How it happened: Nik Zherdev pushed a well-placed, cross-slot pass from Mike Richards past Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller at 16:44 of the second period to put the Flyers ahead 3-1. It came after the Flyers survived a lopsided first period onslaught and before they survived a third period in which the Sabres had a five-on-three power play.
Heroes: Brian Boucher's play in the last 10 minutes of the first period saved the Flyers from what might have become an imposing Sabres lead. Released from the press box, Zherdev scored the third goal. Defenseman Kimmo Timonen was great, as usual.
Goat: Buffalo defenseman Chris Butler whiffed on a clearing attempt. Scott Hartnell hustled to the puck and fed Danny Briere for the go-ahead, second-period goal.
Did you know? Buffalo's 16 shots in the first period were its most in a period of the series so far. The Flyers had 16 shots in the second period of Game 1.
Hit parade: Once again the Sabres were the more physical team. Especially given their status as one of the league's most penalized teams, the Flyers have done an amazing job taking extra shots without retaliating. Briere was choked after a whistle and Hartnell took a punch to the neck without retaliating.
Living on the edge: Whether he was taking penalties, drawing penalties, knocking his own net off its moorings or picking up loose pucks to create goals, Hartnell was a force.
History lesson: The Sabres had won five straight home playoff games against the Flyers before last night, outscoring them 26-7. The Sabres are now 9-9 all-time in Game 3s.
Showing posts with label hockey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hockey. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
2011 NHL Playoffs: Flyers Crush Sabres 5-4 In A Wild Night In Philly
It was a wild one, but the Philadelphia Flyers earned themselves a huge victory in Game 2 against the Buffalo Sabres at Wells Fargo Center. Danny Briere scored the game-winning goal late in the second period when he redirected a Scott Hartnell shot with his skate, beating Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller.
That tally was a 5-on-5 marker, but the game didn't really get much of a flow at even strength. In total, 54 penalty minutes were handed out in a game that was just insane from the drop of the puck. Six goals were scored in the first period alone, leading to an early shower for Flyers starter Sergei Bobrovsky.
When Brian Boucher entered late in the first to relieve Bob, the game cooled down quite a bit in terms of the "holy-crap-everything-is-going-in-the-net" factor. But that didn't lead to a slow down in emotion. Seemingly every whistle was followed by an altercation, and after the tight-checking, low-scoring affair we saw in Game 1 on Thursday, Saturday's events certainly made this one feel like a playoff series.
Philadelphia was especially poor on the special teams, which you would think wouldn't bode well in a game with 54 penalty minutes. They allowed two power play goals and failed to convert on nine of their own 10 chances, but that one they did convert on turned out to be a game-changer.
It came just a few minutes prior to Briere's goal when Ville Leino snapped a shot over the shoulder of Miller. From there, the Flyers controlled things at even strength, and even when the Sabres were down by just a goal in the third period, they couldn't establish much pressure in the offensive end.
It was a fun afternoon at Wells Fargo Center for Flyers fans, although likely a bit frustrating for fans of the Sabres. The venue will switch to HSBC Arena for Game 3 on Monday night.
That tally was a 5-on-5 marker, but the game didn't really get much of a flow at even strength. In total, 54 penalty minutes were handed out in a game that was just insane from the drop of the puck. Six goals were scored in the first period alone, leading to an early shower for Flyers starter Sergei Bobrovsky.
When Brian Boucher entered late in the first to relieve Bob, the game cooled down quite a bit in terms of the "holy-crap-everything-is-going-in-the-net" factor. But that didn't lead to a slow down in emotion. Seemingly every whistle was followed by an altercation, and after the tight-checking, low-scoring affair we saw in Game 1 on Thursday, Saturday's events certainly made this one feel like a playoff series.
Philadelphia was especially poor on the special teams, which you would think wouldn't bode well in a game with 54 penalty minutes. They allowed two power play goals and failed to convert on nine of their own 10 chances, but that one they did convert on turned out to be a game-changer.
It came just a few minutes prior to Briere's goal when Ville Leino snapped a shot over the shoulder of Miller. From there, the Flyers controlled things at even strength, and even when the Sabres were down by just a goal in the third period, they couldn't establish much pressure in the offensive end.
It was a fun afternoon at Wells Fargo Center for Flyers fans, although likely a bit frustrating for fans of the Sabres. The venue will switch to HSBC Arena for Game 3 on Monday night.
NHL 2011 Playoffs, Sabres vs. Flyers Game 2 Preview
Frank Servalli - CLAUDE GIROUX said this feeling, the one the Flyers have heading into tonight's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against Buffalo, reminds him of that epic series against Boston last season.
No, the Flyers aren't thinking they are going to need to duplicate one of the greatest comebacks in the history of professional sports.
And, no, the Sabres are not nearly as talented as last year's Bruins.
But the overwhelming reaction, the one inside the Flyers' locker room, is that they wholeheartedly believe that they outplayed Buffalo on Thursday night, despite coming out on the wrong side of an underwhelming 1-0 shutout loss.
It was the Flyers' first shutout loss in the playoffs since May 18, 2008, against Pittsburgh.
That's why another Flyer compared Game 2, which begins at 5 o'clock today at the Wells Fargo Center, to a roulette wheel at your favorite casino. Even after landing on red eight spins in a row, each individual roll is an independent attempt with the same odds as any other - despite what the electronic board next to it, or the scoreboard in the series, says.
"It's a totally new game," Kimmo Timonen said. "It doesn't matter if you lost or won Game 1."
That's why the Flyers have no plans on changing their strategy for tonight's grudge match, as they hope to take a series split to Buffalo for Game 3 on Monday night.
"I think we'll just stick with our game plan, what we've done the entire year," coach Peter Laviolette said. "We've scored a lot of goals this year, so I think there is a lot of confidence in that. We were one of the top scoring teams in the league."
Still, as Laviolette said on Thursday night: "This is a new team and a new year."
This isn't the same team that trumped Boston. And the Flyers seem to recognize that, and the fact that they have coughed up the home-ice advantage in this series already.
"We know we can win on the road," said Danny Briere, whose team set a franchise record for road wins in a season this year. "But yet, [tonight's] game is a big one. We definitely don't want to be in the hole two-zip."
Laviolette and the rest of the Flyers seemed to be happy with the intensity and energy levels. And that's fine. But there is no guarantee, even if they play well again tonight and fall, that they have the magic to do what they did last year. The Flyers know they are flirting with fire.
"I don't think it's the game that we have a problem with," Laviolette said. "It's the score. That's the issue. We're on limited time here in the playoffs. And if you don't make your mark, you don't get to go on."
Pronger update
The news continues to be less encouraging for Chris Pronger, who, once again, skated separately from his teammates early yesterday morning in an attempt to prepare himself for the Flyers' first-round matchup with Buffalo.
Pronger, who was not available to the media, focused mainly on skating and only briefly handled the puck.
Officially, the Flyers continue to list Pronger as day-to-day and a "game-day decision," with his right hand injury, though team sources say Pronger will not play tonight against Buffalo in Game 2. He remains unlikely to even be available for Game 3 in Buffalo on Monday.
Lineup change?
Nik Zherdev last played in a Stanley Cup playoff game back on April 28, 2009. He has had almost 2 full years to think about how his Rangers coughed up a 3-1 series lead to Washington - and how he didn't net a single point in the seven-game series.
