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WINNIPEG -- Al Montoya spent 2013 as Winnipegs backup goaltender, but hes making a strong push for the starting job in the second half of the season. Montoya made 27 saves for the shutout as the Jets defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-0 on Tuesday. Keaton Ellerby, Jacob Trouba and Anthony Peluso were the goal scorers as Montoya picked up his second shutout of the season and the Jets won their third straight game, matching their season-high. "For me its just about doing the right things in practice and working hard," said Montoya, who didnt offer an opinion on whether he deserved No. 1 status. The netminder won his sixth consecutive decision, and upped his record to 8-2-1. It was Montoyas second straight start for the Jets after coming on in relief of regular starter Ondrej Pavelec in the first period of a game last week against Minnesota. "Im fully aware of what Al Montoyas doing and how hes playing," said Jets coach Claude Noel. "He played very well again tonight. Youve got to give him full credit. You cant lose sight of the fact that Pavelecs our starting goalie." Sabres backup Jhonas Enroth got his 12th start of the season, and handed the Jets (19-18-5) the lead when a weak point shot from Ellerby snuck past his blocker in the first period. "I saw it all the way," Enroth said. "He literally threw a curveball at me. It was a knuckle puck that dipped right in front of me, and I just got a piece of it." The Sabres (11-25-4) thought they had tied the game when Marcus Foligno banged the puck past Montoya, but the referees ruled the net was dislodged before the puck went in. Video review was inconclusive, so the call on the ice stood. "If that goes our way its a different kind of game," said Sabres forward Drew Stafford, who knocked the net off. Trouba, the rookie defenceman, one-timed a Chris Thorburn pass to beat Enroth at 13:06 of the second period for his third goal of the season. Peluso added an empty-net goal with 1:28 remaining. The Jets have said theyll need to string together more than just a three-game streak to make a push for a Western Conference playoff spot. "I think every team struggles with consistency," Trouba said. "Its part of the game, and its what youre striving for." Enroth, who finished with 23 saves on 25 shots, hasnt had much help from his teammates this season. The Sabres have scored just 16 goals in his 12 starts. Buffalo failed to score on four power plays, while the Jets were blanked all three times they had the man advantage. While Montoyas US$601,000 salary is $3.3 million less than Pavelecs, his play could soon force Noel to re-evaluate the way he splits his goalies workloads. Pavelec is 11-16-4, with a .902 save percentage, while Montoya increased his save percentage to .934. After the game Noel said goalies, like special teams units, get hot and cold, and that the Jets would let things play out. The Sabres, owners of the NHLs worst record, had earned points in seven of their previous nine games, including a win against the Jets. That wasnt Winnipegs only loss against teams near the bottom of the standings. The Jets had been facing criticism for losses to Edmonton, Calgary and Florida, and vowed before the game that they wouldnt be taking their opponent lightly. "Youve got to come ready to play every game," Trouba said. "Theres no bad teams in this league. Everybodys got good players." Notes: Buffalo forward Ville Leino, who was shaken up against Washington on Sunday, was in the Sabres lineup but left after just three first-period shifts with a lower-body injury. a Jets forward Thorburn played in his 500th career game. a Winnipeg forward Blake Wheelers 10 goals in December were second only to Chicagos Patrick Sharp, who had 12. Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys . "Well over 50 (per cent)," coach Claude Noel said Tuesday after practice, where the Jets were looking at ways to cut down the scoring chances theyve been giving away. MLB Jerseys China . After the loss, White refused to make good on the bet, instead offering Hoyt tickets to a Bears game. http://www.cheapmlbjerseysusa.com/ .C. -- The Steve Smith era in Carolina is over. Cheap MLB Jerseys Free Shipping . Today, well look at five frontcourt players today, here from the Bay Area. 1. AMIR JOHNSON (Raptors): I cant figure out what the issue or problem is, but based upon what Im seeing, hes not right. Discount Baseball Jerseys . The 25-year-old Lu, a regular on the Japan LPGA Tour after giving up her LPGA Tour membership in 2010, shot an 8-under 64 in windy, wet conditions at Kintetsu Kashikojima.HAMPTON, Ga. -- Kyle Busch can rest easy going to Richmond. His spot in the Chase for Sprint