Game 7

Buffalo lost their second straight game as bad bounces and posts plagued the Sabres the entire game, leading to a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Montreal Canadians. Thomas Vanek and Derek Roy were very good.

Game 6

The Sabres had a very boring game against Jiri Novotny and the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Sabres 3-0. Ryan Miller was the Sabres best player, followed by Paul Gaustad and Ales Kotalik.

Eastern Conference Update

Melrose and Hradek give an update on the Eastern Conference.

Jochen Hecht

Jochen Hecht, the Sabres captain, signed a 4 year, 14.1 million dollar contract extension. I like this signing and feel it is a good price. According to Darcy Regier, the Sabres are working on re-signing Brian Campbell and Ryan Miller.

Game 5

The Sabres kept up the excitement of the past few years, with a 5-4 overtime comeback victory against their rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs (not sold out). The Leafs opened up the scoring on a goal by Simon Gamache, who be Jocyeln Thibualt. The Leafs would later take a 2-0 lead into the third period, when the Sabres would score two quick goals, with Adam Mair scoring the first goal off of beautiful plays by Daniel Paille and Derek Roy. Jason Pominville scored the tying goal off of a beautiful feed from Tim Connolly. The leafs would answer quickly, but Thomas Vanek would tie the game at 3-3 after Lindy Ruff switched Drew Stafford back to the Roy line. Chad Kilger would come right back and score his second goal of the game to make it 4-3 leafs. But Tim Connolly would make a great feed to Jochen Hecht to tie the game with less than 4 minutes to go in the game. The game would go to overtime where Tim Connolly would find Ales Kotalik who gunned a shot that was stopped by Raycroft and Brian McCabe put it into his own net. The goal was later credit to Paul Gaustad who tipped the puck in. The Sabres now have 24 goals in 5 games.

Three Stars:
1. Tim Connolly
2. Chad Kilger
3. Thomas Vanek

Game 4

The Sabres came out shooting the puck against Washington and they did not stop. Despite how Buffalo was taking it to Washington, however, the Capitals would score first on a Nylander goal off of a nice play from Backstrom. After piling on a ton of shots, Jaroslav Spacek would added the Sabres first goal, his third of the season, on a blast from the right point. Just 11 seconds later, Maxim Afinogenov scored his first of the season to give Buffalo a 2-1 lead. Later in the period, Jason Pominville would direct the cross ice pass from Jochen Hecht into the net to give Buffalo a 3-1 lead. At the end of the period, Adam Mair would score a bloop goal, giving Buffalo 4 goals in the second period, rewarding them for their 24 shots. Washington would score next on a breakaway goal after a penalty that Miller misplayed. Buffalo would add the next goal as Derek Roy tipped in a Brian Campbell blast off of a few sensational moves from Afinogenov, and then Roy would add another pushing his goal total to 4. Ovechkin added a PP goal, but it was Jaro Spacek clinching the game with another bullet from the point to give Buffalo a 7-3 victory.
I thought that Brian Campbell played outstanding, with 4 assists, and his defense partner in Spacek wasn't too bad either, adding two goals. Afinogenov and Roy and Vanek were moved back together and played great. The Sabres now have 19 goals in 4 games--without Daniel Briere and Chris Drury.

Three Stars:
1. Brian Campbell
2. Jaroslav Spacek
3. Maxim Afinogenov

Highlights

Brian Campbell

Brian Campbell is off to a great start this year, with 5 points and a +4 rating after 3 games. He looks solid defensively, and is really looking good on the power-play. In my opinion, the Sabres should get him signed to a 3-4 year contract extension as soon as possible.

Interview (10/2/2007)

Game 3

From the very beginning, the Sabres looked great. The first goal came from Ales Kotalik who was in the lineup for the first time this season after Tim Connolly made the Thrashers look like a bunch of high-schoolers. The second goal came from Connolly on a blast from the point while there was a delayed penalty so the Sabres had a 6 on 4. The third goal came from Campbell off of a nice feed by Connolly. Jason Pominville gave Buffalo a SH goal on a puck that just got by Lehtonen. The fifth goal came on a good job by Paille of getting the puck to the net and a great play by Derek Roy. Daniel Paille added the sixth goal on a one time feed from Ryan. Ryan Miller ended up getting a shutout.

Three Stars
1. Tim Connolly
2. Brian Campbell
3. Paul Gaustad

Preview Game 3

The Sabres will look for their first win tonight against the Atlanta Thrashers, who are also looking for their first victory. I assume that Ryan Miller will start in goal and that Ales Kotalik will be in the lineup for Andrew Peters, on a line with Paul Gaustad and Maxim Afinogenov, with Stafford moving to the Roy and Vanek line, at least temporarily, which may or may not be a good thing. This is a very important game for the Sabres.

Game 2

Buffalo's defense was better, but now their offense was very stagnant. The Roy line was not scoring goals, and Jason Pominville missed probably 5 scoring chances. Again, however, the Sabres could not stop the Mike Comrie line. Toni Lydman left the game with a migraine but is expected back Thursday.

Game 1

The Sabres started the game so well. Rich Dipietro kept the Islanders in the game however with a huge save on Thomas Vanek. Buffalo's defense ended up being very soft and could not stop the Mike Comrie line. The Mike Comrie line dominated the game.

Ales Kotalik

I am actually very excited that Ales Kotalik will be coming back into the lineup. He think that he will improve the powerplay and be a solid fixture on a line with Maxim Afinogenov and Paul Gaustad. I expect him to have the type of year he had in 2005-2006.

Harry Neale

I am very glad that the Sabres have selected Harry Neale to be RJ's new broadcast partner. I loved Jim Lorentz and it will be tough not listening to him, but I also love listening to Harry Neale. If the Sabres were playing the Leafs on a Saturday Night, I would always find myself turning to Hockey Night in Canada to hear what Neale would say. I'm looking forward to it.

Final Preseason Game

I was at the game and thought that the Sabres played very well. I thought that Kalinin and Spacek improved greatly over their play from last year. Derek Roy is playing the best hockey of his pro career. Thomas Vanek was backchecking. Tim Connolly was back. Ryan Miller looked very sharp. The Sabres took another victory, and Derek Roy took home the preseason scoring title. While the PP looked very bad at times, it looked very good on both of the teams PP goals.

Marek Zagrapan

Though he still did not look all that comfortable on the ice, he did score a goal and get a shift late in the game against Sidney Crosby. I expect him to be in Rochester, but he is certainly making strides.

