BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Penguins defeated Buffalo, 4-1 , at HSBC Arena this evening to move back into a first-place tie with New Jersey in the Atlantic Division.

The Penguins and Devils have identical 33-21-5 records, although New Jersey has an edge in the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Left winger Jarkko Ruutu, who general manager Ray Shero said a few days earlier "might be the best zero goal-scorer in the league," lost any claim to that distinction by beating Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller on a breakaway to put the Penguins up, 1-0, as the middle of the second period approached.

Ruutu, who had just finished serving a hooking minor, pulled in a long lead pass from Ryan Malone in the neutral zone and broke down the slot before sticking a high backhander behind Miller at 7:28.

The goal was Ruutu's first in 60 games, breaking a dry spell that stretched back to last March 14.

Buffalo had the first three power plays of the game, and failed to convert on any of them. The Penguins, conversely, capitalized the first time they had a man-advantage.

Sykora got the goal at 9:28, when he swatted in an Evgeni Malkin rebound for his 19th of the season. The goal came 51 seconds after Sabres center Michael Ryan was sent off for slashing.

Buffalo right winger Patrick Kaleta goaded Colby Armstrong of the Penguins into dropping his gloves -- and picking up an unsportsmanlike conduct minor in the process -- at 14:18, and Thomas Vanek turned that into a power-play goal that made it 2-1 27 seconds later by sticking a rebound under the crossbar behind goalie Ty Conklin on the Sabres' 26th shot.

Miller thwarted several quality scoring chances by the Penguins early in the third, but couldn't prevent Malkin from poking in a loose puck from the front lip of the crease at 8:13 to restore the Penguins' two-goal lead. Colby Armstrong added an empty-netter for the final goal.

Read more in tomorrow's Post-Gazette.