SabreSpace

'Flyers coach Bill Barber didn't seem particularly enthralled with home-ice advantage. Not that he won't take it. "I don't know if there's any edge," Barber said. "You still have to win games on the road. That's the bottom line when you get into playoff hockey. For a team to be successful you have to find ways to win. "Home-ice … [Read more...] about Sabres ready to hit road for opener

'So that's where the Buffalo Sabres find themselves, with the postseason upon them and the Flyers in possession of their heads. The Sabres failed on Sunday to dent Cechmanek's mystique. They failed to achieve the goal their own netminder, Dominik Hasek, established at the beginning of the season: home ice in the first round of the playoffs.' … [Read more...] about Flyers wield psychological edge over Sabres

'The Buffalo Sabres coach has officially decided not to name anyone team captain for the postseason.' … [Read more...] about Ruff declines a 'C' change for postseason

'... there seems an uneasiness throughout Sabre land that this hockey season will come to another crashing if not disappointing halt at a minimum of four games and a maximum of seven.' … [Read more...] about NHL's 2nd season boosts Sabres' bottom line

'Tight checking. Low scoring. Solid goaltending. That's the ticket to this NHL matchup between the two teams when the Eastern Conference quarterfinals open Wednesday at the First Union Center.' … [Read more...] about Flyers earn home-ice advantage with tough win over Buffalo

'What kind of playoff series can the Flyers expect from the Buffalo Sabres? Flyers general manager Bob Clarke didn't have to think long to answer. "It's going to be tight checking," Clarke said yesterday at the HSBC Arena. "You can never predict these things, but when you have the top two goalies in the league, you figure it's going to be low … [Read more...] about Clarke expects a tight-checking playoff series

'Now, instead of having to travel back to Buffalo, the Flyers will open the playoffs at the First Union Center on Wednesday. It will be the fifth time in seven years the two teams have met in the postseason. In the previous four series, the Flyers eliminated Buffalo three times.' … [Read more...] about No place like home

'No team has ever beaten Hasek four times in one season, let alone one goaltender. It capped two days of inspired hockey that will go down as some of the best in recent Flyers history.' … [Read more...] about Flyers secure home-ice edge against Sabres

'There's no getting around it. Playoff series often come down to goaltending, and in the upcoming matchup between the Flyers and Buffalo Sabres, the scoreboard (so far) reads: Roman Cechmanek 4, Dominik Hasek 0. If that trend continues, the Flyers might dispatch the Sabres quicker than the five games it took last year.' … [Read more...] about Goaltending key factor in playoffs

'The Flyers saw a vision yesterday of their pending playoff opponent, and it looked a lot like the ghosts of playoffs past. If a 2-1 conquest of Buffalo was a preview of their first-round playoff series with the Sabres, the Flyers have every reason to feel as secure as they did prior to their just-passed seven-game slide, and as confident as any team would be that beat … [Read more...] about Cechmanek has Czech this time

'But the Flyers-Sabres first-round playoff series that commences at First Union Center Wednesday night should be defined by the matchup of goaltenders, Czech national teammates Roman Cechmanek and Dominik Hasek. What it will miss the most, however, is the battle at center that used to exist between Canadian countrymen Eric Lindros and Michael Peca.' … [Read more...] about Without Lindros or Peca, series takes different look

'Sabres roughneck Rob Ray believes there is more pressure on the home team to win the first two games. "We're just going to go in there looking to split," he said. "Get one win and go home tied and that's a successful trip. That's why the pressure's on the home team. If the visiting team wins that first game, then you' re in big … [Read more...] about For Flyers, Buffalo, playoffs are new season

'It's a challenge the Flyers appear to be up to, considering they've won five of six previous playoff series against the Sabres -- including a 4-1 series win last year -- and improved to 10-2-2 in their last 14 meetings, including the playoffs.' … [Read more...] about Flyers 2, Sabres 1

'The way Roman Cechmanek has played against the Buffalo Sabres this season, it probably would not matter if the Philadelphia Flyers had home-ice advantage in their first-round playoff series.' … [Read more...] about Philadelphia 2, Buffalo 1

'Roman Cechmanek was absolutely phenomenal, stopping 36 shots to pick up a season series sweep against his countryman Dominik Hasek.' … [Read more...] about Flyers 2, Sabres 1