Sabres Edge

Ribeiro no star at the buzzer

Gotta love the he said/she saids that develop in the playoffs. We'll see if the Flyers-Penguins series really heats up tonight but things certainly got ugly at the end of Saturday's 2-1 Wings win over the Stars and so did the war of words. It all stemmed from an incident Detroit's Kris Draper said was a scene right out of "Slap Shot"

Dallas' Mike Ribeiro drilled Detroit goalie Chris Osgood with a two-hander to the chest, swinging his stick from behind the net at the final buzzer. It did, however, come in retaliation to what looked like a butt end by Osgood. I'm betting we don't see Ribeiro in Game Three and maybe longer. That would be a huge loss for the Stars.

If you haven't seen this one, the video below is worth a look. In the midst of a conference final, what does NHL discipline czar Colin Campbell do?

Sunday night update: Campbell did nothing. Fines for Ribeiro and Osgood but no suspensions.

---Mike Harrington

Maine men

My stomach envies all the Buffalo Sabres prospects if the team puts its AHL affiliate in Portland, Maine, which it appears it will. Having spent four days there late last month researching several stories, I can tell you the food is amazing. Lobster, lobster cocktail, lobster rolls, clams and even the nonseafood was great, as great chefs pile into the town.

And, more importantly from a Sabres aspect, the people (and the team) know their hockey. The AHL has been there for more than 30 years, and people care about it. The Sabres are leaving a perfect situation with Rochester, but Portland should be nearly as good.

---John Vogl

Bad news for Flyers

This is not the kind of news you need when you're on the eve of trying to defend Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin: Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen is probably out for the playoffs due to a blood clot in his left ankle. He was hit by a shot during Game Four against Montreal, played through pain in the Game Five clincher and the clot was found Thursday.

That's a huge blow to the Flyers, who I had pegged as big underdogs in the series. I think the gap grows even wider now. And given what we saw Thursday in Detroit, I'd say we're already well on our way to a Red Wings-Penguins final.

---Mike Harrington

And then there were four

After two straight wild springs around here, it seems a little odd to be talking about the conference finals without the Sabres being a part of it. But anyway, the NHL's version of the Final Four gets revved up tonight. It's Motown vs. Cowtown and the Battle of Pennsylvania as the Briere/Birons go against No. 87.

By the way, with all the talk of ex-Sabres it's been easy to forget that Amherst native Brooks Orpik of the Penguins is still alive in his bid to make it three straight years the Stanley Cup could come home for a summer visit. Kevyn Adams won it two years ago with Carolina and Todd Marchant did likewise last year in Anaheim.

You can read our playoff preview here. Cast your votes for the winners and be sure to chat it up in the comments section as well. This thought just struck me: If the Flyers keep going and pull this off, how about Marty Biron for the Conn Smythe? Halfway through the playoffs, he's certainly one of the leading contenders.

---Mike Harrington

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Sabres sign Schutz

For the second straight day, the Buffalo Sabres signed one of their prospects. The team agreed to a three-year deal today with forward Felix Schutz, who was the rookie of the year in the German Elite League.

Schutz, 20, was taken in the fourth round of the 2006 draft. He had 12 goals, 13 assists and 76 penalty minutes in 46 games last season with ERC Ingolstadt. Schutz (pronounced SHOOT-z) played two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before returning to his native land.

"Felix is a great competitor who plays at a high skill level,” Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier said. “His experience in both the QMJHL and German Elite League last season has rounded his game perfectly for the professional level.”

Schutz, 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds, represented Germany in the 2007 world championships and world junior championships.

---John Vogl

Leafs fire their coach

Paul Maurice has been fired as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Maurice was hired by former GM John Ferguson, who was replaced last season by interim GM Cliff Fletcher. The Leafs missed the playoffs in both of Maurice's seasons behind the bench.

Toronto started to play well in the last quarter of the season, but it didn't mean much for Maurice's safety, it appears. The move likely means Fletcher has a coaching candidate he really likes, or the team has decided on a permanent GM and Fletcher is clearing the decks for incoming guy to place his imprint on the franchise.

---John Vogl

Sabres, Balsillie and The News

People on this blog, in e-mails, on other message boards, on talk radio and in the offices of HSBC Arena have asked: A) why didn't we have much on Tuesday's Toronto report saying Tom Golisano talked to Jim Balsillie in December about selling the Sabres; and/or B) whether The News and its writers have an "agenda" against the team.

The answers are easy. Let's start with A. While the sale talks from December might be considered news, it's hardly breaking news. Here is an excerpt from Bucky Gleason's column that ran Feb. 10:

"Over the past several weeks, there have been rumblings about the Sabres going up for sale. It sounds like Flip This Franchise. Make cosmetic changes, such as the uniforms, give fans a little ride and watch its value soar. Meanwhile, they've stripped the insulation, in this case the scouting department and farm system.

"Talk about nice flips, Minnesota sold for $260 million nine years after it was founded for $80 million. Edmonton is going for $200 million, while 10 years ago a group of investors pooled together $85 million for the club. Investors have a $206 million package for Tampa Bay, which Bill Davidson bought for $115 million in 1999.

"Golisano bought the Sabres for about $60 million, although some argue it was $92 million. Regardless, Forbes had the Sabres' value pegged at $162 million, which would amount to a pretty good score.

"Blackberry founder Jim Balsillie, who could line up $100 bills from here to his native Hamilton, wants an NHL team. I could see him being interested in the Sabres. Great hockey town, solid future, close to home."

