Archives for May 2006

'Numminen was optimistic he could dress tonight. "It's much better than [Saturday], so I feel really good about it," Numminen said Sunday afternoon. "It's always the next day when you find out how serious it is. I was kind of worried. It was really sore when I went to bed, but now it feels way, way, way better. It's much better than I thought."' … [Read more...] about Sabres don’t intend to back off

'You always hear how coaches are looking for players to elevate their play during the quest for the Stanley Cup. Pyatt's done everything but show up on stilts.' … [Read more...] about Unsung hero unknown even to teammates

'"I've never talked with him," Cole said. "He tried to get in touch with me through Mark Recchi sometime end of March. . . . I told him not to bother. Honestly, I probably wouldn't even speak to him. I am not looking for any apologies or whatever. I am looking forward to playing him again."' … [Read more...] about Injured Cole not forgiving

'"It can really set the tone of [the] hockey game, especially that early," Ward said. "It's been tough the last five games, but that stuff's in the past and hopefully we can get the first one in Game Two."' … [Read more...] about Hurricanes’ Ward seeks cure for early-game troubles

'Ryan Miller: Save percentage of .946 in past five games had Sabres thanking him four times.' … [Read more...] about Scouting report

'Each home playoff game is worth about $500,000 in new net revenues for the Sabres, said Dan DiPofi, the team's chief operating officer.' … [Read more...] about Sabres expect profit of $3.5M or more

'There is a price tag attached to shot blocking. Earlier this year, the Ottawa Senators' Bryan Smolinski took a shot that deflected and broke McKee's nose. But that's not all. "They had to rebreak it three days later." he said. "That didn't feel good."' … [Read more...] about McKee blocks 11 shots against Hurricanes

'McKee can thank the new NHL for his Big Jock season. He found early in the year that he was getting far too many penalties crosschecking and interference penalties trying to move opposing forwards from in front of the Sabres net. So instead, he decided to abandon the opponent in front of his net and get more aggressive in blocking the lane between his opponent and the puck. … [Read more...] about McKee throws his body into job for gritty Sabres

'Once again, the Sabres used their two biggest advantages, rookie goaltender Ryan Miller and their speed, to snatch a win, leaving the Hurricanes to moan about missed chances and bad luck.' … [Read more...] about Sabres serve up familiar storyline so far

'They are former Buffalonians, and now their original home team, the Sabres, has come to their new home for a best-of-seven series to determine who will play for the Stanley Cup. For them, Sabres loyalty runs deeper than a snow drift during the Blizzard of '77. "I'm really a huge Caniac," said David Herring, who moved from Buffalo to Raleigh 12 years ago. "But not today, not … [Read more...] about Caniac spirit lost with Sabres on ice

'"I think Miller has the advantage because he's gone through the whole year as a starter, he's gone through the injury, he had the disappointment of the Olympics,'' said Eliot. "Ward, he hasn't had a down yet. He hasn't had to go through the ups and downs as a starter yet."' … [Read more...] about Young guns blazing

'"The biggest thing is just focus," Drury said. "As the year goes on, and each series moves on, there's more and more distractions. I think it's easy to let you mind wander, especially when you have a week off, but I think you just have to keep your focus and always be ready for the next game."' … [Read more...] about Drury’s record invaluable

'Buffalo defenders accounted for as many saves as Miller, blocking 29 of the Canes' shots in Game 1. That's the most blocked shots for a Carolina opponent so far in the playoffs. "They're one of the best teams in the league at blocking shots and getting in the lane," Carolina's Doug Weight said on Sunday. "We created a lot of chances, but you've got to get traffic and get the … [Read more...] about Carolina must find way past Buffalo’s defense

'Upper-level sections 317, 318, 319 and 320 were filled mostly with Sabres fans, and several other sections had large chunks of Buffalo supporters.' … [Read more...] about Sabres fans get chance to see team

'Numminen, 37, wasn't quite specific about the injury that forced him to leave Game 1, but he seemed to be suggesting that it was in the neighborhood of a strained hip or groin muscle. "It feels much better than it did (Saturday)," said Numminen, whose signing to a one-year, $2 million deal last summer has been credited with solidifying the Sabres' defense.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ key defender says he feels OK to play