Interview

Sabres v. Penguins

SABRES 6, PENGUINS 5

Jocelyn Thibault (photo: Getty Images)

The Buffalo Sabres won their third game of the exhibition season in dramatic fashion. After 59 minutes of a seesaw battle and with the score knotted at 5-5, the Sabres hottest center continued to light-up the opposition.

Derek Roy, who had already registered a goal and two assists in the game, streaked up the right wing and one-timed a rebound into a wide-open net to give Buffalo the 6-5 lead with only 28 seconds remaining in regulation.

Evgeni Malkin nearly forced overtime in its waining moments after his one-timer from the right elbow found the twine. But an official review confirmed that the puck hadn't crossed the goal line before the final horn sounded.

In the Sabres wildest game so far, 11 different players recorded points. Roy led the way with four, while Brian Campbell added a goal and an assist. Henrik Tallinder, Thomas Vanek and Marek Zagrapan also lit the lamp.

Mike Ryan recorded a pair of assists for his first points of the preseason.

Jocelyn Thibault dropped to 1-2 after facing his former team. Thibault, who appeared in 22 games for Pittsburgh as Marc-Andre Fleury's backup last season, allowed five goals off 21 shots. Three of the Penguins tallies came during six man-advantage opportunities.

Sidney Crosby led the Penguins with a pair of goals and an assist, while Ryan Whitney complimented him with two helpers.

Erik Christensen and Ryan Malone each tallied two points - a goal and an assist.

The home-and-home series will shift to HSBC Arena tomorrow to conclude the exhibition season for both teams.

The Sabres will be holding an autograph session following Saturday night's contest and tickets for children 12 and under are half price. Click either link for more details.

In my opinion the 3 stars were definatley selected correctly, with Derek Roy the 1st star, Sidney Crosby the 2nd star, and Evgeni Malkin the thrid star. Marek Zagrapan got his first NHL goal.

Preseason Sabres v. Leafs

Sabres 7, Maple Leafs 2

Jason Pominville scored Buffalo's third goal just 37 seconds into the second period. (photo: Getty Images)

Derek Roy scored three goals and added three assists to help the Buffalo Sabres rout the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-2 on Wednesday night.

Henrik Tallinder, Drew Stafford, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek also scored for Buffalo.

RELATED LINKS

Feature: Derek Roy's Wild Night Audio: Derek Roy Post-Game Audio: Lindy Ruff Post-Game Photos: Sabres 7, Leafs 2

Held scoreless in the first period in their first three exhibition games, Buffalo's emphasis was getting to fast starts against the Leafs.

Mission accomplished as the team scored in the opening two minutes of play in all three periods.

"We said it before the game, we want to go out and set the tone on the first shift," said Roy. "We had some good shifts and good cycles in the zone and got some pucks to the net."

Pavel Kubina and Chad Kilger had goals for the Maple Leafs.

Tallinder opened the scoring at 1:24 with an even-strength marker, while Stafford made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 7:52.

Buffalo's power-play unit converted on two of five opportunities in the game.

Pominville converted a cross-ice pass from Clarke MacArthur 37 seconds into the second period, and Vanek made it 4-0 at 1:12 with a slider that went through Staffan Kronwall's legs and then Toskala's.

Roy then went to work, scoring at 17:08 while Buffalo had a two-man advantage. He added his second goal early in the third period and finished the scoring with a short-handed goal at 6:30.

"We didn't have a lot of puck control in the previous game and a lot of careless turnovers that remind you a lot of inter-squad games and summer hockey," said head coach Lindy Ruff. "We started off by getting pucks deep, getting pucks to the net and we shot pucks when we had opportunities."

Ryan Miller remained undefeated in the preseason after turning away 20-of-22 shots.

Buffalo will return to action this Thursday as they start a home-and-home series with the Pittsburgh Penguins in Mellon Arena to close their exhibition schedule.

Tune to Sabres.com's new video player to watch a free internet broadcast of Thursday's bout. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Highlights

Jim Lorentz

Rick and Jim. It will be tough not being able to hear that again. Rick had his antics and wild announcing, but Jim had a quiet, philosophical way about him. When great plays were made (Drew Stafford's goal against Washington, Thomas Vanek's shootout slapshot, or Ryan Miller's save on Mara in Boston) you could always hear Jim just give a short, quiet "Oh". He always gave very intelligent comments and never let himself takeaway the spotlight from Rick. I'm not sure who is going to replace him, but I know that it won't be the same.

Preseason Sabres v. Blue Jackets

Sabres 3, Blue Jackets 2, SO

Ales Kotalik scored Buffalo's opening goal and flipped a backhander over Pascal LeClaire in the shootout.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -Ryan Miller stopped both Columbus shooters in the shootout as the Buffalo Sabres completed a rally and beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in a preseason game on Sunday.

With just under five minutes remaining in regulation, the Sabres' Brian Campbell sent a pass to Jason Pominville at the back post for an easy tap-in to tie the score.

Miller did the rest with an assist from Maxim Afinogenov and Ales Kotalik.

The winningest goaltender in the NHL during shootouts last season, Miller denied both Adam Pinault and Sergei Fedorov on Columbus' opening two attempts, while Afinogenov and Kotalik each lit the lamp for Buffalo.

Miller won 10 of 14 shutouts last season.

Fedorov had scored from close range at 2:59 of the third period to give Columbus the 2-1 lead.

Kotalik netted the opening goal for the Sabres (1-1), who have faced only the Blue Jackets in the preseason.

Derek MacKenzie opened the scoring for the Blue Jackets (2-3) when he stole the puck from defenseman Nathan Paetsch and put it past Miller just 2:48 into the game.

Kotalik made it 1-1 on the power play at 5:13 of the second period, firing in a slap shot from the left circle.

Buffalo's power play, which struggled through most of last season, registered five shots on goal in eight opportunities.

Preseason Game 1 v. Columbus

VISITOR 4 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS Game 4 Away Game 2

Event Summary Friday, September 21, 2007 HSBC Arena Start 7:11 EDT ; End 9:47 EDT Game 0041 Final

HOME 1 BUFFALO SABRES Game 1 Home Game 1

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -Gilbert Brule scored twice, leading the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in a preseason game Friday night.

"You can definitely see it [the difference between the AHL and NHL]," said Dylan Hunter, who was appearing in his first career NHL preseason game. "Just the speed and strength of guys in the corners, how quick you have to make plays, every level seems to get faster and faster."

RELATED MULTIMEDIA

Video: Jochen Hecht Post-Game Video: Lindy Ruff Post-Game

Kris Russell and Rick Nash added goals for Columbus, which improved to 2-2 in the preseason.

