BUFFALO, N.Y. – Mike Smith made 29 saves to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

Smith, in his first start since Nov. 12, helped the Lightning (11-7-2) to their third straight victory, tying a season high. He sparkled in the third period, turning aside all 12 shots he faced.

Teddy Purcell and Adam Hall scored for Tampa Bay.

Thomas Vanek scored for the Sabres (8-11-3), who were without starting goalie Ryan Miller. Miller didn’t dress because of an undisclosed lower-body injury.

Sabres Coach Lindy Ruff said Miller had some soreness and tenderness in his groin Saturday morning, but added the injury is “supposed to be very mild.”

CANADIENS 2, MAPLE LEAFS 0: Carey Price made 30 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and Jeff Halpern and Michael Cammalleri scored, leading Montreal past visiting Toronto.

PANTHERS 4, ISLANDERS 1: Mike Santorelli scored two of Florida’s four goals in a 7:54 span of the second period and Florida won at Uniondale, N.Y., sending New York to a 12th straight loss.

PREDATORS 2, HURRICANES 1: Martin Erat and Cal O’Reilly scored in the shootout to push Nashville past Carolina at Raleigh, N.C.

RANGERS 5, WILD 2: Marian Gaborik marked his first game as an opposing player in Minnesota with an assist during a three-goal second period for New York, and Martin Biron made 26 saves at St. Paul, Minn.

FLYERS 5, CAPITALS 4: Danny Briere scored the only goal in the shootout, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all three Washington attempts and Philadelphia won at Washington.

BLUES 3, DEVILS 2: Brad Winchester scored 5:15 into the third period and Jaroslav Halak stopped 35 shots to lift St. Louis over visiting New Jersey.

AVALANCHE 4, STARS 3: Kevin Porter scored in the fifth round of the shootout, and visiting Colorado recovered after wasting a three-goal lead.

 

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