Archives for April 22, 2006

'Game time is 7 p.m. and the Sabres are expected to have a "white out". Which basically means they're ripping off Winnipeg and dressing the fans in white shirts.'

‘”It’s been one of our strengths this year,” said center Tim Connolly, who had 23 power-play points in only 63 games. “It’s something we’ve worked on really hard both in practice and in games, and I think we’ve just found some chemistry. We have two pretty solid units that are both capable of scoring goals.”‘

‘”When I got here, I was too excited and needed to calm down,” Miller said. “I have to take the same mind-set and focus in. I’m not saying I’m not going to use the energy and use the excitement. I definitely want to perform my best, but there’s a way to approach it where you calm down, have fun and enjoy it. Enjoy the challenge. It is one of the greatest challenges you’re going to find.”‘

‘”He’s a guy that’s had his ups and downs this year,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We’d like to get to him early. We’d like to test him. We’d like to get him in situations where we make him be the difference in the game.”‘

‘”It’s great they’re back . . . it’s a huge boost,” said Johnny, an 11-year veteran bartender at City Grill on Main Street downtown. “They’re a great young talent . . . win or lose, they’re always exciting and they always play hard . . . Thank you, Mr. Golisano.”‘

‘The Buffalo Sabres averaged a 5.0 rating for games on MSG, up 56 percent from the 3.2 they averaged two years ago when the team didn’t make the playoffs. The ratings should double for the first-round playoff series with the Philadelphia Flyers.’

‘Sabres are 6-3 all-time with home-ice advantage in the first round.’

‘The Flyers may have the experience edge, but Sabres co-captain Chris Drury says it won’t be a factor. “He (Miller) is so mentally tough,” Drury said. “Despite not having any NHL playoff games under his belt, he’ll respond well.”‘

‘”Throughout the season, everybody was expecting the calls to go down or the referees to stop calling the new rules, but they kept it going all year long,” said Briere, a creative center who is one of the Sabres the Flyers must attend to during the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series that begins here tonight. “So I expect the same treatment in the playoffs.”‘

‘Skate, skate, skate, the simple buzzing of an opponent which takes away ice and wears out and frustrates an opponent, sapping their will.’