Posted on 04/08/2011 9:51:07 PM PDT by Gondring
The Buffalo Sabres honored their past before Friday night's home finale, then assured a trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in their immediate future. Nathan Gerbe scored a highlight-reel goal midway through the third period to tie the game and Thomas Vanek won it with a breakaway goal 1:16 into OT as the Sabres beat the slumping Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 on Friday night.
The Sabres (42-29-10) can finish no worse that seventh in the Eastern Conference -- they can go as high as six by getting one more point at Columbus on Saturday than Montreal does at Toronto.
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(Excerpt) Read more at nhl.com ...
And the Flyers still can't get a win.
To hell with that East Coast mentality; Anaheim Ducks just clinched, and that’s the real hockey news.
I have a man-crush on Nathan Gerbe, all 5’5” of him.
Buffalo has a gritty team and could be the dark horse of the playoffs. I am glad they went back to their traditional uniforms. They looked like clowns for the past 10 years.
Well, that certainly makes it a moot point against the CBJ tomorrow night.
Seriously. And without a semi-remotely barely present powerplay, the Kings’ season will come to a quick end (pun half intended).
The Blackhawks are in an EXCELLENT position - Fan Appreciation Day at United Center against Detroit, and all they have to do to clinch a playoff berth...is to not lose in regulation. If they get just one point, they end with 98. Dallas, even with a regulation win, could only get to 97. Bye bye Dallas.
Now, if - let’s say - Chicago does lose in regulation, and Dallas wins its last game on Sunday, in Minnesota. That would give both teams 97 points. Dallas would have to win the game either in regulation or overtime to match Chicago’s current 38 ROW (reg + ot wins) to force the third tiebreaker and it is convoluted as hell.
Oh yeah? Once my Canucks come to the Pond, let’s see them try and stop the Sedin twins. (Now in L.A., but I grew up in BC, Canada and can’t shake my loyalty to the Nucks’.)
I was there at game 7 last year when the Kings were eliminated by the Canucks...GD sweet. Walked out of Staples Center with a damn smile on my face for the next 24 hours...even after being threatened to get my ass kicked.
I got to watch Vanek play his pre-collegiate minor league hockey here in SD a few years back. There was always the feeling he was going to be really good.
Anaheim Ducks clinched???
Praise Jesus!!!!
Did Taro Tsujimoto show up?
Name an NHL team that was in 8th place in the Conference, with its last game at home and needing just a win against a team with nothing at risk to secure a playoff berth...
Hint: The (not-nick) name starts with ‘C’ and ends in a vowel; also, the name contains only the vowels A, I, and O.
Couldn’t believe it when I heard the news of their loss.
And actually all Chicago needed was a point, and they were in no matter what Dallas did tonight. Now they need Dallas to either lose, or get to a shootout. Even if Dallas wins a shootout, Chicago has the tiebreaker (ROW) and if Dallas loses the S/O, Chicago gets the spot on points.
BTW that Dallas/Minnesota game is on now. Don’t know the channel.
cont’d - It is now 2nd intermission, Dallas and Minnesota are tied at 3. Dallas’s season could effectively be over in 25 game minutes.
Right now, 3-3 DAL/MIN at the 2nd Intermission.
If you want to listen to the game, it's on a stream from KSUM.
No doubt. But it was not to be. Minnesota beat Dallas so Chicago is in.
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