What's next?

[Stoner]

On "The West Wing," President Bartlet at the end of another 36-hour day often asked, "What's next?" You get the feeling Lindy Ruff is as focused as ole Jeb. The day after eliminating Philadelphia and flying back to Buffalo, Ruff gave his players a measly half day off, put them through a good practice and wasted no time talking up his team?s underdog status against Ottawa.

 

Now I?m asking ?what?s next?? too.

 

How do you predict the unpredictable?

 

Offensive defenseman Brian Campbell delivering the biggest hit of the playoffs, one of the biggest hits in Sabre history, becoming a target for retribution and a villain in Philly, booed every time he touched the puck.

 

Danny Briere scoring in double overtime on his 14th shot on goal.

 

Two players on the same team recording a hat trick in the same game, a rarity in Stanley Cup playoff history.

 

Ryan Miller, facing down his demons and his critics, shutting out the Flyers in a pivotal Game 5 and allowing only a single goal in a decisive Game 6.

 

The Sabres enjoying two of the biggest blowout wins in their playoff history.

 

Peter Forsberg scoring not a single clean goal.

 

Robert Esche standing on his head, losing his head, then heading for the exits in Game 6.

 

Teppo Numminen coming back from a heart scare, his return settling down a young team and helping it survive two scary losses in Philly.

 

A rookie, Jason Pominville, tying for the team lead in goals.

 

So... what will we be marveling at after Round 2?

 

Bold, specific predictions, please, Sabre fans.

 

I ask you: what's next?

[nfreeman]

OK, here goes:

 

1. McKee gets Havlat in his sweet spot along the boards and delivers a pulverizing hit when Havlat tries to squeeze by on the rush.

 

2. Ottawa has one game, but no more, with 45+ shots on goal. We have 2 games with 40+.

 

3. Connolly scores 2 top 5 Connolly goals. We win both games in which this occurs.

 

4. McGrattan dresses for 1 game but Peters dresses for zero.

 

5. Miller has 1 bad game and 1 decent game but stays in the zone for the other games.

 

6. 1 of the first 2 games goes into OT.

 

7. Chara and Briere square off a couple of times, creating a funny mutt-and-jeff scene, but do not drop the gloves.

 

8. Dominik makes noises about returning by game 5.

 

9. I get very sleep on game nights and work productivity plummets.

 

10. If we win it's one of the top 5 moments in buffalo sports history.

 

Go Sabres. Holy mackarel I am psyched for this.

[topshelfcookies]

PA, GREAT post...got me thinking.

 

Here's a stab in the dark:

Game 1- Buffalo survives a 10 minute opening flurry by a determined Senators team, getting to the first commercial break trailing just 1-0. The Sabres seem to find their heads and battle back, tying the game on a cross-ice slapper by Kotalik. The game gets chippy in the 2nd, and Ottawa regains the lead on the PP. Trailing 2-1, late in the 3rd period, Briere and Afinigenov take over, finding each other for 2 goals and Buffalo stuns Ottawa to win Game 1, 3-2.

 

Game 2- A nervous Corel Centre crowd watches Tim Connolly give Buffalo a 1-0 lead early in the 1st period. The close checking game turns into a goaltending duel with Miller and Emery matching each other save for save, despite repeated odd man rushes. Halfway through the 3rd period Buffalo's Derek Roy is nabbed for a questionable "diving" call, putting Ottawa on the PP, which they convert to tie the game. On his next shift, an irrate Roy takes a run at Jason Spezza and is called for roughing, putting Ottawa back on the PP. With 1:00 killed off, Drury blocks a shot and finds Grier lumbering through the neutral zone. Grier walks in on a clean cut break, but rings a shot off the post. With just 17 seconds remaining on the Buffalo penalty, Chara tips in a shot from the point over Miller's shoulder. Ottawa takes Game 2, 2-1.

 

Game 3 - From a goaltending duel in Game 2, to an old fashioned shootout in Game 3. Buffalo gets on the board first, but their 2 goal lead is erased later in the 1st period. The back and forth high scoring game ends with Danny Briere going top shelf to beat Emery on a clean break with 2:40 to play, as Buffalo gets the series lead back via a 5-4 victory.

 

Game 4- No Goal III. Poised to go up 3 games to 1, the Sabres and Senators are tied at 2 halfway through the 3rd period. With Buffalo on the PP Chris Drury roofs the puck through a screen set by Paul Gaustad over Emery's shoulder for the apparent go-ahead goal. The goal light is on, the horn is going, the smoke is pouring from the Buffalo goat heads. However, the play is under review. Replays show that the puck was deflected, by a stick that is clearly over the crossbar, but whose stick does it hit? Chara and Gaustad, battling in front of the net both had sticks up, above the crossbar, yet it is unclear whose stick the puck deflects off of. Officials on ice initially rule it a goal, yet League suits, with Edmonton trailing 3 games to 0, scared of the prospect of both Canadien teams being eliminated by the 2nd round, over rule the on ice decision and call the HSBC arena to declare "No Goal!" Buffalo is crushed by the decision, and Ottawa goes on to win in the opening 3 minutes of OT when Alfredson scores to win the game and send the series back to Ottawa tied at 2 games a piece.

