Hsbc Arena

BUFFALO -- Sabres owner B. Thomas Golisano stood on the temporary stage outside HSBC Arena before a recent playoff game with a mob of fans chanting his name. "Thank you, Tom! Thank you, Tom!" everyone yelled. A reception like that might be enough for Golisano -- a Rochester billionaire, sudden hockey nut, and occasional politician -- to reconsider his recent decision to rule out a fourth New York gubernatorial election bid. "That's a question that probably I think about every day," Golisano said yesterday.

BUFFALO — Two weeks after being reunited on the ice in Buffalo, the Sabres’ famed French Connection lost a member when Rick Martin died yesterday. The 59-year-old was pronounced dead at a suburban Buffalo hospital at around 1 p.m., about a half-hour after the car he was driving crossed the center line on the road, rolled along the shoulder, and struck a utility pole before coming to rest against a tree, New York State Police Captain Steven Nigrelli said. Nigrelli said witnesses spotted Mr. Martin driving with his head slumped and eyes closed before the crash, which...

BUFFALO — Two weeks after being reunited on the ice in Buffalo, the Sabres’ famed French Connection lost a member when Rick Martin died yesterday. The 59-year-old was pronounced dead at a suburban Buffalo hospital at around 1 p.m., about a half-hour after the car he was driving crossed the center line on the road, rolled along the shoulder, and struck a utility pole before coming to rest against a tree, New York State Police Captain Steven Nigrelli said. Nigrelli said witnesses spotted Mr. Martin driving with his head slumped and eyes closed before the crash, which...

BUFFALO — The way the puck hadn’t been bouncing for the snakebitten Brad Marchand, the rookie fully expected that his first goal, whenever it came, would be one of those fluky ones. Off a leg. Through a screen. Not a shorthanded breakaway dangle. In last night’s first period at HSBC Arena, with Michael Ryder serving a hooking penalty, Marchand got his chance. After Tim Connolly rimmed the puck to the invisible man at the left point, Marchand pulled away for a one-on-zero chance on Jhonas Enroth.

BUFFALO -- For Marc Savard, the frustrating thing about last night's 6-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres before 18,690 at HSBC Arena was the evidence the Bruins put forth two days earlier when they claimed a 3-2 shootout win over the same club. "We know we can beat these guys," said Savard, whose team allowed three third-period goals that snapped a 3-3 tie. "We were able to force their D down low [Monday]. But they're a great team. They have good forwards, three lines that can score, a great goalie.

BUFFALO - In a season full of missteps, miscues, and inconsistent offense, the Bruins took a second strong step forward in as many nights, pinning a 2-1 loss on the Sabres when Patrice Bergeron tipped home Zdeno Chara’s long-range wrister with 47 seconds gone in overtime at HSBC Arena last night. The victory, the second straight in extra time, provided what may be the first signs of substantive traction in what has been a frustrating season for the Bruins, who finished first in the Eastern Conference last season but have been lodged among the also-rans, pretenders,...

BUFFALO -- Meet the Bruins, the movable feast of the 2006-07 NHL season. Home or away, they have become the sacrificial meal offered up on a nightly basis to be devoured by the rest of the Original 30. Listless and often confused/discombobulated for major portions of the 60 minutes before a sellout crowd of 18,690 at HSBC Arena, the Bruins were chewed up, 7-1, last night by the Buffalo Sabres -- a fourth straight loss that dropped them...

BUFFALO — In the second period last night, just about everything went the Bruins’ way. They barraged Ryan Miller with 24 shots. They executed clean breakouts, even cleaner entries, and ramped up the forechecking heat on the Buffalo defensemen. They netted the tying goal, courtesy of a Mark Recchi second effort that beat Miller over his blocker. For all that, coach Claude Julien had the perfect view of Buffalo’s winning goal later in the period — ironically, one Tuukka Rask never saw. With Patrick Kaleta fronting Johnny Boychuk and setting a screen on Rask, Craig Rivet wound up from...

BUFFALO — After requiring protection for his broken nose for the last six games, Zdeno Chara’s beak was deemed healed enough last night for the captain to go cage-free. Without the bars impeding his sightlines, Chara spotted an ugly sight — a team that didn’t show up when it could have sent the Sabres scurrying for tee times. “We came out flat,’’ said Chara, tossed at the end of the game for his role in a melee that prompted Buffalo’s Ryan Miller to leave the crease.

BUFFALO - Forget about Groundhog Day. The Bruins don’t need the calendar to read Feb. 2 for them to look like they are caught in constant replay, a bunch of befuddled and helmeted Bill Murrays repeating the same day, the same loss, over and over and over again. Once more, for the fourth time in five games, the embattled Bruins connected for only one goal, and once again the lone marker was good for nothing but frustration. Final score last night at HSBC Arena: Sabres, 2-1. The Punxsutawney Bruins fell to 1-8-1 in their last 10 games, and though they cobbled together a respectable...

