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Buffalo Sabres players and fans celebrate after a goal by Patrick Kaleta in the third period a first-round NHL playoff game against the Philadelphia Flyers Thursdayin Philadelphia.

AP

PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Miller stopped 35 shots for his second career postseason shutout and Patrick Kaleta scored to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoff series Thursday night.

Miller stopped every shot under all types of pressure and carried the Sabres to the clutch opening win. The teams have met eight times in the postseason and the Game 1 winner won the series each time.

Kaleta snapped the scoreless tie early in the third period when he powered a rebound past rookie Sergei Bobrovsky.

No team was more resilient in last year’s playoffs than the Flyers. They trailed Boston 3-0 in the East semifinals before taking the series and playing until a Game 6 loss to Chicago in the Stanley Cup finals.

Game 2 is Saturday in Philadelphia.

The Sabres — 10 points out of a playoff spot on Jan. 17 — cracked the scoreless tie 5:56 into the third period on Kaleta’s second career postseason goal.

Buffalo won a fight for the puck along the boards and dumped it across the ice to Marc-Andre Gragnani. He fired a slapper from the top of the circle and Kaleta knocked in the rebound from the low slot for the 1-0 lead.

Kaleta was healthy enough to play at a perfect time after missing most of the last month of the season with a bruised knee.

Miller was flawless from there and the Sabres — the hottest team in the Eastern Conference since Jan. 1 — are in control.

Once a rowdy and devastating home-ice advantage, Philadelphia continues to struggle at the Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers dropped six straight games at home before snapping that streak in the season finale. They now have a Game 1 loss after dropping Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals here last season.

Canadiens 2, Bruins 0

BOSTON — Carey Price returned as Montreal’s starting playoff goalie with his third postseason shutout, Brian Gionta scored twice and the Canadiens opened the series with a win over the Boston Bruins.

Price started one of the Canadiens 19 playoff games last year when they reached the Eastern Conference finals. Jaroslav Halak started the others but was traded to the St. Louis Blues in June.

This season Price started 70 games and on Thursday he turned aside 31 shots.