Biron earns 200th NHL win, Tambellini posts 1st hat trick in Isles’ rout of Sabres

Isles’ Biron earns 200th win, Tambellini has trick

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Martin Biron earned his 200th NHL win and 26th career shutout, and Jeff Tambellini scored three goals for his first career hat trick as the New York Islanders routed the Buffalo Sabres 5-0 Saturday night to stretch their winning streak to three games.

Biron made 38 saves in his first victory with the Islanders since joining the club during the offseason. He was 0-3-2 in his first six outings with the team.

Tambellini, who never had a two-goal game in his first four NHL seasons, now has two in his last four games. The Islanders won for the third time in four days to improve to 4-4-5 this season. Richard Park and Josh Bailey added goals for New York, which also beat the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals this week.

Biron turned aside 10 power-play shots for his first shutout since Feb. 25, when he was with Philadelphia.

Tambellini scored his first two goals 3:04 apart in the second period. His second goal, scored at 12:20, forced Buffalo to pull starting goalie Ryan Miller after the Islanders built a 3-0 lead. Miller was 8-0 with a sparkling 1.65 goals-against average before he allowed three goals on 16 shots.

The Sabres, who like the Islanders played for the second straight night, had their four-game winning streak ended. Buffalo went 0 for 5 on the power play.

New York broke Washington’s six-game winning streak on Friday night and then controlled play even though they were outshot by the Sabres 38-30.

Park opened the scoring 17:13 into the game, stealing the puck from a rushing Tyler Myers in the Buffalo zone before firing a left-circle wrist shot past Miller for his first of the season.

Biron was sharp early, stopping eight first-period, power play shots. Jason Pominville had five of Buffalo’s 14 first-period shots and finished with a game-high seven.

A three-goal second period rattled the Sabres, who lost their first road game (4-1).

Sean Bergenheim set up Tambellini’s first goal by skating behind Buffalo’s net before completing a spinning backhand pass to Tambellini, who fired a between-the-legs shot at the right post 9:16 into the period.

Just minutes later, Islanders captain Doug Weight also found room behind the net, setting up Tambellini’s left-circle one-timer for a 3-0 lead. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff replaced Miller with Patrick Lalime.

Lalime was on the ice barely 3 minutes before Bailey’s shot from the high slot found the net to make it 4-0. Tambellini tipped in an insurance marker with 4:18 left as the sparse crowd chanted his name and hats crashed to the ice — including a New York Jets football helmet.

Weight, who returned to the lineup this week after recovering from the swine flu, was given a penalty shot with 13 seconds left but was stopped by Lalime’s pad.

NOTES: Tambellini had an eight-game goal drought, dating to last season, before busting out with six goals in five games. The 25-year-old forward netted just 11 goals in his first 143 NHL games before this streak. … Buffalo trailed after the first period for only the third time this season.