Archives for April 26, 2001

'The Sabres have two options in addressing Lemieux. They can put another defensive center on Lemieux's line or just roll out four lines in an attempt to wear down Pittsburgh, which has a shorter bench and often double shifts Lemieux.'

One of the greater debates in professional sports contests has always been equal to the chicken or the egg theory. Which wins out — offense or defense?

All that the national media is talking about is all the superstars the Penguins have. The Buffalo Sabres have one very special superstar of their own in Dominik Hasek.

'"(They) have a good goalie who will go upside-down to make a save," Kovalev said. "They really are not a big team, but they are quick and have some fast forwards. We're going to have to skate a lot … It's going to be a tough, skating series."'

'Ironically, the Buffalo Sabres have the utmost respect for Lemieux, but it's the very thing they must guard against when the meet the Penguins in the conference semifinals. Game One tonight in HSBC Arena will mark the first time Super Mario has played in Buffalo since Jan. 29, 1997, Dominik Hasek's 32nd birthday. This is no time for a celebration.'

'Audette and Heinze, downloaded by the Buffalo Sabres at the NHL's March 13 trade deadline, escaped hockey hell and are now working their way toward drinking from the sport's holy grail.'

'Coach Lindy Ruff put them together as a defensive pair late in the 1998-99 season, and then watched as they helped propel the Sabres to the Stanley Cup finals. The two players have skated together ever since, providing the only stable unit on a team of ever-shuffling lines and rotating healthy scratches.'

'Ruff made Barber look like an amateur. Changing lines on the fly, he got most of the matchups he desired. He assembled a true checking line (Curtis Brown, Vaclav Varada and Erik Rasmussen or Vladimir Tsyplakov) after spreading those duties around during the season. They kept the Flyers' stars in check. Brown scored an OT winner and Rasmussen set up another.'

'There's one huge reason for the available tickets for the first three home games: Hefty ticket prices, which range from $39 to $154 per seat. So a pair of nose-bleed tickets goes for $78, a pair of 200 Club seats for $308. Those prices represent almost a doubling from the regular-season prices, an increase of between 86 and 89 percent for the various ticket levels.'

'Buffalo will find a way to limit Pittsburgh's offense and create enough turnovers to win in six games.'