SabreSpace

'"You know what?" Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette said. "He's a terrific person, liked by everybody on the team. He's just got a great personality."' … [Read more...] about Commodore symbolizes ‘Canes spirit

'Score first - The opening goal guarantees nothing, but getting the lead would be an infusion of confidence for a team dealing with extenuating circumstances.' … [Read more...] about Sabres can chill out with this six-pack

'Ruff continued to maintain that unfinished scoring opportunities, not a patchwork defense, were at the root of Friday night's 4-0 loss that evened the series at two wins apiece. Still, there's no denying Numminen's presence would be a boost to a backline that in Game Four employed two players, Jeff Jillson and Doug Janik, with minimal NHL experience.' … [Read more...] about Numminen skates as hopes rise for return to action

'Maxim Afinogenov: Sabres' regular-season scoring leader has zero goals and two assists in his last six games.' … [Read more...] about Scouting report

'But Ruff knows he's in deep here. From a personal point of view, he could use the excuse of the general manager who, in concert with the billionaire owner, decided to follow the cheapest possible path at trading-deadline time and didn't bother to shore up the defence.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ D rough

'"I have the feeling we sat back because we didn't want to give them odd-man rushes or any good opportunities," center Daniel Briere said. Cautious is not how the Sabres can play. They're an up-tempo, attack-as-five team.' … [Read more...] about Hurting Sabres remain hopeful

'Two wins from a Stanley Cup appearance, the Sabres had a pairing with a combined eight games of playoff experience. Throwing playoff novices into the fire creates a domino effect.' … [Read more...] about Does lack of eD&#8217epth doom Sabres?

'1. -- March 7, 1986 -- Gilbert Perreault scores the 500th goal of his NHL career at home against the New Jersey Devils. Teammate Mike Foligno passed the puck to Perreault, who redirected it into the net past Devils goalie Alain Chevrier. At the time, Perreault was just the 12th player in NHL history to hit the 500-goal mark for a career.' … [Read more...] about Randy Schultz’s Top 10 Sabres moments

'The defeat was demoralizing and complete and now, really for the first time this post-season, the swashbuckling Sabres are in the position where they must find their swagger again. The possible return of injured defenceman Teppo Numminen, out with a groin strain, would help immensely. He skated for 20 minutes yesterday before flying with the team to North Carolina. He said he … [Read more...] about Buffalo’s attitude changes after an up-Teppo practice

'"I'm not as hopeful now. He isn't progressing as planned," Ruff said. "I really thought that I would see him. I don't predict that now."' … [Read more...] about Connolly’s done for Eastern final

'"It works both ways," Sabres center Chris Drury said. "After Game 3, they were ready to order the rings. After Game 4, they were ready to write us off. It works that way for everybody in every city. As players, we just have to find that even keel, that level-headed zone, and learn from losses just as you learn from wins."' … [Read more...] about Sabres ignore fans’ gloomy outlook

'The Sabres' weakness on defense is being overstated, Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. He added that the defense played well enough and Friday's score hid a strong offensive effort, too. "We had some really good opportunities [to score]," he said, "You need to finish those."' … [Read more...] about Sabres can soothe a disappointed city in Game 5

'Some Buffalo visitors have countered that they got a hostile reception in the Triangle. "After the [Monday] game ended, Carolina fans screamed obscenities at me as we tried to leave the arena," wrote Thomas Burger, 43, a Sabres fan and Charlotte minister who brought his daughter to Monday's game. "I am sorry I decided to bring my daughter into that environment and will not be … [Read more...] about Hockey fans show ugly side

'"I wasn't surprised," Ruff said Saturday after arriving in the Triangle for tonight's Game 5. "There was speculation he was playing, and our guess was that he was playing. We had him pegged for playing. ... [Laviolette] can throw up as much smoke as he wants, but it didn't seem like he was happy with [Cam] Ward."' … [Read more...] about Sabres had Gerber ‘pegged’ for Game 4

In this together (Raleigh News and Observer) Gerber's anger paid off (Raleigh News and Observer) Sabres ignore fans' gloomy outlook (Raleigh News and Observer) Sabres can soothe a disappointed city in Game 5 (Raleigh News and Observer) Hockey fans show ugly side (Raleigh News and Observer) Five Points (Raleigh News and Observer) Slap Shots (Raleigh News and … [Read more...] about Sunday’s Carolina Coverage