Sabres Head to Game 4 After Dropping Double Overtime Thriller

The Sabres split the last two games with the Rangers after playing two completely different styles of hockey. The dominating 5-2 game win in game one was a masterful performance all around, from the beginning to end, with only one small hiccough.

That was a last minute goal scored by Brendan Shanahan on a one time rocket from the top of the faceoff circle. The defense played masterfully, keeping Jaromir Jagr and his linemates to zero points. Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman, both right, really stepped their game up for Jagr, who's always a huge threat to any team he's playing.

The Sabres hit pretty well that game and the defense picked their opportunites to jump in offensively very well. This led to very few quality shots from the Rangers, even though their shot total was over 30.

Game two was a similar, yet different gameplan. Offensively, the Sabres released the pressure on point shots, but really put a hurting on the Rangers with BIG hits throughout the game, highlighted by Ales Kotalik, Danius Zubrus, and Adam Mair, the Sabres' biggest bruising tandem.

For the first two periods, Buffalo had placed such a demand on taking the body of the Rangers that they had only accumulated nine shots on goal and found themselves in a 2-1 hole at the start of the third.

After the faceoff win by Drury, the Sabres moved the puck in the offensive zone for about 10 seconds of pressure. On the outlet, Marek Malik made a terrible pass that ended up beign a giveaway to Toni Lydman who ripped a shot on Henrik Lundqvist and Chris Drury redirected it over the keeper's shoulder to tie the game.

The third was ALL Buffalo, no matter who watched the game. Ryan Miller stood on his head for a couple saves, but the Sabres put over seven real quality shots on goal of their nine.

The biggest hits were Danius Zubrus' (right) though. Zubrus in his second best hit of the night undercut Jaromir Jagr with his hip and sent him flying. Click here to view it.

My favorite hit of the night was Zubrus' best. In the neutral zone, Zubrus made a bad pass to Chris Drury. Sean Avery, the pesty antagonist was coming on the ice over a line change and as soon as he touched the puck, Zubrus sent him flying.

I almost think Zubrus saw that Avery was getting on the ice and made that pass on purpose, it was that perfect of a play...and Zubrus was already following his pass.

Game three was the first game the Sabres have played at Madison Square Garden in over five months. The Sabres were slowed by the ice, which was horrid. Unfortunately, so was the officiating, highlighted with a no-goal call on the Rangers that would have seen them up 2-0.

Ultimately, the game was Ryan Miller vs. Henrik Lundqvist. Sloppy play highlighted both teams and scoring was thwarted by bouncing pucks, making this game a heartstopper.

The Rangers finally beat Miller on Mikael Rosival's shot from the point, with less than five minutes left in double overtime.

The Sabres are up 2-1 in the series and play the Rangers Tuesday night at MSG.

How to beat the Rangers, Ahem, the 'Other' New York Team

The Rangers Main Threats

Brendan Shanahan, right, arguably the classiest player in the league, is always a force to be reckoned with. He's got miles of heart, and his huge body will do ANYTHING to win the game. Think of him as a bigger stronger, older Drury. Drury's still faster and more clutch though.

Jaromir Jagr has been playing some of the best hockey of his career lately. He has been compared to his Pittsburgh Cup winning teams lately. He is a European, though...usually, a few bumps early on takes him from the game. I'm willing to bet the Rangers are looking for that and will respond.

Peter Prucha was silent last series, but he's a fast, accurate sniper who WILL pose danger unless we lay the smack down on him or are CONSISTANTLY taking away his shooting lanes.

Michael Nylander is an underrated player, much like Antoine Vermette of Ottawa. Extremely good puck handlers and deceptively quick with the puck. Rarely do you see him make a bad giveaway. Not a TERRIBLE backchecker, either. Did I mention he leads the league in points at the moment?

Ryan Callahan may be the offensive X-factor for this series for the Rangers. This Rochester boy is very fast, though small, and has a pretty good eye for the puck. Think of him as a less talented and explosive Daniel Briere. We can't take him for granted.

Henrik Lundqvist only started against Buffalo once this season. But, that's ancient history anyways, since the last time we played them was December 1st, and their record has been nearly identical to ours since that point. He's made some DAZZLING saves, but really hasn't been tested in a closely contested game against Atlanta. That's his only drawback so far. Oh, yeah, his skills at handling the puck...pretty deplorable. Dump and chase will work much better against this team.

NYR defense is pretty big. Only one player is really slow, in Marek Malik. Malik's size more than makes up for it, however. His reach is phenomenal and he will take the body to the boards at most opportunities. I don't think we should battle in the corners on him for much.

While the Rangers will finish checks, mostly their defenders and fourth line, I don't expect any dirty play this series. The Rangers are pretty clean, even Ryan Hollweg. At worst, he's known for borderline hits, which I think is more than reasonable from a big fourth liner.


