Sabres Edge

This stunner just in out of Pittsburgh: After practice today, Penguins coach Dan Bylsma announced that forward Evgeni Malkin has both a torn ACL and torn MCL in his right knee after last night's awkward collision with Tyler Myers early in the second period. That's a season-ender for sure right there and a huge blow to the Penguins. Surgery almost a certainty.

Pittsburgh has been playing great lately, going 8-1 in its last nine. But without Sidney Crosby (concussion) AND Malkin, can the Penguins really go the distance? Doubt it. You figure the Pens are just being extra cautious with Crosby and that he'll be back at some point but now you wonder if they need to make another splurge at forward at the trade deadline.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

The Sabres had an optional morning skate today in HSBC Arena and you can look for Patrick Kaleta, Chris Butler and Craig Rivet to again sit out tonight's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Sabres blew a 2-0 lead Friday night to Pittsburgh team without Sidney Crosby all night and without Evgeni Malkin for the last 39 minutes. And to make the insult of the 3-2 loss even worse, Matt Cooke's game-winning goal in the second period was clearly offsides. The puck came out of the Buffalo zone and Cooke was still inside it, just before Jordan Staal pick-pocketed Nathan Gerbe. Check it out here:

"Everybody makes mistakes and the official and linesmen we feel make their fair share," said Ryan Miller, who was furious at a goaltender interference call he didn't get on a tying goal by Ottawa in the third period of Buffalo's overtime victory Jan. 25 in Scotiabank Place. "That's tough. I didn't notice that."

"It was something we looked at afterwards and didn't realize it at the time," said coach LIndy Ruff. "Those are tough. Sometimes you get those breaks. ... There's always a couple of those inside a game. The ones you notice are the ones that you get scored against."

The Sabres are 9-4-1 in their last 14 games but two of the losses (last night and Jan. 11 vs. Philadelphia) saw them blow 2-0 first-period leads. Buffalo got into penalty trouble last night and gave up three second-period goals in a 3 1/2-minute span.

"It's just managing the game," said Miller. "The first period we got the puck deep and then they made some adjustments in the neutral zone and you have to be ready for that after playing a team for even half a period. ... Playing smart hockey can calm a game down and keep it going in the direction you want."

"Those shifts after you get scored against are so important," Ruff said. "The shifts following the goal weren't as good as we would have liked."

The Leafs have won two straight and are coming off Thursday's 3-0 win over Carolina, which was rookie goalie James Reimer's first NHL shutout. Reimer is 5-3, 1.96, .940 in nine games and you would imagine he would start again tonight.

The Sabres are 28-9-1 against the Leafs since the lockout, their most wins against any opponent. Toronto hasn't won here since Dec. 12, 2008.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

PITTSBURGH -- I wish television commercials were 32 seconds long instead of 30, that way y'all could hear Enterprise Rent-A-Car's full slogan.

"Pick Enterprise. We'll pick you up. Just so we can repeatedly let you down."

I've often referred to Enterprise as the Genny Light of car rental places. They do the job in the end, but there are so many better options (though a lot of my friends in Blasdell would disagree with the beer statement). Anyway, once again they failed to be as good as National or Alamo on this trip. I didn't even make it to the Hamburg toll booth before I ran out of windshield washer fluid. Yeah, who needs that on salt- and slush-filled roads?

The "good thing," I guess, was as usual the car barely had any gas in it (another Enterprise specialty). I soon had to stop to fill up so at least that way I could buy some solvent.

I so wish there was a better company near my house, but it doesn't make sense to drive out to the airport and pay for parking just to get a real rental place. Oh well, at least The News pays for it. I'd be furious if I had to.

Along the car line, you know that new-car smell? The Consol Energy Center has it. This place is unreal, and it smells brand new, unlike the 1960s musk that permeated Mellon Arena.

And if I was a marquee free agent, I'd sign here. They treat the players like gold. The dressing room area has bubble hockey (not that that's a huge deal since I also do at my house), but they also have a chef who whips up freshly prepared eggs and breakfast for the players. I almost ordered some Eggs Benedict between chats with Marc-Andre Fleury and Brent Johnson (Cheap Plug: See Saturday's Sabres notebook for some fun stuff from Johnson).

Well, I guess it's back to hockey soon, though I'm also on the lookout for Terry Pegula in the building.

6:57 p.m.: Pegula is indeed in the building. He is in a suite sitting next to and chatting with Larry Quinn.

