Miller, Gionta, Williams comprise Thursday's Three Stars

1. Ryan Miller, Sabres -- This was Vancouver 2010 all over again, only this time no Sidney Crosby to ruin the ending for the Sabres and former USA star goalie Miller. Granted, it was only one game of a best-of-seven series and not an Olympic gold medal contest, but Miller looked like his old self with a dominant 35-save performance over the host Flyers. The Flyers had 9:22 of power-play time, to just two minutes for the Sabres, but Miller made it seem like Philly never had a true manpower advantage with his agile play.

2. Brian Gionta, Canadiens -- Carey Price got all the headlines for his 31-save shutout over the favored Bruins (The over-under on "Price is Right for Habs" headlines around North America is approximately 155). But the truth is, while Price had to be right, he didn't have to be spectacular. The Bruins failed in the desperation department around the net, settling for too many long-range, stoppable shots. Gionta was the best player in this game, potting the only two goals in the Habs' impressive win. He put four of Montreal's 20 shots on Tim Thomas, and came away 50-percent marksmanship.

3. Justin Williams, Kings -- The guy reportedly played with his shoulder in a sling, having suffered a dislocation only three weeks ago. But Williams was superb, getting a goal and assist in regulation for the Kings, with six shots on net. He had one shift where he played keepaway with the puck for about 10 seconds by the Sharks' blue line, but also added vast amounts of grit and toughness to the Kings' lineup.