Bob's Comments After a 4-2 Loss to Los Angeles
(from the Associated Press, 1/17/02)

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- At least a half-dozen of Bob Essensa's Buffalo teammates reportedly complained this week that coach Lindy Ruff hasn't played the backup goalie enough.

The Sabres worked as hard as they could in front of the net to make Essensa look good Thursday night in his first start in exactly two months. The Los Angeles Kings took only 18 shots at the 12-year veteran, but three of them got through, and an empty-netter by Bryan Smolinski sealed the Kings' 4-2 victory.

``It's frustrating,'' said Essensa, who is 0-5-0. ``When you go without a win into January, you'd like to get that monkey off your back and contribute as much as you can. In the games I've played, we've had chances to win, but we just haven't been able to do it. So it gets more and more frustrating.''

Essensa, who signed with Buffalo as a free agent last August for $600,000 after helping Vancouver get to the playoffs, surrendered a goal on the second shot he faced.

Brad Chartrand converted Mikko Eloranta's perfect pass through All-Star defenseman Alex Zhitnik at 5:58 in, tying the score at 1.

...

Buffalo defenseman Richard Smehlik, anticipating a hard check from Adam Deadmarsh behind the Sabres' net, attempted a clearing pass that caromed off the glass and right to Ziggy Palffy. The three-time All-Star beat a screened Essensa with a slap shot, tying the score at 2.

``We were fine there positionally, but we just made a pass and it took a funny bounce off the boards to one of their best goal scorers,'' Essensa said. ``I picked it up when it left his stick. We had some guys coming across in front when the shot came, but it just beat me.''

Deadmarsh got the game-winner when he put a backhander between Essensa's pads with 1:16 remaining.


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