Well, here we go. Big game tonight. Hoping for a Sabres win and/or a Caps loss. I'm going to actually try to keep up with a live blog tonight. We'll see how it goes. Time for the anthems.
By the way, why is Sulzer a scratch tonight? Is he hurt? No good can come from this!
Update: First minute of play and both teams have already had good chances! This isn't good.
Update: 14:03 1st - Nathan Gerbe is tiny. That is all. Oh, and penalty to Buffalo.
Update: 10:10 1st - Huge save by Miller on 3-on-1 break by Flyers.
Update: 5:15 1st - Can someone please explain why Sulzer is a scratch but Leino isn't? Ever? He might be the only person on this team more useless than Jochen Hecht.
Update: 4:29 1st - Sabres playing well in the neutral zone! Standing up several Flyers and forcing an offside call.
Update: 2:58 in 1st - Hartnell goes high on Hodgson after the whistle. Weber throws Giroux to the ice and refuses to let him up. Sabres end up on power play.
Update: 2:07 in 1st - Miller absolutely ROBS Read with a poke check on shorthanded breakaway. Completely sick play by Miller!
Update: :40 in 1st - Flyers are getting waaaaaay too many chances. Miller isn't gonna stop all of them. Simmons comes off bench and immediately goes after Weber for his mugging of Giroux earlier. Offsetting penalties.
Update: :10 in 1st - Sabres blow a great 3-on-1 chance.
Update: 1st Intermission - Well, things got a little chippy at the end there. Overall, it's been run and gun hockey by both teams. The Sabres can't hang with the Flyers (or anyone) in that type of game. They gave up way too many chances. If they're going to win this game, they need to lock it up and start controlling the pace. They were lucky to escape the period with no score. Kevin Sylvester just said that it was a "buttoned up period by the Sabres for the most part." I didn't see it that way at all. They had their moments, but it's been downhill both ways for the most part. We'll see what happens in the second.
Update: Start of 2nd - Got our answer on Sulzer. He returned home for personal reasons. That can't be good news for him to miss such a huge game. Thoughts with him and his family.
Update: 16:15 2nd - Sekera makes the save of the game after Mr. Softee let's one trickle by. Sabres get a couple good chances shortly thereafter.
Update: 13:20 2nd - Leopold makes great recovery to break up a good opportunity by the Flyers.
Update: 6:45 2nd - Bryzgal... Brzyg...Brgzxq... The Flyers goalie pulls out a huge save to keep it scoreless.
Update: 2:34 2nd - Ville Leino finally earns his paycheck. 1-0 Sabres! I begrudgingly take back my "scratch" comment earlier.
Update: 2nd Intermission - Some more scary moments, but the Sabres got the bounces and Leino scored a big one with 2-and-a-half left in the period. I'll repeat what I said at the 1st break... the Sabres need to tighten things up or they're gonna get burned.
By the way - 3-1 Caps after two. I'd rather see the Caps lose, but Fla losing helps the Sabres, too, so whatever.
Update: 16:40 3rd - Sabres just kept the puck in the Flyers zone for a solid 2 minutes. THIS is what they need to be doing!!
Update: 15:48 3rd - Vanek just made a great play. Puck went up in the air. Simmons caught it in his glove at the Sabres blue line and Vanek leveled him and took the puck. Nice play by a guy who typically isn't the most physical player.
Update: 13:55 3rd - Bourdon scores on a rocket from the point. Dammit.
Update: 11:02 3rd - Bryzgal... Brzyg...Brgzxq... The Flyers goalie robs Ennis on a pretty give and go play between Ennis and Stafford.
Update: Stafford earns 50th point of season and Vanek earns 60th. Not too shabby.
Update: WHY does this team's power play refuse to score goals?? WHY????
Update: 4:22 3rd - GOD DAMMIT! There's the season right there. Regehr gets completely twisted up by Read and gives up a breakaway resulting in a goal.
Update: End of Game - Well kids, there's the season. The ONLY chance the Sabres have is if FLA scores to take that game to OT. If the Caps win in regulation, the Sabres are eliminated. I have nothing else to say right now. At least it wasn't Toronto.
Update: 4-2 Caps. Sabres are eliminated. I'll save the lecture on how this kind of effort all season would have prevented the need for last minute heroics for a later time. I'm a Blackhawks fan the rest of the way. Go Yanks!
The Sabres never deserved it; Missing the playoffs should have more future benefits than a first round exit. Baseball season has officially begun. Let's go Rays!
Posted by: Erik | April 06, 2012 at 03:42 AM
And the difference between ninth and fifteenth is??? Oh yeah, a draft pick that can contribute immediately.
Posted by: Trevor | April 06, 2012 at 06:41 AM