Rangers last second heroics ties Sabres
By Rick Anderson
November 28, 2001
Kozlov was benched by Sabres coach Lindy Ruff before the game for his lack of production in his last 16 games. Kozlov recorded but one point in that stretch. Kozlov issued a "play me or trade me" ultimatum. Ruff said he had to bench him and hadn't talked to him since sitting him.
The Sabres, without Kozlov in the lineup, played one of their most intensive games of the season. Getting a season-high 49 shots on goal testifies to the amount of pressure they got on Richter throughout the game. Twice they had a two-man advantage and only once they could capitalize on it. After taking a 2-0 lead in the second period, the Rangers chipped back at the Sabres, finally scoring when they had a man advantage with only 6 seconds to play in the period when Lindros put it past Sabres goalie Martin Biron. The Rangers did the same at the very end of the game, frantically applied pressure on Biron with a man advantage and Richter pulled. The York tied the game up with 8.5 ticks left on the clock and the Sabres, who had completely outplayed the Rangers, came up with only a point to show for their efforts.
Richter, who went down with a season-ending injury late last season, was in top form against the Sabres and his performance may help him win a goalie position on the U.S. Olympic team next year. Richter did his best Hasek impersonation.
"Richter gets my vote for U.S. Olympic goalie by the way," praised Ruff. "He was fabulous."
Richter was just satisfied to get the point and leave town.
"However we get points, that's fine," said Richter after the game. "We know we can play better, and that's a good sign. When you find ways of getting points when you're not playing at your best, that's a good thing."
While the Sabres were making Richter perform heroics, Biron at the other end also had a solid game, making 30 saves, some of the best coming in overtime, especially when Theo Fleury did a wraparound and Biron stopped him.
The pregame hype was all about how the Rangers and Eric Lindros would treat Vaclav Varada after Varada clipped Lindros above his eye in their last contest. Several Rangers, including Fleury had called Varada a cheap artist and the Sabres grinder had received a 3-game suspension for his flagrant stick.
Varada was not affected by all the emotional hype leading up to this game. He went out and did his job, playing physical one in the corners and even bumping into Lindros on several occasions.
"I'm going to play my game," Varada said in his "bring it on" style before the game. "It's always tough to play these guys," said Varada afterwards. "There were some big hits, but it wasn't crazy out there."
Lindros was able to get an elbow up on Varada and Rangers defenseman Dale Purinton finished off Varada with a follow up elbow, knocking him down to the ice. Referee Kerry Fraser called the Rangers for two penalties on the play, Purinton and Fleury for tripping.
Fleury had called Varada "and embarrassment to the league" after the last time these two teams locked horns. Ruff countered by calling Fleury the embarrassment. That resulted in a verbal assault from each side prior to the game.
Varada admitted that he didn't care for Fleury's words.
"I don't want to be the guy they tried to make me," admitted Varada. "I don't agree with what Fleury had to say. It's tough to handle the things he said."
The Sabres scored early when Denis Hamel stole a pass from Igor Ulanov around the Rangers blue line and streaked in alone on Richter. Hamel's snap shot beat Richter on the glove side at the 6:48 mark of the first period for his season's first goal. The Sabres would never have it as easy again in the game to score on the pesky goalie.
When Varada became the centerpoint of the Rangers' contempt and drew them into taking two penalties, the Sabres had a full 2 minute 2-man advantage. It appeared as if they would not be able to score until Miroslav Satan was able to put one past Richter. However, Fraser ruled no goal as Rangers Tomas Kloucek pushed Maxim Afinogenov into Richter. It was announced that the goal was disallowed because of accidental interference.
"It's definitely a goal," protested Ruff. "Maxim just gets pounded into the net. I think if Kerry watched it again he would agree."
With time running out on the two-man advantage, Jason Woolley took a shot from the point that Dumont tipped in to put Buffalo up 2-0. At that point, the Sabres were completely outplaying the Rangers.
The Sabres just couldn't score that third goal on Richter and had to settle for the tie.
Rangers coach Ron Low praised Richter.
"When you get goaltending like that you can't not get a point," Low said.
New York defenseman Brian Leetch said that Richter was getting IVs during intermission.
"I was in there hooking IVs up to him between periods to make sure we get him back out there," Leetch said. "Every time I think he's played his best game, he comes up with another one."
"We played the best hockey we could tonight," said Biron. "We dominated."
Varada talked about his role against the Rangers.
"It's a challenge for me to perform against the Rangers," described Varada. "If they don't like me, they don't like me. That's fine."
"It's always tough to play these guys," Varada continued. "There were some big hits, but it wasn't crazy out there. I know that this team knows what I'm bringing out and how I can help. I'm working for them."
Ruff was enthralled by the Sabres effort.
"I think that might have been the best effort," said Ruff. Overall, the only thing that hurts in that game was losing the point so late."
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The Buffalo Sabres threw everything at Mike Richter but Slava Kozlov. Coming up with 47 saves, Richter stole the show and earned the New York Rangers a point Tuesday night in HSBC Arena in Buffalo. Richter displayed the form that Sabres fans have seen in years past from departed Dominik Hasek. The Rangers scored two goals at the end of the 2nd and 3rd periods to force a 2-2 tie with the Sabres. Eric Lindros and Mike York got the respective New York goals.
Rangers goalie Mike Richter cannot stop J. P. Dumont on the doorstep and he scores during the last second of a two-man advantage.
[AP Photo/David Duprey]
"I thought Varada totally dominated shift in - shift out," Ruff said of his winger.
Sabres' Vaclav Varada gets a shot off on Rangers goalie Mike Richter in first period action while Rangers' Tomas Kloucek tries to ride Varada off.
[AP Photo/David Duprey]
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