BUFFALO — After requiring protection for his broken nose for the last six games, Zdeno Chara’s beak was deemed healed enough last night for the captain to go cage-free. Without the bars impeding his sightlines, Chara spotted an ugly sight — a team that didn’t show up when it could have sent the Sabres scurrying for tee times. “We came out flat,’’ said Chara, tossed at the end of the game for his role in a melee that prompted Buffalo’s Ryan Miller to leave the crease.

BUFFALO — In the second period last night, just about everything went the Bruins’ way. They barraged Ryan Miller with 24 shots. They executed clean breakouts, even cleaner entries, and ramped up the forechecking heat on the Buffalo defensemen. They netted the tying goal, courtesy of a Mark Recchi second effort that beat Miller over his blocker. For all that, coach Claude Julien had the perfect view of Buffalo’s winning goal later in the period — ironically, one Tuukka Rask never saw. With Patrick Kaleta fronting Johnny Boychuk and setting a screen on Rask, Craig Rivet wound up from the...

BUFFALO - Forget about Groundhog Day. The Bruins don’t need the calendar to read Feb. 2 for them to look like they are caught in constant replay, a bunch of befuddled and helmeted Bill Murrays repeating the same day, the same loss, over and over and over again. Once more, for the fourth time in five games, the embattled Bruins connected for only one goal, and once again the lone marker was good for nothing but frustration. Final score last night at HSBC Arena: Sabres, 2-1. The Punxsutawney Bruins fell to 1-8-1 in their last 10 games, and though they cobbled together a respectable...

BUFFALO - In a season full of missteps, miscues, and inconsistent offense, the Bruins took a second strong step forward in as many nights, pinning a 2-1 loss on the Sabres when Patrice Bergeron tipped home Zdeno Chara’s long-range wrister with 47 seconds gone in overtime at HSBC Arena last night. The victory, the second straight in extra time, provided what may be the first signs of substantive traction in what has been a frustrating season for the Bruins, who finished first in the Eastern Conference last season but have been lodged among the also-rans,...

BUFFALO -- Meet the Bruins, the movable feast of the 2006-07 NHL season. Home or away, they have become the sacrificial meal offered up on a nightly basis to be devoured by the rest of the Original 30. Listless and often confused/discombobulated for major portions of the 60 minutes before a sellout crowd of 18,690 at HSBC Arena, the Bruins were chewed up, 7-1, last night by the Buffalo Sabres -- a fourth straight loss that dropped them...

BUFFALO -- For Marc Savard, the frustrating thing about last night's 6-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres before 18,690 at HSBC Arena was the evidence the Bruins put forth two days earlier when they claimed a 3-2 shootout win over the same club. "We know we can beat these guys," said Savard, whose team allowed three third-period goals that snapped a 3-3 tie. "We were able to force their D down low [Monday]. But they're a great team. They have good forwards, three lines that can score, a great goalie.

BUFFALO — The way the puck hadn’t been bouncing for the snakebitten Brad Marchand, the rookie fully expected that his first goal, whenever it came, would be one of those fluky ones. Off a leg. Through a screen. Not a shorthanded breakaway dangle. In last night’s first period at HSBC Arena, with Michael Ryder serving a hooking penalty, Marchand got his chance. After Tim Connolly rimmed the puck to the invisible man at the left point, Marchand pulled away for a one-on-zero chance on Jhonas Enroth.

BUFFALO -- A month ago, the Bruins were mired in a protracted slump. The owner, Jeremy Jacobs, was calling for changes, the general manager, Mike O'Connell, was dissatisfied, and the coach, Mike Sullivan, was trying to pull a rabbit out of his hat to turn his team's fortunes around. The players believed they could become successful again, as they were early in the season when they went 6-2-2-1 in the first month. Call it keeping your New Year's resolution. The Bruins remained unbeaten in 2004 with a 1-0 victory over the Sabres last night at the HSBC Arena.

BUFFALO -- Sabres owner B. Thomas Golisano stood on the temporary stage outside HSBC Arena before a recent playoff game with a mob of fans chanting his name. "Thank you, Tom! Thank you, Tom!" everyone yelled. A reception like that might be enough for Golisano -- a Rochester billionaire, sudden hockey nut, and occasional politician -- to reconsider his recent decision to rule out a fourth New York gubernatorial election bid. "That's a question that probably I think about every day," Golisano said yesterday.

BUFFALO -- A month ago, the Bruins were mired in a protracted slump. The owner, Jeremy Jacobs, was calling for changes, the general manager, Mike O'Connell, was dissatisfied, and the coach, Mike Sullivan, was trying to pull a rabbit out of his hat to turn his team's fortunes around. The players believed they could become successful again, as they were early in the season when they went 6-2-2-1 in the first month. Call it keeping your New Year's resolution. The Bruins remained unbeaten in 2004 with a 1-0 victory over the Sabres last night at the HSBC Arena.