I'll be here all night long.....
FIRST PERIOD ACTION:
I love the way that Buffalo have come out flying tonight. The forwards are initiating contact and they are winning the walls.
MacArthur smoked Wade Redden , as Redden's face was to the glass in his own end---- this is how Buffalo have to play to be successful: soft dumps in the corners to make the Ottawa D men turn and retreat. Gotta make them pay a physical toll every time.
Speaking of Buffalo, tonight's lineup is the toughest its been all season long with Kaleta, Mair, Goose, Petey, Paille, Pratt on the ice at the same time. I predict a couple punch in the face contests!
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Vanek's breakaway attempt shows me that TV is engaged and involved in the game. He'll bury that chance 8 out of 10 times.
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Good on TiBo for stoning Vermette, then, absolutely slamming the door on Shean Donovan. Great saves from in close.
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Hecht and Ryan take off on a 2 on 1---- 55 fires it 10 feet wide right!
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The Goose took Chris Neil off the puck with a clean body check behind the play.
Neil and Goose tossed the miits and exchanged blows. Advantage: Goose.
I like the fact that these two team leaders felt it necessary to set the tone and tempo of this gane with a scrap.
Gooseknows his team needs a spark and he surely ignited a fire on the Buffalo bench. Lets see if it erupts into a blaze or if it flickers out....
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The Buffalo PK have killed a couple of minors and the look good in the process.
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FIRST PERIOD SUMMARY:
Both teams came out flying. I give Buffalo thye ege in the Phsicality department. Both teams had their share of scoring chances. No goals.
First period shots on goal , 8-6 Ottawa.
The Sabres outhit the Sens 10-8.
Here's your first period summary:
http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20072008/ES020645.HTM
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SECOND PERIOD::
24 seconds into the second period, Chris Kelly, on the 3 on 2, found open ice down the right wing wall... he threaded a nice tape to tape pass to Donovan, who slipped into the blue ice-- behind the Buffalo D. 1-0 Sens.
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Pat Kaleta destroyed Joe Corvo with one Hell of a body check as Corvo tried to breakout of his end.
Cody Bass took exception to the Kaleta bombing missiona dn he takes an undisiplined minor.....
Sens successfully kill the minor.
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The Sens and Sabres continue to trade scoring rushes.
Thibault stuffed Alfredsson at one end while Gerber stoned Hecht and Vanek at the other end.
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The Sabres are playing with fire here in the second. Drew Stafford has taken two unecessary, back to back penalties.
Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson are tough enough 5 on 5. Why give them the man advantage???
The Buffalo PKErs have been on the ice four different times tonight... thats living dangerously against the Sens.
Successful Buffalo kill.
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Stafford left the box, and then drew a High Stick foul from Schubert....
Sabres are 0-1 on PP tonight with zero shots....
SHORTIE! Alfredsson 2-0 Sens.
Ottawa's 10th SHG of the season.
The Buffalo PP pointmen were beaten by Fisher and Alfredsson on the two on one out of the Ottawa end.
Bad goal against for the Sabres.
What a deflating way to end the period.
The period started with against in the game's first 30 seconds. Then, the shorthanded goal at the end of the period.
The Sabres need two quick goals in the early stages of the third period.
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THIRD PERIOD:
What a surprise--- the Sabres have to come from behind in the third period against Ottawa......
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VANEK PINGS THE POST AT THE 17 SECOND MARK OF THE THIRD
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General MacArthur beats Gerber with a nifty backhander early in the third. 2-1 Sens. Mac's 5th goal of the season. This kid is an everyday NHL player. Let him play.
Mac has points in his last three games.
Pommer and Hank with assists.
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Lydman takes another dumb penalty...........
Successful kill.
Where is Spacek? I haven't seen him on the ice at the start of the third period...
BACK SPASMS. DONE FOR THE NIGHT.
Buffalo are now playing with 5 Dmen.
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Its absolutely imperative for Buffalo to score the next goal....
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Lydman quits skating and hooks Spezza-- again!
ANOTHER STUPID PENALTY !
Spacek, Roy, Connolly and Paetsch kill penalties. They are all out of the game. Why the Hell do the Sabres keep playing with fire? Its wreckless, stupid, and arrogant.
TiBo will have to pull Lydman's ass out of the fire again!
Successful kill.
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Paille and Kaleta hook up for a nice scoring chance. Kaleta's backhander was a nice play. Get pucks deep and get them to the net.
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nEIL MISSES THE OPEN NET BEHIND THE SPRAWLING THIBAULT...
THEN, HECHT-POMMER-MAC GO 3 ON 2 THE OTHER WAY.
Great back and forth action
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Kotalik feeds the streaking Goose... Goose feeds Paille and bingo! Top shelf where Mama Hides The Cookies! 2-2
* Paul Gaustad was stick fouled on his way to the net and Ottawa will send one man to the box after the goal. Goose is bleeding, however, the penalty will only be a two and not a four. The official says that two of the four minute double mminor was erased by the Buffalo goal, because the goal occurred before the penalty. Bulls%^$. I'd like to see the rule on this penalty scenario. the Sabres should get the goal AND the four minute minor.
Buffalo PP
* Hecht gets puck to net and nearly scores, then 55 destroys Chris Kelly with an open ice hit.
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Gerber is having rebound control problems in the third period. He's mishandled 3 or 4 Buffalo chances and he's left fat rebounds lying in the blue ice and in the danger zone. Drive the net, Buffalo!
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TiBo has held his team in here in the third period.
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@ 1:51, Chris Neil attempted to remove Campbell's head from mhis torso with a dirty head hit. 51 ducked and Neil missed. Had Campbell not ducked, he'd have a serious head injury. Neil left hi sfeet and projected himself at Campbell.... punk play!
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OVERTIME:
4 on 4 time.....
Ottawa are 1-3 in Shootouts.
* Vanek draws a crowd everytime he touches the puck in OT....
* Mair mishandles a pass that would've given him the two on one on Gerber....
* Stafford keeps pucks in to allow Buffalo line change
* TALLINDER BLOCKS A HEATLEY SCUD MISSILE WITH 10 SECONDS LEFT. FACEOFF IN BUFFALO END WITH 6.9 SECONDS LEFT, TO THE LEFT OF TI BO.
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My daughter just asked me "how is Thibault in shootouts?"
We'll see.....
Ottawa elects to shoot first:
BUFFALO SHOOTERS:
Kotalik- wide left
Stafford- Gerber poke checks it away
Pominville- Gerber makes the save!
Vanek- SCORES!
MacArthur- Poke checked.
Hecht-No goal
OTTAWA SHOOTERS:
Alfredsson- POST!
Vermette- no dice... deke failed.
Spezza- no deal!
Heater- ACCESS DENIED!
Fisher- Scores...
McAmmond- Scores.
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Sabre show poise and heart, and they battle back from a 2-0 deficit to force OT and the Shootout.
They get a point when many haters thought they'd be blwon out 14-0.
Credit TiBo and the 5 man Buffalo D corps for playing with poise and purpose in the final 26 minutes of the game, plus OT.
I loved the heart and courage. No Roy, no Afinogenov, no Connolly, No Paetsch, no Miller, and they played without Spacek for 25+ minutes. The Sabres stifled a talented offensive team, and were it not for a bad shorthanded goal against, they'd have won this game.
The Sens have been talking all week about their showdown with the Daytwa Red Wings this Saturday night.
Is it possible that they looked beyond this game to the next one?
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