Clarke MacArthur scored for Buffalo, in its first preseason game.

"Everybody in the lineup is working hard and knows what they have to do," said Jochen Hecht. "Drew Stafford was up last year scoring goals and Pat Kaleta is finishing his hits and playing tough. Everyone's having a good camp."

Jason Pominville led Buffalo with five shots on goal, while Thomas Vanek tied Kaleta for the team high in hits with a pair.

Buffalo goalie Jocelyn Thibault, the Sabres' lone free-agent signing of the offseason, made 18 saves. Steve Mason stopped 20 shots for Columbus.

"We still have a lot of guys here and we can change the lineup quite a bit," said Hecht. "We need to get some rest and play a couple of games in a short time frame, but it makes you ready for the season."

The Sabres will play the tail end of the home-and-home with Columbus on Sunday night at the Nationwide Arena and then ship out to Ralph Englestad Arena to meet the Minnesota Wild at the University of North Dakota Monday.

Russell and Brule scored power-play goals 25 seconds apart in the second period to give the Blue Jackets a 2-0 lead. Columbus started the second period with a two-man advantage carried over from the first period, and Russell scored 49 seconds in on a deflection. Brule then snapped in a shot from the left faceoff circle with 1 second remaining in the power play.

Nash scored six minutes into the third, backhanding in a loose puck after Thibault stopped Rostislav Klesla on a backhand shot. Brule netted his second of the night six minutes later on a tip-in.

Training Camp Thoughts

I was down at the Arena today to watch the Sabres scrimmage. For the most part, I thought that the team looked pretty good. Maxim Afinogenov and Derek Roy played very well together. Jason Pominville and Jochen Hecht played very well together, especially when they were paired with Paul Gaustad ( who leveled Ben Breault). I thought that Marek Zagrapan played well, scoring two goals in the scrimmage, but he still seemed kind of sluggish and lazy. Ryan Miller made some good saves. Nathan Paetsch really surprised me with how fast he really is, skating stride for stride with Afinogenov on one rush and drawing a penalty. I think Lindy Ruff might have to talk with Pat Kaleta again as he was hitting everything that moved. One surprising player that stood out was 2007 second round pick Drew Scheistel. He really moved the puck well and seems to have a bullet of a slapshot. TJ Brennan was cut in the face but skated off on his own power.

Several players including Tim Connolly, Thomas Vanek, Daniel Paille, Dimitri Kalinin, Drew Stafford, Toni Lydman, and Henrik Tallinder did not scrimmage, as they were on the practice squad.

Teppo's Heart

According to WGR550, Darcy Regier has said that Teppo Numminen will need heart surgery. I do not know how long he will be out, but it seems as though Nathan Paetsch has guaranteed himself a place on the team.

Tickets Outside

I can't wait for tickets to go on sale for the outdoor game at Ralph Wilson Stadium. It should be a great game. Ryan Miller already has outdoor experience from his days at Michigan State. Training camp starts this Thursday and the Sabres will be having several open-to-the-public scrimmages. By the way Phillipe Gogulla had 2 goals and an assist in a 6-3 win by Cologne over Hamburg. Looks like the Sabres might have another good European prospect.

Training Camp

Just as the Bills are finishing up training camp, the Sabres are about to start their's. They are starting to skate at the Pepsi Center, and we will soon find out if Michael Ryan, Nathan Paestch, Clarke McAurthur, or Marek Zagrapan will make the top squad, as Michael Peca will now not be Buffalo's third line center.

Third Line Center

The longer the Sabres go without any trades or signings, the more likely it is that either Paul Gaustad will be the third line center with Adam Mair centering the 4th line, or that the Sabres will go down to Rochester. The most likely candidates then would be either Clarke McAurthur or Marek Zagrapan. McAurthur would provide a more stable two-way center, having played well last season, while Zagrapan would probably provide more creativity. I would expect that Clarke McArthur will be a center on the Sabres when opening day comes, due to his previous experience.

Mike Weber

The Buffalo Sabres signed Mike Weber to an entry level contract. I really liked Mike Weber when I saw him at the rookie camp this summer. I also remember that he was one of the last people to be left on the team during the preseason last year before going to juniors. Weber seems like a guy who can skate well and move the puck, as well as playing very physically.

Mike Weber

Cammelleri Contract

Too bad this contract hadn't come out earlier or NHL salaries might be less. It is reported that he received a two year contract with a cap hit of around $3.35 million. I was expecting another inflated contract of around $5 million per season. Maybe Derek Roy's contract would have been around 6 years and $20 million, and other contracts might have been less around the NHL as well. Atleast this is good for the game.

We're #1

The Sporting News has rated Buffalo as the number one NHL city. This is amazing considering only a few years ago there were only 8,000 people at home games and the team was in the middle of bankruptcy. But a likable team that ws very good made the Sabres the darling of Buffalo and hockey was now the number one sport since the Bills had been struggling. There were thousands of people standing outside in the rain watching the playoff games, and there are currently approximately 8,000 people on the waiting list for season tickets. The city has been rewarded with a probable outdoor game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This truly shows that they are great, because it is amazing that a small market team would get this type of game. Jersey sales were extremely impressive and television ratings were great as well. Sabres fans even voted 3 starters into the all-star game. I am proud to be a Sabres fan.

Nathan Paetsch signs

The Buffalo Sabres signed their seventh defensemen Nathan Paetsch to a very good deal in my opinion of just around $850,000 per year for 3 years. If Paetsch can develop into a solid top six defensemen, this contract is a steal for a quick defensemen who can run the powerplay and who has a bit of a mean streak to him. Paetsch will bring a lot of energy to the team. I also feel that this deal may make room for a trade of either Dimitri Kalinin or Jaroslav Spacek. I would definately prefer Spacek going as he makes more money and doesn't add much value in terms of the powerplay, while atleast Kalinin is good at killing penalties and has a much better all-around game. Only about a month til training camp begins.

Derek Roy

Derek Roy will be here for 6 more years after he signed a 6 year $24 million dollar deal. This deal to me tells me that the Sabres now believe that Derek Roy will continue to progress, but even further than that is that the Sabres believe that the NHL salary cap will continue to rise. I like Roy a lot, an even though he is small and complains alot, I think that is good for his game. He will be able to play with his linemate Thomas Vanek for that that time and I feel those two will have success. This deal is much different than any 2 and 3 year deal that the Sabres were giving out last year. If you look at what Derek Roy did last summer, he decided to accept his qualifying offer of only around $650,000. He played well and was rewarded with a huge contract. This is different than what Jason Pomminville did, taking a 3 year, $3.5 million deal. This was quite a difference in salary. This is the same thing that Paille did this year and while I love Paille, I would have liked the Sabres to have locked him up long-term as well. This contract probably means that the Sabres are going to start the season with either Mike Ryan, Clarke McArthur, Andrew Peters, or Marek Zagrapan.

