NHL

Islanders defeat Sabres

BUFFALO — The Islanders are showing they’re capable of winning on the road, and goalie Al Montoya finally got some payback against Buffalo sniper Thomas Vanek.

Montoya stopped 30 shots in a 2-1 win over the Sabres last night, and the first thing that came to the goalie’s mind was how he didn’t allow Vanek to get the better of him as happened when the two first met in the 2003 Frozen Four semifinal — and in this same building, no less.

“Get out of here, I can remember it like it was yesterday,” said Montoya, who eight years ago was playing for Michigan and gave up the overtime goal to Vanek in a 3-2 loss to Minnesota. “It’s my college hockey nightmare.”

This time, Montoya stopped Vanek four times, including a key save coming with the forward parked on the doorstep, and with the Sabres enjoying a two-man power play with 8:02 remaining.

“It all comes around, right?” Montoya said, breaking into a hearty laugh. “It’s a big win for this team and it’s a big feel-good right now. We’ve got something going.”

Brian Rolston, with the go-ahead goal 9:23 into the third period, and Matt Moulson also scored for the Islanders. Coming off a 3-2 victory over the Devils at the Prudential Center on Saturday, the Islanders won their second straight road game after opening the season 0-5-2 away from Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders (7-11-4) also won consecutive games for the first time since a three-game streak spanning Oct. 10-15.

“We showed some desperation and then Al was there when we needed him to be,” coach Jack Capuano said. “We kept coming. We have to play with an attitude that maybe we didn’t play with the first couple of weeks.”