Live Blog: Sabres 7, Islanders 1, Final

With 6:40 now left in the third period and this game long since decided, I'm going to shut down in preparation for heading to the locker room. Talk in the Blog Box has touched several times on why DiPietro is still serving as a backup when it's obvious no one wants him playing. This game was just begging for a goalie change at some point, but you just knew it wasn't going to happen. We'll see if that's a touchy subject in the post-game.

12:20: We're now waiting to see if Tambellini can finish with two minors instead of two goals.

10:18: Penalty to Sekera for handling the puck. Power play, Islanders.

9:12: Beautiful give-and-go by the Sabres. You really just have to applaud that play. BUF leads 7-1 and the crowd is thinning out quickly.

8:30: Isles unable to take advantage of the power play.

5:21: Trent Hunter converts for the Isles on a shorthanded (Ed., that was actually 4-on-4 even strength) rush to make it 6-1. Assist to Pock. Kotalik took a hooking penalty on the play, which was followed shortly by a goalie interference penalty to Vanek.

1:18: Tambellini takes a tripping penalty. There's just no good news here on any front. It's kind of hard to feel too bad about anything plaguing the Isles right now though.

1:01: Buffalo converts and it's 6-0. Kotalik from Spacek and Roy.

THIRD PERIOD

B.D. Gallof has just clued us in to a report on TSN that Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov has died as a result of an on-ice accident while playing in the KHL. TSN now reporting that Cherepanov collapsed on the bench and the ambulance covering the game had already left. Cherepanov, drafted by the Rangers in the first round of the 2007 Draft, was 19.

END OF SECOND: Complete breakdown for the Isles in the second. The first period was uninspiring but the second was a disaster. If I didn't have an idea of what kind of system the Islanders were trying to employ, I wouldn't be a able to tell you what they were trying to do out there. It was just a sloppy period and everyone looked a couple of steps slow. To be successful, this team can't let up on the intensity or paying attention to detail. They failed at both in that period. Let's see if they can take better care of the puck and their defensive assignments in the third.

19:08: Simultaneous minors for Bergenheim (tripping) and Comrie (slashing). 5-on-3 for Buffalo.

17:30: Buffalo nearly converts a shorthanded 2-on-1.

16:46: Update on the penalties from earlier. It appears that Kaleta did not get a game misconduct. You might want to check the box score as the announcements may have been a little off. Spacek goes for a delay of game. Power Play for the Isles.

15:18: As tends to happen in blowouts, the blow-by-blow of a live blog gets less interesting. Shots are now 26-15 in favor of Buffalo.

11:14: The love affair with Joey MacDonald appears to be over for now, but the crowds cries for Rick DiPietro will likely go unanswered.

10:32: We have a review as the puck appeared to bounce over the goal line. Looked in from here. 5-goal lead could be forthcoming. Indeed, Sabres lead 5-0.

9:32: Meyer goes off for cross-checking.

Bergenheim, Witt, Rivet, and Kaleta get game misconducts along with fighting majors. Rivet gets an extra game misconduct being the third man in. Thompson and Mair get fighting majors and ten minute misconducts.

Waiting for the penalties to be announced, but the teams are at equal strength.

8:43: The action is fast and furious now. Following that fourth Buffalo goal, fights broke out at center ice. Doug predicts a third man in for Rivet. Thompson got into his first fisticuffs as an Islander, dancing with Mair. Hard to see all the action with everyone standing. Just prior to the fight, chants of "DP" were ringing in the Coliseum.

8:39: Buffalo leads 4-0.

7:00:Another rebound costs MacDonald as he directs a save to his right only to have the puck dished back to the slot for a shorthanded goal by Buffalo. BUF leads 3-0. Vanek from Paille and Rivet.

6:04: Isles get their first power play of the day as Kotalik goes off for interference.

Much to my chagrin, I've been referencing Ryan Miller throughout this blog, when in fact it is Patrick Lalime in goal for the Sabres. Apologies for the misinformation, but the uni number is much more difficult to make out at the other end of the ice. Now that he's right in front of me, the #40 is quite clear.

2:22: MacDonald leaves a not great rebound that slides out past an Islander and a Sabre before another Sabre swoops in to bury it for a 2-0 Buffalo lead. Mair from Afinogenov.

