Sabres hold on to beat Lightning
By Rick Anderson
April 8, 2002

Sabres goalie Martin Biron makes a save as Lightning's Jimmie Olvestad moves in for a possible rebound.

[AP Photo/Scott Martin]

The Sabres have to be perfect from here on out. That the position the Sabres find themselves even after winning both of their games this weekend. Buffalo beat Florida on Friday and then won in Tampa Bay Sunday 5-3, but still are 6 points out with 3 games remaining.

The Sabres took a commanding 3-0 lead in the first period against the Lightning on goals by Jason Woolley, Curtis Brown and Chris Gratton. In the second period, the Sabres allowed the Lightning to come back with two goals and they had to hang on in the third period before finally sealing the game when Miroslav Satan scored an open net goal late in the game.

"Maybe we felt we had the game in our pocket," commented Satan. "They fought back and made it interesting. They created a lot of chances. Marty (Biron, Buffalo's goalie) made some big saves."

The Montreal Canadiens beat the Ottawa Senators Sunday to remain 6 points in front of the Sabres. In order for the Sabres to get into the playoffs, they will have to win all their games while the Canadiens will have to lose all of theirs. Not probable at all.

"I wish it was a different situation," reflected Satan. "I wish we clinched the playoff spot two weeks ago. It's a lot of pressure. It's tough to win every game. Too bad our chances are getting slimmer."

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff knows the situation all too well.

"I said a while ago that we're going to have to run the table just to give ourselves a chance, and that might not be good enough," Ruff said. "We put ourselves in a hole, and have been trying to dig our way out."

While the odds are definitely not in their favor, the ever optimistic Brown, tried to take the one step at a time approach.

"I think our focus has been strictly on making it, and that's where our hope is,” said Brown. We're not going to look at anything else right now."

The Sabres put themselves in the hole early in the season. It was a combination of Sabres goalie Martin Biron fighting the puck for half the season and losses to lower rung teams they should have beaten. Now it is all but over for the team that traded away Dominik Hasek and Michael Peca last summer. The Sabres never replaced the lost veteran leadership in the locker room. Not only did they rid their lineup of Hasek and Peca, but veterans Doug Gilmour and Dave Andreychuk were not resigned.

With the offseason looming closer and closer for his team, Ruff is doing everything to keep the team focused for their next game against Pittsburgh Tuesday.

"We can't do anything about Montreal," Ruff said. "We're trying to take care of our own business. Montreal is doing a good job. They are winning night after night."

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