There was a reason Balsillie's name was there. Believe it or not, we actually talk to people and research our stories. We don't just make stuff up.

And therein lies the rub. People don't believe we research our stories, or they do believe we make stuff up. A poll a few years ago revealed that only 25 percent of people think the honesty and ethical standards of journalists are "high" or "very high." It's a tough bias to overcome, even though a study showed journalism is one of the country's most morally developed professions.

Our job on the Sabres beat, in general terms, is to deliver to the readers what is going on at the foot of Washington Street. That's our only agenda. We don't control whether the news is "good" or "bad" in the eyes of fans. As Bucky has said, it's funny that we only get an agenda when the team goes from first overall to missing the playoffs. No one claimed we had an agenda when the team was making the right roster moves and going to consecutive conference finals.

As an aside, I've been dreading writing this for two days now. I don't believe in the mantra of he who yells loudest and longest gets their point across best. I have little desire to toot our paper's horn, so to speak, because I think (or used to think) people notice quality work without getting beat over the head with it. I don't spend much time discovering what people think of our last story, because after it's written, it's time to think about the next story. But the misinformation and outright bashing have been so pervasive during the last few days that even I noticed it.

---John Vogl

Gerbe makes his choice

Nathan Gerbe has decided to go pro, multiple sources have told The News. The Sabres will be getting an electrifying player and a dynamic person.

---John Vogl

Gerbe's choices

After spending parts of four days talking with and watching Nathan Gerbe in hockey rinks, I have little doubt he has the talent to play in the NHL. How well he will do when he gets there is up for debate and the style of the play the league embraces. A skating league, he's got star potential. A clutch-and-grab league, he could have trouble.

He would be a great addition to the organization. He's straight-forward with his chats and a wizard on the ice. The top of his 5-foot-5 head touches only the shoulders of 6-3 skaters on the ice with him, but he's strong enough and fast enough to handle that. A few other stories since he turned the Frozen Four into his personal playground talked of how he used to push the family car in order to build leg muscles.

Now it's up to the Sabres to make it happen. He seemed genuinely shocked the team had yet to talk with him. He understood they may have wanted to give him time to celebrate his national title and work out with Team USA, but he seemed to expect more input.

As he said in the story, he has two great options. He can get paid to play hockey, or he can live it up as a college senior in Boston, one of the country's best college towns. He said he's 50-50, but it seemed like he was eager to test his skills at the pro level. I'm hoping he does. He's fun to talk with, and he's more fun to watch.

---John Vogl

No Soup for you, no Dru either

No Brian Campbell, no Chris Drury.

That Sharks-Rangers Stanley Cup final that was predicted in so many publications and Web sites officially went poof in the second round at 2:25 a.m. ET Monday, when Campbell's Sharks lost, 2-1, in the fourth overtime of Game Six to Dallas. Several hours earlier, the Rangers got dumped in OT of Game Five at Pittsburgh, 3-2, on Marian Hossa's goal. Had to be hugely disappointing for both ex-Sabres, who seemed to have legitimate Cup hopes when the playoffs began.

Bloodied earlier in the game, Drury took a high-sticking penalty with 1:18 left in regulation that carried over into OT but the Pens didn't score. Campbell wasn't so lucky. He was in the box when Brenden Morrow ended the Sharks' season and sent Campbell into the world of free agency come July 1. Not much of a playoff run by Campbell, who had only one goal in two rounds and nearly was the goat in OT with a bad giveaway three periods earlier before his penalty turned out to be the difference.

You can click here to check out NHL.com's highlight package of the Stars-Sharks marathon, the eighth-longest game in league history. I notice some of you are already chatting up the end for Drury and Campbell. Feel free to do it at the bottom of this post as well.

The NHL also announced the conference finals schedule this afternoon. The West final between Dallas and Detroit opens in Joe Louis Arena on Thursday night while Philadelphia and Pittsburgh play Game One in Mellon Arena on Friday. We'll have previews, polls and prediction posts later in the week.

---Mike Harrington

Megadeth gets behind the Flyers

You may remember I pointed out before Game Four that the Flyers got Megadeth's Dave Mustaine to do a crowd-pumping video wearing a Jason Smith jersey. The clip was in response to a Washington Post column which said the team had female and adolescent fans that "looked as if they could work security" for the band.

Well, the Flyers have the Mustaine video posted on their Web site and you can watch it here -- if you can stomach it. Yet another reason to wish this team would just go away.

Still, for all the Philly-bashing I've done in this space and Sabres fans do in general, you've got to hand it to the Flyers for jumping from embarrassment to Eastern Conference finalist in one year. Bucky Gleason takes a look at how the Flyers have done it in Sunday's Inside the NHL column and it's a must-read for hockey fans. Be sure to check it out.

---Mike Harrington

Sharks halfway to history

After the Friday night deadlines for most East Coast papers -- including The News -- the San Jose Sharks somehow stayed alive in the Western Conference semifinals with a 3-2 overtime win over the Dallas Stars. It was easily one of the best games we've had so far in this playoff year.

The Stars had a 2-0 lead and were 14 minutes away from skinning the Sharks in five games. But Milan Michalek scored at 6:20 of the third period and some guy named Campbell took a breakaway pass from Jeremy Roenick to dramatically tie the game at 11:07.

In overtime, it took only 65 seconds for San Jose to steal a 3-2 win on Joe Pavelski's goal. Unreal.

