sabres 3, islanders 2

You're wrong Greg. I respect your writing this year, but you're just plain wrong here. The Sabres didn't "want it" more in the 3rd, but rather the Islanders were completely and utterly deflated by bad call after bad call by the terribly inconsistent officials.

Greg.....I am writing in regards to the 4/16/2007 game of the Buffalo Sabres at the New York Islanders. I disagree with you that the Sabres wanted it more than the Islanders.I watched this game from start to finish and all I can say in one word is disgraceful. The officiating in this game was disgraceful and the officials themselves should be ashamed of themselves. It was clear that this game was called in a one sided fashion. It started with the reversed call from no-goal to goal in the second period. It is my understanding of the video replay rules that if there is no conclusive evidence, the on ice call by the referee stands. In this instance, the referee’s no goal was reversed by the powers-that-be regardless of the lack of clear, conclusive evidence of a goal by the Buffalo Sabres. Second instance; a minor penalty called as well as a simultaneous double minor penalty on a second player shows questionable judgement by the officials. Third instance; a late surge by the New York Islanders was thrawted by a poorly, but perfectly timed penalty call by the officials….virtually sealing a win by the Buffalo Sabres.

The point here being, I understand sports is a business and the success of the business depends upon putting the best, most popular product (i.e. most popular teams and having the Presidents Cup winner beat an 8th seed) it can out there to capture fan money as well as corporate sponsorship and television money but the heart of sports is competition….pure, unrestricted, untainted competition. The League really should put aside favoritism at this point in time, let the chips fall where they may and let fans and players alike enjoy one of the best competitions out there…..NHL playoff hockey.

Both teams were getting away with stuff. There were at least five tripping, hooking, and cross checking calls that the Islanders got away with in the first period.

And Sabres fans do get upset when calls go against the Sabres, as fans of other teams get upset when it happens to their team. The difference is we respect the game enough to not dump our garbage on the ice. That was completely classless and completely uncalled for.

It has been known for a long time that the NHL is rigged. It wasn't bad enough that there were bad calls made but the ref got involved in the play twice behind the net and once at the blue line.

Professional's shouldn't get deflated over bad calls. You're saying they gave up because of a bad call...if that's the case, how could you root for this group ?

Buffalo shut them down, slowed down the whole tempo of the game , never gave the islanders a chance to get anything going in the 3rd.

In my opinion it was a dangerous style of defensive hockey with only a one goal lead.

Islander fans always whine about getting calls their way from referees. Do you honestly think the fans response to the late call will help the Islanders down the road. Stupid, classless and another example of how trashy Islander fans really are. With the way the Islanders were playing in the 3rd period, do you really think it would have mattered had they finished the last 1:30 even strength ?

Again, Islander fans disgrace their organization.

The 6 minute call was a joke. Bergeron as usual made the mistake of pinching in the wrong spot. However, I watched this play 30 times. The slash was lame, but no worse than the hook Bergeron received a second before. Neither should have been called. The Poti penalty was a joke. Afinawhatever initiated the high contact and shoved Poti in the face. He was making no real attempt to shoot just initiate contact and hope for the call.

Chris wrote:

Both teams were getting away with stuff. There were at least five tripping, hooking, and cross checking calls that the Islanders got away with in the first period.
And Sabres fans do get upset when calls go against the Sabres, as fans of other teams get upset when it happens to their team. The difference is we respect the game enough to not dump our garbage on the ice. That was completely classless and completely uncalled for.

Could this article reek of any more anti-islander sentiment? Gimmie a break newsday. That puck was "clearly" in?

what do you want from us?! we have strict orders NOT to let the Islanders win this series. it was explained to us that the NHL does not need a "scrub" team like the Isles, with that bad man Ted Nolan as coach, making any noise in the Playoffs. these instructions were reiterated during the review of the Sabres goal. we must carry out our Masters wishes or face punishment.

the Isles are being suffocated by their own lack of a Power Play. scoring PP goal in the Playoffs are essential. you MUST score Power Plsy goals, or perish at your own demise.

