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Sabres' Miller stifles Kings to record third shutout of season

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Ryan Miller came to the rink with a chip on his shoulder after allowing five goals in a loss to New Jersey in his last start.

Rebounding quickly, Miller made 40 saves for his third shutout of the season and 10th of his career, and Derek Roy had a goal and two assists in the Buffalo Sabres' 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night.

"Sometimes you have to have a little bit of an edge in your game, and I don't think I've had it," Miller said. "There comes a certain point where you're mad at yourself enough but confident enough in your game where you just go out and play."

The 40 saves were the most Miller has had in any of his shutouts.

"You could see he was really focused just walking in today and looking at him," said center Adam Mair, who scored one of Buffalo's two second-period goals. "He looked really in the zone and it showed in his play."

Miller rarely gave up a rebound and was solid throughout the game, especially in the first two periods when Los Angeles outshot Buffalo 25-13.

"He played well for us when we needed him, and made some huge saves," center Derek Roy said.

Roy was just as good at the other end, notching his first three-point game of the season.

"We got a couple of good bounces and worked hard getting to the front of the net," he said. "That's what we have to keep doing."

Drew Stafford had a goal and assist, and Clarke MacArthur and Matt Ellis also scored to help the Sabres (15-13-3) snap a two-game losing streak at home. Buffalo improved to 5-2 in its last seven.

Los Angeles' Jason LaBarbera made 11 saves in a little over two periods of action, and dropped to 0-2-2 in his last four starts. He was replaced by Jonathan Quick after Stafford made it 4-0 just 3 minutes into the third period with a power-play goal on a backhand from the slot.

Quick allowed a goal on eight shots in relief.

The Kings have lost three straight to drop to 13-13-6.

"We didn't play bad, just nothing went right for us," LaBarbera said. "We got absolutely no bounces around their net."

The Sabres were without Paul Gaustad (upper body), captain Craig Rivet (shoulder) and rookie forward Nathan Gerbe (upper body).

Buffalo forward Patrick Kaleta missed almost half the game when he was dropped by a punch to the face by Los Angeles defenseman Denis Gauthier after Gauthier missed hitting Kaleta in the Kings' right corner. Gauthier received a double-minor for roughing, while Kaleta stayed on the ice face-first for about 10 seconds.

Kaleta returned to the lineup Wednesday night against New Jersey after missing seven games because of a head and neck injury.

"He's not doing well," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "He has the same (effects) as he's had before, where he couldn't see. Gauthier should be suspended for that. We don't need that in the game."

Roy was credited with his 10th of the season with just under 4 minutes left in the first period. From behind the goal line, Roy sent the puck to the front of the net, but his attempt hit off the back of LaBarbera's leg. As the puck appeared to be heading into the net, defenseman Kyle Quincey batted it out of the air, but it again went off LaBarbera's leg before going in.

Mair made it 2-0 2 1/2 minutes into the second period with his fourth, banging home a loose puck in the crease after Chris Butler's wrist shot from the blue line squirted through LaBarbera's legs.

Buffalo pushed its lead to 3-0 on MacArthur's seventh of the season at 6:56.

Ellis capped the scoring with his first with 5:27 left in regulation.

"I liked the way we approached things," Kings coach Terry Murray said. "We just have to find a way to put some pucks in the net."

Game notes
Butler was making his NHL debut after the Sabres recalled him from Portland of the AHL on Thursday. ... Roy extended his points streak to eight games. ... The Kings began a three-game road trip. ... About a foot of snow fell on the city earlier in the day, but the arena was still about 90 percent full. ... The Sabres have won three in a row and eight of the last nine against the Kings on home ice. ... Los Angeles went 0-for-1 on the power play after converting on 32.3 percent of their man-advantage opportunities over the previous eight games.