So the Sharks are back in the series, trailing it by just 3-2 after Dallas won the first three games but blew a chance to complete a sweep on home ice. Only two teams in NHL history have come back from 3-0 deficits, none since the 1975 Islanders did it to Pittsburgh. But if the Sharks pull out Game Six Sunday night in Dallas to get this series even, you won't be able to bet against them in Game Seven back at the Shark Tank.

You can check out the highlights from Friday's game here. Click the arrows on the right of the screen if you just want to see an individual goal, hit or save.

So what do you think about the Sharks' chances now? Do or die for Dallas in Game Six?

---Mike Harrington

(AP Photo: Brian Campbell, 51, celebrates his game-tying goal)

World championships under way

The world championships started Friday, and members of the Sabres play a prominent role on several teams.

USA: Jason Pominville and Drew Stafford (plus local products Patrick Kane and Lee Stempniak)

Canada: Derek Roy

Czech Republic: Ales Kotalik

Germany: Philip Gogulla

Russia: Maxim Afinogenov, Dmitri Kalinin

Slovakia: Andrej Sekera

You can follow the tournament, which is being played in Canada for the first time, at this link. The tournament runs through May 18.

---John Vogl

All eyes on Habs' net

The Canadiens' No. 1 problem so far against the Flyers is that they haven't solved Martin Biron. Problem 1A is that 20-year-old goalie Carey Price stopped doing his vintage 1971 Ken Dryden impression as Montreal lost Games Two and Three.

Coach Guy Carbonneau went with Jaroslav Halak in Game Four but he's going back to Price Saturday for Game Five with the Habs in a must-win situation. So is it over for Montreal as the Brieres/Birons go for the kill? And did Carbonneau mangle Price's already-fragile confidence with the one-game benching or was that a good idea?

---Mike Harrington

Drury looks OK for tonight

It looks like Chris Drury will be on the ice tonight for the Rangers as they try to prevent a sweep at the hands of the Penguins. Drury skated briefly this morning and his injury (officially unknown but believed to be bruised ribs) doesn't look like it will keep him out of Game Four.

The same can't be said, of course, for Sean Avery. He remains hospitalized from his lacerated spleen. Blair Betts is also out with a fractured orbital bone and won't play again this season unless the Rangers make a miraculous comeback and get all the way to the Stanley Cup finals.

Pretty amazing to think Drury & Co. are in the predicament they're in while Marty Biron and Daniel Briere are in starring roles as the Flyers are one win away from an upset of the Canadiens and a berth in the conference finals. Click their names for links to today's Philadelphia columns on each.

Now if the Habs lose this series, that would be cause for the folks in Montreal to riot.

---Mike Harrington

Lopsided series

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Flyers causing more havoc

My list of reasons to loathe the Flyers, which excludes Daniel Briere by the way, keeps growing. More additions from Monday night's 3-2 win over the Habs.

1). They almost got involved in a pregame tussle again. Hey, we could have had Ed Hospodar-Claude Lemieux circa 1987 Round II. Remember?

2). The Flyers had Hospodar and Bob Kelly in the crowd and great brawls of the past were on the jumbotron.

3). The neanderthals known as Wachovia Center fans booed "O, Canada"

4). In response to portions of a Washington Post column that described Flyers fans as "women and children [who] looked as if they could work security for Megedeth," lead singer Dave Mustaine sent a videotaped message of support. He wore captain Jason Smith's sweater. Ugh.

5). Worst of all, they held off the Canadiens to take a 2-1 lead in the series despite Montreal's 34-12 edge in shots. Marty Biron is outplaying Carey Price in this one.

---Mike Harrington

Monday musings

CLEVELAND -- Some ice chips flying around my mind in a LeBron-centric town where the NHL got six paragraphs today in a 12-page sports section:

---Didn't you used to be the San Jose Sharks, everybody's chic pick to win the Stanley Cup? We're getting close to sticking a fork into the men of teal after last night's third-period meltdown in a 5-2 loss to Dallas.

They're down, 2-0, heading to Big D with coach Ron Wilson teetering on the edge of unemployment. Not to mention what could be the end of Brian Campbell's brief career out west.  Campbell has no goals and five assists in the postseason and is even in the plus-minus rating. He played 28:37 and 28:38 in the first two games of this series.

---I know the Sharks had the league's best road record during this the season but how about the impressive work by the Stars? They beat both the Ducks and Sharks on the road in Games One and Two, proving they weren't getting enough pub coming into the playoffs as a real contender. Lindy Ruff maintained the Sabres' best road win all season was their 2-1 victory in Dallas Jan. 24. He sensed how good a team they were.

---Should we just let the Dallas-Detroit West final get started or do Colorado and San Jose still have reasons to stick around?

---I'm not about to write off the Rangers, even though they're in a 2-0 hole to the Penguins. After all, they're going home and quickly talking about how they climbed out of a similar rut last year against the Sabres. Lots of chirping in this series between Tom Renney and Michel Therrien, largely about whether Sidney Crosby is a diver. Oh, dear Jaromir Jagr: Shut up and play.

---Most compelling series so far is Flyers-Habs. The Briere-Birons are back home tonight and there's plenty of yapping going on in that series as well heading into Game Three.

---One last note: Now available in local bookstores are paperback copies of "Rayzor's Edge", Rob Ray's book that was written with News Sports Reporter and stat research guru Budd Bailey. The hard-cover edition sold out in about three weeks.

