Senators stave off elimination

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Ottawa goaltender Ray Emery turned aside the questions, the chanting Buffalo crowd and, most importantly, the Sabres' potent offense to ensure the top-seeded Senators wouldn't go down with a whimper.

The rookie stopped 29 shots, and Wade Redden's third-period power-play goal was the difference in a 2-1 win over the Sabres on Thursday night that cut Buffalo's lead to 3-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The Senators avoided elimination by shaking off the frustrations of a 3-2 overtime loss at Buffalo the previous night, and beat the Sabres in a playoff game for the first time since April 25, 1997, to end a nine-game skid.

And Emery finally has a victory in a series in which he's been faulted for his team's plight, particularly after allowing seven goals on 23 shots in a 7-6 overtime loss in Game 1.

"I was motivated by the fact that I wasn't happy with my play in this series and felt accountable to the guys," Emery said. "That's enough motivation to want to play well."

Hearing his name mockingly chanted throughout the sold-out arena helped, too.

"It kind of keeps you in the game," Emery said. "I don't mind the attention."

Emery foiled three of Ales Kotalik's shots from the slot, including one with 8 minutes left. He also got a glove on Maxim Afinogenov's backhander from in close with 3 minutes remaining, and stopped J.P. Dumont -- who scored the Game 3 winner -- with a glove save with 70 seconds left.

"He was my star," Senators coach Bryan Murray said.

Brian Pothier also scored for the Senators, who are making their ninth consecutive playoff appearance but attempting to advance to the conference finals for only the second time.

* Anaheim eliminated Colorado late Thursday with a 4-1 win in Game 4.