Archives for March 16, 2001

‘Vancouver is winless in six games (0-3-3), although the last three games have all been ties.’

The Canucks may well be the surprise story of the NHL this season, surpassing many projections by everyone from the print media to the team's own management.

Currently on a six-game winless streak, the Canucks know they need to pick up their play, especially in the defensive zone.

'The Sabres have a glut of forwards since trading for Audette and Steve Heinze on Tuesday. With no players from the roster getting dealt in return, Buffalo now has 16 front-line skaters.'

'After missing eight games with a groin injury, Smehlik returned to Buffalo's lineup for 4 minutes, 32 seconds on Wednesday before leaving the game with torn rib cartilage.'

'Like most veterans, Gilmour doesn't feel he's slowed, just that there are bigger, faster players wandering around. Playing with young Pavel Bure-clone Maxim Afinogenov and the monstrous Chris Gratton, it's easy to see how Gilmour would be left with that impression.'

'The Sabres have the NHL's third best goals-against average (2.34), trailing only San Jose (2.27) and Colorado (2.31). Much of that is due to the NHL's most efficient penalty kill (87.1 per cent), a lead they share with the Sharks.'

'Defenseman Richard Smehlik, one of the Buffalo Sabres top penalty killers, will miss up to two weeks with a rib cartilage injury. Smehlik was hurt when he was checked into the boards in the first period of Wednesday's 6-3 win over the New York Rangers.'

'It will be two more days until Donald Audette can pull a Buffalo Sabres game jersey over his shoulder pads. And after watching his new team beat the New York Rangers, 6-3, Wednesday night in HSBC Arena along with 18,205 fans, that day can't come soon enough.'

'The Sabres don't need thinkers. They need scorers. Heinze couldn't have asked for a better start to his career in Buffalo than the game he played Wednesday night in a 6-3 win over the Rangers. He found the net six minutes into his debut, joining Danny Gare, Rob Ray, Alexander Mogilny, Denis Hamel and J.P. Dumont among those who scored on their first shot for the Sabres.'