EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Nov. 19 (UPI) -- The Buffalo Sabres squandered a two-goal lead in the third period and had their winless streak reach a team record-tying 12 games Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils as defenseman Scott Niedermayer scored 83 seconds into overtime.
Winless since Oct. 22, Buffalo turned to rookie Ryan Miller to end its longest stretch without a victory since the 1991-92 season. Making his NHL debut, the former Hobey Baker Award winner stopped 17 shots to help the Sabres take a 2-0 lead into the third period.
But New Jersey scored three times in a 7:49 span to take the lead, and only a goal by J.P. Dumont with 5:10 left in regulation enabled Buffalo to salvage a point.
The Sabres' losing streak reached seven games as Niedermayer got a feed from Brian Rafalski at the top of the slot and wristed a shot that tipped off the shaft of the stick of Buffalo defenseman Alexei Zhitnik and hopped past a helpless Miller.
The Devils, who started the Sabres' slide on Oct. 25, improved to 3
0 in overtime and won their third straight home game.
Miroslav Satan set up a pair of power-play goals for the Sabres, whose 0-9-2-1 streak matches the longest winless drought in team history, an 0-8-4 slide from Nov. 23-Dec. 20, 1991.
