Archives for 2003

'Buffalo goaltender Martin Biron lifted his stick the way a butcher hoists a meat cleaver and swiftly slammed it on top of the net. He then flipped the broken stick toward the middle of the ice, as if nothing could help him. The Devils are doing that to goaltenders these days. Biron was spectacular in a tie a week ago against the Devils, but he played less than half the … [Read more...] about Devils' Unbeaten Streak Reaches 10

'This game was over by the midpoint of the second period.' … [Read more...] about Devils cruise before intimate gathering

'The formula was similar to Saturday's 5-0 dismantling of the Rangers. They scored early and began building momentum, ripping the game apart in the first half of the second. Scott Gomez was credited with opening the scoring 9:40 into play with his second, his tip of Stevens' point shot adjudged to have been below crossbar level.' … [Read more...] about Streak an imperfect 10 to Burns

'They finished off Sabres goalie Martin Biron during the second period by scoring three goals in 4:14 to open a commanding 4-0 lead.' … [Read more...] about Burns an unhappy winner

'The attendance last night was announced at 10,008 but almost certainly did not hit five figures.' … [Read more...] about Players seem to be left with an empty feeling

'What he provided in his 14 games was an intangible element of grit and hustle. No, he didn’t have a point, but his plus/minus was a tolerable minus-1. Nine others are minus-2 or worse.' … [Read more...] about Amerks get Botterill's offense, grit

'``They executed the little things in the game well,'' Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. ``They don't turn over a lot of pucks. They don't give up any odd-numbered situations. They've got a goaltender that's playing extremely well. We knew it was going to be tough. We really helped them out with it.''' … [Read more...] about New Jersey 4, Buffalo 1

'Biron was chased after allowing all four goals on 19 shots and had a personal five-game road unbeaten streak stopped. "We're not the kind of team that's built to come from behind," Biron said. "I need to be the best player on the ice each game I'm out there, but today, I wasn't."' … [Read more...] about New Jersey 4, Buffalo 1

'Sabres left wing Jason Botterill cleared waivers Wednesday and was assigned to Buffalo's minor league affiliate, the Rochester Americans.' … [Read more...] about Sabres LW Botterill clears waivers

'"Everyone's supposed to be on the same page," Zhitnik said. "You have to know what your partner's doing, you have to know what the forwards are doing, you have to know if somebody's in front of the net the whole time, and that kind of little stuff can play a big role in the power play."' … [Read more...] about Sabres' power-play unit searches for lost advantage

'The hardball stance is all about holding players accountable, which is why nobody should feel comfortable. Ruff has no plans to back off, either. He's scouring his lineup more than ever. He's scrutinizing every performance. He's challenging players. He believes 20 plumbers can win most nights, and he wants to know who will be with him come April. Anybody … [Read more...] about Ruff's whip aims in all directions

'He iced his arm a bit after Tuesday's practice but said it wasn't a factor Monday. "I felt good. The hand was fine," Hecht said. "At the beginning, I felt hesitant a little bit, but in the second and third (periods) I was comfortable. First period, it felt like training camp. You're always two steps late. I knew that was going to … [Read more...] about Hecht hits the ice running in first game

'G Martin Biron is 4-0-1 in his last five road starts with a .961 save percentage.' … [Read more...] about Sabres vs. Devils

'"We did some things right but really prevented them from really getting going," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "I thought our lines generated some offense."' … [Read more...] about Sabres waste no time in edging Senators

'"He's got more (talent) than he even knows," Ray said over the weekend in Buffalo. "The way he can control the puck in tight is totally amazing."' … [Read more...] about Spezza delivers for Ray