Buffalo Keys:

The RAV line, Stafford, Connolly, and Hecht are going to be the most important contributors to this series.

The Rangers will be trying to contain Briere and Pominville, with their scoring abilities, so Jochen will have to finish his shots and be even better than he was.

Stafford will need to continue to play the game he played last series. I wouldn't say no to him scoring more, though. He is a huge part of that fourth line and he's going to have to get on Avery...I'm sure Avery will be sent out to bother Connolly. The rook's gonna have to get up in Avery's grill.

Connolly needs to expose the fourth line of the Rangers. We need almost a goal a game from them in this series, and with Mair playing the way he has been and Stafford's ability around the net, I don't think I'm expecting too much. Connolly's been a pleasant surprise, but I'm still not sold on his noggin.

The RAV needs to control the puck without giveaways and not get caught in the Offensive zone or the Neutral Zone cherry picking (ahem, Max, ahem). Vanek needs to find a way to play with Max like he does with Stafford. Max needs to pass the puck more and not carry it. Roy hasn't been bad and he hasn't been good. We need his form from the last 20 games of the season, however.

Defense:

Garrett, on the previous post, asked a question which many will surely be thinking. "do you think we should play that collapsable 1-2-2 trap we did for so long"

Well, Garrett, in a word, ABSOLUTELY. In the short time we did use it, about 8 games, we shut down the opposition and still scored about four goals a game. I don't need to see 5,6,7 goals scored by the Sabres, especially when the opposition scores 3 or more.

Buffalo allowed 3 or more goals in about fifty games this season. Only three teams allowed less goals of the 16 teams that advanced to the tournament. To me, that signifies that 3 or 4 goals a game and a solid defense is more important.

The versatile 1-2-2 defense we played really knocked a lot of offenses for a loop. I've never seen a trap mobilize off a transition offense in my life, and I really liked the way it worked. Because of the amount of skating that is done for it, though, and knowing Ruff, I wouldn't be surprised if he's saving the defense that hasn't been seen for a tougher series or when they get down in a game.

I'll answer your other questions in the next post, to save the length. As well as a game 1 recap.

Sabres Need No Further Direction Than I-90

Well, SABRES NATION, here we go, 6 hours down the I-90 once again. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning today, 3-2, to clinch the series. Martin Brodeur finally played the way he did in the entire regular season. Brad Richards, the third of the Lightning's three man attack, scored two goals in an attempt to singlehandedly force a game 7. Unfortunately, he did not accomplish his goal. Leaving the East matchups as:

#1 Buffalo Sabres vs. #6 New York Rangers
#2 New Jersey Devils vs #4 Ottawa Senators

The Sabres overall play in the Islanders series, unfortunately, was poor. Starting right from the draw, the Sabres underachieved through every game from game 2 on. I can excuse Chris Drury's poor faceoff performance this series, because it was against one of the top drawmen in the league, in Mike Sillinger. Besides that, the Sabres did hold a slight edge in faceoffs, led by the less-than-good at draws Daniel Briere and Derek Roy.

The Sabres coasted a lot, we saw that by allowing a team like the Islanders keep games close. Outside of game one, the Sabres never flexed their muscles, built on leads, or made the Islanders sorry they made the playoffs. Game one was all Sabres from taking the body from Ryan Smyth, to not letting the defense up and to keep scoring.

Best players of the series:

#3a - Adam Mair. This fourth line agitator strung together five marvelous performances to score a goal and two assists- and if I could, I'd give him an extra assist for WRECKING Richard Zednik to start the play that ended with his goal.

#3b - Dmitri Kalinin, right. Kalinin, other than one hiccough of a giveaway, played excellent shut down hockey. Both him and his partner Teppo Numminen earned a +4 rating for the series.

#2 - Danius Zubrus. Zubrus had a tenacious series, scoring 5 assists. Every one of his points were good, quality setups. He was a machine along the boards and a force to be reckoned with whenever he was on the ice.

#1 - Who else? Captain Clutch. Chris Drury scored 4 goals and an assist, two of his goals were game winners. He owned the slot the entire series and helped his team through their murky play. He is a playoff player; look for much of the same against the 'other' NY team.


Ghosts:

#3 - Henrik Tallinder/Toni Lydman. I put them on the same slot because I swear, they are one and the same player. When one plays like crap, the other usually does. When one's hot, they're the best pairing in the league. They were NOT HOT this series. Calling Mr. Lydman and Mr. Tallinder, Mr. Lydman and Mr. Tallinder. SABRES NATION would like you to WAKE UP!

