Archives for March 7, 2001

'"You can't explain it," said Bruins center Joe Thornton, who had an 11-game scoring streak snapped. "We had a great first period, then I don't know what happened. They turned it on a little bit and we just sat back and watched."'

Inside — really Inside — the Numbers of the Sabres' 3-1 train-spotting of the Bruins in Boston on Tuesday night.

In winning for the third time on their five-game road trip that mercifully ended on Tuesday night, the Sabres in effect clinched a playoff spot.

Slowly but surely, Curtis Brown is rediscovering his offensive skills without compromising his defensive assignments.

'The Sabres won the game in the second period, when they outshot the Bruins, 21-3, and scored twice on third-string goalie John Grahame.'

'There have been stories written over the past year that have suggested Nolan's ethnic background has kept him out of the "old-boy network" of recycled coaches. O'Ree didn't want to speculate. "All I'm saying is that he's a good coach," he said, "and he deserves to be in the league."'

'[Islanders GM Mike Milbury] is looking into acquiring unsigned Buffalo Sabres center Michael Peca…The Sabres had two scouts at Nassau Coliseum last night…They were also at Monday's win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden where two players they are likely targeting, Mariusz Czerakwski and Zdeno Chara, had strong games.'

'After opening with an impressive and surprising burst of energy in the first period, the Bruins flatlined in the second when they were grossly outshot (21-3), handily outscored (2-0), and once again victimized by some questionable (read: brutal) officiating.'

'If you've got six skaters for each side, the game goes on. Oblivious to the cold chaos outside the arena, the Buffalo Sabres (appropriate that Buffalo would be in town) beat the train-tired Bruins, 3-1, before 8,100 fans at the New Garden last night.'

'As the Bruins trundled out of their hotel yesterday and onto the bus after a makeshift continental breakfast in the lobby, it was not even 5:30 a.m. And they were about to embark on a new adventure: train travel.'