Sabres wind up on wrong end of thriller with the Thrashers
The hockey was as enjoyable as it can get for fans and players. Shots and goals came from all angles, with five ties and five lead changes. Nearly everyone in HSBC Arena was having fun.
For 60 minutes and 48 seconds anyway. After that, the Buffalo Sabres and their fans learned boring can be better.
The Sabres, coming off consecutive shutout victories with tight defensive play, got into an up-and-down offensive game that was great until Jason Williams scored 48 seconds into overtime. Atlanta’s 5-4 victory Friday night erased the giddy feeling that came from highlight- reel hockey.
“Sometimes you get lulled into exchanging chances with teams because it’s a little bit of river hockey,” Sabres center Adam Mair said. “It’s maybe a little more fun to do that than do the safe thing.
“But bottom line is, a team coming in here after a game [Thursday] night, us not playing for three nights, we’ve got to be more mentally prepared to hunker down in our own end.”
The loss ended a two-game winning streak for the Sabres, who boarded their charter immediately after the game and flew to Boston, where they face the Bruins tonight in TD Banknorth Garden.
“It was back and forth, which we don’t want to play,” said Sabres center Derek Roy, who was in the penalty box on the game-winning goal. “We don’t want to exchange chances, especially with a team like that. They’ve got a lot of firepower.”
What Atlanta didn’t have was a win on the road — until now. The Thrashers were 0-4-2 away from Georgia, but they managed to drop Buffalo’s record at home to 4-2-1. Three of the five setbacks for the Sabres (8-2-3) have come in HSBC Arena.
“It’s something we need to change because we had that problem last year,” Mair said. “We had a decent road record [19-16-6], but our home record [20-15-6] wasn’t as good as it should be. I think you’re going to see the same thing this year if we don’t screw our heads on the right way.”
Any hopes goaltender Ryan Miller would record his third straight shutout ended just 4:12 into the game. A defensive breakdown left Williams alone in the slot, and Miller had no chance on the stick-side shot. The goal ended Miller’s personal- best shutout streak at 149:12.
The way the teams were skating, there was no way any netminder was getting a shutout.
The Sabres took a 2-1 lead in the first period with goals by Clarke MacArthur and Ales Kotalik. MacArthur benefited from a quality rush by Henrik Tallinder, who heeded coach Lindy Ruff’s call to have defense-men join more scoring plays.
The Sabres’ potent (and active) five-on-three unit put Buffalo ahead with 1:20 left in the period. Kotalik snapped an eight-game scoring slump with a low rocket, giving the Sabres their league-high fourth goal with a two-man advantage.
Shortly after Atlanta tied the game in the second period, Maxim Afinogenov’s quality night received a tangible reward. Back on the right wing after lineup shuffling, Afinogenov created several chances but repeatedly shot into goalie Johan Hedberg. He finally found the five-hole on a rush down the right side.
The non-sellout of 18,466 screamed loudly when Afinogenov’s first goal of the season was announced.
Atlanta tied the game again with 4:58 left in the second, but it took the Sabres just 50 seconds to reclaim their role as front-runners. Once again, it was the power play. Tim Connolly’s shot from the point fluttered into the top corner thanks to a tip in front by Thomas Vanek, who leads the NHL with 12 goals.
Atlanta, which played Thursday night, refused to fold. Leading the charge was Vyacheslav Kozlov. The Thrashers’ alternate captain couldn’t wait to get out of Buffalo after playing just 38 games in 2001-02. It should be a mystery why considering he plays so well when the Sabres are in the building. He has 16 points in 21 games against Buffalo since the trade, including three assists Friday.
The final one came with 12 minutes left in regulation when he fed Todd White, who made it 4-4.
Vanek’s dazzling move with 10:36 left nearly gave the Sabres the lead back. He drove behind the net but quickly cut to the front to stuff a shot home. Despite his celebration, no camera angle proved the puck was in.
It set the stage for Williams to end the suspense with his second goal of the game.
“We didn’t play good enough to win the hockey game,” Kotalik said, “and we deserved what we got.”