#2 - Daniel Briere. I don't care, puck bunnies and teenie boppers, that he scored five points. He made TWO good plays this entire series. This entire season we've been enjoying Briere playing well and controlling the puck. Skating with the puck into the zone...but keeping control. He had multiple giveaways, and three of his points were only due to the fact he was the second to last person to touch the puck. E.G. on Kalinin's goal, everyone on the ice was swatting at the puck in front of DiPietro, and Briere's shot bounced to Kalinin, who scored. Not a point Briere really earned.

#1 - 60 minutes of effort. Too many five minute lapses. Or, in the case of game 5, one twenty minute lapse. We nearly allowed the Islanders to tie the game...after building TWO three goal leads. Unacceptable. A team like the Sabres should be going for the jugular, not being nice and trying to make the other team look better.

What do you think? Post your opinions in a comment! Ask any questions you may have about the series, or any other series in the Quarterfinals.

Game 4 is Pivitol for Both Teams

As I'm here in my computer chair during the first few minutes of the game, I see some improvement from the players that haven't showed up thus far in the series.

The bad thing about that? They're Islanders. Jason Blake, right, just scored his first playoff goal and it was on the powerplay. The Sabres looked good for the first five or so minutes, but the Islanders weathered the storm and converted on their opportunity.

The game is huge for both teams. The Islanders do NOT want to go back to Buffalo down 3-1 in the series. In losing tonight, the Islanders have basically scheduled their first tee time of the summer.

Thomas Vanek just scored on a slapshot. Pardon the interruption. DiPietro made a terrible play on Vanek's shot.

Buffalo wants to win this series as quickly as possible. More than five games in the first round is not a good omen for any of the previous 17 Stanley Cup champions. Only two teams have needed more than 11 games to get out of the first two rounds and continued their successful playoff quest.

As I've stated, Buffalo needs to step up. Their lackadaisical play may beat the Islanders, but it won't work. I'd like to see them play balls out to set their timing for the next series. They won't need to make any adjustments and will be ready to play.

Chris Drury has just scored off a beautiful play by Danius Zubrus. That's Drury's 4th point in the playoffs (3 g, 1a) and Zubrus' fifth, all assists. Score is now 2-1 Buffalo with 6 minutes left in the game.

I guess instead of typing my words, I should slowly begin to eat them. But I won't until I see this effort for two complete games.

Players that need to step up:

Ales Kotalik: Other than a couple shifts in game 3, he has done nothing. If he plays as physical as he did during game 3 for more than 1/2 his shifts, then he's deserving of a number 1 star.

Max Afinogenov: Hasn't done a gosh darned thing, other than draw two penalties on one play. Hogging the puck way too much and not giving Vanek or Roy anything to work with but backchecking from his giveaways. Stafford should never have left that line.

Derek Roy: Misses Stafford. Tries to hard to be good with Afinogenov and ends up giving the puck away or making bad passes. A player like Stafford opens things up for Roy because the puck is spread around more.

Jason Pominville: The population of Pominville's at zero, with plenty of miscarriages. Has been invisible.

Daniel Briere: Hasn't done a thing. Argue he has two points, and you're an idiot. Neither of the first two assists showed any work or prowess. One was a shot cycle where every Buffalo player hacked at the puck, and Briere happened to be the second to last. The other was a pass to a player who carried the puck for 6-8 seconds and passed for a one timer. He also scored a goal, on a 5 v 3, but has had a ton of giveaways as well as being selfish with the puck.

Mike Sillinger has just scored to tie the game off a play made by Ryan Smyth. The goal came on a powerplay, due to a terrible call on Teppo Numminen. Numminen ran Jason Blake into the boards who embellished badly and drew a penalty.

Players that have been impressive:

Chris Drury: Leads the team in goals and has been doing everything he can to win games. Unfortunately, Drury takes draws against Mike Sillinger, who is much better and is beating Drury nearly every time. Lindy needs to try someone else on those draws.

Danius Zubrus: Hitting everything that moves. Setting up plays with his physical play and grinding out everything he can.

Dmitri Kalinin: Perfect play except for a small hiccough tonight. Clearing the puck well, skating hard, joining the rush, great outlet passes.



My first round playoff predictions:

(7)Minnesota Wild defeat (2)Anaheim Ducks 4-3, ANA lead series 3-1
Minnesota has been playing so well, but Anaheim is just one goal better every, until the Wild stomped them last night. It wouldn't be crazy to think that Minny comes back to win this one, because the games have been so close and the Wild are so streaky.

(3)Vancouver Canucks defeat (6)Dallas Stars 4-3, VAN leads series 3-1
Roberto Luongo made 72 saves in his first playoff game ever, which went into the 4th OT. Luongo has outclassed Dallas himself, because Dallas, though slightly, has outplayed Vancouver for the bulk of the series.