NHL

Not related to the Sabres, but isn't something that the NHL is the only one of the four major American sports not currently being investigated by the federal government. MLB has steroids, especially surrounding Barry Bonds. The NFL has dog fighting relating to Michael Vick, and the NBA has a new scandal involving referees betting on the games that they are officiating. It's time for people who complain about how bad professional athletes are to take a look at the NHL.

Michael Peca

I would love the idea of Michael Peca being signed by the Sabres if it is around $1 million or less. He would bring toughness and leadership to the team. He fits the bill exactly for the third line center that the Sabres need. I do not feel that he would bring any harm by overshadowing the younger players. If anything, I feel his toughness, hard work, and ability to do all the little things would show players like Derek Roy to be even better. If he wants to come here, which it seems like he does, then the Sabres should definitely sign him.

Daniel Paille Signs

I am very happy that Daniel Paille signed. He is going to be a very good player, especially defensively. He has Selke Award candidate written all over him if he can learn to finish offensively. I am sure he took the qualifying offer because he saw how Derek Roy will cash in this year after just taking a qualifying offer last year. I hope he plays very well for the Sabres.

Sabres Rookie Camp

I visited the Sabres rookie camp and really liked what I saw, especially the turnout from the fans. Some guys that I thought stood out were Drew Stafford, who obviously was the best player on the ice. He played with such control, paitence, and skill. He is certainly ready to be an NHL regular. Another guy I really liked was 2005 first round draft pick Marek Zagrapan. He was so much bigger than I expected him to be, and it is clear that he will be a star one day in the NHL if he continues to progress. Pat Kaleta was really physical out there and I liked it. Philippe Gogulla liked like he could be a good player one day. Nathan Gerbe, the smallest guy on the ice at only 5'5" was so skilled. He looked like a small version of Daniel Briere and I believe that he could definately play in the NHL. On the back end, I really liked how Sekera skated with the puck. I thought T.J. Brennan definately looked like he could be a good player. I thought that Mike Funk and Mike Weber could definately dominate a game physically. I liked what I saw overall.

Outdoor Hockey Anyone

WGR 550 has reported that the Buffalo Sabres are one of the two lead candidates, along with Detroit, to host an outdoor hockey game on January 1, 2008 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. If the Party in the Plaza was exciting, imagine 70,000 fans screaming for the Sabres at Ralph Wilson stadium. This is a game that no matter what the cost, fans should be at because it may be a one time only event. With the new HD Jumbotron there, it should be a great occasion. Lets just not hope that global warning has impacted Buffalo too much at the time, as I would rather not have the players skating through water, with fans in shorts and t-shirts. I know that when Edmonton played their outdoor game, the temperature was below zero. I guess that the game would be especially interesting with that. Even better would be a snowstorm to start while the game is being played. I'm really hoping for it to happen. It could be a very good thing for the NHL.

7 years, $50 million!!

The Oilers offered Thomas Vanek a 7 year, $50 million contract and thankfully the Sabres signed Vanek in a matter of minutes. While it is much too much money for Thomas Vanek, it is much better to have him on the team for 7 years than to not have him, even though compensation would be four first round draft picks. Maybe if compensation was higher, it would prevent teams from offering ridiculous contracts, allowing teams to keep restricted free agents without ruining their salary cap. I think Vanek is the type of player who could end up having his number retired in Buffalo.

The Loss of Drury

If it's true that the Sabres had two chances to sign their captain, Chris Drury, and just didn't follow up with the final paperwork, then someone really screwed up. First, Drury would have supposedly signed a 4 year $21 million contract extension, but the Sabres didn't close the deal. Then, at the end of the season, Drury would have supposedly signed for $6 million per season and the Sabres just waited, something that they are very good at doing. Drury, the heart and soul of the team, and the guy that they expected to head up their franchise for years to come, is now gone, and the Sabres, who will still probably have a good team, will have to find a way to win without Drury. Me and countless other Sabres fans hope that it can be done.

Buffalo News Article

Day 2 of Free Agency

The Sabres were quiet again, watching Nylander, Hamrlik, Handzus, Lang, Smolinski, Bertuzzi, and Sydor get signed. I am glad actually because none of those guys (with maybe the exception of Smolinski) were someone that I really would want at that price, but atleast the Sabres should make sure they can assemble a team that is not from Rochester. I still cannot believe what they are doing. There are rumours flying around the internet that Souray or Markov may be coming to Buffalo, but at this rate, it seems very unlikely.

Early Free Agency

I am very pleased with how Darcy Regier has handled the offseason so far. He has been stating the whole time that he has wanted to keep both Briere and Drury and I like that. Then, in a matter of about 4 hours, he managed to lose both captains, but also over the last 12 hours watch other very good players such as Ryan Smyth, Scott Hannan, Paul Kariya, Scott Gomez, and others sign with other teams. Now I like Adam Mair, but he cannot be the only free agent that you sign when you have all three captains as free agents. If Darcy doesn't do something to improve the Sabres soon, Sabres fans who payed for season tickets may not rush to show up at games like last season.

Briere

Briere has apparently been offered $7 million per year over 6 years by Montreal. In my opinion that is overpaying. However, I think if the Sabres bump him up to an offer of 5 years for $30 million, that maybe its a starting point for Briere to take around 5 years $32 million following some negotiating. If Joe Thornton gets $7.2 million, Briere should only be worth around $6 million.

Briere's Contract Offer

I am assuming that the Sabres offer to Daniel Briere was a lowball offer of maybe 5 years, $25 million, which I do not expect Daniel Briere to sign. However, If maybe they can meet around 5 years $28 million, Daniel Briere will truly have lived up to his word about taking a hometown discount to stay in Buffalo. If he does this, I admire him. Maybe if he were to sign this, that the Sabres would be left with money to sign Chris Drury as well, or atleast another big-time defensemen.

Co-Captains

I talked to a close friend and he told me that a relative of his was speaking with a member of the Buffalo Sabres. This player said that Chris Drury is going to try to sign with Los Angeles and that Daniel Briere is going to sign with Philadelphia.