Zherdev might finally get a chance to right one of those wrongs tonight in Game 2 against Buffalo. He flip-flopped lines in yesterday's practice, skating more with Kris Versteeg and Mike Richards.
Zherdev, who had 16 regular-season goals, was a healthy scratch for the 25th time this season, on Thursday. He was the key cog in the Flyers' 2-for-6 power-play success in Ottawa on April 5. Dan Carcillo is a prime candidate to come out of the lineup, having played a team-low 6 minutes, 26 seconds in a limited role in Game 1. Andreas Nodl was more noticeable with six hits in 11:07 of ice time.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has been around the game long enough to know the difference between a win well-earned and a win stolen - not that it much matters in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Ruff probably believes his team's Game 1 win was somewhere in the middle.
At the same time, he knows that posting just 25 shots again, without dominating the play in Game 2, will make it tougher on his team to leave with a sweep in South Philadelphia.
"We know we can be better," Ruff said yesterday. "We played a strong game. But we can play a better game. We didn't spend the time in the offensive zone we wanted. I think we really have to get after it in Game 2. I thought that hurt us."
Sabres forward Nathan Gerbe, who set up the game's only goal, said they need to do a better job of taking pressure off Ryan Miller.
"I just think everyone needs to come together," Gerbe said. "We're not going to put it on one person. Each game is going to get harder and everyone has to rise up."
Slap shots
Peter Laviolette said he thought rookie netminder Sergei Bobrovsky was "fine" in Game 1, stopping 24 of 25 shots . . . Interesting to note that backup goalie Brian Boucher is 4-1 in playoff games against Buffalo with a 1.94 goals-against average . . . The Flyers are 35-29 in Game 2s and are 18-16 all-time in Game 2 following a Game 1 loss.
No, the Flyers aren't thinking they are going to need to duplicate one of the greatest comebacks in the history of professional sports.
And, no, the Sabres are not nearly as talented as last year's Bruins.
But the overwhelming reaction, the one inside the Flyers' locker room, is that they wholeheartedly believe that they outplayed Buffalo on Thursday night, despite coming out on the wrong side of an underwhelming 1-0 shutout loss.
It was the Flyers' first shutout loss in the playoffs since May 18, 2008, against Pittsburgh.
That's why another Flyer compared Game 2, which begins at 5 o'clock today at the Wells Fargo Center, to a roulette wheel at your favorite casino. Even after landing on red eight spins in a row, each individual roll is an independent attempt with the same odds as any other - despite what the electronic board next to it, or the scoreboard in the series, says.
"It's a totally new game," Kimmo Timonen said. "It doesn't matter if you lost or won Game 1."
That's why the Flyers have no plans on changing their strategy for tonight's grudge match, as they hope to take a series split to Buffalo for Game 3 on Monday night.
"I think we'll just stick with our game plan, what we've done the entire year," coach Peter Laviolette said. "We've scored a lot of goals this year, so I think there is a lot of confidence in that. We were one of the top scoring teams in the league."
Still, as Laviolette said on Thursday night: "This is a new team and a new year."
This isn't the same team that trumped Boston. And the Flyers seem to recognize that, and the fact that they have coughed up the home-ice advantage in this series already.
"We know we can win on the road," said Danny Briere, whose team set a franchise record for road wins in a season this year. "But yet, [tonight's] game is a big one. We definitely don't want to be in the hole two-zip."
Laviolette and the rest of the Flyers seemed to be happy with the intensity and energy levels. And that's fine. But there is no guarantee, even if they play well again tonight and fall, that they have the magic to do what they did last year. The Flyers know they are flirting with fire.
"I don't think it's the game that we have a problem with," Laviolette said. "It's the score. That's the issue. We're on limited time here in the playoffs. And if you don't make your mark, you don't get to go on."
Pronger update
The news continues to be less encouraging for Chris Pronger, who, once again, skated separately from his teammates early yesterday morning in an attempt to prepare himself for the Flyers' first-round matchup with Buffalo.
Pronger, who was not available to the media, focused mainly on skating and only briefly handled the puck.
Officially, the Flyers continue to list Pronger as day-to-day and a "game-day decision," with his right hand injury, though team sources say Pronger will not play tonight against Buffalo in Game 2. He remains unlikely to even be available for Game 3 in Buffalo on Monday.
Lineup change?
Nik Zherdev last played in a Stanley Cup playoff game back on April 28, 2009. He has had almost 2 full years to think about how his Rangers coughed up a 3-1 series lead to Washington - and how he didn't net a single point in the seven-game series.
Zherdev might finally get a chance to right one of those wrongs tonight in Game 2 against Buffalo. He flip-flopped lines in yesterday's practice, skating more with Kris Versteeg and Mike Richards.
Zherdev, who had 16 regular-season goals, was a healthy scratch for the 25th time this season, on Thursday. He was the key cog in the Flyers' 2-for-6 power-play success in Ottawa on April 5. Dan Carcillo is a prime candidate to come out of the lineup, having played a team-low 6 minutes, 26 seconds in a limited role in Game 1. Andreas Nodl was more noticeable with six hits in 11:07 of ice time.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has been around the game long enough to know the difference between a win well-earned and a win stolen - not that it much matters in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Ruff probably believes his team's Game 1 win was somewhere in the middle.
At the same time, he knows that posting just 25 shots again, without dominating the play in Game 2, will make it tougher on his team to leave with a sweep in South Philadelphia.
"We know we can be better," Ruff said yesterday. "We played a strong game. But we can play a better game. We didn't spend the time in the offensive zone we wanted. I think we really have to get after it in Game 2. I thought that hurt us."
Sabres forward Nathan Gerbe, who set up the game's only goal, said they need to do a better job of taking pressure off Ryan Miller.
"I just think everyone needs to come together," Gerbe said. "We're not going to put it on one person. Each game is going to get harder and everyone has to rise up."
Slap shots
Peter Laviolette said he thought rookie netminder Sergei Bobrovsky was "fine" in Game 1, stopping 24 of 25 shots . . . Interesting to note that backup goalie Brian Boucher is 4-1 in playoff games against Buffalo with a 1.94 goals-against average . . . The Flyers are 35-29 in Game 2s and are 18-16 all-time in Game 2 following a Game 1 loss.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Buffalo Sabres Ryan Miller Dominates Flyers 1-0
PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Miller stopped a shot from his knees and with six players in the crease. He saved one with Buffalo down two men. Any way Philadelphia tried to attack him, Miller never buckled.
He was perfect in net and the Sabres took quick control of the series.
Miller stopped 35 shots for his second career post-season shutout and Patrick Kaleta scored to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series Thursday night.
“It’s important to establish that we can skate with these guys,” Miller said. “We like where we’re at, but that team over there has a lot of fight, and we’ll have to be ready for them.”
Miller stopped every shot under all types of pressure and carried the Sabres to the clutch opening win. The teams have met eight times in the post-season and the Game 1 winner won the series each time.
Kaleta snapped the scoreless tie early in the third period when he powered a rebound past rookie Sergei Bobrovsky.
No team was more resilient in last year’s playoffs than the Flyers. They trailed Boston 3-0 in the East semifinals before taking the series and playing until a Game 6 loss to Chicago in the Stanley Cup finals.
Game 2 is Saturday in Philadelphia.
The Sabres — 10 points out of a playoffs spot on Jan. 17 — cracked the scoreless tie 5:56 into the third period on Kaleta’s second career post-season goal.