(4)Nashville Predators defeat (5)San Jose Sharks 4-2, SJS leads series 2-1
This is the most violent series this year. Alexander Radulov of the Predators was suspended for a game for elbowing Steve Bernier of the Sharks. Joe Thornton has been great, and J.P. Dumont has been even better, with 4 goals.

(4)Ottawa Senators defeat (5)Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3, OTT leads series 3-1
The might be the most physical and clean series of the first round. The Penguins, after getting smacked around the first game, have made this a very physical series. I expect the Penguins to win the next game, but I don't think the series will make it to seven. The young kids just can't play up to the men in Ottawa yet, even though Colby Armstrong put the hit of the first round so far on Patrick Eaves.

Chris Drury has scored less than a minute into the third period on a powerplay. This is the second two game goal just this series for Captain Clutch.

(1)Buffalo Sabres defeat (8)New York Islanders 4-1, BUF leads series 2-1
I still think Sabres will win this series in five games.

(8)Calgary Flames defeat (1)Detroit Red Wings 4-3, DET leads series 3-1
Calgary got spanked, badly, in the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Miikka Kiprusoff single handedly made the scores at least reasonable. The third game however, was a thriller won on a Jarome Iginla goal in which he made Niklas Lidstrom look silly. I expect Calgary to win at home, tomorrow, but that could be the end of their road. If they get into a rhythm, though, they could still make a run at it.

(6)New York Rangers defeat (3)Atlanta Thrashers 4-2, NYR leads series 3-0
The Rangers have totally outclassed the Thrashers every game, including a 7-0 win last night. They are currently playing in Atlanta, and the score is 2-2 at the end of the second. I am pulling for Atlanta to win tonight to extend the series a little. Mostly to make my predictions more correct :). In all realism, I expect the series to end in NY in the 5th game, if not tonight.

(7)Tampa Bay Lightning defeat (2)New Jersey Devils 4-3, TBL leads series 2-1
Tampa has done what I thought they'd do. Control the puck, beat the Devils with speed, and tick off Marty Brodeur. It's payed off, yet again. They are playing currently, and the score is 3-3 at the end of the second. I still think the Lightning will win in 6.

DiPietro Stifles Sabres Forwards For Game 2

Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro played last night for the first time in nearly three weeks. DiPietro, right, didn't miss a darned beat. He made 32 saves, and I'd say stole the game from Buffalo. Buffalo did not play well for most of the game, but still, DiPietro made some excellent saves to keep the Islanders in it.

Buffalo did not attack the Islanders as they did in game 1. I did not see players throwing their body in the boards at players. I also did not see players taking the hit along the boards to make the play. Both of these things are incredibly important in playoff hockey. If Buffalo expects to win game three at the Nassau Coliseum, they must carry the puck better and be willing to use their bodies.

Physicality in hockey is a huge part of the game and is much larger part in playoff hockey. The Sabres need to both skate hard for 60 minutes and play physical hockey. I know that the Sabres aren't a physical team like the Maple Leafs, but they really, really need to take hits and give them out a few times. It's not like we lack size; just overall size. Kotalik, Mair, Hecht, Zubrus, and even Vanek are big enough to send a few checks, along with every single one of the Sabres defensemen.

The Islanders took a lot of liberties in Game 2. If I were Lindy Ruff, I'd change the lines to:

Hecht/Briere/Pominville
Zubrus/Drury/Kotalik-(MAYBE Afinogenov)
Vanek/Roy/Stafford
Mair/Kotalik(or Connolly)/Kaleta

Afinogenov has been off his game. Connolly hasn't been spectacular, and after so long out, he's going to need a rest soon. I think splitting Stafford from Roy and Vanek was silly. He's a rookie, not proven to produce, and was producing well with Roy and Vanek. Afinogenov will do the same thing with any line he's on- he's just Max. I think Connolly feeding him would be excellent and Mair would be there to protect, if necessary. Kaleta skates more than fast enough to keep up with Connolly and Afinogenov if we would rather sit Mair in his place, making the lines look more like this:

Hecht/Briere/Pominville
Vanek/Roy/Stafford
Zubrus/Drury/Kotalik
Afinogenov/Connolly/Kaleta

Lastly, Daniel Briere needs to step us his game. He does have 2 assists, but both have really had nothing to do with the play. He's disappeared in the last 5 games and really needs to pick it up a notch. If not to win the Cup, then he needs to do it to increase his UFA value this summer.

Sabres Run Amok On Islanders

The Buffalo Sabres start the 'real' season tonight against the New York Islanders. The Sabres secured a playoff spot well over 2 weeks ago and the number one seed last week. The Islanders, on the other hand, won in dramatic fashion against the New Jersey Devils on the last day of the regular season for their playoff birth. Third string goalie Wade 'Dubbie" Dubliewicz has filled in for Rick Dipietro magnificently. Dipietro has been out of nine of the final thirteen games due to a consussion and Post- Concussion Syndrome, but is rumored to be the starter after game one.

