Archives for May 2007

'"For sure it's kind of flip-flopped," Ottawa forward Mike Fisher said. "We had the huge start last year and so did Buffalo this season. And they came on and nearly caught us and we did the same thing this year. There's definitely parallels."' … [Read more...] about Ottawa, Buffalo trade roles

'Survival for the Sabres is going to come down to Miller. He has to be excellent once again and one of the underachievers on the rest of the roster has to score a goal to force a fifth game back in Buffalo.' … [Read more...] about Sabres left looking for answers

'They are confused with the extra man, can't get the puck into the Ottawa zone and when they do, they roll around the perimeter, almost afraid to take a shot. So the power play is a killer. Plus, when the forwards dry up, it would be nice to get some offence from the back end.' … [Read more...] about Sabres losing on all fronts: especially on power play, where confusion reigns

'There are many Senators who have elevated their game, toughened their attitude, and helped change the karma of the team with the Gucci shoes which always managed to step in dog doo-doo. But the name which cascades down from the pews at Scotiabank Place is "Al-fee, Al-fee."' … [Read more...] about ‘Al-fee’ comes into his own

'Heatley may be on the cusp of a Stanley Cup championship and broader stardom. He requested and received a trade from the Thrashers in 2005 to help put the accident behind him. Attention, as it used to be, is concentrated almost entirely on his hockey skills. The Snyders are still trying to shape and build the legacy of their son -- most recently with an 18,000-mile trip to all … [Read more...] about Parents of Dan Snyder Forgive but Can&#8217t Forget

'“We certainly can’t say we’ve given everything considering the position we’re in,” Drury said softly. “I think at times we have. But I think overall we have to be a lot better if we’re going to crawl our way back into this.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres near brink of elimination

'The Sabres were the league's highest-scoring team, but none of their talented top three lines has been able to generate many chances at even strength or on the power play, where the Sabres are 0-for-18 in the series. "If we could improve that, it could change the whole series," said Sabres star Daniel Briere. "So far, they've won the special teams … [Read more...] about Sabres look to stave off sweep, but Senators have dominated series

'Sabres coach Lindy Ruff ruled out bringing rookie Drew Stafford back into the lineup. Stafford scored twice in nine games in the first two rounds, but has not seen action against Ottawa. "He had a good year for us, but I don't think putting a young player in is the answer," said Ruff. "I think the answer lies in the room. We said as a team we're … [Read more...] about Senators coach Murray can't get into Ottawa restaurants because of fan crush

'"We could curl up and cry about it and go home," the Sabres co-captain said Tuesday. "Or we could fight like dogs."' … [Read more...] about Desperate Sabres try to stave off Senators' sweep

'“Pressure, I think is the biggest thing,” Alfredsson says. “You see most teams, especially the ones that are left now, they pressure a lot. They don’t give the power play a lot of time. Especially if you know it’s the second half of the period, and the ice is not as good, you really want them to force things. If they’re going to beat … [Read more...] about Senators put the pressure on Sabres

'For Buffalo, Ottawa presents a completely different challenge than they were faced with in the first two rounds of the tournament. In the Senators, the Sabres are facing a hybrid of the two teams they beat to advance to the final four with the Sens playing the same kind of blue-collar game the Islanders played in the first round, combined with the skill set the Rangers … [Read more...] about Senators have put the pedal to the metal

'The love affair between Calderone and Buffalo has been going on for over two decades. It began while he was a student attending Buffalo State College. The 1986 BSC graduate spent over 12 years in the radio industry in Buffalo and Washington, D.C. before taking a job with MTV as its chief music programmer.' … [Read more...] about Sabres make beautiful music for VH1's Calderone

'It didn't look that obvious during the regular season when the Sabres were piling up the goals, but it's pretty obvious now they'll be a bit different next season, both in personnel and in style.' … [Read more...] about Sabres Should Learn From Sens Off-Season Adjustments

'The Sabres have managed to get only five pucks past him in three games. Even after giving up a game-tying goal to Daniel Briere with 5.8 seconds to go in the third period of Game 2, Emery didn't get rattled and made nine more saves, and eventually Corvo scored the winner in the second overtime.' … [Read more...] about Emery leading the Sens … in his own way

'He wouldn’t feel the same of, say Ales Kotalik, who’s all but played himself out of the Sabres’ future, so that’s why he didn’t mention Kotalik’s futility to the media, but rather relegated him to the bench. Kotalik finished with less than nine minutes of ice time.' … [Read more...] about Miller shines, but the cruel joke is on him