Buffalo won a fight for the puck along the boards and dumped it across the zone to Marc-Andre Gragnani. He fired a slapper from the top of the circle and Kaleta knocked in the rebound from the low slot for the 1-0 lead.
Kaleta, denied earlier in the game on a rebound, was healthy enough to play at a perfect time after missing most of the last month of the season with a bruised knee.
Miller was flawless from there and the Sabres — the hottest team in the Eastern Conference since Jan. 1 — kept rolling in the post-season.
Once a rowdy and devastating home-ice advantage, Philadelphia continues to struggle at the Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers dropped six straight games at home before snapping that streak in the season finale. They now have a Game 1 loss after dropping Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals here last season.
Miller was the reason for their latest loss.
“I tried to stay contained, stay cool,” Miller said. “I know, in the first period, that it didn’t always look that way. But I knew I’d get some help around me.”
The Flyers attacked the net with a barrage of shots that went nowhere except straight into Miller. The former MVP of the Olympics stopped Kimmo Timonen on a slapper midway through the second period when the Flyers held a 5-on-3 advantage.
Flyers coach Peter Laviolette called timeout when the Flyers had 34 seconds of a two-man power play.
They came up empty on a power play that has failed them down the stretch.
“It’s a momentum killer,” Flyers defenceman Matt Carle said. “I think it was the turning point.”
It wasn’t the only wasted opportunity. The Flyers went 0-for-5 on the power play and missed 11 shots.
The Sabres stuffed the crease and the puck had no chance of finding the back of the net. With the aid of the stout defence, Miller stopped 16 shots in the second period.
“Bob was good. Ryan was even better,” Flyers centre Danny Briere said. “There will be nights like that. If we keep playing like we did tonight, we’ll be in good shape.”
The Sabres got rough to protect their net, with defenceman Chris Butler shoving James van Riemsdyk flat on his back.
“Toughness is being hard on the puck, and getting in front of shots, and that’s what we do as a team,” Kaleta said.
The Flyers could have used some extra protection on the blue line but they played without Chris Pronger.
Pronger, a former NHL MVP, has been sidelined since having hand surgery in March. He also missed time with a foot injury and was limited to just 50 games this season.
He skated and held a stick during practice this week, but he wasn’t ready for Game 1. He remains day to day. Pronger has said he’s very confident he’ll play against the Sabres.
“If Pronger were available, he could be a difference-maker,” Laviolette said. “That speaks for itself. But he’s not.”
Bobrovsky made the routine saves and covered some tough ones that had to help calm some playoff debut jitters for the Russian rookie. He had 24 saves.
The Flyers came oh-so close six minutes into the game when van Riemsdyk pounded the puck off the post. Miller later stuffed Flyers captain Mike Richards on a backhand attempt and it was already clear that Game 1 would belong to the goalies. Richards played 18:20 a day after missing practice with what he called a head cold.
Both teams had playoff energy to burn. There was a series of scrums and punishing hits that signal playoff hockey — especially in Philadelphia.
Fans dressed in matching orange shirts and erupted when Lauren Hart, the daughter of longtime former Flyers broadcaster Gene Hart, sang “God Bless America,” alternating lyrics with Kate Smith, who was on a video image. Smith’s rendition of the song has been a rallying anthem for the Flyers since the mid 1970s.
They’ll need more than superstition to solve Miller.
He was perfect in net and the Sabres took quick control of the series.
Miller stopped 35 shots for his second career post-season shutout and Patrick Kaleta scored to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series Thursday night.
“It’s important to establish that we can skate with these guys,” Miller said. “We like where we’re at, but that team over there has a lot of fight, and we’ll have to be ready for them.”
Miller stopped every shot under all types of pressure and carried the Sabres to the clutch opening win. The teams have met eight times in the post-season and the Game 1 winner won the series each time.
Kaleta snapped the scoreless tie early in the third period when he powered a rebound past rookie Sergei Bobrovsky.
No team was more resilient in last year’s playoffs than the Flyers. They trailed Boston 3-0 in the East semifinals before taking the series and playing until a Game 6 loss to Chicago in the Stanley Cup finals.
Game 2 is Saturday in Philadelphia.
The Sabres — 10 points out of a playoffs spot on Jan. 17 — cracked the scoreless tie 5:56 into the third period on Kaleta’s second career post-season goal.
Buffalo won a fight for the puck along the boards and dumped it across the zone to Marc-Andre Gragnani. He fired a slapper from the top of the circle and Kaleta knocked in the rebound from the low slot for the 1-0 lead.
Kaleta, denied earlier in the game on a rebound, was healthy enough to play at a perfect time after missing most of the last month of the season with a bruised knee.
Miller was flawless from there and the Sabres — the hottest team in the Eastern Conference since Jan. 1 — kept rolling in the post-season.
Once a rowdy and devastating home-ice advantage, Philadelphia continues to struggle at the Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers dropped six straight games at home before snapping that streak in the season finale. They now have a Game 1 loss after dropping Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals here last season.
Miller was the reason for their latest loss.
“I tried to stay contained, stay cool,” Miller said. “I know, in the first period, that it didn’t always look that way. But I knew I’d get some help around me.”
The Flyers attacked the net with a barrage of shots that went nowhere except straight into Miller. The former MVP of the Olympics stopped Kimmo Timonen on a slapper midway through the second period when the Flyers held a 5-on-3 advantage.
Flyers coach Peter Laviolette called timeout when the Flyers had 34 seconds of a two-man power play.
They came up empty on a power play that has failed them down the stretch.
“It’s a momentum killer,” Flyers defenceman Matt Carle said. “I think it was the turning point.”
It wasn’t the only wasted opportunity. The Flyers went 0-for-5 on the power play and missed 11 shots.
The Sabres stuffed the crease and the puck had no chance of finding the back of the net. With the aid of the stout defence, Miller stopped 16 shots in the second period.
“Bob was good. Ryan was even better,” Flyers centre Danny Briere said. “There will be nights like that. If we keep playing like we did tonight, we’ll be in good shape.”
The Sabres got rough to protect their net, with defenceman Chris Butler shoving James van Riemsdyk flat on his back.
“Toughness is being hard on the puck, and getting in front of shots, and that’s what we do as a team,” Kaleta said.
The Flyers could have used some extra protection on the blue line but they played without Chris Pronger.
Pronger, a former NHL MVP, has been sidelined since having hand surgery in March. He also missed time with a foot injury and was limited to just 50 games this season.
He skated and held a stick during practice this week, but he wasn’t ready for Game 1. He remains day to day. Pronger has said he’s very confident he’ll play against the Sabres.
“If Pronger were available, he could be a difference-maker,” Laviolette said. “That speaks for itself. But he’s not.”
Bobrovsky made the routine saves and covered some tough ones that had to help calm some playoff debut jitters for the Russian rookie. He had 24 saves.
The Flyers came oh-so close six minutes into the game when van Riemsdyk pounded the puck off the post. Miller later stuffed Flyers captain Mike Richards on a backhand attempt and it was already clear that Game 1 would belong to the goalies. Richards played 18:20 a day after missing practice with what he called a head cold.
Both teams had playoff energy to burn. There was a series of scrums and punishing hits that signal playoff hockey — especially in Philadelphia.
