Sabres get revenge

Sabres roster

Buffalo made the most of 17 shots and exacted revenge for Saturday's 3-2 loss at Montreal, a game in which the Sabres had two goals disallowed.

Paul Kruse started the first period scoring feast against Jose Theodore at 2:57, ending a 29-game scoring drought. Brian Holzinger and Mike Wilson also scored in the first period as the Sabres scored three goals on six shots.

"The first period's been killing us with penalties and not scoring first," said Kruse, whose team had surrendered the first goal in each of the last nine games. "We knew what we wanted to do tonight. We went out and got the first goal finally."

Miroslav Satan and Randy Cunneyworth stretched the Sabres' lead to 5-0 in the second period with goals against Fredric Chabot, who had replaced Theodore in Montreal's net.

Richard Smehlik and Vincent Damphousse scored for the Habs, who have just one win in the last nine meetings with the Sabres (1-7-1) and have dropped four straight road games.

"We didn't have the emotion there. The way we're playing right now, we have to have that," Montreal center Saku Koivu said. "It was kind of a must-win for us and I don't have any reason for the lack of emotion. When you fall behind 3-0 in the first period with Dominik Hasek in net, it's tough to come back. We don't have any excuse for not showing up in the first, making mistakes that they scored on."