1st Period:
Fast hands. Fast feet. Fast decisions. Fast start for Buffalo.
2-0 Buffalo
Buffalo pick up right where they left off in the preseason.
Thomas Vanek's PPG opens the season scoring. Adam and Pommer with assists.
Ville Leino followed moments later. Brad Boyes with a nice assist.
****
Buffalo are controlling the puck and the play in the early going.
The speed of the Buffalo forwards appears to be causing fits for the bigger, slower Ducks.
***
Buffalo are 1 for 2 on the PP.
Buffalo are 1 for 1 on the PK. Regehr called for a trip. No worries.
*****
Tyler Myers was taken for a rough ride on an icing call. He appears to be ok.
Upon further review it looked like a border line hit on Myers. No penalty call.
****
Regehr takes Parros for a rough ride and both men tak epenalties. Great to see Regehr not blinking an eye at a confrontation with Gorgeous George.
****
End of period:
Sabres lead shots 8-6.
2-0 Buffalo
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2nd Period:
Ryan Miller poke checks a beauty of a scoring chance off the stick of Jason Blake, camped in Miller's blue ice.
****
2-1 Sabres
The Ducks are all over the Sabres in the early part of the period.
Guenin scores on a knuckle puck from the right point.
Moments later...
3-1 Buffalo
Pommer rstores the Buffalo two goal lead with his first of the season and first as Sabres captain.
*****
Ducks get into penalty troble in the twelve minute mark of the period.
4-1 Buffalo
Ehrhoff and Pominville find Vanek all alone in front of Hiller. Vanek went forehand/backhand, the puck hits Cam Fowler's wheel and finds the back of the net.
Vanek gets credit, his second PPG of the game. Vanek has three points today.
***
Sloppy start. Extremely focused end to the 2nd period for Buffalo. They made corrections on the fly. Ducks are slow to respond to Buffalo's speed and skill
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3rd Period:
Vanek looks more like Corey Perry, than Corey Perry does himself in this game. Using his size ad skill to overwhelm the Ducks D.
Vanek looks like a 50 goal scorer.
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Sabres denied Perry, Getzlaf, and Ryan to 1 shot each after 40 minutes
Vanek has 9 shots after 40 minutes. Pommer 4.
Vanek and Pommer are +3 each after two periods. Adam is +2.
****
Roy and Ehrhoff take penalties
Anaheim 5 on 3.
****
Sabres PK hulks up and kills the 5 on 3.
***
Buffalo PP and PK are very impressive in this game. Anaheim has a ton of skill and scoring.
Good on Buffalo.
****
Sabres dominate for 60 minutes and win the opener 4-1 in convincing fashion.
****
Here's a stat you don't see everyday: Buffalo had ZERO shots in third period!
****
The team will shower, and hit the plane to Berlin for Saturday's game vs. the uber talented Kinds.
2pm puck drop on Saturday!
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