Leafs Blow All Over Rink; Sabres Annihilate Toronto 12-1
Buffalo News
September 25 2005 (Buffalo, NY) -
The HSBC Arena was sold out as usual as the Toronto Maple Leafs came to town for a preseason matchup with Buffalo. The Peace Bridge was packed with excited Leafs fans coming over the border from Southern Ontario, anticipating a competitive game with their local rivals.
What they got was one of the most one-sided games in either team's history, as the Buffalo Sabres completely decimated the Maple Leafs 12-1. The Sabres led an incredible 8-0 after one period; the shots in that period favoured Buffalo 33-6!
This isn't some minor league team we're talking about. Belfour, Lindros, McCabe, Sundin, Kaberle, O'Neill, Tucker, Domi...they all played! Or maybe they were imposters just wearing their jerseys.
Maxim Afinogenov (2g 3a) struck for five points on the night with linemates Tim Connolly (2g 1a) and Jochen Hecht (1g 4a) also getting in on the fun. Other goals came from Dmitri Kalinin (1g 1a), Chris Drury (1g 2a), Ales Kotalik (1g 2a), Thomas Vanek (1g 1a), Mike Grier, Brian Campbell (1g 2a) and J.P. Dumont (1g 1a). Jay McKee and Jeff Jillson each contributed 2 assists. There were only four Sabres who didn't garner a point: Martin Biron (the goalie), Daniel Paille, Chris Taylor and Daniel Briere.
"Well, it looks like the lines work!", coach Lindy Ruff exclaimed to laughter in the post-game interview.
No kidding.
"It got a bit uncomfortable there at the end of the first", Ruff continued. "You never expect to look up and see an eight up there after one period. I was really getting on the guys in the dressing room to be more selective with their shots the rest of the way. We put up something like thirty in the first period (33) and I'm a big believer in putting as many shots on goal as possible but in this situation, with a divisional opponent, you've got to slow down."
Pat Quinn was relatively calm after his team's dreadful performance.
"I could tell you it's just the preseason but we all know that something this ugly can have a huge psychological effect on the team. We're going to have to drill into these guys that an effort like tonight is completely unacceptable."
Quinn would conclude that "they kicked our butts. We were completely undisciplined, especially in the first period. But with all due respect to Buffalo, there wasn't one single guy on our team that skated out there tonight."
Bryan McCabe scored the only Toronto goal, and that came with less than three minutes remaining to ruin Biron's shutout chances.
Ruff utilized the following lines: Briere centered Vanek and Dumont; Drury was in the middle of Kotalik and Jason Pominville; Connolly centered Hecht and Afinogenov; Taylor was in the middle of Paille and Grier. On defense, it was McKee and Lydman, Kalinin and Numminen and lastly, Campbell and Jillson.
This was Buffalo's last preseason home game. The club will hit the road for games in Calgary and Vancouver to end the preseason.
CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE ACTUAL BOXSCORE
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...abresLeafs.jpg
| FINAL | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | TOTAL |
| Toronto | 0 | 0 | 1 | | 1 |
| Buffalo | 8 | 3 | 1 | | 12 |
|
| FIRST PERIOD |
| SCORING |
| 1. Buffalo - D. Kalinin (T. Numminen, J. Hecht), 0:42 |
| 2. Buffalo - M. Afinogenov (A. Kotalik, C. Drury), 4:05 (PP) |
| 3. Buffalo - T. Connolly (M. Afinogenov, J. Hecht), 11:28 |
| 4. Buffalo - C. Drury (J. Jillson, T. Connolly), 13:51 (PP) | |
| 5. Buffalo - J. Hecht (M. Afinogenov, J. McKee), 15:27 | | |
| 6. Buffalo - A. Kotalik (J. Pominville, C. Drury), 15:46 | | |
| 7. Buffalo - M. Afinogenov (D. Kalinin, A. Kotalik), 18:21 (PP) | |
| 8. Buffalo - T. Vanek (J. McKee, J.P. Dumont), 18:46 | | |
| PENALTIES |
| Toronto - E. Lindros (Interference), 2:09 |
| Buffalo - C. Drury (Holding the Stick), 4:53 | | | |
| Toronto - J. O'Neill (Cross Checking), 6:44 | | | |
| Toronto - M. Moro (High Sticking), 7:37 | | | |
| Toronto - T. Domi (Holding), 13:07 | | | | |
| Toronto - M. Johnson (Charging), 18:15 | | | |
| SECOND PERIOD |
| SCORING |
| 9. Buffalo - T. Connolly (M. Afinogenov, B. Campbell), 2:35 |
| 10. Buffalo - M. Grier (J. Jillson, B. Campbell), 7:16 | | |
| 11. Buffalo - B. Campbell (J. Hecht), 12:56 | | | |
| PENALTIES |
| Toronto - W. Belak (Roughing), 0:39 |
| Buffalo - D. Briere (Roughing), 0:39 |
| Buffalo - C. Drury (Roughing), 7:19 |
| Toronto - M. Johnson (Roughing), 7:19 | | | |
| THIRD PERIOD |
| SCORING |
| 12. Buffalo - J.P. Dumont (T. Vanek, T. Lydman), 0:52 |
| 13. Toronto - B. McCabe (M. Stajan, T. Kaberle), 17:38 (PP) | |
| PENALTIES |
| Toronto - B. McCabe (Charging), 3:42 | | | |
| Buffalo - M. Afinogenov (High Sticking), 17:08 | | | |
|
| GAME INFORMATION |
| SHOTS ON GOAL | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | TOTAL |
| Toronto | 6 | 7 | 7 | | 20 |
| Buffalo | 33 | 11 | 11 | | 55 |
| GOALTENDING |
| Toronto | E. Belfour (L); M. Tellqvist (15:46 of 1st) |
| Buffalo | M. Biron (W) |
| POWERPLAYS | THREE STARS |
| Toronto | 1 - 2 | 1. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 2g 3a +4 |
| Buffalo | 3 - 6 | 2. J. Hecht (BUF) 1g 4a +5 |
| ATTENDANCE | 18690 | 3. T. Connolly (BUF) 2g 1a +5 |