Wire-to-wire, the Buffalo Sabres have been the NHL's most dazzling, if not best, club, earning the President's Trophy as regular season champs.  Unbelievable team speed.  The team scored 308 goals and features four scorers with thirty or more goals, including sophomore phenom Thomas Vanek's club-leading 43.  Captain Chris Drury potted a career high 37, while young Jason Pominville scored 34 and All-Star Game MVP Daniel Briere netted 32.  Three more cracked 20, with Jochen Hecht coming close at 19.  Scouting master Don Luce may be gone--the club saving pennies by using video scouting heavily--but Luce's imprint is felt throughout 2006 Jack Adams winner Lindy Ruff's club, both in Buffalo and in Rochester of the AHL.  The club drew heavily from the minors this season due to the fact that as many as nine regulars were out of the lineup this season at one time or another.  But they're getting healthy now (with the return of the oft-injured Tim Connolly, only Paul Gaustad is gone for good, with a severed achilles tendon).  On defense, they're mobile, with Teppo Numminen and Jaroslav Spacek bringing veteran saavy, Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman very steady.   Best of the bunch is Brian Campbell, who won't be a candidate for the Norris trophy this season, but may very well next.  In goal, Hobey Baker Award winner Ryan Miller continues to shine, with 40 wins and a .911 SV%.  Achilles' heel?  Club traded backup goalie Martin Biron away.  Ty Conklin no substitute...as far as we know.  Sabres hope no one will find out, Miller will be healthy and on top of his game, carrying the club to its first Stanley Cup.  This is the best club in franchise history (the 1999 "No Goal" club wasn't half as good), and Buffalo hopes that its tortured playoff past is no more.

On the season's last incredible day, goaltender Wade Dubielewicz (4-0-0, 1.92, .934 in last 4 GP) poke-checked the Islanders back to the playoffs in a stirring 3-2 shootout victory over the rival Devils.  Fitting for this resilient, surprising club, mired in controversy last summer when GM Garth Snow was hired, replacing New York legend Neil Smith.  Snow proved his mettle by making a move for Ryan Smyth (49 shots on goal and 5-10-15 in 18GP since trade).  Rick DiPietro proved his by having a very steady season.  Problem is, Dubielewicz is in net due to nagging concussion problems.  DiPietro, the clear number one, is a question mark for the remainder of the season.  Wild card: Dubielewicz played just fine in the Islanders' final push...who knows whether he can surprise the Sabres' shooters?  Viktor Kozlov scored the shootout winner vs. the Devils, and resurrected his career with a 25 goal season.  Mike Sillinger was one of Neil Smith's finds, an astute move, with Sillinger potting 26.  Former Sabre Miro Satan's 27 helped.  Above them all stands Jason Blake, who will command huge dough in the offseason after scoring 40.   On defense, Marc-Andre Bergeron, who came over from Edmonton a la Smyth, moves the puck well and is an excellent offensive defenseman whom the Isles will want to keep for years.  Brendan Witt anchors a decent group.

Special Teams -

PP BUF: 17TH
PP NYI: 12TH

PK BUF: 20TH
PK NYI: 18TH

RECORDS:
BUF: 53-22-7, 113 pts
NYI: 40-30-12, 92 pts

HOCKEYTALK PICK:  Buffalo in 4.  Swarming offense way too much for Isles.

Results:
Game 1: BUF 4 NYI 1
Game 2: NYI 3 BUF 2
Game 3: BUF 3 NYI 2
Game 4: BUF 4 NYI 2
Game 5: BUF 3 NYI 2

BUFFALO WINS 4-1

Game Recaps

EASTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEWS:

Buffalo vs. NY Islanders
New Jersey vs. Tampa Bay
Atlanta vs. NY Rangers
Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh

WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEWS:

Detroit vs. Calgary
Anaheim vs. Minnesota
Vancouver vs. Dallas
Nashville vs. San Jose

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Players of Note:

Buffalo:  Jaroslav Spacek gets another chance to show the hockey world what he can do on the blue line and he is relishing the chance to shut down Ryan Smith of the Islander’s.  The two were teammates in 2005-6 when Edmonton lost to the Hurricanes in the Finals and Spacek knows that this team has the stuff to go all the way.  He will be counted on heavily to shut down their opponent’s big guns in each round.

Islander’s:  Wade Dubielewicz.   He was amazing down the stretch posting huge wins against Toronto, New Jersey and the Flyers and his play was the main reason that the Isle’s clinched on the last day of the season.  He is 4-1 as a starter in the NHL with his only loss coming in his first game against Ottawa.  For New York to have any kind of a chance this kid will have to be Patrick Roy at his best.

Previews by Josh Brewster /
Notable players by Jason Reed

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