Sabres notebook: Goals milestone within reach
If the Buffalo Sabres score twice tonight, someone should collect the puck after the second goal. It’ll have historical meaning.
The Sabres enter tonight’s game against Toronto with 9,998 goals in franchise history. Two more will allow them to reach 10,000 in their 38th season of play. Jim Watson scored the first goal Oct. 10, 1970, during a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh and goaltender Les Binkley.
Should the Sabres pot a pair in HSBC Arena, it wouldn’t be the first time they accomplished a milestone against the Maple Leafs. Goal No. 5,000 came Nov. 15, 1987, when Doug Smith beat Toronto goalie Ken Wregget. The last milestone goal, No. 9,000, was reached Feb. 14, 2004, when J. P. Dumont scored on the Leafs’ Trevor Kidd.
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Adam Mair has a cut on his cheek. The knuckles on his left hand are gashed. There’s a red welt on his wrist. It’s not pretty to look at, but it sure was fun watching how the imperfections happened.
Mair had punch-filled, nonstop fights in two of the Sabres’ past three games. He pummeled Tampa Bay’s Steve Downie on Saturday, landing probably 20 rapid-fire punches. He had a spirited tussle against the Lightning’s Zenon Konopka on Wednesday.
Mair’s fights are almost never boring. A big reason is he’s a left-handed brawler, which is rare.
“There’s advantages and disadvantages,” Mair said. “The advantage is that most guys are righty, and if they’re throwing with their right, they’re not holding onto your left. You have a chance to hit them.
“It works the opposite, too. Usually, in my fights, I’ll hit the guy, but I’ll also get hit just because of that. It’s hard to defend.”
A second reason the fights have been so intense is they were heat-of-the- moment bouts. Mair started with Downie after the Lightning player took a run at Maxim Afinogenov. The tilt with Konopka came because the native of Niagara Falls, Ont., started with Mair earlier in the game.
“In those kind of situations, you’re fighting with a little bit of anger there,” Mair said. “It makes it probably a little bit more exciting.”
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Patrick Kaleta (neck) again skated with the Sabres during practice, but the right winger said he has no timetable for his return. He said he feels better but is awaiting clearance from doctors. Kaleta, who was injured Nov. 29 in Montreal, has missed five straight games.
Tim Connolly, who has been out since Nov. 15 because of a broken rib, isn’t expected to practice for at least two more weeks. The center, who is skating on his own, has missed 22 of the Sabres’ 28 games.
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There are still several hundred tickets available, a rarity for a visit from the Leafs. The game is the first of four platinum contests under the team’s variable pricing structure. Tickets run from $78-$233.
The Sabres’ winter clothing drive begins tonight. Fans can donate new or gently-used cold weather gear at arena entrances, and cash donations also will be accepted. Proceeds benefit the City Mission.
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