Archives for April 15, 2007

'Sabres' head coach Lindy Ruff said that he gave the pair the day off to rest and that they will be in the lineup for Game Three tomorrow night on Long Island.' … [Read more...] about Drury And Connolly Sit Out Practice; Both Okay

'The Isles came to play. Their passing was pinpoint, their passion on display with every blocked shot. DiPietro's early contributions didn't come in the form of huge stops -- he saved those for later -- but in his ability to play a third defense position and swat away every shoot-in with ease.' … [Read more...] about Sabres wake up too late in loss to Isles

'The fans reacted like scalded cats and more than a few were heard howling on the airwaves that the series was lost. These folks need to take a pill.' … [Read more...] about Sabres fans are a breed apart

'Such a performance is inexcusable in the playoffs -- especially against a team as eminently beatable as the Islanders. True, the Isles played with desperation and a stronger game plan (emphasizing the fore-check and defensive aggressiveness), but frankly, that wouldn't have mattered half as much if the Sabres had played the full 60 minutes the way the played the … [Read more...] about Grading the Sabres: Game 2

'Grand predictions of a sweep and a Sabres waltz into the Stanley Cup finals were vaporized Saturday night. The media and fans were proclaiming all week that the Sabres would sweep the Isles and that New York didn’t even merit any concern. Today, those very voices of super optimism wake up with egg all over their faces. It may take them a week to get their feet extracted … [Read more...] about Isles hand Sabres and fans big dose of reality!

'The scene at Borders, where fans took numbers to line up to meet the guys who call the games, is emblematic of how rampant Sabres fever has become. And it shows why so many local businesses are eager to connect with the team and its players, or even its TV crew.' … [Read more...] about Merchants Scoooorrrrrrre!

'The Sabres sleepwalked through all but the last couple minutes of the first period and spent the rest of the game digging themselves out of a two-goal hole.' … [Read more...] about Islanders goalie returns with 32 saves to tie series

'It’s been said many times before, but it bears repeating. The Sabres are the most dangerous team in the NHL when they’re skating hard and playing together, but they become very average very quickly when they rationalize they can win on talent alone. Effort over skill will determine their fate. There are no free rides.' … [Read more...] about Sabres started too late, and it cost them a game

'If anyone is desperate now, it might be the heavily favored Sabres, who started the game as if they expected the Isles to roll over. Now they realize the series isn’t going to be the cakewalk most experts expected. And they must contemplate the fact that New York is suddenly winning the allimportant goalie battle.' … [Read more...] about Nolan and his goalie win this one

'Drew Stafford was promoted to the line featuring center Chris Drury and right wing Dainius Zubrus. Stafford’s arrival bumped Ales Kotalik down to the fourth line with center Tim Connolly and right wing Adam Mair.' … [Read more...] about Kotalik part of Ruff&#8217s line shuffle

'Daniel Paille, Mike Ryan, Patrick Kaleta, Michael Funk, Mark Mancari, Andrej Sekera and Mike Card all spent time in Buffalo. At one point, the Amerks were down to Marek Zagrapan and Dylan Hunter. With so many players shuffling through the door this season, it’s a wonder they didn’t have names taped to their helmets.' … [Read more...] about Cunneyworth works his magic

'But the Islanders are a better team, home and on the road, with DiPietro in goal. The one thing you can never question is his readiness," Islanders coach Ted Nolan said. Then Nolan added, "He has a sense of confidence."' … [Read more...] about Goalie keeps Islanders in series with Sabres

'The sellout crowd of 18,690 booed loudly moments after the Islanders scored the winning goal in the third. Their reaction was in response to Sabres winger Maxim Afinogenov's hooking penalty, which led to the power-play score. But Sabres coach Lindy Ruff did not argue the call. Instead, he said, "Don't put your stick there," referring to Afinogenov's stick in former Sabre … [Read more...] about Sabres report

'"It wasn't the type of hockey we've been playing, that's for sure," Sabres defenseman Toni Lydman said after the Islanders evened the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at 1-1. "There's no easy games, and it's only going to get harder. I hope we've learned our lesson."' … [Read more...] about Reality check for Sabres

'Owner Charles Wang used his private jet to fly goaltender Rick DiPietro in to Buffalo, hoping his franchise goalie would be the difference in a series that still sees the Sabres as an overwhelming favorite. It was the kind of thing a power-hungry technology tycoon might do to impress his buddies in the Hamptons.' … [Read more...] about Islanders give another lesson on not using your head