Sabres Ruff to Coach in All Star Game

Sabres Give Ruff Ticket To Dallas
December 30, 2006By Brian Wheeler

The Buffalo Sabres are playing some of the team's best hockey in nearly a decade and a good portion of the credit can be attributed to their head coach.

Lindy Ruff can now add another accomplishment to the lengthy resume he has created while at Buffalo's helm over the past 10 seasons. For the second time during his career, Ruff has earned the right to guide the leauge's best talent come mid-season.

Boasting a conference-best 57 points entering the game, Buffalo solidified Ruff as the Eastern Conference's head coach at the 2007 NHL All-Star game with a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday night in HSBC Arena. Needing just a point, the win guaranteed Buffalo would finish ahead of the second-place Thrashers at the All-Star deadline later next week.

"It's great for the organization and he deserves it," said Brian Campbell. "That shows all the work that the coaches and management have done over the years. It's nice when you can get rewarded for that work with some accolades along the way."

Ruff could see as many as four Sabres players alongside him in Dallas on January 23. As of Monday, Campbell led all Eastern Conference defensemen in fan balloting, while Daniel Briere ranked third and Maxim Afinogenov sits at fourth among forwards. Ryan Miller, who stopped 29-of-30 shots against Atlanta, leads all goaltenders.

"It's a tremendous honor to go," said Ruff. "What will make it special is that I hope we have four of our players there. That would be the great thing about it. I could play our guys and sit the rest of the league."

"It's would be nice for the guys that get the opportunity to go to the game to have a familiar face in the locker room," added Campbell.

Coaching Buffalo's last game before the New Year, the winningest coach in team history with 333 career victories has had a pretty good 2006. After leading Buffalo to within 20 minutes of the Stanley Cup Finals, Ruff was named last season's recipient of the Jack Adams Award as the league's Coach of the Year. Add the fact that his team opened the 2006-07 season with a 10-game winning streak and things probably couldn't get much better for the longest-tenured coach in the league.

"I don't know if it can be any bigger," said Ruff when asked about the past year. "It was a tremendous finish to last season and a tremendous start to this year. It's been a lot of fun for us, a lot of fun for our fans and a lot of fun for the city. Hopefully, we can start 2007 in the same fashion."

Sabres Tickets

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Hockey night in America
By Kara Yorio - SportingNews

A series of little lighted signs greets you in the concourse at Buffalo Niagara International Airport:
Enjoy this beautiful season
Go Sabres!
Is that two thoughts or one?

Do Buffalo fans even know the holidays are here amid all the Sabres celebrations since October? They hope the good times run long past New Year's Day.

The Sabres are a team with speed, depth and two quality goaltenders. Many of the players developed together within the organization. They know one another's strengths and weaknesses, and they are friends. The Sabres have skill but perhaps more often are categorized as hardworking. General manager Darcy Regier has built a team for the postlockout, salary capped NHL, and Lindy Ruff coaches it well.

An ode (or five) to Buffalo:

In November, Kara asked you why Buffalo is such a great hockey city, and the response was overwhelming. Here are the comments that ran in the December 22 issue of Sporting News magazine.:
The Buffalo fans learned hockey from the best, our neighbors up north, just a few minutes' drive away. We grow up on real chicken wings and Hockey Night in Canada. --Knabber

Hockey is deeply woven into the fabric of the culture. It lives in the soul of every Western New Yorker. --JayTheMachine

As soon as we were ealking, we were stickhandling, and then not even a 5-foot dusting on Valentine's Day could stop us from emulating our blue-and-gold heroes in the side street or on the neighborhood pond. --Bill Cox

This is a blue-collar tem playing for a blue-collar city. Buffalo isn't a city with a hockey team, it's a hockey team with a city behind it. --sabresrsick123

Maybe football is part of our national psyche, but hockey is quietly, more intimately, who we are. --Dennis O'Brien The result has been amazing success. Through 29 games, the Sabres had won 22 and earned at least a point in 24. Now, a great hockey town is hockey crazy. The Buffalo News recently said these Sabres are "being embraced by this town like few other teams have."
Chris Drury, who previously had NHL stints in Colorado and Calgary, feels the spirit -- and did even before this season. "It's been amazing since I first got here," says Drury, who was traded to Buffalo in July 2003. "Even in the summertime, the people are excited."

