Archives for May 1, 2006

'Dear Sabres marketers: please bring back the old blue and yellow jersey/logo combination as soon as possible. Fans in attendance wore almost as many of the old style jerseys as the modern, Red and Black ones. For an example of how to do it right, look no further than your first-round opponent. The Flyers have stuck with their original logo throughout the years, and they … [Read more...] about From Buffalo with love

'"We're going to play really well in Game 6," Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock promised. They didn't play so well on Sunday, rarely posing a threat to goalie Ryan Miller.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Connolly can grin again after big win

'"It was a good bounce-back game for Ryan," said Ruff. "There's been some maturity in Ryan's game. We went through a tough period of time after the Olympic break with him, and then the Ottawa game when we went in there and won (on April 8) I thought he started to turn his game around."' … [Read more...] about When the heat’s on, Sabres’ Miller responds with shutout

'By ignoring the couch critics and sticking with his big gun, Ruff was rewarded with a 24-save performance from Miller that left Hitchcock's Flyers needing to reel off two victories in a row or be booted out of the post-season.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Miller sharp

'Meanwhile, the Flyers were bitter at a pair of officiating decisions. A goalie interference penalty to Brian Savage resulted in Buffalo's second goal by J.P. Dumont. Replays clearly showed Savage was pushed into Ryan Miller by a Sabres defenceman. Late in the third period, Gaustad appeared to attempt a knee-on-knee hit on the Flyers' Petr Nedved, who immediately dropped to the … [Read more...] about Numminen all heart

'The Buffalo victory was more impressive than the score indicated and was more thorough than the 8-2 thrashing dropped on the visitors in Game 2. The Sabres controlled the game from the outset -- limiting Philly to three first-period shots -- and completely shut down Flyers' star Peter Forsberg.' … [Read more...] about Sabres flatten Flyers to lead series

'"Every time I went on the ice, my pulse rate went up to whatever," he said of his runaway heart. "It was beating fast and when I came to the bench I was still feeling it. It was four or five shifts before I realized what was going on. At first I thought it was just the excitement of the game, but it kept on."' … [Read more...] about Numminen’s heart now beats properly

'"Over all, this was the best game they've played in the series," Philadelphia coach Ken Hitchcock said of the Sabres' nearly flawless performance. "They were very tenacious and they caused us to make soft plays with the puck at inopportune times."' … [Read more...] about BriEere’s playmaking gives Buffalo series lead

'The odds were against the Sabres historically yesterday, given a 2-10 record in Game 5 situations when tied 2-2 in games.' … [Read more...] about Numminen shows heart in return

'"Ryan Miller is a very competitive person, he doesn't like you to even score on him in practice," said Daniel Briere, the pilot light of the Buffalo furnace. "So when people started to question his playoff goaltending ability, I knew he'd come back. I don't think it was fair to criticize him, but at the same time it worked out quite well."' … [Read more...] about Criticism ignites goalie’s competitive spirit

'"We got outplayed again," Peter Forsberg said. "We're making a habit of not working. There's nothing to say about the way we played except we have to be better. I thought we came in here with momentum - wow, we won the last games at home - but we just aren't playing well enough up here to win games."' … [Read more...] about Sabres snatch lead in series

'They get to every loose puck first. They get back on defense, negating Flyers rushes. They weave their way around and through Philadelphia's defense, making the Flyers look as if their skates are welded to the ice. Oh, and the Buffalo power play is a thing of beauty to watch unfold.' … [Read more...] about Slow-footed Flyers rattled by speedy Sabres

'As a precaution, Connolly wore a visor for the first time since he played in juniors seven years ago. He had no time to adjust to the visor and said it made him "feel a little bit weird out there," which is probably better than the Flyers felt after Connolly kick-started Buffalo's win with a power-play goal just 6 minutes, 5 seconds after the opening face-off, making it five … [Read more...] about Buffalo’s Connolly takes one for team

'"I guess a lot of people over the course of my life have been telling me either that I'm not good enough or maybe that I'm lacking something," he said. "I do take that to heart. Don't get me wrong - I'm not reading anything you guys are writing right now, so it's all right."' … [Read more...] about Shutout helps Miller forgive and forget

'For five straight games, the Buffalo Sabres have taken control of the game, scored the first goal and had the Flyers chasing them. And it is a fact that is baffling everyone. "Obviously, we're not trying to wait and watch as they score, but we've got to get a better start," Flyers forward R.J. Umberger said. "Our [method of operation] all year is to have slow starts, but it's … [Read more...] about Flyers must find a way to slow Sabres’ offense