Emotions Run High, Sabres Chill In the Box In Game Two

"It was an awesome display of emotion tonight. It is what the playoffs are all about. We have some guys that were able to taste that for the first time and they handled it pretty damn good. I am proud of the emotion that they fought through. I am not upset that we took it a little too far because the response is what we were looking for and they came back at them hard."--Sabres Head Coach, Lindy Ruff

"You had to want the ice, want the puck and want to be a part of the game...As far as that emotion and that energy [we're] talking about, it's called the Stanley Cup. And it's worth fighting for."--Flyers Head Coach Peter Laviolette

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, young Sabres.

What you just went through was a playoff game that featured championship-calibre team desperate to win.

FUN?...Brad Boyes?...It's not all that fun when you lose, is it?

You got guys getting hit in the head with a slapshot (Mike Weber,) guys taking one to the body (Andrej Sekera,) guys figthing ("Goose" Gaustad/Scott Hartnell,) guys getting under each others skin (Patrick Kaleta and Daniel Briere.)

You got guys in the paint, guys getting hammered along the wall and guys making feeble attempts and stupid plays with the team paying the price for timidity.

Boyes, Tyler Ennis, Drew Stafford. Do your really want to be a part of the game? Do you want the puck? Is the Stanley Cup worth fighting for?

"Rej" (Sekera,) great goal, but do you want to fight for the ice in your own zone?

Rob Niedermayer has a Stanley Cup ring. He knows what it takes.

Mike Grier is a grizzled vet with tons of playoff experience. He knows what it takes.

Thomas Vanek is doing it like he has been for years, right around the paint. He knows what it takes.

The Flyers played a smart game by luring the young, overzealous Sabres into taking their emotions a bit too far. Although Philly only went 1-10 on the powerplay, a continued parade to the penalty box keeps your scorers on the bench.

Sekera- two minor penalties

Tyler Myers--two minor penalties

Nathan Gerbe--double minor for a take-down (loved this, though)

Kaleta--two-minute minor for roughing

Rob Niedermayer--no penalties in two games
Grier--no penalties in two games (and one of the best hits of the series thusfar)
Vanek--no penalties

Although "Goose" did get a minor, his was a relentless, gritty performance. His emotions were high and he's willing to do whatever it takes.

The youngins need to look to Nieds, Grier, Vanek and Goose. They need to listen to them, watch them, follow their lead.

Young Sabres d-man Chris Butler has played 53 minutes of hockey in two games. Of those minutes, 14 have been on the penalty kill. Overall he an the rest of the penalty-killing unit have kept the Flyers 1-15 on the powerplay. He's a minus-1 and has been a beast  in the physicality department.

He seems to get it.

Last night the Flyers showed why they went to the Stanley Cup Finals last season. Within the game, they found an area they could exploit (youthful overzealousness) and it contributed to their victory. They saw weakness in certain defenders (Sekera and Steve Montador) and took advantage of it.

They know that in the playoffs the ice is smaller, the spacing is less, the speed is a bit faster, the stick-work more refined, the hits harder, the checking more controlled and minor mistakes magnified.


Put it all together and you've got the series tied at one apiece headed back to Buffalo.








cool links:
Photo Gallery:   http://sabres.nhl.com/club/gallery.htm?id=22078&navid=DLBUFhome
 
 
Post-game quotes:  http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2011/4/16/2115709/ecqf-game-2-post-game-quotes-buffalo-sabres-at-philadelphia-flyers