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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Donald Brashear had an interesting view of
his game-winning goal.
|  | | Vancouver goalie Felix Potvin stops a shot deflected by Buffalo's Dixon Ward, right. |
Brashear scored while prone on the ice -- after chasing an errant
pass -- lifting the Vancouver Canucks to a 2-1 victory Thursday
night over the Buffalo Sabres.
"Sometimes (passes) don't come on the tape," Brashear said.
"Sometimes you need to make a second effort to catch it."
Brashear's goal, his 10th, came with 6:14 remaining in the third
period. He swiped at the puck in the right faceoff circle and the
shot got past Martin Biron.
"I've got a few lucky ones this year," Brashear said.
"Sometimes you get great scoring chances and miss them. Sometimes
you get the ugly goals."
Mattias Ohlund also scored for Vancouver, which broke a two-game
losing streak. Felix Potvin made 22 saves for the Canucks, 2-2 on a
five-game Eastern road trip.
Michal Grosek tallied for Buffalo, which failed to earn a point
for the first time in eight games (3-2-3-1). Biron stopped 24 shots
for the Sabres, who are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference --
three points behind the New York Rangers for the final playoff
spot.
"We're not going to win any games scoring one or two goals a
game," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "There is a lot of pressure
on the goaltending and every little mistake is crucial."
Biron doesn't care how many shots he needs to stop if it leads
to victories.
"It doesn't matter if you make 50 saves or 10 saves," he said.
"You have to stop the last one that gives them the win."
Ohlund opened the scoring with 4:42 to go in the first period.
With Vancouver on the power play, he pinched in from the blue line
to the high slot, and wristed his third goal below Biron's glove.
In the second, Grosek tied it at 1:12 with his 11th goal. Grosek
came from behind the net and directed a blind backhander over
Potvin's right shoulder, breaking an 11-game scoreless streak.
"I have struggled the last 12 games," said Grosek, who
returned from Ruff's doghouse Wednesday at Pittsburgh after
dressing Sunday but not playing. "It was a big point for me."
Buffalo missed an opportunity to take a lead several minutes
before Brashear's goal, when a Miroslav Satan shot hit the
crossbar. Within the last three minutes of the game, Buffalo had a
power play but could not muster a shot on goal.
"It was a huge win, a character win," Canucks coach Marc
Crawford said. "By the end of the game, it symbolized what paying
the price means."
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Vancouver Clubhouse
Buffalo Clubhouse
RECAPS
Vancouver 2
Buffalo 1
Ottawa 6
Tampa Bay 2
Montreal 3
Carolina 0
Colorado 5
New Jersey 5
NY Islanders 2
Philadelphia 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Donald Brashear scores the game-winner from his knees.
avi: 1112 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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