Penguins vs. Sabres

The Penguins never quite showed up to the game against the Sabres, who clinched the first spot in the Eastern Conference with the regulation win.

Mark Recchi opened up the scoring halfway through the first period, scoring on a rebound of a Jordan Staal shot. The play was reviewed, but it was determined he did not use a kicking motion and the goal was allowed.

Dmitri Kalinin answered back minutes later, with a shot that found it's way past screened goaltender Marc Andre Fleury, off the far post and into the net.

The Sabres seperated themselves from the Penguins with a Derek Roy goal in the second, and goals from Vanek and Pominville in the third.

Second year starter Ryan Miller was forced to make only 22 saves in the Buffalo victory.

The Penguins, who rely heavily on their special teams, went 0 for 8 on the power-play.

Sergei Gonchar appeared to be struggling on the blue line without his defensive partner Ryan Whitney, who sat out the game after tweaking his groin Saturday night against the Maple Leafs.

A shoot-out loss moved the Devils another point ahead of the Penguins in the race for the Atlantic lead. They stand at 104 pts, 3 ahead of the Penguins, with both teams having 2 games remaining on their schedule.

Thursday night the Penguins travel to Ottawa to face off against the Senators, in what may be a preview of a first round playoff battle between the two. With the teams occupying the 4th and 5th spots in the East, this game could prove to have huge implications on home ice advantage.