Archives for January 5, 2007

‘”After four hours of sleep, I woke up about 5 a.m. with a severe pain in my left shin and calf,” he recalled. “By 7, my leg was so swollen, I couldn’t walk. Here we were one game from the Stanley Cup Final and a staff infection was attacking my body. By 8, I was at the hospital and doctors were talking about how the infection, if not caught quickly, might take my leg or being life-threatening.”‘

'So what's the problem? The Ottawa Senators, that's what. In the third noteworthy sweep of the segment, the Senators beat the Sabres in Game 40 for the fourth straight time, behind an awesome first period display of goaltending by Ray Emery and more special teams domination, a loss that could still be echoing come playoff time.'

'For all his skills – vision, speed, strength, passing, shooting and scoring – the thing that may be most impressive about Crosby is the nickname is still there. Young players with potential often get an unreachable moniker placed on them. They soon wither. But the next Wayne Gretzky is accomplishing things as if he really is the next Wayne Gretzky.'

'Coach Lindy Ruff placed one of his top defensemen in the "week-to-week" category, but Tallinder was pessimistic about returning in seven days. "That could happen, but I wouldn't count on it," he said.'

'Chris Drury has scored the game-winning goal in the last three games against Pittsburgh.'

‘But league rankings do little to define the match-up this season. It has more to do with the Senators ability to combat Buffalo’s speed. That’s the advantage the Sabres enjoy over just about every team in the NHL. The Senators are one of the few teams that can skate with them and even dictate tempo at times. Because of that speed, they’re able to better take advantage of Buffalo’s mistakes…’.

'The coaches are taken from the teams with the top points percentage in each conference through games of Friday, Jan. 5. Head coaches from the second place teams in each conference become assistant coaches for the game.'

'The former defensemen earned the honors as a result of leading their respective teams to the top points percentage in their conferences through games of January 5. Ruff has the Buffalo Sabres atop the East with a .763 percentage (61 points in 40 games) as of Thursday, while Carlyle's Anaheim Ducks are first in the West at .738 percent (62 in 42).'

'The Sabres lead the Eastern Conference with a 29-8-3 record for 61 points, while the Ducks are tops in the Western Conference sporting a 28-8-6 record for 62 points.'

Pens on the upswing (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Pens haven’t won in Buffalo since ’03 (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Scouting the Sabres (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Pittsburgh (17-15-6) at Buffalo (29-8-3) (AP)

Sabres can overtake Ducks for league’s best record (Sportsticker)

Pittsburgh Penguins (17-15-6) at Buffalo Sabres (29-8-3) (The Sports Network)

Penguins return to action Friday at 8 p.m. in Buffalo (PittsburghPenguins.com)

Game # 41: Pittsburgh @ Buffalo (SabresFans.com)