This score is deceptive... the game was over early and the Sabres were all over the New York Islanders from the get go. Want some ugly stats? How about 5 first period goals on 10 shots, chasing Islanders goalie Mike Dunham after one period. With Rick DiPietro out of the lineup with headaches, the Isles were then forced to turn to AHL journeyman Wade Dubiliewicz (by the way we saw him in net back in January when we visited Worcester, as he was playing for the Isles farm team Bridgeport Sound that night). For the final two periods it was mop duty.
Two of those goals by Buffalo were scored shorthanded... and Daniel Paille was skunked on three point blank opportunities, including two breakaways, otherwise it would have been uglier.
New York then got two goals early in the third to cut it to 5-3; Lindy called a time out to refocus the team and they played with a bit more conviction the rest of the way.
With the win the team goes to 107 points and retakes the overall league lead. With one more win they will clinch the East and first seed... maybe tomorrow night in Montreal!
Other observations from the game:
-Was that Nicholas Picholas wearing #81 for the Isles tonight??? Just kidding, but actually, Miroslav Satan was such a non factor in the game that Buffalo fans didn't get much of a chance to boo him.
-Philadelphia lost tonight, meaning they officially clinch 30th and last place in the standings. That means that Buffalo will have the 31st overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft, the pick we got in the Biron trade.
-The whole "Teddy Nolan comes to Buffalo" thing is yesterday's news. The fanfare and salute should have happened back in January. Tonight it would have come across as idiotic.
-You almost have to feel sorry for the Islanders...yeah they are still in the mix in the six way race for the final three spots, but with DiPietro out and Ryan Smyth injured, one can't like their chances.
-And last, Detroit lost in a shootout tonight, meaning a loss of one point in the President's Trophy race. Detroit's remaining schedule? Home and homes vs Columbus and Chicago. Ugh!
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