QEW Series Becoming CQD Series
If you've been locked down in some remote location with no
reliable communications the past few days, like maybe Etobicoke,
you may not realize that Dominik Hasek's hurt. You may look at
the game scores above and say, "The Leafs really got to that
Hasek guy, eh?" Don't be ridiculous! Introducing, for your
dancing and dining pleasure, Mr. Dwayne Roloson.
You still hear from a lot of fans who don't actually watch the
games how the Sabres are a one-man band, would be nowhere
without Hasek, and also, that slow, trap-style defense they play
is so boring. As anyone with half a brain who follows the team
even to the most casual extent, like this writer, knows, there's
a little more to this team than Dominik Hasek. In the next week
we're going to find out if it's enough.
Roloson's surprise start Sunday had the two effects that the
coaching staff desired. On one side of the ice, Leafs players
admitted to being "a little excited" when they saw Roloson and
Martin Biron taking part in warmups in full dressage, and it's
not out of order to conclude that maybe Curtis Joseph, who wasn't
sharp Sunday, was a little deflated that his mano-a-mano with
Hasek was on hold. For their part, the Sabres came out flying
like they were down in the series 2-0 already. Their
aggressiveness led to nine man-advantage situations for the Leafs
and to a few good scoring chances the other way, but the
intensity and desperation served them well.
The Peca line didn't keep Mats Sundin off the scoreboard as
effectively as they had Alexei Yashin and Jason Allison, but two
of Sundin's three points came on power plays. The Leafs were
3-for-9 with the extra man. Vaclav Varada and Dixon Ward in fact
had first period goals while matched up against the Leaf captain
and his flankers.
In goal, Roloson played with a surprising level of abandon and
confidence. His poke check to negate a Sergei Berezin breakaway
helped preserve the game in the second half. He was rarely
caught moving the wrong way, and made good decisions on
positioning.
Erik Rasmussen continued to hit everything in sight. Alexei
Zhitnik continued to pester opposing forwards, although his
leaving his position to skate across the ice to land a gratuitous
hit in the second period resulted in two Steve Thomas shots on
goal in close. Rob Ray made a rare appearance to keep Tie Domi
in line.
The big news on offense was that Stu Barnes scored a goal. Read
that again if it didn't register, I don't like repeating myself.
Also, Geoff Sanderson, whose hustle was the highlight of games
five and six against Boston, continued to use his speed as a
deadly weapon, launching shot after shot at Joseph. Sanderson
also scored his first goal in a really, really long time on a
brilliant one-handed flip that caught Joseph coming across to his
right while Sanderson was fighting off a Leaf defender with his
other hand. The tally was the eventual game-winner.
Things weren't quite as rosy in game two. Joseph tightened up --
with help from the fact that the Sabres seemed unwilling to shoot
high, where they'd beaten the Leaf goalie three times on Sunday
-- and the Leafs played a more concentrated, intense three
periods. The Sabres seemed content to leave Toronto with a
split.
Roloson was victimized by his defense's failure to clear the
front of the net on the first goal, by Steve Sullivan. Eighteen
seconds later, Sylvain Cote beat Roloson after being sprung on a
pass that very clearly should have been blown dead for crossing
two lines. The 2-0 first period deficit seemed to steel the
Sabres' resolve to shuffle back to Buffalo with the series tied
1-1 and with home-ice advantage. Jason Woolley made it 2-1
halfway through the game, but the Leafs, who got goals from six
different players, kept coming at Roloson to the tune of a 4-1
lead.
Barnes scored two third-period power-play goals -- yes, Stu
Barnes -- to heighten the drama. Steve Thomas finished off the
Sabres on a 3-on-1 with just under eight minutes remaining. The
Leafs added an empty-net goal.
At a press conference Tuesday, Hasek said his groin was feeling a
lot better and that he was optimistic about being able to play in
the series. We suspect that's a bunch of hooey. Even if he does
come back, he hasn't rested his groin long enough that the injury
won't recur.
The team, which is undefeated at home in this year's playoffs,
has to come out Thursday and Saturday at the Marena with the
intensity it did in game one, and Lindy Ruff must use the last
change as masterfully as he has in the last two series to
neutralize the Sundin line.
The Sabres aren't foundering yet, but they've sprung a leak.
Another game giving up four or five goals if Curtis Joseph is on
and the team will be tapping out 'CQD' -- nautical terminology
standing for 'Come Quickly Danger' -- on the QEW.
