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BOX SCORE
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Dominik Hasek didn't face a shot for over 20 minutes of play, but the Buffalo goalie was anything but bored as the Sabres jumped back into a playoff spot.
Hasek wasn't tested much, but came up big when needed, as the Sabres hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. The victory, combined with Carolina's 3-2 loss at Pittsburgh, lifted Buffalo into eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
|  | | Buffalo's Erik Rasmussen works for a scoring chance in front of Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph. |
With 81 points, the Sabres are a point ahead of the Hurricanes -- now out of a playoff spot -- and two ahead of idle Montreal. Buffalo and Montreal have three games remaining, while Carolina will play only two more.
Dixon Ward snapped a 2-2 tie with 4:43 left in the first period, while Buffalo's stifling defense did the rest, limiting the Maple Leafs to eight shots over the game's final 40 minutes.
The Sabres were so dominating that they held Toronto without a shot in the second period. It is the first time the Maple Leafs have had a shotless period in the 45 years the league has been keeping record of the statistic.
"It was a very, very important game," Hasek said. "I just tried to stay focused, and I was focused for all 60 minutes. "It didn't matter if they didn't have any shots, you can't relax against a team like Toronto."
While he faced only 20 shots, Hasek made a brilliant game-saving stop, robbing Jonas Hoglund's one-timer from the slot with 6:31 left.
Miroslav Satan and Michael Peca also scored for the Sabres, who have won six of seven.
Mats Sundin and Sergei Berezin scored for the Northeast-leading Maple Leafs, who wasted an opportunity to clinch their first division title since the NHL went to that format in 1967-68. The last time a Toronto team finished first was in 1963 when there were only six NHL teams.
"No, I never experienced anything like that before. ... It was sad really," Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn said of the second period. "We could've played better. We had too many passengers, frankly."
The Maple Leafs old record for fewest shots in a period was one, done 10 times and most recently in 1995.
Toronto was outshot 11-0 in the middle period and 20-12 through 40 minutes. The Leafs finally got their 13th shot 20 seconds into the third on a Sundin blast from the right circle.
It was the second time the Sabres held an opponent without a shot in a period. The last time was in 1976 against the Kansas City Scouts.
The only one keeping Toronto in the game was goalie Curtis Joseph, who was solid after giving up three goals on the first seven Buffalo shots.
A wild first period, in which the teams scored two goals apiece over a 4:29 span, ended with Ward's fluke goal with 4:43 left in the frame.
Maxim Afinogenov set it up when he circled the net and directed a shot towards the crease, where Ward was battling for position with Toronto's Gerald Diduck. With Ward looking away, the puck deflected off the back of his skate and through Joseph's legs.
Ward didn't know he scored until he heard Joseph utter an expletive.
"I didn't see the puck go in," Ward said. "I just felt it hit my foot. I'll take those any day."
Sundin opened the scoring 4:24 in. After Satan tied it 56 seconds later, the Sabres went ahead when Peca redirected Vaclav Varada's centering pass at 8:16.
Toronto tied it after 37 seconds when Berezin snapped a shot past Hasek, who was bumped by a hard-charging Nikolai Antropov.
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NHL Scoreboard
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RECAPS
Buffalo 3
Toronto 2
Florida 5
New Jersey 2
Pittsburgh 3
Carolina 2
Washington 4
NY Rangers 1
Calgary 2
Dallas 2
San Jose 1
Edmonton 0
Anaheim 3
Nashville 1
Phoenix 2
Los Angeles 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Maxim Afinogenov rifles a shot off Dixon Ward's skate and into the net.
avi: 479 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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