Gotta pat 'em on the back! Thanks Sabres for giving their fans a great show Friday night. Their 6-5 Shootout win over the San Jose Sharks was the type diversion that Western New York needed to take their minds off the tragedy of Flight 3407.
I sought out Captain Craig Rivet after the game and I shook his hand. I felt complled to show the Captain my gratitude. His team followed his lead. They played with spirit and purpose. They succeeded in transporting Sabre Nation to a euphoric place. "We just beat the number one team in the league in our building. That was a special game that shows the true character of this team. We wanted to win for the people of Buffalo".
"My heart and that of our team goes out to the
Pommer recounted where he was Thursday night when the accicdent occurred.
" I was laying in bed watching a movie and I heard a strange noise--really loud. It didn't sound right. Patrick Lalime called me and told me what had happened and I just couldn't believe it. His brother in law was outside at the time of the crash ......."
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3rd Period
5-5
With Miller on the bench for the extra attacker, rivet's point shot is tipped by pominville with less than 4 seconds to play in regulation! Its off to OT!
5-4 Sharks.
GULP!
@ 10:13, Chris Butler fails to tie up the shooter, Pavelski. The SJ sniper beats Miller from the right faceoff circle. Buffalo have allowed four unanswered goals to the #1 team in the NHL.
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Soft is that bulshift high stick call on Rivet! It was a glove that made contact with Thornton's beard! @ 4:34, Rivet sits two or less...... then WHAMMO! Devin Setoguchi scores from who else---- Joe Thorntton. ANOTHER PPG!
Assinine call!
Jumbo Joe gets a lot of favors from the zebras. He should get an Emmy for his soap opera acting job!
4-4
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Tough team this San Jose Sharks squad. They skate, they hit, they defend, they score, and they do not quit. Just when you think its safe to rest, they counter attack you.
Thornton has 3 assists; Marleau two goals.
What else is new??!!
Buffalo cannot get caught caught trying to milk a one goal third period lead. McClellan will have his team ready to strike early. Button up your chinstraps!
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We got us a good old fashioned one goal lead. Buffalo had the Sharks down 4-1 after Kotalik's PPG, however, SJ was determined to keep their ship afloat.
Buffalo have to be better in their own end. The D broke down again on Marleau's second goal and the strong side forward did not get back in tie to held Lydman bulldoze Boyle off the puck on the third SJ goal.
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2nd Period:
4-3 Buffalo@ 19:08, Buffalo allow San Jose the one pass breakout--- danny Boyle doesn't act like a guy with the flu as he busts up the gut. ldman picks him up inside the Buffalo blueline but Boyle throws his right elbow under Ton's chin and continue to to the net. He beats Miller clean.
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@ 16:02, Pavelski guilty of holding.....
The Sabres PP has been en fuego....
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@ 14:32, Lindy wisely calls a timeout. Leading by two goals, and with th Sharks swarming Miller. The move worked because 42-9-21 won the faceoff and got themselves in position for a great scoring chance on nabakov. Roy missed the top shelf after a sweet cross ice pass from Staff.
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@ 12:30 mark of the second period, Mike grier picks up a loose puck on a line change and takes it solo to the house. He tried to fake Miller to no avail. grier fired the puck into Miller's right shoulder and the scoring threat was for naught.
4-2 Buffalo:
Patty Marleau taps in his second of the night from Jumbo Joe. Harmless paly from the right corner.. Thornton won the puck, feathered it to the slot for the uncovered marleau. where was the Buffalo D?
* Of the 6 goals scored thus far, 5 have come on the powerplay.
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4-1 Buffalo:
@ 8:23, with Blake in the box for tripping, Al Kotalik lazers a one timer past Nabakov for his 12th of the season. Rivet and ellis with assists.
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Buffalo are getting pucks deep and winning the races against the SJ D. its almost as if Blake and his guys are giving the speedy Buffalo forwards too much respect. Buffalo have to exploit the passive, soft gap by taking pucks to the net and meeting in the blue ice.
@ the 15 second mark of the period, Roy and Staff bust in 2 on 2-- Rob Blake, while stick checking Roy, threw the puck right on Staff's blade aas he rushed down the chute to the net. Staff deked nabakov with a backhander that jumped up on top of the net and over.
Close call!
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Not a good idea to sit on a two goal lead with a team with 8 guys who have 30+ points.
The Sharks have proven that no lead is safe when they are on their game-- which has been 99% of the season so far.
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An entertaining first twenty minutes in Buffalo. The Sabres lifted the spirits of the home crowd by scoring early and often. The Sharks made it a two goal game with a Teppo in the bin.
