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
