Archives for 2006

'“I think what we tried to do is take a page from them. We found a couple of their players, especially early in the game, if you touch them, down they’d go,” Ruff said. “You’ve got to fight fire with fire. (Laviolette) ought to be worried about his players. I got that from Hitchcock.”' … [Read more...] about Ruff says Buffalo took diving lessons in Carolina

'Last fall, he barely had an NHL job, let alone a chance at having his name on the Stanley Cup. The Sabres placed him on waivers before the season.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ rookie stands out in playoffs

'As is the case with every other team still alive at this stage of the season, the Sabres possess an extremely effective transition game. That's another reason for the Hurricanes to make sure they put the puck deep. No matter how quick you are, you can't create a neutral-zone turnover in your defensive zone.' … [Read more...] about Buffalo D is the key

'The system is called the Playing-Card Five. It could also be called a Dice Five because it alludes to the positioning of the five defensive players -- like the spots on a playing card. But the playing card analogy is a bit more apt because if you consider the card laid horizontally, it makes a flatter pattern, and that's what the coaches like.' … [Read more...] about Playing-Card Five keeping hopes alive

'If Ruff, who feuded with Philadelphia coach Ken Hitchcock in the first round, was expecting his spat with Laviolette to escalate, the Carolina coach likely disappointed him. "That game's over with," Laviolette said. "You walk into a press conference three minutes after a buzzer blows and I was upset, I was mad ... Here, let me put it this way -- if our guys are diving, I hope … [Read more...] about Ruff up to his old tricks but Carolina’s Laviolette refuses to escalate fight

'The Sabres have been a little off-key without their No. 1 defenceman, who is troubled with a groin injury. They have lost three of four games when Numminen has been forced out of the lineup, including Monday night when the Carolina Hurricanes evened the Eastern Conference final 1-1.' … [Read more...] about Sabres cope with life without Numminen

'"I don't think anyone wants to get into that game with Lindy," said Carolina defenceman Glen Wesley. "I believe we're honest players and guys who are going to get caught diving are going to pay a penalty from the league ..."' … [Read more...] about Hurricanes grow tired of Ruff’s old tricks

'"Our game was grinding to a halt with all the hooking and holding. You look back at old tapes and wonder why we didn't fix it sooner."' … [Read more...] about Speed and skill suits Sabres

'They excel not only at finishing 2-on-1 rushes but, more importantly, at manufacturing them in the first place. However, the Sabres aren't a good hockey team because they create 2-on-1s. Rather, they create 2-on-1s because the team plays good hockey. Conversely, when the Sabres aren't piling up the odd-man rushes, it's because they aren't playing their best game or aren't … [Read more...] about Sabres take blame for 2-on-1s drought

'Hamilton's rugged Adam Mair, who would give the Sabres a huge lift against a larger team like Carolina, visited doctors in Pittsburgh yesterday for final clearance to play, after suffering a concussion late in the season. "If he's cleared, he's available," Lindy Ruff said yesterday. When contacted Mair at dinnertime last night, he was just returning from the two-hour battery … [Read more...] about Sabres Notebook

'My columns on the Hurricanes-Buffalo Sabres series are running in The Buffalo News and, judging from my e-mail inbox, everybody who reads the News' sports pages is an expert. They don't have expert opinions. They're experts about having an opinion.' … [Read more...] about Buffalo home to hockey experts

'"They've got the pressure on them now," Hurricanes defenseman Niclas Wallin said. "We've got to go up there and play our road game, which has been pretty good, obviously."' … [Read more...] about Advantage, Sabres

'Hockey is not a sport with an abundance of black players, and Grier said he did suffer at times. "Growing up, there were situations and stuff I had to deal with -- some racial slurs, stuff like that," he said. "I always had good coaches and teammates who were supportive and made me feel comfortable. And my family was always there for me, as well."' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Grier takes a different path

'The Buffalo Sabres defenseman and his two siblings moved to Greensboro in 1977 so his mother, a university professor, could spend a year doing research into child development.' … [Read more...] about Numminen on familiar turf

'There was a subtle but significant change during Game 2. When Eric Staal and Cory Stillman had breakaways on Ryan Miller, both stickhandled themselves into the ice trying to beat him. Mental advantage: Miller. But Justin Williams' goal in the third period was one Miller should have stopped, and he nearly gave up another soft goal when he couldn't hang onto a glove save later … [Read more...] about Five points