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Miller, Sabres Drop Devils

POSTED: 7:54 pm MST December 12, 2006

(Sports Network) - Ryan Miller made 31 saves as the Buffalo Sabres downed the New Jersey Devils, 3-2, at Continental Airlines Arena.

Daniel Briere had three assists for the Sabres, who have won two straight and seven of their last 10 games. Jochen Hecht, Maxim Afinogenov an Jason Pominville all scored for Buffalo.

Martin Brodeur allowed three goals on 24 shots for the Devils, who saw their five-game winning streak come to an end. Erik Rasmussen and Brian Gionta tallied late goals in the third period for New Jersey.

After a scoreless first session that saw Miller make 15 saves, the Sabres struck first and took a 1-0 lead with 7:55 remaining in the second stanza. Briere skated into the low slot and fired a wrist shot that was blocked in front. Hecht, though, was able to grab the loose disc and fire it past Brodeur for his seventh goal of the season.

Afinogenov scored 3:12 into the final frame to extend Buffalo's lead to 2-0. On a 2-on-1 rush, Briere darted into the New Jersey zone up the right wing and dished the puck across to a streaking Afinogenov, who one-timed the feed past a sliding Brodeur.

The Sabres lead grew to 3-0 a little over two minutes after Afinogenov's goal. Briere controlled the puck along the left-half wall and centered a pass to Pominville, who guided the disc over the goal line.

Rasmussen ruined Miller's bid for his second shutout of the season scoring with 40 seconds left in the contest after batting a puck out of mid-air and into the net from just outside the crease.

The Devils then pulled Brodeur for an extra attacker and Gionta managed to score with 18.9 seconds left to make it a one-goal game, but there was just not enough time for New Jersey to net the equalizer.

Game Notes

Briere now has 23 helpers on the season...Afinogenov and Pominville each have 13 goals on the campaign...New Jersey suffered just its second loss in regulation at home this season (11-2-1)...The Sabres went 0-for-6 on the power play while the Devils failed to score in three chances with the man advantage...Attendance was 11,156.

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