Let the NHL season Begin!!!!!
Moderators: sgt.null, StevieG, hierachy
-
Ghostrider
- Stonedownor
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:01 am
*sigh* I wish hockey was still on ESPN. 
I can't find Versus and the only other hockey options I have are FSN Detroit (which is the biggest homer station I've ever seen) or NBC (which also always seems to focus on the Dead Wings since they usually go with regional coverage).
CBC is the lone light in the dark, and it has me hoping that my Sharks meet Vancouver in the playoffs, just so I can possibly see every game of the series.
Also, Don Cherry...(love him or hate him)..is the man.
I can't find Versus and the only other hockey options I have are FSN Detroit (which is the biggest homer station I've ever seen) or NBC (which also always seems to focus on the Dead Wings since they usually go with regional coverage).
CBC is the lone light in the dark, and it has me hoping that my Sharks meet Vancouver in the playoffs, just so I can possibly see every game of the series.
Also, Don Cherry...(love him or hate him)..is the man.
-
sgt.null
- Jack of Odd Trades, Master of Fun
- Posts: 48340
- Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:53 am
- Location: Brazoria, Texas
- Has thanked: 7 times
- Been thanked: 10 times
pro football, college football, high school football, they are nuts for it. 
Buffalo 5, Florida 3
Fla. -- Ty Conklin made 42 saves in his 1st start for Buffalo and helped the Sabres snap a season-worst, 4-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the Panthers on Thur night. Conklin, acquired from Columbus on Feb. 27, stood tall for the Sabres who were outshot 45-20. Chris Drury broke a 3-3 tie at 9:50 of the third period when he tipped in Brian Campbell's slap shot from the point. Drew Stafford scored twice for Buffalo, including an insurance goal at 15:17. Jason Pominville and Dainius Zubrus also had goals for Buffalo, which hadn't won since beating Toronto on March 3. Campbell had three assists. Nathan Horton had two goals for Florida, which lost at home in regulation for only the second time in 11 games (8-2-1). Stephen Weiss added a goal and two assists for the Panthers. His linemate Martin Gelinas had two assists. Ed Belfour, who tied a franchise record with his 22nd consecutive start, stopped 15 shots. Buffalo, which leads the Eastern Conference with 96 points, rallied from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 and took a 3-2 lead into the third period. Horton tied it at 2:45 when a wrist shot from the point was deflected to the side of the net. He then one-timed it past Conklin. Conklin kept the Sabres even with a couple of big saves off deflections, including a tip by Florida center Olli Jokinen. After Drury put Buffalo in front, Stafford made it 5-3 when he one-timed Campbell's pass from behind the net. Weiss' goal gave Florida a 1-0 lead after the first period, during which the Panthers held a 15-5 shots advantage. The Sabres answered with three goals in the second period. Stafford gave Buffalo its first lead of the game when he finished off a pretty three-way passing play by tipping in Campbell's cross-ice feed.
Buffalo 5, Florida 3
Fla. -- Ty Conklin made 42 saves in his 1st start for Buffalo and helped the Sabres snap a season-worst, 4-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the Panthers on Thur night. Conklin, acquired from Columbus on Feb. 27, stood tall for the Sabres who were outshot 45-20. Chris Drury broke a 3-3 tie at 9:50 of the third period when he tipped in Brian Campbell's slap shot from the point. Drew Stafford scored twice for Buffalo, including an insurance goal at 15:17. Jason Pominville and Dainius Zubrus also had goals for Buffalo, which hadn't won since beating Toronto on March 3. Campbell had three assists. Nathan Horton had two goals for Florida, which lost at home in regulation for only the second time in 11 games (8-2-1). Stephen Weiss added a goal and two assists for the Panthers. His linemate Martin Gelinas had two assists. Ed Belfour, who tied a franchise record with his 22nd consecutive start, stopped 15 shots. Buffalo, which leads the Eastern Conference with 96 points, rallied from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 and took a 3-2 lead into the third period. Horton tied it at 2:45 when a wrist shot from the point was deflected to the side of the net. He then one-timed it past Conklin. Conklin kept the Sabres even with a couple of big saves off deflections, including a tip by Florida center Olli Jokinen. After Drury put Buffalo in front, Stafford made it 5-3 when he one-timed Campbell's pass from behind the net. Weiss' goal gave Florida a 1-0 lead after the first period, during which the Panthers held a 15-5 shots advantage. The Sabres answered with three goals in the second period. Stafford gave Buffalo its first lead of the game when he finished off a pretty three-way passing play by tipping in Campbell's cross-ice feed.
