The "Official Playoff" Rags @ Sabres game 1 - Gameday thread!

[Mitchy moo]

Go Sabres!

Sabres ready to show Rangers who is No. 1
<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD align=middle colSpan=8>Matchup</TD></TR><TR class=colhead align=middle><TD> </TD><TD>W-L-OTL</TD><TD>HOME</TD><TD>ROAD</TD><TD>DIV</TD><TD>CONF</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=middle><TD align=left>NYR</TD><TD>42-30-10</TD><TD>21-15-5</TD><TD>21-15-5</TD><TD>15-12-5</TD><TD>36-26-10</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=middle><TD align=left>BUF</TD><TD>53-22-7</TD><TD>28-10-3</TD><TD>25-12-4</TD><TD>18-11-3</TD><TD>47-19-6</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD colSpan=8>&#183; Complete Standings (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/standings)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD align=middle colSpan=8>Team Stat Comparison</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=middle><TD>http://espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/trans/nyr.gif</TD><TD> </TD><TD>http://espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/trans/buf.gif</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=middle><TD>17</TD><TD>Goals
</TD><TD>17</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=middle><TD>6</TD><TD>Goals Against
</TD><TD>11</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=middle><TD>5</TD><TD>Power Play Goals
</TD><TD>4</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=middle><TD>1</TD><TD>Power Play Goals Allowed
</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=middle><TD>0</TD><TD>Shorthanded Goals
</TD><TD>0</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=middle><TD>0</TD><TD>Shorthanded Goals Allowed
</TD><TD>0</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=middle><TD>77</TD><TD>Penalty Minutes
</TD><TD>44</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=middle><TD>19</TD><TD>Average Penalty Minutes
</TD><TD>9</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD align=middle colSpan=9>Goalie Breakdown</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD> </TD><TD>GOALIE</TD><TD align=right>GP</TD><TD align=right>W</TD><TD align=right>TGA</TD><TD align=right>GAA</TD><TD align=right>SO</TD><TD align=right>SV</TD><TD align=right>SV%</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow><TD align=middle>http://espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/trans/nyr.gif</TD><TD>Henrik Lundqvist (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=3081)</TD><TD align=right>4</TD><TD align=right>4</TD><TD align=right>6</TD><TD align=right>1.50</TD><TD align=right>1</TD><TD align=right>93</TD><TD align=right>.939</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow><TD align=middle>http://espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/trans/buf.gif</TD><TD>Ryan Miller (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1549)</TD><TD align=right>5</TD><TD align=right>4</TD><TD align=right>11</TD><TD align=right>2.21</TD><TD align=right>0</TD><TD align=right>123</TD><TD align=right>.918</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD align=middle colSpan=8>Team Stat Leaders</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=middle><TD> </TD><TD>http://espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/trans/nyr.gif</TD><TD>http://espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/trans/buf.gif</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD>G</TD><TD>Michael Nylander (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=686) 4</TD><TD>Chris Drury (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=231) 4</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow><TD>A</TD><TD>Jaromir Jagr (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=405) 5</TD><TD>Dainius Zubrus (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1061) 5</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD>PTS</TD><TD>Michael Nylander (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=686) 8</TD><TD>Dainius Zubrus (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1061) 5</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow><TD>PIM</TD><TD>Sean Avery (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1352) 21</TD><TD>Adam Mair (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=558) 6</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD>SOG</TD><TD>Brendan Shanahan (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=841) 20</TD><TD>Jochen Hecht (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=358) 18</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- It didn't take long for Tom Renney's views about the Sabres not being the "cream of the crop" to reach Buffalo's locker room Tuesday.
Whatever the New York Rangers (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=nyr) coach's intentions were in making that comment a day earlier, the top-seeded and President's Trophy-winning Sabres made sure they interpreted it in the worst possible light.
"He better have respect for some guys in here," goalie Ryan Miller (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1549) said. "Because if they approach it that we're not that good, it's going to bite them."
"I'm not going to get into a word-match," added co-captain Daniel Briere (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=102). "But it's good. It's good for our dressing room, definitely."
So much for the emotional edge the Sabres lacked in bouncing the New York Islanders (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=nyi) in five games of their first-round series. It's a competitive passion that's suddenly been rediscovered as Buffalo prepares to host the Rangers on Wednesday to open their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.
"It's a good thing to develop a little emotion and passion for your opposition," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "And the things they've said already about us, that's good. I like that."
Renney, on Tuesday, didn't back off.
"When asked what I thought about the Sabres, I answered it as I wasn't sure if they were the cream of the crop. But I do know one thing, they're an awfully good hockey club," Renney said. "But really, the Stanley Cup's handed out in the middle of June, not yesterday morning at a little press conference."
Renney also made clear the Rangers, coming off a four-game sweep of Southeast Division champion Atlanta, aren't pushovers.
"We go into this series as the underdog, but we also believe that we belong in the tournament and only time will tell exactly how good either of us are," Renney said.
The series features a matchup of two offensively talented teams, who both also have solid young goaltenders: Miller and New York's Henrik Lundqvist (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=3081).
Buffalo scored a league-leading 308 goals, and was only the fourth NHL team since 1996-97 to have four 30 goal-scorers.
The Rangers are led by Jaromir Jagr (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=405), whose 30 goals led a group of four players with 26 or more goals.
Buffalo, with a league-leading 53 victories, won 11 more games than New York, and also swept the four-game season series against the Rangers. Two of those wins, however, came in overtime and another in a shootout, and they haven't met since Dec. 1.
"A lot of things change in four months," Jagr said. "It's about momentum, about timing and the time right now. ... The most important thing to me is how you play right now. That's why I think it brings us confidence."
The Rangers have been on a roll. They finished sixth in the East and clinched their second consecutive playoff berth -- and second in nine seasons -- by going 13-3-4 in their final 20 games.
New York then outscored Atlanta 17-6 -- including a 7-0 win in Game 3 -- to advance to the second round for the first time since 1997.
Buffalo is in the second round for the second straight season after falling one win short of reaching the Stanley Cup finals with a Game 7 loss to eventual champion Carolina last year.
The Sabres, however, are still searching for their swagger after uncharacteristic lapses against the Islanders. Buffalo closed the series with a 4-3 win on Friday, a game in which it almost squandered two three-goal third-period leads.
Ruff blamed the lapses on the team having difficulty handling the high expectations that come with being the top seed.
"There seemed to be a lot of pressure with the Davey and Goliath thing last series," Ruff said. "I think that pressure mounted. But it's all behind us now. ... We've addressed that and we're moving on already."thx
Besides Renney, Rangers instigator Sean Avery (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1352) has also caught the Sabres' attention.
Avery raised eyebrows by saying, "I'm going to try to hurt them and hit them and get in their face as much as I can."
Ruff discounted the comments saying: "That's just Avery being Avery."
Miller merely shook his head.
"He's talented enough to play in the NHL without the drama," Miller said. "His comments are just that, comments."


