BUFFALO, N.Y. — Ryan Miller made
35 saves for his 16th career shutout, Nathan Gerbe scored his first NHL
goal, and the Buffalo Sabres halted Washington's six-game winning
streak with a 3-0 victory over the league-leading Capitals on Wednesday
night.
Miller, owner of the NHL's lowest
goals-against average, helped the stingy Sabres slow down the
high-powered Washington offense that came in with a league-high 108
goals.
He preserved his fourth shutout of
the season when he robbed Brendan Morrison, who was staring at a
wide-open net, with a diving glove save along the ice with 13 minutes
left. He then snagged Nicklas Backstrom's shot from in tight four minutes
later.
Morrison hit the post with 4:45 to go, and Miller steered away 13 shots in the third period.
Gerbe added an assist, and defensemen
Steve Montador and Henrik Tallinder also scored for the Sabres
(17-9-2), who snapped a two-game losing streak.
The Capitals (19-6-6) were shut out
for the first time this season — and the first time since a 3-0 loss to
Columbus exactly 11 months earlier. Washington took its first
regulation loss in nine games.
Alex Ovechkin, the league's
second-highest goal scorer with 20, was held without a point for only
the fifth time in his 23 games.
Jose Theodore, who got the start because of Semyon Varlamov's lower body injury, finished with 25 saves.
Montador opened the scoring with his
second of the season 4:06 into the first period. From the right point,
Montador's shot skipped past Theodore, who was screened by Gerbe.
Gerbe made it 2-0 with 5:18 left in
the second when he banked a shot off Theodore's pads and in while
standing to the left of the post behind the goal line.
Tallinder pushed Buffalo's lead to
3-0 with his second of the season 3:16 later. Lugging the puck through
the neutral zone, Tallinder wristed a high shot from the high slot that
Theodore stopped, but the rebound popped back to Tallinder, who swatted
it in.
Notes
G Michal Neuvirth was
Theodore's backup after being recalled from Hershey of the AHL. … The
Capitals also recalled C Keith Aucoin from Hershey hours before the
game to replace C Mathieu Perreault, who was sick. … Gerbe played in
his first game after being recalled earlier Wednesday from Portland of
the AHL. … The Sabres were without D Chris Butler (ankle) and RW Mike
Grier (personal). … Washington is in the midst of playing nine of 11
on the road (10-4-3). … It was only the third time this season that
Washington trailed after the first period.