|
The Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks both started off the second round with NHL wins on Wednesday night, and they'll both be looking to take a 2-0 lead in their series on Friday night. Buffalo had something to prove after Rangers' coach Tom Renney made the mistake of blurting out that he didn't think the top-seeded Sabres were the 'cream of the crop' in the league. The Sabres jumped out to 3-0 lead in the second period and never looked back on their way to a 5-2 win. Buffalo's regular-season goal leader Thomas Vanek netted a pair in the win, while Ales Kotalik and Jason Pominville also scored. Super rookie Drew Stafford scored his second goal of the NHL playoffs into an empty net. Marcel Hossa and Brendan Shanahan both found the back of the net for the Rangers, with Michael Nylander collecting a pair of assists. Sabres' goalie Ryan Miller outplayed his counterpart Henrik Lundqvist by stopping 32 of 34 shots. Rangers' troublemaker Sean Avery, who was a constant problem for the Atlanta Thrashers in the opening round, didn't seem to bother Buffalo in Game 1. The Sabres held Avery to zero points and he chalked up a minus-3 rating and four penalty minutes. If Buffalo can keep Avery in check and keep New York's big gunners like Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka off the scoresheet, this could be a short series. Bet on Hockey at Wagerweb.com
Game 2 is slated for 7:00 pm ET Friday night in Buffalo, with the Sabres currently listed at -200 on the moneyline and the Rangers at +170. Meanwhile, the Ducks blew out the Canucks in Game 1 of their series. The Canucks took an early 1-0 lead in the game, but that was all they would get as Anaheim quickly rebounded with three goals in the opening period and cruised to a 5-1 win. Andy McDonald chose a good time to record his first career hat trick, while Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf also scored for Anaheim. Jeff Cowan got Vancouver on the board with the Canucks' lone goal. Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced for the Ducks, while Canucks' goalie Roberto Luongo must have been tired from Vancouver's long series with Dallas as he let in four goals on 31 shots before being replaced by backup Dany Sabourin. The Canucks are in big trouble if they come out as flat in the rest of the series as they did in Game 1. The fact that Vancouver had practically no time off after knocking off Dallas - while the Ducks got plenty of rest after dispatching Minnesota - likely didn't help the Canucks. Game 2 in this Western Conference series is scheduled for 10:00 pm ET in Anaheim, with the Ducks currently favored at -230 on the moneyline and the Canucks at +190. Bet on the NHL Playoffs at WagerWeb.com! View Hockey Live Lines now! |
