Dru, Come Back Soon!

Chris Drury, right, received twenty stitches in his forehead Thursday night and showed concussion like symptoms on Friday, assuring that he would not play Saturday in the tail end of the home and home series, and probably will miss the nest game, too.

The win on Thursday was bigger than the entire season series, anyways, so it's good Drury's taking his time getting better. Hell, I'll take a 10-2 loss tonight if that's what it takes. We need Drury to be 100% and if it's only an extra game, so be it.

Ottawa will be out for blood, make no mistake. Bryan Murray also threatened Buffalo about their line choices and said that things would be taken care of on Saturday at Ottawa. Look for Andrew Peters and Ottawa fighter Bryan McGrattan to square off at least once.

This will be a very physical game, and if I were Lindy Ruff, I'd probably check my ice time on Briere, Pominville, and Roy as well. We can't afford more injuries and these guys aren't big. Ottawa is a physically large team and their back two lines aren't afraid to show it. Just becasue the first line turtled Saturday doesn't mean the whole team will shy away from contact.

I think the most effective course of action for a win is to put our checking line out first thing Saturday and start finishing our checks...before they get a chance to. Brian Murray did hint that he would have his players hitting everything on Saturday, and I'd like to surprise them and do it first. Maybe about 15 minutes of ice time for the little guys and see how the younguns and the Bash Brothers do.

I'd like to see Briere, Roy, and Pominville out only against Ottawa's top two lines tonight- no chances taken against McGrattan or Neil when they're on the ice.

Crying Wolf? How About A Taste Of Your Own Medicine?

Senators coach Bryan Murray acted like he had never seen a tough guy line sent out after a questionable at best hit. In 2003/04, when he was with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, there was a play which saw a Calgary player run into J.S. Giguere, the Duck's keeper. The player did run into him on purpose, and yes, it was with unnecessary force, but it wasn't even hard enough to knock Giguere over.

Murray responded by sending his two best goons on the ice. This with four minutes left in the third period where the Ducks were leading 4-0.

Kevin Lowry ran into then Calgary keeper Mike Vernon in an ugly, ugly way. Not when Vernon was standing up, in a position playing the puck. Lowry cross checked Vernon with his head up, and the game featured so many brawls in the last ninety seconds that the game was finished with 3 on 3 with only nine and six reserves on the bench.

The entire debacle is viewable here.

"I've seen it in junior hockey, but I've never seen it in the NHL," Murray said. "I didn't care if (the game ended) or not. The fans got their money's worth. The game started at 7 o'clock, so there was plenty of time."

Ironically, the only player in that game who was in the Ottawa and Buffalo brawl was Toni Lydman. Lydman's only ever fought three times, and two of those have been team brawls.

Quick Notes

Forward Mike Mancari was called up from Rochester yesterday to take Drury's spot. Mancari is 6'4" and over 220 pounds. The call up left only two forwards left on the Amerks for the Sabres.

Lindy Ruff, right, was fined US $10,000 for sending out his grinder line against Murray's skill players. I don't know how that works because to me, that sounds like they're fining Lindy for....coaching. If sending out a line is worth a fine, what is making roster changes worthy of? Suspension?

Forward Adam Mair apologized to Danny Heatley in the Senators locker room after the game Thursday. Heatley accepted the apology.

Just because Mair apologized doesn't mean he might not throw down again tonight.

LET'S GO ROCHALO SABERKS!!!!