San Jose Sharks close up on Playoff line with 1-0 loss to Buffalo Sabres -NHL Update
When a team is in the top five of their respective conference in the National Hockey League (NHL), getting closer to the playoff line as the season enters its final stages is never a good thing.
San Jose Sharks are feeling just that as they fell down to number seven in the Western Conference after a 1-0 shutout loss against Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, March 1, 2012, at the sold-out HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
Sharks have won just three of their past 10 matchups and looking at the way things are going for San Jose at the moment, seeing them fall below the playoff divisional line in the next few games would not be a surprise.
Team below the line are fighting to get anywhere above it, which could mean tough times for San Jose ahead.
Playing their second match in two night, Buffalo Sabres could have been deemed exhausted and unfit to perform, especially since their on a five-game road trip but veteran goalie, Ryan Miller, proved otherwise.
"I knew we'd probably be a little tired," Miller said. "It was a great job by our guys to show some fight in the first period and get a lead and we could battle from there."
Miller was outshout by his counterpart in the San Jose net, Antti Niemi, 39-19, but showed perfection by blocking all attempts on him, leading his team to an easy victory.
Drew Stafford scored the only goal of the night with a little over a minute remaining in the opening period for his 13th of the 2011-2012 NHL regular season which gave Buffalo that extra edge.
"I just had a feeling," Miller said. "He took himself out of shooting situation. I thought he's going to pass. He doesn't have the angle to get around me with the backhand. He didn't set it up well enough so I thought he would try something, so I just took
the chance."
Buffalo has the next on the road against Vancouver Canucks while San Jose is looking to bounce back against St. Louis Blues at home on Saturday.
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