---Mike Harrington

(AP Photo: Mike Modano, left, celebrates his second-period goal with Brendan Morrow)

"Party" in the plaza

FALMOUTH, Maine -- Shared a good laugh today with Jason Pominville when we were discussing Friday night's game between Pittsburgh and the Rangers. Versus kept going to its outdoor camera to show people watching the game on big screens outside Mellon Arena. Judging from the television, the Penguins packed their plaza with, oh, 50 people, maybe 100. It was a long way from the thousands upon thousands outside HSBC Arena last year.

"I did see that, and the first thing I thought of was that," Pominville said of the disparity. "When we were in the playoffs last year, they would show it on the Jumbotron and you couldn't see the end. There weren't that many people in Pittsburgh."

Penguins fans can still laugh, however, as they at least have playoffs to participate in.

As for Pominville, read Sunday's News to see his thoughts on joining Team USA despite being born in Canada. It was a good decision for him with an eye on the 2010 Olympics, and it was a great decision for the Americans to get someone who is becoming a top-notch player.

---John Vogl

Gerbe getting up to speed

FALMOUTH, Maine -- I got my first look at Sabres prospect Nathan Gerbe today at Team USA training camp (the Boston College junior recently was added to the world championship team). My first impression was the same one everyone gets when they see him on the ice: Man, that guy is small. The 5-foot-5 forward was standing next to 6-3 teammate David Backes, and the top of Gerbe's helmet was even with Backes' shoulder pads.

But, as we all know, first impressions can soon get overshadowed. The height disparity isn't what I'll remember about today's practice. What I'll recall is how long Gerbe stayed on the ice. Most of the team was in the dressing room and out of uniform, yet there was Gerbe, standing in front of the net with a crate full of pucks, firing them over and over. He ended up being the third-last player to call it a day. (For the record, the final player off the ice was West Seneca's Lee Stempniak, whom I'll be writing about in Saturday's paper.)

Gerbe has had a whirlwind month -- Hobey Baker runner-up, national champion, Frozen Four MVP -- and now he's playing with some of the country's best professionals. He's eager to see how he stacks up.

"It's been a special year, so I'm really thankful to be part of this team here," Gerbe said. "It's a good group of guys to be skating with to kind of get to compare yourself with. It's like a measuring stick to see where you stand at the pro level. It's definitely an honor, especially to represent your country. I can't complain about the year so far.

"It's quick. The guys move the puck fast. It's a lot different than college, so definitely a little getting used to. But it's been a good transition so far. The guys obviously help me out, giving me pointers here and there, things I can do better."

As he's already shown, he's willing to work to get better.

---John Vogl

Wild start for Ratchuk in AHL

No way Michael Ratchuk thought his pro career would be this wild this soon. Just over a month ago, the defenseman from Buffalo was finishing his sophomore season at Michigan State. But he left school when the Spartans were eliminated a win shy of the Frozen Four and opted to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers, who drafted him in the second round in 2006. They sent him to the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL and Ratchuk was in the middle of history Thursday night/Friday morning

Ratchuk, whose first professional goal on April 14 against Albany was a classic (check out the video below), will never forget his first playoff point either. He got the key assist on the winning goal early Friday morning as Philadelphia outlasted Albany, 3-2, in a five-overtime classic that was the longest playoff game in AHL history. The Phantoms lead the series, three games to two.

Click here to get the radio call of Ratchuk's feed to Ryan Potulny for the game-winning goal at 2:58 of the fifth OT.

Check out the stat sheet: Philadelphia finished with 101 shots on goal, including 63 in the five overtimes. Albany goalie Michael Leighton made 98 saves and lost! The game took 5 hours, 38 minutes and ended at 12:39 this morning before just a few hundred folks in Albany's Times Union Center. Only three NHL playoff games have gone longer.

Here's Ratchuk's first goal I promised above. Lousy camera work. And how about the call: "a little shake and bake ... and the piece of chicken was in the back of the net?" Yikes.

---Mike Harrington

Pominville a gentleman

Sabres fans now have at least one thing to root for this spring. Sabres forward Jason Pominville was named today as a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy.

The award is given to the player who exhibits the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. Pominville is as classy as they come, and he's quickly emerging as one of the NHL's more potent players.

The nomination shows respect for Pominville is growing rapidly in the eyes of writers around the league because the locals never lobbied for him. He earned the honor solely on his own. Combined with Wednesday's announcement that Patrick Kane is a Calder Trophy finalist, the NHL award show June 12 in Toronto certainly is more interesting from a local standpoint.

---John Vogl

Round Two: The choices are yours

Bucky Gleason made his picks today for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, an "ex-factor" round full of former Sabres that will either have you rooting for your favorites who formerly wore blue and gold or hoping they'll simply go down quickly and go away.

Recapping his winners: Canadiens over Flyers in five, Rangers over Penguins in six, Red Wings over Avalanche in six, Sharks over Stars in seven.

Now it's your turn to chime in with your choices. Which ex-Sabres are going to the conference finals? Click your winners in the polls to register a vote and, as always, leave your thoughts in the comments section.

---Mike Harrington

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Kane for the Calder

In a shocker to no one, South Buffalo's Patrick Kane was named today as a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. I know he earned at least one first-pace vote (mine), and I think he will win the award.

