Welcome to First Niagara Center. Its louder than bombs in here. Leafs fans are oiled up and ready to party.
7:15pm: Sabres being booed as they enter the ice. Leafs get a big roar. Loud crowds of Leafs fans in the 300 level endzones.
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Leafs get the big roar. I'll tell you what. Pride better kick in here for Buffalo. Drown out the drunks
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Stuart not on the ice for warm ups. Graghs may slide to wing
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Grags will be your Swiss Army knife tonighty #herotime
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This game is about burying the bitch of a losing streak on home ice. Its pride time. BRAVEHEART!
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Connolly high sticked McCormick in the eye in Aug while playing shinny. Cody took 7 stitches to close the gash. #paybacks
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Time for Captain Pommer to peel the paint off the ceilings and inspire his troops.
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I expect a hard, heavy fore check from Buffalo tonight. Phaneuf, Liles, Gardiner best be ready for a tsunami of hate
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#Kickassian will channel his inner Wendel Clark tonight
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Phaneuf is flipping souvenir pux over the glass to Leafs fans during warm-up drills
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Wonder how much money Connolly has on the board for tonight?
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7:15, warm-ups done. Wash the ice and lest do this!
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7:35pm:
First Period:
Very nice of Sabres season ticket holders to sell their game tickets for tonight's game to Leafs fans. Sell your allegiance for a couple of shillings? Quitters. Makes me sick to see this place 65% leafs sweaters.
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I haven't heard this building sound this so loud and proud for Canada since the World Juniors last Christmas.
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First 4:29 of game have been dominated by Leafs play in Sabres end. Leafs lead shots 3-1.
Sabres playing 1-2-2 to stagger Leaf flow through neutral zone.
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Sabres bringing the wood early on. McCormick cracks Armstrong and sends him flying , than Kassian finished Franson hard on the wall.
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Ryan Miller just made an outstanding save on a Grabovski-Frattin passing play that resulted in a chance. Miller looks good early on. Very focused and alert. Great angles and awareness.
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Toronto has speed quotient that they have lacked in past. However, Buffalo are the more physical team
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26-58-29 are attacking Toronto every shift! Great energy
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Armstrong denies Roy-Staff 2 on 1 down low
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Chewie with a nice catch-go pass leading Pommer to the slot with speed. Reimer with save.
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Second Period:
Scoreless after one.
Ryan Miller was the star of period one. He was sharp and in-focus, making all 14 saves. he's out on top of his crease and his angles are succinct.
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Sabres with 8 hits to Leafs 5; Sabres 7 blocks to Leafs 3; Sabres 4 giveaways to Leafs 1; Sabres with 8 blocks, Leafs 3.
Goose led all Sabres with 7:23 of ice time. He was 6-2 on draws for 75%. #muymacho
Roy was a less than acceptable 2 for 9 on draws in period 1
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Stick tap Sabres Production crew for producing "A Night Before Christmas" video feat. RJ, Harry, Kevin, Staff, Leo, Enzo, Pommer reading
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1-0 Leafs:
Kessel and Lupul bust up the gut with speed, elude the Buffalo D. Lupul scores off the silky Kessel feed.
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1-1
Moments later, Kassian draws a penalty by moviong his feet in the O-zone, and Buffalo go to the PP. Grags does a great job of soccer kicking the puck to the corner as it appeared it would clear the zone. Pommer grabbed the loose puck, found Vanek who fed Stafford for the PPG.
Stafford's 100th career goal.
the Leafs have the 30th ranked PK in NHL right now. Draw more penalties, Buffalo!
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2-1 Leafs
Roy takes a lazy trip on Schenn behind Reimer.
Phaneuf wasted little time banging Bozak's pass behind Miller
2-2
19 seconds after the Phaenuf clapper found the back of the net, Zack Kickassian picked Jake Gardiner's wallet clean. 54 fed VCanek who played the waiting game with Reimer, who blinked first in the staredown.
Beautifully constructed scoring play!
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3-2 Sabres
Leafs take another stupid penalty and give Buffalo a 5 on 3.
Ennis pounds home a BOMB!
PPG
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4-2 Sabres
Reggie Sekera's 1/2 clapper beats Reimer short side.
The Sabres third PPG of the period.
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Leafs captain, Dion Phaneuf, blew a gasket and boarded Zack Kasssian from behind. He rammed Kassian face of the glass behind the Leaf net, earning himself a 5 , 10 and game misconduct.
Here's the hit. Punk play.
There's no doubt in my mind that Sheriff Shanny will be suspending Phaneuf for 3-5 games for that disgusting punk play. Nice tantrum, Dion!
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Third Period:
Kassian was on the bench to start the third period and appears to be ok.
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4-3 Sabres
Kulemin awarded a penalty shot when he was tripped up while driving to the net. Looked like only a trip to me.
Kulemin drove wide right to the faceoff circle and cut hard at Miller's crease. Kulemin scores high blocker.
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