Sabres Back Hasek Amid Scrutiny

Dominik Hasek won’t be in goal tonight when the Buffalo Sabres play the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. He has a sprained knee.

No problem there.

But the Sabres thought they needed Hasek’s entire team, along with President Larry Quinn, General Manager John Muckler and members of the front office in the dressing room Thursday to show support for their goaltender while he read a statement.

The Sabres were worried about reports around Buffalo and across Canada that Hasek might not be hurt at all but is succumbing to a season’s worth of pressure. Hasek read the statement and walked out without taking questions.

“What hurts at this time is that my dedication to my teammates, this city, the organization and the fans has come in question,” Hasek said. “As a professional hockey player, I accept and deal with the pressure every day. . . . It’s what I thrive on.”

Said Senator defenseman Frank Musil, who lived with Hasek for 10 years in the Czech Republic, “I know Dom. He wouldn’t quit. . . . If he was capable of playing, he would be in there. He likes to be playing in the big games. We don’t know how injured he is, but I would never question his heart . . . ever.”

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Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins are alive, even if the odds are against them winning three straight while trailing the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-1, in their first round series.

Riding an emotional high from their solid performance in a 4-1 victory Wednesday night in what could have been Lemieux’s final game, the Penguins have some momentum. Game 5 is Saturday in Philadelphia.

“Maybe we can play a solid game for 60 minutes,” said Lemieux, eager to add a third Stanley Cup ring to his collection before retiring at the end of the season.

“Maybe we can come back [to Pittsburgh] Monday,” he said. “You never know what can happen in Philly. This gives us a little confidence.”

The Penguins also have to be inspired by goalie Ken Wregget’s performance in the series. Wregget has faced 167 shots and allowed only 13 goals, soaking up a number of quality scoring chances by the Flyers.