EASTERN FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 3:
#4 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS vs #7 BUFFALO SABRES
Series tied 1-1
Game time: Thursday May 27th, 1999 7:30pm at Buffalo
The Buffalo Sabres hope to have all-world goaltender Dominik Hasek back tonight when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Three of the Eastern Conference finals.
The Sabres pulled out a 5-4 victory in the series opener on Sunday with backup Dwayne Roloson making 28 saves in place of Hasek. But Toronto got to Roloson for five goals on 27 shots in Game Two on Tuesday en route to a 6-3 triumph.
Hasek missed his second straight game due to a groin injury Tuesday and hopes to return tonight but his status likely will not be known until game time.
The Sabres should be happy to get back to Marine Midland Arena, where they are unbeaten in five playoff games against Ottawa and Boston. In those games, Buffalo has allowed just seven goals.
After missing in action for most of the playoffs, Sabres forwards Stu Barnes and Geoff Sanderson have come alive in this series. Sanderson has one goal and three assists and Barnes has three goals and one assist.
Buffalo was 3-for-5 with the man advantage Tuesday and has scored at least one power-play goal in all 12 playoff games.
For the third time in as many series this year, the Leafs lost Game One at home but rebounded to win the next game. They beat Philadelphia in Game Three in the conference quarterfinals but lost to Pittsburgh in the semifinals.
Toronto continues to get excellent production from left wing Sergei Berezin and right wing Lonny Bohonos. Berezin has four goals and four assists during a five-game points streak and Bohonos has two goals and four assists in that span.
Game Four is Saturday at Buffalo.