I'm no soothsayer, however, I predict that Z. Chara will be getting a phone call from Colin Campbell in the hours to come. A clearly frustrated Chara blew a gasket with .2 seconds remaining in Game 6, and proceeded to jump Paul Gaustad of the Sabres. Chara flipped his bird cage and attacked the 6'5" Gaustad who had roughed up the Boston captain late in the game. Claude Julien says that Goose got what he had coming because he slashed Chara behind the leg. Lindy saw it another way.
There's a mandatory one game suspension for an instigator in the last five minutes. Pending league review and approval.
In his postgame presser, Lindy Ruff emphatically voiced his displeasure for Chara's sore loser antics, and asked the NHL to look into the matter.
" I think when you do something like that you risk a suspension. And, its a serious risk of an "instigator". when you come in and start throwing punches, ya know they (the NHL) have to take a hard look at it. Its in the last five minutes... its a stupid thing to do. I like the fact that we had one guy grab him (Chara) around the knees, one grabbed him around the waist, the other guy got him around the neck, and the big man went down".
Ruff respects the way that his team stood up for one another.
"When you are out there, everbody knows the rules. You can't start slugging people , and that's exactly what Chara was doing".
****
****
I spent some time with Nathan Gerbe in the Buffalo room after the game. His smile was beaming ear to ear, and with good reason. #42 was a catalyst for his team in their Game 6 win.
The Gerbe, Cody McCormick, and Adam Mair line was created this morning, however, it played as if it had been playing together for months.
"Adam Mair is such a hard working guy. We had instant chemistry on our first shift of the game."
On the first goal of the game, Gerbe received a nice pass from McCormick. Gerbe found Mair at the doorstep of Rask and the tone was set by Buffalo for the rest of the game".
"Going in, our line wanted to get pucks deep and forecheck them in their end. Mair anand they Cody are strong and they open holes for me to skate in. We got it going early and kept our feet moving all night".
In his postgame presser, Lindy Ruff commented that he was impressed with the play of Gerbe and fellow rookie Tyler Ennis. "The young guys were terrific for us. Myers was good tonight, Gerbe was good tonight. Kennedy had a good effort. They are gaining confidence. since the first time Gerbe came up this season, I think that Gerbe has gained a lot of confidence. I think he understands. Tyler Ennis is learning from different situations on the ice. He (ennis) has a Hell of a lot of fun playing for a guy that's his size he's trying to run over guys that are over twice his size. He just puts a smile on the coach's face".
Gerb, like Ennis, wants to stay in the NHL and he's committed to the cause.
"I'll play whatever style the coach asks me to play. I can be physical, I can skate... whatever it takes".
*****
3RD PERIOD:
****
4-1 Buffalo
Ennis scores the empty netter from his belly!
Boychuk breaks the seal on the PP.
***
@ 11 minute mark of the third period, Buffalo are out shooting Boston 32-28.
Mike Grier takes a puck to the face while blocking a shot in front of Miller during Boston's best offensive flurry of the game. Grier would lay face down on the ice for two minutes, however, he skates off under his own power while refusing treatment from trainer Tim Macre. Muy Macho, Mike!
***
Miller absolutely ROBS Hunwick on the one-timer from 23 feet out!
***
Julien activates his D in an attempt to create scoring chances. Buffalo will be looking for the oddman rush with Chara and the rest of the Boston D creeping down the walls and to below the hashmarks.
***
Sobotka, Satan, Ryder, Chara, Wheeler are all -2 after 40.
****
Myers and Tallinder are +2 after 40 minutes.
***
Sabres lead the hit parade, 27-12, after 40.
***
Sensing the possibility of elimination, Buffalo build on their two goal lead in the second period. They dominate the second forty minute segment by drop-shifting and beating the Bruins forwards and D to loose puck in all three zones. Lindy appears to have found his ideal line combos:
Ennis-Roy-Pommer, McCormick-Mair-Gerbe, Grier-Connolly-Kennedy, Kaleta-Goose-Stafford.
Ruff is rolling all four lines and he's getting excellent production, to say nothing of strong defensive play.