 

Game 5 - After 2 days of speculation and furor, Buffalo appears visibly distracted, and for just the third time all season, simply does not show up to play, losing 5-2 to the Sens, who lead the entire game.

 

Game 6 - Back at home and facing elimination, Buffalo rallies, tying the game in the 2nd period on a Tim Connolly goal, but it's not enough. Ottawa gets a shorthanded goal with just 3:20 remaining in the 3rd to take a 2-1 lead, then nets an empty net goal two minutes later, wrapping up the series on Buffalo's home ice.

 

How about that for bold? hahah

 

Of course, no part of me wishes any of these things will come true...I actually feel the Sabres will win this series in 6 games, winning Games 1, 3, 5 and 6.

[Stoner]

Wonderful imagination. My palms got sweaty reading it. I didn't care for the ending. :)

 

Which reminds me. It would have been so cool to have a fantasy Sabres season a year ago. Just make the whole damn thing up, game by game. What a missed opportunity. We could have finally won it all!

[X. Benedict]

Every series has its surprises.

 

A fluke goal.

 

An injury.

 

A stolen game.

 

A quirky overtime.

 

 

My sense is if something like this goes the Sabres way, the Sabres will be able to press the

advantage. I think they learned a ton from the Philly matchup, and got a few scares that

Ottawa hasn't experienced yet.

 

I actually think that the Sens can get rattled. Especially if Buffalo breaks serve in game 1 or 2.

[haseoke]

Game One: Buffalo and Ottawa both come in ready to fight like dogs, tie 2-2 at the end of two periods, Buffalo on goals from Thomas Vanek and Brian Campbell. However, inexplicably, Buffalo can't handle the Senators pressure in the third. Miller stands on his head but still lets two get by him and Buffalo takes a 4-2 loss.

 

Game 2: Regroup. Buffalo handles the first twenty minutes like champs but is only able to some out of it 1-0 on a goal by Derek Roy (off a sweet feed from Max). Ottawa handles the second period handily but can only come out to tie it going into the third. Finally, Buffalo's late game poise, which they showed so often during the regular season, hones in and Mike Grier gets 2 goals to tie the series up in the third.

 

Game 3: The Arena is ready to explode. Buffalo feeds off the fans and Ottawa feeds off the last games loss to jostle back and forth through 40 minutes to a 3-3 tie. Ottawa scores a timely goal about halfway through the third period, but Buffalo gets an uncanny tally with just under a minute left in the game, with the goalie pulled, from Daniel Briere. Riding this surge of momentum, Buffalo tallies late in the first overtime with J.P. Dumont to take a 2-1 series lead.

 

Game four: Ottawa faltering, but Buffalo unable to close the deal. Through regulation, Drury, Pominville and Vanek score for Buffalo to put them in place to take a 3-1 series lead, but Dany Heatley puts up a big goal with five minutes left in the third to send the game to overtime. Sabre killer Daniel Alfredsson then caps the game off in doubler overtime to send the series back to Ottawa tied 2-2.

 

Game Five: Buffalo and Ottawa skate to a 1-1 tie after regulation, on goals by Fisher and Kalinin. In the second, Mike Grier lays a hit on Alfredsson that really gets bad blood flowing, and a large fight ensues later in the third. In overtime, Buffalo, distracted, falls out of defensive position and lets Spezza cap off the win for the Sens, who now lead 3-2 in the series.

 

Game Six: Ashamed of their defensive breakdo2wns last game, the Sabres defense comes out and as close to shuts down Ottawa as is concievable. Ryan Miller lets in a strange goal but it's not nearly enough to get the Sense close as Afinogenov, Briere, Drury and Hecht give the Sabres a 4-1 win.

 

Game Seven: The season on the line for both clubs, the opening twenty minutes go very conservatively. no goals allowed and no especially strong saves required. Then, in the second, Vaclav Varada takes a very dumb penalty for the Sens and Buffalo cashes in on the powerplay as Ales Kotalik blisters one through about seven players. Early in the third, Paul Gaustad lights the lamp on a defensive miscue from the Senmators, and thats ends up being the series clinching goal as Martin Havlat scores with ten minutes left. Ryan Miller stands on his ear in the last six minutes of the game, finishing with 44 saves, to win the series for Buffalo.

[topshelfcookies]

This is a blast...keep it coming everyone! What a perfect way to kill the last 24 hours before the puck drops.

[Stoner]

nfreeman deserves some credit for predicting a Top 5 Connolly goal and overtime in the first two games. I hope people don't forget Connolly's first goal. Oh my God!