Live from Flames at Sabres

Buffalo defenseman Tyler Myers, born in Houston, moved to Calgary when he was 10. He was 14 when the Flames went the Stanley Cup finals in 2004 and remembers reveling in the Red Mile.

"It feels a little weird [playing them] being that I used to be that kid in the stands cheering for them in that Cup run," Myers said.

Well, Myers could feel right at home tonight in HSBC Arena. The red jerseys have invaded the Sabres' home, as Flames backers are packing the place to see their team here for the first time since the 2006-07 season. A big cheer just went up as the PA announcer said Jarome Iginla is in the starting lineup -- which brings us to this cheap plug: Read about Iginla as the top of Saturday's notebook.

More in minutes.

FIRST PERIOD

7:39 p.m: Lindy Ruff opens the game with Clarke MacArthur-Derek Roy-Jason Pominville and defensemen Henrik Tallinder-Tyler Myers against the line with Iginla-Olli Jokinen-Fredrik Sjostrom. Will be interesting to see if that stays all game.

7:40 p.m.: The Flames backers are already out of their seats as Daymond Langkow scores just 1:04 in.

7:44 p.m.: Quality shift by the Sabres' starting line, getting four good chances on Miikka Kiprusoff with three minutes gone. Roy got some applause with a big check along the boards to keep the puck in.

7:47 p.m.: My hunch proved correct, so now I'm kicking myself for not making it a prediction. Anyway, Adam Mair fights a long, quality battle with the Flames' Brandon Prust with 5:02 gone. Mair lands plenty of lefts early, but Prust unleashes a huge right hand to take the latter stages.

7:50 p.m.: New Flames coach Brent Sutter is regarded as a defensive coach, so I wasn't sure what type of game we'd have tonight. So far, it's filled with odd-man rushes leading to odd-man rushes the other way. Entertaining start after a sluggish game Wednesday.

7:56 p.m.: Patrick Kaleta wants to be the next to fight, it appears. He's twice pushed and tussled with defensemen in the Calgary crease. Second one comes after Jochen Hecht draws a hooking penalty on Adam Pardy with 10:46 to go.

8 p.m.: In a case of poor officiating, the refs allow Kaleta and Iginla push and shove twice. The two jostled hard when Kaleta came and pushed Iginla down along the boards, but instead of the refs sending both to the box, then sent them back to their benches. Instead of going in, they met in the middle and shoved again. That time, the refs woke up and sent them to the box with 8:06 to go.

8:06 p.m.: There's a person in the front row dressed as Gumby. Why? I have no idea.

8:09 p.m.: Sabres, who were dreadful on first power play, get another with 3:24 to go. They capitalize 18 seconds later. Robyn Regehr deflects two shots near Calgary net before Roy flips a backhand over a prone Kiprusoff.

8:14 p.m.: Now that was 20 minutes of real hockey, with the first period ending in a 1-1 tie. Aside from some subpar efforts on Calgary's goal and a few bad passing decisions, that was possibly the Sabres' best period of the season given the level of competition. They hold an 18-5 shot edge and 13-11 advantage in hits, standing up to a very physical team.

SECOND PERIOD

8:33 p.m.: The teams are back, and so is the action.

8:38 p.m.: Sabres' penalty killers, particularly Paul Gaustad, are stellar in holding Flames without a shot after Craig Rivet goes off for high-sticking just 1:35 in.

8:42 p.m.: Flames do better on a second power play, getting two shots when Hecht leaves for interference with 4:13 gone, but it's still 1-1.

8:46 p.m.: the Sabres had five penalties in the second period of their last game. They're well on their way again. Myers goes for hooking with 12:37 gone, giving them three penalties this period already.

8:49 p.m.: Sabres kill another one, but the shots are 7-0 Calgary with 9:52 to go.

8:51 p.m.: I know Sabretooth, and that ain't the real Sabretooth entertaining the crowd with a big dance routine during a commerical. He danced almost as well as I can. Almost.

8:55 p.m.: Sabres get a chance for their first shot as Jokinen hooks Hecht with 7:08 left.

8:58 p.m.: All Sabres get on the power play are boos, some guy yelling "We want one!" and a huge short-handed breakaway save by Miller on Rene Bourque after three Sabres enter Calgary zone on same side and turn the puck over.

8:59 p.m.: There's the big mock cheer we all know and love as Roy gets Sabres' first shot with 4:29 to go. Flames have a 12-1 edge with 4:18 to go..

9:03 p.m: "It's Tricky" by Run-DMC? Really? L.L. Cool J was better in that era, and there's nothing wrong with Jay-Z.

9:05 p.m.: Fans are honking for Goose as Gaustad fights/wrestles with Dion Phaneuf after the Calgary defenseman comes in high on Gaustad's clearing attempt with 2:41 left.

9:09 p.m.: Second period, nowhere near as entertaining as the first, closes the same way it started, tied 1-1. Flames take 12 of the 15 shots to close their gap to 21-17. To steal my favorite Bucky Gleason line, there were a lot of players out there with hands like feet. Bad passing and poor acceptance of passes, especially by Buffalo.

THIRD PERIOD

9:29 p.m.: Game on.

9:35 p.m.: Flames have a 2-1 shot lead with 14:47 left as the teams edge toward an almost-inevitable overtime.

9:41 p.m.: Sabres kill another penalty, this time when Rivet goes for boarding. Not the best game for the captain.

9:47 p.m.: Roughing penalties for Mair and Adam Pardy with 9:54 left give the teams some four-on-four play -- with more to come if they reach OT.

9:57 p.m.: Roy has really lifted his game lately. It's still 1-1 with 3:29 to go.

