Archives for April 25, 2001

'Mario Lemieux came out of retirement for one more shot at winning a Stanley Cup. Dominik Hasek put off plans to retire for the same reason.'

'"I think we need him to play a little better for us to have a chance to go all the way," Lemieux said during a conference call. "He's got to elevate his game and be a leader."'

'Rasmussen, one of the Sabres top checkers, will have his shoulder evaluated by team doctors on Thursday morning.'

‘”I’m not the same as I was when I was 25 or even 29,” says the now 35-year-old. “I get about 25 minutes a game, not 30 or 35 like when I was younger. That’s about right. I play on the penalty killing units now too and that takes a lot out of you, you’re moving all the time when you’re doing that, but it’s a part of the game and I like it.”‘

'In all, Pittsburgh's top two lines scored 205 goals this season – nearly as many as the entire Buffalo team.'

'The series should be a showdown between the NHL's best defense and its second-best offense. But the postseason is hockey's Bizarro World, and Buffalo's Jennings Trophy-winning "D" and Pittsburgh's stable of shooters did not star in the teams' respective six-game, first-round victories. Instead, the Sabres enter Round Two having scored a league-best 21 goals in their opening series against the Philadelphia Flyers, while Pittsburgh allowed the Washington Capitals just seven goals, second only to the Curtis Joseph-powered Toronto Maple Leafs.'

'Could Hedberg, at age 27, simply be a hero heretofore undiscovered, or a star late to rise?'

‘The Sabres are certainly a good, tough team with a brilliant goaltender – but so was Washington. In fact, the Capitals and Sabres are so alike, there’s no reason to think Pittsburgh won’t be playing in the Eastern Conference Finals a fortnight from now.’

'"Everything's going to be tough with Buffalo," Straka said. "They just beat Philly, so they must be playing well. And (Dominik) Hasek's playing unbelievable. Their defense has been playing well for them, and they've got some offense. They scored a lot of goals, so it's going to be tough again."'

'After generating just one goal in the first five games — Kovalev got it in Game 3 — the No. 2 line moved emphatically toward re-establishing itself as a major offensive force.'