FIRST PERIOD

7:09 p.m.: The Sabres score just 17 seconds in with Pegula watching from the front row of a suite. Marc-Andre Fleury got his pad on Paul Gaustad's point-blank backhand, but the center sent the rebound into the net for a quick 1-0 lead.

7:15 p.m.: Matt Cooke, who started the Johnson-DiPietro brawl by colliding with the Isles goalie, mixes it up with Ryan Miller with 15:30 left. Miller tripped him in the crease, and Cooke got up and slashed the goalie on the lower left pad.

7:19 p.m.: Mike Grier scores for the first time in 33 games to give Buffalo a 2-0 elad with 12:57 to go. He carried the puck from behind the net to the front, and his attempt through the top of the crease struck the skate of Pittsburgh's Deryk Engelland and went in.

7:26 p.m.: Sabres hit the second commercial break with a 2-0 lead and 6-4 shot edge with 9:04 to go.

7:32 p.m.: There are 17 people in the Pegula/Quinn suite, included the minority owner and the soon-to-be owner.

7:36 p.m.: Mike Weber went after Sidney Crosby in the previous meeting, and he shoves with Evgeni Malkin in this one with 4:26 left. Not sure if he's meeting Mario Lemieux in the parking lot next.

7:42 p.m.: Jochen Hecht gets called for high-sticking with 38.3 seconds left.

7:43 p.m.: Sabres hit intermission with a 2-0 lead. Pens have a 14-10 shot edge.

SECOND PERIOD

8:01 p.m.: An attempt to chat with Pegula at his suite was unsuccesful. Enjoy the game, folks.

8:02 p.m.: Malkin helped off the ice after awkwardly hitting boards after check by Tyler Myers with 19:33 to go.

8:08 p.m.: The Penguins cut their deficit to 2-1 with 16:10 left. Miller stops Dustin Jeffrey's backhand, but the carom strikes the skate of backchecking Tim Connolly and goes in the net.

8:09 p.m.: Myers heads to the box with 15:50 to go.

8:14 p.m.: About 30 seconds after Kris Letang beats Miller gloveside from the right circle but rings the post, Tyler Kennedy takes the same shot and ties the game, 2-2, with 13:36 to go.

8:21 p.m.: You had to see this coming because the Sabres don't handle adversity well. Penguins have a 3-2 lead and coach Lindy Ruff has called timeout with 12:56 to go. Matt Cooke took a pass from Jordan Staal, beat Andrej Sekera to the crease and put a high backhand past Miller.

8:26 p.m.: Cooke in the middle of another incident as Jordan Leopold gets called for holding Kennedy, and Cooke hammers Leopold from behind. Steve Montador then jumps Cooke with 9:41 to go.

8:30 p.m.: Malkin will not return with a lower-body injury.

8:31 p.m.: Letang gets two minutes for goalie interference after barreling into Miller with 8:50 to go.

8:35 p.m.: The penalty parade continues as Shaone Morrisonn gets called for cross-checking with 5:55 to go. It's still 3-2, and the Pens have a 29-13 shot edge.

8:46 p.m.: Sabres limp into intermission with a 3-2 deficit and 31-16 shot disadvantage. Pens take 17 of 23 shots in period.

THIRD PERIOD

9:03 p.m.: The Pens are 22-3 when leading after two, and the Sabres are 2-18-1 when trailing after 40 minutes.

9:11 p.m.: Pens still have 3-2 lead with 13:55 to go. Fleury has stopped two Thomas Vanek attempts.

9:18 p.m.: Pens still have 3-2 lead with 9:41 to go. Pens hold 37-22 shot advantage.

9:21 p.m.: Tyler Ennis heads to the box for high-sticking with 8:54 left.

9:27 p.m.: Final commercial comes with Pens still up, 3-2.

9:34 p.m.: Penguins win, 3-2, to snap the Sabres' two-game winning streak. Buffalo has yet to win three games in a row this season.

---John Vogl

PITTSBURGH -- Former Sabres forward Daniel Paille has been suspended for four games by the NHL for delivering a blindside hit to Dallas' Raymond Sawada during Boston's wild 6-3 victory over the Stars.

The game had three fights in the opening four seconds.