1:50: First instance of real sustained pressure by the Isles as they keep the puck in the zone for over a minute, forcing Miller to make a few saves and sliding a couple of shots just wide.

I didn't mention this at the beginning of the first period, but the Tambellini-Nielsen-Hunter line is also intact. Same group starts the second as the first. Isles now skating left to right from our vantage point.

SECOND PERIOD

END OF FIRST: The Isles were never able to mount any sort of sustained attack or momentum in that period, partially due to being shorthanded four times. They were outshot 13-7 and a couple of those were easy wristers from distance. Tambellini stole the puck along the boards in the offensive zone with about 10 seconds to play and got off a shot from the bottom of the circle to Miller's left, but couldn't put it by the Buffalo goalie.

17:41: Comrie out of the box, successful kill for the Isles.

Our resident ref disagrees with the no-call on the Park play and says Comrie should have received only one minor. Not the first time he's disagreed with the on-ice officials today.

13:30: Park pushed hard into the corner boards from behind in the offensive zone. No call. Pushing and shoving breaks out. Comrie gets the only penalty. Isles shorthanded for the third time in the opening period. That's a double minor for Comrie: roughing and cross-checking.

10:09: Pad save by Mac, but Buffalo gets control and slides the puck past him from in front. PP goal for the Sabres. BUF leads 1-0. Hecht from Kotalik and Afinogenov.

8:22: Witt goes off for hooking. Hunter and Neilsen out first on the kill with Pock and Streit. First scoring chance goes to the Isles. Miller turns it aside.

6:49: MacDonald fields a long harmless shot unsuccessfully but it bounces off his glove wide of the net. Anxious moment as he couldn't find it, but he eventually freezes it.

5:42: Streit got crossed up with Sim at the blueline, creating an offsides.

5:00: Streit with a slapper from the left point. Miller turns it aside with the left pad.

Park out of the box. Nothing too dangerous from the Sabres on the power play.

2:36: Park takes a tripping minor. Hilbert does a good job of denying the blue line.

Comrie centering Park and Okposo.

Pock paired with Streit.

Weight centering Guerin and Sim.

2nd defensive pairing: Meyer-Gervais

FIRST PERIOD

Starters for the Isles:
MacDonald
Witt-Hillen
Hilbert-Thompson-Bergenheim

CJ Baran, lead singer of Push Play, performed the National Anthem.

We have our first sideline story of the day: Doug is predicting two goals for Tambellini today.

Speaking of the concourse, there are a number of new food options at the Coliseum this year. I have yet to investigate them properly, but I can tell you that the Nathan's stand now has a fried chicken cutlet sandwich and a fried clams w/ french fries combo. Can you tell I'm ready for the game to start?

The Parade of Mascots has begun. There are more than a dozen of them here for Kids Day. Included are the Geico Gekko and Mr. Met. Earlier I saw the bunch of them creating mayhem with the kids out in the concourse.

In the Blog Box today we have B.D. Gallof, Doug Davidson, Dee Karl, and Mike Schuerlein. Mike Carey has stopped by to say hello as well. Ken Dick has now joined the bunch. Please check them out during the game or later on tonight. And welcome to Doug who is a new member of the Blog Box this year.

The floating stage used by Seven Mary Three at the home opener is being lowered from the ceiling. Local band Push Play is taking the stage to the screams of the kids in the crowd.

The Isles are wearing their white jerseys at home today.

In case there was any doubt, your goaltending matchup today will be Ryan Miller vs. Joey MacDonald.

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Good afternoon, Islanders fans. We're coming to you live from Nassau Coliseum. It is 12:50 PM and the Zamboni is out preparing the ice for today's Columbus Day matinee between the Sabres (1-0-0) and the Islanders (1-1-0).

With the weekday afternoon game potentially thinning out the numbers in the Blog Box, I thought I'd fill in the live-blog gap for those of you who are stuck at work and unable to get any other play-by-play. For those of you who do have access to other media, today's game will be shown on MSG+ and, since it is a day game, should be broadcast over the radio waves on WHLI 1100 AM.

The puck is scheduled to be dropped at 2:16 PM, so stay tuned!