MONTREAL (AP) - Toni Lydman scored on Buffalo's sixth shootout
attempt, and Ryan Miller stopped each of Montreal's tries to lead
the Sabres to a 4-3 win over the Canadiens on Saturday night.
Lydman put a shot through Carey Price's legs after the goalie
turned aside the first five shooters he faced.
Miller remained perfect in the tiebreaker when Maxim Lapierre
fanned on the Canadiens' final attempt after Alex Kovalev, Alex
Tanguay, Saku Koivu, Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec also failed
to score.
Miller started for the second time in as many nights, after
missing 13 games due to a sprained left ankle, and made 32 saves.
He had a sensational lunging stop midway through the first that
prevented Lapierre and the Canadiens from opening the scoring.
Miller stopped 33 shots in the Sabres' 5-3 win over Toronto on
Friday in his return.
Clarke MacArthur drew Buffalo even at 3 when he scored into an
open right side 3:58 into the third. Adam Mair and Tim Connolly
also scored for the Sabres, who are in 10th place in the Eastern
Conference with 82 points. The Canadiens are eighth in the East
with 86.
Kovalev scored two goals and Chris Higgins added one as Montreal
came back from a two-goal deficit early in the second to take a 3-2
lead.
Mair scored on a deflection late in the first and Connolly gave
the Sabres a 2-0 lead with his career-high 17th goal on a power
play 2:36 into the second.
Higgins scored the first of three straight Montreal goals when
he drove a shot from the left side over Miller's right shoulder for
his 10th goal at 7:58.
Kovalev got credit for his 21st goal at 12:33 when Koivu came
out from behind the net and put a backhand along the ice that went
in off the Russian right wing.
With Andrej Sekera already in the penalty box, Buffalo's Jochen
Hecht was sent off for cross-checking Markov at 15:04 after the
Montreal defenseman stopped him on a partial breakaway.
Kovalev got his second goal in 2:41 to put the Canadiens up 3-2,
converting during a 5-on-3 power play at 15:14.
Linemate Alex Tanguay, who had the third five-point game of his
career in Tuesday's 6-3 win over Atlanta, assisted on the tying and
go-ahead goals by Montreal. He has a five-game point streak.
Sabres defenseman Henrik Tallinder was cut on the forehead at
10:56 when a slap shot by Canadiens defenseman Patrice Brisebois
struck him on the front of his helmet. Tallinder, who wears a
visor, went to the dressing room and returned for the second
period.
Notes: Connolly had 16 goals in 63 games with Buffalo in 2005-06.
... Sabres RW Jason Pominville extended his point streak to six
games with an assist on MacArthur's goal. Pominville has two goals
and eight assists during his streak. ... Tanguay has three goals
and seven assists during his run. ... Canadiens LW Andrei Kostitsyn
missed his second straight game because of the flu.

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