Live from Penguins at Sabres
I just flew back from Montreal, and boy are my arms tired. From the shoveling.
About to get started with Sabres-Penguins, the final game for Buffalo before the Christmas break. Happy holidays.
FIRST PERIOD
7:11 p.m.: Game on.
7:12 p.m.: Looks the Sabres with try to match the line of Thomas Vanek-Jochen Hecht-Jason Pominville against Evgeni Malkin while using Derek Roy's line against Sidney Crosby.
And it's already 1-0 as Daniel Paille's shot one minute into the game goes off skate of a Pittsburgh defenseman.
7:15 p.m.: They just announced the goal and gave credit to Adam Mair. He must have tipped Paille's shot into the defenseman's skate, though Ales Kotalik was the Sabre in front.
7:22 p.m.: Well-deserved standing ovation for Turner Gill, James Starks, Naaman Roosevelt and Domonic Cook of the MAC football champion UB Bulls, who were just announced and shown on scoreboard during commercial.
7:44 p.m.: End of one, 1-0 Sabres on a goal by Paille (they changed it again). Good thing the UB guys were here or this place would have had little noise. It's just not the same as it used to be. Of course, it's not like my first three years on the beat, either, thankfully. That was 11,000 people sitting quietly. Now it's 18,000 sitting quietly.
SECOND PERIOD
8:02 p.m.: Game back on.
8:10 p.m.: Sabres take 2-0 lead with 14:37 left when Mair wins battle along wall at center ice, gets puck to Paille, who sets up Kotalik for a breakaway. Second goal for that line.
8:11 p.m.: And it's 2-1. Nice breakout pass by Pens to set up Miroslav Satan and Pascal Dupuis in Buffalo zone. Dupuis takes Satan pass and goes alone to score with 13:42 left.
8:19 p.m.: Jochen Hecht goes to dressing room after shot from point is tipped and hits him.
8:21 p.m.: I just chatted with someone who went to Friday's game, and she said the 5-0 win over L.A. was awesome time. Of course, that was because she wore her lucky hat, scarf and hooded sweatshirt.
8:24 p.m.: Sabres could use her lucky outift now as Penguins tie game at 2-2 with 7:37 left. Alex Goligoski (love that name, ranks up there behind Saku Koivu) takes shot from point that goes under left pad of Ryan Miller.
8:30 p.m.: Eric Godard boards Maxim Afinogenov, then gets taken down by the avenging Andrew Peters. Quality move by Peters.
8:33 p.m.: Clarke MacArthur also makes Godard pay by scoring on the power play with 4:02 left. Sabres retake lead, 3-2.
8:41 p.m.: End of two, Sabres hold 3-2 lead.
THIRD PERIOD
8:59 p.m.: Game on.
9:01 p.m.: No sign of Hecht on the bench.
9:12 p.m.: Midway through the third, still 3-2. Impressed so far by the Sabres' scoring depth and their ability to keep Sidney Crosby invisible.
9:17 p.m.: Goligoski avenges himself, taking punch from Paille and scoring on power play to make it 3-3 with 8:43 left.
9:27 p.m.: Still tied with 4:02 to play.
9:33 p.m.: End of regulation, tied at 3-all. Sabres had 35-20 edge in shots.
OVERTIME
Sabres will go into Christmas break with points in three straight and four of five. But will they go into it with two-game winless streak? (If you're reading this live, it's the big question. If you're reading this after the game, you already know, so not much suspense, eh?)
9:36 p.m.: Crosby reaches up to deflect Malkin's shot just 43 seconds into OT. play under review.
9:38 p.m.: Goal stands, Penguins win.
---John Vogl
