Archives for 2006

'"He settles everything down," Hitchcock said after the Sabres' 3-0 victory in HSBC Arena. "He's a tremendous player. He's settles EVERYTHING down."' … [Read more...] about Numminen’s leadership welcomed in a heartbeat

'Playing hockey where you live is commonly referred to as home-ice advantage. In front of 18,690 appreciative fans yesterday, the Sabres showed why.' … [Read more...] about Sabres leave Flyers on the brink

'"The only thing that's in the back of my mind is when I come to the rink, I have to remember to take the pills," Numminen said of his heart medicine. "That's the only thing on my mind."' … [Read more...] about Numminen’s concerns take a back seat

'The two-goal deficit was huge, given the way Miller was performing in net. "He struggled in Philadelphia. He knows that," Hitchcock said. "But he answered the bell."' … [Read more...] about Miller puts Sabres on brink of series win

'Buffalo winger Jochen Hecht did not play because of a reported upper-body injury he sustained in Game 4. Left wing Taylor Pyatt made his first career playoff appearance in Hecht's place.' … [Read more...] about Sabres Report

'Dear Sabres marketers: please bring back the old blue and yellow jersey/logo combination as soon as possible. Fans in attendance wore almost as many of the old style jerseys as the modern, Red and Black ones. For an example of how to do it right, look no further than your first-round opponent. The Flyers have stuck with their original logo throughout the years, and they … [Read more...] about From Buffalo with love

'"We're going to play really well in Game 6," Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock promised. They didn't play so well on Sunday, rarely posing a threat to goalie Ryan Miller.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Connolly can grin again after big win

'"It was a good bounce-back game for Ryan," said Ruff. "There's been some maturity in Ryan's game. We went through a tough period of time after the Olympic break with him, and then the Ottawa game when we went in there and won (on April 8) I thought he started to turn his game around."' … [Read more...] about When the heat’s on, Sabres’ Miller responds with shutout

'By ignoring the couch critics and sticking with his big gun, Ruff was rewarded with a 24-save performance from Miller that left Hitchcock's Flyers needing to reel off two victories in a row or be booted out of the post-season.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Miller sharp

'Meanwhile, the Flyers were bitter at a pair of officiating decisions. A goalie interference penalty to Brian Savage resulted in Buffalo's second goal by J.P. Dumont. Replays clearly showed Savage was pushed into Ryan Miller by a Sabres defenceman. Late in the third period, Gaustad appeared to attempt a knee-on-knee hit on the Flyers' Petr Nedved, who immediately dropped to the … [Read more...] about Numminen all heart

'The Buffalo victory was more impressive than the score indicated and was more thorough than the 8-2 thrashing dropped on the visitors in Game 2. The Sabres controlled the game from the outset -- limiting Philly to three first-period shots -- and completely shut down Flyers' star Peter Forsberg.' … [Read more...] about Sabres flatten Flyers to lead series

'"Every time I went on the ice, my pulse rate went up to whatever," he said of his runaway heart. "It was beating fast and when I came to the bench I was still feeling it. It was four or five shifts before I realized what was going on. At first I thought it was just the excitement of the game, but it kept on."' … [Read more...] about Numminen’s heart now beats properly

'"Over all, this was the best game they've played in the series," Philadelphia coach Ken Hitchcock said of the Sabres' nearly flawless performance. "They were very tenacious and they caused us to make soft plays with the puck at inopportune times."' … [Read more...] about BriEere’s playmaking gives Buffalo series lead

'The odds were against the Sabres historically yesterday, given a 2-10 record in Game 5 situations when tied 2-2 in games.' … [Read more...] about Numminen shows heart in return

'"Ryan Miller is a very competitive person, he doesn't like you to even score on him in practice," said Daniel Briere, the pilot light of the Buffalo furnace. "So when people started to question his playoff goaltending ability, I knew he'd come back. I don't think it was fair to criticize him, but at the same time it worked out quite well."' … [Read more...] about Criticism ignites goalie’s competitive spirit