Archives for December 27, 2001

'There is a long way to go from now until the end of the season, and a lot of snow will fall in Buffalo along the way. But there are real worries that when that snow finally stops in the spring, so will the Sabres' season.'

'Despite all of his accomplishments and contributions to the team and community, Zhitnik has become one of the most maligned players to ever wear a Sabres uniform.'

'Well, it snowed an awful lot Wednesday night, but otherwise things looked a whole lot better at HSBC Arena.'

'Rather than enjoy retirement, as planned, Gilmour instead has become an example of what happens when players cling too tightly for too long: Standards take a dive. Reputations are damaged.'

'The Sabres scored their goals by doing what the Canadiens didn't. They scored their first goal when Jean-Pierre Dumont deflected a shot from the point and Brown scored the winner on a long shot off the rush.'

'Fans in Buffalo were looking forward to Gilmour's second appearance here since his bitter departure from the team after last season. There were scattered boos from the crowd when Gilmour was announced as a scratch.'

'No team can expect to win with only 16 shots on goal.'

'The Canadiens were outshot 14-4 in the second period, yet had the period's only goal, as Theodore was sensational.'

'Mika Noronen, who made 15 saves and was 2-1-1 since he began splitting time with former No. 1 goalie Martin Biron, wasn't exactly tested, Ruff said.'

'Brown broke out of a prolonged offensive drought with a pair of third-period goals as the Sabres ended a four-game winless streak with a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.'