BUFFALO – They lost to the Eastern Conference’s worst team. Against a backup goalie who hadn’t played a full game in seven weeks. On their home ice.

Gulp.

The Sabres have spun some of their recent defeats, claiming they controlled most of the game. Just a few lapses cost them, they said.

But Friday’s 4-3 loss to the stumblebum Carolina Hurricanes can’t be sugar-coated. The Sabres blew it.

After rallying twice and taking a 3-2 lead early in the third-period, the Sabres collapsed, allowing two scores in the final 11:37.

To pour a little more salt in the wound, the Hurricanes secured only their 20th win thanks to a major gaffe from Sabres goalie Ryan Miller.

With just 3:17 left, an unscreened Miller couldn’t snag Jussi Jokinen’s pedestrian slap shot from above the left circle. Miller said the shot tipped his fingers inside his glove.

“You’re not going to skate through the season without some major screw-ups, and I count that as a major screw-up,” said Miller, who’s expected to receive a rest tonight in Columbus following his 23-save effort.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff added: “That’s a tough goal. But those are going to happen.”

Miller’s rare misplay cemented the Sabres’ third straight loss and their eighth in the last 11 games (3-6-2). Surging Ottawa’s still just a point behind them for first place in the Northeast Division.

Ruff knew the Sabres would eventually encounter some hard knocks this season.

“We’ve hit a tough stretch,” Ruff said. “Now it’s time to see how we’re going to react to it. It’s been pretty smooth sailing. Adversity is one thing you’ve got to deal with. I don’t think for a moment we were going to go the whole year without dealing with some type of adversity.”

Miller traced the recent struggles back to the Sabres’ seven-game road trip last month.

“I think everybody’s just a little on edge maybe,” he said. “We kind of went into the road trip playing decent hockey, probably not as tight as we needed to. And combine that with the trip and getting a little tired, you get in some bad habits. It’s going to take a little while to get them completely out. It showed up again today.”

It especially showed up early, when the listless Sabres generated only four shots during the first period. Nonetheless, Andrej Sekera countered Aaron Ward’s early goal, helping the Sabres escape.

“I was scared,” Ruff said. “The first period I was scared. I thought late in the first period we finally got a little bit of desperation and energy in our game. I can’t answer why. It wasn’t a happy dressing room after the first period.”

The Sabres finally started roaring in the second period, pumping 18 shots on Carolina goalie Manny Legace. But Legace, who played 60 minutes for the first time since Dec. 12, stopped them all.

Then, the Sabres somehow let sniper Eric Staal (10 goals, 17 points in 11 games) skate out from behind the net unfettered and stuff the puck past Miller 34 seconds into third period.

“We’ve gotten away from the little things that made us successful in the early going,” Sabres defenseman Toni Lydman said.

Just 24 seconds later, however, Drew Stafford’s first goal in nine games tied the game at 2. Stafford scored again at 2:58, giving the Sabres their first lead.

It didn’t last.

At 8:23, the Sabres let Tom Kostopoulos go to the crease untouched, and the tough guy buried Sergei Samsonov’s pass.

“The third goal in the zone can’t happen,” Miller said.

Lydman added: “This wasn’t a good game. When you got the lead in the third there, you should make sure you shut them down, make sure you play smarter.”

They didn’t, so now Ruff’s trying to keep the sputtering Sabres on an even keel.

“If we don’t, we’re not going to be able to create the pressure we need to create,” Ruff said. “If we go too far, we give up way too many opportunities.”