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The Buffalo Sabres are already showing signs they're not the same team they were last season - starting with success in a close game.

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Don Heupel

Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, left, is congratulated by Sabres right wingers Jason Pominville and Patrick Kaleta, right, after defeating the Montreal Canadiens.

Ales Kotalik and Drew Stafford scored on consecutive shootout chances in a 2-1 win on Friday night that spoiled the Montreal Canadiens' start to their 100th season. Ryan Miller made 27 saves after allowing Robert Lang to open the scoring on the Canadiens' first shot on net.

Add it up and the Sabres began easing the memories of the dreadful collapses and 14-18 record in one-goal games that contributed to costing the team a playoff berth last year.

"It's a good step and a good statement for us," Kotalik said. "If we won more of the shootouts last year than we did we might have found ourselves in the playoffs."

Kotalik scored on what's become his patented move. Driving in on goalie Carey Price, Kotalik faked a shot from 10 feet out and then drove to the left to backhand a shot behind the goalie. It was his 13th goal in 26 career shootout chances. Stafford scored in similar fashion, but actually roofed his shot just inside the crossbar.

At the other end, Miller stopped Lang on Montreal's initial shootout chance and the game ended when Saku Koivu had the puck roll of his stick.

Thomas Vanek scored the lone goal in regulation as Buffalo opened the season with a win for the third time in four years, and snapped a three-game losing streak against their Northeast rivals.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Friday, it was: N.Y. Rangers 4, Chicago 2; New Jersey 2, N.Y. Islanders 1; Carolina 6, Florida 4; Atlanta 7, Washington 4; St. Louis 5, Nashville 2; and Columbus 5, Dallas 4 (OT).

At Buffalo, N.Y., the Canadiens managed a point, but lacked finish for a team that won the Eastern Conference regular-season title last year. And so much for opening their centennial season with a victory.

"Anniversary or not, every season you try to get off to a good start," Lang said. "Good starts come in handy around Christmas and at the end of the year. You never know when you'll need them."

At least they earned a point, which is something that didn't happen much in the Canadiens' inaugural campaign in 1909-10, when they lost their first four games and finished 2-10.

Coach Guy Carbonneau wasn't too upset.

"We lost in a shootout. I can't say I'm unhappy about the game," he said.

Carbonneau also wasn't upset after the Canadiens had a goal waved off with 4:40 remaining, when Andrei Markov banked his point shot off the right post following a faceoff deep in the Sabres end. Referee Ian Walsh disallowed the goal by calling an interference penalty on Canadiens forward Guillaume Latendresse, who upended a Buffalo player attempting to race out to the point.

"It was a penalty," he said. "There's nothing to say about it."

After Lang and Vanek traded goals five minutes apart early in the first period, the game developed into a defensive battle between two highly offensive teams. Montreal scored an NHL-best 262 goals while the Sabres finished fourth with 255.

The Sabres played a patient and opportunistic style, and also got a goal-saving play from defenceman Toni Lydman midway through the second period. Miller got his blocker up to stop Roman Hamrlik's shot from the left circle, but the puck took a strange bounce off the ice and began rolling toward the net. Lydman smartly got his stick out to poke the puck away before it crossed the goal line.

"This shows we can play one of the better teams in the East," Vanek said. "So far so good."

All the news wasn't good. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff revealed that centre Tim Connolly is out indefinitely after test showed he has a hairline fracture of a vertebra.

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Rangers 4, Blackhawks 2

At New York, Brandon Dubinsky had a goal and two assists, Henrik Lundqvist made 30 saves and the Rangers celebrated their return to North American with a win over Chicago.

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Devils 2, Islanders 1

At Newark, N.J., Patrik Elias had the game winner in the first minute of the second period and Martin Brodeur stopped 25 shots as the Devils shaded the New York Islanders.

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Hurricanes 6, Panthers 4

At Raleigh, N.C., Dan LaCouture's goal 3:32 into the third period stood as the game winner as the Hurricanes beat Florida in the regular-season opener for both teams.

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Thrashers 7, Capitals 4

At Atlanta, Bryan Little had two goals, including the go-ahead score in the third period, as the Thrashers outslugged Washington.

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Blues 5, Predators 2

At St. Louis, Keith Tkachuk scored two of the Blues' four power-play goals in a season-opening victory over Nashville.

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Blue Jackets 5, Stars 4 (OT)

At Dallas, Rick Nash scored the winner at 4:39 of overtime as Columbus spoiled the Stars' home opener.