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February 20, 2008
Sabres!
Vanek! Hat trick! Sabres - winners! - after being down 3-1 with three left in the third!
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - After vowing the Buffalo Sabres would make the playoffs, Thomas Vanek backed it up with a clutch performance.
Vanek scored three consecutive goals, including the winner 2:25 into overtime, in rallying the Sabres to a 4-3 win over the stunned Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.
"We need points and we got two points, that's the most important part," said Vanek. "It's good to stop the losing streak at two and hopefully putting a streak the other way."
Vanek was the star three days after he all but guaranteed the Sabres would make the playoffs following a dreadful weekend in which Buffalo lost back-to-back games: 4-1 against Pittsburgh on Sunday and 5-1 to the New York Rangers on Saturday.
Buffalo improved to 9-2-2 in its past 13 games and into a three-way tie with Boston and Philadelphia for seventh in the Eastern Conference.
"It feels great," said Vanek, who has scored 12 goals - including four game-winners - in 11 games after he managed just 13 in his first 50 of the season. "It's finally coming and hopefully I can stay on my game from here on out."
Posted by caps at February 20, 2008 10:36 PM