Fans dressed in matching orange shirts and erupted when Lauren Hart, the daughter of longtime former Flyers broadcaster Gene Hart, sang “God Bless America,” alternating lyrics with Kate Smith, who was on a video image. Smith’s rendition of the song has been a rallying anthem for the Flyers since the mid 1970s.
They’ll need more than superstition to solve Miller.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Buffalo Sabres-Boston Bruins Game 6 Preview "A Must Win For Buffalo"
The Boston Garden will be the center of the New England hockey world tonight as the Bruins will try one more time to eliminate the Buffalo Sabres from the Stanley Cup Tournament.
This series was and in most respects still is the Bruins to lose. After ripping off three straight wins to grab a 3-1 series lead, the Bruins lost 4-1 on Friday night in Buffalo.
Certainly no big surprise as the Sabres were considered by many to be the favorites to win this opening round series.
So now tonight's Game 6 at Boston Garden seems to be almost as much about who may or may not play as it is about who is playing.
Starting with the Bruins, all eyes will be on Marc Savard to see if he is indeed ready to resume his hockey career after a near career ending check by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke back on March 7..
Doctors must not only give Savard the go ahead to play, but he must also decide if it's worth coming back for the Bruins playoff run, or counting his blessings and taking the rest of the year off.
Savard's status will be evaluated following the team's pregame skate later this morning and a neuro-evaluation on Monday afternoon. Savard does not have clearence from doctors to play hockey ... yet.
Thomas Vanek and Lindy Ruff on Vanek's status for Game 6
The Buffalo Sabres also have a big question mark for tonight's Game 6. Will Thomas Vanek play in Game 6 tonight.
Vanek, the Sabres' leading goal scorer, hasn't played since injuring his left ankle in the first period of the second game of the series.
Take a close look at Vanek's face in the above video. He is clearly in pain, and even if he does play he will certainly not be the force he's been all season.
This series was and in most respects still is the Bruins to lose. After ripping off three straight wins to grab a 3-1 series lead, the Bruins lost 4-1 on Friday night in Buffalo.
Certainly no big surprise as the Sabres were considered by many to be the favorites to win this opening round series.
So now tonight's Game 6 at Boston Garden seems to be almost as much about who may or may not play as it is about who is playing.
Starting with the Bruins, all eyes will be on Marc Savard to see if he is indeed ready to resume his hockey career after a near career ending check by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke back on March 7..
Doctors must not only give Savard the go ahead to play, but he must also decide if it's worth coming back for the Bruins playoff run, or counting his blessings and taking the rest of the year off.
Savard's status will be evaluated following the team's pregame skate later this morning and a neuro-evaluation on Monday afternoon. Savard does not have clearence from doctors to play hockey ... yet.
Thomas Vanek and Lindy Ruff on Vanek's status for Game 6
The Buffalo Sabres also have a big question mark for tonight's Game 6. Will Thomas Vanek play in Game 6 tonight.
Vanek, the Sabres' leading goal scorer, hasn't played since injuring his left ankle in the first period of the second game of the series.
Take a close look at Vanek's face in the above video. He is clearly in pain, and even if he does play he will certainly not be the force he's been all season.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Buffalo Sabres-Boston Bruins Game 4 Preview "A Must Win For Buffalo"
The Boston Bruins have been able to come from behind, and now they have the lead in their first-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Bruins took a 2-1 lead over the Sabres in the best-of-seven series, winning two straight despite allowing the first goal in all three games.
"Obviously, we want to have a better start than we’ve had the first three games," defenseman Matt Hunwick said. "But there’s no panic if we do go down a goal or two. We know if we stick to our game plan and keep plugging away a bit we’re going to have opportunities and eventually we’ll score."
Game 4 is tonight in Boston.
"We win that game, we’re back in our own building with momentum," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said.
The Bruins improved to 6-3 this season against Buffalo, which had 100 points to win the Northeast Division and earn a No. 3 seed in the playoffs. But on Monday night, Dennis Wideman scored and then assisted on Patrice Bergeron’s winner to help sixth-seeded Boston rally from another 1-0 deficit and steal home-ice advantage.
"Although we’ve been scored on first every game, we’ve stuck with our game plan. We haven’t panicked, we’ve played well and we’ve gotten ourselves back in the game," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "It’s certainly not
the situation we want to be in."
The offense-challenged Bruins -- they’ve scored the second-fewest goals in the league this year, and the fewest of any playoff team -- have been able to stay in games thanks to their goaltending. Tuukka Rask, who won the starting job from U.S. Olympic backup Tim Thomas, has allowed 14 goals in 10 games since March 27, losing just twice in regulation.
That’s allowed the Bruins to stay with Buffalo, which has U.S. Olympic starter Ryan Miller in net and was expected to have the goaltending advantage.
"There are a few goalies in this league that you know are going to keep their team in it every night and he is one of them. There is no sense getting frustrated at all," said Bruins forward Mark Recchi, who made the pass that set up Bergeron’s game-winner.
"We are making mistakes and we have Tuukka making huge saves for us. We have been in these close games for a long stretch now, and have been playing playoff hockey for over a month."
Buffalo has struggled to make up for the loss of top scorer Thomas Vanek, who had 28 goals in the regular season.
The Bruins took a 2-1 lead over the Sabres in the best-of-seven series, winning two straight despite allowing the first goal in all three games.
"Obviously, we want to have a better start than we’ve had the first three games," defenseman Matt Hunwick said. "But there’s no panic if we do go down a goal or two. We know if we stick to our game plan and keep plugging away a bit we’re going to have opportunities and eventually we’ll score."
Game 4 is tonight in Boston.
"We win that game, we’re back in our own building with momentum," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said.
The Bruins improved to 6-3 this season against Buffalo, which had 100 points to win the Northeast Division and earn a No. 3 seed in the playoffs. But on Monday night, Dennis Wideman scored and then assisted on Patrice Bergeron’s winner to help sixth-seeded Boston rally from another 1-0 deficit and steal home-ice advantage.
"Although we’ve been scored on first every game, we’ve stuck with our game plan. We haven’t panicked, we’ve played well and we’ve gotten ourselves back in the game," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "It’s certainly not
the situation we want to be in."
The offense-challenged Bruins -- they’ve scored the second-fewest goals in the league this year, and the fewest of any playoff team -- have been able to stay in games thanks to their goaltending. Tuukka Rask, who won the starting job from U.S. Olympic backup Tim Thomas, has allowed 14 goals in 10 games since March 27, losing just twice in regulation.
That’s allowed the Bruins to stay with Buffalo, which has U.S. Olympic starter Ryan Miller in net and was expected to have the goaltending advantage.
"There are a few goalies in this league that you know are going to keep their team in it every night and he is one of them. There is no sense getting frustrated at all," said Bruins forward Mark Recchi, who made the pass that set up Bergeron’s game-winner.
"We are making mistakes and we have Tuukka making huge saves for us. We have been in these close games for a long stretch now, and have been playing playoff hockey for over a month."
Buffalo has struggled to make up for the loss of top scorer Thomas Vanek, who had 28 goals in the regular season.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Buffalo Sabres-Boston Bruins Game 3 Preview "Vanek Doubtful"
Injured Sabres left wing Thomas Vanek will likely miss Game 3 of Buffalo's Eastern Conference playoff series against the Boston Bruins.
