Archives for March 2007

'Buffalo tied it at 3-all on Derek Roy's 15th goal with 7:35 remaining. The puck glanced off Kari Lehtonen's mask, apparently hitting him near the right ear. After Roy lifted a wrist shot over his shoulder from the bottom of the left circle, Lehtonen fell face first to the ice.' … [Read more...] about Atlanta 4, Buffalo 3, OT

'Buffalo started the extra frame with a power play as Tkachuk was issued a slashing call as time expired in regulation, but the Sabres were unable to take advantage and with 1:14 remaining in overtime Jaroslav Spacek was called for holding Ilya Kovalchuk. Atlanta brought the puck into the Buffalo end and Alexei Zhitnik sent a pass from the high slot to Slava Kozlov, who … [Read more...] about Atlanta 4, Buffalo 3 (OT)

'“Gut feeling does come into play quite a bit. A lot of players out there are the same, it’s difficult to separate them,” said Devine, who checks for a player’s background with coaches, teammates and trainers. “You have to project that kid five years down the road, too. There are a lot of intangibles. A lot of things can change in three to … [Read more...] about These are hectic times for Sabres scout

'No general manager wanted to give Pominville an NHL uniform at the start of last season. The Buffalo Sabres waived him. The other 29 clubs passed. Yet there was Pominville with more goals than Joe Sakic, Jaromir Jagr or Mats Sundin.' … [Read more...] about Pominville barges in to ritzy 30-goal club

'There are only 11 games and three weeks left in the regular season, but Ruff said that could be plenty of time to get Connolly prepared for game action. “There’s still a remote chance that he could get back for possibly the last couple regular-season games,” Ruff said. “I don’t think you can rule that out.”' … [Read more...] about Connolly takes a step forward

Amerks tumble to their 10th loss in 12 games (Rochester D&C) Sagat scores twice to lead Marlies to 4-1 win over Americans (CP) Toronto Tops Amerks (RNews.com) Marlies thump Amerks, 4-1 (Amerks.com) Marlies Down Amerks 4-1 (TorontoMarlies.com) … [Read more...] about Sunday’s Rochester Coverage

'Miller's game needs a haircut for the Sabres to be a serious threat to go all the way.' … [Read more...] about Mirror images

'''It's been tough, but the good thing is everyone should be back and ready to go for the playoffs,'' right wing Jason Pominville said. ``We haven't been at our best, but other guys have had a chance to come in and do a good job. Last year it was me and [center] Derek [Roy] who came up and were able to do the job and stick around. It only makes us better.''' … [Read more...] about Sabres hit rough patch

A big matchup today gets bigger in playoffs (Atlanta Journal Constitution) Buffalo (46-19-6) at Atlanta (38-25-10) (AP) Thrashers seek seventh straight home victory (Sportsticker) Buffalo Sabres (46-19-6) at Atlanta Thrashers (38-25-10) (The Sports Network) Game # 72: Buffalo @ Atlanta (SabresFans.com) … [Read more...] about Sunday’s Atlanta Coverage (updated (11:00 a.m.)

'Coaches might not do that, but hockey analysts do, and Melrose said anybody in the East can emerge as the favorites to play in the conference finals. Pittsburgh and Atlanta are playing as well as anyone, and he's hesitant to label Buffalo the favorite anymore. "It's not where you finish, it's how you're playing going into the playoffs," he … [Read more...] about A big matchup today gets bigger in playoffs

'A playoff spot is clinched when no more than 7 teams can pass the Sabres. Right now, 8 teams fit that description. (Carolina can catch up in points but loses on the first tiebreaker, which is "wins.")' … [Read more...] about Sabres Clinch Playoff Berth

'Pominville has 31 goals this season, joining Chris Drury (35) and Thomas Vanek (34) in the 30-goal club. It’s only a matter of time before Briere (29) gains membership.' … [Read more...] about Sabres give Lightning a jolt of own medicine

'Although plus-minus stats for individual players can be a bit misleading, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff says it's a fair representation of the strides Vanek has made since last season, when he was a minus-11. "I think it's a stat that you can use," Ruff said. "His play away from the puck has been a lot better. It's part of his progression."' … [Read more...] about Incremental moves take Sabres’ Vanek to new level

Lightning Get A Cool Reception (Tampa Tribune) Smaby Called Up; Lecavalier Sets Record (Tampa Tribune) Lightning returns home to disappointment (St. Petersburg Times) Lecavalier sets points record for franchise (St. Petersburg Times) Lightning return home but get stopped by Sabres, 3-2 (TampaBayLightning.com) … [Read more...] about Saturday’s Tampa Bay Coverage

'"Today certainly felt like a playoff game with the atmosphere and intensity," Sabres center Chris Drury said. "We're also fighting for position so it's not like we're just coasting in here. Every point is huge for us and we want to finish absolutely as high as we can."' … [Read more...] about Buffalo 3, Tampa Bay 2