-
sgt.null
- Jack of Odd Trades, Master of Fun
- Posts: 48340
- Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:53 am
- Location: Brazoria, Texas
- Has thanked: 7 times
- Been thanked: 10 times
i'd rather play Calgary in the finale.
Buffalo 3, Tampa Bay 2
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The Buffalo Sabres have bounced back after their longest losing streak of the season.
Jason Pominville had two goals and Ryan Miller made 35 saves, leading the Eastern Conference-leading Sabres past the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Friday night.
"This is the time of the year when things really get exciting," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. "The pressure builds inside the game and you see what guys are made of, whether they're going to handle it or not handle it."
The Sabres also got a goal from Derek Roy en route to winning consecutive games after a four-game skid. Buffalo extended its lead over New Jersey for the conference's best record to four points.
"Today certainly felt like a playoff game with the atmosphere and intensity," Sabres center Chris Drury said. "We're also fighting for position so it's not like we're just coasting in here. Every point is huge for us and we want to finish absolutely as high as we can.
Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier scored twice, giving him an NHL-leading 48 goals. He set a team record with 96 points this season.
The Lightning played at home for the first time since going 3-3 on a road trip. Tampa Bay trails Southeast Division-leading Atlanta by four points.
"We came up short but not from a lack of effort," Tampa Bay right wing Martin St. Louis said. "I like the way that we stayed in the game and the way we fought back. We were one shot away from tying it up and we had a few chances."
Lecavalier put the Lightning up 1-0 early in the first before Buffalo responded with three goals midway through the period.
Pominville tied it at 1 at 7:29 from a tough angle near the goal line. After Roy was credited with a goal following a video review at 8:05, Pominville made it 3-1 with 9:36 left.
Lecavalier pulled the Lightning to 3-2 with 15:22 remaining in the third.
Miller stopped Brad Richards' in-close shot with 1:35 to play.
"I just wanted to bring a good approach, good attitude and battle the entire evening," Miller said. "Even when one of their early shots goes in our guys battled hard and I kind of cued of that."
Buffalo 3, Tampa Bay 2
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The Buffalo Sabres have bounced back after their longest losing streak of the season.
Jason Pominville had two goals and Ryan Miller made 35 saves, leading the Eastern Conference-leading Sabres past the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Friday night.
"This is the time of the year when things really get exciting," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. "The pressure builds inside the game and you see what guys are made of, whether they're going to handle it or not handle it."
The Sabres also got a goal from Derek Roy en route to winning consecutive games after a four-game skid. Buffalo extended its lead over New Jersey for the conference's best record to four points.
"Today certainly felt like a playoff game with the atmosphere and intensity," Sabres center Chris Drury said. "We're also fighting for position so it's not like we're just coasting in here. Every point is huge for us and we want to finish absolutely as high as we can.
Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier scored twice, giving him an NHL-leading 48 goals. He set a team record with 96 points this season.
The Lightning played at home for the first time since going 3-3 on a road trip. Tampa Bay trails Southeast Division-leading Atlanta by four points.
"We came up short but not from a lack of effort," Tampa Bay right wing Martin St. Louis said. "I like the way that we stayed in the game and the way we fought back. We were one shot away from tying it up and we had a few chances."
Lecavalier put the Lightning up 1-0 early in the first before Buffalo responded with three goals midway through the period.
Pominville tied it at 1 at 7:29 from a tough angle near the goal line. After Roy was credited with a goal following a video review at 8:05, Pominville made it 3-1 with 9:36 left.
