Sports

NHL

Sabres ride Miller to victory

Associated Press
Published February 3, 2006

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BUFFALO, N.Y. - Ryan Miller made 21 saves to win his fourth straight game, and four different players scored for the Sabres in a 4-2 win Thursday over the Flyers. Miller is 6-1 in his past seven starts.

Taylor Pyatt, Brian Campbell, Jochen Hecht and Jason Pominville scored for the Sabres, who have won four in a row.

The crowd was chanting "USA! USA!" for Miller, who was left off the U.S. Olympic team in favor of Flyers goaltender Robert Esche, the Lightning's John Grahame and the Islanders' Rick DiPietro.

"It was flattering to hear them. Our fans are great," Miller said. "It just feels really good. I just want to beat the Flyers no matter what. I'm not going to pick out the other goaltender and key on him."

Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble scored for Philadelphia, which was without the injured Peter Forsberg (groin). The Flyers have lost three of four.

Miller made two spectacular saves in the second period, including robbing forward R.J. Umberger with a sliding, right toe save. The rookie also stopped Jeff Carter late in the second with another sliding, right leg save when the Sabres were two men short.

Campbell scored early in the second for a 2-1 lead and Hecht made it 3-1 with 7:42 left in the period.

RANGERS 5, ISLANDERS 2: Former Lightning goalie Kevin Weekes had 23 saves for his first victory in nearly eight weeks for the visiting Rangers. The Rangers snapped the Islanders' winning streak at three with their third straight victory in the series.

The Rangers tied Philadelphia for the Atlantic Division lead.

Also, Islanders center Kevin Colley had four hours of surgery on his broken neck and will have another operation next week. The 27-year-old broke the fifth cervical vertebrae in his neck on Tuesday against Washington when he hit the boards headfirst.

BRUINS 3, CANADIENS 1: Glen Murray and Patrice Bergeron scored power-play goals less than two minutes apart as host Boston won again behind new starting goalie Tim Thomas. The Bruins are 7-1-2 since Thomas, who had 16 saves, became the starter. Murray and Bergeron gave Boston a 2-1 lead in the second.

SENATORS 7, PENGUINS 2: Daniel Alfredsson scored twice, including one of three short-handed goals by visiting Ottawa. Wade Redden and Jason Spezza had three assists each for the Senators. Pittsburgh rookie Sidney Crosby sat out with the flu, his first game missed this season.

BLUES 6, HAWKS 5 (SO): Rookie Lee Stempniak scored twice in regulation and had the winner in the shootout for host St. Louis. Petr Cajanek had a goal and two assists for the Blues, who are 8-15-3 at home and won after squandering a 3-0 second-period lead.

PREDATORS 4, AVS 3 (OT): Steve Sullivan scored on a breakaway 2:09 into overtime for host Nashville, which snapped a three-game skid. The Predators tied Colorado twice in the third to force overtime. Scott Walker scored twice, including the tying goal with 2:39 left in regulation. Also, Predators center Scott Nichol is expected to miss a week with a concussion he suffered Wednesday in Dallas when he slid headfirst into the end boards.

COYOTES 2, KINGS 1 (SO): Steven Reinprecht, in his first game for host Phoenix, scored the only goal in the shootout. Reinprecht was dealt to Phoenix with goalie Philippe Sauve from Calgary on Wednesday for goalie Brian Boucher and left wing Mike Leclerc. Dave Scatchard of the Coyotes scored on a wrist shot in the second to tie it.

JACKETS 2, OILERS 1 (SO): Jason Chimera scored in the eighth round of a shootout to win for visiting Columbus, which won its fifth straight to set a franchise record. Nikolai Zherdev had his team-leading 17th goal with 3:06 left in the third to tie it.

HURRICANES: Defenseman Aaron Ward, who had hernia surgery Jan. 11, will return from injured reserve tonight. He replaces defenseman Andrew Hutchinson, who is expected to miss two months after surgery on his left wrist.

KINGS: Center Jeremy Roenick was activated for Los Angeles' game at Phoenix after missing six weeks following finger surgery.

OLYMPICS: Canucks captain Markus Naslund will miss the Olympics with a lingering groin injury. Sweden will replace him with Red Wings forward Tomas Holmstrom.

[Last modified February 3, 2006, 01:25:14]

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