Jim Mcisaac / Getty Images

Maxim Afinogenov of the Sabres scores a goal past Rick DiPietro of the Islanders in the second period Thursday. Afinogenov also had an assist in the Sabres' 3-0 victory.

updated 11:51 p.m. ET Oct. 26, 2006

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - In the opening seconds of a historic victory, Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller had a serious “uh-oh” moment.

A quirky bounce off the glass gave New York Islanders forward Shawn Bates a chance in front. Miller turned aside the slap shot — and the other 28 pucks that later sailed his way — in backstopping Buffalo’s 10th straight victory Thursday night, tying the Sabres for an NHL record to open the season.

“That’s a little, ’Hello, how ya doing?,”’ Miller said. “That was a bit of a wake-up call.”

Well, if the rest of the NHL hasn’t taken notice of the surging Sabres, they’d better do so quickly.

Maxim Afinogenov set up Ales Kotalik’s first-period goal and scored one in the second for Buffalo. Miller did the rest for the Sabres, who tied the 1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs — the only other NHL team to jump out 10-0.

“We don’t want to put too much emphasis on it,” Miller said. “No one is getting too ahead of themselves and too cocky.”

The Sabres weathered a rough start that featured turnovers and sloppy play on both sides — mostly because of Miller, who was sharp when the rest of his teammates weren’t. He stopped nine shots in both the first and third periods and 11 more in the second.

Now Buffalo goes for the best start in NHL history when it hosts Atlanta on Saturday.

“We all know it’s there,” co-captain Chris Drury said. “It’s not something we’re talking about much as a group or at all. It would be nice. It’s not going to be easy. Atlanta is a great team.”

The longest winning streak in a single season is 17, set by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1992-93 season. The Sabres, who fell one win shy of the Stanley Cup finals last season, have a team-record 15 consecutive regular-season victories.

By the time Jason Pominville stretched the lead to 3-0 early in the third period, the sparse crowd of 8,861 at Nassau Coliseum had already grown frustrated with the home team. Boos and groans were heard, as were the many saves that thumped off Miller’s pads and blocker.

The Sabres have quickly become the flashiest offensive team in the NHL, posting 49 goals in their first 10 games. But they used a methodical attack against the Islanders, scoring once in each period to back Miller’s strong goaltending. The 26-year-old American improved to 8-0 and posted his third career shutout.

“We gave them some good opportunities early on turnovers, and Ryan Miller made some big saves that really got our game in gear,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. “We could’ve been down early.”

Ted Nolan, the man Ruff replaced as coach of Buffalo in 1997, was impressed with his former team in his first matchup against the Sabres. Nolan had to wait until this summer to get another NHL job after he and the Sabres parted ways nearly a decade ago.

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