NHL: Buffalo 2, N.Y. Rangers 1 (SO)

BUFFALO, N.Y., Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Ales Kotalik scored the lone goal in the shootout Friday to give the Buffalo Sabres their fourth straight victory a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers.

Kotalik was the first player to appear in the shootout and he fired a quick-release shot that beat Steve Valiquette to the glove side.

Ryan Miller stopped all three New York attempts, including one by former Buffalo co-captain Chris Drury.

The four wins equaled Buffalo's longest such streak of the season. The other one came in the first four games of the year.

Derek Roy scored the Sabres' regulation goal and Miller made 43 saves -- 16 of which came in the third period and overtime.

Roy has four goals and four assists in the last four games.

New York, which has lost six out of eight, got a goal from Paul Mara. Valiquette stopped 32 shots in a hard-luck loss.

It was only the third loss in 10 shootouts for the Rangers this year.