The Battle of the Has-beens
By Rick Anderson
April 11, 2002
With the Sabres officially getting eliminated from the playoffs the night before when the Montreal Canadiens won, the Sabres had nothing to play for but pride. It was typical of the season gone by as the Sabres were sporadic throughout the game. The Sabres had two 2-goal leads and couldn’t put the Pens away. Miroslav Satan had two goals to add to his team leading total of 35 and Richard Smehlik and Chris Gratton scored the other Sabres goals.
"This was not your typical NHL game, where both teams come (at each other) a lot harder,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. “There was a smattering of hitting. I think we had five or six breakaways, and I don't know if you will ever see that again."
The Sabres conclude their disappointing season this weekend with games against the Capitals and Canadiens.
The players just seemed to go through the motions in the game that was meaningless.
"It was a tough game to play in," said Jay McKee. "When you play in games that mean so much like we have over the past month, with so much intensity and pressure to make plays, then all of a sudden it meant nothing. It was tough. It was very awkward out there. Forty shots we gave up. That's evidence that we didn't play with the intensity, the drive, the passion of the last couple weeks."
"You play for your self pride for one thing," reflected Erik Rasmussen. "But it's also important to go out there and have fun."
"You understand where the players are at, that there's nothing to accomplish," said Ruff. "From an intensity point of view it's not a game where the price is paid in the defensive zone. It was not your typical NHL game."
Satan, who has suddenly become hot at the end of the season, was still upbeat.
"We have to go out there and finish up the season strong," articulated Satan. "We've played very good here the past month and we don't want to throw that all away."
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99 PLAYOFFS
One year ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated the Buffalo Sabres in overtime of Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Championship. Wednesday night, with neither team heading for the postseason, the game took on the importance of a preseason game. It was fitting that it ended up in a 4-4 tie.
Penguins' Alexei Kovalev scores a second period goal on Sabres goalie Martin Biron as Sabres' Jay McKee comes in a little too late to help.
[AP Photo/Keith Srakocic]
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