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FA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LALIME |
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I just finished my entree of Buffalo style crow wings. Mmmm. Tasty!
Patrick Lalime deserves a hearty high five and an Attaboy from this observer for authoring his second excellent start of the season. The guy has been outstanding, and his teammates are loving every minute of his rock steady performances.
Lalime turned aside 23 of 24 shots, mostly through screens, sticks, and shin pads. The Pens do a materful job of clogging the low post. Lalime summoned up the spirit from the Chicago game recentlt passed, and he was superb in the process. Kudos to his six D for clearing the crease and blocking poiint shots. Rivet, Reggie, Monty, Lydman, Myers, and Hank were outstanding. credit the forwards for coming back and denying time and space on Sid, Geno, Guerin and the Pens. The only regulation shot to beat Lalime was Kunit's deflection with 38 ticks left on the first period clock. Hardly Lalime's fault as Crosby created the opportunity with his handy work from the left corner.
Lalime is a new man. His posture in the vrease is stout and aggressive. His body language smacks of a high degree of confidence in his ability, to say nothing of his health and fitness.
Look back to two weeks ago when the proud veteran agreed to accept a two game conditioning stint in Portland of The A. Lalime relished the opportunity to show his mates and his coaching staff that he's not a selfish player, that he is indeed a team-first guy. He played his ass off for the Pirates that weekend and appears to have become rejuvenated from his special assigment. He owned the always dangerous Blackhawks last Friday night in Buffalo. He skated out of the game with a renewed vim, vigour, and sense of self worth. His new found glory is serving his teammates well in times when they need a saviour. Saturday night, Lalime played his ass off in front of 18,690 in Buffalo.
Mike Rupp tried, and failed, to knock Lalime off his game and out of the building when he suplexed the Buffalo goalie in the first period. Lalime lay motionless for a minute. There was no question in his demeanour and body language that Lalime would finish the game after the collision. Rupp and the Guins tried to intinidate Lalime, but true to his veteran form, he blocked it all out, and made the great, timely saves that his team needed in order to push the defending Stanley Cup champs up against the ropes.
My personal highlight of the night was watching Lalime stone Sidney Crosby on his shootout attempt. The Buffalo goalie played the shot perfectly as Sid was looking to go glove high. Lalime made his upper body "big" the way that a cobra does to the mongoose upon conflict. Lalime made the save and silence all critics in one fell swoop.
Kris Letang's backhand roof daddy in the Shootout was the difference in an otherwise hard-fought, hotly contested heavyweight fight. Both teams met in the middle of the ring and traded big bombs for twelve rounds. Neither would admit defeat. Try as Sid, Geno, Kunitz, Kennedy and Staal tried, they could not penetrate Lalime's net.
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I absolutely LOVED the effort put forth by Timmy Kennedy in the Pittsburgh game. He's been a high rate performer since he found his groove in November. Once again, the South Buffalo kid was one of the best forwards on the ice for both teams, high praise when you consider he was running with future Hall Of Famers Sid, Geno, and Guerin. In my opinion, Tim Kennedy deserves more ice time. He makes this happen in all three zones every time he hits the ice. With Vanek in the press box Saturday night nursing an abdominal injury suffered at the hands of a Tyler Myers shot, Kennedy skated 17:06, 4:43 of which came on the PP. This was new territory for TK, as Lindy had not used him on the PP previously. The boy became a man while befuddling A Fleury, Orpik, and the rest of the Pens PKers. Kennedy's speed and fast hands are a lethal combination that allow him to weave in and out of high traffic areas and set screens down low. His passing was crisp and on the tape, while his feet were always moving. TK ended the night a +1 for his hard work. Good on ya, TK!
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If I'm Brian Burke, I walk up to Paul Gaustad Monday morning inside the ACC, I shake his hand, look him in the eye, and say, "Congratulations. You are a going to be playing for your country in Vancouver in February".
Goose has been a one man army since his return from his knee injury. The Buffalo centre missed ten games after he injured himself in Philly on Black and Blue Friday.
He returned to the Buffalo lineup Friday night vs. Ron Wilson's Leafs. Goose was a man's man down low and in the faceoff dot.
Ditto Saturday night.
11:21 Even strength
9:11 PP
2:52 Shorthanded
Goose was up in Sid's grille all night long. He made Fleury's life miserable by making himself a human wall, especially on the PP.
In his two games back, Goose has improved his NHL leading faceoff prowess to a sizzling 64.3%. Burke needs a faceoff man who he can trust in key situations. Goose is a 6'5" tower of power and has the phyicality and smarts to beat the likes of Crosby, Thornton, Getzlaf, Toews, Zetterberg, Koivu, et al in the dot. Lindy always preaches that its harder to create offense when his team is chasing the puck after a faceoff loss (see Tim Connolly's anemic 42% win record).
Honk for the Goose!
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Now would be a great time for Darcy to look for the Sabres to go outside the family for bonafide NHL PP Pointman to trade for.
Thank the Hockey Gods that the abres can kill penalties with proficiency and tact.
Their Powerplay is gawd awful lately and it needs help. The Pens handed Buffalo 8 man advantages Saturday night. BAGEL for 8 is not good enough!
Marc Andre Fleury was flustered by the down low screens of Goose, Kennedy, and Stafford, however, the Sabres--- namely Connolly and Pominville-- are not scaring opponents when they play pitch and catch from the halfwall to the point. More times than not, Connolly and Pommer are getting their point shots blocked and rejected. They are easily defendable from the points. Wouldn't you just love a Sheldon Souray, Drew Doughty, Matt Schneider, Tomas Kaberle, or a Chara from the point?
The Buffalo point shots are not getting through the schmozzle of bodies and sticks that are packed into shot lanes. Connolly and Pommer are tipping their pitches and opposing D are taking them deep.
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