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Miller, Sabres blank Bruins

Feb 9, 2012 - 6:35 AM Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) - Ryan Miller made 36 saves to record his third shutout of the season and 25th of his career as the Buffalo Sabres thumped the Boston Bruins, 6-0, at First Niagara Center.

Jason Pominville netted a pair of goals and Tyler Ennis finished with a goal and an assist. Christian Ehrhoff, Patrick Kaleta and Drew Stafford all scored for the Sabres, who have won three of their last four games. Ville Leino and Andrej Sekera added two helpers apiece in the victory.

"I thought our guys really raised their compete level the last four or five games," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. "We've really played hard and had some things start to go well."

Tuukka Rask was tagged for three goals on 10 shots before getting yanked in favor of Tim Thomas, who didn't fare much better, giving up three goals on 19 shots for the Bruins. They have lost three of four.

Buffalo started its offensive onslaught at 6:23 of the first period with a little luck when Ehrhoff wristed a shot on goal from the left point that deflected off the stick of Bruins' forward Gregory Campbell in front and floated past the glove side of Rask.

The Sabres extended their lead to 2-0 at 14:49 of the first frame when Leino accepted a perfect cross-ice pass in the neutral zone and started down the left wing on the attack. Leino gained the blue line with speed, slammed on the breaks at the circle and flung a centering pass right to the tape of Pominville, who backhanded a tap-in past Rask.

Buffalo came out with jump in the second period and quickly extended its lead to 3-0 off a great individual effort by Ennis.

Just 1:52 into the second stanza, Ennis collected the puck in his defensive zone and started up. He blazed through the neutral zone with speed and cut through four Bruins defenders before shifting to his backhand and putting one on net from the right circle that just squeezed through the legs of Rask, sending the netminder to an early shower.

Buffalo got another fortunate break at 18:11 of the second stanza when Kaleta let a shot go from the left circle that deflected off the stick of Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg and fooled Thomas for a 4-0 Sabres lead.

The theme continued in the third period for Buffalo, as it took advantage of a frustrated and sloppy Bruins team at 1:18 of the final frame.

Sekera ripped a shot from the right point that was kicked out by Thomas, but the puck wound up on the stick of Leino on the left wing. Leino then spotted a wide-open Pominville, who stuffed it home from the slot to make it 5-0.

Stafford capped the scoring with a tap-in off a pass from Ennis with 1:02 to play.

"We just have to pick ourselves up off the ground and come to the next game ready to give the best effort we can," said Thomas.

Game Notes

Buffalo exacted some revenge after the Bruins had taken the first two games between the teams this season...Rask is 4-4 in 10 career games against the Sabres...Bruins enforcer Shawn Thornton participated in his 100th career NHL fight...The game featured 90 total penalty minutes between both teams...Buffalo failed to score on two power-play chances, while the Bruins did not receive any power play opportunities...The Bruins will host the Nashville Predators on Saturday, while the Sabres will welcome the Dallas Stars on Friday.