To step into the NHL as an 18-year-old is hard enough, but to do it while being the No. 1 pick -- and an undersized one, at that -- speaks volumes for Kane. He handled his first year masterfully, finishing with 21 goals and 51 assists. He also immediately answered questions about whether a 5-foot-10, 160-pounder could excel. He recorded 16 points in October, the most by a rookie in the season's opening month since 1992-93.

---John Vogl

JR does the shooting

Jeremy Roenick had two goals and two assists in Game Seven to lead the Sharks over the Flames after he was a healthy scratch in Game Six. JR led the Sharks with 10 winners during the regular season and became a leader this year without running his mouth.

Roenick is looking to join the likes of Teemu Selanne, Doug Weight, Dave Andreychuk, Alexander Mogilny and Ray Bourque among star players who won the Cup late in their careers. JR has more than 500 goals and 1,200 points in the regular season and another 120 points in 142 playoff games.

He's had a great career, but does he need to win the Stanley Cup to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame?

---Bucky Gleason

(AP Photo: Roenick celebrates his second-period goal with Brian Campbell and Craig Rivet).

No Crosby-Ovechkin

You know those goofy letters to the editor or talk-radio calls that claim the NHL (or NFL) has a conspiracy against Buffalo and that's why our teams lose? I hope Game Seven of the Flyers-Capitals series puts that kind of stuff to bed forever.

Seriously now, don't you think the NHL was dying -- absolutely dying -- to have a Crosby-Ovechkin matchup to push for NBC and Versus? But look how the Caps lost this one: A non-call directly led to Philly's second goal and a penalty called in overtime created a power play for Joffrey Lupul's winner.

Now in fairness, Tom Poti's trip in OT was a penalty. But in overtime of Game Seven? When no calls had been made in the third period? And how about Patrick Thoresen's shove of Shaone Morrisonn that knocked Cristobal Huet out of the play and created the Flyers' second goal? Looked oddly like interference, didn't it?

The Caps didn't get too many calls from the stripes in this one. So now we have East matchups of Flyers-Canadiens and Penguins-Rangers. Juicy for sure. But not Crosby-Ovechkin. What I saw Tuesday was just another reason to add to my loathe the Flyers' feeling.

So that's six straight Game Seven OTs that have been won by the road team. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last home side to win one was the '97 Sabres (on Derek Plante's Tugnutt-ed slapshot that beat the Senators).

Couple other points: The Flyers' win means it's possible we could have a Drury-Briere Eastern Conference final (although you've got to believe it's more likely to be Habs-Pens). And Brian Campbell lives on as well as the Sharks pulled out Game Seven over Calgary.

Oh but I forgot: Tom Golisano wants the media to stop living in the past.

---Mike Harrington

(AP Photo: Ovechkin and Poti watch the Flyers celebrate)

Game Sevens: Who are you picking?

The first Game Seven, Montreal's 5-0 win over Boston on Monday, was a clunker. (And it also turned a few new police cars into clunkers.) Tonight's games should be better. Who do you expect to win?

---John Vogl

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Bill Barilko's Hip moment

Just got my daily NHL update from the league, and I'm grateful for this reminder:

ON THIS DATE IN PLAYOFF HISTORY

"April 21, 1951 - Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Bill Barilko scored the Cup-winning goal at 2:53 of overtime to defeat the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2, in Game Five of the 1951 final. It was the only Stanley Cup series in which every game had ended in overtime. Toronto’s Sid Smith, Ted Kennedy, Harry Watson, Barilko and Montreal’s Maurice “Rocket” Richard each netted overtime winners during the five-game matchup. Barilko died in an off-season plane crash in the summer of 1951, though his remains would not be discovered until 1962."

Barilko's story became a legend to later generations when the Tragically Hip's Gord Downie "stole it from a hockey card." And it's given me my second chance to put The Hip into this blog.

---John Vogl

 

Is it Druuuuu or Stuuuuu?

Which former Sabres captain was tied for the NHL lead in game-winning playoff goals in the first round?

It's not Daniel Briere, who was leading the postseason with five goals and nine points in five playoff games going into tonight's critical Game Six against Washington. It's not Chris Drury, either, although he did score -- surprise, surprise -- the series-clinching goal for the Rangers over the Devils.

Why it's none other than Stars center Stu Barnes, who had the winner in Game Six on Sunday to beat the Ducks. Barnes had two winners in the series and was tied with Calgary winger Owen Nolan for the playoff lead. Barnes has 30 postseason goals in his career, and 11 have been winners.

Barnes, 37, has been a class act throughout his career. The Sabres didn't want to lose him, but he was part of the salary purge during the 2002-03 season. He made only $900,000 this season and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

Buffalo management is looking for veteran leadership going into next season. Should they consider bringing him back, if even for a year, for 12 to 14 minutes a night?

--- Bucky Gleason

American pride

The world championships are next month, which normally elicits a big yawn from people used to watching the NHL. This time, however, it might be different.

The worlds are being held in Canada for the first time, which by itself should draw more interest. Around here, there's even more reason to watch. Local players dot the lineups of several countries, most notably on Team USA. Jason Pominville and Drew Stafford of the Sabres are present, as are South Buffalo's Patrick Kane and West Seneca's Lee Stempniak. Paul Gaustad withdrew because of a sports hernia.

The next two worlds are steppingstones to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. If USA Hockey likes what it sees out of these guys, they can get an inside track to what should be the biggest hockey tournament in history (and that's no exaggeration).

