Tampa Bay Lightning @ Buffalo Sabres Game Thread

[pyrrhonist]

Wow, this is the chemistry no one wanted to break up?

What a piss poor game so far. It's great that Buffalo is keeping in the game with the scoring, but they're letting the Bolts have shot after shot at Miller. He can't stop everything, folks!

Thank the stars the Bolts are giving up as many chances the other way, or this would be a SJ or Ottawa type of game.

[hammerbillsfan]

I don't think the goalies will be getting stars in this game.

[pyrrhonist]

Nor will any defensemen---At least not for their defensive play!

Jeez, it's just scary to see a team that didn't do crap on trade deadline day to solidy it's blueline fall apart so horribly tonight. I guess no one remembered that Tampa is the defending Cup Champ?

[hammerbillsfan]

I guess no one remembered that Tampa is the defending Cup Champ?

Nope.

[SkateZilla]

(Last Updated 3.09.06 09:30 PM EST)
My Notes:
Connolly - Dressed
Kalinin - Dressed
Mair - Doubtful, Head


Useful Links:
NHL.com Preview
NHL.com Official Score Sheet
NHL.com Official Super Stats
WGR-550 AM Stream

Pre Game : Puck Drops 7:00 PM EST

Tampa Bay
Lightning - 5
(GP-62, 33-25-04, 70 pts, Win % .568) (16-12-2 Home, 17-13-2 Away, 6-4-0 Last 10)
(Div:2nd, Con:7th, Lg: 14th), (GF-189,GA-190)
Special Teams : Power Play = 15.0% (55 For 367, 27th), Penalty Killing 82.7% (249 For 301, 14th)


Buffalo
Sabres - 8
(GP-60, 39-16-5, 83 pts, Win % .709) (20-8-3 Home, 19-8-2 Away, 7-1-2 Last 10)
(Div:2nd, Con: 4th, Lg:6th), (GF-200, GA-168)
Special Teams : Power Play = 21.0% (76 For 362, 2nd), Penalty Killing 86.4% (273 For 316, 2nd)


Goalies:
T.B-Grahame (23-17-1, 5 SO, 2.86), Burke (10-7-3, 1 SO, 2.86 GAA)
BUF-Miller (22-8-2, 0 SO, 2.26 GAA), Biron (16-6-3, 0 SO, 2.94 GAA)


1st Period Scoring:
00:27-BUF-J. DUMONT (12), Assists : D. BRIERE (15), H. TALLINDER (9) - Ev - 5 ON 5
12:56-T.B-B. RICHARDS (19), Assists : P. KUBINA (27), M. ST. LOUIS (27) - PP - 5 On 4
15:11-T.B-R. FEDOTENKO (19), Assists : F. MODIN (15), B. RICHARDS (46) - PP - 5 On 4
18:04-BUF-J. DUMONT (13), Assists : D. BRIERE (16), B. CAMPBELL (26) - PP - 5 On 4

2nd Period Scoring:
08:04-BUF-P. GAUSTAD (8), Assists : C. DRURY (27), M. GRIER (9) - Ev - 5 On 5
09:15-T.B-V. LECAVALIER (27), Assists : P. KUBINA (28), V. PROSPAL (41) - Ev - 5 On 5
15:45-BUF-A. KOTALIK (22), Assists : J. POMINVILLE (11), T. CONNOLLY (30) - Ev - 5 On 5
17:35-T.B-V. PROSPAL (22), Assists : P. KUBINA (29), B. RICHARDS (47) - PP - 5 On 3
19:19-BUF-D. ROY (11), Assists : J. HECHT (19), H. TALLINDER (10) - SH - 4 On 5


3rd Period Scoring:
08:43-T.B-M. ST. LOUIS (19), Assists : B. RICHARDS (48), P. RANGER (14) - Ev - 5 On 5
10:38-BUF-T. VANEK (21), Assists : D. ROY (23), T. NUMMINEN (32) - Ev - 5 On 5
17:12-BUF-D. ROY (12), Assists : M. GRIER (10) - Ev - 5 On 5
19:16-BUF-D. ROY (13), Assists : M. GRIER (11), H. TALLINDER (11) - Ev - 5 On 6 - Empty Net


Shots On Goal (by Period)
Team: 1st-2nd-3rd-OT
T.B: 17+10+13- Total : 40
BUF: 09+07+07- Total : 23

T.B-Grahame: 2/09, 3/07, 0/00 - 5/16
T.B-Burke : 0/00, 0/00, 2/06 - 2/06
T.B-Empty Net : 0/00, 0/00, 1/01 - 1/01
BUF-Miller: 2/17, 2/10, 1/13 - 5/40

Power Plays (by Period)
Team: 1st-2nd-3rd-OT
T.B: 2 For 2, 1 For 4, 0 For 4 - Total : 3 For 07 ( 42%)
BUF: 1 For 1, 0 For 1, 0 For 2 - Total : 1 For 04 ( 25%)

Penalties In Minutes (by Period)
T.B: 1 For 02, 1 For 02, 2 For 04 - Total : 04 For 08
BUF: 3 For 06, 4 For 08, 0 For 00 - Total : 07 For 14


3 Stars:
1. D. Roy (BUF)
2. J. Dumont (BUF)
3. B. Richards (T.B)

Officials:
Referee: Brian Pochmara
Referee: Kevin Pollock
Linesman: Greg Devorski
Linesman: Scott Driscoll

[pyrrhonist]

We miss you posting the game threads, Skate. You've fallen off a bit!

[Makaveli]

Derek Roy another hat trick!!!, thats 2 hat tricks in 4 games, I knew Derek would be great but damn lol, hes making a good bid to be my fav Sabre since Miro Satan left, and well Noronen's gone, so its a toss-up between;

Vanek, Kotalik, Roy, and Afinogenov

[Philagape]

That chemistry gave us 8 goals.

We have a team that can win close, low-scoring games, and we can open it up when we need to.

[Meathead]

hey the way i see it the sabs found a different way to win when they had to. it was a high scoring game and they just kept turning it on over and over again whenever tb tied the score. shootouts are going to happen sometimes and a good team adjusts to win those games as well as the defensive/goaltending battles

pretty impressive if you ask me

[JD]

Proud to be a Sabres Fan!

[PUCKER]

We teed off on them! Congrats to Roy on his 2nd hat trick!

[SkateZilla]

I've had a really bad cold since about 2 weeks ago,

i can barely stay awake and looking at tv/computer screens gives me serious side effects..


as for Roy, his 2nd in 3 Games...


Dumont Briere Hecht Since Mar 1st:

Briere:
5 GP, 2 Goals, 7 Assists, 9 Points:

Dumont :
5 GP, 3 Goals, 4 Assists : 7 Points:

Hecht :
5 GP, 2 Goals, 4 Assists : 6 Points:

[Philagape]

I'm so proud of my avatar

Trading Gratton for Briere may arguably be the second-best Sabres trade ever, behind Hasek

[Makaveli]

as for Roy, his 2nd in 3 Games...

4 games :)

[SkateZilla]

i forgot we played boston twice when i was doped up on nyquil...

[pyrrhonist]

Trading Gratton for Briere may arguably be the second-best Sabres trade ever, behind Hasek

Agreed. The guy who's also in my avatar has picked up right where he left off. He was hurt, and missed quite a bit of action, but his points-per-game ratio is insane this season.