Stung by the cascade of boos that rained from the crowd at the end of the second period, Sabres forward Thomas Vanek gave Buffalo fans something big to cheer about in the third.
Vanek scored three consecutive goals in less than 8 minutes, including the winner with 6:46 remaining, as Buffalo scored six third-period goals in a a 7-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.
?It?s a good thing they stuck around,? Vanek said, referring to the fans after helping the Sabres rally from a 4-1 deficit. ?We didn?t make it easy for us, but it?s good to know we can come back.?
Besides winning their third straight and overcoming a three-goal deficit for the first time since a 5-4 win against Toronto last March 23, the Sabres also stayed firmly in playoff contention. Buffalo inched to within a point of idle Philadelphia, which holds the Eastern Conference?s eighth and final playoff spot.
The Sabres also jumped back into ninth place, a point ahead of Washington after the Capitals? 5-0 loss at Chicago later in the evening.