**** 2ND PERIOD:
Gerbe has added some cayenne pepper to the Buffalo attack tonight. He and his Sabre forwards are FLYING!
***
Buffalo have been hemming Boston in their end for the past seven minutes. Rask has had to make four quality saves on point blank Sabres shots.
*** 3-0 BUFFALO
Boston kills the penalty. Then.....
Mike Grier bangs home his second goal of the series! Honk for the assist from The Goose!
***
@ 7:09, Marco Sturm sits two for high sticking.
On the ensuing faceoff in the Boston end, Connolly thought he had a two foot tap-in putt on a rebound off a shot that hit the post. The Bruins D man swiped the puck before it crossed the goal line.
Buffalo don't score, however, their PP was 1000% better than their previous 15 attempts. The entries were crisp, the recoveries were successful, and their zone time was much improved. Gerbe and Connolly had chemistry, as did Myers and Stafford. Looks light years better!
****
@ 5:10, Goose gets two for hooking.....
Miller makes two nice saves in a row. Forst on recchi in close, then on Chara from up top.
Myers is strong in his own end and he's denying time and space well.
successful kill.
***
Ennis-Roy-Pommer look good at the start of the period. Feet are moving and they are looking for one another with simple, short passes. Gotta keep it simple.
In between periods, had a hockey moment with Cam Neely. Respect to #8.
***
Buffalo outshot Boston, 12-5 in the forst twenty.
Buffalo out hit the Bruins 17-8 in the first period. Paul Gaustad led all hitters with 5.
Derek Roy won only one of five faceoffs. 20% just ain't good enough, D! Goose lost two outta three faceoffs.
****
1ST PERIOD:
2-0 BUFFALO
POMMER scores his second of the series.
****
@ 9:11, Shawn Thornton elbows Kaleta in the face in front of the Buffalo bench. Buffalo's 15th PP of thee series..... same ole story: crappy entries and lethargic recoveries.
Just as Thornton's penalty ends, Tyler Myers gets two or less for cross checking.....
Lydman makes a nice stick play and turns over a Krejci pass. He skates it into the Boston zone and gets a shot on Rask. Kills 10 seconds off in the process. Successful kill.
****
Impressive to see 5'9 160 pound rookie Tyler Ennis slam into 6'9 265 lb. FrankenChara on the forecheck. attaboy, Tyler!
*** 1-0 BUFFALO
Nathan Gerbe and Cody McCormick feed Adam Mair for the biggest goal of this series for Buffalo. Mair's first of the Playoffs. Lindy gets immediate gratification for his decision to sit Raffi Torres. He's lighting a fire under the ass of 19-9-21-29 to get to work or else their ice time will be reduced!
**
@ 1:01, Derek Roy gacks up the puck at the Buffalo blueline and David Krejci walks in all alone on Ryan Miller. Krejci deked Miller backhand, forehand, but Miller would have no part of it. Miller threw his left pad out and kicked the dangerous grenade in the corner.
***
***
*** OHFER 14: Perhaps it would be wise for Lindy Ruff to ask Corey Smith to prepare a PP highlight video of the LA KINGS PP. at one pointy in Game 4 of their series versus Vancouver, the Kings PP were 9 for 14. The Kings have great skill guys and they are making it look simple by getting clean entries and they are outworkingthe Nucks D for recoveries.
***
My observation: The youngsters look confident and loose in the pre-game warm ups. Kennedy, Ennis, Myers, Gerbe, and Sekera look composed and they have every right to feel confident. Their coach believes in them and he is appreciative of their contributions. On the other hand, Connolly, Pominville, Roy, Stafford, Mair, and Gaustad look tight to me as they warm up. The pressure for these vets to perform appears to be weighing heavily their collective minds. Lindy Ruff has sent a stern message by turfing affi Torres for Game 5, however, one concludes that the coach would love to bench a couple more of his under achieving veterans. He's disapointed and frustrated that his core guys cannot lead this team to victory.
****
Both teams just hit the ice surface for their early twirls.
No Thomas Vanek on the ice for Buffalo. The conspiracy theorists in the press box were suggestingthat Lindy may be playing poker with Julien and he's skate Vanek for the war-ups just to add a psychological wrinkle. no dice.
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