BUFFALO—No Ryan Miller, no problem for the Buffalo Sabres.Backup Patrick Lalime made 39 saves in just his third start of the season in favor of the workhorse Miller, and Thomas Vanek and Clarke MacArthur scored in the Sabres’ 2-1 victory over the his former team, the Blackhawks on Friday.Lalime stopped 17 shots in the first period, and extended Buffalo’s shutout sequence to 139 minutes, 51 seconds before Patrick Sharp tapped in Patrick Kane’s pass at the top of the crease 30 seconds into the third period to make it 2-1.After playing two games for Portland of the AHL last weekend during a conditioning assignment, Lalime earned his first win of the season — and first since March 2009 — by standing strong in the third period when the Blackhawks fired nine straight shots at him to start the frame, and 16 overall.Vanek scored a power-play goal for Buffalo (18-9-2), which won its second straight to finish 3-2 on a five-game homestand. Cristobal Huet made 31 saves for the Blackhawks (19-8-3), who continue to struggle offensively. the Hawks have scored just 11 times in its last seven games despite going 3-3-1 during that span.After a scoreless first period, Vanek opened the scoring with his ninth of the season. After Huet blocked Tim Connolly’s shot, Vanek was able to kick a loose puck to his stick in front of the net before spinning around and whipping it in to make it 1-0.MacArthur pushed Buffalo’s lead to 2-0 with his ninth with 1:21 to go in the second. From the low slot near the bottom of the right circle, MacArthur swatted in Tim Kennedy’s cross-ice pass.

NOTES—Huet played in his 17th game against the Sabres, the most against any opponent in his career. … Buffalo RW Mike Grier missed his third game after his mother passed away. D Chris Butler missed his fourth game because of an ankle injury. … Lalime played two seasons with the Hawks, starting in 2006. …The Blackhawks have’nt won in Buffalo since December 2001. … The Blackhawks dropped to 5-1-1 against Eastern Conference teams. … Sharp scored his 100th goal as a Hawk.