Sabres 2, Islanders 1
SABRES 2, ISLANDERS 1: Thomas Vanek and defenseman Tyler Myers scored and Ryan Miller shut the door late to lift host Buffalo.
Derek Roy and Jason Pominville each had two assists to continue their recent offensive surges. Roy has seven points in the last six games and Pominville has six goals and six assists over his last nine contests.
Miller made 30 saves to earn his 18th win of the season, holding off a late push from the Islanders with several key saves.
Myers snuck in from the point and buried a rebound for his sixth goal of the season 1:21 into the first period to make it 1-0. Roy set up Vanek for his 22nd goal of the season 3:41 into the second period to make it 2-0 for Buffalo.
Frans Nielsen blasted a shot from the circle past Miller to cut the Buffalo lead to 2-1 with just over five minutes remaining in the third period.
The Islanders have lost back-to-back games, while the Sabres are winners of two straight after dropping their previous four contests.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov missed a third straight game with the flu. …The Sabres snapped a three-game home losing streak to the Islanders. …The Sabres are 17-4-4 when Roy records a point this season. …Myers is riding a four-game point streak.