Published: October 28, 2009 11:57 pm      

SABRES: MacArthur, Kennedy score early in win

NEWARK, N.J. — Clarke MacArthur and rookie Tim Kennedy scored early in the first period and the Buffalo Sabres remained unbeaten on the road with a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.

Ryan Miller made 31 saves, and Paul Gaustad and Jason Pominville iced the game with third-period goals as the Sabres won all three games on their trip. They are 4-0 on the road, joining Pittsburgh and New Jersey as the only NHL teams without a road loss.

Defenseman Andy Greene scored on a power play for New Jersey, which had a three-game winning streak snapped in losing for the fourth time in five home games.

The Sabres played an outstanding first period in taking a 2-0 lead and then did little until Gaustad took a no-look pass from the left corner by Matt Ellis to finish off New Jersey.

Miller, who is 7-0-1, had to face four late power plays by New Jersey, but the Devils didn’t generate much offense.

MacArthur needed only 81 seconds to give Buffalo the lead. Pominville sent the puck around the boards to defenseman Craig Rivet on the right point. Brodeur stopped Rivet’s slap shot, but an unmarked MacArthur stuffed the rebound into the open net for his fifth goal.

Kennedy got his first NHL goal at the 6-minute mark. Jochen Hecht got control of a floating puck behind the Devils’ net, nudged it to Kennedy. He skated out from behind the goal line, reached the dot in the right circle and then turned and shot, catching Brodeur off guard, with the puck sliding between his wide-open pads.

After being outshot 14-7 in the first period, the Devils picked up their game and got on the board with Gaustad off for hooking. Greene beat Miller with a shot from the right circle after a Zach Parise pass failed to connect in front and went right to him for his first goal of the season.

This marked the Devils’ first game without star defenseman Paul Martin (broken left arm) and veteran left wing Jay Pandolfo (shoulder). Both were hurt Saturday in Pittsburgh and are expected to be sidelined at least four weeks.

Sabres rookie defenseman Tyler Myers played his ninth NHL game on Wednesday. Under NHL rules, the 19-year-old’s three-year rookie contract kicks in if he plays his 10th game, making Myers eligible to test free agency a year earlier than most players in his draft class. The other option would be to send Myers back to junior hockey, but the 6-foot-8 first-round pick is playing so well it might be hard for Buffalo to do that.

NOTES: Devils LW Andrew Peters was scratched and didn’t get a chance to play against his old team. ... D Cory Murphy, who was recalled from Lowell after Martin’s injury, was scratched. ... Sabres D Toni Lydman did not dress for the second straight game.