The Islanders have a couple players that will cause a hassle for the Sabers, and the main player, without any doubt, is Ryan Smyth, right. Smyth led the 8th seed Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Smyth will be in front of Ryan Miller all series and obstructing Miller's vision. The key to this is keeping him out of that area. Spacek, who is very familiar with Smyth, will be responsible for him when they're on the ice.

The Islanders love to hit. Their top three have nearly double the hits that the top three Sabres do. That, is due in large part to Coach Ted Nolan, who won the Jack Adams award for best coach nearly a decade ago with the Sabres. Nolan is big on grinding players and good, finished checks.

Buffalo solves this with good, quick, fluid, tape-to-tape passes. It will keep the bigger, slower Islanders on their toes, and will wear them down. Buffalo can not afford to stop skating hard against this team- they will come back. They nearly did a couple Fridays back from 5-1 to 6-4.

Dubliewicz lacks the side to side mobility he needs to keep up with the Sabres' excellent down low passing. He doesn't give a ton of rebounds, so look for the Sabres to really try to capitalize on first shot chances. He also hasn't been tested after too many shots, so who knows how he'll perform against an offense this potent.

Buffalo's biggest weakness is the same one they've had all season. Themselves. The Sabres cannot get complacent in the playoffs, things do NOT work out that well. Every team is fighting like there is no tomorrow- because there isn't. They need to skate hard for 60, if not more, minutes. Their new style of defense must continue, meaning the Sabres must backcheck as hard as they forecheck to help out Ryan Miller.

The X-factors of this game are two Buffalo players. Thomas Vanek, right, and . Vanek disappeared and was benched during the playoffs last year. Some argue his body burnt out; the college season is about half of the NHL's season. In his sophomore season, Vanek lost about 20 lbs and has played his best hockey in the past six weeks. Let's hope he hasn't peaked yet. He needs to remain a force in front of the net.

Not so obviously, the other X-factor for Buffalo is Brian Campbell. The All-Star defenseman has regained his prior form in the most recent games, but fell off considerably for a month or more. Campbell needs to play BIG.

The series unknown is Drew Stafford. It looks like he will be taken off the Roy/Vanek line for Maxim Afinogenov, opposite of what Ruff recently said. Stafford is not proven, and it will be interesting to see if he can pan out on a line without Roy and Vanek.

As well all remember from the heartbreak last year, things don't always go smooth in the playoffs. We're running down a dream to the Stanley Cup, and it's a battle- nearly 300 opponents (20 players per roster times 16 teams =320 players) will be in Buffalo's way. The question is, who's going to lay the boom this year to set the tone?

Overtime is crucial for the Sabres. In our history, we've won most of them, and most of the big ones, but sometimes we lose. It all started last year- the new NHL, the playoff run. The run highlighted by one phrase that brought us all together-- Do you believe? I sure do. I'm not going to forget 05-06's heart breaker, either. Nor the 98-99 improbable Cup run.

But this isn't either of these season. This is 2006-07, and it's time for the Sabres to make their battle.

And the Thursday Night Predictions Are:

A side note- the Sabres prediction will be up, in detail, tomorrow. But to keep you in the know for my predictions, I feel the Sabres can beat the slow defense and older, lazier skaters of the Islanders without a ton of trouble. Sabres in 5.

The sole Western matchup of the night is the (1) Detroit Red Wings and the (8) Calgary Flames. The Wings are a perennial threat to get the Cup, but have been ousted in the first round the last two years. Ironically, the team that beat them advanced to the finals- and lost. The West is a much tougher division to pick in the first round, becasue the top 7 seeds were all over 100 points and only six points separate the 2 seed from the 7 seed. Though 17 points separate Detroit and Calgary, reigning Vezina winner Miikka Kiprusoff has played like the champ he is recently. Calgary played excellent hockey over the last month, led by Kippy's impeccable play. Detroit has the best goalie in hockey history (Dominik Hasek) but he has the world's weakest groin. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit's premier player,returns this week after missing a month of hockey. Detroit is also suffering through another injury to Todd Bertuzzi, who has a concussion.

It is my belief that the Flames, especially if they can steal one of the first two games at Joe Louis Arena in Michigan, will fight Detroit to seven games. And I think the Flames win in that seventh game.