The Sabres are the higher seed, but the Bruins won the regular-season series 4-2. Who will advance from this Northeast Division showdown? Follow the matchup from Day 1 on ESPN.com. Series page
Vanek, however, didn't rule himself out of the series tied at a game apiece.
Sabres defenseman Steve Montador expects the team to stick with the same system without Vanek.
"Thomas is hard to replace, but one player doesn't make a team, and you can say that about any one guy in our lineup," Montador said. "We want to continue to play hard, play our system and we'll get the chances that we need if we continue to work."
Buffalo's top goal scorer was injured after he was hooked and slashed by Boston's Johnny Boychuk during a partial breakaway with under 7 minutes left in the opening period of the Bruins' Game 2 win Saturday.
Vanek slid hard into the end boards and had difficulty putting weight on his left foot.
After the game, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff called the play into question by characterizing Boychuk's action as a "two-hander." After an off-ice workout Sunday in Boston, Boychuk said he had no intent to injure on the play.
"I was just trying to lift his stick on the one side because it was kind of like a breakaway," he said. "And then I couldn't get to it, so I went to the other side and tried to hit his stick. I didn't even know I actually slashed him."
In Vanek's absence, first-line center Tim Connolly becomes more important to the Sabres. Buffalo's second leading scorer, Connolly missed the last nine games of the regular season with a foot injury but played in both postseason games.
"I definitely can play better," he said. "The first couple of games I didn't get a lot accomplished out there, especially offensively.
"It's good sometimes to get on the road during the playoffs. You can really just go there and focus on playing the game. There's nothing else going on. I personally like playing on the road, especially in the playoffs."
Right wing Drew Stafford, meanwhile, will undergo tests Sunday to determine whether he can return for Game 3 on Monday. He has been sidelined with a concussion sustained in the second-to-last game of the regular season against Ottawa.
The Sabres are the higher seed, but the Bruins won the regular-season series 4-2. Who will advance from this Northeast Division showdown? Follow the matchup from Day 1 on ESPN.com. Series page
Vanek, however, didn't rule himself out of the series tied at a game apiece.
Sabres defenseman Steve Montador expects the team to stick with the same system without Vanek.
"Thomas is hard to replace, but one player doesn't make a team, and you can say that about any one guy in our lineup," Montador said. "We want to continue to play hard, play our system and we'll get the chances that we need if we continue to work."
Buffalo's top goal scorer was injured after he was hooked and slashed by Boston's Johnny Boychuk during a partial breakaway with under 7 minutes left in the opening period of the Bruins' Game 2 win Saturday.
Vanek slid hard into the end boards and had difficulty putting weight on his left foot.
After the game, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff called the play into question by characterizing Boychuk's action as a "two-hander." After an off-ice workout Sunday in Boston, Boychuk said he had no intent to injure on the play.
"I was just trying to lift his stick on the one side because it was kind of like a breakaway," he said. "And then I couldn't get to it, so I went to the other side and tried to hit his stick. I didn't even know I actually slashed him."
In Vanek's absence, first-line center Tim Connolly becomes more important to the Sabres. Buffalo's second leading scorer, Connolly missed the last nine games of the regular season with a foot injury but played in both postseason games.
"I definitely can play better," he said. "The first couple of games I didn't get a lot accomplished out there, especially offensively.
"It's good sometimes to get on the road during the playoffs. You can really just go there and focus on playing the game. There's nothing else going on. I personally like playing on the road, especially in the playoffs."
Right wing Drew Stafford, meanwhile, will undergo tests Sunday to determine whether he can return for Game 3 on Monday. He has been sidelined with a concussion sustained in the second-to-last game of the regular season against Ottawa.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Buffalo Sabres-Boston Bruins Game 1 Preview
After a full 82 games composed of highs & lows, injuries & late additions, and joy & (mostly) anger, the Boston Bruins managed to do what some felt was impossible at some points during the season: make the playoffs. Despite scoring the second-fewest goals in the entire league (206 to squeeze by the Calgary Flames’ 204), the B’s clinched the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference to set up a first-round series against the Northeast-Division-winning Buffalo Sabres, a fairly well-known and – shockingly – favorable opponent.
Season Series Review
The Bruins and Sabres haven’t played against each other in the playoffs since 1999, when Buffalo won the series, but this season they faced each other six times over the course of the season, as division opponents always do, with Boston going 4-2-0 for eight out of a possible 12 points. Their most recent game was last week, when Dennis Wideman showed up to play in the Bruins’ 3-1 victory. Over the course of the teams’ six games, they combined for only 26 goals, which is hardly a surprise coming from two very defensively-minded teams with exceptional goaltending, and it is unlikely much will change in the playoffs.
Goaltending
This series will feature the top two league leaders in both goals against average and save percentage; some might be surprised to find out that US Olympian, recent silver medal winner, and Vezina Trophy candidate Ryan Miller of the Sabres is second in both of those categories to Boston’s very own Tuukka Rask, who wasn’t even selected by Finland to play in last February’s Winter Olympics. Rask, with a 1.97 GAA and a .931 save percentage this season, played exceptionally well against the Sabres, posting 1.43 GAA, a .954 save percentage and a 4-1-0 record. There’s no question that he will start in place of Miller’s Team USA backup, Tim Thomas, but Rask has never played in the playoffs and posted such incredible stats starting only 39 games (22-12-5), as opposed to Miller’s 2.22 GAA and .929 save percentage over the course of 68 starts. Additionally, in two of Boston’s wins against the Sabres, Miller’s backups, Patrick Lalime and Jhonas Enroth were playing; Miller never allowed more than two goals against the Bruins. For Boston to win this series, Rask will need to keep his cool, which simply translates to not doing this.
Defense
Part of the reason Rask’s statistics are so impressive and one of the two reasons the Bruins even made the playoffs (Rask being the other) is the team’s defense. They allowed only 200 goals, second fewest behind only Marty Brodeur’s New Jersey Devils. Buffalo’s defense only allowed seven more than the Bruins and actually finished ahead of Boston’s well-known penalty kill by two-tenths of a percent (86.6% to 84.4%). Because both teams are essentially even on the blue line, the keys to the defensive battle will come down to injuries (see below) and endurance. With such low scoring teams, it’s likely a fair number of these games will be decided by overtime (and only overtime since there are no shootouts). As many fans will remember, Boston’s tired defense blew last season’s Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, which cannot happen this year if the Bruins want to upset the Sabres.
Forwards
In addition to staying awake, the Bruins will need to score goals in order to win. Their offense managed only 15 goals against the Sabres during the season and, as if fans needed reminding, got only 191 other pucks to touch the back of the net. Buffalo’s offense clicked well enough throughout the season to score 235 goals (11th in the entire league), which is only 29 more than the Bruins, but still a huge difference when the series is going to be a defensive battle. The Bruins deserve kudos for still simply scoring without Phil Kessel and Marc Savard, but kudos don’t win playoff games.
Injuries
Throughout the season, the Bruins were hindered by injuries, none more so than Marc Savard’s, but the team did not get much healthier as they entered the playoffs. Joining Savard (concussion) on the injured list will be Dennis Seidenburg (wrist), who is out for eight weeks (and, therefore, essentially the season), and Mark Stuart (pinkie). Andrew Ference, who is expected to play after missing nine games after another groin injury, is a welcome return, but the Bruins cannot rely on someone who requires off-season surgery to replace both Seidenburg and Stuart.
