"The Buffalo Sabres have an interesting fourth line to send on the ice and give opponents some fits. In center Paul Gaustad and wingers Cody McCormick and Patrick Kaleta, you have three bangers who are adept at throwing their fists but can also use their skills to make a dent on the scoreboard. The trio helped change the momentum in Sunday's 9-3 preseason cakewalk past the Philadelphia Flyers. The Sabres were in an early 2-0 hole before McCormick scored the first of eight consecutive Buffalo goals that turned the exhibition finale into a rout. "That's our job," Kaleta said. "We may be considered the fourth line, but we have the skill and talent to contribute offensively. We're a line that can control the puck too. If we work together and stay on the same page, we can do some damage. "We don't want to be running around. You pick your spots. You have to keep evolving as a line and not be one-dimensional." "It's important to get some scoring from the third and fourth line," said coach Lindy Ruff. "They were the ones who got us kick-started and it looked like we needed it." The Sabres were down by two goals after 12 minutes and there was basically no energy from the full house in HSBC Arena. The fans simply were reflecting what they saw on the ice. Things changed when the fourth line came on after Matt Walker scored for the Flyers at 12:14 of the first period. "They had pressure on us," McCormick said. "We talked about it and how we wanted to go out there and have some bangs in their zone, get the puck to the net and it went in." Gaustad unleashed a big check. Kaleta then worked the puck free in the right circle and fed McCormick in the slot for a quick snapshot and Buffalo's first goal of the night. "Patty made a great play off the wall," McCormick said. "And it wouldn't have happened if Goose [Gaustad] didn't go to the net hard." "I heard Cody call for the puck in the middle and he made a nice play to get the puck from his backhand to his forehand for the shot," Kaleta said. [Gaustad] was going there too and that really helped." The score came 48 seconds after the Flyers grabbed their two-goal lead. Sufficiently awake, the Sabres tied it up 45 seconds later on Derek Roy's goal. Kaleta, showing no signs of the neck trouble that has dogged him during training camp, then earned a clear decision in a quick fight with Darroll Powe early in the second period. Kaleta even gave the "it's over" signal to the crowd after dropping Powe with a couple of quick rights." Read more: http://www.prosportsdaily.com/comments/fourthline-bangers-kickstart-comeback-416744.html
