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Tim Connolly is Tim Connolly again. What exactly does that mean? Just ask anyone who watched the last Buffalo Sabres game. They’ll be able to describe it and, more importantly, pinpoint the moment he showed it.
It was late in the first period Friday night when Connolly went on a journey few hockey players can make. He was killing a penalty and took control of the puck in his own zone. He skated up ice, past a couple of New York players and into the Islanders’ end. That’s when the fun started.
The Isles spaced between the blue line and the faceoff circle quickly turned into pylons on a Porsche testing track. Connolly went around one, then another, spinning away from a third. Seeing little use in playing one-on-five — despite the fact he was winning — he twirled around. The Islanders could only watch as Connolly skated back toward the Sabres’ zone, finally pushing a pass deep to a teammate.
With more than 30 seconds of penalty time killed single-handedly, Connolly went to the bench. As he sat down, the sellout crowd in HSBC Arena stood up. The standing ovation didn’t last as long as Connolly’s trek, but it was sufficient recognition that the sleight of hand was back for Buffalo’s on-ice magician. “As everyone always says, I think initially just to see him be himself again [off the ice] is a huge thing,” Sabres co-captain Chris Drury said. “Now to see him be himself on the ice is even bigger and better for everyone, and it’s obviously helping our team a ton out there.”
Connolly was a key reason the Sabres were able to unwind Saturday instead of boarding a plane for Long Island. He earned his third assist of the playoffs Friday on the opening goal, helping the Sabres eliminate the Islanders, 4-1, in their best-of-seven series. The Sabres will return to practice today to prepare for either the New York Rangers or Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“It’s a lot of fun just to be back out there and playing and be right into the playoffs, which is the most exciting time of the year,” Connolly said. “To move on to the next round, it’s just a great feeling to be back.”
It was late in the first period Friday night when Connolly went on a journey few hockey players can make. He was killing a penalty and took control of the puck in his own zone. He skated up ice, past a couple of New York players and into the Islanders’ end. That’s when the fun started.
The Isles spaced between the blue line and the faceoff circle quickly turned into pylons on a Porsche testing track. Connolly went around one, then another, spinning away from a third. Seeing little use in playing one-on-five — despite the fact he was winning — he twirled around. The Islanders could only watch as Connolly skated back toward the Sabres’ zone, finally pushing a pass deep to a teammate.
With more than 30 seconds of penalty time killed single-handedly, Connolly went to the bench. As he sat down, the sellout crowd in HSBC Arena stood up. The standing ovation didn’t last as long as Connolly’s trek, but it was sufficient recognition that the sleight of hand was back for Buffalo’s on-ice magician. “As everyone always says, I think initially just to see him be himself again [off the ice] is a huge thing,” Sabres co-captain Chris Drury said. “Now to see him be himself on the ice is even bigger and better for everyone, and it’s obviously helping our team a ton out there.”
Connolly was a key reason the Sabres were able to unwind Saturday instead of boarding a plane for Long Island. He earned his third assist of the playoffs Friday on the opening goal, helping the Sabres eliminate the Islanders, 4-1, in their best-of-seven series. The Sabres will return to practice today to prepare for either the New York Rangers or Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“It’s a lot of fun just to be back out there and playing and be right into the playoffs, which is the most exciting time of the year,” Connolly said. “To move on to the next round, it’s just a great feeling to be back.”
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