Live from Sabres at Bruins
BOSTON -- Rookie goaltender Jhonas Enroth made his NHL debut tonight against the Bruins with Ryan Miller taking a break after the Sabres' 5-2 debacle against the Flyers.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said before the game that he decided last Monday to play his backup against the Bruins whether it was veteran Patrick Lalime or the 21-year-old Enroth. Lalime is still suffering from a groin injury. Ruff decided to stick with his plan and play the former second-round pick.
Enroth's first game was against a Bruins team that scored only one goal in their previous three games while suffering through a drought that lasted 192 minutes, six seconds. He was matched against Bruins backup Tuukka Rask in a battle of backups.
So much for a matchup between Ryan Miller and Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas, the two leading candidates to play goal for the U.S. Olympic team. At least the two backups offer some international flavor. Enroth is from Sweden while Rask from Finland, the two countries that played for the gold medal in 2006.
--- Bucky Gleason
FIRST PERIOD
16:41 remaining: Enroth beaten on the first shot of his career. Mark Recchi deflects Derek Morris' shot from the point just under Enroth's arm with Paul Gaustad off for roughing. It's not the start the kid wanted to his first professional game, but it's a difficult shot to stop.
12:36: The Bruins kill off bench minor for too many men on the ice. The Sabres produce no shots on the power play. The Sabres need to put much more pressure on Boston if they plan on scoring. The Bruins are making it look easy in the early going.
11:40: Pominville made a nice play to intercept a clearing pass in the left circle, but he negated the scoring chance when he missed the net while trying to pick the corner.
11:18: Chara dumped Myers after Big T took a run at Big Z.
9:36: Paille off for goaltender interference after running into Enroth.
8:16: Wideman sent to the box for holding Stafford in the corner, giving the Sabres a two-man advantage for 40 seconds. The Sabres need to do a better job getting pucks to the net. Of course, it doesn't help when they waste the first 20 seconds after losing the faceoff.
7:26: Paille jumps out of the penalty box and gets loose on a breakaway. Enroth makes a good pad save to prevent this game from getting out of hand early.
5:31: Montador and Thornton drop the gloves. Montador was attempting to inject some much-needed energy into his teammates, Thornton earns a decision.
3:29: Chara scores his first of the season on a slap shot through a screen with Grier off for tripping. Enroth never saw the puck with Recchi parked just outside the crease. The Bruins have scored both goal on the power play, which was 0 for 19 going over the previous six games.
0:00: End of period. Bruins 2, Sabres 0.
SECOND PERIOD
18:38: Bitz gives the Bruins a 3-0 lead after a communication breakdown between Enroth and Steve Montador, followed by a terrible clearing pass from Jason Pominville. Steve Begin steps into the passing lane and gets a shot on goal, and Bitz cleans up the mess with a shot into an open net.
17:13: Roy cuts the margin to 3-1 when he collects a bouncing puck in the slot and beats Rask. Craig Rivet made a good play just to get the puck toward the net from the blue line.
13:40: The Sabres are called for too many men on the ice. It's the last thing they needed after getting outshot, 20-10, to that point not to mention outplayed.
8:42: Marco Sturm is called for boarding after running Andrej Sekera into the wall.
2:44: Tallinder misses an open net after a scramble. A goal there would gave helped the Sabres regain some momentum going into the third.
1:42: Rask makes a good save on Roy. The Sabres are trying to apply more pressure.
1:29: Sturm gives the Bruins a 4-1 lead after Roy coughs up the puck in the neutral zone, loses a battle with Patrice Bergeron deep in the Buffalo zone and Sturm is left alone in the left circle. One-timer, goal.
0:00: End of second period. Bruins 4, Sabres 1.
THIRD PERIOD
17:18: Marchand is sent to the box for high sticking. The Sabres generate little on the power play, their fifth of the night.
13:16: Enroth makes a good glove save on Wheeler after he finds an open lane off the wing. It's the 28th save on 32 shots for the rookie. Rask has been tested 19 times.
9:22 Marchand back in the box for holding Tallinder behind the net.
8:55: Bergeron breaks free on another shorthanded breakaway before losing the puck. The Sabres PP is now scoreless in six opportunities.
6:00: Thornton finds himself in another fight, this time with Gaustad. Both players land a few punches before Thornton wrestles Gaustad to the ice. Draw. Thornton hits the showers after getting two minutes for roughing and five for fighting.
2:50: It's getting ugly. OK, it's getting uglier. Jochen Hecht and Mark Stuart square off with the Bruins defenseman landing several punches in a one-sided decision.
2:50: Chara is sent packing after slashing Kaleta and nailing the Sabres' pest with a right hand. Kaleta hits the showers, too, along with Tim Kennedy. Something against WNYers?
1:48: Pominville scores to make it somewhat interesting, but the damage is already done.
0:00: End of game. Bruins 4, Sabres 2.


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