by Buffalo News

It's awesome to head to the morning skate at 10 a.m. and have live music already blaring from the bars on Broadway. Too bad this Hockey stuff has to get in the way. Anyway, Music City certainly lives up to its name, with bands playing nonstop everywhere you go.

And the food? Oh, my. Kevin Sylvester and I waited in a line 45-people deep this afternoon for lunch, and neither of us would hesitate to do it again. Jack's Bar-B-Que is worth the wait. The beef brisket narrowly tops the pork shoulder in both our opinions, but you can't go wrong with either one.

Well, about a half-hour to faceoff. Be back soon.

FIRST PERIOD

8:05 p.m.: Sabres sticking with same 20 players, as Toni Lydman, Daniel Paille, Nathan Paetsch and Adam Mair are beside me in the press box.

8:10 p.m.: Early break for the Sabres as Tyler Myers' point shot goes wide but bounces through the crease on the carom. Shea Weber has to trip Tim Connolly to prevent a goal, giving the Sabres a power play just 42 seconds in.

8:13 p.m.: Nothing doing on the power play. Sabres' lines: Clarke MacArthur-Tim Connolly-Jason Pominville; Thomas Vanek-Derek Roy-Drew Stafford; Jochen Hecht-Tim Kennedy-Mike Grier; and Paul Gaustad-Matt Ellis-Patrick Kaleta.

8:15 p.m.: Pekke Rinne stones MacArthur from point-blank range after nice feed from Connolly.

8:19 p.m.: Rinne is on as he stymies Stafford from in tight with 11:22 to go.

8:20 p.m.: First television timeout gives us two more reasons to like Nashville here and here. As if I needed any more reasons. But I'll take them.

8:26 p.m.: Nahsville gets its chance with the man advantage with 8:14 to go after Roy trips Dan Hamhuis behind the Predator goal.

8:31 p.m.: No goal on the power play, but a nice roar when J.P. Dumont appears on the Jumbotron. The former Sabres winger is out after taking a wicked hit along the boards in the season opener.

8:35 p.m.: Another power play comes and goes for the Sabres , whose best chance -- a shot by MacArthur -- is turned aside by Rinne.

8:39 p.m.: End of one, no score. Sabres have 12-8 edge in shots.

SECOND PERIOD

8:57 p.m.: Game on.

9:02 p.m.: Patrick Kaleta wakes up folks two counties away with a collision near the boards.

9:06 p.m.: With 12:44 left, still no score. For the record, heading into tonight, there were 18 teams averaging at least three goals per game. The Sabres were not among them. In fact, they were dead last at 1.5. Goals would be nice for the article.

9:11 p.m.: Sabres' best chance of the period goes wide with 10:15 left. Chris Butler's shot from the point is tipped by Hecht and Grier before going past Rinne's shoulder.

9:16 p.m.: Ryan Miller isn't as busy as Rinne -- shots are 21-15 Buffalo with 8:09 left -- but the Sabres' goalie just made a nice glove save on Michael Santorelli.

9:19 p.m.: Fans in the two-thirds full Sommet Center trying to get team motivated with unprompted "Let's go, Predators" chant, but nothing doing on either end. Game is better than last year's 2-0 borefest won by Nashville, but the honky tonks are certainly getting more action tonight, I'm sure.

9:26 p.m.: Kennedy, who's making some nice plays around the net, gets in a little shoving match with Francis Bouillon, setting up a four-on-four with 3:23 to go.

9:28 p.m.: Stafford shows a nice burst of speed getting around Dan Hamhuis, but again, Rinne with the save with 2:19 to go.

9:32 p.m.: Five straight scoreless periods against Rinne now for the Sabres . After two, Buffalo holds a 29-19 edge in shots, but the score is still knotted at zero.

THIRD PERIOD

9:49 p.m.: Game on. Will someone score is the question.

9:53 p.m.: Tyler Myers almost gets his first NHL goal, but his one-timer while pinching from the slot goes wide. Kennedy makes a nice steal and also fires one wide. It's still scoreless with 16:12 to go.

9:57 p.m.: Gaustad, on the doorstep, whiffs on a power-play pass from Pominville with 14:22 to go.

10:04 p.m.: Myers continues to impress, showing good speed to jump into a play and make it a three-on-two with 11 minutes left. Of course, the Sabres don't score on it.

10:10 p.m.: Rinne makes his save of the night (so far), gloving a Kaleta slap shot from the faceoff circle on a three-on-one with 7:47 to go.

10:14 p.m.: The Sabres will get a power play with 5:57 left. Chris Butler and David Legwand raced for a loose puck, and Legwand was whistled for interferring with Butler along the boards during the chase. The Sabres won their last game on the power play. Can they do it again?

10:18 p.m.: The answer is no. Rinne is unreal, earning a standing ovation for two spellbinding saves. Miller also made one as Marcel Goc slipped out for a short-handed breakaway.

10:20 p.m.: Grier is officially back, scoring with 3:25 to go to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead. Kennedy fed Grier from behind the net, and Grier's first attempt was blocked, but his no-look backhand eluded Rinne. The assist is Kennedy's first NHL point.

10:25 p.m.: Timeout Nashville with 20.8 seconds to go. Rinne is on the bench for the extra attacker, and the faceoff will be to Miller's left.

10:26 p.m.: Sabres win, 1-0.

POSTGAME

The Sabres are averaging 38.6 shots per game but are scoring just 1.33 goals per outing

"It's a little frustrating, but it'd be more frustrating if we were only getting 20 shots a night rather than 42," Kennedy said. "I think we could have had three, four or five [goals]."

Grier on his game-winner: "It's nice to contribute. We can't rely on our top lines and our power play to win us games. We're going to need goals from our third and fourth lines and our D. We've got to have everyone chipping in. It's nice early in the season, where goals haven't been easy for us. It's nice to contribute here."

Miller, who made 25 saves for his 13th career shutout, believes the goal floodgates are about to open for the Sabres .

"It really has to with the talent we have," Miller said. "We're going to control the puck most of the night. I think as the dam starts to break for us a little bit on goal scoring, I think it's going to be good."

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