Music: {allcanada} Vanek's SO goal lifts Sabres to 1-0 win over Sens

Saturday, December 4, 2010

{allcanada} Vanek's SO goal lifts Sabres to 1-0 win over Sens

OTTAWA (AP)—Thomas Vanek (notes) scored the winning goal in the shootout and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Ottawa Senators 1-0 on Saturday night.

Vanek fired a slap shot past Brian Elliott (notes) from the slot to lift Buffalo. Ryan Miller (notes) was perfect at the other end for the Sabres, stopping 32 shots for his second straight shutout.

Elliott was nearly as good with 31 saves, but the Senators are still searching for their offense.

Ottawa has been shut out in two consecutive games and hasn't scored in 177 minutes, 30 seconds. The Senators have won just three of their last 12 and have been outscored 38-17.

Despite a couple of good chances by both teams, the game was scoreless after the first period. Sabres forward Michael Grier had the best opportunity when he broke in alone on Elliott, while Buffalo was short-handed, but rang a shot off the post.

Despite a lack of goals there was plenty of action in the second period in front of a crowd of 16,364 that included Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his son.

Elliott came up big a number of times and was solid in stopping Tyler Ennis (notes) early in the period and Derek Roy (notes) through traffic late. At the other end, Miller turned aside Mike Fisher (notes) and Alex Kovalev (notes).

Ottawa's best chance of the period came on a 3-on-1 rush that failed to produce a shot.

The Senators went 1-2-1 on their four-game homestand.

NOTES: D Brian Lee (notes) was a healthy scratch for the Senators. … The Sabres were without C Tim Connolly (notes) (groin) and C Rob Niedermayer (notes) (knee). RW Drew Stafford (notes) and D Craig Rivet (notes) were healthy scratches.