Live from the Arena: Sabres vs. Wings

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.

Comments

[Rick]

What really outraged me was when Pommenville was trying to talk some sense into Kalinen on the bench, he just looked off into space like he didnt care. Or doesnt he understand English? Lindy needs to light him up or bench him (Kalinen)

[Jay]

ABOUT the WGR Golisano interview...

Yes, they pitched those questions at Golisano that everyone wants an answer to....BUT, were there the ALL-IMPORTANT follow-ups to the somewhat predictable answers Golisano gave?

THAT is where the brass ones would come in. Allowing Tom G. to get away with some BS answers and not call him on them is perhaps the objection many have.

[Ken]

Also regarding the lines. I liked the "shift chart" that nhl.com had in previous years. You could see at any instant in time who was on the ice. And there were lines that drew attention to who was on the ice for the goals.

The TOI link that they have now gives all the information as before, but not in graph form. So you can't get the ebb and flow of a game, at a glance.

[Mike Harrington]

WGR: I responded on your other post on the Golisano thread. There's no battle. Just a professional difference of opinion.

[Ken]

Regarding who's on the lines. If you go to the "Scores" page on nhl.com and click on Play-by-Play for the game, you see who is on the ice for every play. I.e. every face-off, hit, shot, etc. You can figure out the lines from that.
http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20072008/PL020988.HTM

[WGR550]

Mike,

Do you have any response to what was posted on WGR550's website here:
http://www.wgr550.com/column.php?id=0605

I feel Schoop and the Bulldog did a fine interview as well with Golisano, but it looks like the Buffalo News disagrees, can we get your side of the story?

This just feels like the beginning of a battle between the Buffalo News, our sports radio station, and the Sabres

[Mike Harrington]

Jon: I'll keep that in mind. I listed a couple of them in the 13:58 post of the first but I could do it in a more concrete way. The lines got goofy today because of early PPs but it's a good point. I'll try to be better on it Wednesday night.

[Jon]

Is it asking too much to ask you guys to list the lines, in the beginning of the game, the first time Lindy rolls them? It'd be interesting even though lines can change during games. Maybe list the PP and PK units, too -- just for the first power play and short-handed situations per game. Thanks for the good stuff, either way.

[Brian]

Does Bernier seem like a slow skater or does he just need more time to acclimate with his teammates?

[Brian]

So Max is back on the top line... not sure if this is good or bad...

[VEGAS SABRE FAN]

Have watched every game this season and last. Ruff is doing the same thing as he did last season at this time juggling all the lines around. Players need stay on the same lines and get to know each other's moves, speed, etc. The players right now seem lost and ther is no timing.

[BffBll]

This is getting hard to watch (again)....when does our 'playoff push' begin??? Yikes! this game is over; do we have any chance in Philly on Tues?? --(a '4 point' swing game). Mike, not sure how you can hang in there watching this stuff; you can take the rest of the night off; we'll understand.

[David]

Come on Sabres- we can't end this home stand with another embarrassing loss...

[BffBll]

You are right< Mike; I didn't realize the rut they've been in ; lost 8 of 9?? So they should be ripe for the pickings??? let's hope....

[Mike Harrington]

BffBll: you're right. Wings didn't play that period like they were fragile even if Babcock's TO indicated that. Even with all the injuries, how are they possibly in this kind of rut with all the talent still out there? Wow.

[BffBll]

Not sure how 'fragile' Detroit is with 90 points---they 'schooled' us; out-hustled us; they win because they play full 60 minutes with intensity. We dodged a major bullet; our PK has been lousy. When is Kalinin going to be a UFA so we can trade/let him go???? he stinks !! Darcy will probably offer him 10 years and $100M. I am trying to decide who to pull for in playoffs ??? Flyers?Rangers?Sharks? Soupy and the Sharks; come back Soupy !! oh yeah, I know we couldn't sign him for all the aforementioned reasons--blahblahblah.....wish somebody else would match kaleta's intensity/desire

[Heather B.]

Holy moses, Dom! Some things never change.

[Tricky Dick]

LOL!!!

[joe]

mILLER IS PUTTING ON A SHOW FOR HIS SOON TO BE TEAM