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Thursday, December 9, 1999
No Hasek, no problem
Goalie's down but Buffalo is hardly out minus its best player
BUFFALO -- When Dominik Hasek announced he would retire after this season, the Buffalo Sabres expected to have at least one year to get used to the idea of losing the best goaltender in the NHL.
But circumstances have dictated otherwise.
The Sabres lost the services of Hasek after he had played just nine games.
Hasek injured his groin during a game against the Boston Bruins and is now out indefinitely. The five-time Vezina Trophy winner first hurt the groin last year.
News of Hasek's injury led many critics to write off the Sabres -- after all, the team was already struggling. Buffalo had posted a 3-7-2 record and that was with Hasek in the lineup, so what could they possibly do without its star goaltender to bail them out?
The Sabres answered the challenge by winning the next four games with rookie goaltender Martin Biron between the pipes.
Prior to his four-game winning streak, Biron had just six games of NHL experience to his credit.
Since losing Hasek, the Sabres have compiled an 8-6-1-1 record for ninth place in the Eastern Conference. What many thought would be the demise of the Sabres has turned out to be a learning experience.
The Sabres have proven they're more than a one-man team and that there is life without Hasek, even if it's not always blissful.
"Anytime your best player goes down, there's cause for concern," said Sabres captain Mike Peca. "But we've shown we can perform well in front of other goalies. Something like this will only better prepare us for next year.
"Marty (Biron) and Dwayne (Roloson) deserve a lot more credit than what they're getting."
The Sabres have struggled of late, but Dixon Ward says goaltending is not the problem.
'A GREAT JOB'
"Our inconsistent play has little to do with (the goalies)," Ward said. "They've done a great job."
Ward is the first to admit the team needs to refocus and take the necessary steps to get back to their winning ways.
"In the long run, (Hasek's absence) will teach us a lesson," Ward said. "There's never a point in a season when you won't have to work through something. It's just a matter of learning from your mistakes."
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