NEWARK, NJ (AP) -- Kevin Weekes showed the New Jersey Devils they have nothing to worry about if goaltender Martin Brodeur is going to be sidelined any length of time because of an elbow injury.

Weekes nearly stole one for the Devils on Monday, stopping 19 shots in the first period and 28 overall in a 2-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

The only thing that prevented Weekes from a storybook game was Ryan Miller, who was just a little bit better in stopping 24 shots to record his second straight shutout for the Sabres.

"I thought he (Weekes) made the difference early or we would have run away with the game," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "Kevin played a great game in the first period. He probably made, I'd say, seven quality saves and kept them in the game."

The Devils needed Weekes to step up with Brodeur's status a little murky. The four-time Vezina Trophy winner was hurt on Saturday against Atlanta and coach Brent Sutter does not know when he will play again.

Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said before the game the team was awaiting test results.

"He gave us the opportunity to have a chance to win or at least got us the chance," Sutter said after Weekes snapped Brodeur's streak of starting 56 consecutive games for New Jersey. "That's what you need from your goaltender."

In the only other games on Monday, the New York Islanders beat Columbus 4-3 in overtime and Chicago routed Colorado 6-2.

Weekes was great in the first period when the Sabres had 20 shots. The only one that got past him was the last one, a power-play shot by Jason Pominville with 34 seconds left in the period, just seconds after a 5-on-3 opportunity ended.

"Outstanding, it's a shame," Devils center John Madden said of Weekes' performance. "The guy sits 99 percent of last year, has an offseason rehab, sits the first 10 games, and the performance he gives us is incredible."

Miller, who came into the game with an NHL best 1.82 goals against average, was better.

"Most of the time he is the best player on the ice, pretty much every game," said Patrick Kalita, who scored the insurance goal in the third period. "He comes to play every night and gives us a chance to win."

The Sabres also won for the eighth time in 12 games (8-2-2) with two assists from Jaroslav Spacek and a perfect 7-for-7 from their penalty killers.

The loss was the fourth in five games for the injury-riddled Devils, who had Brian Rolston, Bobby Holik, Brodeur and defenseman Paul Martin out with injuries.

With Brodeur - who did not dress for only the 21st time in his 15-year career -out of the lineup, the Devils basically didn't show up for the first period. They were called for five penalties and were outshot 20-3.

"We didn't play at all in the first," Madden said. "We stood around and watched and then the penalties. We didn't get anything going."

Only Weekes kept them in the game.

Spacek set up Pominville's goal with a pass from the right side to the left circle. Pominville found the top of the net as Weekes came across low to stop a shot along the ice.

"We moved the puck really well and Spacek made a great play," Pominville said. "He faked the shot and slid the puck over to me. I just had to one-time it in."

Earlier in the period, Weekes had stopped Pominville twice in close, Thomas Vanek in close on a power-play shot and Tim Connolly after a great rush up ice.

"I thought we did a great job in that period to be only down one," Weekes said. "We put ourselves in a position to win and that's what it is all about, giving yourself a chance to win."

Miller, who stopped 29 shots in shutting out Washington on Saturday, was at his best in the second period when the Devils had three power plays. He stopped three good point shots by rookie Anssi Salmela, two by fellow defenseman Johnny Oduya and a chance straight on by Zach Parise, who also had a good opportunity on a wraparound in the third period. Islanders 4, Blue Jackets 3, OT

At Uniondale, N.Y., Chris Campoli had his first two goals in nearly a year, the second coming 3:13 into overtime, and the Islanders overcame another blown three-goal lead in the third period to beat the Blue Jackets.

In a bizarre final sequence, the defenseman got to a loose puck after teammate Mike Comrie lost it in the Columbus zone and fired a shot past Fredrik Norrena. Play continued as Campoli waved his arms to signal that he scored, but to no avail. He then took a pass in the slot and drilled another shot into the center of the net, setting off a wild celebration as New York snapped a 0-5-1 skid.

Campoli's short-handed goal capped a second period in which the Islanders took a 3-0 lead, connecting three times within 11:07. Richard Park and Bill Guerin had the other goals for New York, which entered with the fewest points in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets came away with a point after a furious third period in which they erased the deficit. R.J. Umberger scored Columbus' final two goals after defenseman Marc Methot started the comeback. Blackhawks 6, Avalanche 2

At Chicago, Patrick Sharp and Andrew Ladd each had two goals and an assist, leading the Blackhawks over the Avalanche for their third straight victory.

Troy Brouwer and Cam Barker also scored for the Blackhawks, unbeaten in regulation at home (5-0-2). Chicago goalie Nikolai Khabibulin made 24 saves.

Ben Guite and Milan Hejduk scored for the Avalanche, who lost their fourth straight. Peter Budaj stopped 31 shots.

(Copyright ©2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)