---John Vogl

PITTSBURGH -- The Sabres are finally ready for their first game in nine days. With the long break, it's no surprise they'll be turning to goaltender Ryan Miller for the 27th straight time. Defensemen Craig Rivet and Chris Butler will be the healthy scratches.

Click on Miller's audio below to hear the goaltender talk about coming back from the break, the way he maintains his body during the streak of games played, the way the Penguins play without captain Sidney Crosby and why he figures there won't be a fight against Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Lindy Ruff's interview is also below, and the coach talks about the need for a fast start, his role in Fleury's development and his thoughts on the sparkling new Consol Energy Center.

---John Vogl

Ryan Miller

Lindy Ruff

PITTSBURGH -- The Penguins are 4-1 in their past five games, all spent without star forwards Sidney Crosby (concussion) and Evgeni Malkin (sinus). They'll try to move to 5-1 tonight against the Sabres with one of the stars back.

Malkin will be in the lineup in sparkling new Consol Energy Center.

"I’m happy to come back, and of course I’m excited," he said after the morning skate. "The team played very well. I hope I can help them win a game."

Malkin has also been slowed by a knee ailment but said that is 100 percent ready. As for the sinus problem being cleared, he said, "I hope."

"It’s a little bit tough not playing," he said, "but it’s hockey. All players have injuries. I worked hard, and I hope I’m ready."

Marc-Andre Fleury will start in goal for Pittsburgh after backup Brent Johnson led the team to a 3-0 victory over the Islanders on Wednesday and one-punched New York counterpart Rick DiPietro in the waning seconds. Fleury has no plans to drop the blocker.

"In the right time, right place I guess it could be there, it could happen, but probably not tonight," Fleury said.

---John Vogl

Sabres players met with Tom Golisano before the team's practice today in his final good-bye to the team he owned in 2003. Here are some of the thoughts around the locker room.

Jochen Hecht 

Ryan Miller

Patrick Kaleta

Thomas Vanek

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

B. Thomas Golisano rode into Sabreland as the knight on the white horse. He exits as only a businessman, one who kept the team in Buffalo, made more than $100 million in the process, rebuilt the fan base and joined most of his star players in really leaving years ago.

The Golisano ownership era is set to close with Terry Pegula's purchase of the Sabres, expected to be completed by the end of the month. Golisano and minority owner Larry Quinn will hold a news conference at noon today in HSBC Arena to discuss the sale.

Golisano slashed season-ticket costs and created variable pricing, which allowed fans to pay less for unappealing opponents and weeknights, and more for marquee foes and prime dates. It was an unquestioned success.

Golisano helped his expanded hometown as well. He re-established a charitable foundation for the Sabres, and it donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local hospitals, youth groups and community organizations.

Signs the Sabres were simply a business to Golisano began showing in the summer of 2006. Off-ice decisions during the season set up an on-ice downfall and the end of the fun for Golisano. With the fans furious, Golisano essentially left town with his co-captains. He refused to attend news conferences, return phone calls or answer questions about the direction of the team. His seat above center ice went vacant often.

He was soon out of the state. Golisano's conspicuous absence from Sabreland became complete with his 2009 decision to move to Florida so he could escape $13,000 per day in New York taxes.

Golisano is selling the team for $189 million, including $14 million in debt, after purchasing it for $92 million, including $30 million in excused debt. It's a healthy payday for a billionaire who embraced hockey long enough to keep it in town but quickly returned to what he does best: run a business.

---John Vogl

Rick DiPietro is huge, probably one of the strongest pound-for-pound guys in the NHL based on his muscle-bound physique. It didn't help him Wednesday night.

The Islanders goaltender challenged Penguins counterpart Brent Johnson to a fight in the closing seconds of the Pens' 3-0 victory. Johnson obliged ...

The only time I've ever seen Johnson swing harder was when he smashed his stick on the crossbar in HSBC Arena after getting lit up by the Sabres in their high-scoring days. This video just missed the swing, but you can see the linesman picking up the splinters of the stick ...

The Johnson-DiPietro redux of Mike Tyson's early fights was the first goalie battle since February 2007. As if I needed a reason to throw up the most-played video in Sabres Edge history ...

---John Vogl

The NHL asked left wing Thomas Vanek to play in the All-Star Game as an injury replacement, but he turned down the offer because he’s been struggling with a bruised finger.

"I got asked to go after the last game, but with the finger and stuff I decided it was more important for myself to take the time and gear up for our last run here,"  Vanek said Wednesday. "Obviously, it was a good honor and I wish I could have went."

