Sabres Edge

PHILADELPHIA --The Sabres needed to win Tuesday, and they did. Guess what? They need to win Wednesday, as well.

The Sabres played a solid game during a 5-2 victory over the Flyers. The were able to get the puck out of their own zone, and they did it with style. A long pass set up the game-winning goal early in the third period. The Flyers were livid that the play came while the "short-handed" Sabres had five guys on the ice, but as Derek Roy said, they got away with one.

There's no time to relax. They host red-hot Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals on Wednesday night. The Sabres' win pulled them within a point of the Flyers, but a Capitals win would pull Washington within a point of Buffalo.

They said every game is big from here on out, and they were right.

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9:32 p.m.: Sabres pull within one point of eighth-place Flyers with a 5-2 victory.

9:06 p.m.: Afinogenov shows the talent that makes him so dangerous when he's on, makes it 5-2 with 14:03 left. Biron goes to bench.

8:58 p.m.: Derek Roy scores on breakaway 1:06 into second period. Only 18 seconds later, Jason Pominville makes it 4-2 Sabres.

8:50 p.m.: Flyers fans cheer an announcement that Brett Favre has retired. Not sure if they're honoring one of the NFL's all-time greats or happy that Packers are now likely weaker than Eagles.

8:15 p.m.: Steve Downie ties it at 2-all with 5:51 gone in second.

8:12 p.m.: "Official" announcement on Tallinder is shoulder injury, will not return.

7:50 p.m.: End of first, Sabres lead, 2-1, but they are down one defenseman.

7:48 p.m.: Henrik Tallinder goes down (concussion?) after getting hit from behind into board by Upshall. Tallinder booed as Jason Pominville and Derek Roy help him to dressing room with 3.4 seconds left in first.

7:45 p.m.: Flyers get power play on roughing calls to Patrick Kaleta and RYAN MILLER. The goalie went after Scott Hartnell for jamming at crease, starting 10-man tussle. Kaleta also gets 10-minute misconduct, while Hartnell gets roughing penalty.

7:37 p.m.: Scottie Upshall cuts Sabres' lead to 2-1 with 5:26 left in first.

7:25 p.m.: Defenseman Jaroslav Modry give them real reason to boo. He imitates a pylon -- check that, he imitates a crumpled pylon -- as Maxim Afinogenov skates by him and puts a backhand between Martin Biron's legs to make it 2-0 with 9:55 gone.

7:24 p.m.: Flyers fans boo their own team for first time during stagnant power play. That didn't take long.

7:13 p.m.: Jason Pominville tips a tipped Henrik Tallinder shot. Sabres up, 1-0, just 1:02 in.

7:11 p.m.: Game on.

7:08 p.m.: Flyers national anthem singer and Philly institution Lauren Hart introduced. No booing, unlike the mixed reception for Doug Allen.

6:30 p.m.: The Flyers take the ice for the pregame skate, and the hot rumor buzzing the press box turns out to be true. No Daniel Briere tonight. The former Sabres captain sprained his right shoulder against the New York Rangers on Sunday and is out.

---John Vogl