Godzilla rules Buffalo

NHL teams

"I just try to give us a chance to win," said Kolzig. "I'm not trying to go out there and pitch a shutout. You need to make big saves when it's 1-0, but you also need to make them when it's 6-5."

The game was still scoreless after two periods before Craig Berube broke the tie at 2:44 into the third period. It was Berube's first goal in the playoffs in his 12-year career.

"I really didn't even look," Berube said. "I just shot it as hard as I could, and it went in."

Joe Juneau put the game away at 13:38 with a blast from the blue line that Hasek totally mishandled all while Capitals were short-handed. It is a second game in the row for Hasek to let in a soft goal.

Buffalo had many opprtunities to score but they were either blundered or stopped by Kolzig. Buffalo outshot Washington by 30-19 margin.

The Caps have now won three straight games and have a chance to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in their history in Game 5 on Tuesday in Washington.

"It's a super feeling," Capitals coach Ron Wilson said. "We take complete control of the series. I'm really proud of our guys. We hung tough."

Washington has a history of blundering 3-1 leads in playoffs series having done that three times.

"I hate to bring it up, but they have lost a couple series like this," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "It's the last straw to pull, but I'm going to pull it."