Tonight's Matchup
WHERE:	MMA, Buffalo
TIME:	8:05pm ET
TV:	ESPN, CBC
RADIO:	104.1 FM

It's been a long season. Right now it's past the middle of June and hockey is still being played! I have different thoughts about tonight's game. From my head, I think the Sabres are going to have a very hard time winning tonight. Getting past that Dallas defensive scheme will be difficult. In my heart, however, I think the Sabres will play their best game of the season. They have always come up big when their backs are against the wall. They did it against the Bruins, they did it at the end of the season, and they did it in game 4. Now, they MUST win tonight. I feel that Lindy Ruff has one last card to play. Hopefully it will be a trump card!

Dominik Hasek has to play out of his skull tonight. He must get a shutout. Belfour had one the other night, now it's the Dominator's turn! The hitting of this game will be even more ferocious than any other game in the series. It could resemble "Rollerball" out there tonight. For all those who never saw that movie, "Rollerball" was a sport in the future. It was played on a roller rink and involved one motor cycle per team, a metal ball, a net at both ends and plenty of fighting. Teams played until everyone was knocked out or injured. It was play to the death. The team that won was the team with the only player left skating. That's how tonight's game could play out. It will be as physical as hockey can get. There may be many more injuries tonight. Let's hope not!

Rhett Warrener will not be in the line-up tonight because of the ankle injury he suffered at the end of game five. Darryl Shannon will be his replacement.

My prediction: The Sabres will come out hitting like they've never hit before. Mike Peca will suddenly rediscover his open-ice hitting ability. Wayne Primeau will make hits left and right. Erik Rasmussen will also hit everything with a star on it. Jay McKee will be a head-hunter out there. The Sabres will finally get goals from Joe Juneau and Miro Satan. Geoff Sanderson will score an open-net goal at the end of the game. Sabres 3-1. There will be a game 7 after all!

WIN OR LOSE, BUFFALO NEEDS A BREAK
By Patrick Matthies, Pre-Game Correspondant
Saturday, June 19, 1999

Yeah, it's 3-2, sure, go ahead and say it's over. Dallas is a good a bet as anyone. Ask the Sabres, and I'm sure you'll get a different opinion. They have no one to blame but themselves for the 3-2 torture Dallas has on them, but they're going to be taking it out on Dallas tonite. This is going to be the most intense game of hockey Anyone has seen In a long time. You can count them down, but you can't count them out. Buffalo has never been known to crack under pressure, when everything is on the line...well, so they have, but this is their year. Belfour has a history of blowing big games, and these next two are as big as they come.

What Dallas needs to do to win: Keep cool. The fourth game is the hardest one to win. Play more like you've been playing. That's it for Dallas, cause writing about them makes me sick.

What Buffalo Needs to do: Show up and play for 60 or more minutes. Start shooting the puck, and find a way to beat the Trap. If you deserve to win the Stanley Cup, go out there and prove it. There's an old saying "Don't go peacefully as Death Takes you away, kick and scream, and punch him in the throat." Look for the Sabres to do just that.