Buffalo moved their feet, the hustled to loose pucks and they won wall battles against the Sharks. whats more, the cashed in 100% of their chances on the PP.
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3-1 SABRES:
Patty Marleau will get credit for the first SJ PPG. Ludman screened Miller and the puck sailed past him. Jumbo Joe and Vlasic with helpers.
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3-0 Buffalo:
@ 14:21, Derek Roy scores, top shelf, his 20th off a sweet drop pass from Drew Stafford; Staff picked up the turnover and headed into the SJ zone down the right wing wall. The D gave 21 a huge gap and 9 took full advantage of it by roofing a 39 foot wrister over Nabakov's who was already down in his butterfly.
* The goal was the 100th of Roy's career; the assist was Staff's 100th career point.
Buffalo are 2 for 2 on the PPG vs. the #3 ranked PK in the NHL.
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@ 12:28 Pavelski sits two for hooking. SJ are taking penalties because the Sabres are moving their feet.
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2-0 Buffalo.
STAFFORD--- ooops-- SPACHO SCORES PPG @ 8:53!!!!
Great screen by Staff as Nabakov didn't even see it. Thee puck went right through him.
@ 7:52, Blake sits two for holding. SJ has the 33 PK in the NHL. Buffalo have the #10 PP.
Ellis and Staff each have had tips..looks like Lindy knew waht he was doing by dedicating 60 minutes of practice on Thursday to the PP. They were a woeful 1 for 12 on their PPs vs. Ottawa in the 3-1 loss to Ottawa Wednesday night.
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After a passionate and committed start to the game, the Sabres get puck deep and good things happened.
@ 6:40 of the first period, Adam Mair worked his tail off to win a lose puck in the Sharks end. Mair took the biscuit up the halfwall and fired it at Nabakov. Rivet and Kotalik with helpers. Mair's 7th of the season.
1st Period:
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@ 7:34 pm, after the running of Matt Gould's superbly produced opening montage, the Buffalo Sabres honoured the lives of the fifty souls who lost their lives in the Continental Flight 3407 crash. The moment of silence was respectful.
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Buffalo's resilience is shining through - again- in this face of the worst kind of adversity. Is there anyything that gets this city down? walking into HSBC Arena tonight, I couldn't help but notice an usher and team employee hugging one another and sharing a comforting embrace with one another. there were no words. Just actions. Thats the tru spirit of Buffalo, NY. When one family member grives, the whole community rallies around to try to add a ray of hope on an otherwise gloomy day. The thought process is simple: you pick me up when I'm down, and I'll be there for you to pick you up when you are down.
Buffalo is grieving as a community right now. Their collective heart is in mourning. They want to be strong, however, they are vulnerable. Remember the people of Buffalo in your prayers tonight. they will return the favour to you tomorrow. Buffalo people are wired that way. HSBC Arena will be loaded to the rafters tonight. Its a big city that acts like a little village. There will be an outpouring of emotion, and rightly so. The ice rink will have therapeutic power tonight on those that will be here. For three hours tonight, the Sabres will provide a catharsis for this community. The people here need a distraction, alberoit a brief one, to take their minds of the enormity of it all.
I'm in awe of the civic spirit and sense of community that I have felt in Buffalo today. Flight 3407 crashed into suburban Clarence in the 10 o'clock hour last night, and moments later, the heart and soul, and some say, the greatest Buffalo's export to the rest of the world-- its passionate, caring, compassionate people sprung into action to help save the lives of so many sould who's lives were imperiled on the fateful end to the short flight from Newark. Kudos to the police and fire personnel, the neighbours, the first responders, the mothers, the fathers, the strangers, who selflessly risked their lives in order to save the lives of those fifty victims.
I'm not privee to the process, hwoever, i have to believe thatthe Sabres will honour the fifty lost souls who lost their lives on their soil during tonight's pregame cermonies. A moment of silence to pray for the repose of the souls seems fitting at this darkest of hour for Western New York.
Buffalo will be there for you in your moment of need.
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Teppo Numminen and many of the Sabres players make their homes in the vecinity that the crash of flight 3407 happened last night. Clarence in right on line with the runways at Buffalo International Airport. In an interview that I heard earlier today, Teppo recalled hearing the peculiarity of the approach of flight 3407 tothe Buffalo airport last night. Something was amiss, didn't sound right. Moments later, a pop, then the night sky was an inferno of flames. Teppo watched from his bedroom window.
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Buffalo is a special place. Its residents are some of the most empathetic, courageous and brave people that I have ever met.
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