Tampa, FL (My Sportsbook) - Derek Roy scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and had an assist, as the Buffalo Sabres edged the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3, at St. Pete Times Forum.

Drew Stafford finished with a goal and two assists for Buffalo, which snapped a three-game slide. Thomas Vanek tallied his 19th goal of the season, tied for most in the NHL with Philadelphia's Jeff Carter, while Jochen Hecht also lit the lamp for the Sabres.

Ryan Miller stopped 20-of-23 shots in the win for Buffalo.

Martin St. Louis and Vaclav Prospal each had a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay, which has lost seven in a row. Vincent Lecavalier had two helpers and Paul Ranger scored once for the Lightning. Mike Smith allowed four goals on 27 shots faced in the loss.

The teams entered the third period tied at 3-3, and neither could score until Roy struck near the midway point of the frame. He got the puck in the slot, turned around and wristed the puck under Smith's arm to give Buffalo the lead with 9:57 left in the game.

Miller stopped all eight shots he saw in the third to make the goal hold up, sealing the Sabres' win.

Stafford slapped in a long rebound midway through the first period to give Buffalo a 1-0 edge. But three minutes later, Lecavalier shuffled a pass across the slot to St. Louis on the left side for a one-timer.

Buffalo took the lead back in the second, when Vanek lit the lamp at 9:46. But Tampa Bay evened the game again, when Ranger's blast hit off a Sabres player and caromed into the net just 35 seconds later.

The Sabres took a 3-2 lead a little more than four minutes after Ranger's goal, when a shot from the left point hit off two sticks, the second being Hecht's, and got past Smith.

But just 39 ticks later, Prospal's backhander hit off the left post and off Miller's back before falling across the goal line, knotting the game at 3-3 with 4:40 remaining in the second frame.

Game Notes

The Lightning travel to Boston on Monday to face the Bruins. The two clubs played Thursday, with Boston winning 3-1...Buffalo plays Monday in Pittsburgh...Both teams were 0-for-6 on power plays.