NHL | Sabres hold off Senators to stay alive

OTTAWA, Ontario - Ryan Miller wasn't going to let anything end the Buffalo Sabres' season - not a cheap bounce or Joe Corvo's snap shot from the slot.

He stopped 31 shots, including 15 in the third period, to preserve Buffalo's 3-2 win last night and prevent the Ottawa Senators from sweeping the Eastern Conference finals.

"When things weren't going our way at the end of the second period, we could've packed it in there and said, 'Ah, you know it's too tough,' " Miller said. "But we battled through some tough situations."

The Sabres survived after nearly squandering a 3-0 lead, and forced Game 5 of the best-of-seven series, which will be played at Buffalo on Saturday.

Chris Drury and Derek Roy - who scored 9 seconds in - had a goal and assist each, and Maxim Afinogenov also scored for Buffalo, giving the Presidents' Trophy winners their third win in eight games.

But it was Miller who saved the Sabres, this time rewarded after he was on the wrong end of a 31-save performance in a 1-0 loss in Game 3 on Monday.

After allowing the Senators to cut the lead to 3-2, when Dean McAmmond and Peter Schaefer scored on consecutive shots late in the second period, Miller took over in the third.

He stopped 10 shots during a stretch of four minutes, 30 seconds when Ottawa enjoyed consecutive power-play chances. It's a span when Miller produced his biggest save, waving his glove up to bat down Corvo's snap shot from the slot.

Pronger suspended. Anaheim defenseman Chris Pronger was suspended for one game by the NHL yesterday for his hit on Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom the previous night.

Pronger, a former Norris Trophy winner and a finalist for the award this year, will miss Game 4 of the Ducks-Red Wings series tonight in Anaheim. He leads the Ducks with 12 points, including three goals, during the playoffs.

"We disagree completely with [NHL disciplinarian] Colin Campbell's decision here. But we respect the process," Ducks general manager Brian Burke said. "If you watch some of the other views, it looks like a dangerous, high hit. If you look at the end zone view, I think it shows best that Chris Pronger went to hit Tomas Holmstrom at a 45-degree angle from the boards.

"At no point is Chris delivering a hit toward the boards, a dangerous hit. He's coming in to finish a check at a 45-degree angle. Rob Niedermayer steps into [Holmstrom], pins him, you get a high finish."

Holmstrom had two goals and an assist in the Red Wings' 5-0 victory Tuesday night that gave them a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

He had to leave the game midway through the second period to get 13 stitches to close two cuts on his forehead after Pronger and Niedermayer almost simultaneously slammed into him.

Niedermayer drew a major penalty for boarding and was ejected, but Pronger was not assessed a penalty on the play.