5:20PM- Ryan Miller strides down the gangplank from the Buffalo room to his perch behind the Buffalo bench.
Per usual, Miller is deep in thought.
5:22pm- Miller departs to the room.
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Miller's Playlist will be featured in the Arena tonight. Wonder if he's requesting Foreigner's "That Was Yesterday", as a bromide to forget the slopfest in NYC Saturday afternoon.
I like Miller's choice of "People Are People" by Depeche Mode.
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I'm here early to see if #87 will take the warm-up and skate for the Pens tonight.
I love a good game of cat and mouse....
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5:29pm- Miller leads the Sabres to the ice or the warmups.
Ty Conklin leads his Pens out.
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** Scouts o'plenty in the sky tonight:
Florida, Columbus, Atlanta, Carolina, Ottawa, Edmonton, Washington, Calgary, Nashville, and Boston... more to come.......
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This is the third meeting of the season between the Sabres and Pens-- this the only game inside the Arena, due to the Winter Classic.
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These two teams will close out the their four game series on March 12 at Mellon Arena.
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The Sabres have allowed an NHL low 12 PPG's at home this season.
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The Sabres are 8-7-0 this season in the second game of back-to-back games this season.
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5:45pm- Both teams head to the respective rooms; Andrew Peters left early without throwing his Hail Mary shot at the Pens net. Hmmmmmm.
Geno Malkin was the last man on the ice for both teams.
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1st Period:
Connolly Roy and Vanek are ALL over the Pens in their end of the rink. Buffalo are wqinning loose pucks with their wheels....
Laraque sits 2 or les for roughing Kaleta....
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Pittsburgh D looks slow and a tick or two behind Buffalo. They haven't played since Thursday vs. Carolina...
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Sidney Crosby is sitting ten feet to my right on press row. This should quite any speculation that he will be playing tonight. His boss and former billet, Mario Lemieux is sitting with #87
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Roy and Connolly bust into the Pens zone 2 on 1--- Roy feeds the moving 19--- Connolly's shot is picked off by a sprawling Ty Conklin.
Conks is 2-0 vs. Buffalo this season. He has a disgusting .048 GAA and a shutout vs. Buffalo.
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Jason Pominville just destroyed Pitt Dman Rob Scuderi with a a textbook body check in the Pens zone.
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The Buffalo forwards are having little to no problem rushing the puck into the Pittsburgh zone. The Pens D have soft/passive gap control so far and the Sabres are exploiting it with realtive ease.
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Kaleta and Mair are pounding everything that moves in a white sweater thus far.
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*** Nolan Pratt is getting attention in the Buffalo tunnel with 8:53 left in the first. His helmet is off; Pratt walks back to take his place on the Buffalo bech at 8:20.
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Were it not for Ty Conklin, Buffalo would be winning this game 4-0. TREMENDOUS paddle save on Vanek! The net was wide as open. How did he make that save???!!!!
Conklin has been superb for the Pens tonight.
What will Ray Shero do when Marc Andre Fleury returns to the lineup? How can you sit a guy who is RED HOT like Conks?
*****
The biggest difference in this game is that the Buffalo D are coming back and hyelping their D, while the Pens are NOT.
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1st Intermission:
Sorry to Pens fans. The Pens shotclock is turned off at the Arena.
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2nd Period:
The bad thing about a period like the first is that Buffalo fired all their bullets and have no goals to show for it. A huge moral victory for Pittsburgh here in the second.
They took every punch and they are still breathing...
Buffalo have to score on the PP. Scuderi goes for interference at :38.
Conklin gets the better of Vanek--again. 26 had Conks down on the ice and could not beat him. Gotta lift the puck when Conks is down as he defends the ice so well with his paddle.
Connolly dipsy doodles with the puck from the point--- get pucks on the net and crash!!!
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Another successful kill by the Pens PK. Buffalo handled the bpuck to much.
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PING goes the post!
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13:19 of the 2nd period: Malkin complains to the ref that he was molested on the way to the Buffalo net on the Pens PK. No dice. Malkin was not fouled as he killed the penalty.
Another successful kill by Pens.
1-0 Pens:
Jarko Rutuu scores on his way out of the sin bin.
Shame on the BuffaloPowerplay unit, they let Rutuu walk out of the box and take a free skate up the middle of the ice to Miller's crease. They were sleeping as Miller implored them to pick up the Pens forward as he exited the box.