So, that said, are fans excited about the world championships and the chance to see kids who grew up in our neighborhoods put on the Stars and Stripes?

---John Vogl

He Who Must Not Be Named

I was out and about watching games the other night, and there was a guy in the bar wearing a Flyers jersey with the No. 48 and Briere on the back. Now, I'm well aware that by simply mentioning a certain former ex-Sabre, some of you will say why won't they let that go?! That's not what this is about, so relax a second.

I just thought it was interesting that a Buffalo person would have that jersey. I'm not saying he abandoned the Sabres or anything, it just appears people have room for more than one team. So who else roots for former players to the point that they are now legitimate fans of another team?

And once again, this is not a commentary on negotiations or anything, but it simply has to be said ... Briere is pretty good, huh? Playoff-best five goals, including a game-winner and at least one game-tying tally, a plus-4 rating and a 31.3 shooting percentage.

---John Vogl

Dom benched by Wings

Dominik Hasek got pulled from the Red Wings' Game Four loss Wednesday night at Nashville after giving up three goals on 14 shots. And here's today's update from practice: Hasek is out and Chris Osgood is in for Game Five on Friday night.

Pretty stunning that the Predators are even in this one through four games, isn't it?

---Mike Harrington

(AP Photo: Darcy Hordichuk celebrates after the Preds' first goal Wednesday)

See ya, Senators

So it's been a relatively quiet April around here but it could be worse: You could live in Ottawa!

Proclaimed by much of the Canadian media as the greatest team in NHL history after their 15-2 start, the Senators choked their way through the rest of the season and barely made the playoffs. They shouldn't have bothered as the Penguins swept them out of the first round last night and this Ottawa Sun cover is what people up there awoke to this morning.

Bad goaltending and injuries were big factors against the Sens. Bryan Murray fired John Paddock and couldn't get the job done himself. The big trade with Carolina didn't pay too many dividends. If the Sabres hadn't choked away that 3-1 lead in the final eight minutes of the teams' March 25 game here, the Sens might not have made it at all.

After last night's game, Jason Spezza talked about the losing attitude that swept through the team. Uh-huh. Would have been nice if Spezza and Dany Heatley had showed up in this series.

---Mike Harrington

Miller becomes a playoff blogger

Give a welcome to the world of blogging ... to none other than Ryan Miller!

The Sabres goaltender doesn't have much to do in April and May this year so he's going to be blogging through the playoffs on Maxim.com. I'll give you the link to his blog here -- but don't ask for any other Maxim links!

Miller's latest post, entered Wednesday morning, talks about how he's in Chicago visiting his girlfriend and hasn't seen too many games. But he does weigh in on the Sean Avery controversy: "The NHL weighed in and will now interpret any actions like that as interference. Ya think? It is like when a kid is trying to annoy someone by getting as close as they can without actually touching them…the whole time yelling "I'm not touching you…I'm not touching you!"

In his first installment, Miller talked about driving back to East Lansing, Mich. from Buffalo last week and included this nugget: "I got to hang with my godson, Riley, for the first time in eight months. We played a little basement hockey… the only hockey I will be playing for a few months." So that apparently answers any lingering questions some of you have had about him possibly playing for Team USA in the World Championships.

Miller is also doing weekly radio segments for Maxim on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. on Sirius 108.

---Mike Harrington

Calling Afinogenov fans

I'm curious about something, and it has to do with last week's story about the Sabres putting Maxim Afinogenov on the trade market. There's a feature on our Web site at the bottom right of the pages that tracks "Most Popular Stories, Last 24 Hours." Usually, a story will go up in the morning, stick around the popular side for a day (maybe two), then get replaced by something newer. The Max story, which went up Friday, was still in the top 10 this afternoon. I've never seen staying power like that before.

I know there was already a little blog asking if Max should be traded, but I want to know what it is about Afinogenov that makes his fans so passionate. What is there that makes a story about him retain interest for that long?

He is not the face of the franchise, doesn't do big autograph signings like some other players and is secretive as can be about even the smallest aspects of his life, yet his jersey was one of the league's top sellers. So what is it about Max that draws so much interest?

---John Vogl

Amerks' true feelings finally surface

How bad did things get in Rochester? Players who came up to Buffalo toed the company line during the season about how they kept their focus on the ice -- even though none of us believed them. When the Amerks cleaned out their lockers Monday, a lot of the real feelings came out.

Check out Kevin Oklobzija's story in today's Rochester D&C. The truth finally came out about what a fiasco the Rochester franchise has become. The Sabres certainly created some of the mess with the decision to split the farm with Florida but plenty of these wounds were self-inflicted by Rochester owner Steve Donner.

This is no way for an NHL team to be developing players. Whether they go to Portland next season or anywhere else, the Sabres better make sure this kind of situation never happens again. It reflects horribly on the entire organization.

---Mike Harrington

Some big high-fives

A few thank-yous this morning:

---To the  Penguins, for putting the Senators into a 3-0 hole and for probably putting Bryan Murray out to pasture if they wrap up this series quickly.

---To Colin Campbell, for swiftly reacting to the Game Three shenanigans of Sean Avery. 

---To the Predators, for stealing a win from the Wings to keep their series interesting at 2-1.

---But the biggest high-five goes to all of you in the blogosphere. Sabres Edge surpassed one million page views Monday, a tremendous milestone for The News after its inception 13 months ago. It's a credit to the passion of Sabres fans from Amherst to Afghanistan (where we've had some comments from), and everyone else in between.

