Thursday, May 10 7:30pm ET
Kasparaitis' OT winner ends Sabres' season
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- With Mario Lemieux's playoff hopes hanging
in the balance, Darius Kasparaitis became an unlikely hero.
|  | | Ian Moran, left, celebrates with Penguins goalie Johan Hedberg, who stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced. |
Kasparaitis scored 13:01 into overtime as the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame two one-goal deficits to beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Thursday night.
"I've dreamed about this goal for nine years, you know. And I can't believe I did it," said Kasparaitis, whose goal was only the second of his playoff career. "I think I'll never do it again. I can't believe I scored a goal."
The goal didn't happen the way he always played it out in his mind, but Kasparaitis will take it.
"My dream was to take the puck and beat the whole team by
myself," he said. "It didn't happen. But that's a nice goal, too."
The Penguins, who carried much of the play in overtime, finally
capitalized on one of their many odd-man breaks.
Robert Lang carried the puck up the right wing and fed a pass to
Kasparaitis, who ripped a shot from the top of the left circle that
beat goalie Dominik Hasek just inside the far post.
Kasparaitis only scored three times in the regular season.
"I was saying, 'Oh, no, it's Kasparaitis -- oh, yes!"' forward Kevin Stevens said. "He can't score anywhere, that guy. It was a
close series, but we have Kaspar."
|
Kasparaitis' goal brings out the comics
|
|
The fact that Darius Kasparaitis scored the game-winning goal in Game 7 for the Penguins was nothing short of comical for his jubilant teammates.
| |  | |
| Kasparaitis |
Afterward, Mario Lemieux was reminded that earlier in the week he said Pittsburgh's "big players" needed to step up if the Penguins hoped to beat the Sabres. Did Lemieux have Kasparaitis in mind?
"He's pretty small. He's 5-foot-9, I think," said a smiling Lemieux.
"I haven't ever seen Kas score in practice, and I've been here 2½ months," Kevin Stevens added.
It was only goal No. 21 in Kasparaitis' 622 career NHL games, and just his second in his playoff career. Goalie Johan Hedberg said Kasparaitis was the team's secret weapon.
"I knew he was going to score. He's a great goal scorer," Hedberg said. "He was just holding it back and waiting for the right time to pick it up."
It was the perfect time, and if he hadn't scored, the Penguins wouldn't be joking too much because they might have lost the game -- and the series.
-- Brian A. Shactman, ESPN.com
|
The Penguins advance to the Eastern Conference finals against
the defending Stanley Cup champion Devils, in a series that begins
in New Jersey on Saturday night. The Devils eliminated Toronto with
a 5-1 victory in Game 7 on Wednesday night.
The Penguins continue to resemble a team of destiny, as Lemieux
-- the team's owner and already a Hall of Famer -- has a chance to
win the third Stanley Cup of his career that resumed in December
after a 3½-year retirement.
"We just met the budget," said a laughing Lemieux, noting that his team is guaranteed at least two more home playoff dates.
After scoring, Kasparaitis ran a few steps before diving and sliding face first from center ice to the opposite blue line, where he was mobbed by his teammates.
The Sabres sat stunned on their bench, awaiting the official
announcement of the goal. After shaking hands with the Penguins,
the dejected Buffalo players headed off the ice.
"They always came back," Hasek said. "It seemed like we
couldn't hold the lead. When we have a one-goal lead four times and
they score all four times, something is wrong."
Hasek was referring to the Sabres' 3-2 loss in Game 6, when the
Penguins again overcame two one-goal deficits. Lemieux forced
overtime with 1:18 left in regulation and Martin Straka scored the
winner the first time the Penguins faced elimination.
Hasek might have played his final game for the Sabres as he finished the final guaranteed year of his contract. The Sabres hold the option to re-sign him for one more year.
"It's possible this could be my last game in Buffalo," said
Hasek, who has also considered retiring. "I need like two or three
weeks to make my decision."
It was the 27th Game 7 to go into overtime and the 23rd game in this year's playoffs that required extra time, second only to the 28 in 1993.
The final three games of this series ended in overtime, all
settled by 3-2 scores.
Lang, who tied it 2-2 with nine minutes left in regulation, and
Straka had a goal and assist for the Penguins, who reached the
conference finals for the fourth time in team history.
Andrew Ference also scored for the Penguins, and captain Jaromir
Jagr had three assists.
Jagr was emotional following the game, realizing that a loss
could have finished his Pittsburgh career. Although he's under
contract for next season, the speculation is the Penguins might not
be able to afford his salary.
"Before the game I was thinking a little bit. My first years
were successful, winning two Stanley Cups," Jagr said. "And I'm
thinking I was very lucky, and if it is my last year, if God is
upstairs, I cannot leave like that. I would not be fair."
J.P. Dumont and Steve Heinze scored for the Sabres.
After being held to seven shots the final 30 minutes of
regulation, the Penguins came out flying in overtime.
Pittsburgh nearly won it 54 seconds earlier when Alexei Kovalev set up Ference in the slot. Ference got a quick shot off only to be denied by Hasek's brilliant left-pad save.
Penguins goalie Johan Hedberg made a game-saving stop on
Buffalo's Vladimir Tsyplakov with 1:39 left in regulation.
Hedberg made the initial stop, but the rebound bounced to
Tsyplakov who tried to sneak the puck around the downed goalie.
Hedberg lunged back and managed to smother the puck with his body.
"It's a hollow feeling right now," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff
said. "I can't take any consolation that we played well."
The Sabres went up 2-1 when Heinze deflected Jason Woolley's
point shot for a power-play goal 32 seconds into the third period.
The only two Buffalo-Pittsburgh playoff series have been decided
by a Penguins OT goal in the final game in Buffalo. George Ferguson
did it in 1979.
Game notes
Pittsburgh won its first-round series against Washington in
Game 6 when Straka scored in overtime. ... Because of scheduling
difficulties, the Sabres were forced to paint the Stanley Cup logos
in the neutral zone early as they aren't supposed to be appear
until the conference finals. With an arena football game in Buffalo
on Friday, and the possibility of the Sabres playing host to a game
on Saturday, the team went ahead and painted the logos on the ice
earlier this week. ... Hasek fell to 0-2 in career seventh games.
 Send this story to a friend
|
|
ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Buffalo Clubhouse
Penguins-Sabres Series Page
Disappointed Hasek uncertain he'll return to Sabres
Shactman: Sabres' loss came by the numbers
Shactman: Who drew new lines for Pens?
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Darius Kasparaitis lights the lamp for the game-winner 13:01 into overtime.
avi: 1230 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
Jaromir Jagr's centering feed is deflected and Robert Lang bats home the loose puck.
avi: 714 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
After being reviewed, Steve Heinze's deflection of the Jason Woolley shot stands as a goal.
avi: 2312 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
Andrew Ference fires the puck through traffic and scores the power-play goal.
avi: 853 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
J.P. Dumont sneaks the rebound by Johan Hedberg for a Buffalo goal.
avi: 864 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
 Darius Kasparaitis' game-winning goal in OT was a dream come true.
wav: 757 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Mario Lemieux is proud of his team's ability to find a way to win.
wav: 576 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Rookie goalie Johan Hedberg didn't allow nerves to play a role in Game 7.
wav: 544 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
