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Oilers, Flames road-weary

BUFFALO, N.Y. — After the Buffalo Sabres spent much of the past month talking about needing to snap out of their extended funk, Drew Stafford did something about it.

Buffalo 4 Edmonton 3

BUFFALO, N.Y. — After the Buffalo Sabres spent much of the past month talking about needing to snap out of their extended funk, Drew Stafford did something about it.

Stafford scored the go-ahead goal with 5:26 left and assisted on Nathan Gerbe’s game-winner 2:04 later in a 4-3 win over the road-weary Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

The Sabres won for only the second time in eight games (2-5-1) and sixth time in 20 (6-10-4).

“We’ve talked about it enough. Bottom line is guys knew we just needed to go out there and get it done,” Stafford said. “It feels good to get those two points. Now, hopefully we can string a few together.”

Stafford’s three points on Tuesday matched his production — three assists — in his previous seven games. He helped spark an offence that had produced two or fewer goals in 13 of 20 games.

Stafford snapped a 2-2 tie by tapping a loose puck at the net that dribbled between goalie Nikolai Khabibulin’s legs.

“I kept whacking at it, and finally got one, got a break,” Stafford said. “It’s nice to finally get rewarded with a break.”

Gerbe put the game away by streaking up the left side, cutting to the net and shovelling the puck just inside the right post.

Jordan Leopold and captain Jason Pominville, who played despite an illness that limited his ice time, also scored for Buffalo. Ryan Miller made 23 saves to improve to 6-0 against Edmonton.

Corey Potter brought the Oilers within 4-3 with 1:50 left, but Edmonton didn’t get off another shot. Sam Gagner had a goal and assist, and Taylor Hall also scored for Edmonton, 1-4 during its seven-game trip.

Washington 3 Calgary 1

WASHINGTON — Rene Bourque committed a holding penalty in the game’s first minute, giving Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals enough momentum to last the entire game.

In the third period of the losing cause, Bourque lifted his right elbow into the head of Nicklas Backstrom, who had earned assists on all three Capitals goals.

“The puck isn’t even close,” Capitals centre Marcus Johansson said. “And it’s very, very unnecessary.”

Bourque went to the penalty box for elbowing, while Backstrom stayed in the game for two more shifts but didn’t finish Washington’s 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

“It was precautionary, and he’s getting evaluated,” Washington coach Dale Hunter said of Backstrom, the team’s points leader with 42 points. “We’ll know more (Wednesday).”

Bourque mischievous deeds put a bookend on the Capitals’ fourth straight win and the Flames’ fourth straight loss. Ovechkin and Troy Brouwer scored power-play goals, Dennis Wideman added a goal, and Tomas Vokoun made 18 saves for the Capitals, who improved to 9-6-1 under coach Dale Hunter.

Other stats told a more complete story of how the Capitals are evolving under Hunter after the middling start that got Bruce Boudreau fired. Washington blocked a season-high 24 shots, won 63 per cent of its faceoffs and didn’t allow a power-play goal for the ninth straight home game. Vokoun has stopped 125 of the last 131 shots he has faced, and the team is allowing only 2.25 goals per game since Hunter replaced Boudreau in late November.