Live from Sabres at Rangers
NEW YORK -- I was too busy checking out Rockefeller Center, the Macy's Christmas windows, eating roasted chestnuts from a vendor and doing a laundry list of other Big Apple activities to have a big lead-in to the blog, so ...
7:08 p.m.: Game on!
7:10 p.m.: Mark Mancari, recalled because of an injury to Nathan Gerbe, is playing right wing for center Tim Kennedy and left wing Jochen Hecht.
7:13 p.m.: The press box in the World's Most Famous Arena is seven rows from the ice rather than the skybox perch everywhere else. (I'm Spiked out, I could trip a referee.) It's something how much faster the game is down here, something I'm reminded of during every visit.
7:17 p.m.: If they didn't have the netting above the glass, I wouldn't be sitting here or I wouldn't be blogging, one or the other. The puck whistles at you, and looking down to type would not be wise. (They have a media room with TVs).
7:19 p.m.: The New Yawker behind me is still chirping about a hit Tyler Myers put on Sean Avery with 3:15 gone, says "he's gonna get it." There is 6:13 gone.
7:21 p.m.: Myers got it, all right. He got an assist. His point shot was deflected, Thomas Vanek tried a backhand that was stopped, and Derek Roy and Avery chased the puck, which slid past Henrik Lundqvist. Roy gets credit for giving Buffalo a 1-0 lead with 6:25 gone.
7:27 p.m.: The Rangers even the score at 1-1 on the power play with 9:38 to go. Old friend Ales Kotalik feeds Marian Gaborik down low, and he one-touches a pass to a wide-open Ryan Callahan in the slot.
7:29 p.m.: Commercial timeout as Craig Rivet goes to box for tripping with 8:38 left, giving New York another power play. So, this morning, I took my SUV to the airport, a plane to lovely Newark, a train to the rental car area, a shuttle bus to the rental car headquarters, a car to the Manhattan hotel, and since all that took too long, I took a cab to MSG to barely make it to the morning skate. I haven't taken a subway -- yet.
7:33 p.m.: New York scores on power play with 7:43 left, though it was a four-on-three after each team had a player go to the box. Myers allowed Gaborik to walk in too close from the point, and the sniper had his 22nd of the season with a glove-side laser.
7:37 p.m.: Gaborik goes to the end of the bench after getting the worst of a collision with Derek Roy.
7:42 p.m.: Battery and computer issues (no plugs in the press box) delayed me in telling you the Sabres tied the game at 2-2 with 5:32 left on a goal by Patrick Kaleta.
7:50 p.m.: End of the period, and it's all even almost everywhere. The score is 2-2, and the shots are 14-13 for the Rangers. I'm glad when I sprinted -- yes, sprinted -- to the media room to get a new battery I didn't almost barrel anyone over. I did that once, during Mark Messier's final game. I almost buried one of my favorite basketball players, Isiah Thomas, who was standing nearby and clapping as Messier's career wound down. Although I was in a deadline hurry, I had to stand next to Zeke for a moment and think, "Wow, this is pretty cool."
SECOND PERIOD
8:07 p.m.: They're back. I wonder if Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon are, too. Walked to the elevator with them after the Messier game, which was another bonus since "Shawshank Redemption" is probably my favorite movie.
8:15 p.m.: Sabres take two close-range shots on a power play with 16:12 to go, but Lundqvist makes the stops. Cheap Plug Alert: For more on the Sabres' power play, check out the Sabres Notebook in Sunday's paper.
8:17 p.m. Quality atmosphere in here, despite pockets of empty seats in the lowest level. Speaking of the lowest level, sat down in Section 54 a few summers ago to see a Kenny Chesney concert. Have I ever mentioned I love New York? It's mostly because we both have way better things to do than sleep.
8:21 p.m.: Speaking of Section 54, Steve Montador goes to sit under it after a tripping call with 11:25 left.
8:24 p.m.: Kaleta ... the goal scorer? The agitator gets his second of the night, and it's a beauty. Kotalik missed the puck at the blue line, and Kaleta zips by for a breakaway from center ice. He got in close and ripped a shot over the glove of Lundqvist, raising both a water bottle and the Sabres' score. It's 3-2 with 10:30 to go. It's the Sabres' first short-handed goal of the year.
8:37 p.m.: Rough night for Kotalik, who heads to the box for cross-checking. It follows a stellar stop by Lundqvist, who stones Montador after he joined an odd-man rush with 2:45 to go. Still 3-2.
8:38 p.m.: Chris Drury, though he gets booed now, is still one of the purest hockey players in the game (though his offense is offensive lately). He knows Mancari has a blast, yet he didn't hesitate to block the slap shot from mere feet away.
Penalty and period come to an end, with Sabres holding a 3-2 lead and Rangers taking a 28-25 shot advantage.
THIRD PERIOD
8:58 p.m.: As the third period gets started, Kaleta has played 10:30. That's more in two periods than he played in 16 of his games so far this season. A pair of goals will get you ice time. He has five for the season, a career high.
9:13 p.m.: Sabres are dropping back and clogging the blue line, hoping Miller can stop any chances New York manages to get. It's worked so far. It's still 3-2 with nine minutes remaining, with the Rangers holding a 5-2 shot edge so far.
9:20 p.m.: Pominville just misses a chance to give the Sabres breathing room, ringing one off the post with 7:17 to go.
9:26 p.m.: Tripping penalty on Connolly with 5:08 to go.
9:31 p.m.: Sabres dominate while short-handed, as Rangers get nothing but boos.
9:33 p.m.: Sabres win, 3-2.
---John Vogl