Buffalo managed to do the opposite of Boston and actually get healthy as the season ended. While the Sabres lost Jochen Hecht (upper body) and Drew Stafford (concussion, questionable to play), they regained the services of Tim Connelly, Thomas Vanek, Raffi Torres, and Patrick Kaleta as the season ended. Vanek, who scored four goals against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday to finish with 28 on the season, will certainly factor in as an impact player for the Sabres.
Coaching
Behind the bench, the coaches, too, are evenly matched. Both Claude Julien of the Bruins and Lindy Ruff of the Sabres are Jack Adams Award-winners and both former defensemen in the NHL, which explains their strong defense-first systems. While Julien is in only his third season with the Bruins, Ruff has been at the helm of Buffalo for 14 years, having been a Stanley Cup finalist once (1999) and an Eastern Conference finalist three times (1998, 2006, 2007). Clearly Ruff, who also won a gold medal as one of Team Canada’s associate coaches in Vancouver, has the edge in experience, but he’s never been able to quite make it all of the way. Brett Hull had something to do with that, but maybe Ruff just isn’t quite lucky enough to win it all.
X-Factors
Clearly goaltending, injuries, and endurance will all factor into this matchup, but experience may as well. While Rask has no playoff experience, he has four Stanley Cup rings in front of him: Mark Recchi (two), Miroslav Satan, and Shawn Thornton. Comparatively, Miller has zero.
Additionally, the Sabres are from Buffalo, one of the most cursed cities in all of major league sports. How many straight Super Bowls did the city lose during the 1990s? Four. How did they end the decade? Losing in the Stanley Cup Finals on an erroneous call. Then again, the Bruins haven’t won the Stanley Cup since the Jacobs family bought the team.
Season Series Review
The Bruins and Sabres haven’t played against each other in the playoffs since 1999, when Buffalo won the series, but this season they faced each other six times over the course of the season, as division opponents always do, with Boston going 4-2-0 for eight out of a possible 12 points. Their most recent game was last week, when Dennis Wideman showed up to play in the Bruins’ 3-1 victory. Over the course of the teams’ six games, they combined for only 26 goals, which is hardly a surprise coming from two very defensively-minded teams with exceptional goaltending, and it is unlikely much will change in the playoffs.
Goaltending
This series will feature the top two league leaders in both goals against average and save percentage; some might be surprised to find out that US Olympian, recent silver medal winner, and Vezina Trophy candidate Ryan Miller of the Sabres is second in both of those categories to Boston’s very own Tuukka Rask, who wasn’t even selected by Finland to play in last February’s Winter Olympics. Rask, with a 1.97 GAA and a .931 save percentage this season, played exceptionally well against the Sabres, posting 1.43 GAA, a .954 save percentage and a 4-1-0 record. There’s no question that he will start in place of Miller’s Team USA backup, Tim Thomas, but Rask has never played in the playoffs and posted such incredible stats starting only 39 games (22-12-5), as opposed to Miller’s 2.22 GAA and .929 save percentage over the course of 68 starts. Additionally, in two of Boston’s wins against the Sabres, Miller’s backups, Patrick Lalime and Jhonas Enroth were playing; Miller never allowed more than two goals against the Bruins. For Boston to win this series, Rask will need to keep his cool, which simply translates to not doing this.
Defense
Part of the reason Rask’s statistics are so impressive and one of the two reasons the Bruins even made the playoffs (Rask being the other) is the team’s defense. They allowed only 200 goals, second fewest behind only Marty Brodeur’s New Jersey Devils. Buffalo’s defense only allowed seven more than the Bruins and actually finished ahead of Boston’s well-known penalty kill by two-tenths of a percent (86.6% to 84.4%). Because both teams are essentially even on the blue line, the keys to the defensive battle will come down to injuries (see below) and endurance. With such low scoring teams, it’s likely a fair number of these games will be decided by overtime (and only overtime since there are no shootouts). As many fans will remember, Boston’s tired defense blew last season’s Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, which cannot happen this year if the Bruins want to upset the Sabres.
Forwards
In addition to staying awake, the Bruins will need to score goals in order to win. Their offense managed only 15 goals against the Sabres during the season and, as if fans needed reminding, got only 191 other pucks to touch the back of the net. Buffalo’s offense clicked well enough throughout the season to score 235 goals (11th in the entire league), which is only 29 more than the Bruins, but still a huge difference when the series is going to be a defensive battle. The Bruins deserve kudos for still simply scoring without Phil Kessel and Marc Savard, but kudos don’t win playoff games.
Injuries
Throughout the season, the Bruins were hindered by injuries, none more so than Marc Savard’s, but the team did not get much healthier as they entered the playoffs. Joining Savard (concussion) on the injured list will be Dennis Seidenburg (wrist), who is out for eight weeks (and, therefore, essentially the season), and Mark Stuart (pinkie). Andrew Ference, who is expected to play after missing nine games after another groin injury, is a welcome return, but the Bruins cannot rely on someone who requires off-season surgery to replace both Seidenburg and Stuart.
Buffalo managed to do the opposite of Boston and actually get healthy as the season ended. While the Sabres lost Jochen Hecht (upper body) and Drew Stafford (concussion, questionable to play), they regained the services of Tim Connelly, Thomas Vanek, Raffi Torres, and Patrick Kaleta as the season ended. Vanek, who scored four goals against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday to finish with 28 on the season, will certainly factor in as an impact player for the Sabres.
Coaching
Behind the bench, the coaches, too, are evenly matched. Both Claude Julien of the Bruins and Lindy Ruff of the Sabres are Jack Adams Award-winners and both former defensemen in the NHL, which explains their strong defense-first systems. While Julien is in only his third season with the Bruins, Ruff has been at the helm of Buffalo for 14 years, having been a Stanley Cup finalist once (1999) and an Eastern Conference finalist three times (1998, 2006, 2007). Clearly Ruff, who also won a gold medal as one of Team Canada’s associate coaches in Vancouver, has the edge in experience, but he’s never been able to quite make it all of the way. Brett Hull had something to do with that, but maybe Ruff just isn’t quite lucky enough to win it all.
X-Factors
Clearly goaltending, injuries, and endurance will all factor into this matchup, but experience may as well. While Rask has no playoff experience, he has four Stanley Cup rings in front of him: Mark Recchi (two), Miroslav Satan, and Shawn Thornton. Comparatively, Miller has zero.
Additionally, the Sabres are from Buffalo, one of the most cursed cities in all of major league sports. How many straight Super Bowls did the city lose during the 1990s? Four. How did they end the decade? Losing in the Stanley Cup Finals on an erroneous call. Then again, the Bruins haven’t won the Stanley Cup since the Jacobs family bought the team.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Buffalo Sabres Could Win The Eastern Conference
Capitals will be healthiest after opening round
The Conference Quarter Finals offer up a couple of brutal match-ups. The Devils lost the season series with the Flyers 5 games to 1 but as the #2 seed still go in as provisional favorites to progress. There’s always at least one upset in the early rounds and none in the East look as good for a low seed as this one, Philadelphia will get through in six games. Buffalo look well-set against a Boston team that rode some late-season momentum into the sixth seed, momentum that will likely burn out in five games against the more playoff-ready Sabres.
Ottawa and Pittsburgh offer up a solid clash in the #4 vs #5 seed clash. The pair split the season series but haven’t met since January. With the core of last year’s Stanley Cup champions still in place I have to give the edge to the Penguins in six. One team will cruise through the opening round, namely the Washington Capitals who should sweep the faltering Montreal Canadiens.
