The Sabres Goto Crosbytown USA - Game Thread

[SkateZilla]

(Last Updated 10:25 PM EST)
My Notes:
BUF:
Dumont - Out, Abdominal Injury, Sports Hernia, Surgery Required
Kalinin - Out, Broken Finger
Peters - Out, Cold/Flu
Miller - Practicing But Out, Thumb
Pyatt - Out, Fractured Wrist


Useful Links:
NHL.com RECAP (http://www.nhl.com/scores/recaps/465_2_recap.html)
------------------------------------------------
NHL.com Preview (http://www.nhl.com/scores/previews/465_2_preview.html)
NHL.com Official Score Sheet (http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20052006/GS020465.HTM)
NHL.com Official Super Stats (http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20052006/ES020465.HTM)
WGR-550 AM Stream (http://wgr550.com/sabres/live.php)

FINAL/OT


Buffalo
Sabres - 4
(GP-31, 20-10-1, 41 pts, Win % .645) (GF-102, GA-98)(Div:5th, Con: 15th, Lg:28th)
Special Teams : Power Play = 21.1% (38 For 180, 4th), Penalty Killing 83.8% (135 For 161, 8th)

Pittsburgh
Pengiuns - 3
(GP-31, 08-17-6, 22 pts, Win % .258) (GF-82,GA-126)(Div:2nd, Con:4th, Lg:8th)
Special Teams : Power Play = 14.9% (30 For 201, 23rd), Penalty Killing 79.9% (157 For 209, 25th)



Goalies:
BUF-Biron (13-4-1, 0 SO, 3.05 GAA), Noronen (1-1-0, 0 SO, 3.06 GAA)
PIT-Fleury (2-6-1, 0 SO, 2.95 GAA), Thibault (1-8-2, 0 SO, 4.44 GAA)



1st Period Scoring:
None

2nd Period Scoring:
01:26-BUF-D. BRIERE (14), Assists : C. DRURY (12), A. KOTALIK (8) - PP - 5 On 4
03:28-PIT-M. OUELLET (1), Assists : M. RECCHI (18), E. CHRISTENSEN (4) - PP - 5 On 4
08:05-BUF-J. HECHT (7), Assists : J. MCKEE (5) - Ev - 5 ON 5
17:11-PIT-R. MALONE (6), Assists : T. SUROVY (1), R. WHITNEY (11) - PP - 5 On 4
19:08-BUF-A. KOTALIK (15), Assists : B. CAMPBELL (12), C. DRURY (13) - PP - 5 On 4

3rd Period Scoring:
17:43-PIT-Z. PALFFY (11), Assists : S. CROSBY (19), M. LEMIEUX (15) - Ev - 5 On 5


OT Scoring:
01:32-BUF-C. DRURY (10), Assists : D. BRIERE (9), A. KOTALIK (9) - PP - 5 On 4


Shots On Goal (by Period)
Team: 1st-2nd-3rd-OT
BUF: 08+13+04+02 - Total : 27
PIT: 09+12+06+00 - Total : 27

BUF-Biron: 0/09, 2/12, 1/06, 0/00 - 3/27
PIT-Fleury: 0/08, 3/13, 0/04, 1/02 - 4/27

Power Plays (by Period)
Team: 1st-2nd-3rd-OT
BUF: 0 For 5, 2 For 2, 0 For 0, 1 For 1 - Total : 3 For 08 ( 37.5%)
PIT: 0 For 2, 2 For 4, 0 For 1, 0 For 0 - Total : 2 For 07 ( 28.5%)

Penalties In Minutes (by Period)
BUF: 2 For 04, 4 For 08, 1 For 02, 0 For 00 - Total : 07 For 14
PIT: 5 For 10, 2 For 04, 0 For 00, 1 For 2 - Total : 08 For 16

