Sabres Edge

It's just about faceoff time in HSBC Arena as the league-leading but reeling Detroit Red Wings make their first appearance here since 2003. The Sabres will put out the same lineup tonight as they did Friday against Montreal: That means Clarke MacArthur and Andrew Peters are scratched and Maxim Afinogenov and Drew Stafford are again in the lineup. Hope Afinogenov shows something tonight. He was brutal Friday in his first appearance since the Ice Bowl. It's Ryan Miller vs. Dominik Hasek in goal. A few cheers and a few boos when Hasek's name was announced.

No matter what happens tonight, the Sabres can't be any better than ninth in the East. This afternoon's terrific Flyers-Rangers game turned into the worst-case scenario for Buffalo as it ended as a three-point affair with the Rangers pulling out a 5-4 shootout victory.

---Mike Harrington

Third Period

16:48: Message to Red Wings: Don't forget the puck, boys. Jason Pominville gets drilled from behind, Drew Stafford goes after the offending Wing and the other Detroit players pile in. One problem -- the Sabres kept playing and Pominville gets up and scores on a breakaway to make it 3-2. His 20th of the season and a power-play goal, by the way, after Kaleta drew an interference penaltny on Niklas Kronvall. Bizarre.

10:15 left: A much better period for the Sabres defensively. The Wings only have four shots and aren't attacking nearly as much. Derek Roy had Hasek beat on Buffalo's last rush but just whistled a shot wide of the post.

5:09 left: A great save by Miller on Johan Franzen, who pulled the puck to his backhand to get a great scoring chance. Can't complain about Miller in this one as the Wings have a 38-21 advantage in shots.

4:08 left: What was I saying about Miller? Kirk Maltby just labeled one over his glove to put the Wings up, 4-2, and start the crowd's exodus. Would have liked Miller to make the catch and perhaps stay on his feet too.

52.0 left: The Buffalo net is empty and Valttieri Filppula is off for hooking, giving the Sabres a 6-on-4. An octopus has just made the ice in the time-honored Detroit tradition at the end of Wings victories and the visiting fans are loving it. Hey security, how did THAT get in the building???!!!

Second Period

16:06 left: Silly high-sticking penalty as Patrick Kaleta cranks Tomas Kopecky in the head.

14:49 left: The penalty stings as Valtteri Filppula taps home Jiri Hudler's perfect pass to the edge of the crease to put the visitors up, 2-1.

12:34 left: The Sabres are heading to the power play as Henrik Zetterberg is off for tripping Drew Stafford. Out of town update: Patrick Kane notches goals No. 15-16 and assist 39 in Chicago's 4-1 win over Vancouver.

10:49 left: The power play is doing nothing and just got booed for icing. But Maxim Afinogenov is haulated down by Kris Draper, who's off for hooking to give Buffalo a two-man edge for 16 seconds.

6:36 left: Nothing happened on the power play save for Hasek's point-blank stop on Jason Pominville. A couple minutes later, Andreas Lilja saved Hasek's bacon when he blocked Paul Gaustad's shot with the Dominator down and out. Shots are 26-11 and you can tell Ryan Miller is getting annoyed. He's playing the puck more and firing it around the boards to try to kick-start the offense a little. Not much going on from any of the forwards so far.

5:44 left: Give it up to the Wings for their third goal. A scintillating pass from Niklas Kronvall to Johan Franzen makes it 3-1 as Franzen beats Drew Stafford to the net for another tap-in. How far can I go in a family newspaper for derivations of butt-kicking?

2:36 left: Kaleta has left the bench with an apparent hand/finger problem. The Sabres are on another power play again, as if that's been any help tonight.

0:00 left: The Sabres leave the ice to richly-deserved boos as they're still in the 3-1 hole after two. Shots are 30-16. Buffalo is 20 minutes away from a 1-3-1 mark in a five-game stretch of home contests that has put a major dent in its playoff hopes. Six shots from new captain Jason Pominville, not much from any other forward.

First Period

17:01 left: After the puck basically never got out of the Buffalo zone for the first three minutes, Patrick Kaleta beats Hasek on the Sabres' first shot to cap a 3-on-1 break by the fourth line. Adam Mair skated it up ice and Afinogenov made a perfect feed to Kaleta. Already much more good work by No. 61 than we saw all Friday. Think Kaleta the Angola boy will have a story to tell after this one about beating the Dominator?

13:58 left: The Wings have a 5-2 edge in shots with Mair getting Buffalo's second, meaning both are from the fourth line. Interesting line matchups from Lindy Ruff. He's got the Roy-Vanek-Bernier line matched against Henrik Zetterberg-Mikael Samuelsson-Johan Franzen and the Connolly-Kotalik-Pominville trio against Pavel Datsyuk-Valtteri Filppula-Tomas Holmstrom. Bears watching to see if that holds.

12:00 left: Someone find Dmitri Kalinin a map. Johan Franzen just stole Kalinin's lazy dump-in, then dipsy-doodled past him for a wide-open chance on Miller, who made the save as the puck dribbled away. Kalinin gets a well-deserved hooking penalty.

10:44 left: Key moment. Derek Roy off for holding, giving the Wings a two-man advantage for 45 seconds. Wings coach Mike Babcock senses how big this is for his fragile team. He just used his timeout.

8:43 left: A standing ovation from parts of the crowd as the Sabres survive against the NHL's No. 4 power play. Great work by Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman through most of it. Tim Connolly and Paul Gaustad also huge. So is Miller, who has gotten Lindy Ruff's message and is freezing the puck with regularity and not kicking it around to the corners. The Wings have a 15-3 edge in shots but Miller has seen most everything and left no rebounds.

8:04 left: You knew it was coming. The Wings finally tie it at 1-1 as Miller robs Dallas Drake but the puck bounces in off Spacek and Kirk Maltby gets credit. Tough break.

0:00 left: What a finish. Hasek just bum-rushed and cut down Daniel Paille while scrambling out for a loose puck in the final seconds.  No penalty was called and Ruff went ballistic on the bench. Hmmm. Same play by Hasek was a penalty in December as I showed you earlier today. Shots are 18-9 through one.