Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scor

O&N HOME | NFL MLB NBA NHL NCAAF NCAABk Nascar Golf Soccer Tennis Boxing Horse Racing All Sports

Harding solid as Wild escape Sabres

Fri 12th, March 2010

Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) - Josh Harding stopped a season-high 43 shots, as Minnesota escaped from Buffalo with a 3-2 win at HSBC Arena.

Andrew Ebbett, Andrew Brunette and Guillaume Latendresse lit the lamp for the Wild, who halted a four-game losing streak.

"Last night (a 5-1 loss in Detroit) wasn't good. To a man I thought this team put forth a great effort tonight," said Harding. "Our team wins when the defenseman play well and it sets the tone for everyone else to play well."

Thomas Vanek registered both scores, and Jason Pominville assisted on each for the Sabres, whose three-game win streak was ended.

Patrick Lalime yielded three goals on 33 shots in the loss.

Vanek's power-play score put the Sabres on the board at 3:42 of the third for a 3-1 game.

Lalime was pulled for an extra skater with well over two minutes to play, and the gamble paid off when Vanek's stuffer eluded Harding with 1:58 to go.

Despite several close-calls around the Minnesota net, the Sabres could not score an equalizer.

"A thousand chances aren't going to win games," said Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff. "We like the number of shots, but there are some situations where they have to turn them into goals. Our key players have to do a better job of turning those shots into goals."

Minnesota got on the board via the power play, as Ebbett soloed up the slot and beat Lalime with a quick wrister 3:02 into the contest.

Latendresse capitalized on Lalime's failed clear and stuck a wraparound shot in at 10:11, and the Wild led by two after one period thanks to 15 stops from Harding.

Brunette gave the visitors a 3-0 edge with 1:25 to play in the second period, and Harding backed up the tally with 12 saves.

Game Notes

Minnesota has won four of the last six meetings dating back to December, 2003...Vanek's only other multi-goal game this season occurred on October 13 against Detroit...Lalime has not recorded a victory since December 29, going 0-4-1 since then.