Penalty Summary:
BUF:
1st-04:51-T. VANEK-2:00-Hooking
1st-06:57-T. LYDMAN-2:00-Holding
2nd-02:46-H. TALLINDER-2:00-Holding
2nd-08:59-T. NUMMINEN-2:00-Holding stick
2nd-13:14-A. MAIR-2:00-Boarding
2nd-15:14-J. MCKEE-2:00-Cross check
3rd-09:42-M. AFINOGENOV-2:00-Holding

PIT:
1st-02:25-R. MALONE-2:00-Hooking
1st-09:37-S. ENDICOTT-2:00-Hooking
1st-16:53-B. ORPIK-2:00-Hooking
1st-19:16-D. TARNSTROM-2:00-Hooking
1st-19:52-S. ENDICOTT-2:00-Cross check
2nd-04:45-D. TARNSTROM-2:00-Hooking
2nd-17:51-S. ENDICOTT-2:00-Hooking
OT-01:01-J. MELICHAR-2:00-Hooking

3 Stars:
1. C. Drury (BUF)
2. A. Kotalik (BUF)
3. M. Ouellet (PIT)

Officials:
Referee: Dave Jackson
Referee: Greg Kimmerly
Linesman: Angelo D'Amico
Linesman: Greg Devorski

[hammerbillsfan]

2-1 for Buffalo.
Briere & Hecht scored for Buffalo. :peace:

[Bufftp]

Come on Sabres take the fight out of Pitt!

[Bufftp]

scooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooore 3-2 Blo!

[Novacane]

another 1 goal win.

PP comes through again

[RedEyE]

Crosby might be good, but Drury hit the game winner! Heheheh :up:

[pyrrhonist]

Even with the inconclusive video replays, I can tell that the puck crossed the line. Still, it's amazing that Marty even got back to attempt the save. The past few seasons, he probably wouldn't even have had the instinct to move back to his left.

Amidst all of the goals scored during the night, the highlight for me has to be when Mair annihilated Gonchar with that hit. Outstanding physical play by Mair once again. I noticed he even got shoved by someone on his way back to the bench. At least that hit was clean, unlike the boarding shot Jochen took earlier in the game, where the ref swallowed his whistle.

Although Briere should've put it away on that breakaway in the OT, Drury fights for the putback and seals the 'W' for Buffalo again. Pittsburgh never even threatened in the OT period.

Don't forget the early start tomorrow guys, at 2pm PST (For me!), 5pm EST.

[JD]

WHAT A GAME!!!!

AWESOME JOB AGAIN SABRES WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
:jig:

LETS GO SABRES!!!

[JD]

Even with the inconclusive video replays, I can tell that the puck crossed the line. Still, it's amazing that Marty even got back to attempt the save. The past few seasons, he probably wouldn't even have had the instinct to move back to his left.
Amidst all of the goals scored during the night, the highlight for me has to be when Mair annihilated Gonchar with that hit. Outstanding physical play by Mair once again. I noticed he even got shoved by someone on his way back to the bench. At least that hit was clean, unlike the boarding shot Jochen took earlier in the game, where the ref swallowed his whistle.
Although Briere should've put it away on that breakaway in the OT, Drury fights for the putback and seals the 'W' for Buffalo again. Pittsburgh never even threatened in the OT period.
Don't forget the early start tomorrow guys, at 2pm PST (For me!), 5pm EST.

I thought there had to be clean evidence to show that the puck crossed the line...they assumed the puck was in the part of his glove that was behind the net...but remember...His glove is moving forward very quickly too. I dunno. But yea, what a great effort by marty nonetheless. That hit that Mair unleashed on Gonchar was DISGUSTING haha!!! So damn awesome!!!! Hecht went head first into the boards, that was total BS. The ref was so close to the hit he was almost humping Jochen when he was on the ice.... This team doesnt quit, LOVE IT!!!!!! :cloud9:

LETS GO SABRES!!!

[pyrrhonist]

Hecht went head first into the boards, that was total BS. The ref was so close to the hit he was almost humping Jochen when he was on the ice....