Lecavalier pulled the Lightning to 3-2 with 15:22 remaining in the third.
Miller stopped Brad Richards' in-close shot with 1:35 to play.
"I just wanted to bring a good approach, good attitude and battle the entire evening," Miller said. "Even when one of their early shots goes in our guys battled hard and I kind of cued of that."
Leafs play the hated NJ Devils tonight... the same team that has that waste-of-space Janssen on their team. Well, he will likely sit on the bench for all but 2 minutes of the game as usual ... but look out when/if he actually does...
I don't think the Leafs are up for retibution for the ugle late hit on the best defenceman in the league, but still ....
I don't think the Leafs are up for retibution for the ugle late hit on the best defenceman in the league, but still ....
~...with a floating smile and a light blue sponge...~
I'm not quite ready yet... a three way tie for last playoff spot! and only 3 points separating the 5 teams in 7th - 9th spot! I'll be ready when/if the Leafs clinch a playoff.
Well, the Leafs played the Devils and won 2-1 !!!
Apparently we dressed our tough guy, Wade Belak, and he and the hated Janssen duked it out near the beginning of the game (if you recall, a little payback for the late hit on Kaberle last time they met). It was a looong fight. Thel ongest I have ever seen, going over a minute and a half. Belak scored the best and hardest hits, but give Janssen credit, he stayed on his feet..
Next: Buffalo for two games!!! ahhhh!!!!
Thankfully we will have Kaberle back...
OK, null, it's warrrr!
Well, the Leafs played the Devils and won 2-1 !!!
Apparently we dressed our tough guy, Wade Belak, and he and the hated Janssen duked it out near the beginning of the game (if you recall, a little payback for the late hit on Kaberle last time they met). It was a looong fight. Thel ongest I have ever seen, going over a minute and a half. Belak scored the best and hardest hits, but give Janssen credit, he stayed on his feet..
Next: Buffalo for two games!!! ahhhh!!!!
Thankfully we will have Kaberle back...
OK, null, it's warrrr!
~...with a floating smile and a light blue sponge...~
-
sgt.null
- Jack of Odd Trades, Master of Fun
- Posts: 48340
- Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:53 am
- Location: Brazoria, Texas
- Has thanked: 7 times
- Been thanked: 10 times
home and home sweep for the Sabres! 
Buffalo 5, Washington 2
NY- Heading toward the playoffs, Daniel Briere and the Buffalo Sabres want to address a few deficiencies: fix their sputtering power play and regain their edge at home. Check and check. Briere and Derek Roy scored power-play goals, helping the Sabres end a three-game home skid with an easy 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
"This is definitely what we wanted to clean up," Briere said. "Sometimes it's a good thing to hit the rough patch before you hit the playoffs. And hopefully we're out of it now and we can look forward and come into the playoffs on a roll." Drew Stafford had two third-period goals and Clarke MacArthur also scored, while Dainius Zubrus had two assists in his first game against his former team; the Sabres acquired the forward in a deal with the Capitals last month. The Eastern Conference-leading Sabres (47-19-7) joined Nashville in becoming the second NHL team to reach the 100-point mark this season. The two power-play goals ended a seven-game drought -- Buffalo's longest since 2003-04. And the Sabres avoided losing four straight at home for the first time since early last season. "Small things mean a lot and I think we just want to be ramping up at the right time," said Ryan Miller, who made 24 saves. "Last 10 games for us is going to be a focal point and tonight was a good step forward." It helps that the Sabres fine-tuned their game against the Capitals (26-35-13), who continue displaying the telltale inconsistencies of a young team. Besides dropping to 1-8-2 in their past 11 road games, the Capitals failed to build off two home wins in which they outscored their opponents by a combined 12-2, including a 7-1 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday. "They just played well. We didn't score," said Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals star held without a point for a third consecutive game. Brian Pothier and Donald Brashear scored for Washington. The Sabres, coming off a 2-0-2 four-game road swing, took control with a three-goal second period. Roy's goal, which opened the scoring 40 seconds into the second, came courtesy of a fortunate bounce after Dmitri Kalinin's shot from inside the blue line sailed wide and high. The puck bounced to the right of the net, where Roy slid it in the open side with goalie Olaf Kolzig looking the other way. Not exactly how Sabres coach Lindy Ruff drew it up, but he'll take it, considering it was his team's first goal in 26 power-play chances. "We had some good power plays on the road trip and missed some great opportunities," Ruff said. "But you don't want to talk about missing great opportunities. You want to talk about scoring on the opportunities you get." Briere's goal, which put the Sabres up 3-1, came on a gritty play, set up after Zubrus forced a turnover behind the Capitals net. With a step on Washington defender Jeff Schultz, Briere skated out in front and wrapped it in through Kolzig's legs. "We can't turn the puck over against a team that good," Pothier said. "They take advantage of their opportunities."