Cup championship is secure. Now, hes eager to win a title. One year after missing out on the playoff -- a bitter blow for a driver of his talent -- Busch locked up his berth with a victory Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. More important, the 28-year-old has some much-needed momentum after his fourth Cup win of the season. "A heck of a lot different than 365 days ago, Ill tell you that much," he said. This was the volatile Busch at his best. Early on, he spit out some salty complaints over his radio, the No. 18 Toyota not performing like he wanted. At one point, he called his car "a joke." But the crew kept making adjustments until the driver liked the way it handled. "I appreciate them hanging in there with me, although I was pretty graphic sometimes," Busch said. "Im passionate about winning, man." Then, after a rapid-fire series of caution flags near the end, Busch emerged from the pits with the lead. He held off hard-charging Joey Logano by a comfortable 0.740 seconds. Busch has 16 victories this year over NASCARs top three series, also winning nine times in Nationwide and three times in trucks. But hes still chasing the prize he really wants -- that first Cup title. "The championship is number one on anybodys list," he said. "Ive yet to collect the big prize. One of these days it will happen. Maybe itll be 2013." Martin Truex Jr., racing with a broken right wrist, finished third on the 1.54-mile trioval, followed by Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman. The rest of the top 10 was Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and Brian Vickers. Kyle Busch was among four more drivers locking up their spot in the Chase heading to Richmond next weekend, where the 12-car field will be set for the playoff. He was joined by Harvick, Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne, the latter assured of at least a wild card. Points leader Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth had already claimed playoff berths before Atlanta. That means the final five will be determined at Richmond. Logano is one of the top contenders for those remaining spots, going into Richmond eighth in the points and also holding a victory as a wild-card backstop. He had the fastest car on the track at the end of the race, but ran out of time to run down Busch. "Its just frustrating," Logano said. "BBut in the grand scheme of things, its a big points day for us to get into the Chase going to Richmond.dddddddddddd This helps us a lot. A win wouldve helped a lot more." The rest of the top 10 includes Earnhardt (seventh), Greg Biffle (ninth) and Kurt Busch (10th). Gordon is 11th, but hes yet to win a race. For now, the wild cards belong to 12th-place Kahne (two wins) and No. 13 Truex (one win). "The last couple of weeks, weve been battling and passing and having a great time out there," said Gordon, a four-time Cup champion. "We didnt do that earlier in the year, which is why were in the position were in." Bowyer was dominant through the middle of the race, leading 48 laps, but he radioed his crew that that something seemed amiss in his No. 15 car. On Lap 193, those fears became reality when smoke started pouring from the back of his Toyota going into Turn 1. He managed to creep back around to pit road, but he headed straight for the garage, any hope of winning the race snuffed out. "I dont think they wanted to believe me," Bowyer said about his crew. "But I was pretty sure what I was hearing." At least Bowyer wont have to worry about the poor finish -- he wound up 39th -- costing him a spot in the Chase. That wasnt the case for defending Cup champion Brad Keselowski. Winless for the year and on the Chase bubble, he took over the lead and looked as if he had a shot at a much-needed victory. But a couple of cylinders failed and he began dropping back, finally sputtering to a stop 18 laps from the finish. He finished 35th and will go to Richmond knowing he likely needs a victory to even have a shot at taking a second straight title. He slipped to 15th in the standings, 28 points behind Kurt Busch. "Theres just some things you cant control," Keselowski said. "I guess well look at the positive. We were leading the race when it broke. We were doing all the right things. We just didnt put all the pieces together." Busch knows how that feels. He was in that same position a year ago. "This is a humbling sport," Busch said. "Look at what last years champion, what hes going through. Youve got to take the highs with the lows. Certainly Im not very good at taking the lows. Ill be the first to admit it. But when you get the highs, youve got to treasure em, because you dont know how many more youll get. "This," he added, "was a fun night." ' ' '