Rookie Shines After Hasek Suffers Injury

With Dominik Hasek back for one more season, Mika Noronen was considered the Buffalo Sabres’ goalie of the future.

When Hasek suffered a sprained ligament behind his left kneecap Thursday night, Noronen was thrust into the present.

The 21-year-old rookie, making his NHL debut, stopped 15 shots over 48 minutes as the Sabres opened their season with a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at Buffalo, N.Y.

“Between the first and second period, [Hasek] wished me luck,” an admittedly nervous Noronen said. “He said, ‘C’mon, try to play well.’ ”

And Noronen delivered.

“I can’t do anything else other than try to go out there and try to relax,” said Noronen, last year’s American Hockey League rookie of the year. “I was a little bit nervous the whole game. I had to be happy that our defense played great today.”

With regular backup Marty Biron still unsigned, Noronen might have to match his effort Saturday against the Kings.

Although the injury is not as serious as initially feared, Hasek is day to day. He said he might be ready for Saturday, but is aiming for next week when the Sabres take off on a three-game trip.

“I felt really big pain and my knee got shifted a little bit, but fortunately it’s not so bad,” said Hasek, who sat out 40 games because of a groin injury last season.

J.P. Dumont, playing against his former team for the first time since he and Doug Gilmour were traded to Buffalo last March, Miroslav Satan, Maxim Afinogenov and Richard Smehlik scored for the Sabres. Gilmour had two assists.

Detroit 4, Calgary 3--Kirk Maltby scored the winning goal while the Red Wings were short-handed, completing Detroit’s rally from a two-goal deficit at Calgary.

In the third period, with Brendan Shanahan off for roughing, Maltby and Kris Draper broke out on a two-on-one with Maltby firing a shot from 20 feet that trickled between the pads of goalie Fred Brathwaite.

The goal at 11:59 capped a terrible night for the Flames’ power play. Calgary went 0 for 9 with the extra man while the Red Wings were one for four.

Boston 4, Ottawa 4--Sergei Samsonov of the Bruins, a contract holdout for most of training camp, scored with 3:20 to play at Boston as the Bruins spoiled Alexei Yashin’s return to the Senators.

The Senators trailed, 3-2, when Yashin, the Senators’ all-time scoring leader who sat out last season in a contract holdout, assisted on a power-play goal by Marian Hossa that tied the score with 8:34 to play.

The Senators took a 4-3 lead with 5:23 remaining when Magnus Arvedson skated past defenseman Jarno Kultanen and beat goalie Byron Dafoe from close range.

Philadelphia 6, Vancouver 3--Eric Desjardins scored two goals, including the winner, and rookie Justin Williams added a goal and two assists as the Flyers began the post-Eric Lindros Era with a rout at Philadelphia.

It was the first time in nine seasons the Flyers played a home opener without Lindros.

After a long and bitter feud, Lindros rejected the team’s $8.5-million qualifying offer in the off-season and is a restricted free agent. He’s recovering at home in Canada from his sixth concussion.

Phoenix 4, St. Louis 1--Jeremy Roenick, Landon Wilson and Brad May each had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes in Phoenix. Mika Alatalo also scored for the Coyotes.

Sean Burke made 32 saves, allowing only a power-play goal by the Blues’ Scott Young.