"Sabres center Paul Gaustad drove the Montreal Canadiens crazy Tuesday night with three points and some quality on-ice chirping. Maybe he let his play do more of the talking Wednesday against the New York Rangers but Gaustad was again a pest, especially on the penalty kill.

The Sabres were just 6 for 12 on the PK in the four games prior to their win in Montreal. They survived the only penalty they faced in that game and two Wednesday in their 1-0 defeat.

The first one, a high-sticking call on Tyler Ennis, came six minutes into the third period. Gaustad and Patrick Kaleta pinned the puck behind the goal line in the Rangers' zone for nearly 30 seconds at one stretch, drawing a huge roar from the First Niagara Center crowd and giving the Sabres momentum that carried through the period.

"It created some life for us," said coach Lindy Ruff. "Any time you field energy from the fans, it lifts you. It pushed us to play even harder.""