Brutal tests to continue for the Penguins
If Pittsburgh is to retain the Stanley Cup it will do so the hard way, as based on my first round predictions the Pens would be up against the Sabres in the Conference Semi Finals. Sidney Crosby may be the most exciting player in the game but Ryan Miller has been a revelation this season in front of goal for Buffalo. Expect the Olympic rematch comparisons to be made no end in clash which will be tough to call in NHL betting. I expect it to go the full seven games with Pittsburgh to just about prevail. The Capitals will find Philadelphia to be made of sterner stuff than the Canadiens but the Flyers will still be no match for Ovechkin and company. Washington to progress in six.
Battle hardened Penguins will fall short
After being well tested by Ottawa and pushed to the edge by Buffalo, Pittsburgh will be hold the competitive edge over the Capitals at the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. Endurance matters however and while the Penguins might get off to an early start, possibly winning the opening game, I expect Washington to come strong and win over six gruelling encounters to win the Eastern Conference title.
The Conference Quarter Finals offer up a couple of brutal match-ups. The Devils lost the season series with the Flyers 5 games to 1 but as the #2 seed still go in as provisional favorites to progress. There’s always at least one upset in the early rounds and none in the East look as good for a low seed as this one, Philadelphia will get through in six games. Buffalo look well-set against a Boston team that rode some late-season momentum into the sixth seed, momentum that will likely burn out in five games against the more playoff-ready Sabres.
Ottawa and Pittsburgh offer up a solid clash in the #4 vs #5 seed clash. The pair split the season series but haven’t met since January. With the core of last year’s Stanley Cup champions still in place I have to give the edge to the Penguins in six. One team will cruise through the opening round, namely the Washington Capitals who should sweep the faltering Montreal Canadiens.
Brutal tests to continue for the Penguins
If Pittsburgh is to retain the Stanley Cup it will do so the hard way, as based on my first round predictions the Pens would be up against the Sabres in the Conference Semi Finals. Sidney Crosby may be the most exciting player in the game but Ryan Miller has been a revelation this season in front of goal for Buffalo. Expect the Olympic rematch comparisons to be made no end in clash which will be tough to call in NHL betting. I expect it to go the full seven games with Pittsburgh to just about prevail. The Capitals will find Philadelphia to be made of sterner stuff than the Canadiens but the Flyers will still be no match for Ovechkin and company. Washington to progress in six.
Battle hardened Penguins will fall short
After being well tested by Ottawa and pushed to the edge by Buffalo, Pittsburgh will be hold the competitive edge over the Capitals at the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. Endurance matters however and while the Penguins might get off to an early start, possibly winning the opening game, I expect Washington to come strong and win over six gruelling encounters to win the Eastern Conference title.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
U.S. Hockey Team beats Swtzerland 2-0 in Hockey
The United States is moving on.
Zach Parise scored a power-play goal early in the third period and added an empty-net goal late and goaltender Ryan Miller recorded the shutout as the Americans defeated Switzerland 2-0 in the quarterfinals Wednesday at Canada Hockey Place.
Goalie Jonas Hiller was outstanding to keep the Swiss in it but the U.S. advanced to Friday's semifinals where it will play the winner of the Czech Republic-Finland quarterfinal.
Ryan miller was oustanding again. I would love to hear your comments.
Zach Parise scored a power-play goal early in the third period and added an empty-net goal late and goaltender Ryan Miller recorded the shutout as the Americans defeated Switzerland 2-0 in the quarterfinals Wednesday at Canada Hockey Place.
Goalie Jonas Hiller was outstanding to keep the Swiss in it but the U.S. advanced to Friday's semifinals where it will play the winner of the Czech Republic-Finland quarterfinal.
Ryan miller was oustanding again. I would love to hear your comments.
Monday, February 22, 2010
U.S Hockey Team, Ryan Miller earned big 5-3 win over Canada
Bode Miller and the United States hockey team combined to make it a happy day at the Vancouver Olympics for the neighbors to the south, first winning the men's super-combined ski race and then dealing host Canada a surprising loss in the country's favorite sport.
Much of Canada stopped to watch the preliminary round hockey game against the Americans, but the hosts were left disappointed after a 5-3 loss and now their team needs to win an additional game just to make the quarterfinals. The United States, however, is poised to go into the next round as top-seeded team.
In an early game, Russia beat the Czech Republic 4-2. Defending Olympic champion Sweden faces rival Finland in the late game.
Earlier in the day, four-time Olympic medalist Miller finally earned a gold to complete his collection of jewelry from the Vancouver Games. After finishing seventh in the downhill run of the two-leg super-combi, Miller went all out in the slalom and bettered main rival Ivica Kostelic of Croatia with a winning time of 2 minutes, 44.92 seconds.
"I skied with 100 percent heart. I didn't hold anything back," Miller said. "It's just awesome. There's nothing else to say."
Miller had been the most hyped athlete of the 2006 Turin Games, but left Italy empty-handed. Now, with expectations much lower, the 32-year-old American won a gold medal to add to the silver and bronze he has already claimed in the first two races in Whistler.
Andre Lange of Germany became the first driver with four Olympic gold medals after winning the two-man bobsled event. He and longtime brakeman Kevin Kuske completed their four runs in 3:26.65.
Lange, the defending Olympic champion in two- and four-man, surpassed Meinhard Nehmer of Germany for the most bobsled golds. Lange also won the four-man event at the 2002 Salt Lake Games.
"This has been a long career for me, many years of fighting and hoping, racing and medals, which is now nearly over," Lange said. "For me it's a really happy end. I didn't really expect to win here."
In biathlon, World Cup leader Evgeny Ustyugov of Russia won the men's 15-kilometer mass start race. Ustyugov shot cleanly and finished in 35:35.7. Also, Magdalena Neuner of Germany won the women's 12.5K mass start for her second gold medal of the Vancouver Games.
"I knew I could win a medal, but now I have three," said Neuner, who also won the 10K pursuit on Tuesday and took silver in the 7.5K sprint in her first Olympics. "That's incredible."
Ireen Wust of the Netherlands turned her bronze from Turin to gold in Vancouver by winning the women's 1,500-meter speedskating race, and Michael Schmid of Switzerland won the inaugural Olympic men's skicross event.
Miller also won two silver medals at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, and his fifth Olympic medal overall added to his status as the most decorated American Alpine skier in history.
"The way I executed, the way I skied, is something I'll be proud of the rest of my life," Miller said.
Kostelic took silver behind Miller and Silvan Zurbriggen of Switzerland claimed bronze. Aksel Lund Svindal, who won gold in the super-G and silver in the downhill, led the super-combi after the opening leg, but he skied out of the slalom leg.
"I think slalom skiers for sure wouldn't have a great chance if the slalom course was simple," Kostelic said. "The setting was quite demanding, but not as demanding as it could be. But demanding enough so that the slalom skiers could make up time."
The mother of Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette died Sunday, two days before Rochette is to begin competition. She still plans to compete, and practiced only a few hours after hearing the news.
In curling, Canada's women's team beat the United States 9-2 to stay unbeaten, and Britain skip Eve Muirhead pounded a stone in frustration after giving up a four-spot to Switzerland in a 10-6 shortened nine end loss. It was Britain's third straight loss following a promising Olympic start.
