UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) – Thomas Vanek and the Buffalo Sabres forwards stayed down only so long.

After two games where most of the offense came from the defense, Vanek, Daniel Briere, and Adam Mair all connected in the second period Monday night to lift Buffalo to a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders and give the top-seeded Sabres a 2-1 lead in the first-round, Eastern Conference playoff series.

The Sabres, who led the NHL with 308 goals, scored six while splitting the first two games on home ice. Chris Drury, who assisted on Mair’s goal, scored twice in the series-opening victory for the only goals by Buffalo forwards.

That all changed when the Sabres scored three times in a span of 7:39.

Trent Hunter and Ryan Smyth answered in the second period in front of a towel-waving, sellout crowd and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. It wasn’t enough, despite 32 saves by Rick DiPietro in his first home game in three weeks following a bout with post-concussion syndrome.

AP-ES-04-16-07 2219EDT