Tim Connolly snapped a third-period tie with a power-play goal to help lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night.
Thomas Vanek added a goal and assist, and Patrick Kaleta and Jochen Hecht also scored for the Sabres (8-10-3), who have won five of seven after a 3-9-2 start.
Ryan Miller finished with 34 saves for Buffalo, which scored twice on the power play against a Kings penalty-killing unit that came in tied for first in the NHL. Los Angeles had allowed just seven man-advantage goals and killed 90 percent of opposition power plays.
Dustin Brown and Wayne Simmonds scored for the slumping Pacific Division-leading Kings (12-6), who have lost three straight after a six-game winning streak.
Backup goalie Jonathan Bernier made 22 saves in his second start in three games, and sixth overall this season behind Jonathan Quick.
Connolly pushed home a loose puck in the crease 2:10 into the third to put Buffalo ahead 3-2. Hecht pushed the lead to two goals with a one-timer from the top of the left circle with 4:39 remaining.
Brown gave Los Angeles a 1-0 lead with his ninth of the season 4:57 into the first period. Off the rush, he received a pass from Anze Kopitar and let go a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Miller.
Kaleta tied it with his second goal after he deflected Andrej Sekera's shot from the lower portion of the left circle just 37 seconds into the second period.
The Kings regained the lead when Simmonds wheeled around and wristed a shot from the slot into the top left corner at 8:25 of the second to make it 2-1.
Buffalo tied it with 4:38 left in the second on Vanek's power-play goal.