Briere's goal was his 30th of the season, giving the Sabres an NHL-best four players with 30 or more. It marks the first time Buffalo has had four 30-goal scorers since 1990-91.
Buffalo 5, Washington 2
NY- Heading toward the playoffs, Daniel Briere and the Buffalo Sabres want to address a few deficiencies: fix their sputtering power play and regain their edge at home. Check and check. Briere and Derek Roy scored power-play goals, helping the Sabres end a three-game home skid with an easy 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
"This is definitely what we wanted to clean up," Briere said. "Sometimes it's a good thing to hit the rough patch before you hit the playoffs. And hopefully we're out of it now and we can look forward and come into the playoffs on a roll." Drew Stafford had two third-period goals and Clarke MacArthur also scored, while Dainius Zubrus had two assists in his first game against his former team; the Sabres acquired the forward in a deal with the Capitals last month. The Eastern Conference-leading Sabres (47-19-7) joined Nashville in becoming the second NHL team to reach the 100-point mark this season. The two power-play goals ended a seven-game drought -- Buffalo's longest since 2003-04. And the Sabres avoided losing four straight at home for the first time since early last season. "Small things mean a lot and I think we just want to be ramping up at the right time," said Ryan Miller, who made 24 saves. "Last 10 games for us is going to be a focal point and tonight was a good step forward." It helps that the Sabres fine-tuned their game against the Capitals (26-35-13), who continue displaying the telltale inconsistencies of a young team. Besides dropping to 1-8-2 in their past 11 road games, the Capitals failed to build off two home wins in which they outscored their opponents by a combined 12-2, including a 7-1 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday. "They just played well. We didn't score," said Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals star held without a point for a third consecutive game. Brian Pothier and Donald Brashear scored for Washington. The Sabres, coming off a 2-0-2 four-game road swing, took control with a three-goal second period. Roy's goal, which opened the scoring 40 seconds into the second, came courtesy of a fortunate bounce after Dmitri Kalinin's shot from inside the blue line sailed wide and high. The puck bounced to the right of the net, where Roy slid it in the open side with goalie Olaf Kolzig looking the other way. Not exactly how Sabres coach Lindy Ruff drew it up, but he'll take it, considering it was his team's first goal in 26 power-play chances. "We had some good power plays on the road trip and missed some great opportunities," Ruff said. "But you don't want to talk about missing great opportunities. You want to talk about scoring on the opportunities you get." Briere's goal, which put the Sabres up 3-1, came on a gritty play, set up after Zubrus forced a turnover behind the Capitals net. With a step on Washington defender Jeff Schultz, Briere skated out in front and wrapped it in through Kolzig's legs. "We can't turn the puck over against a team that good," Pothier said. "They take advantage of their opportunities."
Briere's goal was his 30th of the season, giving the Sabres an NHL-best four players with 30 or more. It marks the first time Buffalo has had four 30-goal scorers since 1990-91.
(just for null as I am currently watching the Sabres/Leafs game...)
1st period:
ALL LEAFS!!!! Shots on goal are 21 - 6 in favour of the Leafs. The zamboni barely needed to clean the ice in the Leaf's defensive end. And if it wasn't for an absolutely idiodic penalty taken by Tucker for goaltender interferance, the Sabres would only have 3 shots on goal and the score would still be 1-0
As it is, the game is tied after one period: 1-1.
