Sabres chase Hasek in Dominating Homecoming
By Rick Anderson
March 11, 2002
"What can I say” asked Hasek after the humiliating loss. “I was excited to be back, but disappointed after the game. We were a little sluggish, and I didn't have my best game either. The way we played, we had no chance of beating them."
The Sabres were bolstered by a two-man advantage in the first period and they advantage of that, scoring two quick goals. Miroslav Satan got the Sabres on the board 4:03 in the first period when he blasted a shot from the point. Curtis Brown jumped out of the way of the rocket, but at the same time was screening Hasek. It appeared as if Brown may have touched the puck, but Satan was given full credit for that one. It took Brown only 38 seconds to get one of his own as he took a pass from Maxim Afinogenov and got it past a bewildered Hasek.
Brown played a crucial part in the Sabres third goal of the period. With the Sabres shothanded, Brown got his stick on a pass by Chris Chelios and it just so happened to turn into a perfect pass for Afinogenov, who was just getting out of the penalty box. He took the redirected pass and broke in alone on Hasek. Maxim had no trouble deking Hasek and making him look foolish as he scored with 6:34 remaining in the wild first period.
Then came the worst goal of them all for Hasek. Chris Gratton broke in on Hasek with J.P. Dumont on his right. Thinking that Gratton was going to pass to Dumont, Hasek dove to Dumont’s side in anticipation of a pass. When Gratton saw a huge gapping net, his eyes became as big as pucks. He had no trouble putting the puck in the empty net as Hasek lay foolishly on the ice in what could be the most embarrassing goal he has ever allowed. The goal came just 72 seconds after the second period had begun and was Gratton’s 4th goal in 5 games.
"I just guessed, and I made a funny move,” explained Hasek. “I don't know why. It was the worst goal I've ever given up."
Even Sabres goalie Martin Biron, who allowed just one goal against the high-flying Wings, thought Hasek’s move was hilarious.
"I thought it was funny,” smiled Biron. “That's the first time I've ever seen him do that."
Biron was stellar in goal for the third straight game. He had his shutout streak stop at 2 games and one period when Pavel Datsyuk put one past Hasek’s heir in the Sabres goal. But that was it. Biron shut the door to the Wings and made 19 saves. Meanwhile, Hasek made 18 saves on 22 shots and decided he didn’t want to sit on the bench in the final period when Wings coach Scotty Bowman decided to pull the veteran netminder in favor of Manny Legace. Hasek decided to ride the exercise bike in the final period rather than face the chants of Sabres fans, who had been riding his case the whole game, jeering him and cheering him when he made easy saves.
Legace made 6 saves in relief of Hasek, but allowed the fifth Buffalo goal when Satan notched his second of the game.
While the Red Wings went to the airport to fly back to Detroit, Hasek stayed in Buffalo so he could meet with the “Hasek’s Heroes” charity organization he has with the Buffalo Variety Club. Hasek donated $1 million to help develop youth hockey for the underprivileged in Buffalo.
After the game, however, Hasek would not back down from the parting shots he directed at the Sabres organization when he was traded to Detroit. Hasek made it perfectly clear that he wanted to get a chance to play with a real contender for the Stanley Cup. When asked if he thought the Sabres were Cup contenders, he had no comment, but indicated that they didn’t have what it took. Hasek also handpicked just who the Sabres could pry away from the talent-rich Red Wings. It turned out to be Slava Kozlov and a first round choice. As it turned out, Kozlov’s season was ended when he had his Achilles tendon severed and the No. 1 draft choice will be the final one of the first round as the Wings will have the most points this season.
When put to on the spot, Hasek would not backdown from what he said last June.
"I don't know what to say," Hasek replied when asked if maybe, just maybe he was misunderstood back then. "What I said, I think is the right thing. I agree that this team (Detroit) is more talented than the Sabres. I agree that this team, I have a bigger chance to win the Cup with. I'll repeat it. I don't know what else to say. Whatever they feel, I can't control their feelings. I just said what I thought was the right thing to say. I have no regrets."
Maybe it was that attitude that inspired to do their best to humiliate their former superstar. Not too many on the team hinted that they even thought about Hasek before the game. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said that during his post game press conference, he had mentioned Hasek’s name for the first time that day. Others echoed Ruff’s response. But only Sabre who was on the team BEFORE Hasek was acquired from Chicago 10 years ago, felt free to speak his mind about the Dominator.
