Cristobal Huet was maginificent tonight.
Ryan Miller was equally as remarkable.
The rubber was flying all over the rink tonight.
The goalies were the difference in this one.
Each team had 30 shots on goal.
Montreal blocked 24 other Buffalo shots. The Sabres blocked 19 other Montreal shots.
In the end, the team that came into the game with 101 goals scored this season, could only muster one goal against a blazing hot golatender.
Cristobal Huet was the difference in the Habs 2-1 OT win in Buffalo.
When his team needed him to make the critical, high pressure saves the most, Huet responded.
Take nothing away from Ryan Miller.
He made a half dozen saves on point blank shots that kept the game 1-0 for the Sabres through two periods.
Jaro Spacek pounded hme a Brian Campbell tape to tape pass to make the score 1-0 Buffalo.
The Sabres had stifled the Montreal attack with an agressive forecheck and stout defensive zone coverage through two periods. They allowed Montreal only 3 shot on Miller in the third. For a while, it appeared to most that the Sabres would make their 1-0 lead hold up.
Miller reflected on his acrobatics and golden horshoe when it appeared that the Habs would finally break the ice, and score in the third period.
"I was happy to be in there for the boys.. I was on a lucky streak there,too. I reached back and sweep one away then Dan Paille gets in the way of one, I don't know if he forced him (Kovalev) to shoot wide or caught him..... that's hockey, we hit a few post in the first period . I got lucky at my end a couple times , then we go to OT".
Then, when it appeared the Sabres would put this one away, Montreal Captain Saku Koivu took off on a breakway with young Latendresse. Teppo Numminen layed out and played Koivu to shoot, instead, Koivu backhanded the puck to the net, and somehow it squirted underneath Miler's stick. It appeared on the video replay that Miller tried to poke check the puck away from Koivu and he didn't get a solid piece of the moving puck.
1-1 tie.
Off to OT we go.
The Sabres took control of the extra period with tremendous puck pressue and accurate passing.
Thomas Vanek had two chances to win this game for the Sabres in OT. He took off all alone on Huet, and twice Huet made the save. Huet made the saves he had to make in order to keep his team in the game. Jiri Novotny was also thwarted by Huet in OT and he also sent a one time over the crossbar.
And then, the HSBC Arena sellout crowd rose to its feet in anticipation of the OT clock expiring.
You knew that a Shootout was right around the corner, right?
Just like the last time Montreal played in Buffalo in a Friday night.
" That extra ice... they had three guys on the rush, but we came back,and, Max cut across the middle and he had a great shot, that rattled around in some skates. If the shot from there gets through, its hard for the goalie to stop it when he's looking through his defenceman, and Maxie cuttin across shootin a hard shot, you gota like Maxie getting the goal."
What happened next made the 18,690 in attendance upchuck their Thanksgiving bird and pumpkin pie.
Miller and the Sabres knew that the clock was ticking and that there wasn't much time left in OT.
Sabre Killer, Alexei Kovalev took the puck from Rivet's skates and proceeded up the right win boards. Rather than shoot the puck---which evertyone in the house fuly expected---Kovie dished to the streaking Souray who top-shelfed the game winner from 50 feet away.
" It wasn't necesarily hard, he just got it up , and, it was spinning away from him and he went away to the blocker side. It was a pretty good shot. I was surprided that they had enough time to do it---- late play, I thought Kovalev would shoot it".
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I was able to catch Sheldon Souray before he left the Montreal room. He and Mike Ryder were discussing the game winner when I approached.
So, you thought that Kovalev would shoot not pass, right?
" Actually, I was expecting it. I just wanted to support him and I ended up getting a step on the guy. He (Kovalev) see the ice so well that I think he had seen that I was more open than he was. I ws expecting the pass. I got it. I did not know that there was that little time left on the clock, but I knew we were getting close. The puck was rolling, ya know, and every shot I hit him with tonight seemed to hit him right in the middle of the crest, so, I just wanted to get a quick release away and I was actulaly lucky that the puck was rolling because I was able to get it up quick . "
Souray knows that any time his Habs play the Sabres, the score is going to be tight, and that the Sabres will fight like Hell to win.
" we remeber he first time we came in here in October-- they came back from a two goal deficit to bet us in the Shootout. We obviously rememeber that game. In no way is this revenge for that. They are a great team. We plays heese guys eight times a year, hey're the top team in the conference. I think is just that we were prepared to play tonight, they were a little bit shorthanded and we wanted to take advantage of that. Also, we got a pretty good thing going purselves. We're trying to earn some respect around the league and what a better way to do against Buffalo. We knew that this would be a big challenge and the guys showed up and played hard."
Is there anything left to say about Huet that hasn't already ben said?
" Nothing. I think its all been said. The guy's the reason we're wining games right now, much like he was last year. You look at the Buffalo team and what Ryan Miller means to them, look at Neew Jersey and what Marty Brodeur means to them, I mean, when you got a goalie who's saving pucks and making the saves he's making at the times he's making the-- he's giving us a chance to win every game. "
Souray has a simple philosophy on how to be a better team.
" When you wanna be one of the best teams you need good goaltending , and we're getting that. I know Miller's had a great first month--- good all the way through-- you can't take anything away from him, he's played unbelievably well the last little while. We're just trying to keep this thing we've got going and try to build some momentum here "
******
I spoke with Guy Carboneau after the game.
Carbo knows his goalie and his team's comnmitment to a strict defensive system is the reason why his team won this game toniht.
" Both goalies were awesome tonight.They both made great saves. It was a great gam. I think the first period was one of the best that I've seen both teams play. We had good scoring chances, good passing, good play defensively, and I think it sgreat to see. There's no secret to the game when you want to win against this team. In the second period, I thought we were knd of-- not soft-- buy we made some plays that put us in penalty trouble that gave them some scoring chances that we did not want to give them. Overall, over 65 minutes, I think we played well defensively and we took their speed away a litttle bit. Sometimes you just got to be lucky!"
Cristobal Huet earned rave reviews from Carbo.
" Cristobal has been solid since the start of the season. I think right now he's in a zone . His technique is flawless. He's moving very well on the ice. He's a good goalie and he's making saves when he has to."
Carbo still remebers October 6 like it was yesterday. The Habs held a two goal lead in the third and they ended up losing 5-4 in the Shootout.
Any flashbacks tonight, Carbo?
" Definitely. Definitely. You never know. If we would a beat them the first time we played them, maybe they would had a tougher start to their season. You don't know. Thats why you always want to get those ones back! "
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The Sabres are now a combined 0-17 on the Powerplay against the Habs this season. They went 0-6 tonight.
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Brian Campbell skated 32:44 in this game. He assisted on Spacek's goal.
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The Sabres' next game is Sunday at MSG versus the Rangers.
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Garth
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