(Sports Network) - The Buffalo Sabres, in the playoffs for the first time since 2001, try to advance to the second round tonight when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of their conference quarterfinal set at the Wachovia Center.

So far, home-ice has been everything in this series, with each team winning the games in their own building. On Sunday that continued, as the Sabres took a three games to two lead with a 3-0 victory at HSBC Arena.

Rookie goaltender Ryan Miller, who struggled a bit during the two games in Philly, finished with 24 saves for his first career playoff shutout. J.P. Dumont and Tim Connolly each had a goal and an assist while Daniel Briere added a pair of helpers for Buffalo.

Should the Sabres pick up the win tonight, it would mark their first playoff series win since 2001, when Dominik Hasek and Co. defeated the Flyers in six games during the opening round. Buffalo, which pounded Philly 8-0 in the clincher at home, fell to Pittsburgh in seven during the conference semifinals that year.

Robert Esche finished with 30 saves for the Flyers, who were outshot 33-24 in the match. The Flyers once again came out slow in the first period and were never able to recover.

Philadelphia did pepper Miller with 14 shots in the second period, but was outshot 13-7 in what should have been a desperate final frame.

The Sabres finished 2-for-6 on the power play, including a huge tally in the final minute of the second by Dumont. After a questionable goaltender interference call on the Flyers' Brian Savage, Dumont took a feed from Briere and slammed the puck into a semi-open cage.

The Sabres clamped down on Flyers center Peter Forsberg, who carried Philly to its wins in Games 3 and 4. Forsberg managed only one shot on Sunday.

If Buffalo topples Philadelphia tonight, it would mark the third time in eight seasons that the Sabres will have eliminated the Flyers in the first round. In addition to 2001, it also occurred in 1998.

The Flyers have won only 1-of-12 best-of-seven series all-time that they have trailed three games to two. The exception was in the second round versus Pittsburgh in 1989, when they eventually won a Game 7 at the Igloo.

Buffalo is 3-1 all-time in Game 6 when ahead three games to two in a series. The team's only loss was in 2001 against Pittsburgh, as the Penguins won Games 6 and 7 to take the set.

Game 7, if necessary, would be played Thursday at HSBC Arena in Buffalo.