Archives for April 17, 2001

If the Sabres plan on salvaging the good work of the first two games on the road, they must treat this game with the same amount of pressure and intensity that the Flyers will bring to the table.

Where has the Buffalo Sabres' trophy-winning defense gone? Where has “The Dominator” gone?

'Except for two mistakes, the Buffalo Sabres played well against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night. But those two mistakes cost the Sabres the game – and possibly momentum in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.'

'One of the most elementary rules of Stanley Cup hockey states: never give a game away.'

Early in the second period on Monday night, the Buffalo Sabres and their fans were having one of those wonderful dreams. Then Donald Audette plunged our collective hand into a tub of warm water.

'The Sabres made just enough good plays to win the first two games in their best-of-seven series against the Philadelphia Flyers. And they made just enough mistakes Monday to toss Philly a 3-2 victory in Game Three before a sellout crowd in HSBC Arena.'

'Two players returned to the Philadelphia Flyers' lineup Monday: center Keith Primeau and defenseman Andy Delmore. One of them scored the game-winning goal in the third period of Philadelphia's 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Guess which Flyer played the hero.'

'"I knew I was going to get hit early," Primeau said after the Flyers beat the Sabres, 3-2, to get their first win of the series. "But I didn't think I was going to get hit that early."'

'But Rasmussen was ruled out for Game Three Monday morning and was replaced on the checking line by reserve Vladimir Tsyplakov. Rasmussen is questionable for tonight's Game Four.'

Flyers' coach Bill Barber was widely second-guessed for his lineup selections in the first two games, but his gut instinct to insert the speedier Andy Delmore on defense before Game 3 was a key to neutralizing the Sabres' forechecking.