9:59 p.m.: My pet peeve will Sabres fans resurfaces with two minutes to go. Flames backers start a "Let's go, Flames" chant, and the Buffalonians respond with ... booing. I've said it before and have no doubt I'll say it again -- Hey, try cheering louder instead!

10:02 p.m.: Big surprise, teams are headed to overtime. The shots were just 6-6 in the period, with the squads playing for a point.

OVERTIME

10:07 p.m.: The Calgary kid draws a penalty with 2:31 to go. Myers moves around Jokinen and gets hauled down.

10:10 p.m.: The best player when the Sabres have the power play? Miller. Another big short-handed stop with 1:15 left.

10:11 p.m.: Depsite the best efforts of Myers, Steve Montador and Tim Connolly, the Sabres are going to a shootout.

SHOOTOUT

10:21 p.m.: Sabres win. Jason Pominville scores the winner, while Miller stops three of four.

POSTGAME

10:56 p.m.: Audio from Miller and coach Lindy Ruff below.

---John Vogl

RyanMiller

LindyRuff

Comments

[CalgarySabre2]

For me the most telling comment on Vanek was that he was not used in the shootout and that our 19 year old rookie defenceman was used! A shootout should be perfect for Vanek: skilled goalscorer in a situation where he KNOWS no one will be trying to hit him. I don't know how many times I groaned "why didn't we take the draft picks?" but it was a lot. Oh, and I told you Jokinen is floating for Calgary. Helps when Sutter uses him on the Flames power play, because it effectively returns us to 4 on 4.

[Lee Fogolin]

As some of you astutely commented Vanek was invisible. Notice in OT when the sabres had a 4 on 3? No Vanek. does any other team in the league sit their "top" goal scorer? Vanek looks lazy and slow and for a guy 6 2 and over 200lbs...he get's knocked off the puck way too much....Right now he's awful and so is the effort.

[Ken E]

Kudos to you Excuses for admitting it.

[Buffalo Excuses]

16 games in/20% of season.

They look good, very good.

This was a statement win. I heard it LOUD AND CLEAR.

The arguments (mine) about their being soft fell with a thud last night. Mair was a warrior, can you give Regier credit here? I think not really cause he left him exposed. Give it to Mair as he responded. Not sure his play warranted a waiver. Benching maybe, but waiver??? His toughness last night may put the "we need an enforcer" argument (did I say this too???) to rest as well. Then again, come playoff run, playoff stretch teams get more physical. We'll see here. Miller was run again last night but he stuck up for himself, well sort of. In a tight game, I can see why someone didn't take action, although I would have.

GauSTUD was a leader, again last night (some bozo said we needed a leader too....).

Miller was Miller (did I say he was going to have an off year???). There's a happily disturbing trend forming with my predictions this year. Regression to the mean is a painful thing...

Myers continues to impress and make some mistakes.

Cross your fingers and say a novena on injuries as this team can compete if it stays healthy. If Vanek turns it on and no one else falters, hmmmm....

Feeling Foolish for bashing them. They can keep me in my cage until April by playing in the next 80-90 games like they played in ths first 16.

While I am not convinced they have the stones to do it yet, I am convinced they have more stones than last year.

It isn't too early to tell anymore. 20% of the season is a lot. Most teams should have hit whatever stride they can hit by this point. Now we look for consistency in the middle grind of the season.

Look for Bucky to write an article that loosley follows this post (I HAVE to bash someone!!!!)

[roy]

1st star was lindy ruff. this is why the man gets a check. the only way they match up against the flames was to play exactly that way. there a game plan that was followed for most of three periods. an evident plan needs to be in place saturday. if it is lalime and a boston trap, so be it. it would kill two birds: rest miller and perhaps grab a point without damage.

[timmer923]

I say start the philly game tomorrow with scowl and bite.....get rough right from the opening faceoff....got to send flyers a message.....it has to be different....

[Noons]

I know but I couldn't resist. I hope Lalime does play tomorrow. 1) it will make him think that the coaches have confidence in him (even if it is pretend confidence) and 2) I think this team can win with him in the net. Before any one else says it I know that we HAVE NOT won with him in the net yet this year but I think we can and will. Plus "Mr. Softee" needs a break after his awful outing tonight (he he he)

[Bill]

Easy there, Noons, we're gonna see some serious venom if they lose tomorrow night. The whiners gotta be frothing at the mouth right now.

[Noons]

the season is over
**Chirp** Chirp**

[CalgarySabre2]

You cannot play Lalime against the Flyers - you have to at least give us some chance to win. We are off until Wednesday after tomorrow. Miller can rest then.

[Greg B.]

Good win against a big, physical game. For my money, best game of the year. They needed this one with a rested Flyers team waiting for them.

Play Lalime, Lindy! Don't burn Miller out.

[CalgarySabre2]

The commentators on Sportsnet keep calling #55 on the Sabres "Johan Heck" - apparently he is actually Swedish. Terrible penalty call on Tyler. Hey, am I the last Calgarian left at home? They all seem to be at HSBC. Hope Lindy is tearing paint off the walls in the dressing room between periods. Come on Buffalo!

[Mark]

Vanek is going to find himself on those Most Overpaid lists alongside Soupy, Briere and Drury if he keeps up this lackluster play. Everyone goes through scoring slumps, but that doesn't excuse the lazy passes in his own defensive zone. Wake up!

[burgundy04]

Vanek is invisible once again!! It might be time for a good benching....this guy is playing with no energy in his game.

[burgundy04]

Is Vanek going to start playing this year or what??? He's been brutal so far! If he doesn't score he's invisible!

[burgundy04]

Terrible effort by Vanek on the Flames goal!