FLL -- Greetings from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport, where I await the flight to Raleigh (via Tampa).
The Sabres visit the Carolina Hurricanes today in RBC Center to close their five-game road trip. Patrick Lalime has been getting work in back-to-back games, so the goaltender could get his first start since a 3-2 loss to Minnesota on March 12.
Lalime was ridiculed by the Buffalo crowd throughout the setback after turning the puck over in the first period and putting the Sabres in a 2-0 hole. He finished with 30 saves on 33 shots. He also stopped 20 of 21 shots in relief of Ryan Miller on Tuesday in Atlanta.
"Everybody makes mistakes, and obviously it was nice to get back in there and play good," said Lalime, who's been stuck on 199 career wins for six appearances.
"Two hundred," he said with a grin. "What's 200? It's just another game, and we're playing to win, so whatever happens after that, we'll go get it."
Lalime is 11-4-4 with a 1.75 goals-against average and two shutouts against the Hurricanes. Carolina earned a 3-2 overtime win at Pittsburgh on Saturday when rookie Jamie McBain scored with less than a second left.
The Hurricanes have won nine of their last 11 home games.
---John Vogl
