E-Mail
Print
Head coach Lindy Ruff will be back behind the bench after coaching from just down the press box from us for the past couple of games. The bench boss thinks his broken ribs have healed enough for him to go back downstairs. He is taking precautions and will be wearing a flak jacket to protect the three broken ribs. Christian Ehrhoff is doubtful to play tonight due to an illness. To find out more from today's morning skate click here for Paul Hamilton's preview.
Feel free to interact with me throughout the night tonight in one of several ways. Comment in the thread below, text me at 550550, and/or send me a tweet: @PatWGR. While you are there give me a follow. As always I will add my two cents in addition to the scoring plays during the game.
First Period
20:00 - Christian Ehrhoff is in the lineup tonight and is starting along side Mike Weber. Also in is Marc Gragnani, but out is Matt Ellis. Ruff going with seven defenseman for tonight's action. Gragnani can skate at forward as well, we may see him on the fourth line at some point tonight as well.
18:47 - The first penalty of the night goes to Buffalo as Robyn Regehr is called for holding along the goal line. An early chance for New Jersey to take the home crowd out of the game.
15:54 - Tyler Ennis is the early candidate to double shift for the Sabres. He was on the opening line of the night with Drew Stafford-Nathan Gerbe, and moments ago he was in on a couple of scoring chances with Brad Boyes-Zack Kassian. Boyes cranked a shot right off of Martin Brodeur's mask.
9:55 - Ilya Kovalchuk hits the outside of the post with a shot that wakes up the crowd for a moment. To me it was one of those shots that Ryan Miller cut off the angle on and that was the only spot for the puck to hit. Miller was tight to the post and there was no way the tough angled shot was going in.
5:57 - The Devils hold a slight edge in shots right now, 6-5. However, I think Buffalo has had the better of the scoring chances. Especially the Boyes chance a few minutes ago.
2:00 - For a Sabres-Devils game this is a much more up tempo pace than usual. That is one of the things I have heard about the Pete DeBoer-led team this season. Yes, they still trap and slow the game down but not nearly like the "good old days." Shots are 8-7, Sabres.
:35.7 - DEVILS GOAL. Derek Roy with the soft coverage on the back side of the penalty kill helps lead to the opening goal of the night. Ilya Kovalchuk slaps the puck into an open net with Ryan Miller diving back across his body, but cannot make the save. One shot, one goal with Thomas Vanek in the box for tripping. 1-0 NJ.
End of period
New Jersey 1, Sabres 0
Goals
19:24 - (NJ) Ilya Kovalchuk (23) PPG, (Patrik Elias)
Penalties
1:13 - (BUF) Robyn Regehr (2 min holding)
18:42 - (BUF) Thomas Vanek (2 min, tripping)
Shots on Goal
BUF - 8, NJ - 8
Second Period
16:22 - Bryce Salvador takes the first minor of the night for the Devils as he knocks the puck over the glass in the defensive zone and draws the delay of game. Let's see if Buffalo can get some offensive momentum in the next two minutes.
13:58 - Just as New Jersey killed off the penalty Roy takes a very bad minor for tripping in his own end. The forward was backchecking a little too hard and took down his man who was streaking through the slot. It was an even numbered situation, so there was no need to take the penalty. He is not having a particularly good night, combining that with his play on the game's first goal.
10:00 - Shots this stanza are 8-3, Buffalo. Gerbe-Ennis-Stafford with a nice shift for the blue and gold, part in thanks to a turnover that Gerbe snared at the blue line. It was a simple shot by the winger, but to handle the puck and establish the zone pressure helped with a chance moments later.
9:12 - Fans are not happy with the call but Jordan Leopold clearly got his stick in the midsection of Zach Parise and hooked the forward behind the net. As Brian Koziol just said to me, a goal here and the game could be over. Enough of the bad, lazy penalties.
