VICTORY AT LAST!
By Rick Anderson
Saturday, October 23, 1999

You knew it couldn't last forever! The Sabres coming off their worst start in over a decade, finally got one under the belts last night as they routed the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 7-3. After a day in which Lindy Ruff shook up the team by announcing that Martin Biron would replace Dominik Hasek in the nets, the team finally came alive for the first time this season.

Dominic Pittis and Martin Biron celebrate first Sabres victory.

Commenting of the Sabres' seven game winless slump, Ruff said, "If we were playing with a Stanley Cup hangover, that must have been one hell of a party we had."

The Sabres played their finest game of the season so far as they generated more offense in one game than they did in their previous seven games combined. The flood gates burst open for the Sabres offense with seven goals.

Biron recorded his second victory in his NHL career, but didn't have too much work in doing so. Biron was called upon to make only 17 saves as the Sabres exploded with an all-out offensive attack on ‘Canes goalie Arturs Irbe in the first period, scoring 3 goals on 13 shots. Eric Fichaud replaced Irbe in the second period and he was even worse, allowing four goals on only 15 shots the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the ‘Canes only had 4 shots on Biron in the second period.

"I definitely didn't help, but it wasn't like I was struggling or not making plays," said Irbe.

The Sabres opened the scoring early as Geoff Sanderson scored with only 2:25 gone by and the fans could tell right from the start that this game was going to be different than the seven previous games. The "Sandman" dug the puck out and shot it from the left corner behind the red line. The puck deflected off Irbe's pads and got behind him. His goal was assisted by Stu Barnes and Brian Campbell.

The lead was short-lived as Gary Roberts got a pass from Martin Gelinas and backhanded a shot past Biron a little less than four minutes later while Campbell was in the penalty box. Three minutes after Roberts' goal, Miroslav Satan got his fourth goal of the season as he gunned one past Irbe to put the Sabres in the lead for good. The bullet hit Irbe, popped up and fell behind the befuddled goalie.

"Those bounces don't happen very often, maybe once a year," said Irbe.

With a little more than two minutes remaining in the first period, Sanderson scored his second goal against his former team to put the Sabres up 3-1. Sanderson got a powerful blast that ricocheted off 'Canes defenseman Jeff Daniels and into the net. This was Sanderson's third goal in two games.

"I just wish we could have done this for the other goalies so it didn't come to this," Sanderson said. "It seems like it took us a few goals to get our confidence back. We got better as the game went on. It was a nice feeling."

Sami Kapanen scored his fifth goal of the season at the 4 minute mark of the second period to get within one goal of Buffalo. He received a nice pass from Ron Francis and one-timed it past Biron.

"In the AHL, I probably make that save but I'm missing that fraction of a second," said Biron. "I read the play well, it was just a matter of execution. I thought I should have been there and then the shot hits my pad."

Stu Barnes played an impressive game and came close to scoring as he did a wrap-around on Fichaud, but the goalie blocked it. However, Erik Rasmussen came in the crease and slammed it home to put the Sabres up 4-2. Curtis Brown wrapped up the scoring in the second period as he stole the puck along the boards and blasted a wrist shot past goalie Fichaud's glove to make the score 5-2. The rout was on!

"I'm not going to say the guy in net was the reason we played a good game," Barnes said. "We take losing hard and it was on everyone's mind. We had to turn this around."

In the third period, Michael Peca finally cracked his personal goose egg as he slapped a screen shot past Fichaud with just 34 seconds gone by in the third for his first goal of the season. Rasmussen poked in his second goal after receiving a nice pass form Richard Smehlik to put the Sabres up 7-2. But Smehlik gave up the puck in his own zone allowing Kapanen to score his second of the night. Biron had no chance on the goal.

Biron was not called upon to make many saves and was caught out of the night twice which almost resulted in goals both times. The first time, Biron was in back of the net chasing after the puck, but raced back in time to stop a shot by Ron Francis. On the other mishap, Biron once again was caught wandering and Jason Woolley made the first save and Biron covered up the puck just before it was about to slide over the goal line.

"You get behind the net and these guys are coming at you a little faster than in the American Hockey League," Biron said. The 22 year old goalie allowed two goals on Carolina's first 11 shots on net.

Hasek who was seen smiling after Biron was caught behind the net the second time said, "The important thing is that we won the game. I'm glad for Marty; he did a very good job."

Ruff joked in his post game press conference that Biron spent more time behind the net than in front of it. When asked who he would start against the Senators, he said that he normally doesn't announce the starting goalie, but since he announced Biron's starting against the ‘Canes, he revealed Dominik would be in the nets tonight in Ottawa.

"It was a night we easily could have scored 10 or 12 goals," said Ruff. "It was a great night for Marty, but it was a great night for our team too. The forwards did as much work in the other team's end as we've done in maybe two or three games combined."

"I thought Marty played good; there were a couple goals he didn't have a chance on," Ruff continued. "But I thought the team finally dug in and showed some determination."

"It's not training camp, you have to win some games and that's how I can make an impression," Biron remarked in a post game interview. "I think the team really gave me more of a lift than I gave them a lift. I think everybody (knew) we were going to win tonight."

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