Bure’s Hat Trick Sinks Sabres, 4-2

Pavel Bure is proving that when he’s hot it’s hard to find a better hockey player.

Bure completed a hat trick with an empty-net goal with 22 seconds to play and assisted on Ray Whitney’s goal Friday night as the Florida Panthers defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 4-2, at Buffalo.

“He’s quite an exciting player, isn’t he,” Florida Coach Terry Murray said.

Bure has 11 goals in the last nine games and eight in the last five. In his career, he has 23 points in 12 games against Buffalo.

“When you hand the puck to one of the best breakaway players in the world, he’s going to kill you,” said Sabre center Brian Holzinger, whose turnover led to Bure’s second goal.

Bure has either scored or assisted on seven of the Panthers’ last eight goals.

Dallas 2, Edmonton 2--Chris Murray scored with 4:27 remaining in the third period to give the Stars a tie at Edmonton. The Stars’ Derian Hatcher needed to be helped off the ice following a collision with Todd Marchant behind the Dallas net at 10:04 of the second. Hatcher went down awkwardly against the boards, suffered a cut right calf and didn’t return.

Detroit 5, Colorado 2--Brendan Shanahan and Doug Brown scored short-handed goals 11 seconds apart late in the second period as the Red Wings defeated the Avalanche at Detroit. The Red Wings, who have won five in a row, scored four goals over the final 5:45 of the second that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead.

Boston 3. Atlanta 1--Anson Carter had two goals and an assist as the Bruins held off the listless Thrashers at Atlanta. The Thrashers, losing their season-high sixth consecutive game, have scored only three goals in their last five games.

Washington 3, N.Y. Rangers 2--Calle Johansson’s slap shot on a pass from Adam Oates 31 seconds into overtime gave the Capitals a victory at New York, ending the Rangers’ five-game unbeaten streak.