No Hasek, but Sabres Still Win

The Buffalo Sabres are more than goaltender Dominik Hasek, and they proved it Sunday to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With Hasek nursing his chronically injured groin, Dwayne Roloson was given the start in goal for Buffalo in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals. It was his first playoff start, and he measured up, stopping 28 shots as the Sabres escaped with a 5-4 victory.

Hasek practiced Saturday but appeared to be slow, and Buffalo Coach Lindy Ruff knew right away what he would do.

“I wanted to surprise them [the Maple Leafs],” Ruff said of his decision to wait until just before game time to announce that Hasek wasn’t playing. “And it worked.”

The series was supposed to be a battle of two of the best goalies in the world--Hasek and Curtis Joseph of the Maple Leafs. Instead, it was a veritable rookie against Joseph, and it was the 10-year veteran who turned in the shaky game in the tense atmosphere of Air Canada Centre.

“I sort of knew what was happening last night but wasn’t sure really until this morning,” Roloson said. “I just tried to relax. I went for a short walk with a couple of teammates and tried not to get too far ahead of myself. It’s hard when you haven’t played much.”

Roloson, with not as much help from his teammates as he might have liked--the Maple Leafs had nine power plays--got enough in the third period when Curtis Brown broke a 3-3 tie at 5:21 and Geoff Sanderson notched the game-winner with just less than seven minutes to play in regulation.

Joseph, who had given up only 25 goals in 12 games and stopped 291 of 313 shots in leading the Maple Leafs past Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in the first two rounds, gave up the five goals on Buffalo’s first 19 shots and finished with 16 saves. Even Stu Barnes got in the act, scoring his first goal since March for the Sabres.

The Maple Leafs will have until Game 2 in Toronto on Tuesday night to contemplate a lost opportunity. Whether they face Hasek or Roloson remained a mystery.

“We made a lot of mistakes,” said Toronto captain Mats Sundin, who had two goals and an assist but was on the ice for three Buffalo goals. “When you come to the playoffs you can’t afford that.”