Draft Review

I wasn't that happy about the Sabres draft. I would have liked the Sabres to take Maxim Mayorov in the third round because I feel that even if the Sabres would not have been able to get Mayorov from Russia, it would only be losing a third round pick. However, Mayorov, who is rated very highly, may be a steal at that point, especially at 6 foot 2. I like the pick of Brennan. He seems like a skilled defensemen who can also provide some grit, something that the Sabres definitely need. He also said that he is a late bloomer, and I think that if he can continue that progress he could be a top six Sabres defensemen in the next five years. I think that the Sabres went way off the board with Scheistel, who sounds like Brian Campbell only worse defensively. I think that Allrad, a big center, might be a steal late in the draft. He was drafted fourth overall in the QMJHL. I think if he progresses and shows hard work and consistency, who could end up being a 60 point center. I am very surprised the Sabres took two goalies, with Ryan Miller, Adam Dennis, and Jhonas Enroth. The thing with the draft though is that it cannot really be judged for between 4-7 years.

Nathan Horton's Contract

The Buffalo Sabres salary cap just got screwed up. Nathan Horton signed a 6 year, $24 million contract. I was planning on Thomas Vanek signing a contract of around 4 year, $14 million. Nathan Horton had 31 goals and 31 assists, including being a +15. Thomas Vanek had 43 goals, 41 assists, and a +47. Based on these numbers, it would seem as if Thomas Vanek's new market worth is approximately $5 million per season. As much as I like Thomas Vanek, I'm not sure if I would pay $5 million or more for Thomas Vanek, when there would be 4 first round draft picks of compensation if he was not resigned by Buffalo. Also, this contract may move Derek Roy from around $1.5 million to possibly as high as $3 million. It's a good thing Jason Pominville is under contract because he had even better numbers than Horton, and he is only making approximately $1 million per season. Havlat's contract killed the salary cap this year, and Nathan Horton's contract killed the market this year.

Sabres New Team

There have been debates about the Sabres over the offseason. One is whether the Sabres should sign Daniel Briere or Chris Drury. Another is whether the Sabres should lose some speed to add size or continue to use speed to try to continue winning. Some mid to lower priced unrestricted free agents that I see on the market at forward are Bates Battaglia, Brad May, Dean McAmmond, Brian Smolinski, Trevor Linden, and Jeff Cowan. Assuming that the Sabres sign either Briere or Drury, I do not see the Sabres going after a high level forward. On defense, if the Sabres can trade a player like Ales Kotalik or Jaroslav Spacek, they could go after a big time defensemen, but I don't really know if that type of defensemen is out there, as I am leary about Sheldon Souray's wrist. I would like to see the Sabres get a good defensive defensemen to go alongside Dimitri Kalinin once Teppo most likely retires. One of there types of players include Cory Sarich, Brad Stuart, Sean O'Donnell, Scott Hannan, or Brent Sopel. The only things I could see getting for Kotalik or Spacek would be draft picks. Who the Sabres sign in of Briere or Drury would determine who they sign unrestricted free agency. If the Sabres sign Daniel Briere I see the lines being maybe:
Hecht-Briere-Pominville
Vanek-Roy-Afinogenov
Kotalik-Connolly-Stafford
Paille-Gaustad-Mair
If the Sabres sign Chris Drury, I see the lines being:
Hecht-Connolly-Pominville
Vanek-Roy-Afinogenov
Paille-Drury-Stafford
Battaglia-Gaustad-Mair
(Ales Kotalik traded for maybe a 5th round draft pick.)
On defense, assuming Teppo retires, I see something like:
Tallinder-Lydman
Campbell-Spacek
Kalinin-Hannan
(Paestch as the seventh defensemen, Peters as reserve forward)

I have no problem keeping Ty Conklin as the backup to Ryan Miller.

Another thing would be possibly trading either Drury or Briere if one would not be signed so a team can sign him at a cheaper price, maybe bringing in picks or prospects (as Nashville and Philadelphia did).

The Hamilton Predators??

The Sabres have made too many young fans for the team to be troubled by an incoming team just 70 miles away. If anything, I believe it can create another intense rivalry, and if Hamilton ends up getting moved into the Sabres division and they play a good deal of times, HSBC Arena will almost be filled. Plus, I feel that the economy of Buffalo is coming out of a recession and more fans will have money to go to games. Plus, if Quinn and others end up making the Arena district better, people may flock their for Parties in the Plaza during regular season games, as long as the team stays in the top half of the league. Buffalo is becoming Hockeytown USA quickly.

Free Agent Talk

I think that they will start talking to Briere and Drury this week. Adam Mair can wait and I dont think we should resign Teppo for anything more than 700,000 on a one year deal. I would like the Sabres to sit down and offer each co-captain a 5 year, 32 million dollar contract. If one of them takes its great. If both of them take it, I'm sure that the Sabres can find some way to fit them both in under the cap ( hopefully finding a way to trade Spacek and Kotalik). If both were offered that contract, I think Briere would be more likely to accept it than Drury. If the Sabres lose both Briere and Drury, it will be tough to accept.

Brad May

I would love to have Brad May on the Buffalo Sabres next season. He played with great energy for Anaheim in the playoffs and he certainly looked like he could continue his play next season. If the Sabres can sign him to a one or two year deal, a line of May-Gaustad-Mair would provide the energy and physical play that the Sabres did not have at times during the playoffs.

Sabres Final Regual Season Report Card

The Sabres had a great season in 2006 and 2007. Here is my final regular season report card.
Offense: A
The Sabres scored the most goals in the league. Danny Briere had a career high 97 points. Thomas Vanek had 43 goals and 84 points. Chris Drury had a career high 37 goals, including 16 power play goals. Max Afinogenov scored 61 points in just 56 games, including a career high 23 goals. Jason Pominville was a 30+ goal scorer. Derek Roy scored more than 60 points. Drew Stafford became a threat with Max Afinogenov out of the lineup.
Defense: B-
They were supposed to be the 6 best defensemen in the league. They played well, although Henrik Tallinder missed a lot of time. Nathan Paetsch was good in his time up. Jaroslav Spacek did not play up to his salary. Teppo was okay. Brian Campbell looked okay in some games and like Bobby Orr in other games. he started in the All-Star game.
Goaltending: B+
Ryan Miller was good. He started in the All-Star game, and while his GAA and Save Percentage were not at the top of the league, he won a franchise high 40 games.
Special Teams: C-
The Powerplay and PK were great last year and average at best this year. With all of the talent that the Sabres have, it should have been higher. Even with the loss of Scott Arniel and without Tim Connolly for most of the season, they were too talented to be a below average. The PK lost Mike Grier, Jay McKee, Henrik Tallinder and Tim Connolly for a good part of the season. They let in a lot of goals and were in the bottom third of the league.
Coaching: A
Lindy Ruff did a great job. There were lots of injuries and he still led the team to the Presidents Trophy. He should be the coach of the year.
Overall: A-
The team was exciting. They filled the seats. They won the Presidents Trophy. Enough said.

