Final score: 4-3 Nashville

First Period: Scoring: 1, Nashville, Legwand 2 (Walker, Fitzgerald), 0:46. 2, Nashville, Krivokrasov 2 (power play) (Ronning, Timonen), 12:41. Penalties: Cote, Nas (unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting major), 1:47; Ray, Buf (roughing, fighting major), 1:47; B Boughner, Nas (hooking), 7:19; Grand-pierre, Buf (tripping), 11:01; Kjellberg, Nas (holding stick), 16:19.

Second Period: Scoring: 3, Buffalo, Sanderson 1 (S Barnes, Mckee), 8:55. 4, Nashville, Ronning 3 (Kjellberg, Timonen), 10:15. 5, Nashville, Kjellberg 2 (Ronning), 17:23. Penalties: Valicevic, Nas (tripping), 15:47; Woolley, Buf (high sticking), 16:22; R Warrener, Buf (interference), 17:45.

Third Period: Scoring: 6, Buffalo, Brown 3 (power play) (Peca, S Barnes), 9:14. 7, Buffalo, Pittis 1 (Varada, Grosek), 10:09. Penalties: Keczmer, Nas (cross checking), 8:09; Nashville bench, served by B Boughner (illegal stick), 8:09.

SHOTS ON GOAL

Nashville 8 9 2 --19
Buffalo 9 8 14 --31

Power-play Conversions: Nas - 1 of 3, Buf - 1 of 5. Goalies: Nashville, Dunham (31 shots, 28 saves; record: 3-0-0). Buffalo, Hasek (8, 6), Roloson (start of 2nd, 11, 9; record: 0-2-1). A:14,898. Referees: B Mccreary, Murphy. Linesmen: Brisebois, Gauthier