(3) Atlanta Thrashers and the (6) New York Rangers. The Rangers have played incredible hockey down the stretch led by Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr. Henrik Lundqvist, the Ranger keeper, has arguable been the best tender in the last six weeks. Marcel Hossa has started scoring and Peter Prucha is a nice surprise for the Rangers. Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuck look to lead the young Thrashers through the playoffs, but ended the season JUST edging out the Tampa Bay Lightning for the division crown. It's unfortunate that Kari Lehtonen will not be able to stop the Ranger's attack.

The Thrashers, who have some players who tend to disappear in big games, and have very little overall playoff experience, will be eliminated by the Rangers in 6 games.

That brings me to the last game of this post, the (2) New Jersey Devils and the (7) Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa has beaten New Jersey 3 out of four times this year. Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St Louis have caused nothing but migraines for Martin Brodeur. I expect nothing less in this series. Whereas the Devils run a great trap defense, they only have so many guys that can keep up with the Lightning. The only question mark for the Lightning is their shaky goaltending. I think Mark Denis and Johan Holmqvist tighten up in this series and the Lightning run a huge upset in seven games.

There you are, SABRES NATION, all my picks for the first round. A much better Sabres/Islanders post will be up tomorrow. Check back, comment if you will! Thanks, Tom, for commenting! Even though I don't know you! Give feedback! What would you like to read about?


In conclusion:

Minnesota Wild defeat Anaheim Ducks 4-3, ANA lead series 1-0
Vancouver Canucks defeat Dallas Stars 4-3, VAN leads series 1-0
Nashville Predators defeat San Jose Sharks 4-2, SJS leads series 1-0
Ottawa Senators defeat Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3, OTT leads series 1-0
Buffalo Sabres defeat New York Islanders 4-1
Calgary Flames defeat Detroit Red Wings 4-3
New York Rangers defeat Atlanta Thrashers 4-2
Tampa Bay Lightning defeat New Jersey Devils 4-3

And Now, the President's Trophy Means Nothing

Tomorrow night brings what we've been waiting for since October 4th, 2006 where the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Carolina Hurricanes on national TV. That win was the same night Carolina rose their Stanley Cup Champions banner at the RBC Center. The win that night helped us, as SABRES NATION, to relax after the onslaught of injuries in that Championship series last Spring.

That's all gone now. Carolina is out, and we're the number one seed. I will talk about tomorrow's four series today, and Thursday's four games (including the Sabres) tomorrow. Deal? OK. Here we GO!

In what is probably the game of the night, the (5) Pittsburgh Penguins head north to take on the (4) Ottawa Senators. Both teams have an excellent talent base but, both have their drawbacks. Pittsburgh is young and only two of their players have real playoff experience (41 year old Gary Roberts, 40 year old Mark Recchi, and Georges Laraque[the tough guy]). The two latter players have the experience from the Finals last year, Recchi with Carolina, Laraque with the Oilers. Look for an extraordinary amount of speed in these games. The Penguins' drawback is that none of their kids (Malkin, Staal, Crosby, Armstrong, Whitney, Fleury) know how to play in the playoffs. It truly is a whole different game. The Senators' drawback is that their playoff experience is horrid. They haven't made it past the second round in years and were the top seed at least twice in the last five years. Chris Neil will most likely square up with Georges Laraque, and I really feel Neil will get pounded. Here's hoping, right SABRES NATION?!

I feel that bad experience outweighs no experience, in this situation. I don't think the Penguins will be able to go at the pace they need to for seven games in just two weeks. I give the edge to Ottawa, in seven games.

In another great series matchup, the Nashville Predators, led by two time Cup champ Peter Forsberg and an excellent goaltending duo in Tomas Vokoun and Chris Mason take on the San Jose Sharks, Yevgeni Nabokov/Vinny Toskala, and Joe Thornton. San Jose is led by a plethora of rookies, some on the blue line. Their offensive rookies won't be the problem; it's their defense without Craig Rivet in that should be worrisome to the Sharks. Scoring, in general, won't be a problem for the Sharks, I expect. J.P. Dumont, SABRES NATION will remember, departed us this summer and has enjoyed his best season of his career this year. Hopefully we haven't forgot how dangerous he was during our playoff run (7+7=14, 1GWG in OT) but I suspect San Jose does.

Given the youth on the Sharks, I cannot help but think that with similar goaltending and more clutch players in Barry Trotz's Predators, that the Preds win this series in six games.

The next matchup is the first of the Western Conference round. (3) Vancouver Canucks led by a couple twins and a brick wall take on the (6) Dallas Stars, led by the face of the franchise, Mike Modano. Roberto Luongo proved to be the steal of the century from the Panthers. The man is, in my not so humble opinion, the best goalie this year. Vancouver has a slightly more offensive system led by the Sedin twins (Dan and Henrik). Taylor Pyatt (we all remember him, right?) also has over twenty goals this year, and figures to be a force in the playoffs. Modano, for the Stars, is an excellent player, surrounded by other talent like Jussi Jokinen and Brenden Morrow. Marty Turco, the Stars' keeper, has consistently been a very good goalie in the regular season the past few years, but has played terribly in the playoffs.

