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Bruins-Sabres Preview

Jan 29, 2010 - 5:31 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Boston (23-20-8) at Buffalo (31-14-7), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Several lineup changes, a return home and a stellar performance from Ryan Miller helped the Buffalo Sabres end a losing streak.

Potentially getting a pair of key players back from injury might be what the Boston Bruins need to stop theirs.

Miller will try to help the Northeast Division-leading Sabres win for the sixth time in seven games at HSBC Arena on Friday night when they face the sputtering Bruins, who hope Marco Sturm and Steve Begin can return to help them get back on track.

Buffalo (31-14-7) halted a season high-tying four-game slide by beating New Jersey 2-1 in a shootout Wednesday. Miller made 39 saves and came up with two stops in the tiebreaker after posting a 3.27 goals-against average while losing his previous three starts.

"I wasn't going into the game banging my head against the wall, but I knew I could be better in the shootout," said Miller, who is 28-11-5 while ranking second in the league with a 2.06 GAA.

The favorite to be named Team USA's starting goaltender at next month's Olympics in Vancouver, Miller has also been a big part of the Sabres' strong play at home, where they're 17-5-5 - third-best in the Eastern Conference.

Buffalo is 8-0-3 in its last 11 games at HSBC with Miller winning his last four starts there.

While Buffalo's success in New Jersey was partially due to Miller's performance, a shakeup in the rotation may also have had an impact. Coach Lindy Ruff opted to bench left wing Clarke MacArthur, third on the team with 13 goals, and the defensive pair of Toni Lydman and Steve Montador in favor of Andrej Sekera and Nathan Paetsch.

That trio was a combined minus-13 in the Sabres' two losses prior to Wednesday, and it's unclear when those players will return to the ice.

"I think the message was loud and clear," Ruff told the team's official Web site. "We need better play."

The Sabres have dropped both season meetings with Boston, including a 2-1 overtime defeat at Buffalo on Nov. 20. Miller gave up the winning goal to Patrice Bergeron 47 seconds into the extra session.

Miller, however, is 10-1-3 with a 2.10 GAA in 14 home meetings with Boston (23-20-8).

The Bruins are hoping a four-day layoff has helped them recover after falling 5-1 at Carolina on Sunday to run their season-high slide to five games.

Boston is tied with Tampa Bay and the New York Islanders for 11th in the conference, one point back of a four-way tie for seventh.

"We obviously need results," coach Claude Julien said. "No need to talk about it. We need to show it and we need to do it. It's as simple as that.

"I think the guys are feeling better. I see our team skating better at practice. It's been a good week for us. Again, it can be a better week, but the bottom line is the end results and what we get out of our games in the next few days."

The Bruins may have Sturm (left leg) - the team leader with 15 goals - and Begin (undisclosed injury) back after missing five and four games, respectively.

Unlike Buffalo, Boston is having issues in net as Tim Thomas has lost four starts in a row with a 3.89 GAA while getting pulled twice.

Julien pulled him midway through the second period against the Hurricanes for allowing four goals on 15 shots. Backup Tuukka Rask made four saves the rest of the way, but he is 0-3-0 with a 3.16 GAA in six games - three starts.

Thomas, who is expected to backup Miller on Team USA, has lost four in a row to Buffalo with a 3.29 GAA.