BUFFALO Tyler Ennis Jersey Womens , N.Y. (AP) Upon handing the puck to Canadiens goalie Antti Niemi in honor of his 35-save performance, defenseman Karl Alzner had a hard time believing how long it has been since his teammate’s last shutout.It’s been more than two years.”It’s hard to believe as good of a goalie as he is for that to be the case,” Alzner said, Friday night, following a 3-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres in a game between two teams out of playoff contention. ”It’s nice to be part of it and nice to be there for him to get it.”Niemi’s 36th career shutout was also significant given how the 34-year-old finally landed in Montreal – his fourth team in less than a calendar year. He went from being released by Dallas in June to signing with Pittsburgh in July and then being claimed off waivers twice in three weeks – first by Florida in October, and then by the Canadiens in November.”What he’s persevered through and also his work ethic is unbelievable,” coach Claude Julien said. ”There’s no doubt he’s been a real positive for our hockey club.”Niemi improved to 6-4-4 with Montreal, and the shutout was his first since a 20-save performance in Dallas’ 4-0 win over Chicago on Dec. 22, 2015.”I knew it’s been a long time,” said Niemi, who won a Stanley Cup with Chicago as a rookie in 2010. ”I wouldn’t have cared too much if they would’ve scored one in the end and we still won. I like the way I played.”Artturi Lehkonen scored the go-ahead goal by converting a puck that bounced off the end boards 4:56 into the second period. Former Sabres forward Paul Byron and Brendan Gallagher then scored empty-net goals 22 seconds apart in the final 1:15 to seal the win.Montreal had lost its past four overall Tim Heed Jersey , and gone 0-5-2 on the road since a 6-3 win at the New York Islanders on March 2.Nothing is going right for the NHL’s last-place Sabres, who closed their six-game homestand at 1-4-1. The Sabres’ league-worst home record dropped to 11-22-5, and they must win their final two home games to avoid setting a franchise low for fewest wins in an 82-game season (13-21-7, in 2012-13).Buffalo’s league-worst offense was blanked for the second time in three games – following a 4-0 shutout loss to Nashville on Monday – and seventh time this season. The Sabres also lost to a Canadiens opponent now tied with Arizona with the NHL’s fewest road wins (10) and has scored a league-low 85 goals on the road.The poster-boy for frustration was forward Ryan O’Reilly, who muffed Kyle Okposo’s pass while facing an open net during a two-man advantage eight minutes into the third period.”I’ve got to be better. It’s my fault,” O’Reilly said. ”I should just get behind it and take my time. It was a stupid play by me.”O’Reilly also had Niemi beat on a rush up the right wing with 2:55 left in the second period. With room between the post and Niemi’s pad, O’Reilly missed stuffing the puck in and instead had it slide through the crease.”I’ve done that move in practice hundreds of times,” he said. ”When it matters, I don’t do it. Just letting the guys down.”O’Reilly wasn’t the only one off the mark. Scott Wilson hit the crossbar from the left circle in the first period. And Sam Reinhart was set up alone atop the crease only to be robbed by Niemi in the second period.Sabres rookie Linus Ullmark allowed one goal on the 22 shots he faced.Lehkonen scored when teammate Alex Galchenyuk’s shot from the left circle was blocked in front. The puck dribbled to Jacob de la Rose, who snapped a shot just wide of the net from the slot. The puck struck the boards and to Lehkonen, who flipped it in above Ullmark’s out-stretched right leg.NOTES: Sabres C Zemgus Girgensons returned after missing two games with an undisclosed injury. … After opening the season with a 3-2 shootout win at Buffalo Alex Pietrangelo Jersey Kids , the Canadiens proceeded to go 0-6-1 in their next seven. … Before the game, the Sabres honored Luke McDermott and Adam Page, two local members the United States gold-medal-winning Paralympic hockey team.UP NEXTCanadiens: Host Washington Capitals on Saturday.Sabres: At New York Rangers on Saturday.— WASHINGTON (AP) — Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal, two assists and the shootout winner as the Florida Panthers recovered after giving up a three-goal lead in the second period and beat the Washington Capitals 6-5 on Friday night for their first victory of the season.In a wacky, back-and-forth game, Florida squandered a 4-1 advantage and allowed the tying goal with 1:25 left. The Panthers couldn’t score in overtime despite a power play but celebrated a win for the first time this season in their fifth game after Huberdeau beat Copley in the fourth round of the shootout.Vincent Trocheck also had a goal and two assists and scored in the shootout for the Panthers. Backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced in regulation and overtime and made a couple of more saves in the shootout after replacing starter James Reimer.Evgenii Dadonov, Colton Sceviour and Jared McCann also scored for the Panthers, who chased Stanley Cup winning goalie Braden Holtby with four goals on 11 shots. Holtby was hardly to blame as the victim of a handful of inexplicable mistakes and turnovers by his teammates.Following John Carlson’s early goal, the Capitals tied it in the second period when Brett Connolly, Jakub Vrana and Devante Smith-Pelly scored in a span of less than 12 minutes.WILD 3, STARS 1DALLAS (AP) — Ryan Suter scored the winning goal in the third period and had two assists as Minnesota beat Dallas.Dallas goalie Ben Bishop had stopped a shot by Eric Staal http://www.officialpenguinsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-derick-brassard-jersey , but the puck went into the left corner. Suter sent the puck back in front, and it ricocheted in off the Stars’ Esa Lindell with 7:06 left.Devan Dubnyk made 33 saves for Minnesota in a game that was scoreless until 36 seconds into the third period, when the Stars’ Jason Spezza scored his first of the season. He tipped in Miro Heiskanen’s shot from the left point.Matt Dumba put in a loose rebound past Bishop at 9:37 of the third to tie the score.Bishop also finished with 33 saves, and Zach Parise scored into an empty net with 1 minute left.PREDATORS 5, FLAMES 3CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Zac Rinaldo scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period to lead Nashville to its fourth straight win.Kevin Fiala and Filip Forsberg each had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Johansen and Craig Smith also scored for the Predators.After Noah Hanifin got caught pinching, Rinaldo broke out on a 2-on-1 with Ryan Hartman and hung onto the puck the whole way before beating Flames goalie Mike Smith on his blocker side with a perfect wrist shot into the top corner at 6:31 of the third to give Nashville a 4-3 lead.Forsberg sealed the win with an empty-netter with 32 seconds left.Pekka Rinne had 15 saves on 18 shots before leaving with just under 15 minutes left in the third. Juuse Saros stopped all nine shots he faced.Elias Lindholm got his team-leading fifth goal for Calgary, and Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett also scored. Smith finished with 25 saves.