BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Ryan Miller made 43 saves in regulation and
overtime and turned aside three attempts in a shootout, and Ales
Kotalik scored the lone goal in the tiebeaker in the Buffalo
Sabres' 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Friday night.
Derek Roy scored in regulation for Buffalo. The Sabres (21-15-5)
have won four in a row for the first time since starting the season
4-0.
Kotalik's wrister blew past Rangers backup goalie Steve
Valiquette in the first round of the shootout. Miller ended the
game by stopping former Buffalo star Chris Drury's attempt in the
third round.
Miller, making his sixth consecutive start, was especially solid
in the second period, keeping the Sabres in the game despite an
11-1 shot disadvantage in the first 14 minutes of the period.
Paul Mara scored for New York (24-15-4), which lost it second
straight and third in the last four games.
Valiquette finished with 32 saves in just his eighth start of
season for the Rangers, who began a five-game trip. He was
particularly sharp in the third period when the Sabres peppered him
with 16 shots.
The loss prevented the Rangers from climbing into a tie for
first place in the Atlantic Division with idle Philadelphia.
The Sabres were bolstered by the return of center Tim Connolly,
who missed nearly two months because of a broken rib. Before that,
he missed the first 10 games of the season with a broken vertebra.
Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival, meanwhile, left with 16
minutes remaining in the third period after getting leveled by Paul
Gaustad before falling face first into the edge of the boards where
the door to the Sabres' bench was open.
Mara gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with 37 seconds left in the
first period. His shot from the right point appeared to go off Roy
before going past Miller.
Roy tied it with his 15th with 3:23 left in the second period,
banging home a rebound through Valiquette's legs after the goalie
stopped Drew Stafford's shot from the right circle.
Notes: The Rangers had no penalties, while the Sabres were
whistled for just two. ... Eight of Buffalo's next nine games will
be on the road. ... Sabres D Toni Lydman returned after missing one
game because of the flu. ... Mara has four goals this year, with
two of them coming over the last three games. ... Roy extended his
points streak to four games. ... Buffalo has won two of the past
six games against New York.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)