Sabres have playoff blues after humiliating defeat in St. Louis
By Rick Anderson
March 29, 2002
The Sabres have won only 2 in their last 8 games. Speak about desperation! Those two wins were over the same team, the Ottawa Senators. Mika Noronen started for Buffalo and was chased after allowing the 4th Blues goal. Keith Tkachuk netted two goals past Noronen in putting the Sabres faint playoff hopes down even further. Tkachuk, who had completed a one-game suspension, got the Blues in gear and Noronen out of the nets with a pair of second period goals. It was a perfect way to celebrate his 30th birthday.
"I'm glad I got some breaks tonight but I'm not glad about turning 30," laughed Tkachuk."My wife kind of plugged me a little bit this morning saying I looked better with age. It was a tough day waking up to your 30th birthday."
After a stellar first period, Noronen had tons of problems in the second period. Cory Stillman got in alone on Noronen after receiving a great pass from Reed Lowe. When he got to the high part of the left faceoff circle, he blasted a shot past Noronen and the flood gates were open.
Stillman’s goal was at the 2:18 mark of the second stanza. Tyson Nash scored the game-winner at the 6:29 mark and then Tkachuk did the rest, scoring goals at 9:09 and 12:47. That was it for Noronen, who was given the nod in the goal as Biron had allowed soft goals in each of his last 3 games. Noronen could not be faulted completely (if at all) as the team was clearly not up for this crucial game.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said the Blues were fired up after losing their last two games. While the Blues were playing desperation hockey, the Sabres couldn’t care less.
"I read all of the stories about the Blues," related Ruff. "There was enough motivation around for them to be pretty fired up for this game. They were in their building and they'd lost two tough games. They were called out on the plank tonight."
The Sabres could only register 2 shots on goal in the second period. They put a measly total of 13 shots on Blues goalie Brent Johnson. It was probably one of the easiest games of his life. The only puck that got past him was a shot by Miroslav Satan with just 2:27 remaining in the game.
"It's tough to take, and it's a little bit embarrassing in a game where we didn't show up and lay it all out on the line," said Rhett Warrener, who was ejected from the game for instigating a fight when he came in to defend J.P. Dumont. "Six shots in the first 10 minutes and then six or seven in the last 50. It doesn't really point to a game where guys were willing to pay a price. At this time of year in the position we're in? It was pretty lackluster to say the least.”
As stated last week, this team has been inconsistent all year and one does not know what game they are going to show up. They certainly haven’t the last two games and as indicated in a previous article, the articles written about Sabres games in Sabres Central are going to directly reflect the kind of effort the Sabres put forth in the game.
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The Buffalo Sabres are going in the wrong direction. With now only 8 games remaining, the Sabres continue to lose. Thursday night in St. Louis, the Sabres played a pathetic second period, allowing 4 goals and lost to the Blues 4-1.
Sabres' J. P. Dumont falls to the ice as he puts a hit on the Blues' Bryce Salvador in first period action.
[AP Photo/James A. Finley]
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