Sabres silence the Kings

Ryan Miller came to the rink with a chip on his shoulder after giving up 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 center Derek Roy had a goal and two assists in the Buffalo Sabres’ 5-0 victory over the 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. Miller rarely gave up a rebound and was solid throughout the game, especially in the first two periods, when the Kings outshot Buffalo, 25-13.

“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.”

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

Kings goalie 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 only three minutes into the third period with a power-play goal on a backhand from the slot.

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

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

Kaleta had 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.”