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Hockey Today - May 5
Sat, May 5, 2007
By Associated Press

Ottawa at New Jersey (8 p.m. EDT). The Senators can advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in team history with a win in Game 5 of the semifinals.

STAR

Friday

-Maxim Afinogenov, Sabres, scored a power-play goal 4:39 into overtime and Buffalo rallied for a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers.

SABRE SHOCKER

Buffalo got a goal from Chris Drury with less than 8 seconds left in regulation and a power-play goal from Maxim Afinogenov 4:39 into overtime for a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern semifinals. The Sabres allowed the Rangers to score with 3:19 left in the third before rallying to take a 3-2 lead in the series.

REDEMPTION

Maxim Afinogenov, who was a healthy scratch in Game 4, scored a power-play goal 4:39 into overtime in a come-from-behind 2-1 win over the New York Rangers on Friday night, moving Buffalo to within a win of the Eastern Conference finals. Afinogenov had been punished with a benching by coach Lindy Ruff for his sloppy play. In Game 3, he was dropped to the Sabres'' fourth line.

EXTENSIONS

Nashville picked up the option on Barry Trotz and his staff for next season Friday as a reward for the best regular season in franchise history. Poile hired Trotz when the general manager started building the expansion Predators in 1997.

SIDELINED

San Jose forward Bill Guerin will not play against Detroit on Saturday in Game 5 of their second-round series because of a cut on his face. Guerin was injured after a teammate''s deflected shot hit him in Game 4 on Wednesday night, when the Red Wings won in overtime and tied the series.

WELCOME BACK

Sabres forward Paul Gaustad played his first game in three months Friday night, returning for Game 5 of Buffalo''s Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New York Rangers. Gaustad was initially ruled out for the rest of the season after he sliced a tendon above his left ankle in the Sabres'' 3-2 win over Ottawa on Feb. 7.

IN THE FOLD

Detroit re-signed forward Kirk Maltby to a three-year contract. Maltby helped the Red Wings win Stanley Cups in 1997, ''98 and 2002.

SPEAKING

''I just wanted to celebrate and nothing was coming in my head, so I just dove,'''' - Maxim Afinogenov on his overtime goal that gave Buffalo a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers on Friday night and a three games to two lead in the Eastern semifinals. Afinogenov was a healthy scratch the previous game because of sloppy play.