Sabres’ Hasek Has Rare Item in His Crease--Losing Streak

Buffalo Sabre goalie Dominik Hasek has lost two in a row, and that’s bad news for the Ducks today. Hasek, the NHL’s most valuable player the last two seasons, doesn’t often lose three in a row.

In fact, until Wednesday, the Sabres hadn’t lost two in a row at home since November of 1997.

“We have to put a lot of traffic in front of him,” said Francois Allaire, the Ducks’ goalie consultant. “We have to deflect a lot of pucks and pick up rebounds.

“He’s very good at stopping the first shot. That’s his primary strength.”

The Ducks have failed to score more than two goals in five consecutive games. The Ducks were defeated, 4-1, Wednesday by the Toronto Maple Leafs, ending a three-game road unbeaten streak (2-0-1).

Hasek and the Sabres lost, 3-2, in overtime Wednesday to the Ottawa Senators after losing Monday, 7-4, to the New Jersey Devils.

“He has great endurance,” Allaire said of Hasek, who is 19-6-5 this season.

“He can play game after game. The amount of bad games he has are low. We’ll need a big effort to beat him.”

*

Captain Paul Kariya and enforcer Stu Grimson enlivened the Ducks’ final practice of 1998, playfully wrestling as teammates howled with laughter.

Kariya, 5 feet 10, went for a takedown on the 6-5 Grimson, but failed miserably. Grimson then pulled Kariya’s jersey over his head so tightly that it took a moment for him to get free.

“There’s a time to get mad and upset and there’s a time to get ready for the next game,” Coach Craig Hartsburg said of the lighthearted tone of Thursday’s workout.

Today

at Buffalo

Noon

Site--Marine Midland Arena.

Radio--XTRA (690).

Records--Ducks 13-13-8, Sabres 19-8-5.

Record vs. Sabres (1997-98)--0-2.

Update--Defenseman Jason Marshall probably could play today, but the Ducks are concerned his injured hamstring isn’t 100% and don’t want him in the lineup until he’s sound. Marshall was injured in a 2-2 tie Dec. 18 against the New York Islanders. Hartsburg plans to play forwards Antti Aalto and Matt Cullen today. Neither played in Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to the Maple Leafs. Hartsburg wasn’t immediately certain whose places Aalto and Cullen would take in the lineup.