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RUFF: VANEK'S GOING TO MISS WEEKS |
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Mike Babcock and Lindy Ruff will set aside their mutual admiration society at 7pm.
Lindy's squad is playing a stifling brand of D that has yielded only 3 goals and an average of 22 against Miller this season.
The Buffalo offense has scored 3 pucks in three games while averaging 38 shots per game.
Time for Vanek, Pommer, Connolly, Hecht, Roy, Stafford and the Blue & Gold to break on through to the other side.
The team that makes the most mistakes with the puck will lose this game. Period. End of sentence.
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Same lines for Buffalo:
26-9-21
41-19-29
55-13--25
37-28-36
52-34
10-58
5-4
30
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1st Period:
Mule Franzen will be a huge loss for the Wings for the next four months. Ville Leino and darren Helm will be auditioning for Franzen's prime time minutes.
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Very impressed with the desperation and desire level that the Sabres are forechecking the wings with early on. The 26-9-21 are winning loose pucks with their speed and and they are using their bodies to move the Detroit D off the puck.
Hecht-Kennedy-Grier are grinding the wings in the end of the rink and its working.
Vanek and Stafford nearly clicked on a nifty give and go at the 14
minute mark.
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1-0 Buffalo
12:36- Drew Stafford beats Ozzie low at the right goalmouth. PPG. Goose won the draw and immediately collapsed to the front of the net.
Detroit has allowed a PPG in each of their games so far this season. Their PK isn't killing at th success rate taht it had last season.
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@ 13:27. Grier cross checks Abdelkader, now Holmstrom and the Wings are on the PP.....
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1-1
@ 15:30, Kronwall throws a puck at Miller's feet and Val Filppula taps her home.
1-1
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2nd Period:
Sabres controlled play in the first half of the period, largely due to a fierce four line forecheck. Buffalo won the first half of the period. Detroit answered with a heavy forecheck of their own in the back half of the period.
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@ 6:01, of the period, A STAR is born! Tyler Myers calmy, abd confidently runs the floor like an NBA big man; he crosses over a beleagured Meetch at the Detroit blueline and then proceeds to the blue. Ozzie makes the save, however, Pat Kaleta is there to pick up the loose change.This rush was shades of Larry Robinson. WOW! The kid has a special skill set that his teammates, coaches and fans just can't get enough of.
2-1 Buffalo
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@ 8:04, HDTV scores his second of the season from Derek Roy.
3-1 Buffalo
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@ 10:00 mark, sabres are out shooting Detroit 9-2 here in the second period.
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@ 10:58, the Sabres forecheck is committed to separating men from pucks. Clarke Macarthur scores his second of the season from Derek Roy. Ozzie is leaking anti-freeze all over his crease.
4-1 Buffalo
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Roy turns over an errant pass and he takes it to the house; he's defended and Vanek deposits the puck. 5-1 Buffalo.Osgood gets the hook for Howard. Stafford drives the net hard and creates doubt in Osgood's mind. A perfectly executed play by the 26-9-21 line.
Vanek heads up the tunnel to the Buffalo room as he was bumped on the goal.
*****
The Wings PK is performing at a sub par 61%. That's 29th overall in the NHL. Ken Holland and Mike Babcock cannot be happy.
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@ 17:47, Tyler Myers hauls down Val filppula on the breakway. PENALTY SHOT. Ryan Miller makes the save.
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3rd Period:
Buffalo outshot Detroit 18-4 in the second period.
Pucks deep. Pucks to the net.
Its been all Buffalo to this point. Derek Roy is putting on a show for Steve Yzerman, Team Canada's GM for the Vancouver games. Roy has three assists on three consecutive second period goals.
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Hank Tallinder is +4 after two period tonight!
Derek Roy is +3, while his wingmen, Stafford and Vanek are +2.
Uber Rookie, Tyler Myers is also +3
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@ 4:28, Paul Gaustad out-muscles Kronwall to the front of Howard's net. Pat Kaleta's (1G, 1A) centering pass is slammed into the net by Goose.
6-1 Buffalo.
Thomas Vanek will not return ( "upper body injury" )
Tallinder now +5
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6-2 Buffalo
@ 9:26 of the final period, Holmstrom beats Miller.
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Detroit suffers its third loss of the season in listless fashion. I can't recall the last time I witnessed a ho-hum, blase performance like this stinker. It begs the questions:
The Sabres scored four goals in a 6:33 span as the Detroit Red Wings
* Where were team leaders Zetterberg and Datsyuk? They were ghosts in this game.
* What gives with the Detroit penallty kill? They are batting a lacklustre 60% on the PK.
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