Archives for May 22, 2006

' I grew up being a Sabres fan and it’s always been my dream to get drafted and play there so when I got the phone call from the Sabres that they had drafted me it was just a tremendous feeling. Like a dream come true pretty much, and now my goal is to try to sign and get there.' … [Read more...] about Q&A with Patrick Kaleta

'Buffalo defenseman Teppo Numminen didn't dress Monday night for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes, with Doug Janik taking his place in the lineup.' … [Read more...] about Sabres D Numminen sits out Game 2 against Hurricanes

'Naturally, the nature of his injury is a closely guarded secret, and speculation has ranged from a hip flexor to his back to a groin muscle. From the way Numminen reacted to the twinge, a groin injury seems to be the best bet. ”Yeah, there was a little tweak,” Numminen said, but he insisted a decision will not be made until after he skates in the pregame … [Read more...] about Numminen doubtful against Carolina

'The feeling around the rink this morning was that there was little chance Numminen would play tonight, largely because he left the morning skate early after tweaking the injury he suffered in Game 1, which is believed to be a hip flexor. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Numminen stands a 50-50 chance of playing tonight, while the defenceman sounded even more upbeat. Part of … [Read more...] about The Numminen factor

'Buffalo has a pretty good faceoff man in its own right in Chris Drury, who won 55 percent of the 1,641 faceoffs he attempted. So, it will be an intriguing one-on-one battle that will be one of the most interesting subplots in a showdown between two teams that are remarkably similar in almost every facet of the game.' … [Read more...] about Carolina's center of attention

'I have yet to see any published reports about this, so I can only go on what people have told me. Trashed tailgating parties, 2-on-1 fights, a sucker punch in the bathroom, busting glass on someone’s head, near rumbles in the smoking area. The Raleigh Police apparently had to show up just outside the arena after a brawl. Blame goes to all drunk parties involved, … [Read more...] about Rumble Tonight

'Carolina has to find a way to crack Sabres rookie goaltender Ryan Miller, who is having a great postseason, and to get something from its power play, which went 1-for-22 in four games against Buffalo in the regular season and missed four chances in the first game. "We had chances to score and we didn't," Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette said. … [Read more...] about Hurricanes need to counter fast-draw Sabres

'Sabres defenseman Teppo Numminen wound up to take a shot at Buffalo's Game Two pre-game skate this morning, only to lower his stick, and skate off the ice before the end of practice, according to WGR's Paul Hamilton.' … [Read more...] about Numminen Pulls Up; Leaves Practice Early

Buffalo at Carolina (AP) Sabres seek to continue road winning streak in playoffs (Sportsticker) Hurricanes look to even Eastern Conference finals Monday (Sportsticker) (4) Buffalo Sabres (1-0) at (2) Carolina Hurricanes (0-1) (The Sports Network) … [Read more...] about Monday’s Game Previews (Updated 4:00 p.m.)

'"I think that Henrik is a lot calmer out there, a lot more relaxed," said the Sabres left winger/center. "He makes plays. He hangs onto the puck and protects it a lot more. He's a tough defenseman to beat one-on-one. He has such a good stick. He can skate and he can turn. He's a tough guy to get around, I know because I try and go around him in … [Read more...] about Tallinder a perfect fit with Sabres, new NHL

'Numminen was optimistic he could dress tonight. "It's much better than [Saturday], so I feel really good about it," Numminen said Sunday afternoon. "It's always the next day when you find out how serious it is. I was kind of worried. It was really sore when I went to bed, but now it feels way, way, way better. It's much better than I thought."' … [Read more...] about Sabres don’t intend to back off

'You always hear how coaches are looking for players to elevate their play during the quest for the Stanley Cup. Pyatt's done everything but show up on stilts.' … [Read more...] about Unsung hero unknown even to teammates

'"I've never talked with him," Cole said. "He tried to get in touch with me through Mark Recchi sometime end of March. . . . I told him not to bother. Honestly, I probably wouldn't even speak to him. I am not looking for any apologies or whatever. I am looking forward to playing him again."' … [Read more...] about Injured Cole not forgiving

'"It can really set the tone of [the] hockey game, especially that early," Ward said. "It's been tough the last five games, but that stuff's in the past and hopefully we can get the first one in Game Two."' … [Read more...] about Hurricanes’ Ward seeks cure for early-game troubles

'Ryan Miller: Save percentage of .946 in past five games had Sabres thanking him four times.' … [Read more...] about Scouting report