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Lasting image from Sabres in playoffs


gilbert11

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It was prolly the defining moment of the series.

 

Still say that was borderline interference. :oops:

You will almost never get that call in the playoffs. And as much as I am for strictly calling the rules as they're written and hate when obstruction gets let go (and even w/ the more relaxed enforcement currently called, it is still 100x better than it was pre-lockout, but I digress), I don't have a problem w/ them not calling interference there. Both were trying to get to the puck, and the 42 year old veteran played it smarter than the rookie. He was focused on what was going on around the puck and Kennedy was only focused on the puck. It's a h*ll of a price to have to pay to learn the lesson, but Kennedy didn't lose that battle again the rest of the series. I doubt if he loses that battle 3 more times in his career.

 

For me, the lasting images were Vanek going down and the 4 on 2 later that game. Miller pulling ever so slightly off his line on the 2nd goal, Grier getting robbed by Rask, Timmy hitting the crossbar, and then Ziro killing them. That little celebration of Ziro's in game 6 will stick w/ me the way that Smolinski's smirk would have if not for Timmy's and Chris' heroics later that game way back when.

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I think other teams can play on talent, while the B's and Sabres were playing on sheer desperation, with Boston evidently being more desperate than Buffalo. Desperation isn't going to work for the B's versus extremely more talented teams, though.

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Boychuk taking a hack at Vanek with Buffalo up 2-0 in Game 2. The Sabres were never the same since that point.

 

I'll second that.

 

Game one victory, up 2-0, Vanek goes down and they were never the same team out there. Talent wise, I think we could have won this series without Vanek, but the mental block seemed to be too much for this group.

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Miller standing alone at center ice following game 6.

 

My Choice.

 

The Legend of Ryan Miller grows.

 

No silly it's not about the legend of Ryan Miller.

 

It's about being professional, mannning up, no sour grapes, facing your opponent, realize and accept you fell short and congratulate the opponent on a hard fought series win and show good sportmanship. Some might call it leadership. Which this team needs as much as it can get.

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Game 2 after Vanek went down. The four on two rush by the Sabres, led by Roy. Right below my seats at HSBC.

 

Roy comes in, parks himself at the edge of the faceoff circle and the wall, looking, looking, (meanwhile three Sabres are parked in 3 prime spots waiting for the puck) looking, looking, looses the puck.

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Little Tim Kennedy racing for the puck with Mark Recchi, Recchi easily getting the best of it & passing to a teammate for a goal.

Kennedy in the playoffs: 6 games, 1 goal, 2 assists, +3. Pick on someone else. Kennedy didn't let us down.

 

The image I'll remember is the replay of Connolly floating back to the Sabres zone when the Bruins had a 4 on 2 rush and tied the score 3-3 in Game 2. No effort made to get back in time to make a difference, and that was AFTER his poor decision at the other end of the ice is the reason Boston had the puck to make that rush. When that's what you're getting from a veteran player and your no.1 center, six games is about as long as you can expect to last in the playoffs.

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Kennedy in the playoffs: 6 games, 1 goal, 2 assists, +3. Pick on someone else. Kennedy didn't let us down.

Absolutely right. That Kennedy was in position and tried to take Recchi out of the play was more than you could say about the FAB 5 combined. Even if any of them had hustled to be in that position(which they usually don't in their own end), they would have shied away from Recchi like he had the plague.

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Kennedy in the playoffs: 6 games, 1 goal, 2 assists, +3. Pick on someone else. Kennedy didn't let us down.

 

The image I'll remember is the replay of Connolly floating back to the Sabres zone when the Bruins had a 4 on 2 rush and tied the score 3-3 in Game 2. No effort made to get back in time to make a difference, and that was AFTER his poor decision at the other end of the ice is the reason Boston had the puck to make that rush. When that's what you're getting from a veteran player and your no.1 center, six games is about as long as you can expect to last in the playoffs.

 

Ennis made the ill-advised pass there. Probably had little to do with effort there -- conditioning and end of shift played into it.

 

Speaking of that, Ruff mentioned this morning that Vanek's goal is to get into elite condition next season. Is there an issue with this team's training/medical staff?

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No silly it's not about the legend of Ryan Miller.

 

It's about being professional, mannning up, no sour grapes, facing your opponent, realize and accept you fell short and congratulate the opponent on a hard fought series win and show good sportmanship. Some might call it leadership. Which this team needs as much as it can get.

Being first in line shows that more than being second or fifth?

 

I don't think bun was referring to what you're referring to. bun?

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The invisible man act performed by Tim Connolly

But I enjoy watching him on the power play... holding the puck for 42 seconds, skating around in a circle, then giving it up for a breakaway for the shorthanded team.

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