Sabres Pounce on Predators 8-4
Feb 27, 2008 NHL
Steve Bernier didn’t take long to make an impression on Buffalo Sabres fans, scoring the first two goals of the game and adding an assist as the Sabres pounded the Preds 8 to 4. Bernier’s hard charging play set the tone for the team, as they played one of their most physical games of the year.
Paille had the third goal of the game shortly into the second period after Miller stopped Scott Nichol on a penalty shot, but then a scary play in front of the Sabres net gave the Preds some life. Marek Zidlicky ripped a point shot square off Ryan Miller’s mask, causing part of it to dislodge and smack into his nose. Newly acquired Predator Jan Hlavac put home the rebound before the play was whistled dead. Jocelyn Thibault let two goals in during his time in relief, but to be fair they were both tough shots. Lydman got down to block the first but then inexplicably got back up and let the shot through, eluding T-bo. The Preds then got several chances at a rebound in front of the net and put it home.
Andrew Peters had the next goal for the Sabres, thanks to serious work behind the net by Mair and Kaleta. The Kaleta made a sweet backhand pass to the slot and Peters put it in like he’s done it way more than the 4 times in his career. Arnott scored a PPG to cut the lead back to one, but Pominville and Roy scored to finish off the second period and put things back out of reach. Legwand for the Preds, and Connolly and Kotalik for the Sabres finished the scoring in the third.
There was no love lost between the teams, thanks to their last game wherein Scott Nichol sucker-punched Spacek and earned a suspension. Nichol ran The Kaleta into the boards early, garnering a penalty (and further attention later on). Roy and Fiddler jousted as well, but the true rough stuff came in the third. Andrew Peters took on Darcy Hordichuk, and Adam Mair fought Jordin Tootoo one second later on the next faceoff.
The big scrum came toward the end of the game, as Kaleta and Fiddler got into it well behind the play. Radulov had an elbowing major in there somewhere too. Scott Nichol came in as the third man in and sucker-punched Kaleta in the back of the head. All bets were off then as Kalinin stepped in to pull Nichol out. Gaustad sought Nichol out on the next faceoff where Nichol was on the ice and slammed him to the ice, challenging for the fight but getting separated before it could happen. It was basically insanity out there, but you have to LOVE the boys standing up for themselves all night and pushing back as much as they were pushed. A very well deserved two points.
Tags: B-Lo Sports, connolly, fiddler, fight, gaustad, hlavac, Hockey, hordichuk, Jason Arnott, kaleta, kotalik, legwand, mair, NHL, nichol, paille, peters, pominville, roy, Ryan Miller, sabres, Steve Bernier, thibault, tootoo, zidlicky
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