Tough guy Patrick Kaleta scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal in the second period, and the Buffalo Sabres shook off an uncharacteristic rough beginning by Ryan Miller in a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night.
Kaleta, known more for his fists than offensive touch, scored from in-close in the first and then converted a short-handed breakaway in the second to give the Sabres a 3-2 lead. He entered with 10 goals in 124 NHL games, but pushed his season total to a career-best five with his first two-goal game.
Kaleta nudged a bouncing puck past Ales Kotalik at the right point and came in alone on Henrik Lundqvist, beating him glove-side at 9:30 before the goalie could react.
"We talked about this all year with my game, playing a bigger role with the team and trying to contribute," Kaleta said. "I was put in that position tonight. It was a good effort by the whole team and I just got the bounces."
Derek Roy also scored in the first to provide the support Miller needed for his 18th win. The likely No. 1 goalie for the U.S. Olympic team outduelled Lundqvist, who backstopped Sweden's run to gold at the 2006 Olympics.
"The tournament in Vancouver will be completely different," Miller said. "I am just taking the approach every night that I am on the right kind of path I need to be on to get to the Olympics."
"Right now I am going to keep my mind right where it needs to be, on the Buffalo Sabres' season."
Miller made 36 saves after a rare night off Friday, when the Sabres beat Chicago 2-1 in overtime. Patrick Lalime earned the first victory by a Buffalo goalie other than Miller, who entered with an NHL-best 1.82 goals-against average and .938 save percentage.
The Sabres have won seven of nine.
Lundqvist stopped 29 shots, but the Rangers lost for the sixth time in seven games (1-5-1). New York began a stretch of four games in six nights, all in the metropolitan area.
"Bottom line, we know we have to win," Lundqvist said. "We work really hard, we just come up short a lot of nights."
Rangers coach John Tortorella said allowing the short-handed goal in the second period was a real killer.
"You get one scored on you, and the way we are struggling to be consistent offensively, it is just a kick in the teeth," he said.
Miller, who seemed to struggle to pick up shots early, gave up power-play goals 1:55 apart in the first period to Ryan Callahan and Marian Gaborik as the Rangers grabbed a 2-1 lead.
Kotalik kept an attempted clearing attempt by 6-foot-8 rookie defenceman Tyler Myers in and sent the puck down to Gaborik near the boards. Callahan got free in the slot and tapped his stick on the ice, drawing a pass from Gaborik that was one-timed past Miller at 10:22.
Callahan netted the winner in New York's 2-1 victory at Buffalo one week earlier. It was his first goal since.
Gaborik then found skating room while the Rangers enjoyed a 4-on-3 advantage and scored his NHL-leading 22nd. Rookie defenceman Michael Del Zotto slid a pass from right to left high in the Buffalo zone to Gaborik, who moved into the circle and snapped in a shot with 7:43 left.
Gaborik had a scare just over a minute later when Sabres forward Derek Roy was shoved into Gaborik. He appeared to be favouring his left arm and received treatment near his shoulder and neck on the Rangers bench. Gaborik returned to play a strong shift during the closing minute of the first.
The Sabres closed the period as they started it — with a goal. Toni Lydman fired a shot from the left point that hit Lundqvist high and bounded into the crease. Jochen Hecht found it in traffic and slid a pass behind him to Kaleta, who scored the tying goal into the open right side at 14:28 as Lundqvist dived to get back into position.
Roy's seventh gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead 6:25 in.