Do I think he tightens it up this year? A little. But I don't think he can out dual Luongo. That said, I pick the Canucks in seven.

The last game of the night is another Western Conference matchup featuring the (2) Anaheim Ducks and the (7) Minnesota Wild. Brian Rolston, the Alternate Captain of the Wild, and Jacques Lemaire, the coach, both boast Stanley Cups on their resume. The same one, as a matter of fact, in 1995 with the New Jersey Devils. Pavol Demitra and Marian Gaborik will cause heck for the Ducks and J.S. Giguere, the Conn Smyth winner of 2003. Teemu Selanne will do everything he can with his teammates Andy McDonald, Scott Niedermeyer, and Chris Pronger. This team is L-O-A-D-E-D with playoff experience. Their only drawback is Minnesota's speed coupled with a stingy trap-style defense.

Because I think Rolston's a winner, and Lemaire is a better coach, I think the Wild will stifle the league's most balanced team. The Wild in seven, according to Pat.

There you have it, SABRES NATION. The Wild, the Canucks, the Predators, and the Senators. A preview of all the series beginning tomorrow. New fans, young kids, old fans all alike- this may be a playoffs to remember. So many possibilities with so many even teams in the salary cap era! Welcome to the Show, ladies and gentlemen. Buckle up, SABRES NATION, here is what we've been waiting for!

We Have ice Icing, Now Begins the Hunt for the Cake

Well, there you have it, SABRES NATION. With the 2-0 blanking of the Capitals yesterday, Buffalo became the NHL regular season champions. That thing on the right, the President's Trophy, is now in the hands of the Buffalo Sabres for the first time ever.

Derek Roy and Tim Connolly scored yesterday, Ryan Miller had his fourth straight great performance and the Sabres completed their second shutout of the season.

Roy scored his 20th goal of the year. That makes SEVEN Sabres with 20 or more goals. Roy, Daniel Briere, Maxim Afinogenov, Chris Drury, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, and Dainius Zubrus all have reached that plateau and all have 50 or more points. Not to mention, had they played closer to full seasons, both Ales Kotalik and Drew Stafford would have most likely had at least 20 goals and maybe 50 points.

Jochen Hecht sits at 19 goals and narrowly missed an open net yesterday afternoon in the waning seconds of the game. His linemates, Briere and Pominville, tried to feed him all game, but the shots he got off were from bad angles. Let's hope for his 20th today.

The Sabres have played excellent defense in the last few games, starting with the dominating win at Pittsburgh 4-1. That is in large part due to the new defensive scheme the Sabres have employed, and partially due to the improved play of Ryan Miller.

The Sabres have began using a trap-style scheme. If you recall my earlier posts about the Neutral Zone Trap, you'll remember that it isn't conducive to a high powered offense. Lindy Ruff has found a way for it to work without sacrificing our greatest asset. Instead of waiting for a mistake to capitalize on the opposition, we run our offense like we always have. The only change is that our defensemen don't rush everytime- only when we're down, have a quality scoring chance, or late in the game, sometimes.

On the backcheck, our forwards skate harder to get back but turn and face the opposition around center ice. This allows us to save our energy by backskating and forcing opponents to turn the puck over. In turn this helps goalie Ryan Miller because there will be many less odd man rushes and quality shots against.

Today's matchup is highlighted by one main thing. It's Marty vs. the Sabres. It's going to be weird being competitive against the former 'future of the Sabres', but that's how it goes. Also, if the Sabres win in regulation, they will have as many wins as the Flyers have points.

Go get 'em, Buffalo!

No-Panic Vanek and The Sabres Break the Bruins

Thomas Vanek had a monstrous game tonight. Not only did he become a 40/40 man- which hasn't been done in a long time by a player on the Sabres' roster, but he scored two clutch goals. The first was a beautiful wraparound on a rebound that only he can execute so well, and the second was a partial breakaway that made the Boston goaltender Hannu Toivonen look more lost than an Evangelist in the ghetto.

Vanek had an excellent chance to finish off the game with a hat trick, but instead of doing it himself, he completed a tic-tac-toe pass play and allowed Derek Roy, right, to shovel the pass into an open net on the powerplay late in the game.

Maxim Afinogenov made his first appearance since February 15th tonight. The speedster broke a bone in his wrist in the win against the Edmonton Oilers. He scored a point, as well, assisting on Roy's goal. He played excellent though, splitting time with different lines. The majority of his time was on the fourth line with Adam Mair and Daniel Paille.