Leafs are really taking the body to all sabres. They look a little afraid to touch the puck. But of course with their speed and puck handling, they don't usually need to hold the puck long...
have to watch out what instructions Ruff gives the Sabres for the 2nd...
Oh, and the returning Kaberle assists on the goal...
1st period:
ALL LEAFS!!!! Shots on goal are 21 - 6 in favour of the Leafs. The zamboni barely needed to clean the ice in the Leaf's defensive end. And if it wasn't for an absolutely idiodic penalty taken by Tucker for goaltender interferance, the Sabres would only have 3 shots on goal and the score would still be 1-0
As it is, the game is tied after one period: 1-1.
Leafs are really taking the body to all sabres. They look a little afraid to touch the puck. But of course with their speed and puck handling, they don't usually need to hold the puck long...
have to watch out what instructions Ruff gives the Sabres for the 2nd...
Oh, and the returning Kaberle assists on the goal...
~...with a floating smile and a light blue sponge...~
2nd period:
Well the high energy, take-the-body game the Leafs are playing start to take it's toll two ways: 1. the score the go-ahead goal. 2. They are looking very tired by the second half of the second period and the Sabres start to show some life.
The goal is scored by Stajan who has had two breakaways and about 4 other chances already. Miller has defiantely kept the Sabres in this game and given them a chance to come back. (It's only one goal ... sheesh, I've seen the Sabres come back from being down 3 in the 3rd...!)
The Sabres were getting obviously frustrated by the hits they were taking which cause many errant passes, one missed offside call against the Leafs and a few offside calls made agianst them (one was questionable). However the last 8 minutes of the game are all Sabres.
The third period is going to be interesting. Sabres have momentum and Leafs look tired...
Well the high energy, take-the-body game the Leafs are playing start to take it's toll two ways: 1. the score the go-ahead goal. 2. They are looking very tired by the second half of the second period and the Sabres start to show some life.
The goal is scored by Stajan who has had two breakaways and about 4 other chances already. Miller has defiantely kept the Sabres in this game and given them a chance to come back. (It's only one goal ... sheesh, I've seen the Sabres come back from being down 3 in the 3rd...!)
The Sabres were getting obviously frustrated by the hits they were taking which cause many errant passes, one missed offside call against the Leafs and a few offside calls made agianst them (one was questionable). However the last 8 minutes of the game are all Sabres.
The third period is going to be interesting. Sabres have momentum and Leafs look tired...
~...with a floating smile and a light blue sponge...~
3rd period:
Leafs take over again. After a see-saw battle for the first few minutes, Leafs score two more goals, one a beautiful passing play, and one where the Sabre defenceman shoots the puck off a referee, bouncing out to a Leaf player and in the net (lucky). 4-2 Leafs.
The the Sabreas take over. Well, capitalizing on Leaf penalties again. Two goals on the power play then a shot from the blue line which Raycroft should have had.
Suddenly, in typical Sabre fashion, it is 5-4 Sabres...
It's about this time that I have let off a slew of cursing that my wife has never heard from me before. I apologize and turn off the TV with still 8 minutes to play...
Leafs take over again. After a see-saw battle for the first few minutes, Leafs score two more goals, one a beautiful passing play, and one where the Sabre defenceman shoots the puck off a referee, bouncing out to a Leaf player and in the net (lucky). 4-2 Leafs.
The the Sabreas take over. Well, capitalizing on Leaf penalties again. Two goals on the power play then a shot from the blue line which Raycroft should have had.
Suddenly, in typical Sabre fashion, it is 5-4 Sabres...
It's about this time that I have let off a slew of cursing that my wife has never heard from me before. I apologize and turn off the TV with still 8 minutes to play...
~...with a floating smile and a light blue sponge...~
-
sgt.null
- Jack of Odd Trades, Master of Fun
- Posts: 48340
- Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:53 am
- Location: Brazoria, Texas
- Has thanked: 7 times
- Been thanked: 10 times
and Wood takes the pass at the blue line...
