Archives for March 28, 2012

Buffalo Sabres (38-29-10) Jason Pominville battled captain on captain for control of the puck in the neutral zone with the Washington Capitals (38-31-8) Alex Ovechkin late in the second period, Tuesday.
[Read more…] about Timing is Everything

‘”We’ve figured out how to win. That’s the difference,” said defenseman Jordan Leopold. “It’s not a real tough formula. We need everybody together for 60 minutes of hockey. Some nights it’s going to take 65 and a shootout, but tonight we scored on our opportunities.”‘

‘”I know from playing defense on the power play, it’s not an easy situation,” said Pominville, who posted his 29th goal of the season. “You’re not used to it. There’s a bouncing puck that goes behind him and I kind of had a little bit of speed going and I was able to get right on him. It’s a tough bounce on his side and a fortunate bounce on my side.”‘

Washington stumbles in key game against Buffalo, 5-1 (Washington Post)
Capitals don’t show playoff desperation in 5-1 loss to Sabres (Washington Times)
Braden Holtby’s puck-handling gaffe sets tone for rough night (Washington Times)
Caps fumble away an opportunity in loss to Sabres (Washington Examiner)
Rough night in goal for rookie Holtby (Washington Examiner)
Odds against them, Caps still believe (Washington Examiner)
Caps a no-show in season’s biggest game (Fredricksburg Free Lance Star)
Death, Taxes and the Capitals Choking (Cape Gazette)
Caps trounced by Sabres (CSN Washington)
Miller, Sabres steal the show (CSN Washington)
Dull Blades (CSN Washington)
Postgame notebook (WashingtonCaps.com)
Photo gallery (WashingtonCaps.com)
Photo gallery (Sabres.com)
Photo gallery (AP)
Photo gallery (WGRZ-TV)
Photo gallery (WIVB-TV)

‘Buffalo took a 3-0 lead early in the second period and coasted home behind Miller, who’s 14-1-3 over his last 18 games, allowing only 32 goals in that span. He’s also 8-0-2 in his last 10.’

‘Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville and Cody McCormick also lit the lamp for the Sabres, who hold a two-point edge over their Tuesday foes for the final playoff berth in the East. Both clubs have five games remaining.’

‘Next up the Sabres host the Penguins on Friday.’

‘Buffalo continued to keep that Caps’ star player off the scoresheet in the final frame. After the game, Ryan Miller was pleased with his team’s defensive effort against Ovechkin. “We forced him and pressured him and he likes to cut inside and we had great pressure with the third man and that allowed our D to be close to him and that’s frustrating for him.”‘

“It was huge for him to outbattle Ovechkin there. Anytime you can get a shorthanded goal that can sway the momentum for you big time,” said Stafford. “It’s tough for a power play to give up one like that. So for Jason to bury that one, that was big for us. They seemed like they had a little bit of life at that time in the game, so it was big for us.”

‘”We’ve been in this mode for a while, a playoff mode where every game has been a must-win for us,” Stafford said. “Obviously with this game, them being right there with us in the standings, the stakes are a little bit higher, but we’re not done yet. We’re in the position we want to be, but we know the road is just going to get tougher.”‘