Hasek Is Goalie of Half-Century

Let’s face it, the Buffalo Sabres are a pretty average team. They have several strong skaters and crafty playmakers, including Maxim Afinogenov and Miroslav Satan, and a couple of wily veterans in Dave Andreychuk and Doug Gilmour.

What sets the Sabres apart is the remarkable man in the mask, goaltender Dominik Hasek. He put the Sabres on his shoulders again Friday, taking them to a 4-0 victory over the Mighty Ducks before an announced crowd of 13,372 at the Arrowhead Pond.

Many of Hasek’s 21 saves in his 50th career shutout were routine, but several during a pivotal stretch in the second period provided further evidence of his mastery over the league.

Facing the woebegone Ducks, who were again without injured forwards Paul Kariya, Mike Leclerc and Steve Rucchin, certainly made matters easier for Hasek.

“That’s why he’s one of the best goalies in the league, I guess,” Duck defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky said after he and his teammates were shut out for the fourth time this season.

Tverdovsky had one of the Ducks’ best chances to sneak a puck by Hasek. Streaking into the slot to pounce on a long rebound, Tverdovsky whipped a high shot that seemed destined for the back of the net midway through the second period.

Hasek managed to deflect the puck over the net by raising the knob end of his stick.

Moments later, Hasek denied Teemu Selanne on a point-blank try from the bottom of the right faceoff circle. Again, the puck appeared to be ticketed for the back of the net, but Hasek moved swiftly to thwart Selanne.

When the rebound eluded Hasek, Buffalo defenseman Alexei Zhitnik backed him up, twice batting away the puck before it could trickle into the net.

“It’s a great feeling to get 50 shutouts,” Hasek said. “I don’t know how many other goalies have 50 shutouts. It’s a great number. I’m very proud of that. I didn’t have too many tough saves. They maybe had a couple of good chances in the second period, but our defense dominated. I didn’t really make more than two or three tough saves all night.”

They were two or three critical saves, however, saves that preserved the Sabres’ 2-0 lead in the middle period. What’s more, Hasek frustrated the Ducks into falling to pieces to start the third period, enabling the Sabres to turn the game into a rout.

Andreychuk and Satan scored third-period goals less than two minutes apart and the Sabres won for only the second time in their last seven games. Afinogenov, in the first period, and Chris Gratton, in the second, also scored for Buffalo.

The Ducks had almost no chance against Hasek--not with a depleted lineup that forced Coach Guy Charron to use defensemen Mike Crowley and Jason Marshall as forwards at times.

But when the Ducks chucked their patient game plan and began to freelance as the third period began, the all-too-predictable defensive lapses cost the Ducks.

“You have to stick to your game plan,” Charron said. “We wanted to crash the net and get rebounds. They did a good job of boxing us out and keeping us from getting to the rebounds. [Hasek] is a great goaltender, but you’ve got to find a way. We needed to generate more offense tonight.”

Playing their second game in as many nights and their third in four, the Sabres put themselves in a position to win by taking a 2-0 lead after two periods. The Sabres are 18-0 when leading after 40 minutes.

Afinogenov ensured the Sabres would not have to play from behind, as they did in a 3-2 loss Thursday to the Kings at Staples Center. He sent a missile past Guy Hebert 5:14 into the game. More impressive than his quick shot was his deke that left Duck defenseman Jason Marshall swatting at air as Afinogenov raced by on left wing.

On the second Buffalo goal, center Chris Gratton redirected defenseman Rhett Warrener’s shot from near the blue line past a helpless Hebert 1:05 into the second period.

“When we have [defensive] breakdowns, it seems like the puck ends up in our net,” Charron said, alluding to third-period coverage mistakes that led to the goals for Andreychuk and Satan. “When the other team makes a mistake, we can’t seem to find the back of the net. Or the goaltender makes a big save.”