Archives for January 28, 2001

'Sabres rookie forward Denis Hamel, whose three game-winning goals are tied for the team lead, will miss the rest of the season with a torn right knee ligament.'

Rookie Denis Hamel suffered an apparently serious right knee injury late in the first period of the Sabres-Islanders game on Saturday night and will be out of the lineup indefinitely.

Martin Biron, the Sabres' consummate pinch-hitter, parlayed his usual steady and poised style into another road win when the team needed it most.

'So while Buffalo's 2-1 victory at Nassau Coliseum might not have been overly impressive on the scoreboard, there's no denying how much they had to put in to ending their three-game losing streak. Stu Barnes scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, Marty Biron made 23 saves and Buffalo held the opposition without a power-play goal for the seventh straight game. "We definitely had to tough it out," Barnes said.'

'But Peca is still worth something to the Sabres, who can beef up their lineup by moving him before the March 13 trade deadline. They're open to offers, and they will trade him if they think it's the best way to improve their team. The fun is trying to figure out whom they might get for Peca.'

'"That's the good thing about (sports)," Ray said. "When guys move on or get traded to other teams or whatever, it's not as if somebody dies. Your friendship still stays alive and you still stay in contact with each other. Ever since he's left he's come back for a month or so; his wife's family's from here….We talk probably once a week."'

'Goaltender Rick DiPietro made his much-awaited National Hockey League debut tonight, and he was often dazzling for the Islanders. The script called for his teammates to rally for a stirring victory, but the Islanders often have to rent a movie to see a happy ending.'

'"It looked like we got a little tired in our own end," coach Butch Goring said of the Islanders not clearing the front of the net.'

'Before a much-anticipating crowd of 14,248, DiPietro provided them hope for the future by making 29 saves, and adding an assist, to boot. But by providing little offensive support, the Islanders failed to get him a win, dropping a tight 2-1 decision to Buffalo.'

'The Islanders lost, 2-1, in front of a crowd of 14,248. But DiPietro, the first overall selection in last June's draft, played well. Well enough to calm the nerves of general manager Mike Milbury, who took the risk of selecting the then-Boston University freshman and trading heralded prospect Roberto Luongo the same day.'