Sabres Edge

2:41 left in the third -- Now Alfredsson wires one by Thibault and just like that it's 5-3. Sometimes, it's simply about talent. The last game between these two wound up 5-3, too. Thibault simply isn't good enough. But this is what happens when you let a goalie sit for a month --- Jerry Sullivan.

3:47 left in the third -- Dany Heatley breaks the tie with a howitzer shot that beat Thibault on the stick side to make it 4-3. This Ottawa team just keeps coming. Their top guns are a threat every time they take the ice. But Emery is in goal, so there's still hope for the Sabres --- Jerry Sullivan

5:41 left in the third -- Wow. They didn't get one, they got two. First, they cut it to 3-2 when Kotalik scored off a nifty deflection from Vanek on the power play. Two minutes later, Ryan scored from behind the goal line when he fired the puck in off Emery's leg. You figured Emery would be good for a bad goal at some point tonight. The crowd was in full throat with the "Emery, Emery!" chants after that one --- Jerry Sullivan.

9:52 left in the third -- Sabres go on the power play after a call on Jason Spezza. Down two goals against a team that knows how to close the deal, they desperately need one here --- Jerry Sullivan.

11:00 left in the third -- Thomas Vanek had some terrific chances early in the period, but can't find the net. He had a goal disallowed early in the game because he knocked the puck in with a high stick. You get the sense that he might be on the verge of a breakthrough. Of course, we've said that before this year --- Jerry Sullivan.

15:45 left in the third -- It suddenly occurred to me as I watched the Sabres fail to muster a good scoring chance in the first four minutes: Not once tonight have I said to myself, "Boy, they really miss Afinogenov."

End of the second -- The Sabres rained 17 shots on Emery in the period, but only beat him once. They're outshooting the Sens, 26-20, for the game. This team just doesn't seem to have enough finishers. Vanek had a great chance just before the horn and whistled it wide. Earlier, he skated through the crease and threw away a pass rather than shoot on goal. Just two days earlier, he was talking about how he needed to be more selfish and shoot more --- Jerry Sullivan.

2:25 left in the second -- This game is definitely a mirror of last week's game. The Sabres are down 3-1 late in the second, same as the previous game. Remember, Alfredsson scored early in the third in that game to make it 4-1. The Sabres are pressing in the last minutes of the period -- like a team that knows it won't make up a two-goal deficit against  Ottawa in the third. The Sens are 17-0-2 when leading after two periods, by the way --- Jerry Sullivan.

7:15 left in the second -- Miller was clearly miffed when he was pulled, storming right to the dressing room. It's understandable. This is the first time in his career he's been pulled from a game at home. Ruff has done it four times in road games. Ruff wanted to give his team a lift, no doubt. But I'm sure he also wants to give Thibault some action. Thibault hadn't played since Dec. 6 at LA --- Jerry Sullivan.

8:56 left in the second -- Who says pulling the goalie doesn't pay dividends? The Senators went ahead, 3-0, midway through the period and Ruff pulled Ryan Miller for Jocelyn Thibault. Seconds later, Ales Kotalik scored to cut the deficit to 3-1. Thomas Vanek assisted on the goal, his second assist in the last 20 games. Way to make a difference, Thomas --- Jerry Sullivan.

16:00 left in second -- Whatever Lindy Ruff said between periods, it didn't work. Henrik Tallinder took a penalty for delay of game early in the period and Ottawa quickly capitalized on a slap shot by Andrej Meszaros, which went in off the post to make it 2-0. This is starting to look suspiciously like the game these two teams played a week ago, except the Senators look even more superior. Word just arrived that Paille is through for the evening --- Jerry Sullivan

End of first period -- They changed the scoring on the first goal. It goes to Cody Bass, the first of his NHL career --- Jerry Sullivan

7:30 left in the first -- Ottawa defenseman Anton Volchenkov announced his return to the lineup in a big way, crushing Daniel Paille along the boards with eight minutes left in the period. Volchenkov, one of the game's top defensive defensemen, had missed 15 straight games with a broken finger. Tonight is his first game since Nov. 29 --- Jerry Sullivan

9:41 left in the first -- Sabres fell behind early, 1-0, when Mike Fisher deflected the puck past Ryan Miller. The Sabres missed a gorgeous chance just 23 seconds into the game, when Jochen Hecht fired the puck wide of Ray Emery from point-blank range. Emery seemed beaten on the play.  It would have given the Sabres a nice lift against their division rivals. The Senators are 21-3-2 when scoring first, so the Sabres have their work cut out for them. That Daniel Alfredsson can really play, by the way --- Jerry Sullivan

7:25 p.m. -- Maybe there's hope, after all, for the rest of the Eastern Conference. The goaltending situation is becoming an ugly, divisive issue for the conference-leading Senators. Two weeks ago, backup Ray Emery threw his stick in the stands after a morning skate and was sent home the next day after Emery showed up late for practice. The other day, Martin Gerber was pulled during a loss to Washington and complained to the media that pulling the goalie never does anything for a team. Let's see how Emery responds tonight. He looked horrible during the game-day skate and got lit up by the Sabres earlier in the season. The Sens gave up 14 goals to Washington during their current two-game losing streak, so there should be no excuse if the Sabres have another weak offensive performance --- Jerry Sullivan