7:47 - Jason Pominville just had a very good shorthanded chance for Buffalo. The captain used the 2-on-1 odd-man rush to blast a slap shot from the left wing side that Martin Brodeur had to be on top of to turn away. The Sabres are getting some very good looks, very good looks.
2:41 - SABRES GOAL. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. Thomas Vanek tips a pass from Jason Pominville over the shoulder of Martin Brodeur, and just like that the game is tied. The puck could not have been more than an inch or two above the right shoulder of the goalie when it snuck in. 1-1 tie.
End of period
Sabres 1, New Jersey 1
Goals
17:19 - (BUF) Jason Pominville (21)
Penalties
3:18 - (NJ) Bryce Salvador (2 min, delay of game)
5:24 - (BUF) Derek Roy (2 min, tripping)
10:48 - (BUF) Jordan Leopold (2 min, hooking)
18:47 - (BUF) Christian Ehrhoff (2 min, tripping)
20:00 - (BUF) Mike Weber (2 min, cross checking)
Shots on Goal
BUF - 12 (20), NJ - 11 (19)
Third Period
18:41 - So far, so good for Buffalo in killing the 5-on-3 PK. Ehrhoff is out of th box and now it is just Weber sitting. The Sabres had three dmen on the ice (Tyler Myers, Ehrhoff and Regehr) before a whistle stopped play.
18:16 - DEVILS GOAL. I spoke too soon. It looks like Petr Sykora's shot went off of the shaft of Andrej Sekera's stick and bounced past Miller for the goal. Weber had another :17 left in his minor when the goal was scored. 2-1 NJ.
12:48 - We have reached the first media timeout of the period, shots are 8-3 in favor of the Devils. You can think some of the extra PP time for that early on. Buffalo has not done themselves any real favors either with an untimely offside play that killed a rush chance a minute or so ago.
10:25 - The Sabres are now being outshot 8-4 this frame. Four shots in the first half of the period is not good enough.
10:13 - DEVILS GOAL. Rob Ray was just talking about Ilya Kovalchuk's play in the game tonight and the star gets his second goal of the game. A good tip shot past Miller on a solid pass by Adam Henrique. Some suspect defensive play by Buffalo came into play on the goal. 3-1 NJ.
5:36 - Final media timeout of regulation and Buffalo has come back with a few more shots recently. They trail in that department 9-7 this frame, and 28-27 overall. Now would be a good time for some of the secondary scoring to get in the act to help out Vanek and Pominville.
3:45 - Scoring change: Jason Pominville is now credited with the lone Sabres' goal, it is his 21st of the season.
:8.5 - DEVILS GOAL. There is the hat trick goal for Ilya Kovalchuk, some more icing on the proverbial cake. 4-1 NJ.
End of game
New Jersey 4, Sabres 1
1:44 - (NJ) Petr Sykora (13) PPG, (Adam Henrique, Ilya Kovalchuk)
9:47 - (NJ) Ilya Kovalchuk (24), (Adam Henrique, Mark Fayne)
19:51 - (NJ) Ilya Kovalchuk (25) ENG, (Zach Parise)
Penalties
3:23 - (NJ) Andy Greene (2 min, tripping)
17:29 - (BUF) Derek Roy (2 min, tripping)
Shots on Goal
BUF - 10 (30), NJ - 12 (31)
Postgame
Penalties, penalties, penalties. How many times are the Sabres going to get burned by the lazy, lack of effort penalties that continue to dog them at key times? This was a game the team needed to have in the overall scheme of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Instead, it is a loss with no points gained in the standings and another night where you look at what could have been. If Mike Weber does not take the bad cross checking minor at the end of the second period then the start of the third is different. Ehrhoff's minor was killed off by the time New Jersey took the lead for good. The Sabres can attone for the loss in Philadelphia against the Flyers on Thursday night. The puck drops at 7 o'clock on the flagship home of the Sabres Radio Network - WGR Sports Radio 550. Pregame with Mike Schopp and the Bulldog kicks off our coverage at 6 p.m.