Live from Isles at Sabres
Greetings from the foot of Washington Street, where the Sabres are set to host the Islanders. It's the first time Buffalonians will get to see John Tavares, the No. 1 overall pick in June's draft. It's not Tavares' first time seeing HSBC Arena, though. For more on that, see Saturday's Buffalo News.
One thing to watch for in tonight's game: The Islanders shooting the puck off the back boards to create chances for their forwards. Throughout their morning skate today, coaches would bounce pucks off the base of the boards and the forwards would perfect the angles to get shots. Could be a factor with the new boards in the arena.
Be back for puck drop in about 20 minutes.
FIRST PERIOD
7:38 p.m.: Game on. Sabres starting with their fourth line of Matt Ellis-Paul Gaustad-Patrick Kaleta for the second straight game.
7:41 p.m.: Mark it down - Oct. 16, 2009. Tyler Myers' first NHL goal. The rookie standout slid a backhand past goalie Dwayne Roloson to make it 1-0 with 17:33 left. Drew Stafford retrieved the milestone puck from the linesman.
Daniel Paille, playing his first game, had to good first shift to help set up the goal. He chased down an icing and started the series of events that led to Myers' goal.
7:46 p.m.: The Sabres are creating often, this time with Jochen Hecht driving the net and tipping Mike Grier's pass just wide with 13:10 to go. Speaking of that line, don't be shocked if Tim Kennedy scores his first NHL goal tonight, too.
7:53 p.m.: First power play of the game going to the Sabres. Hecht steals the puck and goes with Grier into the Isles' zone, then decides to go around the net. He never gets a chance to find Grier in front as Radek Martinek takes Grier down in front of the net with 9:23 left.
7:59 p.m.: More turnovers than chances on the power play, and it's still 1-0 with 5:52 to go. We have our first honest-to-goodness sellout of the season. Lots of empty rows in other games, but nothing open tonight.
8:02 p.m.: It's 2-0 as Clarke MacArthur scores on a penalty shot with 5:18 to go. The left winger gets his third of the season by faking a shot and slipping a backhand past Roli.
8:05 p.m.: Sabres fans blasted the players last season for not taking exception when Ryan Miller would get run. Well, the players are taking exception this season. Tim Jackman interferred with Miller and landed on top of the netminder, and Paul Gaustad immediately grabbed Jackman and pummeled him with several right uppercuts intended to injure.
8:12 p.m.: The Sabres end the first period with a 2-0 lead and a 9-9 tie in shots.
SECOND PERIOD
8:30 p.m.: The Sabres start the period with Myers and Kennedy on the ice. Will Myers get to two before Kennedy gets one? They both are capable of scoring at anytime the way they're playing.
8:34 p.m.: Miller makes a nice save on a hard-rushing Sean Bergenheim, the infamous Sabre-killer who I bashed last season.
8:37 p.m.: Joel Rechlicz, playing his 21st career game, gets suckered into a penalty by Jason Pominville with 15:44 left. Pommer fakes a punch, then accepts a cross-check. Really, Rechlicz? Do some studying. Pominville isn't going to start a fight.
8:39 p.m.: And Rechlicz's recklessness hurts the Isles -- as does poor goaltending by Roli. Tim Connolly comes from behind the net and slips a shot between the post and unsuspecting Roloson with 15:14 to go.
And for the record, I always thought it was "Rolie," but he's got his name across the bottom of his mask with no E. Either it's Roli, or the artist ran out of room. If he doesn't start making saves, he may be running to Marty Biron's spot at the end of the bench in a goalie swap.
8:44 p.m.: Matt Moulson will not be voted off the island as he scores his third goal in five games. Moulson skates through the slot and tips Freddy Meyer's point shot through Miller's pads with 12:52 left. The shots this period are 8-2 in the Isles' favor.
8:49 p.m.: One prediction down, Kennedy to go. Roloson to the bench after Hecht rips a slap shot through his pads with 10:38 to go. Three shots, two goals this period for Buffalo. Only eight saves on 12 shots for Roli. Big cheer as Biron gets off the bench. Likely because that's two straight games in which the Sabres have forced a goaltending change.
8:55 p.m.: First real miscue by Miller this season allows Isles to cut their deficit to 4-2 with 7:06 left. Miller whiffs on a dump-in behind the net as the puck continues on to Tavares. The rookie wins the race back to the crease to score his third of the year.
8:58 p.m.: Myers is starting to create the excitement of Maxim Afinogenov (who visits Saturday with the Thrashers), except Myers is actually creating chances, too. The big man joins the Sabres' rush, gets two quality chances and helps force Meyer to take a penalty with 5:25 left. Shots are 13-5 Isles this period, but another goal could deflate the young team.
9:04 p.m.: Certainly no quit in the Isles as they are buzzing the crease. It should be 4-3 but Tavares misses an open net from the side with 1:10 to go.
9:06 p.m: Sabres go to the dressing room with a 4-2 lead, but they can't be happy. The Isles stampeded to a 19-8 shot edge in the second and hold a 27-17 advantage for the game.
THIRD PERIOD
9:23 p.m.: Game on. Miller forced to make a save just 28 seconds in. Sabres better ramp it up or they'll get jumped over.
9:28 p.m.: Holding on Henrik Tallinder just 2:57 in. If the Sabres blow my "Ode to Tyler Myers" that I'm about halfway through for Saturday's paper, I'm not going to be happy. Not rooting for the Sabres, mind you, just rooting for the best story -- and the story that's halfway done with deadline looming in less than 40 minutes.
9:38 p.m.: Paille drives the net and has the puck knocked away, but Patrick Kaleta is there to push in the loose puck with 11:08 to go. But don't celebrate yet, Sabres fans. New York's Andy Sutton scores just 24 seconds later to make it 5-3 on a slap shot through traffic.
9:47 p.m.: Still 5-3 with seven minutes left.
9:54 p.m.: Pominville ends the suspense with the 100th goal of his career. Pominville rips a slap shot past Biron with 4:08 to go. It's 6-3 Buffalo, the Sabres' second straight game with that goal total (for now).
9:59 p.m.: Sabres win their fourth straight game to move to 4-0-1.
---John Vogl