Not so long ago, a crooked owner and bad economy left seats empty and the Sabres bankrupt, their survival in doubt. Then along came billionaire Tom Golisano of nearby Rochester, N.Y. He saved the organization by buying the team. And he's a fan, just like the rest of them; he cheers at every game and has plenty of company -- the Sabres already have sold out all of their home games.

On a recent Friday night, HSBC Arena was playoff-loud during a shootout against the Rangers. When Ryan Miller made the save that secured a Sabres victory, the building shook with noise and a wave of high fives and hugs moved through the arena.

One night later, with the team on the road, a downtown bar filled as game time approached.
On two floors of Pearl Street Grill & Brewery -- four blocks from the arena -- all but one TV showed the Sabres pregame show. The music was off in favor of an interview with Ruff.
A few minutes into the first period, that one TV was changed to the Sabres. Every person in a crowd dotted with Sabres T-shirts and jerseys watched the game. The air hockey, bubble hockey and pool tables were still. Here, the Sabres game is not background noise; socializing starts when the game ends. It's like this all the time, I'm assured by locals, but it's even more intense this season. Not to knock good American fans farther south, but there is a deeper passion for the game in Buffalo. The city's proximity to the border produces a Canadian-like love for and knowledge of hockey. The people of Buffalo watch Hockey Night in Canada, fight tough winters and enjoy months of outdoor ice. And when the Sabres are this good, the area goes crazy.

In Buffalo, it is indeed a beautiful season. Enjoy.

Kara Yorio is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail her at kyorio@sportingnews.com.

Capitals - Sabres Wrap-Up 6-3

What a goal scoring exhibition put on by the Sabres in the first 11 minutes of tonights game!!! It seemed like every other shot they took blasted past the Caps goaltender. Actually I believe it was 6 goals in 16 shots.

Great fight by Peters vs Brashear, one of the toughest in the league, good goaltending by Miller, and great play by the defense to hold back the Caps in the Third Period!! Way to go Sabres.

Capitals-Sabres Preview

Capitals-Sabres Preview




7:00 PM EST

TV Information
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Local start: 7:00 PM

Local Home:
MSG
Local Away:
CSN-W

Washington's Alex Ovechkin didn't make any friends the last time he faced the Buffalo Sabres.

Ovechkin faces the Sabres for the first time since his first career ejection when the Capitals visit HSBC Arena on Tuesday.

Ovechkin checked Sabres star Daniel Briere from behind into the boards in Washington's 7-4 victory on Dec. 2. That set off several skirmishes, and Buffalo's Paul Gaustad went after Ovechkin, who did not throw a punch in retaliation.

"He got turned around and I hit him," Ovechkin said. "I didn't want to give him some injury. It was an accident."

Ovechkin, along with Gaustad and Buffalo's Adam Mair, received game misconducts, and 79 minutes in penalties were assessed in total. The Sabres were hoping for a suspension, but Ovechkin never received one.

"(Briere) was defenseless. He went headfirst into the boards," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "I think if (Washington) looked at it through their eyes and it was Ovechkin going headfirst into the wall, I think they'd feel the same way. We don't need those plays in the game."

Ruff wasn't upset at his players' reaction to the hit.

"I like the way we reacted to that play," he told the Sabres' official Web site. "I don't care if Gaustad gets kicked out of a game for doing what he did. He needed to do what he did and Mair's going to be right there behind him."

Ovechkin, who scored a goal before the ejection, is tied with Atlanta's Marian Hossa for the league lead with 24 goals and is tied for fourth with 47 points. The reigning Calder Trophy winner had a goal and an assist in Saturday's 3-2 win over Toronto - the eighth in 12 games for Washington (16-12-7).

Enforcer Donald Brashear helped out in the most recent win, getting into a fight with Toronto's Wade Belak after Mats Sundin scored a pair of goals 14 seconds apart in the third period to pull the Maple Leafs within one.

"Brashear did a good job in his scrap to settle things down," Capitals coach Glen Hanlon said.

The Sabres (25-7-3) have dropped three of their last four but lead the Eastern Conference with 53 points, second-most in the NHL behind Anaheim (60).

Buffalo is coming off Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to St. Louis. Jason Pominville had a goal and an assist and Briere had a pair of assists for the Sabres, who fell to 17-2-1 when leading heading into the third period.

Backup goaltender Martin Biron started for the second straight game and made 29 saves. He has allowed five goals in the two outings. Starter Ryan Miller gave up three goals in the first 7:45 of the 7-4 loss to the Caps earlier this month.