As you can see, we're not going to stop the chatter just because it's the offseason for the Sabres. Hopefully you won't either. So thanx again!

---Mike Harrington

Ex-Sabre report

First I admit the shame: After covering the Bisons game and watching the Rangers-Devils OT thriller, the Sharks-Flames game was past my bedtime and I didn't see anything after the first five minutes.

Yep, I saw those three San Jose goals, saw CuJo come in for Calgary and figured this one was over (I wasn't trying to miss it mind you, but you know how those things go). So I was pretty surprised to see those highlights of the Calgary comeback when I turned on NHL Network quickly before coming to Cleveland for tonight's Indians-Red Sox game (I'll have more on that tonight at the Inside Pitch blog).

A big hit by ex-Sabre Cory Sarich gets the Flames going (reminded you of Brian Campbell-R. J. Umberger a little didn't it?). Speaking of Campbell, he was a plus-1 in the game, on the ice for all three of his team's goals and three of Calgary's as power plays accounted for the difference in his rating.

Hey Soupy: When the game is tied late, maybe you should either BLOCK THE SHOT OR GET OUT OF YOUR ELITE GOALIE'S WAY! Owen Nolan should send Campbell a Christmas card for the game-winner that Campbell ole'd. Ron Wilson is a goner if the Sharks lose this series, and Campbell's price tag in free agency might get a drop too.

Anyway, Campbell has just one assist in the three games thus far and is plus-1. Chris Drury, meanwhile, is pointless in the Rangers' three games against the Devils and Daniel Briere has two goals and an assist in the Flyers' two games. But he's certainly rueing that blown two-goal lead in Game One because Marty Biron's shutout in Game Two got the Flyers even heading home.

---Mike Harrington

Avery the agitator

Did you see the garbage Sean Avery was pulling in Sunday's game against Martin Brodeur? This childish bit of "screening the goaltender" sure looks like unsportsmanlike conduct to me. Ron MacLean on CBC even said Avery should have gotten a misconduct for it.

Avery is at the edge of the crease to Brodeur's left. Watch at the 22-second mark of the clip as Chris Drury clearly skates to Avery and says something to him. The NHL Network said Drury was telling Avery to get his stick down. I would have been telling him enough already. By the way, it would have been nice if somebody -- anybody -- in a Devils jersey would have knocked Avery's clock off.

When the Laffs were good, Darcy Tucker was the agitator who just drove everyone crazy. Is there anyone in this league now that you loathe more than Avery?

---Mike Harrington

Butler ready to work

If Chris Butler's actions match his words, Sabres fans are going to warm to him in a hurry. The 21-year-old defenseman had just signed his first professional contract this afternoon when he uttered: "I can't wait to start working out tomorrow."

Rather than revel in achieving his dream of getting an NHL contract, he's immediately going to work toward making that NHL contract pay off. Butler, who just finished his junior season at the University of Denver, is leaving school to join the Sabres. He signed a three-year deal.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder is an all-around talent who might have a chance to start in the NHL as soon as next season. Mike Weber showed that first-year pros can make the team, and the 21-year-old Butler is a year older. With possible departures by unrestricted free agents Dmitri Kalinin, Nolan Pratt and Teppo Numminen, the opportunity is there.

"A lot of that is up to me," Butler said.

---John Vogl

Get Gerbe

I didn't spend much time watching any playoff games Saturday night. That's because I was captivated by the Frozen Four championship game featuring Boston College mighty mite Nathan Gerbe (left). He had two more goals in the final to spark a 4-1 win over Notre Dame in what has to be his final college game. (By the way, one of BC's assistant coaches is Greg Brown, who played 49 games on defense for the Sabres in the early '90s after being their second-round pick in 1986.)

Gerbe is only 5-foot-5 but he plays much bigger. He's feisty, shifty, puts the puck in the net and is a winner -- in other words, just about everything Maxim Afinogenov isn't!

Now that he finished second for the Hobey Baker Award and won a championship, you would think the Sabres are going to have to come up with the rookie maximum of 875K or very close to it to sign Gerbe. Ditto for Michigan State's Tim Kennedy, the South Buffalo native who led the Spartans to last year's title, and Denver defenseman Chris Butler.

UPDATE: The Denver Post is reporting Butler has agreed to terms with the Sabres.

Darcy Regier said at the wrapup press conference that talks had not begun with Gerbe because the Eagles were still playing. BC is done now and it's time for the Sabres to get moving and get Gerbe signed. Didn't Larry Quinn say they're trying to win the Stanley Cup? Then make the statement. I think the Sabres realize Gerbe is a must-get and it will happen quickly.

Who watched Gerbe in the Frozen Four and what did you think?

---Mike Harrington

(Photo: Gerbe in BC's celebration/Associated Press)

All Maxed out?

So, Darcy Regier acknowledged it may be time to send Maxim Afinogenov packing. Who will miss him? Who thinks it's a good move? I firmly believe that $3.5 million next season can be spent much better elsewhere.

---John Vogl

Looking on the bright side

The Sabres admitted the obvious today: They made a few mistakes. They needed more experience. The goalie played too much.

But they also were quick to point out their bright spots. They got Jason Pominville cheap (three years, $3.1 million). Derek Roy's 81 points were a bargain for $3 million this year. They aren't Toronto, which is stuck with older players it can't trade. They said, from a business standpoint, they did the right thing with Teppo Numminen.