"Obviously, (the team) wanted to beat Dom with the way he left and the things he said about us,"
said Rob Ray. "We wanted to show him we're a better team than he would give us credit for. Guys were a little upset that he didn't understand that he wouldn't have done a lot of the things he did here if it wasn't for us. It was a very big game for us, to get a chance to give it to him a little bit."
"Any win's big, but I obviously think this one's big for the players in here and for management because it was a big decision they had to make. For morale it was a very big win for the whole organization. Hopefully we'll build off that."
Hasek even admitted that he is selfish in wanting to end his career by finally winning the biggest thing that has eluded him all these years, the Stanley Cup.
"Maybe I am selfish," admitted Hasek. "I let other people feel what I am. I know what I am. If I'm selfish, if this is selfish, if they think I'm selfish, then maybe I am selfish."
One thing was clear in Hasek’s not so glorious return to Buffalo and that is he will have to play a lot better than he did against the Sabres if he does want to finally get his name inscribed on Lord Stanley’s silver.
With the win, the Sabres equaled their longest winning streak of the year - 3 games. The Sabres have to keep up this pace if they want to qualify for the playoffs. They are 3 points out of the final playoff spot, but a lot of good teams lie in their path the remainder of the season.
This was the day when the student beat the teacher at his own game. Biron was his usual talkative self after the game.
"It's not any nicer than any other day," Biron said about the win. "Opening the paper and seeing that we were sitting in 10th or 11th and trying to catch Montreal and the Rangers, that should be enough to get us ready to play a great game."
Biron was going for his third straight shutout, but was foiled when Pavel Datsyuk scored 4:04 into the second stanza. Biron still broke his all-time shutout record by going 144 minutes, 4 seconds without allowing a goal.
"It feels nice to respond against big teams like we have the past three games," Biron went on. "We want to ride that. We got a big win, and that's why I got a smile on my face, not because it's Dom."
Biron credited the penalty killing for helping keep the Wings off the scoreboard.
"I don't know how many penalties we killed tonight, but it was awesome," Biron said.
"They probably got one or two great scoring chances that didn't even get to me. Jay McKee made a huge save, Curtis made a huge save, even Dmitri one time turned his skate and made a huge save. Everybody really pitched in. They have the kind of team that can really hurt you on the power play, and penalty-killing-wise we were the best I've seen in a long, long time."
McKee knows the Sabres have to keep up the great hockey they suddenly have been playing since that humiliating loss to the Oilers last week.
"It's a time of the season where we don't have time for error," \ McKee said, "and to be playing what looks like the best hockey of our season right now, it's a good feeling to be sitting here."
Brown has turned it up a few notches as well the past week and has been playing playoff-type hockey during that span.
"It's such a tight league that anyone can win on any given night, and what it usually comes down to is special teams," quipped Brown. "Obviously it's real hard to score five-on-five, and the guys did a real good job on the power play getting a couple again. And then on the penalty kill we had to be ready because obviously they have the top one in the league. It was just a huge night; we knew we would give ourselves a chance if we could compete in those areas."
The final word comes from Hasek himself about how he felt about facing his former teammates.
"For me, it was another game," said Hasek. "However, I was excited to get back to Buffalo and see this building and the fans. It was sold out. For me, it was the loss. It was disappointing losing the game. I would have liked to win in Buffalo, but at the end of the day it's a loss like every other game."
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This was the grand homecoming for the Dominator. Dominik Hasek returned to, the place where he won 6 Vezina Trophies and was proclaimed by some as the best goalie of all time. Buffalo will also be the place where Hasek will remember having one of his worst performances ever. This was Hasek’s first return to the city he spent 9 years playing for and he returned with the league leading Detroit Red Wings. The Buffalo Sabres blistered Hasek for 4 goals, 3 in the first period and chased Hasek into the locker room for the third period. The Sabres beat the Wings going away, 5-1.
Welcome home Dominik! Maxim Afinogenov, after a breakaway, puts one past Red Wings goalie Dominik Hasek in his first game back since being traded to Detroit. The Sabres beat Hasek 4 times before he was replaced in the third period.
[AP Photo/Don Heupel]
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