SabreSpace

'Two-thirds through the 2000-01 campaign and you have to ask, where exactly is this team destined? After going 20-12-3-1 in the first 36 games, the Sabres backpedaled to mediocrity in their next 20 games with an 8-10-2 mark.' … [Read more...] about Sabres still searching for winning formula

Taking his customary pregame nap on Saturday afternoon, Rob Ray stretched out on his couch like an old dog with the house to himself. … [Read more...] about As good as it gets

There must have been some painful splinters in the bench last week when Lindy Ruff sat Miroslav Satan for a period following a costly mistake, because his play has transformed to the lethal scoring explosion he's so capable of. … [Read more...] about Satan casts out the Devils

'It says on page six of the New Jersey Devils' media guide that Lou Lamoriello runs the team. But the Buffalo Sabres own them.' … [Read more...] about Sabres stick fork in Devils again

'Every player needs a proverbial kick in the pants every now and again. Looking back, maybe Ruff made a mistake by benching Satan against the Thrashers. He should have sat him down five weeks ago after a dreadful performance in San Jose when he played 191/2 minutes and didn't register a shot.' … [Read more...] about Satan sends a message of his own with four-point performance

'The Buffalo Sabres will be without Dave Andreychuk for at least five days because of swelling in his right knee.' … [Read more...] about Andreychuk on shelf with swelling in knee

'He's 37, still young by life's standards but an old man when it comes to hockey. His face is battered from 18 seasons and some 1,300 games in the NHL. He needs days off from practice; maintenance days, he calls them.' … [Read more...] about Maintenance man

'The common link emerging between the Sabres' past and the Islanders' future is none other than Ted Nolan, unemployed in the NHL since winning the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year in 1997. Fans have expressed interest in the former Sabres coach, and Wang is at least laying the groundwork for Nolan's possible return to the NHL.' … [Read more...] about Islanders may give Ted Nolan a shot

'The announcement by the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday that they have no intention of trading goalie Dominik Hasek before the March 13 deadline wasn't good news to backup Martin Biron.' … [Read more...] about Biron playing the company line

'It was the fourth time this season the usually steady Brodeur had been removed from a game. On two occasions it was because of injury, and once, on Oct. 19 against Washington, because he surrendered four goals on 11 shots. But Brodeur was not upset at being pulled. He was genuinely relieved. "I was kind of happy," said Brodeur. "In a game like that, you … [Read more...] about Brodeur Yanked as Devils' Free Fall Continues

'What was left of the Devils all but abandoned goalie Martin Brodeur, who was yanked with 6:33 left in the second period and the Devils trailing 4-1 thanks to two Miroslav Satan goals. The Devils' lone goal came from rookie Pierre Dagenais, who was an emergency recall from Albany (AHL) and was playing in his first NHL game.' … [Read more...] about Devils See Sabres Add Injuries, Insult

'During last night's 5-1 loss to the Sabres here, they also lost Petr Sykora to a suspected shoulder separation and Scott Gomez to a back injury, compounding the earlier loss yesterday of Jason Arnott to another back ailment. Fully six of their Top 10 players are injured, and they have not won in six games.' … [Read more...] about Losses, injuries keep mounting

'When Devils coach Larry Robinson pulled Martin Brodeur during the second period last night, he was trying to protect the goalie's confidence. He might just as well have been protecting Brodeur from the club's bizarre injury plague.' … [Read more...] about Remain in a world of hurt

'Scott Niedermayer, who took Friday off in his rehabilitation from arthroscopic knee surgery, skated yesterday and is hopeful of playing tomorrow night against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre.' … [Read more...] about Niedermayer says he's ready to play

'Bad luck? Why not? That's about the only thing the Devils seem to have in abundance these days. But they made things hard for themselves in this one, allowing the Sabres to score the bulk of their goals off of careless turnovers and giveaways. And that hurt almost as much as the ache in Sykora's shoulder or Gomez's back.' … [Read more...] about Sabres top Devils, injury woes mount