by By John Vogl , Buffalo News

For the first time this season (for the first time since the Winter Classic?) the Sabres are wearing white at home. The Flyers are in black instead of orange, but it's still better than white. I've always been a fan of the home team wearing white. This way, you'd get to see 29 different jerseys come through town. Instead, since the NHL adopted a "white on the road" policy, you get the same-looking opponent night after night.

The reason, by the way, for white on the road is to help the equipment managers. With the proliferation of third jerseys, the equipment guys were being forced to carry three sets of uniforms on the road because they never knew what the home team would wear. The Sabres , for example, used to wear red on Fridays, and if the Canadiens came to town with just their red road jerseys, there'd be some trouble on the ice.

And although I don't like white on the road, I can't be mad at the equipment guys. They are without a doubt the hardest-working men in Hockey. The Sabres' guys will get to Boston tonight around 1 a.m., spend a few hours getting the dressing and training rooms ready, then be back at the arena by 8 a.m. to get ready for the players' arrival. And that's if they even leave the arena. They often just sleep there.

For the second time in two days, I get to post a brawl video. Showed the Ray Emery fight last night, and the Sabres had the Steve Shields-Garth Snow battle on the scoreboard before the teams came out. Since the folks in the arena shouldn't have all the fun, here you go. And stay with it till the end. Matthew Barnaby's act near the four-minute mark is priceless.

>FIRST PERIOD

7:39 p.m.: Just 36 seconds into the game, we get a look at the league's best power play as Tim Kennedy goes off for cross-checking.

7:41 p.m.: No shots for the Flyers.

7:43 p.m.: Game's first shot is a big save by Emery, as Clarke MacArthur tips Craig Rivet's pass on net with 3:50 gone.

7:45 p.m.: Sabres get an early power play when David Laliberte goes off for slashing with 15:02 to go.

7:47 p.m.: Ryan Miller gets into the act, stopping Darroll Powe on a short-handed breakaway.

7:48 p.m.: Could be because it's the Flyers, but fans are into it a little more than usual so far. Two "Let's go, Buffalo" chants already that were unprompted by scoreboard messages or organ playing.

7:54 p.m.: Sabres get a break from the shoddy durability of sticks when Mike Richards' lumber, er composite, shatters on a point-blank slap shot with nine minutes to go.

7:59 p.m.: A second chance for Richards disappears when Kennedy hustles back and dives to stop a Richards breakaway with seven minutes to go. Still no score, shots are 7-5 for Buffalo.

8:01 p.m.: Miller comes up big again, stopping Matt Carle's chance on a cross-ice pass.

8:02 p.m.: Patrick Kaleta draws yet another stupid penalty, getting Arron Asham to retaliate with 4:20 to go. Personally, I would have called Kaleta for diving, too. It wasn't that hard of a hit, but the ref was mere feet away and bought it.

8:08 p.m.: Another goal under review, with Daniel Carcillo cross in front of Miller and tipping Braydon Coburn's high shot. Goal stands, and Flyers take a 1-0 lead with 1:21 to go.

8:11 p.m.: Teams head to dressing rooms with the Flyers holding a 1-0 lead and 11-9 shot edge.

>SECOND PERIOD

8:30 p.m.: Here's a newsflash. Chris Pronger is pretty good. The superstar defenseman makes the score 2-0 just 28 seconds into the period, scoring on a high shot from the point that goes just under the crossbar.

8:32 p.m.: Asham hits the points with 17:40 to go. If the Sabres don't wake up -- Derek Roy just turned the puck over -- the Flyers have the ability to put them away in a hurry.

8:35 p.m.: Kaleta hits Ole-Kristian Tollefsen in the leg, starting a scrum with Richards with 16:08 to go.

8:38 p.m.: James van Riemsdyk goes off for holding the stick, giving the Sabres a four-on-three. They bury it. Jason Pominville fires a slap shot off the back boards, and Derek Roy gets the puck on the other side of the net and beats Emery to the post with 15:32 to go. It's 2-1.

8:40 p.m.: Tim Connolly gets assist on goal, giving him 300 career points.

8:49 p.m.: As with most Flyers- Sabres meetings, game is developing a bit of an edge. Daniel Carcillo is stiring things up for Philly, and he's finding willing opponents. Flyers going on a power play with 8:56 to go after penalty on Matt Ellis.

8:58 p.m.: Carcillo and Steve Montador make their way to the penalty boxes for cross-checking with 5:46 to go.

8:59 p.m.: van Riemsdyk makes it 3-1 with 5:05 to go on a goal Miller should have stopped. The Flyers forward slides the puck to the crease, and Miller tries to block but instead sends it through his pads.

9:06 p.m.: The Sabres limp to the dressing room, no one more so than Craig Rivet. The captain took a shot off the foot in the closing minutes and is in pain. The Flyers lead, 3-1, with a 25-17 shot edge.

>THIRD PERIOD

9:24 p.m.: They're back, and so is Rivet.

9:28 p.m.: Miller lets in his worst goal of the season, a knuckler from Powe with just 2:34 gone. The soft but wobbly shot goes under Miller's arm when he tries to catch it.

9:40 p.m.: Tyler Myers' third goal of the season brings crowd to life. Rookie defenseman slides puck toward net and it ricochets off skate of Coburn past Emery with 9:26 to go.

9:51 p.m.: Sabres have topped double digits in shots in a period with 3:16 to go, but Emery looks strong with a two-goal lead.

10:21 p.m.: Just got back from interviews, and as you likely know by now, the Sabres lost, 5-2. No one will argue that the Flyers were the better team tonight.

Copyright 2009 The Buffalo News All Rights Reserved
	Terms & Conditions     Privacy Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.