Red Wings end 7-game skid, cool off Sabres

DETROIT -- James Reimer made 25 saves, and the Detroit Red Wings ended a seven-game losing streak with a 4-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.

"I've been a part of a few losing streaks during my career, and they all [stink]," Reimer said. "I thought our sense of urgency was just incredible tonight. It's a comfortable feeling back there when every guy is working that hard."

Christian Fischer, Patrick Kane, Daniel Sprong and Lucas Raymond scored for Detroit (34-27-6), which had been outscored 36-12 during the skid, and hadn't won since an 8-3 victory against the Washington Capitals on Feb. 27.

Detroit moved into the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the New York Islanders, who lost 4-3 to the Ottawa Senators in overtime on Saturday.

"I think we were a little more organized and a little more patient in the neutral zone," Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. "That takes away who [the Sabres] are -- all their speed and four guys in the rush."

Tage Thompson scored for Buffalo (32-31-5), which was 8-3-1 in its past 12 games and had won three straight, including 7-3 against Detroit on Tuesday. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 22 saves for the Sabres, who fell five points behind the Red Wings.

"That was two desperate teams going at it," Thompson said. "We're on their heels."

Thompson gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 11:22 of the first period.

Fischer tied it 1-1 at 5:35 of the second period, pushing the puck past Luukkonen while sliding on his side. It was his first goal in 42 games.

"That's just how I meant to do it," Fischer joked. "That's just being a bad skater -- I don't even think anyone tripped me."

Kane made it 2-1 at 17:40, knocking in J.T. Compher's diving pass.

"I think our compete level really elevated in the second period," Lalonde said. "The [Fischer] goal got us going, but we kept so many pucks alive in the [offensive] zone with diving plays and staying right on them."

Sprong gave the Red Wings a 3-1 lead at 13:52 of the third period, beating Luukkonen from the left boards.

"We didn't play the way we needed to play after the first period," Buffalo coach Don Granato said. "We didn't have the same energy and jump, and it slipped away from us."

Bowen Byram appeared to get the Sabres within 3-2 with 1:52 remaining, but it was ruled he pushed the puck and Reimer's pad over the goal line.

Raymond scored an empty-net goal with 1:07 remaining for the 4-1 final.

"We thought the second and third periods were going to be like the first, but they came out desperate," Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin said. "We got back on our heels and never really came back."

NOTES: Kane, who was born in Buffalo, has 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) in 27 career games against the Sabres. … Thompson scored his 20th goal of the season, the third straight season he has scored at least that many. He is tied with Jeff Skinner for the Sabres' longest active run. … Lalonde said Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (lower body) will miss at least two more games but expects to have an update after Detroit's off day Monday. The Red Wings captain has missed the past six games after it was announced he would be out two weeks on March 4.