Archives for April 19, 2010

'“The deal with Tim is he had one practice (actually two) before he went in and played,” said Ruff, who’s confident Connolly can catch up. “I question conditioning, but we knew that going in. ... Playoff intensity is a lot tougher than regular season. ... The pace, he’s going to have to catch up, and catch up fast,” he said. “That means … [Read more...] about Ruff sees change in workload for Connolly

'Vanek, however, could return in the series, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. He accompanied the team to Boston.' … [Read more...] about Vanek doubtful for tonight

'Miller was the MVP of the Vancouver Olympics, going 9-2-1 while helping Team USA win a silver medal. He was second in the league with a 2.22 goals-against average and .929 save percentage this season, winning 41 games for Buffalo.' … [Read more...] about Miller, Brodeur, Bryzgalov are Vezina nominees

'"I'm still hoping for [Monday night] even though I know deep down it's a stretch," Vanek said. "I would say Wednesday then. If it's not Wednesday then, I don't know. Maybe the next game [Friday]. But the good part is that I feel like and we feel like I'll be back for the series."' … [Read more...] about Sabres try to reload without top gun

'"For us I think the simplest play is the right play," Tim Connolly said. "It's getting the puck to our points and getting it on net and battling up front. I think we've got to get a few more guys in front, create some more net-front presence and try to get a rebound or a goal like that. If you look around the league, that's how all the power-play goals are scored."' … [Read more...] about Sabres need to crank up the power play

'"It's going to have to be shorter," Ruff said. "I'll have to do a better job of regulating his shifts, maybe even less on the penalty-killing side. His minutes have to go down, so he's not thinking, "I'm playing 19 minutes, I have to conserve.'"' … [Read more...] about Connolly must step up in Game Three

'"You see that across the league," Montador said Sunday. "Home building and they're tied, 1-1, so they're going to have to be excited about it. In the playoffs, you're going to have to win some games on the road. Other teams are going to be pushing hard and we have to do the same."' … [Read more...] about Montador says Bruins are ready for Garden party

'Connolly/Pominville/Ennis: Minus-7 in Game Two, made key mistake to create four-on-two for tying goal.' … [Read more...] about Scouting report: Sabres must weather the storm

Bruins Begin, Sobotka are being pretty gritty (Boston Globe) Sabres’ Vanek likely out of Game 3 lineup (Boston Globe) Bruins look for more growth at home (Boston Herald) Claude Julien, team seize leadership role (Boston Herald) Andrew Ference ices injury (Boston Herald) Adam McQuaid green, but solid on blue line (Boston Herald) Bruins confident of playoff success … [Read more...] about Monday’s Boston Coverage

'“I was pleasantly surprised the damage isn’t severe,” Ruff said Sunday after an optional practice at HSBC Arena, where Vanek wasn’t made available to the media. “When a player comes off like that, you obviously fear the worst.”' … [Read more...] about Vanek could return to series

Pirates try to regroup on the road (Portland Press Herald) … [Read more...] about Monday’s Portland Coverage

'"Right off the bat, we came out banging,” Pominville said. “Guys were involved, finishing checks. We got the lead. We got the crowd into it. In the second, we were a bit too sloppy. We maybe wanted to do a little too much. Keep it simple, keep our composure. They kind of weathered the storm in the first and then came out in the second,” he said. … [Read more...] about Bruins put a hit on the Sabres

'As for Buffalo’s impressive streak of not losing a game when leading heading into the final period, Julien pointed out, “We certainly addressed that (before the last 20 minutes) and talked about the adjustments we needed to make to get us back into the game. Everybody understood the urgency and what this game meant to our hockey club ... hopefully going back with a … [Read more...] about Bruins make this a whole new series

'Ruff thought Boychuk, who was whistled for hooking at 13:39, had no ill intent. “It’s a play that trying to defend Thomas looks like a two-handed slash,” Ruff said. “He’s trying to break up the play.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres collapse with Vanek’s injury