Maximum Contracts

While I would rather have Chris Drury sign with the Buffalo Sabres, I think that it is more likely that Danny Briere will be a Sabre next season. The maximum that I would give Chris Drury would be a 5 year, $35 million dollar deal, because even though he is a great player, one of the most important people on the team, I do not believe that he will be worth $7 million dollars in 3 years. I would not go any higher than a 5 year, $33 million dollar deal, because even though his stats are better than Drury, and he is a captain, I feel that his one way game should not be worth any more money. I would not see the Sabres going above a 4 year, $14.5 million dollar deal for Thomas Vanek. The cutoff per year on restricted free agents being offered an offer sheet is 3.8 million, so I see the Sabres staying below this number. I also believe that they should not go beyond 4 years because that would keep Vanek as a restricted free agent at the end of his contract.

Why I would sign Chris Drury

The reason that I would do everything that I can to sign Chris Drury is because he is a winner. Drury has won at every level in almost every sport that he has participated in. As soon as he came to Buffalo, a new era began. Buffalo fans started to think that maybe there was a chance, but even more so the players that they had a chance to win the Stanley Cup. Once Drury, who won a Stanley Cup while with Colorado, put up a picture of the Stanley Cup in the locker room, the team truly had one goal, and the team game just a series away to years in a row from getting to the Stanley Cup finals. Drury leads by example, and whether he is playing for $7 million dollars or $7, he will give 100% every time that he is practicing and playing the game. On the ice, Drury can play 20 minutes, on the power play, killing penalties, scoring goals, and blocking shots. Drury is incredibly clutch. While it would be great to have both Drury and Briere on the team, I would rather have Chris Drury. Another reason that I feel Drury should be signed over Briere is a player that goes by the name of Tim Connolly. Connolly plays the same type of game that Briere plays, and he would be able to fill in the role that Briere plays on the Hecht and Pominville line. Drury may not get the big numbers that Briere gets, but Drury may be the more important piece to the puzzle.

Anaheim v. Buffalo

Watching the Ducks beat up on the Senators makes me realize that this would not have been the Sabres season to win the Stanley Cup anyway. The Ducks have speed and skill, maybe not quite to the extent of Buffalo or Ottawa, but they have the size that will just beat you down over the course of a game, let alone a seven game series. If Anaheim faced Buffalo, I feel that the goaltending matchup would be a wash, with Giguere and Miller being very even. On defense, Buffalo may be better 6 deep, but with Pronger and Scott Neidermayer anchoring the defense, Anaheim would have the edge there. I would call special teams a wash, as neither team had a very good powerplay and the penalty killing, while it is better for Anaheim, has the ability to be there for Buffalo. The forwards are where I believe Anaheim has the real advantage though. Even though Buffalo is known for extremely talented forwards and the big goal scorers in Vanek, Drury, Briere, Afinogenov, Connolly, and Pominville, I feel that that Anaheim has pure lines. McDonald and Selanne anchor the speed and scoring line. The PPG line (Penner, Perry, Getzlaf) are big with lots of skill that can dump it into the zone, but unlike other physical lines, these three can pick up the puck and score. Their defensive checking line (Rob Neidermayer, Pahlsson, Moen) is a true defensive line that dumps it in and hits you, and although they are not known for goal scoring, Moen and Pahlsson have the GWG in the first two games against Ottawa. The 4th line is also providing great energy for Anaheim, something that Buffalo's did not seem to do. Also, for almost the entire playoffs, Lindy Ruff seemed to be juggling lines, and no line seemed to develop true chemistry. I would say it would have been Anaheim in 5.

Marc-Andre Gragnani

I was very nervous when I heard that if the Sabres did not sign him he would be eligible to return to the NHL Draft. When I found out that the Sabres eventually did sign him, I was relieved. Gragnani had 68 points in 62 games in the QMJHL. He scored 22 goals which even in the offensive-minded QMJHL is still a great number, as it was second among defensemen. I believe that he will be a top 6 defensemen in the next 3 years, and in the next 5 years will be a top 4 defensemen. I hope he brings the Sabres great stability on defense.

Fiscal Responsibility

Tom Golisano is a businessman and I agree that he should be fiscally responsible. This does not mean that he should be a cheapskate though. Chris Drury, possibly the top unrestricted free agent on the team, if not the entire market, is a player that the Sabres must keep. He is the captain of the team, and he gives everything he can possibly give every single shift. You can see this in the way that he speaks, practices, and plays. He will block a shot, take a puck on the chin, then come back and score a goal. Usually, his goals are not just goals, they are clutch goals, and that is what makes Chris Drury so special. He is a winner. He always has been and always will be. That is why if Tom Golisano does not want to spend to the cap, don't sign Teppo Numminen, Dainus Zubrus, or even Daniel Briere. But let Darcy make an offer before July 1st that will make Chris Drury salivate so that he will be the captain of the Sabres for several more years. The Sabres have only had two other forwards like Drury that I can think of. Gil Perrault and Pat LaFontaine. Both of these players have their numbers retired, and if Drury wants to, he can have his retired as a Buffalo Sabre too. So Tom, I appreciate everything that you have done for the Sabres, but atleast open up your pocketbook for Chris Drury.

2007 NHL Draft

The 2007 NHL Draft will be coming up shortly. The Sabres do not have a first round pick as they traded it and Jiri Novotny for Dainus Zubrus. They do have an early second round pick which they received for Marty Biron. One of the top picks in the draft is expected to be Patrick Kane from Buffalo, although I expect him to slip into the mid 30's so that the Sabres will be able to draft him (not really). I do see the Sabres going after a center with their first pick, as the possibility of losing Danny Briere and Chris Drury looms. The pool of centers in Rochester is not deep either, with really only Clarke McArthur and Marek Zagrapan down the middle. I will have more draft coverage as the date arrives.

