Tune in Wednesday night at 8:00 PM EST as the Buffalo Sabres take on the Calgary Flames. Kent Wilson from
Five Hole Fanatics will be liveblogging for your enjoyment.
Hello and welcome everyone to my first (and last?) liveblog here at the score. Thanks to Scott Carefoot for giving me this opportunity. I earnestly hope I don't embarrass myself, him, my parents, my benefactors, various hangers-on, stalkers etc. tonight.
TONIGHT - Buffalo at Calgary. The Sabres are coming off a backhand slapping of Calgary's hapless northern rivals. The Flames, on the other hand, have been idle for a week and will have to fight through some rust against a club that played the night before.
INJURIES: The Flames are lacking a couple of 4th liners in Primeau and Prust while the Sabres will be without blueliners Tallinder and Numminen. Calgary will likely go with the same line-up they featured in their final win before the all-star break. That means Jim vandermeer will be on the outside looking in.
With the game being broadcast by TSN, lucky Canadian viewers will be treated to the dulcet tones of Pierre McGuire this evening - especially given his *attachment* to Dion Phaneuf.
For those unfamiliar with my liveblog style, I like to focus on strategic elements, specifically line match-ups. This evening, for example, I expect Keenan to throw Jarome Iginla's line against Derek Roy's trio.
That's a good point about Buffalo, John. They've done an admirable job of re-stocking the cupboard from within.
Key for the Flames will be weathering the early storm. Although Buffalo played last night, I expect them to be the better team through the first 10 minutes or so - it'll probably take awhile for Calgary to get their "game legs" back under them.
Nope. Im TVing it, so I too will be able to enjoy McGuire's "exuberance".
The Sabres have some nice scoring depth, with guys like Pominville, Roy, Vanek, Stafford and Connolly. The Flames, however, are actually one of the deepest teams in the league in terms of scoring depth (which is something new for the team).
Flames were horribly top heavy last year (and previously beyond), but the additions of Bourque and Glencross while the steps forward by Boyd and Moss and has done wonders for the bottom rotation of their forward roster.
Here we go!
Iginla's line starts with Conroy centering. Connolly centers Stafford and Vanek on the other side.
The Flames get the first shot on net - a Regehr wrist shot from the point.
After the ensuing face-off, Flames press and get a quality scoring chance with Iginla in the slot. Miller makes a big save.
Sabres get their first shot, with Gastaud's line out against Langkow and Bertuzzi.
Lombardi starts between Glencross and Moss. The line has been excellent for Calgary this year and they generate a scoring chance which GlenX jams wide from the side of the net.
After a brief appearance by the Flames 4th line, Iginla's trio comes back out and Craig Conroy draws a penalty.
PENALTY - McCarthur, 2min for hooking,
Flames first PP unit starts off, with Langkow between Iginla and Cammalleri and Aucoin/Phaneuf on the point.
GOAL - Cammalleri picks up the puck in front of a prone Miller and buries it to give the Flames the lead.
Cammalleri is red hot this month.
A good start for Calgary, who don't look too rusty and are taking advantage of a beat-up sabres back-end.
Thomas Vanek squeeks a close-in shot through Kiprusoff, but Phaneuf manages to clear it before it crosses the line.
The contentious Todd Bertuzzi gives the puck away in the neutral zone with a back-hand pass. He does this A LOT.
The Flames third line causes some havoc again in the Sabres zone. Giordano gets a shot on net that is tipped but saved by Miller.
For the second time in this period, Ruff gets Roy's line out against the Flames 4th unit featuring Boyd, Nystrom and Roy. Nothing comes of it, however, with the play actually ending in Buffalo's end.
Calgary is currently out-shooting the Sabres 6-4 according to nhl.com.
Iginla's line takes the offensive zone face-off. Looks like they're out against Gaustad.
The Stafford line takes the ice and draw a penalty.
PENALTY - Cory Sarich, 2mins for interference.
Looks like Vanek, Roy and Conolly out on the PP for Buffalo. Boyd and Nsytrom are killing for Calgary.
Sabres eventually set-up 40 seconds into the PP and get a shot on net. Kipper covers up.
Flames win the face-off but Phaneuf can't clear. Sabres rattle a shot off Kippers mask, but that's all the damage that is done.
Flames do a good job of deterring entry back into the zone. Matt Ellis gets a shot from the circle with 5 seconds left, but shoots it wide.
The Iginla line gets the shift after the PK, oddly featuring Bertuzzi at left-wing instead of Cammalleri.
Some back-and-forth action with neither team generating anything substantial.
Kiprusoff gloves a long shoot in and the play is called.
Buffalo doesn't look especially tired yet. Just jittery (talking about the kids on the back-end).
