Archives for April 14, 2007

'"Once he says he's in, I say he's in, he's in," Nolan said after Saturday morning's pregame skate. "If he says he wants to play, he's going to play."' … [Read more...] about Islanders' DiPietro says he's ready to go in Game 2

'Despite losing by three goals, the Islanders lost only one game.' … [Read more...] about Sabres not ready to give up home ice

'DiPietro has been sidelined since March 25, when he suffered his second concussion in 12 days. He was cleared to practice with the Islanders on Friday afternoon in the Amherst Pepsi Center, but neither he nor coach Ted Nolan would reveal their plans for tonight.' … [Read more...] about DiPietro in town, likely in net

'Well, let’s put an end to the posturing right now. DiPietro is playing. You can take it to the bank. The Isles didn’t fly their top goalie here on owner Charles Wang’s private jet so he could sit around in a suit and watch poor Wade Dubielewicz get lit up by the Sabres.' … [Read more...] about Savior in net can&#8217t save Islanders

'“It is important,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We’re relying on Chris to counter what Sillinger brings to his faceoff percentage and [Islanders center Randy] Robitaille at the same time.”' … [Read more...] about Faceoff skill adds to Drury&#8217s value in the clutch

'MSG, the Sabres rights holder, isn’t available in HD here, either. But even if it were, the games wouldn’t be in HD because the Sabres don’t produce an HD broadcast.' … [Read more...] about First round won&#8217t be seen in high-def

'If Connolly stays healthy, progresses and keeps putting passes on the tape of teammates’ sticks, the Sabres are nearly unbeatable, or at least as much as possible in a grueling 16-team tournament. But if not, and the power play reverts to its regular-season form, running through the likes of Ottawa, New Jersey and Detroit is all the more daunting.' … [Read more...] about With Connolly, Sabres are again powerful

Isles to Wait Until Game Time to Decide if DiPietro Will Play (New York Times) DiPietro looks like a go (New York Daily News) Un-Di-Termined (New York Post) Ricky's at the ready (New York Newsday) Isles need to jump out of zone to jump-start offense (New York Newsday) NY Islanders at Buffalo (AP) Islanders' DiPietro practices, nears return (AP) DiPietro aside, Isles need … [Read more...] about Saturday’s New York Coverage

'"We've had a healthy competition since we were 16 or 17," Miller said yesterday, as the Sabres prepared for DiPietro's return to action for this evening's Game 2 in the series. "He's a fixture on that team and he'll be the face of the Islanders for years to come."' … [Read more...] about DiPietro to face a familiar foe

'Does it, as Sabres coach Lindy Ruff put it, smack of desperation?' … [Read more...] about DiPietro decision to come today

'Now, Drury is viewed not only as a big-time points producer but also as a consummate team player, as willing to block a shot as set up a teammate for a scoring chance. Coming off the best regular season of his career, he may yet prove to be the No.1 unrestricted free agent on the market this summer.' … [Read more...] about Drury leading free agent pack

'"He fills the hope tank up for them," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said.' … [Read more...] about Islanders buoyed by pending return of DiPietro

'"I think it gives them a big lift," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. "And this is no criticism of [Wade] Dubielewicz. He's played very well, and I thought he played very well last night. But [DiPietro] is their star goaltender. He is a guy who ran a real hot streak during the regular season. I think it's a big addition, a big lift for the team. It fills the hope tank a … [Read more...] about DiPietro’s appearance at practice lifts Islanders

'Many teams tried a post-mortem like this after the Sabres gutted them. The New York Islanders have plenty of theories as to what will get them back into their first-round playoff series tonight. The problem is that the Sabres kill you with the proverbial 1,000 cuts. Just when you've wrapped one wound, another body part is pierced.' … [Read more...] about Islanders need a plan

'It took nearly a month for anyone outside the Buffalo organization to concede that Sabres' general manager Darcy Regier just might have made a crafty move in obtaining Dainius Zubrus.' … [Read more...] about Dainius Zubrus is a hungry man