Ok "Classess" learn how to type. Second, stay the hell off our post board! You too! Gary and Chris!!

You're obviously rags fans go gloat about beating up an inexperienced playoff team!

The Sabres WERE NOT the better team last night!! The lenghty goal review was absurd! If it took that long to determine whether it was a goal or not leaves me to believe one thing, The NHL has something against the Islanders. Give me a break, the NFL refs how 60 seconds to determine a call and here are the refs who continuously blow calls and games for the Islanders taking close to 6 minutes. If they were reviewing an Islanders goal it would be discounted in less than 60 seconds!

Granted the Islanders came out flat in the 2nd period not the 3rd as reported by Greg from newsday reported. Just because we scored 2 goals in the 2nd doesnt change the fact that Buffalo scored 2 relatively quick goals on a team that lacked hustle for more than half the period!

As far as the Islanders fans throwing trash on the ice in the 3rd, well haven't other NHL teams done similar things in their past histories. It doesnt determien class, it's pointing out the fact that the refs for the past several years have been the ones determining a lot of the games outcomes with their non-calls! How can an Islanders be hooked, tripped on a play with a no call being made and less than a split second later a Buffalo player dives or gets taken down and boom! Islanders penalty!!!

The refs deserved the barage of trash raining down on them at the end of the game! They waited along the far boards while we threw trash at them and when they headed to the exit it continued to rain on them!

As much as the call in the 3rd was garbage you should never put yourself in a position for a bad call to cost you the game. Satan had some very bad puck handling during the game.

Oh "Classess" by the way, you want to talk about class? We'll why not talk about how many Buffalo fans were in the parking lot fighting one another! That's class! Oh and how about the Sabres fan that jumped down into the a low level of the stands to fight a group of teenagers!?!?

Now that's classy!

Whine all you want about the officiating; Vanek's goal unquestionable and the penalties have a way of sorting themselves out over a series. Game 2 also had questionable calls, a non-call check in the back near the boards or Satan pulling Afinogenov's stick for a hooking call that led to the game winning goal.
Get over it. The Sabres won because they finally played they way they should. BTW, show a little class Long Island, keep your trash in the stands and off the ice. Do you know how bad you look?
Allen James
Sanborn, NY

What can you expect from a ref like Larue, this was the same ref who called no penalty against Jason Williams last year when he almost took out Saku Koivu's eye.

I was under the impression that the video review had to be "conclusive" and "beyond doubt" before overturning the call made on the ice. Unless the folks in Toronto were looking at something different, the replays on Versus wouldn't have been enough to call it a goal.

But like other posters have already mentioned, the power play was awful, and has to improve if they're going to have any chance in this series.

It's clear the league has a vendetta against the Islanders and I'm told it comes directly from the big buffoon Bettmann. Apparently the league is still upset at Wang for the 15 year contract he gave DP.

Last's night the league took another one away from the Islander's. There was no definitive evidence that the puck crossed the goal line. You think the Rangers get that called against them? Put it all on Bettmann.

Chris wrote:

Both teams were getting away with stuff. There were at least five tripping, hooking, and cross checking calls that the Islanders got away with in the first period.
And Sabres fans do get upset when calls go against the Sabres, as fans of other teams get upset when it happens to their team. The difference is we respect the game enough to not dump our garbage on the ice. That was completely classless and completely uncalled for.

As an Islanders fan I couldn't agree more. I was pissed too but I didn't throw my soda on the ice. What's that going to do, change the refs mind? We are a classy organization and we should be embarrassed.

"Versus replay showed it was clearly in?"....Are you kidding me Logan??? We all watched replay after replay for 5 minutes and there was no conclusive evidence that puck went in, in fact Howie Rose was emphatic it did not go in and he was using the Vs feed...ridiculous comment by the Isles beat writer...the puck seemed to travel laterally across the line after it hit DP's skate, as it was traveling horizontal across the line it was trending in the net, BUT it hit his other skate BEFORE the entire puck left the LINE..there was nothing conclusive otherwise..get your facts straight LOGAN