Ruutu's goal came on the Pens only shot of the period.
Sabres lead shots 23-7, however, they are losing on the scoreboard.
Bad special teams by Buffalo.
*****
Hank Tallinder tries to play footie with a soft dump in and he's made to pay for his gaffe. Sykora deposits the gift behind Miller 2-0 Pens.
Pens have two goals on their only two shots of the period.
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Kotalik takes another Buffalo penalty at the 11 minute mark......
Successful Buffalo PK.
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The difference in this period is that the Pens forwards are back chcking and coming back to help their D.
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@ 5:42- Kaleta just suckered Colby Armstrong into taking a dumb penalty. PK and Armstrong were noise to nose, PK nodded to engage a punch in the face contest, Armstrong obliged, tossed his mitts..... ooopppss... PK skated to the Buffalo bench.
Armstrong sits for two or less.....
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2-1 Pens: Thomas Vanek scores his 9th in the past 10 games. Roy and Pommer get the assists.
Vaneks's 22nd of the season.
I'd give an assist to Kaleta for taking Armstrong off the ice.
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After 40 Minutes:
Buffalo leads shots on goal 27-12; 10-6 Buffalo in the second period.
Buffalo's end to the period was better than the beginning. The Ruutuu gola was a real kick in the nuts for Buffalo as they were controlling every aspect of the game up until that point. They took a breather for one second and thats all the Pens needed.
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3rd Period:
Pens come out flying!
@ 2:30, Miller STONES Malkin's one timer from the slot. Great save.
@ 3:33, Ryan Miller makes a circus save while on his back... gets a little help from his Dmen...
@ 5:12, Hank and Chainsaw apply the Malachi Crunch to Malkin as he tried to jump down the chute.... great body play by Toni.
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The goalmouth scramble in Conklin's blue ice results in an oddman rush into the Buffalo end. Malkin from Sykora ta 8:13. 3-1 Pens.
The Buffalo D pinched, trying to help get the game tying goal. Their ploy backfired when all 5 Buffalo players were caught below the faceoff circles in the Pens end.
The perfectly executed headman pass from Talbot found Sykora, who then found Malkin. The goal was a gimme putt, as Miller was caught leaning.
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Buffalo need 2 quickies and they need to get pucks to the net. They have only 5 shots on goal in the third period to 10 for the Pens.
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@ 11:56 Sabres go to the PP with Colby Armstrong off for hooking....
Pommer and Spacho on the points...Roy on the halfwall.... Vanek down low... Spacek tees up the point blast, Vanek deflects it right into Conklins chest protector.
@ 12:49- Lindy Ruff calls timeout. He wants his team to focus and finish.. out of the huddle, Conks makes glove save on Pommers point rip.
Too many passes and not enough jam and desperation in Conklin's crease.
Successful Pens PK
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Tallinder takes questionable penalty at 14:08......
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*****
Just when you thought it was safe to throw a shovel full of top soil on The Rangers, they rise up in a big way. Hank The Bank is 2-0 since signing his jumbo extension.
Back to back wins vs. Buffalo and San Jose have propelled Tom Renney's Blueshirts into sole possession of sixth place in the East. The Rangers now have 67 points.
With a win tonight, and a Flyers loss to Montreal, Buffalo will hop into the 7 hole.
Boston is idle.
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Tim Connolly's bone spur and torn labrum relegated him to spectator in yesterday's fiasco ijn the Big Apple. Connolly sat next to Lindy Ruff for 90% of the game.
I say scartch him if he cannot compete at a high level. 19 rested Thirsday and Friday, and he was still ineffective on Saturday. He needs more than 48 hours off the rink. He needs to shut it down and correct his chronic hip problems.
I totally disagree with dressing a guy who cannot give you his best performance in a must-win game. I wouldn't run a a three legged horse in the Kentucky Derby, and I certainly would be opposed to playing a one-legged centreman in an NHL game.
Connolly's tenacity and passion are not in question here. I believe that he feels like he can help his team to grab points and improve their present playoffs positioning. He cannot help his team when he's sitting with the trainer and back up goalie in a 5-0 laugher.
If I had my drothers, I'd send Connolly to the surgeon now, and see him in 8-10 weeks after he's FULLY recovered.
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