BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - The Buffalo Sabres placed rookie goaltender Ryan Miller on injured reserve Thursday with a broken right thumb.
He's expected to be out six to eight weeks and will have screws put into his thumb Friday. He suffered the injury during practice on Wednesday.
''It's disappointing, but it's something where I can heal up and come back,'' Miller said.
Martin Biron and Mika Noronen will play in goal during Miller's absence. Biron will start Friday when Buffalo hosts Montreal.
The Sabres also placed defenceman Toni Lydman on injured reserve. He hurt his groin against New Jersey Oct. 28.
Miller was hurt stopping a shot during the team's morning skate before Wednesday's 10-4 loss to Ottawa. He was attempting to redirect the puck, but it rode up his stick and struck him flush on the thumb.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said the injury was an indirect result of new rules instituted before this season. The league limited the dimensions of certain goaltending equipment, including the blocker that protects the stick hand.
''He said it actually caught him where they reduced the size of the blocker, where they took some of the padding away,'' Ruff said after practice Thursday. ''It's just unfortunate.''
Miller started all but one of Buffalo's games before Wednesday's defeat, going 6-4 with a 2.77 goals-against average. His six wins in October were one shy of Ed Belfour's NHL record for most by a rookie during the month. Belfour went 7-3-0 with Chicago in 1990.
To replace Miller and Lydman, the Sabres recalled forwards Derek Roy and Jason Pominville from their AHL affiliate in Rochester.