thx to: ESPN

[Meathead]

let the pwnge commence

[PcA125]

lets kick some ass :hockey:

Im so excited for tonight! GO SABRES!!!

P.S. watch out avery haha

[JD]

I WANT AVERY TO GET LYNCHED.

My professor stated to our class that he wants "briere to take off his skate and cut his jugular"

:lmao:

[YardRat]

:gosabres:

[Jan Reimers]

Go Sabres! We need to go out and dominate, to let the Rangers know that they're not going to push us around.

[shelby]

i had a suck day and i am very looking forward to the Sabres kicking some Rump Ranger ass.
:oldskool:
:gosabres:

[SkateZilla]

The Official, They Better Effing Skate and Not Float Tonite Reply~!

[mchurchfie]

Showtime!! Go Sabres!!:up:

[PcA125]

not the start i was hoping for

[PcA125]

what a save by miller!

[lordofgun]

looking lackluster. :mad:

[MikeInRoch]

Pretty blah so far.

[PcA125]

nice hit by mair hahah put him right on his back

[SABURZFAN]

we need to capitalize on this power play.

[Typ0]

we wasted them in the last 8 minutes. they should be scared. too bad we didn't score.

[Scumbag College]

They're close, baby! Keep up the pressure, keep up the speed!

[mchurchfie]

I don't like the flow on the Sabre's side so far. They need to play a little more looser with more confidence and start taking over.

[Bill Brasky]

at least roy came to play tonight.... this power play is pathetic.

[Bill Brasky]

at least roy came to play tonight.... this power play is pathetic.
i said that on purpose so they'd score :up:

[Scumbag College]

Score!!! Vanek!!1

Keep it up!!!!!!!

[PcA125]

Wow, about time we scored on the PP!

Please please please dont relax now... keep the pressure on them

[mchurchfie]

i said that on purpose so they'd score :up::hi5:

[mchurchfie]

Good job, now let's keep that 3 point lead this time.:up:

[kgun12]

YES!!!


:oldskool: :oldskool: :oldskool:

[lordofgun]

:lolpoint:lame-gers

[Mitchy moo]

Good job, now let's keep that 3 point lead this time.:up:

oh this is so sweet. The rangers are actually trying to match talent for talent man for man on the lines. Problem is they have no one good enough on the 3rd line to handle Vanek's line. When they do try to cover that line Briere will make them pay.

Plan on Danny getting at least one tonight, maybe 2 if they really open it up.

[pyrrhonist]

It's a GOAL!

[Mitchy moo]

It's a goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4-1 Sabres!!!!!!!!!!

[YardRat]

I hate the VS announcers :mad:

[pyrrhonist]

In your face, Versus asshats! they were adamant it was not a goal, but all angles showed it went in, and no kicking motion or punching the puck out of the air.

[Mitchy moo]

I just love the looks on the faces of the rangers. It's like they thought they had a chance against us this game and we took the life out of them.

[chubluv]

5-2 Win

What a performance.
:gosabres:

[mchurchfie]

HaHa!! Avery who? He was the only one getting knocked on his ass all night long.
:lolpoint:Avery
:lolpoint:RumpRangers

[PcA125]

One down

[Mitchy moo]

One down

5 down, 11 wins to go.

[Bill Brasky]

In your face, Versus asshats! they were adamant it was not a goal, but all angles showed it went in, and no kicking motion or punching the puck out of the air.

it could have went either way.

[pyrrhonist]

it could have went either way.

What bothered me most was how convinced they were that it could not be a goal. Oops for them! :oops:

[kgun12]

:respect: :oldskool: :respect: :oldskool: :respect: :oldskool: :respect: :oldskool: :respect: :oldskool:

[OpIv37]

I hate the VS announcers :mad:


In your face, Versus asshats! they were adamant it was not a goal, but all angles showed it went in, and no kicking motion or punching the puck out of the air.

yeah that pissed me off too but there was one possibility they never considered: the puck looked like it bounced off his stick BELOW his hand, which makes it a legal goal. There was one shot that showed the way it bounced off of him, and the angle it took made it look like it hit his stick and not his arm.

[pyrrhonist]

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/b1/fullj.getty-73954989rs003_new_york_rang_9_19_40_pm.jpg

If only he could strengthen his defensive play, Ales could remain on the point for the PP. :pissed: