There was a definite correlation between the referees’ arms and the Edmonton Oilers’ energy level. Every time the striped appendage went up, so the did the Oilers’ vigor. For a team that should have been gassed, a power boost was the best thing that could happen.

Running into Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres’ penalty killers was the worst.

The Sabres, who were short-handed for nearly one-quarter of the game Wednesday night, excelled when down a man. They killed all but one of their seven penalties and rode Miller to a 3-1 victory in HSBC Arena.

The Sabres definitely should have had the energy edge in the contest. They had been off since Saturday, while the Oilers were closing a stretch of three games in four nights, including a visit to Ottawa on Tuesday.

Buffalo had more jump while building a 2-0 lead, but the steady parade to the box evened the action.

“We don’t want to give a team that’s playing back-to-back a chance to be in the game, especially just by giving them power-play opportunities,” said

Miller, who made 28 saves. “Moving forward, you just learn a lesson that we played a pretty good game and got a win.”

The penalty killers’ best work came in the final minutes. Clarke MacArthur earned a five-minute boarding major with 6:15 to go by pushing Liam Reddox. It gave Edmonton, which entered the game tied for the sixth-best power play, a prime chance to erase a 2-1 deficit.

The Oilers got only two shots, had two blocked and missed two others, allowing Jochen Hecht to seal the game into an empty net with 18.3 seconds to play.

Edmonton finished 1 for 7, taking 13 shots in their 14:47 of power-play time. Patrick O’Sullivan scored on a five-on-three late in the second period.

“Our power play went south on us just when we needed to have it,” Oilers coach Pat Quinn said. “We weren’t even dangerous on it. It’s one of those nights you’re hoping those opportunities provide you with a win, but it didn’t happen.”

Quinn and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff agreed on special teams deciding the game, but they differed in opinion on the penalty that left Reddox with a smacked head, swollen wrist and concern for his well-being.

“It’s really just a hockey play,” Ruff said. “Clarke’s leaning on him, trying to get position, and his legs got tangled up. It’s a tough call. I understand why they called it because of how [Reddox] went [into the boards], but there’s no intent.”

Said Quinn: “He knew exactly what he was doing. He puts his elbow right on his head as he’s falling. But the league? Who knows?”

Reddox didn’t have the only injury. Sabres right wing Mike Grier left with 12 minutes to go after straining his groin.

“We’re hoping that it’s not that serious,” Ruff said. “I talked to him, and he felt that he didn’t think it was, but you never know with groins. We didn’t think our other guys were going to be that long, either. We’ll see how it is [today]. That will be really the key day for us.”

The Sabres, who host the Calgary Flames on Friday, ended a two-game losing streak. Drew Stafford opened the scoring during a first period in which Buffalo had a 14-8 shot edge. Steve Montador scored his first goal as a Sabre midway through the second, giving Buffalo a two-goal edge before whistles filled the ears of the 17,797 in attendance.

“It wasn’t the prettiest,” Montador said. “We obviously took too many penalties. It’s too much of a strain to put on the guys that do play penalty kill to kill off that many, as well as keeping so many guys inactive sitting on the bench. But Millsie played great; you could say that basically every day. The killers were great. We got the goals when needed.”