Exactly. And that was my biggest problem with it, even aside from the hit itself. The @$&%^! linesman was right there and he let the crap go down. What a jackoff. That was a time I would've liked to see someone go at Recchi and beat him down, but the instinkator rule would prevent that, of course. :rolleyes:

I hope that the blast on Gonchar makes highlight reels on TSN or the web tonight. :scooter:

[Philagape]

Loved the Mair hit.

Loved Marty's save, even if it counted as a goal. It did kinda look like it crossed, but IMO it wasn't conclusive enough to overturn.

Loved that in OT, they kept trying to hit the home run pass from their own zone.

:up:

[SabreEleven]

My favorite part was when someone(forget who) got a pretty good hit on Pominville. It was a legal hit. But after Mair went after him, just to let him know that the Sabres aren't going to take the ****. They didn't get in a fight but I like them sticking up for one another.

I believe I lot of this has to do with the fact that Satan is not in that locker room bringing everybody down and Ruff having to baby his ass. This team seems pretty tight.

[SkateZilla]

how the **** do you .....
"take a shot off the foot by drury's high stick"

ESPN News is smoking the crosby pipe, thats and awfu high foot, not to mention the 2 second delay from the hit to crosby starting his Diving animation.. lmao...

[SabreEleven]

how the **** do you .....
"take a shot off the foot by drury's high stick"

ESPN News is smoking the crosby pipe, thats and awfu high foot, not to mention the 2 second delay from the hit to crosby starting his Diving animation.. lmao...

I saw that reply once and it looked like he took the shot off the skateblade, not the ankle. But like I said, I only seen it once.

[Typ0]

PITT played really well last night and we still won. The game was increadible. Every day that goes by I believe more and more. The Sabres are for real. I think Vanek is just plain way ahead of the team on offense. We need to get more scoring opportunities from his passing game he's making amazing plays and the rest of our guys aren't anywhere near the action.

[pyrrhonist]

I saw that reply once and it looked like he took the shot off the skateblade, not the ankle. But like I said, I only seen it once.

From watching it during the game, and then seeing it on the TSN.ca highlights (And then, the ESPN "highlights"), I think Sid embellished quite a bit. He went down like he got shot with a shotgun (Sadly, a common thing in hockey & fútbol), if only to draw a penalty. I really don't believe it was anything near as bad as he tried to make the refs believe. :penalty:

[buffalofan19]

Amidst all of the goals scored during the night, the highlight for me has to be when Mair annihilated Gonchar with that hit. Outstanding physical play by Mair once again. I noticed he even got shoved by someone on his way back to the bench. At least that hit was clean, unlike the boarding shot Jochen took earlier in the game, where the ref swallowed his whistle.



I was at this game (just got back to Buffalo about an hour ago) and Mair's hit happened right in front of me (as did Drury's OT goal...priceless). That was one of the best hits I have seen in a while. It ranks right up there with Brian Campbell's hit on Jan Bulis (or whatever his name is) of Montreal. Even the Pittsburgh fans were like "wow".

As far as Hecht getting boaded goes, it happened at the opposite end of where I sat so I didn't see it too well but I have to admit the officiating went both ways. There were a couple of calls for and against Buffalo that should not have been made, and a couple that were not made that should have.

This was the first time I have ever watched the Sabres in another team's building and I have to say it was the most fun I have had in a long time. When your team scores, and you and maybe 100 other people (if you are lucky) get up and cheer and the rest of the 16,000+ are just silent (or shout profanities at you), it is priceless.

[pyrrhonist]

This was the first time I have ever watched the Sabres in another team's building and I have to say it was the most fun I have had in a long time. When your team scores, and you and maybe 100 other people (if you are lucky) get up and cheer and the rest of the 16,000+ are just silent (or shout profanities at you), it is priceless.

Agreed. The Sharks & Sabres are in no way rivals, but it feels good to be able to go to a game in San Josè with my wife, and stand up and clap when the out-of-town scores are shown. In the past few seasons, I expect to always see a loss show up on that scoreboard.