Buffalo 5, Toronto 4
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Mats Sundin was at a loss for words after his team's playoff hopes dimmed because of the resilient Buffalo Sabres.
Drew Stafford broke a third-period tie, Thomas Vanek had two goals and an assist and Buffalo erased a three-goal third-period deficit to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 on Friday night. Toronto failed to move up in the Eastern Conference race and remains in 11th place, two points behind Carolina for the eighth and final playoff spot. "Wow, what do you say," the Maple Leafs captain said after Buffalo's second win this season when down three goals in the final period. "That's a heartbreaker to lose a game like that." The comeback was Buffalo's ninth this season when trailing by two or more goals. "It was amazing," said Sabres forward Jason Pominville, who tied the game with just over six minutes left when he beat goalie Andrew Raycroft with a wrist shot on a partial breakaway. "It was a great game to be a part of." That is as long as you wore a Sabres uniform. "There's not much to say," said Sundin, who was stopped by goalie Ryan Miller with 14 seconds left in regulation in his bid to tie the game. The win gave Buffalo 103 points, breaking a tie with Nashville for the top spot in the league. Daniel Briere also scored for the Sabres, who have won four of their past five following a four-game losing streak. "We've shown all year that we don't give up," Vanek said. Toronto appeared to wrap up the game after Boyd Devereaux scored twice in a 3:52 span to start the third period to make it 4-1. After the goal, Miller threw his stick in disgust, a move that seemed to rally his team. "I was ready to laugh more than anything," said Miller, who finished with 40 saves. "I felt pretty composed after that." The Sabres stormed back, with Vanek starting the rally with his team-leading 37th at 5:27 to make it 4-2. Briere made it 4-3 with his 31st at 9:18, and Pominville tied it when he went between defensemen Hal Gill and Kyle Wellwood at the Maple Leafs blueline following a nifty Briere pass. Twenty seconds later, Stafford put Buffalo ahead 5-4, re-directing Vanek's pass in front of Raycroft. "It shows the character of the guys in the room," said Stafford, who has four goals in his past three games. "It shows how hard we want to work and how much we want this." Matt Stajan added a goal and an assist and Bryan McCabe also scored for the Maple Leafs, who lost for the third time in four games. The teams wrap up their season series Saturday in Toronto, as the Maple Leafs continue to fight for a playoff spot. Carolina, Montreal, the New York Islanders and Toronto are separated by two points or less as they chase the final playoff spot in the East. "We have to get a win for sure," Maple Leafs defenseman Ian White said. Toronto did get a boost when defenseman Tomas Kaberle made his return after missing eight games with a concussion. Kaberle hasn't played since being checked into the boards on a late hit by New Jersey's Cam Janssen on March 2. He assisted on McCabe's goal. Vanek opened the scoring 5:17 in with Buffalo on the power play. McCabe tied it on a two-man advantage with 65 seconds left in the first on a slap shot from the top of the right circle. The Sabres allowed a season-high 21 shots in the first period, but Miller kept them in the game with several sparkling saves, including a stop on Stajan's breakaway with five minutes left. tajan gave Toronto its first lead 4:11 into the second after re-directing Alex Steen's pass from the bottom edge of the right circle. Raycroft finished with 29 saves.
Notes
Vanek has three goals and nine points in his five-game point streak. ... Buffalo D Toni Lydman missed his fourth game because of an upper-body injury. ... Gill played in his 700th career NHL game. ... The Maple Leafs were 4-3-1 without Kaberle, the team's third-leading scorer. ... Toronto has lost four straight on the road.
Usivius : thanks for the updates, I envy you. I may get to see the Cup, I hope.
1st: 21-6 on shots?!?!?!?!
3rd: glad to see the struggling special teams coming around.
see you saturday.
Buffalo 5, Toronto 4
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Mats Sundin was at a loss for words after his team's playoff hopes dimmed because of the resilient Buffalo Sabres.
