Archives for December 17, 2011

Buffalo (16-12-3) at Pittsburgh (17-11-4) (AP)
Buffalo Sabres (16-12-3) at Pittsburgh Penguins (17-11-4) (The Sports Network)
Banged-up Sabres visit injury-plagued Penguins (NHL.com)
What to Watch For: Pens vs. Sabres (PittsburghPenguins.com)

‘The Sabres scored three times on the power play during a four-goal second period and that proved decisive. They survived a wild finish to beat the Leafs, 5-4, in the teams’ first meeting of the season.’

‘”Not too strange at all,” said Connolly who chatted with former teammate Ryan Miller after the game. “I just came in like I usually do and just went to the other locker room. I had a great time [with the Sabres], a great group of guys that I played with, a great organization. We had some good teams and some teams that didn’t make the playoffs, but overall I had a lot of fun playing in Buffalo.”‘

‘Friday’s tilt could go down as the best between the teams in years. Incredibly, the Sabres skated out for pregame warm-ups to booing. With Leafs fans possibly outnumbering the Sabres supporters, the building rarely stopped buzzing, each side trying to outdo the other.’

‘“I had a great time,” Connolly, who joined the Sabres in 2001 from the Islanders, said about Buffalo. “(It was) a great group of guys that I played with, a great organization. We had some great teams, some teams that didn’t make the playoffs. But overall I had a lot of fun playing in Buffalo.”’

Penalty-kill trouble does in Leafs (Toronto Sun)
Leafs captain’s crunch costly (Toronto Sun)
Penalties prove costly for Leafs in 5-4 loss to Sabres (Toronto Star)
Five Leafs answers following 5-4 loss to Sabres (Toronto Star)
Late rally from Leafs falls short (National Post)
Thrilling play, maddening PK (Sportsnet.ca)
Photo gallery (MapleLeafs.com)
Photo gallery (Sabres.com)
Photo gallery (AP)
Photo gallery (WGRZ-TV)

‘“We need to get our swagger back, especially when we have the lead,” said Vanek, who leads the Sabres with 16 goals. “Sometimes that’s all it takes. There’s no miracle to it. Everyone here is a good player, so when we get the lead we have to go for the next one and bury a team. We didn’t quite do that, but I think it was a step in the right direction.”’

‘”It was a fun game for fans to watch, that’s for sure,” said Miller. “Lots of good chances and lots of scoring. It was a good hockey game and I’m glad we came out on top.”‘

‘The two rivals squared off in front of an electric atmosphere at First Niagara Center as Buffalo and Toronto fans went back forth with raucous cheering and chants as their teams went back and forth on the ice.’

‘After Connolly signed in Toronto, his agent J.P. Barry ripped the media in Buffalo for being too hard on Connolly and having a vendetta against him. As far as if he felt people were fair to him he said, “I wouldn’t know. I don’t follow your talk show or the media very closely. I stay away from that. I learned that as a younger age the hard way. I just go out and enjoy myself, play day to day and enjoy the game, it’s a lot of fun.”‘