Wild 4, Sabres 1: Former Buffalo captain Jason Pominville scored during a three-goal second period as host Minnesota snapped a six-game losing streak.

Defenseman Marco Scandella and Jason Zucker added second-period goals and Kyle Brodziak was credited with an empty-net tally as the Wild ended the longest regulation skid in franchise history. Niklas Backstrom lost his shutout bid with 72 seconds to play but turned aside 19 shots to halt a personal eight-game losing streak.

Ryan Miller, named to the U.S. Olympic team on Wednesday, turned aside 28 shots and fell to 4-1-1 in his last six starts. Matt Ellis notched the late goal for Buffalo, which remained winless in its last 11 road games (0-9-2).

Scandella and Pominville scored less than two minutes apart to ignite a three-goal second period as the Wild seized control. Scandella finished a give-and-go with Matt Cooke and snapped a shot past Miller at 4:33 to break the scoreless deadlock.

Pominville, traded to Minnesota by the Sabres last season, celebrated his Bobblehead night by squeezing a wrister between Miller and the near post 1:46 later. Zucker, who was promoted from the minors Wednesday, scored his first goal of the season with 3:51 left in the period, beating Miller with a high wrister from the right circle.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Brodziak was tripped with Buffalo's net empty and was awarded the final goal, ending his 30-game drought. ... Sabres RW Drew Stafford suffered an upper-body injury in a collision with Cooke in the first period and did not return. ... Wild captain Mikko Koivu notched his 430th career point and needs eight more to surpass Marian Gaborik for the most in team history.