Sabres win 2nd straight

Associated Press

MONTREAL — Paul Gaustad had a goal and two assists to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

Ryan Miller made 27 saves for Buffalo, which won its second straight road game following a 12-game losing streak away from home.

Gaustad set up Ville Leino's fourth goal 4:01 into the second period to tie it at 1. Gaustad beat Carey Price from the goalmouth to give the Sabres the lead 6:17 into the third and assisted as Patrick Kaleta scored into an empty net with 51.1 seconds remaining.

Max Pacioretty scored his 18th goal for Montreal, which went into the All-Star break on a 2-0-1 run, capped by a 7-2 win last Wednesday over NHL-leading Detroit.

Price stopped 37 shots.

Thomas Vanek, who leads the Sabres with 19 goals, left after the first period because of an upper-body injury. He did not return.

Pacioretty had the tying goal on his stick just past the midway point of the third, but was unable to convert his scoring opportunity from the edge of the crease. Erik Cole, who leads the Canadiens with 19 goals, drilled a shot off the right post in the second.

Leino used a toe drag to pave the way for his tying goal 4:01 into the second. The Finnish forward pulled the puck back with the tip of his stick blade to sneak around Canadiens defenseman Raphael Diaz, gaining the slot before firing a wrist shot past Price.

Pacioretty opened the scoring with an unassisted effort 4:09 in. He flicked the puck past Buffalo defenseman Matt Ellis along the right boards and drove in alone on Miller. The Sabres goalie stopped the initial shot, but Pacioretty put the rebound under Miller's right pad.

NOTES: Sabres C Tyler Ennis returned after missing 17 games because of an ankle injury. ... LW Travis Moen and C Petteri Nokelainen were both out of the Canadiens' lineup with upper-body injuries.