Ryan Miller's glove save in the final seconds was enough -- barely -- to lift the Buffalo Sabres past the New York Islanders and into the NHL Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday.
After giving up three third-period goals, Miller stopped the final nine shots that he faced in Buffalo's 4-3, series-ending victory.
Maxim Afinogenov scored the decisive goal as the Sabres hung on to win their third straight and eliminate the Islanders in five games.
The game seemed over after the Sabres opened a 3-0 lead midway through the second period and led 4-1 with 13:22 left. But New York scored twice, capped when Chris Campoli converted a rebound with 6:53 remaining. But then Miller shut the door.
Miller stopped 30 shots overall, his best coming on Miroslav Satan with 12 seconds left. Satan cut across the crease and had Miller beaten before the goalie spun around and stuck out his glove hand, getting enough of Satan's shot to turn it aside.
Miller then scrambled to the side of the net in order to prevent Alexei Yashin from wrapping in the rebound.
Drew Stafford, Jason Pominville and Derek Roy also had goals for Buffalo, which had the NHL's top record this season.
Sharks 3, Predators 2
At Nashville, Tennessee, Patrick Marleau scored his second goal with 4:21 left and San Jose grabbed a berth in its third straight Western Conference semifinals. Marleau tied the game with a power-play goal late in the second period, and Ryan Clowe also scored as the Sharks closed out Nashville with a Game 5 win on the Predators' home ice for a second straight year.
Jason Arnott scored a power-play goal and Vernon Fiddler also had a goal as Nashville blew a 2-1 lead in a penalty-filled second period. The Predators totaled 19 of 29 penalty minutes, including a 5-minute major during which Marleau tied the game.
The Predators had two full power-play chances in the third period and had the man advantage for the final 24.1 seconds. But it didn't help and the Sharks ended the series by clearing the puck with 10 seconds left.
Devils 3, Lightning 0
At East Rutherford, New Jersey, a long-awaited vintage performance by Martin Brodeur has New Jersey a game away from eliminating Vincent Lecavalier and Tampa Bay.
Brodeur made 31 saves, got a couple of blocks from his defenders and benefitted goals by Andy Greene and Brian Gionta. Scott Gomez, who set up the first two goals, added an empty-netter as the Devils took a 3-2 lead in the entertaining first-round Eastern Conference series. Game 6 is today in Tampa.
The game ended with two fights and Devils assistant coach John MacLean and Lightning coach John Tortorella screaming at each other from behind their respective team's benches.
After letting in some easy goals in the first four games, Brodeur looked like the goaltender who set a single-season record with 48 wins this season. He was sharp, in position and impregnable in posting his 22nd career playoff shutout.
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