Drew Stafford broke a third-period tie, Thomas Vanek had two goals and an assist and Buffalo erased a three-goal third-period deficit to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 on Friday night. Toronto failed to move up in the Eastern Conference race and remains in 11th place, two points behind Carolina for the eighth and final playoff spot. "Wow, what do you say," the Maple Leafs captain said after Buffalo's second win this season when down three goals in the final period. "That's a heartbreaker to lose a game like that." The comeback was Buffalo's ninth this season when trailing by two or more goals. "It was amazing," said Sabres forward Jason Pominville, who tied the game with just over six minutes left when he beat goalie Andrew Raycroft with a wrist shot on a partial breakaway. "It was a great game to be a part of." That is as long as you wore a Sabres uniform. "There's not much to say," said Sundin, who was stopped by goalie Ryan Miller with 14 seconds left in regulation in his bid to tie the game. The win gave Buffalo 103 points, breaking a tie with Nashville for the top spot in the league. Daniel Briere also scored for the Sabres, who have won four of their past five following a four-game losing streak. "We've shown all year that we don't give up," Vanek said. Toronto appeared to wrap up the game after Boyd Devereaux scored twice in a 3:52 span to start the third period to make it 4-1. After the goal, Miller threw his stick in disgust, a move that seemed to rally his team. "I was ready to laugh more than anything," said Miller, who finished with 40 saves. "I felt pretty composed after that." The Sabres stormed back, with Vanek starting the rally with his team-leading 37th at 5:27 to make it 4-2. Briere made it 4-3 with his 31st at 9:18, and Pominville tied it when he went between defensemen Hal Gill and Kyle Wellwood at the Maple Leafs blueline following a nifty Briere pass. Twenty seconds later, Stafford put Buffalo ahead 5-4, re-directing Vanek's pass in front of Raycroft. "It shows the character of the guys in the room," said Stafford, who has four goals in his past three games. "It shows how hard we want to work and how much we want this." Matt Stajan added a goal and an assist and Bryan McCabe also scored for the Maple Leafs, who lost for the third time in four games. The teams wrap up their season series Saturday in Toronto, as the Maple Leafs continue to fight for a playoff spot. Carolina, Montreal, the New York Islanders and Toronto are separated by two points or less as they chase the final playoff spot in the East. "We have to get a win for sure," Maple Leafs defenseman Ian White said. Toronto did get a boost when defenseman Tomas Kaberle made his return after missing eight games with a concussion. Kaberle hasn't played since being checked into the boards on a late hit by New Jersey's Cam Janssen on March 2. He assisted on McCabe's goal. Vanek opened the scoring 5:17 in with Buffalo on the power play. McCabe tied it on a two-man advantage with 65 seconds left in the first on a slap shot from the top of the right circle. The Sabres allowed a season-high 21 shots in the first period, but Miller kept them in the game with several sparkling saves, including a stop on Stajan's breakaway with five minutes left. tajan gave Toronto its first lead 4:11 into the second after re-directing Alex Steen's pass from the bottom edge of the right circle. Raycroft finished with 29 saves.
Notes
Vanek has three goals and nine points in his five-game point streak. ... Buffalo D Toni Lydman missed his fourth game because of an upper-body injury. ... Gill played in his 700th career NHL game. ... The Maple Leafs were 4-3-1 without Kaberle, the team's third-leading scorer. ... Toronto has lost four straight on the road.
Usivius : thanks for the updates, I envy you. I may get to see the Cup, I hope.
1st: 21-6 on shots?!?!?!?!
3rd: glad to see the struggling special teams coming around.
see you saturday.
GADS! Well at least a little redemption from the Leafs.
4-1 over Sabres on Saturday.
the loss on Friday was agonizing as the Leafs dominated the Sabres for nearly thew entire game!
At least the win Sat. showed where the Leafs should've been!
Gaaa!
but gotta hand it to the Sabres' "never say die" attitude...
4-1 over Sabres on Saturday.
the loss on Friday was agonizing as the Leafs dominated the Sabres for nearly thew entire game!
At least the win Sat. showed where the Leafs should've been!
Gaaa!
but gotta hand it to the Sabres' "never say die" attitude...
~...with a floating smile and a light blue sponge...~