Buffalo, NY – Christian Ehrhoff scored the lone goal early in the third period, Jhonas Enroth made 29 saves for his third career shutout, and the Buffalo Sabres took down the Philadelphia Flyers, 1-0, on Saturday.
The Sabres, who snapped a two-game skid, have 40 points and are tied with idle New Jersey for 10th in the Eastern Conference.
"We're making a push here," Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta said. "Everyone still believes and that's the way to play it. There's no give up."
Steve Mason stopped 20-of-21 shots for the Flyers, who have dropped four in a row and sit three points behind Buffalo.
The lone goal of the game came 17 seconds into the third period thanks to a fluke bounce.
Ehrhoff fired a shot on net from the left point after Sabres forward Steve Ott won a faceoff. The puck careened off the end boards and deflected in off Mason's right pad as he failed to close off the near post.
"It's an unfortunate way, frustrating way," Mason said. "It's almost like a set play for them I guess. It's just a real frustrating way to lose the game."
Mason was pulled with just over 90 seconds remaining for the extra attacker. Philadelphia's last shot -- from Danny Briere at a sharp angle along the left wing -- beat Enroth but deflected off the crossbar as time expired.
Enroth made 11 saves in the third stanza for the Sabres, who haven't qualified for the playoffs since 2011.
He became the first Buffalo goaltender to record a 1-0 shutout against Philadelphia in the regular season since Jacques Cloutier on March 27, 1986. Usual Sabres starter Ryan Miller did it twice in a first-round loss to the Flyers two years ago.
Game Notes
Buffalo took two of three from Philadelphia this season ... Philadelphia is in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2007 ... Briere returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a concussion ... Buffalo signed former UMass-Lowell defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to a two-year, entry-level contract before the game. He made his NHL debut ... Also before the contest, the Sabres organization and Western New York elected officials broke ground on HARBORcenter, a mixed-use hockey and entertainment facility being developed on the Webster Block in downtown Buffalo, directly across Perry Street from First Niagara Center.
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