BUFFALO — It wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty, but Tyler Myers’ first National Hockey League goal looked good on the scoreboard.

Myers got the scoring started in Buffalo’s 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders at HSBC Arena, flipping a light backhand that eluded former Sabres goalie Dwayne Roloson. Paul Gaustad and Drew Stafford got assists on the marker.

Myers’ play has been perhaps the biggest bright spot in a young season that’s brought plenty of smiles to fans who worried that a lack of off-season moves might leave the Sabres behind an improved Northeast Division.

Instead, division favorites Boston, Montreal and Toronto are slumping and the Sabres finished the night alone in first place with nine points in five starts.

Myers later added an assist and finished a plus-2 on the night. In five starts, Myers is plus-6, good enough for second on the team behind Henrik Tallinder’s plus-7. For his efforts, Myers was named the third star.

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When noted tough guy Tim Jackman tried to run interference on Ryan Miller in the first period, Paul Gaustad took exception in a big way.

Gaustad tried to pull Jackman up off the ice, but Richard Park was in-between the two. Gaustad fought through and was a decided victor in a 30-second scuffle.

Jackman given an extra minor for interference while both players got five minutes for fighting.

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The Islanders fell behind 3-0, but broke their goose egg in the second period when Matt Moulson scored on a nice tip-in.

For Moulson, that meant three goals in five games, or half as many as the six he’d posted in parts of two previous seasons.

Moulson’s sister, Shannon, was a captain on the Niagara University women’s team and finished her career at Monteagle Ridge with 17 goals in 143 games.

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Jason Pominville scored his first goal of the season late in the third, icing the victory for Buffalo.

For Pominville, it was his 100th career goal, making him the 29th player in Sabres history to flip the century mark with the franchise.

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Martin Biron came on in relief of Roloson about halfway through the second period, marking an odd occurrence in that a former Sabres goalie came on to relieve another former Sabres goalie.

Meanwhile, play stopped after an Islander player fell on current Sabres goalie Ryan Miller in the third, but Miller remained in the contest.

Contact sports editor Tim Schmitt at 282-2311, ext. 2266.