Ducks Forget to Finish Off Sabres

The Mighty Ducks and Buffalo Sabres played a game as dreary as, well, downtown Buffalo on any given day of the week.

In the end, the Ducks managed to sneak two shots past Buffalo goaltender Dominik Hasek, but the Sabres got three by Guy Hebert for a 3-2 overtime victory Wednesday at the Arrowhead Pond.

Forget the goals.

Forget the saves.

Forget the dubious third-period penalty whistled against Duck center Travis Green for hooking that set up the game-tying goal for Buffalo’s Michal Grosek with 13:50 left in regulation play.

Forget the game-winning goal Michael Peca whistled past Hebert only 29 seconds into the five-minute overtime period.

This one was brutal from start to finish--unless you happen to find players flailing and falling all over each other or charging offsides fun to watch, that is.

Until Buffalo’s late goals, the highlight was a heavyweight fight between tough guys Stu Grimson of the Ducks and Rob Ray of Buffalo, who gave the announced crowd of 15,002 what they really wanted: fisticuffs.

Ray leveled Grimson in the closing moments of the Ducks’ 7-2 rout Friday at Buffalo, and seemed eager to rumble in the rematch Wednesday at the Pond. They finally found each other at 14:28 of the second period.

Grimson earned a hard-fought decision over Ray, pleasing the crowd and his teammates. To be sure, Grimson’s victory was not reflected in the final score.

But at least it was a spark, one that was sadly missing at times during the Ducks’ just-completed 1-3-1 trip to Ottawa, Toronto, Buffalo, Boston and Nashville.

Unlike Monday’s listless 2-1 loss to expansion Nashville, the Ducks seemed to be skating on ice again rather than through waist-deep mud.

Passes hit intended targets. Shots hit the net. Checks hit opponents.

Grimson hit Ray.

But all the Ducks had to show for their renewed intensity was a third consecutive loss.

Buffalo, playing far more determined hockey than in their dismal New Year’s Day performance against the Ducks, underwent a remarkable transformation. They played their ugly, physical style to the hilt, particularly in rallying from a 2-1 deficit entering the third period.

Vaclav Varada sneaked around the Duck net and whipped a shot between Hebert’s legs to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 5:16 of the first period.

The Ducks were momentarily thrown off stride, but regained their composure and their smarts in time to score the equalizer at 16:58.

Steve Rucchin accepted a cross-ice pass from Teemu Selanne and deposited the puck into an empty net for his third goal in two games against the Sabres. Paul Kariya had the other assist for his league-leading 48th point.

Selanne scored the go-ahead goal 28 seconds into the second period.

Hasek gave Selanne next to nothing to shoot for, covering all but a few inches above his right shoulder and beneath the cross bar.

So, guess where Selanne slipped the puck for his team-leading 19th goal?

Hasek seemed stunned as the puck whistled over his shoulder and into the net to give the Ducks a 2-1 lead that held up going into the third period.

As they did in Friday’s blowout in Buffalo, the Ducks controlled play for long stretches and put steady pressure on Hasek.

Unlike Friday, the Sabres actually bothered to play a bit of defense in front of Hasek. Instead of ushering the Ducks to the front of their net and kicking around the puck as if it were a soccer ball, the Sabres actually aided Hasek.

Hasek did not play in Buffalo’s 7-1 victory Saturday over the Calgary Flames, and looked better for a day of rest.

He might have still trailed by more entering the third period Wednesday, but made at least two saves that qualified as robbery.

First, Kariya roared into the Buffalo zone with the Ducks short-handed early in the first period. Kariya ripped a shot at Hasek, who appeared to tip the puck off the post and out of harm’s way.

In the second period, Green had an open net to shoot at on a rebound from near the left goal post. But Hasek denied Green, sticking his right leg out to prevent the Ducks from taking a 3-1 lead at the 16:13 mark.