Here is a link to Draft News: http://www.hockeysfuture.com/nhl_entry_draft/

Free Agency

I was crunching some numbers, figuring in new salaries for Vanek, Roy, and Paetsch, and I was able to see that if the Sabres were able to trade both Spacek and either Kotalik or Hecht, that both Daniel Briere and Chris Drury would be able to be signed by the Sabres. This would be huge for next season. The players that the team brought in would have to be close to the minimum amounts, especially at forward. The replacement for Spacek could be around $1 million.

Lindy Ruff

I have been hearing talk that it is now Lindy Ruff's time to go because he cannot get them to win the Stanley Cup. I would love for someone to tell me how many other Buffalo coaches have won the Stanley Cup as a Sabre. I would also love to know how many Buffalo Sabres coaches have taken their team to 5 conference finals in 9 years. He and Darcy Regier have formed a great tandem. The community loves him, especially since he is a former Sabre player. He brings a "Buffalo mentality." Fans like him because they can relate to him. It is foolish to even hear people talk about not bringing back either Lindy Ruff or Darcy Regier. I cannot think of anyone else in the league that I would be more excited to coach my favorite NHL team than Lindy Ruff.

Sabres Offseason

I see a lot of changes happening to the Sabres over the offseason. Most of these are due to financial reasons and the salary cap. Daniel Briere will be gone. I am 90% sure that he will be taken away in unrestricted free agency. I have a feeling he will cost around $6.7 million per year, and I have a feeling that the only two teams that he would go to would be either Montreal, his native city, or Philadelphia so he can be on a young team and with his former roommate, Marty Biron. Teppo Numminen will either be gone, retired, or take a significant pay cut to stay on the team. Nathan Paestch is waiting in the wings to take his spot. I think Dainus Zubrus will also be gone, as he just bought a house in Montreal and I think that he will end up there for around $3 million. I expect Thomas Vanek to be back for around $3.8 million per year. I expect Derek Roy to be back for around $1.9 million per year. I expect Adam Mair to be back for around $690,000 per year. I think the Sabres might also resign Ty Conklin for about $550,000 per year. Then comes Chris Drury, who I think will be resigned by the Sabres. Drury is the captain of the team and the heart and soul of the club. He is a true fan favorite. I expect Drury, despite his regular season offensive numbers to be much less than Briere, to still be worth $6 million per year. I believe Drury will be wearing a Sabres "C" though in 2008, and I feel his contract will be 5 year $28-$31 million.
Two guys under contract that I believe are on the hot spot for a trade would be Ales Kotalik and Jaroslav Spacek, as I feel both are overpaid, and hopefully could be traded for young players or draft picks. A trade that I would love would be Ales Kotalik to Vancouver for Jannik Hansen, as I really liked him during the playoffs. I don't think Vancouver would be willing to do that though.

Thanks Sabres

Despite not winning the Stanley Cup, I would like to thank the Sabres for another great season. They let everyone in Buffalo be happy and hopeful about something. I look forward to watching the team next season.

Recap Game 5 Sabres v. Ottawa

The season is finally over for Buffalo. What was supposed to be the Buffalo Sabres year ended up in heartbreak. Ottawa beat Buffalo 3-2 in overtime to win the series and move on to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in their franchises history. It also means that the Sabres lost all 3 games on home ice, two of them in overtime. In the 2006 series between the two teams, Jason Pomminville scored the GWG in overtime after going around Daniel Alfredsson, on the road in Game 5 as a #4 defeated a #1. This year, it was almost the exact opposite, with Alfredsson moving the puck past Pominville and scoring the OT GWG as the #4 Sens defeated the #1 Sabres in Game 5 of the series.
Buffalo started off quickly, then in the second period scored first on a goal from Jochen Hecht. Ottawa came back though, with Dany Heatley tying the game at 1, then giving Ottawa the lead as he found Jason Spezza for the goal on a 2 on 1. Maxim Afinogenov tied the game in the third period on the PP, and the game went in to overtime, where Alfredsson clinched the series.
I thought the Spezza line was very good, and that was Buffalo's downfall, as the line combined for all 3 Ottawa goals. Ryan Miller was very good again. Chris Drury played with complete desperation, and Maxim Afinogenov danced around the entire game. It wasn't enough though as the Sabres will not win the Stanley Cup this year.

3 Stars:
1st Star: Daniel Alfredsson
2nd Star: Maxim Afinogenov
3rd Star: Dany Heatley

Lineup for Game 5

Apparently Lindy Ruff is planning on keeping the same defensive pair, as he thought that Spacek and Kalinin played well in limited minutes. I have no problem with this. He then is going to play Drew Stafford for the injured Dainus Zubrus, which I have no problem with, although I think I would play both Dan Paille and Nathan Paetsch before I would play Stafford. Apparently Stafford will play on a line with Ales Kotalik and Adam Mair.

Preview Game 5 Ottawa v. Sabres

Buffalo needs a win to stay alive in the series and they will have home ice to try to do it on. They are coming off of a tough 3-2 victory in Ottawa in a game where I thought the team played very well. Ray Emery showed that he is still shaky. Ryan Miller showed he is still brilliant. Dainus Zubrus is expected to be out of the lineup for Buffalo. I expect Dan Paille to come into the lineup instead of Drew Stafford. He will be able to fill the penalty killing role left by Zubrus. In the last game, Jaro Spacek play just 9 minutes, although I thought he played well, and even though Dimitri Kalinin played less than 5 minutes, mostly just killing penalties, I thought he played his best game of the series. Because of that, I do not see the defensive pairs changing. I think the forward lineup will be:
Hecht-Briere-Pominville
Roy-Drury-Connolly
Vanek-Gaustad-Afinogenov
Paille-Mair-Kotalik

Dainus Zubrus

From what I have been hearing, it appears unlikely that Dainus Zubrus will dress for game 5. I expect the Sabres to move either Connolly to center Vanek and Afinogenov or Gaustad or Kotalik moving to that center. I do not think Lindy Ruff will move Derek Roy off Chris Drury's line, as they were effective last year in the playoffs and were effective in Game 4. I assume that either Dan Paille or Drew Stafford will enter the lineup for Buffalo. I personally would like to see Paille, as I feel that he would fit the role of a 4th liner better, as while as being able to take Dainus Zubrus' spot on the penalty kill.

