(My Sportsbook) - Coming off their first shutout loss of the season, the Sabres will next take on the team that they had their best offensive performance of the season against. Buffalo welcomes the New York Islanders to town tonight for a meeting at HSBC Arena.

The Sabres are in the midst of a season-long four-game losing streak, a skid that was extended with Friday's 3-0 loss to Philadelphia in the opener of a four-game homestand.

Buffalo unloaded 40 shots on net, but former Sabre Martin Biron stopped each one. Biron played his first eight-plus seasons in Buffalo before being traded to Philadelphia near the trade deadline in 2007. The Sabres were shutout at home by Philadelphia for the first time since December 27, 1993.

Buffalo thought it had lit the lamp with 14:20 left to play on a redirection by Drew Stafford that was originally ruled a goal. However, replay showed the puck never crossed the goal line and it was waived off.

Jason Pominville, who had scored in four straight contests, had his five-game point streak (4 goals, 3 assists) end in the loss.

Ryan Miller stopped 22-of-24 shots for the Sabres, who fell to 5-4-1 at home and are being outscored 21-7 over their slide. Miller has lost his last three starts, posting a 4.84 goals against average in that span. He is 7-6-0 with a 3.02 GAA in his career against the Islanders.

However, the Sabres could choose to give Miller a breather tonight, opting to start Patrick Lalime instead. Lalime is 10-6-0 with three ties and a 2.64 GAA versus the Islanders.

In fact, it was Lalime who was in net when Buffalo netted a season-high seven goals in a win over New York on October 13, its third straight win over the club and 10th in the last 13 meetings.

Lalime made 23 saves in that 7-1 victory, while Thomas Vanek scored twice. Vanek currently leads the NHL in goals with 15, and he has five goals and four assists in 13 career tests versus the Islanders.

New York had a season-best three-game win streak come to an end last night, as it was downed in New Jersey, 5-2. Andy Hilbert and Sean Bergenheim each scored once and Joey MacDonald gave up all five goals on 33 shots.

MacDonald, who allowed all seven goals against Buffalo in October in what was his first-ever start against the club, had posted a 1.30 GAA over New York's three-game win streak.

Frans Nielsen is out for tonight's game after suffering a leg injury on an open-ice hit by the Devils' Mike Mottau in the third period. Nielsen has two goals and seven assists this year.

New York plays the middle portion of a three-game road trip tonight and is 3-4-1 as the visiting team this year. The Isles have lost five of their last six trips to Buffalo.