Garon, Bolts grind out win over Sabres

BUFFALO, N.Y. Fighting, scrambling and battling continue to provide hope for the Lightning.

Mathieu Garon stopped 26 shots while Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist to lead Tampa Bay to a 2-1 victory against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday at First Niagara Center. Steve Downie also scored as the Lightning improved to 7-1-2 in their past 10 games and have earned points in four consecutive road games (3-0-1), a season best heading into Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.

The victory vaulted Tampa Bay from 14th in the conference to 11th and to within eight points of Toronto for the final playoff spot. The Lightning also kept pace with Southeast Division-leading Florida to remain nine points back of the division lead.

"It's a big two points for us,'' said Stamkos, who leads the league with 37 goals. "Early in the season we weren't able to finish games like this or we weren't able to grind it out and pay the price. We have to find a way sometime.''

That sometime is now as Tampa Bay is putting together a resurgent run and Garon has been a big part of the recent turnaround. He played his part once again on Saturday, coming up with key stops, particularly in the third period when he made 13 saves to improve to 3-0 this season against Buffalo.

"The first and second (periods), it wasn't necessarily where he had to save us,'' Lightning head coach Guy Boucher said. "But in the third period he did what No. 1 goaltenders do, what good goaltenders do: they find that big save that makes a difference and he found them.''

Both teams started off a bit tentative, with each looking to make late-season unexpected charges up the standings and it wasn't until late that scoring chances started to come. But a resurgent Ryan Miller, who struggled early in the season in net for Buffalo, stoned a couple of late Tampa Bay power play chances, first from Marty St. Louis in the slot and then again from Stamkos on a one-timer from the left circle.

The Lightning then started to mount pressure and take some control of the game. Downie got Tampa Bay on the board after a pass from Victor Hedman down low in front, where he made a quick move to push the puck into the open side of the net at 7:31 for his 50th career goal.

Stamkos then notched his 37th of the season, converting a Teddy Purcell pass after he stripped the puck at center ice to set up a 2-on-1 chance at 13:16.

With taking some control in the game, the Lightning held Buffalo to two shots on goal for the final 16 minutes, 49 seconds of the second period.

The Sabres got on the board in the third when Tomas Vanek carried the puck into the zone and lost possession coming toward the slot. But it was corralled by Jason Pominville, who fired a shot which deflected through traffic and eluded Garon before slipping into the net at 7:07 to cut the Lightning lead to 2-1.

From there it was a matter of holding on to the lead, and after the Bolts' Brendan Mikkelson caromed a shot off the crossbar on a late power play chance, the Sabres returned the favor when Christian Ehroff clanged one off the crossbar with 58 seconds left.

"The sound was good and the fact that it didn't go in after was good, too,'' Garon said. "He just shot a rocket and it just missed by a little bit, so it was obviously a good sound.''