Archives for May 2006

'"It's a team that, at the start of the year, I'm sure a lot of people picked to go to the finals and even win it," Sabres right wing Mike Grier said, "so we've got a pretty big challenge ahead of us."' … [Read more...] about Up next, the beasts of the East

'Hang the underdog tag on them. It's warranted. But deep down, the Sabres know they can win. They've won in every imaginable way this season, with an ever-changing cast of heroes. In the latter stages of the season, when they were trailing in the third period, you expected them to find a way. That's because they came to expect it themselves.' … [Read more...] about Don’t tell Sabres they are underdogs

'"For us, having an NHL team in the playoffs puts us on a map in a way that no average marketing campaign could," Hickok said. "It speaks volumes. People are hearing "Buffalo Sabres.' They're hearing the word "Buffalo.' It lends a certain credibility to the area."' … [Read more...] about Sabres fever runs rampant

'"Obviously our confidence is pretty high coming off a big series, but they're a good team," admitted rookie forward Jason Pominville after the Sabres got back to work Wednesday with an afternoon practice at HSBC Arena. "It's going to be a good challenge for us. They have a lot of skill there, too. You can't turn the puck over because most of the time it will cost you. We … [Read more...] about Sabres expect wild duel with the Senators

'Buffalo is one of the few teams that can match Ottawa in special teams efficiency. The Sabres ranked third in the 30-team NHL on the power play (Ottawa was fourth) and second in penalty killing (Ottawa was fourth) in the regular season. The Senators were 8-for-24 (33.3 percent) on the power play in their first-round series against Tampa Bay, but aren't likely to be as potent … [Read more...] about Hot Sabres can beat Ottawa, but pick here is Senators in 6

'A few months back, we assumed a date with Dominik would be the ultimate nightmare and that Buffalo would be caught in a cold sweat. Now the Devils are the ones we’re rightfully afraid of. The Sens are still an offensive dynamo, but suddenly they’ve got an almost palpable mortality. Sometimes it’s good when you get what you ask for.' … [Read more...] about Please, sir, can I have some Ottawa?

'And about the three early-season butt-kickings handed to them by the Sens, who outscored the Sabres 21-5 in the process. One thing is certain. Ruff won't be showing any film of that trio of stinkers to his team prior to Game 1. "Those early games, we'll be staying away from those," he said. "We're not going back that far. We have a different team now."' … [Read more...] about Sabres loose entering Game 1

'"It was a heartbreaker," recalled Wade Redden, a 19-year-old rookie at the time. "Everyone was playing so well ... we had to play well as a team, just to get to that point. We had a close group of guys. We should have won that series."' … [Read more...] about Sabres a thorn in Sens’ past

'The Sabres lasted another round, and then came the backroom politics. Muckler, according to several reports, had been in an apparent power struggle with coach Ted Nolan, hired at the start of the 1995-96 season, and team president Larry Quinn. Nolan was also upset that Muckler hadn't offered him a contract extension, and had started looking for another job. Muckler was shown … [Read more...] about A new rivalry in the making?

'"Back then, with all the hooking and holding, guys would be all over smaller guys like Daniel, but it gave him the attitude to be like a pit bull and never give up," Girard said. "The whole idea of strongman is to improve strength and mobility. If you know a hit is coming, you might be vulnerable for injury if you're not strong enough. It's not only about getting strong, it's … [Read more...] about Gatineau speedster sets tone for Sabres

'In truth, though, anyone willing to make more than a token wager on this series is a brave person. It's a tossup.' … [Read more...] about A model series for new NHL

Let's get it started (Ottawa Sun) Sabres a thorn in Sens' past (Ottawa Sun) Habs had unlikely booster in Melnyk (Ottawa Sun) A model series for new NHL (Ottawa Citizen) Gatineau speedster sets tone for Sabres (Ottawa Citizen) A new rivalry in the making? (Ottawa Citizen) Country music, lacrosse add to scheduling complications (Ottawa Citizen) Top-seeded Senators anxious … [Read more...] about Thursday’s Ottawa Coverage

Give Hitchcock greater authority (Philadelphia Inquirer) Forsberg to have ankle surgery (Philadelphia Inquirer) Hitchcock sifts through the wreckage (Philadelphia Inquirer) Fast start, fast end (Philadelphia Inquirer) Clarke, Snider need to back Hitchcock (Philadelphia Daily News) Forsberg hurt more than he let on (Philadelphia Daily News) Changes won't be just for change … [Read more...] about Thursday’s Philadelphia Coverage (Updated 9:00 a.m.)

'Stafford notified UND coaches late last week that he planned to sign a professional deal. He flew to Buffalo early Saturday morning to negotiate, but nothing was finalized when he left on Sunday for Latvia, where he is participating in the World Championships. Early Wednesday morning, he completed the deal...'. … [Read more...] about Stafford turns pro

'To be fair, many of the visiting media may have gotten the impression that indeed the hit was displayed multiple times. The in-house video system and feeds shown in the pressbox are completely different than what the fans see on the Jumbotron. While Umberger was being tended to, the replay was being shown numerous times for the media. Similarly when there is a video goal … [Read more...] about Replaygate