Sabres working too much overtime!
By Rick Anderson
February 17, 2000
Four overtimes and counting. The Sabres have played four straight overtime contests and are winless in their last three as they played the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 1-1 time Wednesday night in
Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena.
With Dominik Hasek once again playing spectacular in goal and the third period winding down, the Sabres thought their 1-0 lead would hold up. But suddenly, off a faceoff, a sudden shot by Alexei Kovalev ruined Buffalo's chance to win their first game in Pittsburgh in four years.
Hasek was surprised as anybody when Kovalev finally solved the Buffalo goaltender, who had shutdown the Penguins for the entire night. Robert Lang too the faceoff but Rhett Warrener got it and attempted to get it back into the corner.
The Sabres had outplayed the Pens for most of the night, especially in the second period when they outshot Pittsburgh 16-5. However, the Penguins had a pretty outstanding performance from their goalie as well. Jean-Sebastien Aubin was superb in goal as he made 35 saves, some of them Hasek-style. The Sabres picked up their hitting game, and were able to control Jaromir Jagr. Michael Peca is finally coming back to the form he has displayed in previous seasons the past few weeks. Against Pittsburgh, he was operating on all cylinders as he was once again making the ferocious hits that have been the trademark of his game.
"I think you have to look at the way we played," said Lindy Ruff. "We missed a lot of opportunities. We could have run away with it in the second period. Aubin made about six or seven big saves to keep the game at 0-0. The one that got through wasn't the best one."
Hasek is definitely back in his old groove. You can tell that he's on top of his game when he starts batting the puck around. Last night he did it twice. The first time he grabbed the puck, threw it up in the air and hit it right to a Sabres' forward, who then rushed up the ice. Many of his 28 saves were the kind that few humans are capable of making.
Hasek has not lost since he came back from his 3 month hiatus. He is 2-0-3 since returning February 1 and is playing his best since last year's first round playoffs against the Ottawa Senators when he almost single-handedly broke their backs when the Sabres swept them.
The Sabres opened the scoring very late in the second period when they were on a power play.
Geoff Sanderson scored in his third straight game at the 19:38 mark of the second period. Brian Holzinger got a pass off to Sanderson and he roared down the right side. As he got close to the Pittsburgh goal, he put a shot on net and it glanced off Aubin's glove and into the net. It was the first goal that Aubin had allowed at home in 8 periods.
"He was in on three or four great opportunities," Ruff said about his winger. "He's really skating well again. If you keep shooting, it will go in."
"It's all confidence," said Sanderson. "Every game I'm getting more and more scoring chances. It's just a wave, and I want to stay on top of it for as long as I can."
Pittsburgh claimed that they scored early in the third period. Jagr got a shot off on Hasek from the right of the Sabres goalie and it bounced of Hasek and slid towards the goal. Hasek got his trapper on the puck and covered up before it went in. The Penguins argued that the puck went in and finally got a video review. However, the replays were inconclusive and it was upheld as no goal.
"We're at home, why doesn't the goal judge just throw the red light on and let everybody argue?" asked Pens coach Herb Brooks. "That's the old-time hockey. Just throw it on and argue. (Penguins forward Jan) Hrdina said it was in. That's all I know."
Then came the goal that spoiled the Sabres hopes of advancing on the Penguins in the Eastern Conference playoff race. After a faceoff to Hasek's right, Kovalev got the puck and put a slap shot over Hasek's left shoulder and the Sabres were primed for their fourth straight overtime game.
"It was a great shot by Kovalev,"said Hasek about the sudden shot . "It went off the crossbar and went in. He surprised everybody. It was a great shot between my defensemen. The only way I could have stopped that was to be one foot higher in the crease. I didn't see anything."
Aubin, meanwhile was making unbelievable saves, causing the Sabres to shake their heads.
"We could have run away with the game and Aubin made six or seven really good saves to keep it 0-0," said Ruff. "Then the one that got through probably wasn't the best one."
The Sabres got the only shot off in the 4-on-4 overtime. Peca was able to get a hip check on Jagr that got the Penguins a bit perturbed with the Sabres' captain. Jagr went down with an apparent leg injury and stayed on the bench the rest of the overtime.
"Scary thing," Brooks said about the injury. "(Peca) led with his knee."
With the tie, the Sabres remain four points behind the Penguins. Buffalo remains in 9th place, behind the 8th place Rangers by 3 points. Holzinger was upset with the loss opportunity to gain on the Penguins.
"To have two points slip away like that is frustrating,"he said.
The Sabres continue to struggle scoring goals. They have scored 9 goals in their last 5 games, or under 2 goals per game in that time span.
Martin Biron will man the pipes against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night in Marine Midland Arena to start a four game homestand.
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"It was a funny bounce,"said Jay McKee. "What's supposed to happen is Rhett (Warrener) tips the puck back toward me. I'm supposed to go back and pick up the puck. When Rhett tipped it, it hit someone's skate. He (Kovalev) got a lucky bounce. Ten out of 10 times, it's my puck in the corner."
Jean-Sebastien Aubin makes a catching save and was outstanding in goal, making 35 saves against the Sabres
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