Lindy scratches Dan Paille and Andrew Peters. No Goose. Thats a lot of jam and sandpaper in street clothes!
They better move their feet and move pucks.
Weber and Paetsch are both in. Paetsch will play left wing!
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NHL Heavy Hitters in the house tonight:
Bob Gainey is travelling with the team this weekend. I'm told that he's looking for a scoring centreman to replace Lang.
Don Luce, of the Flyers. looking to deal a Francophone centreman?
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Very deliberate slow pace to the start of this game. the habbs are limiting Buffalo's time and space. Ditto Buffalo to Montreal. Both teams are respecting their respective 'system'.... bothare trapping-- send one forechhecker and drop four men. turnovers will be plentiful and the winner of this game will be the team that cashes its turnovers into gold.
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A trusted friend in the Montreal media tells me that Alex Kovalev and Saku Koivu are not speaking with one another. I'm told that there is not a lot of love lost between the two team leaders. Dysfunction junction?
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@ the 10 minute mark of the first period, Jaro Spacek hauled ass back to his end to help break up a 3 on 1 breakaway. sergei Kostitsyn's shot was handled by Miller with Spacho sticking his nose and stick into the fray to prevent a high percentage scoring chance.
Nice work by Spacho and Miller.
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@14:30 , Frankie Boullion sits....
Sabres first PP attempt. So-so entries, decent pressure. No dice.
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6'5 230 Ryan O'Byrne was just annihilated by ascud missile dressed in a Patty Kaleta sweater! WOW! kaleta made a beeline to O'Byrne as he fumbled with the puck on the right halfwall. Kaleta's hit cretaed a turnover that nearly found the back of the net.
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Chris Higgins just kissed an open net, on the cross-ice pass from Koivu. Miller was down and out and Higgins fired wide left.
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2ND PERIOD:
Stalemate in the first period. Buffalo outsot 15-5.
I just spoke with Gord Miller from TSN between periods. I commended him and concurred with his comments about Al Kotalik. Buffalo vs. Calgary broadcast last week, Miller asked the question: "is there any good reason why Ales Kotalik is not a perennial 30 goal scorer in the NHL"?
Great point.
Miller just told me, "I don't get it. The guy has the shot, the size, the strength and he gets his chances. i don't get it. The guy has all the tools'.
*****
@ :27 seconds, Kaleta and Jochen send Spacho away with the biscuit up the left wing wall. He cranks a slapper at Price from the bleuleine and he scores!
Out of the M*A*S*H unit and onto the scoresheet.
1-0 Buffalo.
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Matt D'Agostini just ate a Josh Gorges point bomb in the facce. Gorges, on the PP, was shooting on Miller when jochen Hecht deflected the shot and it hit the Hab in the nose.
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@ 10:21 with Mair in the box, Koivu muscled Chris Butler off the puck in the sabres end and he proceeded to take it directly to Miller's crease where he scored on the sneaky play. ryan Miller's shutout streak is over.
1-1 PPG.
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@12:21, Adam Mair and Matt Ellis wreak havoc in the Montreal end of the rink. mair finds Paetsch all alone in the high slot for his second goal of the season. Quick catch, quick release by #38. Price had no chance on the quick, high shot.
2-1 Buffalo.
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3RD PERIOD:
Buffalo need these two points. Miller has made 25 saves on 26 shots.
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@ 4:55, Tim Connolly scores his 11th of the season unassisted. Behind the play, Al Kotalik was destroyed by a Steve Begin bodycheck. Kotalik moved the puck, then begin waxed him, causing Big Al's bucket to hop off his head. as kotalik struggled to compose hhimself and get to the bench, timmy went to the house.
Is this the same #19 that Mike Milbury called a "self centered dink" earlier this week on NESN?
3-1 Buffalo.
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Vanek's soft D allows Hamrlik to walk in and score with 3 and change left in the game.
3-2 Buffalo.
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Ryan Miller wins another for his team after being outshot.
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This one feels like a Playoff tilt already. Its 6:01 pm, an hour and thirty six tix away from the drop of the puck, however, I'm feeling a distinct vibe in the room. Its like a thick Geddy Lee bassline that smacks your molars off your epiglotis. Its the punching bag in the back of your throat, ok?
Bill, the elevator czar, is sporting a thick gash beneath beneath his nose. Looks like you went three rounds with Razor, I says to him.
"Playoff hockey", is all he says with a a matter-of-fact, steely glare.
Bill's right. This game has Playoff implications, with a four point swing sitting in the middle of the table.
Carbo willl be without two of his Clydesdales in Latrendresse and Lang. Guilliame is on the shelf for the next 4-6 weeks with a shoulder separartion. Lang is gone for the season. The season! Lose your power forward and your leading scorer and whats a coach to do? Activate Georges Laraque, who has only played in 17 games in his first season in Montreal. Laraque will skate with Begin and Kostopolous on the grrind line.
Plekanec will play the pivot for Kovalev and Andrei Kostitsyn.
Koivu will have Higgins and D'agostini on his flanks.
Lapierre will centre Pacioretty and Sergei Kostitsyn.
It doesn't take a MENSA to figure out that Carbo wants to lock down the Vanek-Connolly-Stafford trombo.
Connolly has scored in six of his last eight games (5G/3A), and he has eight points in his last five. Connolly has 18 points (10/8) in 18 games played this season. Vanek abused Pogge for an au naturel hatty on Wednesday night. Staff has five goals in his last five games, and he's playing with the verve and creativity of his best friend, Zach Parise.
No Goose for the foreseeable future means that Hecvht will skate with Paille and Kaleta
Roy will centre for Pommer and Al.
Mair will ride with Elliis and MacArthur.
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For your pregame dining and dancing pleasure....
DISTURBED!
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Miller will battle the All Star starter, Carey Price.
Miller's 25-13-3 with 5 shutouts and a 2.47 GAA and .918 save %.
Price is 18-8-5 with a 2.51 and .913.
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