Archives for April 13, 2007

'"Max is one of them. It seems like every time he touches the puck when he's playing at home he excites the fans. You can tell by the roar of the crowd when Max has got the puck. With his moves and puck handling abilities, he is able to bring the fans to their feet. There are not many players like him who can do that."' … [Read more...] about Afinogenov makes Sabres that much more dangerous

'Not much to complain about in Game 1 -- a methodical, almost mechanical performance in which the Sabres clamped down defensively and turned up the juice offensively when they had to.' … [Read more...] about Grading the Sabres: Game 1

'In Game Two we'll see if both teams make some adjustments. I don't think Buffalo will make too many. They'll try to play the same kind of game. But you might see the Islanders be a little more aggressive and press more.' … [Read more...] about We haven't seen Buffalo's best yet

'“That was a tight game into the third period,” Ruff maintained. “A shot or a bounce could have gone the other way and they could have been right back in the game. If you let a team hang around, they can have those one or two good shifts, or score on special teams and take a game away from you.” He pointed out, “We’ve been in that … [Read more...] about Ruff wary of Islanders&#8217 upset hopes

'"You can't sit back and watch the Buffalo Sabres, the best team in the league ... skate around with the puck all day. We've got to play the way we played when we won hockey games."' … [Read more...] about DiPietro aside, Isles need to be more aggressive against Sabres

'When I lived in Buffalo I often imagined what the celebration would be like if the Bills won a championship. It's something every person in the area who cares about sports -- which means basically everyone in Buffalo -- has thought about. The idea that the Sabres can deliver Buffalo out of sports purgatory seems inconceivable given that four years ago the team filed for … [Read more...] about Belief in a dream

'Coach Lindy Ruff said Gaustad could start practicing in a week.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Gaustad could return this postseason

'But June is still a long way away, and the fans inside this arena are a ready for a rumble. As the Stanley Cup is shown on the giant screen above centre ice with the words "One Team, One Goal" in front of it, the crowd goes wild.' … [Read more...] about Buffalo fans make game special

WGR's Paul Hamilton is reporting that Daniel Briere missed Friday's practice at the Amherst Pepsi Center. Tim Connolly centered Jason Pominville and Jochen Hecht. … [Read more...] about Briere Absent From Practice

'“No question, our scouts did a great job in giving us enough information about Buffalo,” Nolan said. “We did as much as humanly possible to prepare our team in the last couple days. They’re a very explosive club. Their first game at home, the crowd was behind them.”' … [Read more...] about Rocking the house

'“You could see in his eyes and his body language and his effort how bad he wants this,” linemate Chris Drury said, “how bad he wants to win and how happy he is here on a team that has a good chance to win it.”' … [Read more...] about Zubrus savors taste of postseason

'Buffalo didn't play its best game, but the essentials were there for winning in the postseason. The Sabres scored first and had two goals on the power play. Ryan Miller was solid in net after Buffalo dominated the first period. The Sabres kept home-ice advantage and established themselves as the superior team.' … [Read more...] about Campbell crafts some fresh memories

'“I don’t have the NHL playoff experience,” Stafford said after the Sabres’ 4-1 victory, “but I know in big games if you can get your lower lines to chip in a goal here and there -- obviously [Chris] Drury had a great game -- but if you can get an extra goal there from your lower lines, that will win you games.”' … [Read more...] about Fourth line makes scoring the first order of business

'“We’re all here to support the Sabres,” Cervino said. “It’s like there’s a disease sweeping through Buffalo.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres mania grips Buffalo fans

'“You get goose bumps,” Smith said. “I can’t sit around all day doing nothing. All I do is think about this.”' … [Read more...] about Fans are drawn to the team for its positive feeling