Caps Down Sabres, 3-1, In Ryan Miller's NHL Return

More about this game at our team blogs, Japers' Rink and Die By The Blade.

Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) - Mike Green's third period goal proved to be the game-winner, as the Washington Capitals downed the Buffalo Sabres, 3-1, at HSBC Arena.

Jason Chimera and Boyd Gordon each scored a goal while Jose Theodore made 23 stops for the Capitals, who had dropped three straight prior to the Olympic break.

The Capitals were busy during Wednesday's trade deadline as the team made a total of four trades in anticipation of a deep playoff run.

Among its acquisitions were center Eric Belanger from the Wild and forward Scott Walker from the Hurricanes. Both cost the Capitals draft picks, a second-rounder for Belanger and a 2010 seventh-round pick in exchange for Walker. Additional new members of the Caps are defensemen Joe Corvo and Milan Jurcina. Carolina got defenseman Brian Pothier, forward Oskar Osala and a 2011 second-round pick from Washington for Corvo and the Blue Jackets received a conditional draft pick for Jurcina.

Jochen Hecht scored the lone goal for the Sabres, who are in the midst of a slump with eight losses in their last nine games.

Ryan Miller, who grabbed MVP honors at the Vancouver Olympics for guiding Team USA to a silver medal, received a standing ovation from the crowd before the game and finished with 37 saves.

Buffalo made just one deal at the trade deadline as the team acquired a third and fourth-round pick in the 2010 draft from the Thrashers in exchange for forward Clarke MacArthur.

With the score tied in the third period, Washington took the lead with 9:32 to play in the game.

Tomas Fleischmann skated the puck from the slot over to the right circle and passed back to Green in the slot for a one-timer that lit the lamp for his 15th goal of the season.

Gordon then sealed the win in the final minute with an empty-net goal.

After a scoreless first period that saw each goaltender make 11 saves, the Capitals took a 1-0 lead at the 15:23 mark of the second period. Jeff Schultz threw a shot on net from the right point that Chimera eventually tipped past Miller.

Buffalo, though, scored exactly one minute later as Hecht grabbed a loose puck at the right circle and snapped a quick wrister into the net.

Washington hosts Tampa Bay on Thursday....Buffalo returns home to face Philadelphia on Friday...Washington took three of four against Buffalo this season.