Archives for April 11, 2007

'"We want to make sure the confidence is there, but we want to make sure it's not overconfidence," Sabres co-captain Daniel Briere said. "We worked hard to get the No. 1 seed, and we want to use it to our advantage. We don't want to blow it in the first game."' … [Read more...] about Isles’ Nolan back in Buffalo to face former team

'Islanders coach Ted Nolan said backup Wade Dubielewicz will start Game 1 of the best-of-seven series against top-seeded Buffalo on Thursday. Nolan said DiPietro is listed day to day and continues to be monitored by the team's medical staff at home after the goalie sustained two concussions 12 days apart last month.' … [Read more...] about Isles’ G DiPietro out for Game 1

"Buffalo has the best five-on-five team in the NHL. The Sabres are tremendously deep offensively with seven 20-goal scorers, and unparalleled balance. Opponents don't know from one game to the next which line will be the Sabres' top line." … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Cup quest to succeed

'“I think it could be a good thing if they (call more), just to make everybody know that they’re going to call it the same way,” Pominville said. “We’ll just have to make sure we’ll keep our sticks off people and play by the rules.”' … [Read more...] about Change in officiating could slow high-scoring Sabres

'WBZA- The Buzz (98.9) - FM in Rochester will begin airing the team's playoff games, beginning with Thursday night's contest against the New York Islanders. The Buzz replaces its sister station, WROC 950 AM. The switch was made because The Buzz has larger reach in the Rochester market, team officials said.' … [Read more...] about Sabres add Rochester station to radio network

'“It doesn’t matter where he’s played before,” Buffalo co-captain Daniel Briere said Monday at the Pepsi Center, where the Sabres held a team meeting and optional skate. “If somebody gets hot in the playoffs sometimes his confidence gets going. We can’t think it’s going to be easy because we have a goalie that’s played most … [Read more...] about Sabres staying focused on Cup

'Certainly, with storied precedents of unknown rookie goalies leading teams to unexpected success in the past, Dubielewicz's chance to establish himself as a full-time NHL backstop would be galvanized with a strong performance versus Buffalo.' … [Read more...] about Series preview

'Daulton feeds more than just fans. He serves breakfast to the Sabres players when they practice at the Arena. On the menu: muffins, bagels, toast, fresh fruit, oatmeal (instant during the regular season, out of a chafing dish, during playoffs.) No coffee is served, by order of strength and conditioning coach Doug McKenney, who says caffeine acts as a diuretic. “We … [Read more...] about Dinner for 18,000 hockey fans

'“We’ve got four lines that can play and score goals, even more now than we had in the regular season,” left wing Jochen Hecht said. “It’s pretty exciting.”' … [Read more...] about Getting a charge out of depth

'“I was very lucky, very fortunate to get a start in this league and to get to know the people of Buffalo,” Nolan said. “I’ll never forget the reception, the welcoming. There’s a lot of places you get to go to in life, work for different organizations, but people are something you’ll always remember, the friendships you made. Buffalo is … [Read more...] about Upset would spoil Nolan&#8217s popularity in Buffalo

'"The season is over and now the real season starts," said co-captain and leading scorer Daniel Briere. "This is fun, this is where it matters most. Every game is important, every shift is important."' … [Read more...] about Sabres shed their underdog label as they focus on Cup

'"Tickets are going anywhere from $100 in the upper level to $350 for some of the best, best seats," said Nick Giammusso, president of VIP Seats Inc., a ticket brokerage service in suburban Buffalo.' … [Read more...] about Sabres sold out for playoff games o but money talks

'"That team had everything -- goal scoring, checking, power play -- we had it all. We cruised through the playoffs, but we went through too easy and we had a (eight-day) layoff and lost our edge. We sat around for too long and we got rusty. I still say today that if we had two days off and we had gone right into the series, it would have been done in five."' … [Read more...] about Islanders have had Sabres number in Stanley Cup playoffs

'“The Stanley Cup is ours, as long as Miller doesn’t get hurt,” Williams said.' … [Read more...] about Playoff time again

Vanek himself probably couldn't have, a year ago. That's one of the reasons he was benched when the going got tough, and fast. Although the NHL playoffs are partly a battle of attrition, the better teams can actually pick it up a step as they get deeper into the spring. "We talked to him after the playoffs about adding certain qualities to his game," said Buffalo coach Lindy … [Read more...] about Buffalo is fit for action