(My Sportsbook) - With No. 1 goaltender Ryan Miller out indefinitely with an ankle sprain, the Buffalo Sabres will try to continue their quest for a playoff spot when they host the Anaheim Ducks for tonight's interconference battle at HSBC Arena.

Miller went down to the injury early in the third period of Saturday's win over the visiting New York Rangers. The veteran goaltender is considered to be day-to-day at this stage, but the severity of the sprain is still unclear.

A workhorse, Miller has posted a 29-16-5 record while playing in 51 games (50 starts) for Buffalo this season. With Miller out, the Sabres will now turn to seldom-used backup Patrick Lalime to take on the starting role. Lalime is 2-7-1 in 13 games (10 starts) this season.

Buffalo, which is also without leading goal-scorer Thomas Vanek, comes into tonight's game tied with Florida for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. Vanek, who has 32 goals in 54 games this year, is sidelined with a fractured jaw and is not expected back until early March.

Derek Roy registered a goal and two assists to lift the Sabres to the 4-2 win over the struggling Rangers.

Daniel Paille, Andrej Sekera and Jochen Hecht also tallied for the Sabres, who have won three of their last five games. Miller turned away all 20 shots he faced before exiting two minutes into the final period. Lalime surrendered two goals on 13 shots the rest of the way.

The Sabres are 17-11-2 as the host this year and have won seven of their last nine home tilts. After tonight, Buffalo will close out February on a two-game road trip.

Anaheim, meanwhile, is also fighting for a playoff spot out West, but is currently outside of the postseason picture. The Ducks have 63 points and are tied with Edmonton for the ninth seed -- one point behind Minnesota for the conference's eighth and final playoff spot.

The Ducks ended a three-game slide their last time out, as they notched a 5-2 decision Saturday in Columbus. Corey Perry finished with a goal and two assists, as Anaheim got back in the win column with the triumph at Nationwide Arena.

Brendan Morrison, Chris Kunitz, Chris Pronger and Bobby Ryan also scored for the Ducks. Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 26 saves in the win, his 15th of the season.

Tonight marks the third stop on a season-high six-game road trip for the Ducks. Anaheim is 14-14-2 as the guest this year and has lost three of its last five away from Orange County.

Anaheim has won two in a row over the Sabres after going winless in the previous 10 meetings between the clubs. The Ducks earned a 3-2 regulation win over Buffalo in southern California on February 2 and tonight's test marks the final encounter between the clubs this year. Anaheim is 0-3 with two ties in its last five trips to Buffalo and hasn't won in western New York since January 1, 1999.