Mike Keenan knows a rookie dman when he sees one. Poor Chris Butler. Keenan's Flames are making life miserable for Butler and the Buffalo D early on in this one. Its been baptism by fire for Butler. The Flames are getting pucks deep and they are forechecking the Buffalo D with wreckless abandon. The soft dumps are coming in on Butler's side and he's being forced to breakout with the two men on his back.
Butler's rookie jitters got the better of him on the Cammaleri PPG 9 (unassisted) @ 3:51. Butler's ill advised clearing attempt up the gut of the ice ends up on Cammi's twig. With MacArthur in the sin bin, Butler's mistake finds the Flames player in a shooting position under the right faceoff circle. Miller had not time to react.
1-0 Flames
****
I really like Lindy's desision to play Connolly with Vanek and Stafford. 19's hands and feet were in rare form in Edmonton and the thought process is to create big ice and to feed HDTV and Staff on their way to the blue.
55-9-29 is line that has to create offense to compliment 26-19-21
***
The Sabres are lacking the jump that they started with in Edmonton. They are obviously trying to find their legs.
Pardy's hold on Paille creates yet another Buffalo PP attempt.....
***
5 on 3's happen when the Sabres are tired and lethargic. MacArthur and Connolly take avoidable penalties and the mistakes are mounting....
Goose, Spacho and Lydman battle and kill off Mac's penalty with a tight box.
Roy draws a a penalty of his own as he was killing Connolly's gaffe off.... looked to me like a penalty shot as roy was busting in all alone with the puck on his stick when he was hooked off the biscuit.....
After 20:
Buffalo starts slower than molasses, then they found their legs three quarters of the way through the period. Buffalo are drawing penalties, however, their entries and recoveries are sloppily executed.
*****
2nd Period:
Back to 5 on 5 hockey.
The Butler did it=== again!
Another Butler gaffe stretch pass ends up on Dion Phaneuf's blade. Miller's made to pay for yet another turnover... soft goal as Phaneuf's shot from the wall found its way through Miller.
2-0 Flames.
****
@ 11:15, Jaro Spacek busts up a Bertuzzi-led 2 on 1...
Moments later, with the Rivet pinching looking for a goal, its another 2 on 1.
Luckily Spacho saved the day and then David Moss missed the open net.
***
@ 11:21, Ryan Miller denies Rene Bourque with an assertive glove hand. If Miller misses the puck, its 3-0 Calgary and the mood on the Buffalo bench sours.... however....
@ 11:43, Drew Stafford walks off the end boards to score his 4th goal in the last two games. His 13th of the season from Connolly.
2-1 Flames.
***
@ 15:39, Phaneuf gets the gate......decent entries....good puck movement by the Sabres....
With 1:37 remaining in the period, Jochen Hecht has Kipper down and dead to rights... hecht clanks a shot off the pipe....
Calgary called for a hooking penalty...
Buffalo are surging. Their compete level is higher than at any other point in the game thus far.
@ 19:09, HDTV finds Tim Connolly for the twisted wrister. Poweplay goal from 26 and 5.
2-2 after 2.
***
3RD Period:
Sabres have the mo and the flow.... their feet are moving and they are creating turnovers with their dilligence and hard work.
CLANK!!!! @ 3:03, Jochen Hecht just pinged the left post--- his second of the game-----
****
55-9-29 are flying here in the thrid period
****
Kipper just robbed Dan Paille as the Sabre forward shot through the Calgary zone down the right wing wall.. Paille stutter stepped and created space between he and the Flame dman...... Paille was denied on the play as hblue ice, he relased from behind the net to the blue ice. HUGE SAVE by Kipper.
Moments later, Adrian Aucoin chips a puck to Todd Bertuzzi, beating Lydman--- Bert beats Miller short side high.
3-2 Flames.
***
Just as the Sabres PK drained the Paille penalty time...
MA Gragnani's feet stopped, then, his brain stopped as he hooked Curtis Glencross on his way to Ryan Miller's crease.
*****
Mike Cammalleri stuffs home Iggy's cross box pass--- Miller apeared to make the save, however, it squirted through him and over the goal line.
4-2 Flames
****
But wait, there's more....
Ryan Miller is still smarting from the custard cone that he just dropped on the ground.....
Cammi gets his hat trick from Conroy and Iggy.
5-2 Flames.
***
Throw Tuesday night's 10-2 Edmonton laugher in the circular file. Buffalo jumped the Roloson early and the walls caved in from there on. It was fun while it lasted. Now, the Sabres have to lock horns with a stubborn Calgary team. Buffalo are playing back to back games, while the Flames have been sitting for the past five.
The Flames are well rested and they are playing well on home ice. Iron Mike will have them amped up early as the visitors may start out flat due to their Edmonton game.
****
Robyn Regehr will play tonight for Calgary, as it appears he will not be suspended for the hit that he delivered to young Dorsett from CBUS before the All Star break.
***
Thoughts and prayers to the family of Billy Powell. The Lynyrd Skynyrd pianist's life ended earlier today when he was stricken by a heart attack while he was at home in Florida. Powell was 56. He survived the 1977 airplane crash that claimed the lives of his bandmates and its back up singers.
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