BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres are having a lot of fun winning games early on.

Miller was spectacular in making 36 saves, Clarke MacArthur scored on a penalty shot, and rookie Tyler Myers scored his first NHL goal to help keep the Sabres undefeated in regulation with a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders on Friday night.

Advertisement

With a 4-0-1 mark, Buffalo is the only NHL team without a regulation loss.

``We're just playing good hockey,' said Miller, who's allowed just eight goals in five games to lead the NHL's stingiest defense. ``I'm enjoying it, and I hope we can keep it up all year.'

It wasn't the Sabres finest effort inside their own zone, but Miller kept the Islanders and No. 1 draft pick John Tavares at bay with solid stops. Tavares finished with seven shots, while New York peppered Miller with 30 shots over the final two periods.

``He's one of the best in the league,' Tavares said. ``But that's not making any excuses for our team. We have to make the most of our opportunities.'

Tim Connolly had a goal and assist, and Jochen Hecht, Patrick Kaleta, and Jason Pominville also scored for the Sabres. Myers and MacArthur also had assists.

``(Miller) keeps us in a lot of games,' said the 19-year-old defenseman Myers, who already has four points this season. ``He's an unbelievable goaltender. From the time I've been here I've been amazed. It's nice having him back there backing us up.'

The Sabres got a scare with 9 minutes left in the game when Miller was shaken up after Islanders defenseman Jack Hillen landed on top of him. But after laying prone for a minute, Miller was able to stay in the game, saying afterward that he was jolted and had the wind knocked out of him.

Matt Moulson had a goal and assist, and Tavares and Andy Sutton also scored for the Islanders (0-2-3). New York and Toronto are the lone teams in the league without a win this season.

Islanders goalie Dwayne Roloson allowed four goals on 12 shots before being pulled in favor of Martin Biron in the second period. Biron finished with 20 saves.

``This one is a killer,' Biron said. ``We worked our way back in but hit posts and had a couple of wide open nets that we missed.'

Pominville scored his 100th career NHL goal with just over 4 minutes left to cap the scoring.

Connolly increased Buffalo's lead to 3-0 on a power play with his second of the season before Moulson made it 3-1 with 12:52 left in the second.

Hecht gave Buffalo a 4-1 lead - and chased Roloson in the process - when his slap shot from the top of the left circle went between Roloson's legs at 9:22 of the second.

Tavares made it 4-2 with his third of the season with 7:06 to go in the middle frame, capitalizing on Miller's gaffe behind the net. Miller was unable to corral a shootaround, allowing Tavares to sneak to the side of the net with the puck before depositing it in.

Myers, Buffalo's first-round pick in 2008, put the Sabres up 1-0 just 2:27 into the game when he backhanded a loose puck in the high slot past Roloson.

MacArthur was awarded a penalty shot with 5:18 left in the first period after he was hauled down by New York defenseman Mark Streit. MacArthur faked a wrist shot before slipping a backhander past Roloson.

The Sabres played their first game without Thomas Vanek, the high-scoring forward who sustained an upper-body injury Tuesday night against Detroit. Vanek was originally thought to be lost for at least a couple of weeks, but coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday that Vanek could play in one of Buffalo's weekend games.

The Sabres host Atlanta on Saturday.

NOTES: The two teams will meet two more times over the next 19 days. ... Roloson, who played for the Sabres from 1998-2000, is 0-5-1 with one tie against Buffalo ... Tavares' uncle, John, the National League Lacrosse's career scoring leader for the Buffalo Bandits, was in attendance. The younger Tavares was once a ball boy for the Bandits. ... It was the second consecutive game that the Sabres have been involved in a penalty shot situation, and second straight game in which they knocked a goalie out early. ... Daniel Paille replaced Vanek in the lineup.