Wild 2, Sabres 1
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Jason Pominville's return to First Niagara Center was successful.
Pominville, the former Sabres captain, scored with 9.7 seconds left in the second period to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 2-1 victory over Buffalo on Monday night.
The goal was a familiar sight to Sabres fans, with Pominville ending a pretty passing play by ripping a shot past the goalie. After dishing the puck to Minnesota captain Mikko Koivu, Pominville quickly received the puck back and put a one-timer past Jhonas Enroth high to the goalie's glove side.
Kyle Brodziak also scored for the Wild (3-1-2). Josh Harding had 22 saves.
Things continue to go from bad to worse for the Sabres, who are off to one of the worst starts in franchise history. Buffalo (0-6-1) is winless through seven games, matching its two worst efforts to begin a season. Buffalo also began with seven-consecutive losses in the 1990-91 and 1999-2000 seasons.
The Sabres and the New Jersey Devils (0-3-3) are the only winless teams in the league.
Brian Flynn scored for Buffalo. Enroth made 18 saves.
Both teams started the game slowly, combining for just 11 shots on goal in the first period. There was a 15-minute delay before the start of the second period due to a lighting malfunction. The teams waited on the ice in the dimmed arena, standing by the bench and skating in their own ends of the ice to keep loose.
The Wild got on the board first on Brodziak's first goal of the season. Brodziak slid a wrist shot through Enroth's legs 5:23 into the game from just inside the right circle.
Flynn tied the game at 1-1 with just under five minutes remaining in the second period. After receiving a pass from Zemgus Girgensons near the top of the crease, Flynn's first attempt was stopped by Harding before the Buffalo right wing roofed his second attempt into the top of the net.
NOTES: Sabres D Henrik Tallinder returned from an upper-body injury after missing four games. With Tallinder's back from injured reserve, the Sabres sent D Alexander Sulzer to AHL Rochester. ... D Rasmus Ristolainen, the Sabres' first-round draft pick in June, was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. In his first six games, Ristolainen had no points and a plus-minus rating of minus-3. He averaged 16:47 of ice time. ... The Sabres also scratched RW Patrick Kaleta and LW John Scott. Pending a hearing Tuesday, Kaleta is suspended for a hit to the head of Columbus Blue Jackets D Jack Johnson on Thursday. ... G Niklas Backstrom (knee strain), D Marco Scandella and D Nate Prosser were scratched for the Wild. ... Minnesota D Keith Ballard was drafted 11th overall by the Sabres in 2002.