Vanek, in an interview on his Web site, expanded on the rumors that have Buffalo starting next season in Europe. He’s heard the Sabres would spend 10 days in Mannheim, Germany, play the season opener there, then travel to St. Petersburg, Russia, to face Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

"What I’ve heard, it’s a good chance we’re going over there," Vanek said Wednesday. "It’s just speculation with what we’ve heard here. If it’s true it’d be great."

---John Vogl

Lindy Ruff isn't in the mood to chat about declining a contract extension with the Sabres, but the coach did say today his ultimate goal remains the same.

"The only light I'd like to shed is I want to win a Stanley Cup here in Buffalo," Ruff said in HSBC Arena. "That should conquer all other comments."

The coach ran practice today with a full lineup, though right wing Patrick Kaleta was limited by his broken left hand. Ruff said Kaleta will not play Friday against Pittsburgh because he cannot handle the puck. Center Paul Byron was recalled from Portland after recording points in his first two games. Tim Connolly is expected back in the lineup against the Penguins after missing the past two games with a hip flexor.

For Ruff's comments on Kaleta, Byron, the Sabres' recent scoring surge, their upcoming ownership change and his Cup goal, listen to the audio below.

---John Vogl

The Sabres are on the ice for practice in HSBC Arena, and Paul Byron is back with the team. The center played in two games before being demoted for the All-Star break, scoring once for his first NHL goal and adding an assist. He is back between left wing Tyler Ennis and right wing Drew Stafford.

The other lines:

Thomas Vanek-Jochen Hecht-Jason Pominville

Nathan Gerbe-Tim Connolly-Cody McCormick

Rob Niedermayer-Paul Gaustad-Mike Grier/Patrick Kaleta

All eight defensemen are on the ice.

---John Vogl

News has been hopping in Sabreland:

*Terry Pegula left a good impression during a meeting with the NHL executive committee Saturday morning, showing off his regular-guy personality while confirming he has both the financial strength and passion that would make him a successful owner of the Buffalo Sabres.

*Tom Golisano has completed an agreement to sell the franchise to Pennsylvania billionaire Pegula and will join managing partner Larry Quinn to discuss the transaction during a news conference at noon Thursday.

*The News has learned Golisano gave Regier a two-year extension, a deal the team has never announced. The contract's total value is believed between $2 million and $2.5 million.

*Coach Lindy Ruff said was also offered an extension to his deal but turned it down.

The News' Jim Heaney appeared Tuesday on the Bill Watters Show on Talk Radio AM 640 in Toronto to discuss his story on Terry Pegula and the latest developments in the billionaire's efforts to buy the Sabres. Listen to his 13 minute interview here:

Read Heaney's story on Pegula, which appeared in Sunday's Buffalo News, here.

The deal is finally done. Here's the official word, just e-mailed by the Sabres: 

"The Buffalo Sabres today announced that Tom Golisano has reached an agreement to sell the Buffalo Sabres and its related companies to Terry Pegula. The agreement, completed at 1 p.m. today, is subject to certain closing conditions including review and approval by the National Hockey League. It is expected the NHL review process will take several weeks to complete."

The team said Golisano and Larry Quinn will discuss the agreement during a press conference in the arena Thursday at noon. It also announced that Pegula will not attend.

No more speculation. No more ifs, ands or buts. It's a done deal.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

In the wake of today's news that GM Darcy Regier received a two-year contract extension in the fall, it was natural to ask Lindy Ruff if he received the same treatment.

Ruff pulled a shocker after Tuesday's practice in HSBC Arena when he revealed he also got an extension offer and turned it down. Understandably, Ruff wasn't all that interested in the line of questioning so his answers were pretty cryptic when pressed by The News on the issue. Here's the entire conversation I had with the coach after practice.

In the wake of today's news regarding Darcy, did you get a contract extension in the fall?

"I did not, no."

Were you offered one?

"Yes I was."

Did you reject it?

"It's a situation that really I'd rather not talk about. It's nothing to do ... They were gracious in what they offered me."

So your contract goes through this season, correct?

"Correct."

Do you want to stay?

"Yeah, I want to stay."

Have you told Terry Pegula you want to stay?

"No. We had a conversation about hockey and that's as far as I'll go."

Hmmmm. Pretty interesting week so far here at One Seymour H. Knox Plaza.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)