Sabres notebook: Vanek's hat trick is a natural wonder
Coach Lindy Ruff insists it's a stretch to say Thomas Vanek was benched in the third period Monday night in Anaheim. Vanek, however, said it sure felt like a benching. The numbers back him up, as Vanek played just two shifts over the final 13 minutes of Buffalo's 3-2 loss to the Ducks.
Whatever happened, Vanek didn't pout about it. He may have been angry but he gave the perfect response Wednesday with his first hat trick of the season.
Vanek carved a unique little slice of NHL history with a natural trick to cap the Sabres' 5-0 cruise past the Toronto Maple Leafs in HSBC Arena. Vanek has five career hat tricks and his four straight naturals have been equaled only one other time in league annals — by Ottawa's Cy Denneny in 1923-24.
Vanek got his 30th goal of the season on a power play at 2:37 of the second period, sweeping in the rebound of Tim Connolly's shot from the point. No. 31 came at 5:36 of the third as he took a Drew Stafford pass and unleashed a wicked slap shot over the right shoulder of Toronto rookie goalie Justin Pogge. And No. 32 came at 9:13 of the third on another power play via a Jason Pominville pass.
After a white-hot start to the season, Vanek had just five goals in his previous 21 games. Ruff apparently had seen enough.
"When I'm not playing well, I think he likes to sit me down for a few shifts or a period and make me think about it," Vanek said. "Is it something I enjoy? Definitely not. I would like to keep playing through when I'm struggling but that's the way it is."
Vanek became the league's third 30-goal scorer this season, joining Washington's Alexander Ovechkin (36) and tying Philadelphia's Jeff Carter. Vanek also leads the NHL with 15 power-play goals.
Ruff sat Vanek for stretches several times last season and the pair had a heart-to-heart talk during the offseason about the tactic. Ruff has been far more judicious with Vanek's ice time this year, partly because the winger has been at or near the top of the NHL goal leaders all season.
"It's a pretty minor benching," Ruff said. "I think he played 16 minutes or something. It's a couple shifts. Benchings are a little more severe. It was just a message that things hadn't gone good enough. We spent some time [Wednesday] morning talking about it again, went over some of the situations."
"I'm used to it. It's not the first time I got benched," Vanek said. "You deal with it, you watch the video, see what you can do better and go out the next night. You can't pout about it. If you do, before you know it a week or two passes by and you might be in the stands.
"Early on in my career I dwelled on it. It wasn't the first time it happened. Other guys played better and you just acknowledge it."
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Ruff said Jaroslav Spacek (hip) has a good chance to play here Friday against Montreal while Andrej Sekera (ankle) continues to improve and has an outside shot to play Saturday night at Ottawa. With Teppo Numminen's return, the Sabres shipped Marc-Andre Gragnani back to Portland of the AHL.
The Sabres scratched Andrew Peters and reinserted Clarke MacArthur into the lineup. Jochen Hecht (blurred vision) and Henrik Tallinder (shoulder) both remain sidelined.
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Sabres prospect Nathan Gerbe has missed six straight games at Portland with a concussion, so his status is uncertain for the Pirates' game here Tuesday night against Albany.
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West Seneca native Lee Stempniak has five goals and eight assists in 32 games with the Leafs since being traded from St. Louis on Nov. 24. Stempniak turned 26 on Wednesday.
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