News » Buffalo Sabres from matching the longest road

WASHINGTON -- With a desperate wave of his stick, Ryan Miller somehow kept a point-blank shot out of the net, saving the Buffalo Sabres from matching the longest road losing streak in franchise history. Miller reached right to deflect Mikhail Grabovskis attempt with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation, and then made two more saves in the shootout Sunday to give the Sabres a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. "I was looking down at my papers for the next line combination, and the boys tell me I missed the save of the year," Buffalo interim coach Ted Nolan said. "He was really good." Miller finished with 28 saves, Tyler Ennis scored in the first period, and Cody Hodgson had the only goal in the shootout for the Sabres, whose 11-game road skid was the second-longest in club history, behind a 12-game streak in the 2011-12 season. "We didnt want to make it 12 in a row. Its already gotten too far," Miller said. "But its something the guys can feel good about." Miller provided a big lift for Buffalo with his terrific stop after Grabovski gathered a rebound in front of the crease. As skilful as it looked, Miller said he was more lucky than anything. "Thats one of those ones where youre just completely out of options," said Miller, who will represent the U.S. next month at the Sochi Olympics. "The puck came through traffic, hit me right in the pads instead of the stick, and I knew I was in trouble. I saw him kind of reload and get position, and those can certainly go wrong for you. More often than not, those guys are going to score, and I dont think he quite got all of it." Jason Chimera scored in the first period, and Philipp Grubauer made 30 saves for the Capitals, who have lost five of seven, including a pair of 2-1 shootout losses to the worst-in-NHL Sabres. NHL rules require that every game have a winner, which seemed a generous gesture in a game in which both teams played as if they were already on the Olympic break. The mascots and youngsters who played a mini-game during the first intermission generated more riveting scoring chances than the Capitals and Sabres did for long stretches of the second and third periods. "I think the guys are a little tired," Washington coach Adam Oates said. "I dont think we had the energy we should." But Buffalo will take any win it can get. The Sabres actually put the puck in the net twice in the first period -- once for themselves and once for the Capitals. Brian Flynn, trying to stop a pass from Chimera to Marcus Johansson, got his stick on the puck and directed it past his own goalie to give Washington the early lead. Chimera was given credit for the goal. Ennis tied it late in the period on a power play. With 53 seconds remaining in regulation, Karl Alnzer put the puck in the net for the Capitals, but the goal didnt count because Nicklas Backstrom had tripped Hodgson to give Alzner the clear shot. The Sabres were given a power play that carried into overtime. The Sabres welcomed back Hodgson, who had missed eight games with a hand injury, and Ville Leino, who had been out for three games with a lower body injury. Not on the ice was prospect Mikhail Grigorenko, who is refusing to accept an assignment to the juniors. The Sabres, who have scored by far the fewest goals scored in the league, are trying to steady themselves during a period of upheaval. Sundays game was the second under new general manager Tim Murphy. "I think today was a good opportunity to reset and say were going to play a hard-nosed game," Miller said, "and we did a nice job." NOTES: Washington D Connor Carrick got his first NHL assist on Chimeras goal. ... A blue tarp hung in the rafters at the Verizon Center, one day after a Washington Wizards NBA game was delayed twice because of a leak in the roof. There were no such weather delays Sunday. Pedro Martinez Jersey . -- Among the 31 players at the Montreal Canadiens rookie camp, none feels closer to cracking the NHL roster than right winger Aaron Palushaj. David Price Jersey . Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday. http://www.officialredsoxfanstore.com/authentic-chris-sale-red-sox-jersey/ .Y. -- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire will have less time to remain eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot under changes made Saturday. Mookie Betts Red Sox Jersey . Alexander was released last week by the Edmonton Eskimos, where he spent the past three seasons at safety. He had 121 defensive tackles, five special teams tackles and seven interceptions in 51 regular-season and three playoff games. Bill Lee Jersey . Pospisil, from Vancouver, and Sock will compete for the title against defending champions and top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States, who defeated the 12th-seeded French duo of Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2.QUEBEC CITY - Early on, it was apparent the team that scored the last run would win at Le Stade Municipal in Quebec City Saturday night. Unfortunately for the Winnipeg Goldeyes, they didnt score that run. The Goldeyes (20-13) lost 6-5 to the Quebec Capitales in a see-saw affair. After Quebec grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Donnie Webb and Reggie Abercrombie hit solo home runs in the top of the second to give Winnipeg their first lead of the night. The Capitales tied the game once again with a run in the bottom of the second, but the Goldeyes swiftly restored the lead in the top of the third. Josh Mazzolas sac fly brought in Casey Haerther and Abercrombie drilled a two-run double. "We hit a lot of balls hard today," Goldeyes pitching coach Jamie Vermilyea said on the Jewel 101 post-game show. "We were wearing out that left fielder with line drives." Howwever, Winnipegs three-run lead only shrank the rest night.dddddddddddd. Quebec scored twice in the bottom of the third to pull within a run before Jean Luc-Blaquiere hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to complete the comeback. Abercrombie led Winnipeg at the plate with a two-for-four night and three RBI. Tyler Kuhn also had a pair of hits. Goldeyes starter Ethan Hollingsworth went 5 1/3 innings in his Goldeyes debut, giving up four runs – three were earned – on nine hits. "He did well," Vermilyea said of Hollingsworth. "He only made a couple bad pitches and had some bad luck with soft-hit balls that found holes." Quebec starter Shawn Sanford picked up the win, while Gabe Aguilar, who gave up the home run to Blaquiere, suffered his first loss of the season. Kyle Regnault pitched the top of the ninth inning to get the save. ' ' '