlanta 1
Vancouver 1
Anaheim 3
Edmonton 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Gary Roberts beats one defender to put Toronto on the board.
avi: 657 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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