He’s a Sabre Killer. Would score playoff goals with the Flyers, helped the 05-06 Hurricanes beat the Sabres and win the Cup, and now this.
(Ironically, he’s exactly the type of guy we need.)
“BOSTON — Mark Recchi knows the tricks. That’s what happens when a player skates for 21 seasons. He learns what works and what doesn’t. He made it work Tuesday night. The 42-year-old forward set up Patrice Bergeron with 7:03 left, snapping a 1-1 tie and leading the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. The loss in Game Three dropped the Sabres into a 2-1 hole in the best-of-seven series.”
Not nice being on the receiving end of such antics, but give Boychuck credit. Just doing his job. Wish the Sabres had a guy laying out Bruins.
(Also, hope Vanek is back Wed. like the below speculates.)
damn jboy you’re just gonna take out all the awesome sabres huh? first vanek, now ellis? I APPROVE.
Except he’s not doing a good job. Ellis came right back, and Vanek should be back on Wednesday.
Love this video from Game 2 pregame. Was there and it was LOUD!
Bruins 5, Sabres 3 (Final)
I was at the game today. It was no doubt exciting and we came out flying at the start. Big loss losing Vanek in the first, but injuries happen. It’s playoff time: character and others stepping up should make up for it. That didn’t happen in today’s case.
You do have to give Boston a lot of credit. They played a great road game, hung around, and had especially good defense in the third — constantly disrupting plays, keeping sticks active, and blocking shooting lanes. This made it difficult for Buffalo to mount any kind of a comeback.
But it’s only one game and anyone who expected this to be a quick series has another thing coming. It will continue to be a battle. That battle resumes Monday in Boston.
At A Glance:
Goals for Buffalo: Thomas Vanek (4:52, 1st), Craig Rivet (14:10, 2nd)
Goal for Boston: Mark Recchi (PP, 9:30, 2nd)
Final Shots: 39-32 Boston (24-8 Bruins in 2nd period)
Power Plays: Boston 1-for-2, Buffalo 0-for-5
Shots On Goal: Zdeno Chara (BOS) 6, Thomas Vanek (BUF) 5
Goaltending: Ryan Miller (BUF) 38 saves, Tuukka Rask (BOS) 30 saves
1st period: How about a 5-on-5 fight, and a goaltender staredown? Hello playoffs. Boston Bruins VS Buffalo Sabres-Line Brawl-4-15-10 (via HockeyStuffGuy)
The Finnish goaltender turned 23 years old last month. That’s a year younger than me! He’s only played in 50 NHL games - ever. While his 1.97 GAA and .931 save percentage in 45 contests this season are impressive, Rask hasn’t faced playoff pressure.
The Sabres must test him early and often. First puck drops tomorrow night at 7.
Boston has the worst home record of any team to make the NHL playoffs at 18-17-6.
But there’s the flip side of that, of course.
The Bruins have the second-best road mark in the Eastern Conference (21-13-7) and took two of their three match-ups in Buffalo this year.
Games 1 and 2 in Buffalo become all the more important for that reason, and yet, if Buffalo drops a game, the series is far from over.
Documenting The Buffalo Sabres' 2010 Playoff Run, One Puck Drop At A Time
