"Aside from not being able to score, the Sabres' recent games are pretty much what they envisioned for the season. They're creating more chances than the opposition. They're limiting mistakes. On those occasions when a breakdown happens, their goaltender makes the big save to bail them out.

"We're getting much closer to the way that we want to play," Buffalo defenseman Robyn Regehr said Friday.

It's just taken much, much longer than anyone anticipated.

The Sabres visit the New York Islanders tonight with two of the three facets of their game clicking. The team defense and goaltending have been impressive during the last three outings.

The Sabres have allowed just two goals in 190 minutes. Goalie Ryan Miller has stopped 83 of 85 shots during the three-game run, with a goals-against average of 0.63. They have a 74-57 shot advantage in the last two games.

"It's a sustainable way to play throughout the year," said Regehr, who quoted a stat from the coaches that said the team averaged about eight more chances per game than New Jersey, Montreal and the Rangers. "With that, we do need to do a little bit better job capitalizing on those chances, but I think that's the way you need to play throughout the year. That way the law of averages, you're going to win more games than you lose."