Recap Game 4 v. Ottawa

Ryan Miller was great. This time, most of the other skaters were too. The Sabres held on to a 3-0 lead to win the game 3-2. The team killed off penalty after penalty, as the penalty kill has picked up over the last few games. The team started out quickly, scoring a goal 9 seconds into the game after Chris Drury picked off a Andrei Meszaros pass and gave it to Derek Roy for a deflection top shelf. In the second period, Ryan Miller made a great save while shorthanded, and Buffalo picked up the puck and ended up drawing a 5 on 3, which led to their first PP goal by Maxim Afinogenov. The Sabres added to their lead when Chris Drury took a Tim Connolly pass and shot it by Ray Emery. The Senators came back quickly at the end of the period, with goals by Dean McCammond and Peter Schafer. In the thrid period, Lindy Ruff shortened the bench and though the Sabres took penalties they were able to kill them off and won the game 3-2 to make the series 3-1 Ottawa going home to Buffalo.
In my opinion, Buffalo played with effort, heart, and passion. They played as a team. Chris Drury led by example, playing his best game of the series with a goal and an assist. Tim Connolly had a good game. Afinogenov played well despite being benched for most of the third period after his line gave up a goal. Afinogenov played just over a minute in the third period, Vanek played less than 30 seconds in the third period. Dainus Zubrus also missed a lot of time with an injury. Dimitri Kalinin and Jaroslav Spacek both played less than 19 minutes, while Brian Campbell played almost 30 minutes. Buffalo was also doing a great job blocking shots. It was a good game by Buffalo.

1st Star: Ryan Miller
2nd Star: Chris Drury
3rd Star: Derek Roy

Preview Game 4 Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres need to win to not be swept in the Eastern Conference Finals. They will need a much better effort than the Game 3 1-0 defeat, in which he seemed Ryan Miller was brilliant, and maybe 3 other players showed up to play. The Sabres need good play from Jaroslav Spacek and Dimitri Kalinin, who in my opinion have been awful this series. Also, Danny Briere needs to show why he is a co-captain. A Sabres victory would send them home down 3-1 with new life. A Sabres loss would send Ottawa to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history. It sounds like Lindy Ruff is not going to change the lineup, but I would not be opposed to having Stafford, Paetsch, and Paille thrown in the lineup. We will see tonight at 7pm.

Recap Game 3 v. Ottawa

Ryan Miller was unbelievable. The rest of the team was unbelievably bad. Ottawa won Game 3 by the score of 1-0 on a Daniel Alfredsson tap in goal. Ryan Miller tried to play the rebound off the back boards, but instead of covering the puck, it hit his glove and bounced backward, giving Alfredsson an easy goal. Ottawa dominated the rest of the game and the only reason that the score wasn't 10-1 was because of Ryan Miller. Buffalo had an early chance one minute into the game when Danny Briere was in front of the net all alone, but he held onto the puck and eventually lost the pick with Emery down on the ice. The Buffalo Power Play was as bad as it possibly could be, managing zero real scoring chances.
In my opinion, Miller was Buffalo's best player without a doubt, probably the best player on the ice. Tallinder, Lydman, and Nuemminen were solid on defense for Buffalo. Afinogenov and Pominville were probably Buffalo's two best forwards. Everyone on Ottawa was very good, and I believe Ottawa's defense made more saves than Emery, led by Anton Volchenkov.
I feel that it is time to get Daniel Paille, Nathan Paetsch, and Drew Stafford all into the lineup. I think taking out either Spacek or Kalinin, or maybe Paetsch at the forward and take out Gaustad, Mair, and Kotalik. I would have no problems with any of these moves. During the game, Derek Roy moved to the left wing of Drury and Zubrus, and Tim Connolly moved to center of Vanek and Afinogenov.

1st Star: Daniel Alfredsson
2nd Star: Ryan Miller
3rd Star: Ray Emery

Preview Game 3 Sabres v. Ottawa

I have not heard of any changes up front for Buffalo, possibly Ales Kotalik going to the Drury line and Gaustad going with Connolly and Mair. Also, Connolly could go on the Drury line and it could be Kotalik, Gaustad, Mair. Also, after Henrik Tallinder was cross-checked into the boards, he is questionable for game 3. If he can't go, I would assume Nathan Paetsch would play. Whatever the line up wins, this is as must win as any game could be.

Briere or Drury

Going into the playoffs, I thought that the Sabres would only keep one of the two co-captains. I now definitely think that the Sabres will only keep one of the co-captains, because I think Chris Drury has made at least an extra $1 million during the playoffs. He and Daniel Briere are both worth between $6 and $7 million on the open market in unrestricted free agency. I believe that the Sabres gave Daniel Briere a chance last year, so that will make it their priority to sign Chris Drury, an extremely self-motivated player, to a long-term contract, maybe 5 years $30 million. It will be interesting to see what happens in the offseason, as the Sabres also have Thomas Vanek and Derek Roy to sign, though they are restricted free agents.

Recap Game 2 v. Ottawa

The Sabres lost game 2 against the Ottawa Senators 4-3 in double overtime to fall behind 2 games to zero in the series. This is the first time in franchise history that the Ottawa Senators won the first 2 games of any series. Joe Corvo scored the GW goal in the second overtime after a clean faceoff win by Jason Spezza over Chris Drury. The puck hopped just before it got to Ryan Miller and he was unable to pick up the bounce. It was Ray Emery's first overtime playoff victory in five tries.
Buffalo seemed to dominate the majority of the game, but could not get bounces, and shot blocking from Anton Volchenkov kept the puck out of the net. Buffalo thought that they had scored very early in the game on the power play, but the goal was disallowed after the NHL ruled that Thomas Vanek batted the puck into the net. This play did seem inconclusive but apparently there was enough to overturn the call. Buffalo did not let that stop them though, as Vanek took Maxim Afinogenov's pass and scored the first goal of the game. Jochen Hecht followed that with another goal to make it 2-0. Ottawa would not escape the first period without a goal though, as Daniel Alfredsson scored his 8th goal of the playoffs. Mike Fisher would tie it on the PP to make it 2-2, then Wade Redden scored on a 5-3 advantage to make it 3-2 Ottawa closing out the second period. Buffalo fumbled around with the puck for most of the third period, but with 6 seconds left in the period, Danny Briere slammed a rebound into the empty net to send the game into overtime. This was Briere's best game of the playoffs in my opinion. On the goal, Thomas Vanek who played a great game, made a great play, fighting in a battle along the boards, getting hit and almost losing his helmet, but regaining his composure to fly to the front of the net and screen Emery. Overtime was a back and forth battle, but Ottawa finally prevailed in the second overtime. I thought Miller was very good. Even though I am a fan and I thought he may have been Buffalo's best defenseman throughout the playoffs, I thought Dimitri Kalinin was awful for the second straight game. Buffalo now has all but a must win game Monday in Ottawa.