After a pair of games on the road, including a 7-2 win at Nashville on Thursday, Buffalo is opening a four-game homestand. The Sabres have won seven of their last nine games against the Capitals and four of six in Buffalo.


-- Associated Press

What A Game Against Nashville

Wow what a game tonight against Nashville, the goal scorers really came alive tonight. Here is the Game Summary...look for the video replay tomorrow.
First Period
1-0 (0:33): Brian Campbell snaps a low wristshot from the point that is deflected by Ales Kotalik between Chris Mason's legs for Buffalo's first goal. The score is Kotalik's second in as many games and both goals came in the first 34 seconds of the game. Campbell gets the lone helper on Kotalik's eighth goal.

2-0 (5:43): Jason Pominville beats Chris Mason shortside from the goal line with a one-timer to give Buffalo the 2-0 lead. Pominville received the feed from Daniel Briere behind the net. The goal is Pominville's 14th of the season. Jaroslav Spacek gets the second helper.

2-1 (8:57): Nashville scores their fifth shorthanded goal of the season midway through the first. On a two-on-one rush, Martin Erat one-timed David Legwand's across-ice pass into a wide-open net to record his seventh of the season. Kimmo Timonen gets the secondary helper.

Second Period
3-1 (5:25): Toni Lydman one-times his own rebound off the back boards into the top-right corner of the net for the Sabres third goal of the game and his first of the season. Jiri Novotny and Jason Pominville record the assists.

4-1 (15:18): Maxim Afinogenov scores his 15th of the season with a dazzling move. Racing into the offensive zone, Afinogenov cut wide around Dan Hamhuis before beating Chris Mason just inside the left post. Derek Roy and Toni Lydman get the helpers.

5-1 (17:45): Maxim Afinogenov scored his second of the night and 16th of the season after blistering a one-timer off Derek Roy's across-ice pass. Roy and Thomas Vanek record the primary and secondary helpers.

Third Period
5-2 (3:02): On the power play, Jaron Arnott snapped a loose puck into the back of the net from the left wing for his eighth goal of the season. Steve Sullivan and Ryan Suter record the assists on Arnott's fifth power-play goal this season.

6-2 (17:03): On the power play, Ales Kotalik ripped a one-timer into the top-right corner of the net for his second goal of the game, ninth of the season and second with the man advantage. Nathan Paetsch and Paul Gaustad get the helpers.

7-2 (17:28): Trailing an odd-man rush on the power-play, Jason Pominville one-timed Daniel Briere's drop pass into the top-right corner of the net for his second goal of the night, 15th of the season and second with the man advantage.

Full Game Rebroadcast 12/19

Follow this link to a Full Rebroadcast of the December 19 game vs. Montreal. Tough games guys, gotta capitalize on those scoring chances and SHOOT THE PUCK. Again guilty of overpassing, they have to keep pressure on the goalie if they want to keep winning, somehow it seems they are moving away from that principle.

http://www.nhl.com/video/app?page=GameHighlights&service=page&gid=492&gtid=2&season=20062007&media=/20062007/02/0492/IH_NHL_2006_2007_492_2_300K_continuous.wmv

Buffalo Sabres 06-07 hit reel - part I

Here are some great hit and fights from the season so far.

Afinogenov Highlight Reel

Some Highlights of Max Afinogenov.

Ticket Auction

Suite Tickets Available in Auction

December 13, 2006
PLACE YOUR BID

The Sabres are auctioning three pairs of Sabres Alumni Suite tickets to each of the six remaining December home games (December 14/16/19/26/28/30). Food and beverage will be included in the suite, and members of the Buffalo Sabres Alumni will also be in attendance.

Each ticket auction will have a staggered closing time based on the date of the game. Please check the individual auctions for the official bid closing times.

The Buffalo Sabres Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit foundation that is committed to enhancing the quality of life for the Western New York region. In the process, the foundation strives to assist worthwhile organizations that make this region a better place to live and work. The primary focus of the foundation is to assist youth hockey initiatives, children's health and wellness initiatives, specifically those that serve the underprivileged and handicapped, and to provide support to non-profit organizations and groups that provide vital services to those in need in our community.

This auction can be found at http://www.sabres.com.

Sabres Coast to Victory Against Panthers 2-1

It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't easy but the Sabres rolled to another victory against the Panthers. Excellent goal tending my Ryan Miller was the key tonight. I Max Afinogenov had a great game, scoring one goal and creating a number of scoring chances. Sabres looked better in the power play than they have the last couple games.

Feel free to post your comments on tonights game!!

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