Fresh off a pair of dismal losses to the New York Islanders, the Penguins traveled to Buffalo to take on the Sabres at First Niagara Center on Friday night. Arguably the league’s hottest team, Lindy Ruff’s crew hardly fit the bill of a patsy. Indeed, the hungry young Sabres entered the contest on a five-game winning streak. Fortunately, the Pens were up to the challenge. Powered by big-time performances from Sidney Crosby, Steve Sullivan, and Evgeni Malkin—not to mention a bounce-back 25-save effort by goalie Brent Johnson—the black and gold more than matched the Sabres’ energy and desperation to capture an electrifying 5-3 win. “I think tonight we did a better job of playing the right way,” Crosby said. Bolstered by the return...

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