BUFFALO, N.Y., April 26 (UPI) -- Thomas Vanek scored the only shootout goal Friday and Ryan Miller made 30 saves in his 500th game to bring Buffalo a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders.
It was the final regular-season contest for both teams.
Buffalo won five of its last seven games and finished with a 21-21-6 record, missing the playoffs by six points.
The one point New York earned gave the Islanders 55 and at least temporarily moved them into sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a point in front of Ottawa and the New York Rangers.
Both the Rangers and Senators will conclude their regular-season schedule Saturday. The team that finishes sixth in the final standings will take on Washington in the opening round of the playoffs.
Buffalo's regulation goal came from Brian Flynn in the second period. Keith Aucoin tied it 7:26 into the third.
Evgeni Nabokov stopped 21-of-22 shots for the Islanders, who ended their regular season with a three-game losing streak.
