NHL
Break gives Sabres time to depressurize
by MATT KRUEGER Reporter

Ryan Miller shakes hands with Rick DiPietro at center ice after the Buffalo Sabres eliminated the New York Islanders Friday night from the Stanley Cup playoffs. Photo by David F. Sherman

It wasn't enough time to take a fishing trip or really do much of anything outside of the everyday grind of practice and preparation, but the Buffalo Sabres did earn a small respite by knocking off the New York Islanders Friday night.

By sending New York back to the Island with a 4-3 win in Game Five, Buffalo garnered a little "me" time for each player. Had the quarterfinal series gone a full seven games, the Sabres would have pulled a quick turnaround with almost no time to celebrate before moving on to the next challenger.

"You want to win in as short a time as possible," said second year winger Jason Pominville, who scored his second goal of the playoffs with his second period netter Friday. "But they were a team that was hot coming in and playing well. We expected a battle, and we had to battle for every game. Every game besides one were one-goal games. The rest is always nice."

Considering the way the series against the Islanders went for the Sabres, you can understand why the players were so happy to end it in five games. The Islanders needed a late-season charge just to qualify for the playoffs and they were rewarded by meeting the Presidents Cup winners. Analysts and reporters predicted this to be a breeze for the Sabres, but those five games were anything but lopsided.

After the Sabres took Game One, 4-1, three of the next four games were decided by a single goal. And the one that wasn't, Game Four, was a two-goal win for the Sabres.

And as hard as New York played in the third period of Game Five Friday, scoring three goals and nearly sending the game to overtime, Buffalo was happy to not have to deal with those pesky Islanders for Game Six in New York.

"We certainly didn't want to go back to the island and give them a chance to force Game Seven," said co-captain Chris Drury, who had four goals and an assist in the series. "We were glad to get it done (Friday)."

"We didn't want to go back there," added co-captain Daniel Briere, who had one goal and four assists in the series. "And, obviously, everybody's going to say that. But you don't want to let them hang around. You don't want to let them believe that they have a chance to come back."

By responding to New York's penchant for coming from behind and putting away the Islanders with the same composure that led them to a franchise-record 113 points in the regular season, the Sabres demonstrated their ability to fight.

"I think we can be happy with the way we battled," said goalie Ryan Miller, whose circus-like save with nine seconds to go preserved the win Friday. "That was a very tough series. I think that the way the Islanders entered the playoffs and the way we played every game, there wasn't a lot of separation. We fought for everything we got, and we're happy with this series. We had to work, and I think that will serve us better, going forward, than if it had gone easily."

That battle was exactly why the few extra days of rest was so helpful. The legs got a chance to regenerate a little and the nerves settled. Any bumps and bruises also had time to heal.

"I think it's very important any time you can get rest," coach Lindy Ruff said. "Every series is a grind, and an extra day here or an extra day there is important."

Some of the guys stayed home to relax, while others enjoyed the warm weather of the weekend with walks outside or games in the back yard, but the mindset never got too far away from the ice and what lies ahead for the Sabres. With one New York team out of the way, another one waited in the wings.

The Sabres now match up with the New York Rangers for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, with Game One scheduled for Wednesday night at Buffalo's HSBC Arena.

Of course, one guy who didn't really care about extra time off was rookie Drew Stafford. The winger, who made such an impact filling in for injured starters during the regular season that he earned a playoff roster spot and a promotion to the second line, would be happy to play every day. After all, he's one of the guys who always shows up for the optional practices.

"It feels good, but like any guy in my place, I just want to play," he said. "I'm happy to be here, happy to be in this situation. I just want to get back out there and look forward to Game One. I'm excited to get going again."

e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com