Ron Rolston's right. Despite the 3-0 hole that his team had fallen into at the end of the first period on Friday night, the Sabres were still in the game. The Sabres played a hard, physical style for the first 18.5 minutes of the game, limiting the Rangers' time and space in all three zones. There weren't many chances for either team. The Rangers, having played the night before, came out of the garage fast, however, I though that Rolstin had the answer for it by rolling his four lines and playing tight transitional D.
The Rangers were more lucky than good in the final ninety seconds of play. They were the beneficiaries of two of the tastiest lollipop hops for goals that you will ever see in your life. Their first goal of the night kissed off Pardy's skate, while the second found Ehhrhoff's boot and in it went. Clowe's goal was the insult to injury.
Remember, the Sabres were still in it at 3-0. A fast, disciplined start to the second period is all the team needed to manufacturer to pick themselves up off the mat and to dust themselves off.
What I cannot or will not understand is how poorly the Sabres played at the beginning of the second period. What an awful performance.
The Sabres saved their worst second period craptacular for their most important game of the season.
4-0 right off the bat.
Miller was hooked for Enroth.
5-0 shortly thereafter. Enroth gives up a goal on the first shot he faced.
6-0 and the game wasn't even 28 minutes old. The rout was on.
It all could have been avoided with a proper, disciplined start to the second period.
Stupid me. I was fully expecting the Sabres team that battled the Bruins on Tuesday night to answer the bell in period two. What happened to THAT team? You know, the one that impressively beat Philly, Tampa, and Boston as a prelude to the game of the season against NY Rangers? The Sabres who were kicked 5-1 against Montreal returned to play the second period on Friday night.
How can a team's personality be so manic and mercurial in the spean of one week, with its playoff life on the line? They were awful against the Bruins. They won three in a row. They folded in an elimination game.
Christian Ehrhoff and Reggie Sekera were -5 apiece in the only game that mattered this season. They failed miserably and their mistakes, along with those of others, killed the playoff buzz. Porter, Hodgson, and Ennis were -3 apiece, while Ott, Vanek, Pysyk, Pardy, and Flynn were -2 apiece.
I don't get it. Do you?
No wonder Ron Rolston was spitting mad after the debacle on Friday night. Can you blame him?
Thanks, sabres.com
Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers showed the Sabres how to take control of a playoff elimination game.
The Rangers victory eliminated both the Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers from playoff contention in the East.
By winning Friday night, the Rags nailed down sole possession of eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 50 points. They now lead ninth place Winnipeg by two points and are only one point behind the seventh place Islanders.
Ryan Miller was brutally honest in his post game presser on Friday night. Frankly, I'm surprised that Miller was as forthcoming as he was, considering that he was heckled by the fans after giving up four goals, then was pulled and replaced by Jhonas Enroth.
Video provided by The Buffalo News
Miller went on to say:
“We haven’t lived up to any kind of expectation. It’s just been years and years of not getting it done. So if they (the fans) want change, if they’re pissed off, that’s fine.
It’s not like we haven’t been searching for a way to satisfy our needs that basically satisfy their needs."
“We just haven’t got a job done. You don’t win over Buffalo fans by losing hockey games and putting up mediocre seasons. The last three years have pretty much been that.”
Thomas Vanek was understandably upset. Losing 8-4 in a playoff elimination game is unacceptable. Vanek wasn't making excuses after the snoozer.
Vanek said that the the Sabres lost the game in the blink of an eye. The Sabres allowed 5 goals in a 2:58 second span between the end of the second period and the beginning of the second period.
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