What a difference a month makes, eh?
What once seemed so dark and bleek, now appears to be very encouraging. Talking to Sabres players this wek, they'll tell you that getting a foothold on the 8 hole is their first
goal. Why rest there? Click in the four wheel drive and climb the standings!
Sabres are 5-0-1 in their past 6 games.
The Sabres have scored first in 5 of the last 6 games. This will be one of the keys to beating Claude Julien's Trap.
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11 teams have scouts in here tonight: Atlanta, Columbus, Carolina, Ottawa, Edmonton, Washington, Colorado, Calgary, Montreal, Nashville, Vancouver.
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This is Boston's third trip to Buffalo this season.... Sabres handed the Bs a 4-2 loss in Beantown on Tuesday....Boston comes back to Buffalo on March 30. These two teams will close the regular season April 5 in Boston---ANOTHER Playoff game!
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Max Afinogenov tonight? NYET! His wonky groin has caused him to miss the past 15 games... 16 after tonight.
Kalinin tonight? Game time decision.
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100 CLUB:
Ryan Miller earned his 99th career victory Wednesday night vs. New Jersey. He'll earn his 100th tonight.
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HANK O'FAMER:
Henrik Tallinder made sabres team history when he cscored on Marty Brodeur in the Shootout Wednesday night. It was the first time a Sabres Dman had ever scored a Shootout goal.
It was also the first ever attempt by a Sabres Dman in the Shootout
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6:52 pm- Ryan Miller emerges from the inner sanctum to perform his pregame meditation.
Miller and Auld tonight.
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Nice to se some Cam Neelt representation en la casa tonight. I loved the way that Cam Neely battled everynight! What a beast! He was a special player. Too bad Ulf Samuelsson's ignorance took Neeley's twilight years away from us.
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6:59pm- Sabres are first to the ice for the pregame skate....
Dmitri Kalinin appears to be in good health. He's flying to loose pucks and his shot looks strong. Lindy said that he'd be a game time decision--- I'll go ahead and say it now-- Tree will play, Paetsch will sit.
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7:15pm- Skate is over. Andrew Peters waited til everyone left the ice to take his ceremonial 165 foot shot-- wide left! Thanks for coming, Petey.
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7:41 pm- Lindy starts the game with Mac-Goose-Al. Al gets game's first shot on goal.
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Ryan Miller makes big chest save on Krejci blast from the left faceoff circlle from 18 feet out.
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Julien's team looks up fo rthe challenge early tonight. They are skating well and winning loose pucks. Julien was critical of his forwrads after their vanilla performance against Buffalo earlier in the week. He worked them hard in practice, winning battle and working with a guy on your back.
Buffalo are answering the Bruins ethic so far
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@ 5:36 of the first- Stuart off 2 for tripping; Buffalo PP.
Spacek gets off two scud missiles from his right point-- Auld makes save on one, then other does not get through the traffic. Boston, like 99% of the other NHL teams likes to collapse their PK to the middle of the ice to clog shot lanes.
* Successful Boston PK.
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Bruins have the shots edge early. Buffalo have to soft pucks deep, then tear ass into the zone and recover with physical wall play. They have not done so yet. Make Chara turn his face to the glass and bust up hi slower lumbar region.
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@ 10:02 Paul Gaustad gets the gate for interference...
Wideman and Savard thread the puck thorugh to Glen Murray in the chute, Miller makes a big save on the Murray one timer. Murray had missed the previous 19 games before tonight. Murray clearly is rusty, however, he has the hands of a surgeon. The Buffalo D better not leave him alone down low, or else.
* Successful Buffalo PK.
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@ 11:59- Chainsaw Lydman strategically hooked Savard on his way to the Buffalo net.
Brian Campbell nearly fools Auld on the 200 foot clearing shot.
Kessel, Savard, Murray and Krejci apply pressure. No goal
* Successful Buffalo PK
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@ 3:30, Miller makes yet another in-close save on Murray who was left all alone by Kalinin.
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Since Buffalo landed the first shot early in the first period, they have been outshot 10-2 the rest of the way. Boston are having no problem gaining entry into the Buffalo zone.
The Buffalo D have to play a better gap on the Bs forwards.
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Mac-Goose-Kotalik are deployed to get pucks deep and to create a cycle down low....
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@ 18:33 Chara takes a desperation penalty--- 2 for holding
Buffalo PP for 2 minutes or less.....
1-0 Buffalo- Spacek pounds a high point bomb over Auld's shoulder. Spacho had 3 clean looks at the net that he decided to pass off to Soup on the PP. The crowd screamed "SSSHHHOOOOTTTTT"-- and he did. Good things happen when you throw the biscuit at the basket! Pommer and Soup with assists.
PPG with 3.4 ticks left on the clock.
Buffalo are 1-2 on the PP in the first period.
10-8 shots on goal- advantage Boston.
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1st Period one-timers:
* Mike Ryan had 2 hits; Buffalo leads 5-4 in hits.
* Buffalo are 1-2 on the PP; Boston 0-2.
* Miller has made all ten saves.
* Glen Murray had three high percentage scoring chances from inside the faceoff circles.
* Milan Lucic only skated 3 shifts for 2:56 of ice.
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2nd Period:
Not a ton of scoring chances in the period.
2-0 Buffalo: :37 seconds left in the period, Derek Roy finds Thomas Vanek for the three foot tap in.
Shots on goal: 20-18, Buffalo.
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Second Period One Timers:
* Miller made all 8 saves on all 8 shots.
* Stafford-Roy-Vanek continue to play well.
* Buffalo PK is 4 for 4.
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3rd Period:
* Buffalo do a sloppy job of clearing loose puck in their own end. @ :57, Chara's left point blast beats Miller. 2-1 Buffalo.
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12:25 of the third period: Stafford hobbled off under his own power after colliding with a Bruin defender in early in the period.
He's on the bench.
Mair is skaing now with Roy and Vanek.
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SOUPY just DESTROYED PJ SMAXelsson with an atomic bodycheck, ala the Umbereger hit.
* Glen Murray retaliates with a slash.
Sabres on PP.....
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Next goal.......
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