Dominator shuts out Caps

NHL teams

After Washington had outplayed Buffalo in the scoreless first period, the Sabres started the second period with a blast. Michal Grosek and Miroslav Satan scored in the first two minutes of the second period and the Caps never recovered.

"That first period there were a few jitters on our part," Buffalo's Dixon Ward said. "We were chasing the puck a little bit. We settled down after that."

Washington was saying before the game how they were going to shoot more after being outshot in every game through two rounds, but they were outshot again, 20-19.

"We passed up shooting opportunities and didn't get the puck in the air," Capitals coach Ron Wilson said. "I haven't seen Dominik give up too many goals along the ice in the long time."

Michal Grosek and Michael Peca were Buffalo's stars along Dominik Hasek. Grosek scored a goal and along with Peca seemed to get Washington's Sergei Gonchar off his game. Gonchar took three penalties after being goated to retaliate.

Hasek got his first shutout in this year's playoffs and made it look easy.

"Second period, third period, my teammates played great defense," Hasek said. "That probably was the easiest game by us this year for sure."