Archives for April 20, 2001

'Depending on your take of the situation, Mike Peca is either: A) a pretty good defensive center who's asking price of $3.5 million a season is nothing short of ludicrous and is someone who made his own bed and now shouldn't be bitching about having to sleep in it; or B) a leader of men, a person of principle, someone who has sacrificed a tremendous sum because he felt undermined and ill-treated by the Sabres organization.'

'Primeau's presence – both physically and offensively – as well as the home-ice advantage of having the last line change during stoppages in play, changed the landscape of the series for Buffalo.'

'"I thought Philadelphia probably played its best and I thought we played our poorest," coach Lindy Ruff said Friday after a a brief skate at the team's suburban practice facility. "There were a lot of things in the game I didn't like. I thought, for the most part, we were average."'

Twelve months ago, special teams breakdowns cost the Sabres a chance to make another run at the Stanley Cup in 2000. In Game 5, special teams breakdowns might have cost the Sabres their shot in 2001.

'The Sabres need to win on Saturday. If they don't, they'll have to go into the snake den that is the First Union Center having lost two straight games and blown a 3-1 lead to a talented team with a solid goalie. And, in the playoffs, that's a recipe for disaster.'

When a talented scorer like Mark Recchi is given enough rope like he was by Buffalo, it shouldn't be a surprise that he hanged the Sabres.

'The Flyers added at least two more days to their season with a 3-1 victory over the Sabres in Game Five on Thursday night before a sellout crowd of 19,681 in the First Union Center. The sixth game will be played Saturday afternoon in HSBC Arena.'

'Well, the Flyers aren't going away. In fact, they're coming to our town again Saturday afternoon, and the Sabres better be ready.'

'"It's really hard to say," Recchi said. "It was a tough call. It's in his glove and it looked like his glove was over (the line). But that's their decision. They said (the replay official) couldn't see the puck. Fortunately, it didn't hurt us."'

'Bruised and battered, and playing one of their strongest postseason games since last spring, the Flyers staved off elimination last night with an emotionally charged 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 5 at the First Union Center.'