Much of Canada stopped to watch the preliminary round hockey game against the Americans, but the hosts were left disappointed after a 5-3 loss and now their team needs to win an additional game just to make the quarterfinals. The United States, however, is poised to go into the next round as top-seeded team.
In an early game, Russia beat the Czech Republic 4-2. Defending Olympic champion Sweden faces rival Finland in the late game.
Earlier in the day, four-time Olympic medalist Miller finally earned a gold to complete his collection of jewelry from the Vancouver Games. After finishing seventh in the downhill run of the two-leg super-combi, Miller went all out in the slalom and bettered main rival Ivica Kostelic of Croatia with a winning time of 2 minutes, 44.92 seconds.
"I skied with 100 percent heart. I didn't hold anything back," Miller said. "It's just awesome. There's nothing else to say."
Miller had been the most hyped athlete of the 2006 Turin Games, but left Italy empty-handed. Now, with expectations much lower, the 32-year-old American won a gold medal to add to the silver and bronze he has already claimed in the first two races in Whistler.
Andre Lange of Germany became the first driver with four Olympic gold medals after winning the two-man bobsled event. He and longtime brakeman Kevin Kuske completed their four runs in 3:26.65.
Lange, the defending Olympic champion in two- and four-man, surpassed Meinhard Nehmer of Germany for the most bobsled golds. Lange also won the four-man event at the 2002 Salt Lake Games.
"This has been a long career for me, many years of fighting and hoping, racing and medals, which is now nearly over," Lange said. "For me it's a really happy end. I didn't really expect to win here."
In biathlon, World Cup leader Evgeny Ustyugov of Russia won the men's 15-kilometer mass start race. Ustyugov shot cleanly and finished in 35:35.7. Also, Magdalena Neuner of Germany won the women's 12.5K mass start for her second gold medal of the Vancouver Games.
"I knew I could win a medal, but now I have three," said Neuner, who also won the 10K pursuit on Tuesday and took silver in the 7.5K sprint in her first Olympics. "That's incredible."
Ireen Wust of the Netherlands turned her bronze from Turin to gold in Vancouver by winning the women's 1,500-meter speedskating race, and Michael Schmid of Switzerland won the inaugural Olympic men's skicross event.
Miller also won two silver medals at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, and his fifth Olympic medal overall added to his status as the most decorated American Alpine skier in history.
"The way I executed, the way I skied, is something I'll be proud of the rest of my life," Miller said.
Kostelic took silver behind Miller and Silvan Zurbriggen of Switzerland claimed bronze. Aksel Lund Svindal, who won gold in the super-G and silver in the downhill, led the super-combi after the opening leg, but he skied out of the slalom leg.
"I think slalom skiers for sure wouldn't have a great chance if the slalom course was simple," Kostelic said. "The setting was quite demanding, but not as demanding as it could be. But demanding enough so that the slalom skiers could make up time."
The mother of Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette died Sunday, two days before Rochette is to begin competition. She still plans to compete, and practiced only a few hours after hearing the news.
In curling, Canada's women's team beat the United States 9-2 to stay unbeaten, and Britain skip Eve Muirhead pounded a stone in frustration after giving up a four-spot to Switzerland in a 10-6 shortened nine end loss. It was Britain's third straight loss following a promising Olympic start.
U.S. Hockey Team Upsets Favorite Canada 5-3
VANCOUVER, British Columbia | The Americans didn’t believe in miracles. They just believed.
And they pulled off their biggest Olympic hockey upset since the 1980 Miracle on Ice, stunning Canada 5-3 on Sunday and advancing to the quarterfinals of an already mixed-up tournament.
Brian Rafalski scored two goals, Ryan Miller held off a flurry of shots, and the Americans quieted a raucous, pro-Canada crowd that came to cheer its dream team, only to see it upstaged by a bunch of unproven kids.
The underrated Americans were faster, more disciplined and more determined than Canada’s collection of all-stars.
Better, too.
“We know we can beat anybody now,” Rafalski said.
Canada outshot the United States 45-23 yet couldn’t beat Miller, the goalie the Americans thought could best stand up to all of Canada’s might. He did just that, making 42 saves in the victory of a lifetime.
“It’s probably one of the biggest games I’ve ever played,” Miller said. “When things happened, we responded. We didn’t get nervous or anxious. We kept playing.”
When Ryan Kesler scored in the final minute, the few U.S. fans who managed to get seats proudly waved their American flags, all their red, white and blue suddenly visible.
“You look up and everything’s red and white — so few American flags” at the start, said U.S. coach Ron Wilson, who also led the 1996 team that upset Canada in the World Cup. “We expected a hostile environment. The intensity of the game helped, too.”
Depending on the later Finland-Sweden game that concluded hockey’s Super Sunday in Vancouver, the United States could go into Wednesday’s quarterfinals not only as a group winner but as the top-seeded team, something almost no one predicted when the tournament began.
Canada, the gold-medal favorite, was expected to coast into the medal round. But now, after nearly losing to Switzerland and being outplayed on home ice by the Americans, it must win a play-in game Tuesday to reach the quarterfinal round.
“Just like everybody in this tournament, we’re playing to survive,” Canada coach Mike Babcock said. “If you lose, you go home.”
The Canadians still could win a gold medal but now face a much tougher road.
“We’re here to be the last ones standing, and we’re still alive,” Canadian goalie Martin Brodeur.
And they pulled off their biggest Olympic hockey upset since the 1980 Miracle on Ice, stunning Canada 5-3 on Sunday and advancing to the quarterfinals of an already mixed-up tournament.
Brian Rafalski scored two goals, Ryan Miller held off a flurry of shots, and the Americans quieted a raucous, pro-Canada crowd that came to cheer its dream team, only to see it upstaged by a bunch of unproven kids.
The underrated Americans were faster, more disciplined and more determined than Canada’s collection of all-stars.
Better, too.
“We know we can beat anybody now,” Rafalski said.
Canada outshot the United States 45-23 yet couldn’t beat Miller, the goalie the Americans thought could best stand up to all of Canada’s might. He did just that, making 42 saves in the victory of a lifetime.
“It’s probably one of the biggest games I’ve ever played,” Miller said. “When things happened, we responded. We didn’t get nervous or anxious. We kept playing.”
When Ryan Kesler scored in the final minute, the few U.S. fans who managed to get seats proudly waved their American flags, all their red, white and blue suddenly visible.
“You look up and everything’s red and white — so few American flags” at the start, said U.S. coach Ron Wilson, who also led the 1996 team that upset Canada in the World Cup. “We expected a hostile environment. The intensity of the game helped, too.”
Depending on the later Finland-Sweden game that concluded hockey’s Super Sunday in Vancouver, the United States could go into Wednesday’s quarterfinals not only as a group winner but as the top-seeded team, something almost no one predicted when the tournament began.
Canada, the gold-medal favorite, was expected to coast into the medal round. But now, after nearly losing to Switzerland and being outplayed on home ice by the Americans, it must win a play-in game Tuesday to reach the quarterfinal round.
“Just like everybody in this tournament, we’re playing to survive,” Canada coach Mike Babcock said. “If you lose, you go home.”
The Canadians still could win a gold medal but now face a much tougher road.
“We’re here to be the last ones standing, and we’re still alive,” Canadian goalie Martin Brodeur.
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