Pierre LeBrun

And you're right, I felt it in the first round in Montreal.

I mean...

Again, in the rink, outside the rink, these are the two markets right now that seem to be living it up like no one else left in the Santa Cup playoffs.

In Buffalo, I think it's just the years and the pain and 14 years out and losing in the 99 Cup final, toe in the crease, all these things.

Throw in some football heartbreaking moments with the Bills and it's all built up.

really tightly in this emotion right now this market it's unbelievable um and of course goes without saying what it's like in montreal where it's not just about a hockey team but honestly part of their identity uh you know have fans in terms of what that team means so this is a great series i think in terms of the two fan bases trying to outdo each other but i'll also say this that

I could tell from, you know, being part of it in the athletic and a group discussion with fans during the game last night, Arp and Basu and I, there's a lot of respect, mutual respect between Sabres fans and Habs fans about sort of the parallel ascent of their respective teams at the same time.

I mean, this is really a series that represents the changing of the guard in the Atlantic Division.

It doesn't mean that it'll always be these two teams, but there's certainly a decent chance we're going to see a lot of Sabres and Habs over the next several years here in the playoffs.

Yeah, so Marty Stanley was asked last night about Dois' performance, and he absolutely vehemently defended his goalie pretty much the way he just did.

I mean, he said he had no chance on the first two goals, and of course there were two power play goals.

One of the power play goals, as a result of a failed clear, his coach actually backed his goalie.

There wasn't much talk about it today, nor should there be.

Four days ago, he's the reason they survived Game 7.

shots on goal ever.

In the next 100 years of the Stanley Cup play, a team will never win a Game 7 again.

Dolbes stood on his head and throughout that series, and I was at every game, stared Andre Vasilevsky, former Vesna Chov winner, former Kahn-Smythe winner, right in the eyes

save for save and said, I got this.

So I don't know.

Anyone who thinks they should change goalies after one average game in game one, to me, is smoking crack.