Later in the game, coach Lindy Ruff mixed him with his old linemates Roy and Vanek, and also Ales Kotalik centered with Dainius Zubrus. Afinogenov played well each place, and this is a great tool for the playoff lines for Ruff.

Buffalo gave up an early 2-0 nothing lead, but scored four unanswered goals to win. This is the tenth of Buffalo's 52 wins that have come after trailing by at least two goals. Only two teams have won more games in this fashion in the last 30 years.

Buffalo's 52 wins ties the record for most wins in a season set last year. They have also set their points record with 111 as of tonight. Buffalo has sold out 40 straight games out of 41 this year. Three or four years ago, this team may have sold out maybe three quarters of the seats ever weekend game. Ryan Miller played excellent in his second straight game, regaining the form that we all know he is capable of.

Magic Numbers:

There is only one team in contention with the Sabres for the President's Cup after the win tonight. The Detroit Red Wings, excluding the current game.

With any combination of the Sabres gaining points or Detroit squandering points that equals three, the Sabres will win the President's trophy. Detroit is currently losing 2-1 against the Chicago Blackhawks with ten minutes left in the third period.

Why is Buffalo's defense finally playing well? Tomorrow's post will explain.

Here We Go Down The Home Stretch

Well the latest Buffalo victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins sealed the deal for the Buffalo Sabres.

SABRES NATION, we not only became the Northeast division champions, we also clinched the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.

If that wasn't enough accolades for one game, Thomas 'No-Panic' Vanek, right, scored his 40th goal of the year. He is the first Sabre to accomplish the feat since the lazy Miroslav Satan in 1998-99.

In order for the Sabres to win the President's trophy, Buffalo will most likely have to win all three of their remaining games. Detroit, who currently leads the race for the Trophy, has a one point lead, but they have played one more game.

Detroit does have it easy, though, and plays the lowly Chicago Blackhawks twice to close out the season. The Blackhawks may take one, though, 'tender Nikolai Khabibulin will be looking for a shutout and the Hawks will want to play the role of spoiler this year. Not only can they keep the Wings from winning the President's trophy, they will keep themselves from being swept by them.

Buffalo's performance in Pittsburgh was excellent last night, winning 4-1. Their offense capitalized and controlled the puck for a very solid chunk of time during the game, and the team only had two turnovers, cutting down on odd-man rushes and keeping Ryan Miller from being overworked.

The defense played especially well, getting back and running a trap-esque defense in order to keep the shooting lanes away from Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Mark Recchi, and Colby Armstrong. The team that played last night is the Buffalo team we hope to carry into the playoffs, April 11th.

What to watch for:

Chris Drury sits at 37 goals with 3 games left. Can he be the second Sabre to record 40 this year?
Daniel Briere sits at 95 points with 3 games left. Can he be the first Sabre to score 100 points since Alexander Mogilny in 1992-93?
Ryan Miller and Martin Biron are likely to square off for the first time on Easter Sunday. Miller could end all the talks if he plays well. But if the Flyers win, we're in for a boatload of complaining, SABRES NATION.

New Jersey Fires Coach While In Second In the East

Well, SABRES NATION, something so rare and huge has happened in hockey that I can't help but post about it. Take a night off of the Sabres and bask in the crazy world of the NHL.

Claude Julien has posted a 47-24-8 = 102 record this season. The Martin Brodeur (right) led New Jersey Devils currently sit in second in the Eastern Conference, five points behind our own beloved Buffalo Sabres.

The trap defense has served the Devils excellently. They've won four of their last five and have had a great second half of the season. They have only scored 209 goals, meaning they average 2.64 goals a game. But, they've also allowed only 195 goals. I can't find anywhere where there's a stat, but I'm sure they have won the most games with two or less goals and most likely the most one goal games in the league.

Until this was released this morning: "I did not feel that we were going in the right direction, both mentally and hockey(-wise), going into the playoffs, for a variety of reasons," the New Jersey Devils GM told The Canadian Press."

That GM is Lou Lamoriello. Obviously, he's not a if-it's-not-broke-don't-fix-it kind of guy. He's done a similar thing twice before.

The move proved to shock everyone- "Without question," Lamoriello said." It's surprising to people but they only have the surface and not the knowledge. This was an easy decision not to make. It's certainly a decision that's more difficult to make." One GM, who requested anonymity Monday, told [Canadian Press]: "I thought April Fool's Day had moved a day."

Lamoriello cited there were other factors involved with Julien's dismissal. Though he never said what any of those other citations were.

Maybe it was the Devils 6-6-2 record in March? Doubtful, since they have been missing three of their biggest stars in Captain Patrick Elias, Rochester native Brian Gionta, and defenseman John Madden.

I don't know how the Devils will fare with a new coach 80 games into the season. I fully expect them to falter fast in the playoffs, though.