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BREAKING NEWS: VANEK HAS FRACTURED JAW/ OUT 3-4 WEEKS |
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Bad news Sabre Nation. Your leading scorer will be on the shelf for a while in this critical Playoff stretch run.
Thomas Vanek has a fractured jaw and will miss the next 3-4 weeks of the season. Vanek had successful surgery to correct the injury in Buffalo today.
The Sabres presently sit in seventh place in the Eastern standings..
Vanek suffered the injury when he was struck square in the right side of his face by an Anton Volchekov slap shot Saturday night in Kanata. He left the game and did not return.
GM Darcy Regier announced the news today.
Here are the games that Vanek will likely miss:
Feb 11 Senators Sabres
Feb 13 Sharks Sabres
Feb 15 Hurricanes Sabres
Feb 17 Sabres Maple Leafs
Feb 19 Sabres Flyers
Feb 21 Rangers Sabres
Feb 24 Ducks Sabres
Feb 26 Sabres Hurricanes
Feb 28 Sabres Islanders
Mar 4 Canadiens Sabres
Mar 6 Coyotes Sabres
Mar 7 Sabres Senators
***
The marathon leg of their schedule is finally over. The Sabres now will take a well deserved break before their next sprint begins.
Their six game roadie to Florida and the Western Canadian Rockies is a memory now.
The team finished a respectable 3-3 on with wins at Florida, Edmonton, and Phoenix. losses to Tampa, Calgary and Anaheim were not demoralizing for this Sabres team. In fact, Craig Rivet told me Friday night that playing in hostile buildings out West can only help the Sabres as they prepare for the eastern Playoffs.
"There's no secret that Anaheim's building is an intimdating place to play. They have a huge team that loves to grind opponents and I thought that our guys did a great job in their place, despite the final score. I saw a determination and a passion from our guys that I liked when we were on the road. We played Calgary well and in their place and that wil lhelp us moving forward".
Rivet has a point. Despite injuies to key vets, The kids were alright under the white hot lights of the best teams in the West. Paetsh, Butler, and Gragnani acquitted themselves well as they played meaningful minutes vs. some of the best snipers in the NHL. They had no choice with Teppo, Hank and Reggie in the nurses's office with ice bags Ace bandaged to body parts. They held their own against Cogliano, Hemsky, Iginla, Doan, Getzlaf, Perry, and the like. Cammilieri? Not so much.
It wasn't just the D that played at a high level. Ryan Miller was a pillar of strength, to say nothing of the harmonic convergence of the Vanek-Connolly-Stafford line. 26-19-21 have been SENSATIONAL, and are showing no signs of a letdown.
Lindy decided to hold his guiys overnight in Anaheim after their Monday night game with the Ducks. They took their trans American flight all day and arrived back to Buffalo at supper time. lindy helld them off the ice on Tuesday as he prepared them for a three games in four nights bender. Lindy's all about his players getting the proper rest and nutrition. He wanted them fresh for Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa-- three tricky division opponents.
Mission accomplished.
After the they embarrassed the Leafs 5-0 Wednesday night, one wondered if they would have enough of their mojo coursing through their veins for Montreal. They locked down Carbo's Crew and served notice that they are serious about grabbing a playoff berth. Ryan Miller was a beast friday night, turning away an avalanche of rubber en route to a big victory. The Senators were idle Friday night. They sat in their luxury recliners, watching the sabres battle Montreal for 60 hard minutes, knowing full well that they would not land in Ottawa until after 1am. To make matters worse, the sabres lost the 32 pucks of their best ogffensive weapon when Thomas Vanek ate an Anton Volchenkov point bomb from less than 25 feet away. HDTV's plasma screen was cracked and he would spend the rest of the night in the repair shop. Warriors Adam Mair and Drew Stafford picked their battalion mates up, slung them over their shoulders, and carried them to a fantastic finish, by scoring two clutch goals in the third period to force OT. Ryan Miller was brilliant in the closing minutes in Kanata, turning away shot after shot from Alfie, Spezz, and Heatley. He thwarted their aggression and saved the day for his boys.
It would have been very easy to let the Sabres off the hook if they had lost that game. the 6 game roadie that ran right into the three games and four nights bender vs. three ambivalent division foes.
Instead, they looked defeat in the eye, "flipped it the bird" and scratched, punched, and clawed to earn a point in the Eastern standings.
Five points out of a possible six in four nights, against three teams that hate your guts is a HUGE victory. the kind of accomplisment that fuels a team to click in the four wheel drive and to climb to the top of the mountian.
Great effort, boys!
Take a deep breath, and come out swinging against the Sens Wednesday night.
***
No word yet on the status of Thomas Vanek.
Will pass along an update when I get one today.
He was a warrior for jumping in Volchenkov's shot lane the way he did. that was a ballsy move on HDTV's part. There was a time in the not too distant past when TV would have jumped out of the way of that impending doom. Its a testiment to his leadership and maturity that he ate that shot the way he did. Thats the kind of plays that gets a "C" sewn on your sweater.
Tell Don Cherry to shut his pie hole. The "hockey gods" bestowed strength, courage and tenacity upon Vanek and he'll use this situation to propoel his team through the Playoffs.
Here's the link:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hockeynightincanada/coachscorner/
The guy ate a bullet for his team! Thats the hockey equivalent taking a Joba Chamberlain fastball to the teeth and walking away with your chiclets in your hands. Vanek SKATED off under his own power. he was not carried off. Eat that, Grapes.
That which does not kill us, only makes us stronger.
****
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