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Of Otters and Elephants

April 7, 2013, 11:15 PM ET [230 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Ryan Miller's mother recently wanted to visit the Buffalo zoo, so her son obliged and showed her the zoo.

Miller said that his aunt Laurie accompanied he and his mother to the zoo, There, she shared her sage, wise advice with the goaltender.

The two talked about the Sabres and their quest to make the playoffs after playing so poorly earlier in the season.

The aunt told Ryan: in order to eat an elephant, that he should do it one bite at a time.

She's right. Ever try to eat an elephant in one bite. You can't. You have to cut it up in bite size pieces.

Take for example the Sabres and their remaining games schedule. Before the Jersey game, Buffalo had 10 games remaining. The Sabres will need 52-53 points in order to make the playoffs. After the win, they now have 38 points. The have 9 games to play and will need 14 more points. rather than getting anxiety about the reality that the team has to wing 7 of 9, Miller is breaking the macro down into microscopic pieces. Win all shifts. Win all loose pucks and battles. Win all periods, Win all games. Do it none times in a row.

Miller made 39 saves and was brilliant against a pesky Devils club who were in his face for most of the game. In the end, Miller slammed the door in their faces to preserve the 3-2 shootout victory, which sent the Devils to their seventh loss in a row (0-3-4).

The Sabres are on the warpath. Deal With It.


Thanks, sabres.com


Miller rose to the occasion at the end of regulation and in OT.

Future hockey hall of famer Marty Brodeur told nj.com that he saw the game differently.

"It’s really concerning that we can’t win," Brodeur said. "We played one of the teams that we should beat. I thought we deserved to beat them the way we played. But you don’t get goals for hanging onto the puck for 25 minutes a game. We drained them but we couldn't take advantage of it."

So, Marty. You consider the Sabres as of of those pushover teams you are "supposed to beat"?

Steve Ott scored his third goal in as many games and served as Buffalo's battalion chief in the victory. Ott recorded 10 of Buffalo's 44 hits and was a physical presence at both ends of the rink.



I looked him in the eye and asked him: You really believe in your heart of hearts that your team will make the playoffs this season, don't you?

To which Ott replied:

"Hell yes I do. Every guy in here believes that. We are winning because we are all on the same page. Ryan's been great, the D's been great, the forwards have been great, the young guys have been great"


Thanks, sabres.com


Ott has scored goals in three straight games. He continues to be the inspirational leader of the underdog Sabres. Its almost as if his teammates and he share the same brain. They are thinking the same way for the first time in a long time.The Sabres sit four points out of eighth place on Monday morning. There are none games left to play. Ott loves his team's chances.

Pat Kaleta scored his first goal of the season, which happened to be his fourth career goal vs. New Jersey, the most of any NHL team he's faced. There's something about New Jersey that brings out the best in Kaleta, who also delivered 7 hits and 1,000 chirps in the win.






Thanks, sabres.com





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It didn't take former Sabres capo Jason Pominville long to get on the score sheet for his new team. Pominville assisted on Ryan Suter's second period PPG to give the Wild a 1-0 lead in Columbus. He later scored his first as a Wild.

Star Tribune hockey man, Mike Russo, reports that Pommer's wife, two kids, and father, surprised Jason by arriving in Columbus unannounced to watch the game tonight.


The Wild were shutout 3-0 by the LA Kings in Pommer's debut on Thursday night.









Thanks, wild tv


Zach Parise with the sweet sauce to Pommer




Check out this sweet skate-to-stick drop pass to Suter



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Congrats to Matt Hackett. "The other guy" in the Jason Pominville trade just won his first game in Amerks gear.


The London, Ontario native trailed 2-0 early on, however, he stayed poised and gave his team a chance to tie it at 2 late in the third period on PPGs by Nick Crawford and Zemgus Girgensons.

'Rochester and Albany would play OT, with no luck.

Then, the shootout.

Hackett made all 3 stops in the shootout. For his first Amerks win.

Hackett was voted the game's first star. He made 39 saves. Nice job, young man.

Hackett was Minny's 3rd round pick (77th overall) in 2009. He's 6'2 180, and has lightning quickness from post-to-post. Excellent balance and razor sharp glove hand.

Johan Larsson, Corey Tropp, and Colin Jacobs scored in the shootout for Rochester.


Nice win.



Matt Hackett Trivia:

He is the nephew of former long time NHL goalie, Jeff Hackett, who played for the Islanders, Blackhawks, Sharks, Canadiens, Bruins, and Flyers.




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