Did they really have a good year? They went from first overall to 18th. Did they make the right moves recently that will allow them quickly go from 18th back toward first, or were they just trying to deflect attention from the recent failings?

---John Vogl

What would you ask?

The final act of the Sabres' season will be played out Thursday morning when managing partner Larry Quinn, General Manager Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff meet the media. We'll have plenty of questions, but if you were there, what would be your first question and who would you ask?

---John Vogl

Stanley Cup prediction: Sharks

The Stanley Cup playoffs start with two games in each conference tonight and tomorrow. It's a great week of sports with the NCAA tournament final Monday, hockey's playoffs beginning two days later and the Masters starting tomorrow.

Last season, the Ducks won the whole thing because they were the most physical, had timely scoring and great goaltending. The formula has worked since anyone can remember, which going against my prediction for the Cup finals. I'm picking Pittsburgh and San Jose to meet for the Cup and the Sharks to win the whole thing.

The Penguins remind me of the Sabres two years ago, when they lost in seven games to Carolina. I'll go to my grave -- let's not rush things -- thinking Buffalo would have no problem with Edmonton and won it all that year. They had a better team in the regular season in 2006-07, but that one a year earlier was more suited to win the Cup.

Look out for the Ducks again this year, though. Detroit has been terrific for years, but I've become hesitant to count on the Winged Wheels in the playoffs. They've had three first-round knockouts in the past seven seasons.

Another intriguing team is the Rangers, and not just because they have Chris Drury. The Blueshirts lost to the Sabres last season thinking they should have won. It took them a while this year for everyone to get on the same page, but they're a much better team now than they were last year. You have to think they're going to solve yearlong scoring issues.

Jaromir Jagr is still capable of taking over a series. Scott Gomez has played in plenty of big games, and he's facing his former team in the first round. Drury has 15 winners in the playoffs, not bad considering he has 43 postseason goals. Brendan Shanahan knows how to win. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist gained the experience he needed last season, when he was terrific for the Rangers.

I picked the Rangers to win it all at the beginning of the season before backing off. I might regret changing my mind and switching to the Penguins. It wouldn't be the first time.

You have my predictions. Now, it's time for yours.

--- Bucky Gleason

Roy in elite company

Couple stat nuggets from the Elias Sports Bureau: Derek Roy ranked third among NHL scorers after Jan. 1 with 51 points (19 g, 32 a) in 41 games -- and the only players above him were Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin. Jason Pominville was seventh (18-31-49).

Given their ages, it seems like you can build a team around the two of them and Thomas Vanek.

---Mike Harrington

Give Kane's season an A

South Buffalo's Patrick Kane scored 21 goals in his rookie season and is the leading candidate to win the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. In Sunday's finale at Detroit, Kane again scored on Dominik Hasek and was named an assistant captain in honor of his season. Nice touch by Hawks coach Denis Savard.

---Mike Harrington

Free agent roll call

We talked below about Teppo Numminen's surprise words Monday that he's interested in playing for the Sabres next year. For the record, here's the list of other Sabres who are heading into free agency:

---Unrestricted -- Defenseman Dmitri Kalinin and Nolan Pratt, forward Michael Ryan and backup goaltender Jocelyn Thibault.

---Restricted -- Forwards Daniel Paille, Paul Gaustad, Steve Bernier and Clarke MacArthur.

The Sabres are expected to look into multi-year deals for Paille, Gaustad and Bernier and all three said Monday they'd be interested in working something out with the team. It's pretty certain the Sabres are not interested in Kalinin or Thibault.

---Mike Harrington

Teppo wants to stay

The Sabres cleaned out their lockers Monday and the shock and disappointment of missing the playoffs certainly hung heavy in the words and faces of every player in the room. One of the only players with something to celebrate was defenseman Teppo Numminen, who finally got in a game Saturday night in Boston after missing all season after heart surgery. He said he could have played another one Monday if it was on the schedule.

"It was huge," Numminen said. "There were so many times during the year I thought they were was no way I'd be skating. ... I'm glad I got that game in. The next day, you kind of realize how big the game was mentally and physically. I'm back. I'm healthy and I can still do the things I do. It was huge for me."

Numminen, 40, said he intends to play next season. He's an unrestricted free agent and it seems unlikely the Sabres will bring him back. You'd think he'd be so aggravated that the team put him on the suspended list most of the year that he'd want to go somewhere else. But that's not the case -- in fact, he said Buffalo is "my first option."

Plenty of hockey experts said Numminen's injury hurt the Sabres in the leadership department as much as the losses of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. So what do you think: A one-year deal at a much lower price than this year's $2.6 million? Thanks but no thanks?

---Mike Harrington

Playoff matchups are set

With Sunday's scores in, here are the matchups and seedings for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They start Wednesday and the league is going to get all its schedules done probably by tomorrow morning.

East

Montreal (1) vs. Boston (8)

Pittsburgh (2) vs. Ottawa (7)

Washington (3) vs. Philadelphia (6)

New Jersey (4) vs. New York Rangers (5)

West

Detroit (1) vs. Nashville (8)

San Jose (2) vs. Calgary (7)

Minnesota (3) vs. Colorado (6)

Anaheim (4) vs. Dallas (5)

As for the Sabres? The draft lottery is Monday night at 8. You can see it live on Versus, the NHL Network or streamed on NHL.com. Yeeeeesh.

---Mike Harrington