WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Vyacheslav Kozlov and Jay McKee snapped extended goal droughts Wednesday night as the Buffalo Sabres rebounded from a disappointing tie to defeat the Washington Capitals, 5-2.
A day after being benched, Kozlov scored for the first time in 17 games, staking Buffalo to a 2-0 lead 5:36 into the contest.
It was the sixth goal of the season for Kozlov, who told a Buffalo radio station Tuesday that he may want to be traded if he did not get back in the lineup.
McKee, a low-scoring defenseman, added his first goal since February midway through the third period, beating goaltender Olaf Kolzig from a bad angle to make it 4-2.
Stu Barnes hit an empty net with 70 seconds left to seal the win for the Sabres, who relinquished the lead with eight seconds left Tuesday night in a 2-2 tie with the New York Rangers.
The Capitals also squandered a lead in the final minute Tuesday night and settled for a 5-5 tie at the New York Islanders.
Peter Bondra reached a milestone for Washington, tying Hall of Famer Mike Gartner for the franchise record in goals with his 397th.
