3rd Period:
Off to the rooms....
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Toskala is seeing the puck a lot better here in the late going. he makes a nice save on a Tyler Myers point blast with Staff in front looking for the loose change.
***
9:30 remaining, Leafs are out shooting Buffalo 32-28.
****
Give credit to the Leafs, as they are not running and hiding here in the third period. Their feet are moving to loose pucks and they are playing the body, looking to neutralize the Buffalo transition.
***
3-1 Buffalo
@ 2:11 Leafs finally solve Miller. Stajan from Schenn.
*****
2nd Period:
Where are all the Leaf fans? Thet were boisterous and obnoxious at 0-0. Now that its 3-0, its the sweet sound of silence.....
(crickets chirp)
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The Buffalo forwards are doing a much beter job of coming back and helping out in Miller's end of the rink. The third man is always hight for Lindy's gang tonight, a marked difference from the Pittsburgh and Atlanta games.
****
Make that 3 for 3 on the PP.
3-0 BUFFALO
TYLER MYERS!!! The one man Power Play!
Butler and Connolly with assists.
Myers' first three point game of his young career.
Who does this kid think he his? Phil Housley?
****
@ 7:06, Ian White mugs Drew Stafford and he pays for his misdemeanor.
Another Buffalo PP. They are 2 for 2.....
***
Looking at the out of town scoreboard, the Devils are losing to Tampa bay, 3-0 midway through the second period. Buffalo can gain ground with a win tonight.
****
Vanek makes a sweet feed to Grier on the Toskala ten-bell save. TK nearly had his second of the night.
TV is awakening from his lumber slumber.
***
Buffalo takes three minors in the forst period. Miller, per ususal makes brilliant save after brilliant save. Rickard Wallin gives Buffalo a shot in the arm when he draws blood on Connolly @ 16:36. kennedy and Myers do the damage.
Myers skated 9:02 in the first period. All due respect to Tavares and Duchene. Myers is the Calder Trophy winner. 5 goals. 60 shots. 22+ minutes of ice per game.
Tronna outshoots Buffalo 18-10.
***
1st Period:
2-0 Buffalo:
Tyler Myers creeps in from the point, unmolested, and taps in the Vanek pass at 18:29. Myers' fifth of the season. 26 and 19 with assists.
Is there anythingthat this rookie CANNOT do?
19 years old and playing like a 10 year veteran! Most impressive.
Eat that Wallin!
***
Finally a Buffalo PP.....
Wallin draws blood and gets four minutes.
Connolly was just waved off the ice by the ref to wipe his bloody lip.
1-0 Buffalo
@ 17:08, Tyler Myers sends the soft pass to the halfwall where Timmy Kennedy bangs the one-time, short side, glove high. TKs 10th of the season.
Myers and butler assists.
***
@ 14:17, Lindy calls timeout to settle his team down.
***
@ 12:02 Matt Stajan wins an Speedo Award for "Best Dive In A Non-Comedic Role". Miller slams Stajan in the face because he was sick of the Leaf forward bumping the Buffalo goalie in his crease. if the zebras don't protect you, take the law in your own hands! What a candy ass!
Miller gets the minor.
***
Hecht gets a face full of two sticks as he sets up a breakaway for Connolly. No dice.
***
@ 10:00 minute mark, Tronna lead shots on goal 12-5, largely due to two Buffalo penalties. Miller has been outstanding in his crease early on. he's seeing the puck clearly and he's reacting intitively. He's buffalo's best PKer, and well he should be. What else is new?
***
@ 4:25, Connolly sits for hookiing.Miller is immediately pressed into action as the Sabres lose the faceoff. Miller stops Kessel's point shot and corrals Mitchell's rebound shot from in close.Goose snaps his twig on the faceoff and is forced to kill without it. Again, Miller settles things down with a calm and cool save.
***
If you are looking for run and gun hockey, switch the channeel. You won't find that here tonight.
***
Connolly and Pommer take off 2 on 1... 19 decides to shoot and misses the net!
***
9-28-21 start for Buffalo. Looks to me like Lindy wants to isolate Roy on the wall to better utilize his shot and his wheels. goose wins the draw and gets the puck deep in behind the ronna D. Stafford applies solid forecheck.
***
***
7:25pm:
SCRATCHES:
Kaleta
Sekera
Paetsch
Tronna:
Komisarek
Primeau
Grabovski
Warm Ups:
7pm: Both teams hit the ice surface to Jay Z spittin' da rhymes....
No Kaleta to be seen.
***
The Leafs get the 'pleasure' of hosting a cranky pens squad in 23.5 hours in Tronna.
Buffalo can marinade 'em. Sid and Geno will grille 'em.
***
***
Were I Burke, right about now I'd be asking Kaberle to hand me a list of teams that he would be willing to waive his no trade clause for a trade to.
They need a top 6 forward, like Kovalchuk, BADLY.
The Leafs appear to me to be a team of third and fourth liners, save Kessel.
They have traded away all of their JFJ draft choices and have nothing in the cupboards on the Marlies roster.
***
Pre-Game:
Greetings from sub-zero Buffalo. The Peace Bridge traffic was a bitch, but I stilll braved the elements and made it through customs with no drama. It helps that my inspector is a hockeybuzz.com junkie. Thanks, Gump!
I'm told that Brian Burke is making the drive down the QEW as we speak. When I see him on press row later tonight, I'll ask him the following questions:
1). Is Paul Gaustad still a consideration for Team USA as an alternate? How do you leave a 65% faceoff man at home?
2). Will Kessel play with boo-boo face tonight, or, will he man-up and be a leader of men? Ron Wilson called the enigmatic American Olympian after a soft effort vs. Philly two nights ago. Kessel has only one goal in his last 10 games. clearly, his coach demands more from him on a shift to shift, game to game basis.
3). Why does Lindy continue to torment the Leafs by starting Ryan Miller against the Leafs? Miller is Tronna's kryptonite.
Millsie is 4-0 against the Leafs this season with a 1.48 GAA. He's 21-7 lifetime against the Leafs, with a 2.20 GAA.
*****
Miller continues to flourish. He heads into tonight's game atop the leader board with a .934 Save % and a 2.05 GAA. He's faced 1,091 shots and only yielded 72 goals against! Hey-now!
***
Speaking of Wilson and Burke, they will be naming their Captain and assistants on Monday afternoon.
The captain and alternate captains of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team will be revealed on a media teleconference Monday (Jan. 11) at 2:30 p.m. EST. Team USA will compete at the XXI Olympic Winter Games Feb. 16-28 in Vancouver, B.C.
The 23-man roster for the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team was unveiled on NBC as part of its coverage of the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 1 at Fenway Park in Boston.
The U.S. faces off against Switzerland in its first game Feb. 16.
***
Whats the over-under on Rick DiPietro surviving his first start in the Islander net in over a year? DP gets the blue in Dalls tonight.
Marty Biron is relegated to press row for now. Can DP stay upright and healthy?
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