Hasek Stymies Favored Senators

If anyone needed a reminder why goaltender Dominik Hasek has been the NHL’s most valuable player the last two seasons, they got it Wednesday night.

The acrobatic Hasek made 40 saves and Curtis Brown scored the winning goal on a second-period power play to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a series-opening, 2-1 Stanley Cup playoff victory over the Ottawa Senators at Kanata, Canada.

“They had a lot of good chances,” Hasek said. “A couple of times, I was lucky.

“I was on top tonight, but you don’t know what will happen tomorrow. That’s why you don’t want to get too high when you win.”

The Sabres lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal, 1-0, with Game 2 set for Friday night in Kanata.

Michael Peca scored in the first period for the Sabres, who were outshot, 41-15, overall but made the most of their rare chances against shaky Ottawa goaltender Ron Tugnutt.

Wade Redden was the only Senator to beat Hasek. His goal came on a power-play blast from the high slot in the first period.

The game was won on Hasek’s goaltending and lost because of the Senators’ inability to capitalize on five second-period power plays awarded to them by the referee tandem of Denis Larue and Kerry Fraser--including a two-man advantage for 1:42.

“The bottom line was that we didn’t win the special teams,” Ottawa Coach Jacques Martin said.

Dallas 2, Edmonton 1--Veteran Guy Carbonneau has two Stanley Cup championship rings. He showed the Stars how they can all get one if they just keep getting him the puck.

Carbonneau scored with 6:53 to play as the heavily favored Stars rallied for a victory over the Oilers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs at Dallas.

Carbonneau’s wrist shot from the right circle went between goaltender Tommy Salo’s legs for the game winner.

“Experience when the playoffs comes around is very important,” Carbonneau said. “This was a big win. We came out and took their momentum away.”

The second game of the best-of-seven series will be Friday.

Jere Lehtinen scored Dallas’ first goal. Rem Murray scored for Edmonton.

* SUMMARIES, D11