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Sunday, October 14, 2001

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- You can talk about the pressure Eric Lindros faces in having to justify the Rangers' mammoth investment to acquire him this summer. Or what Jaromir Jagr faces in being viewed as a savior by the Capitals' long-starving fans. Or what Rob Blake faces in having to make up for a depleted Avalanche blue line.

But there probably isn't a player anywhere in the NHL who must carry a heavier burden this season than Martin Biron will in Buffalo.

He is 24, he has only 68 NHL games on his resume spread across four seasons, and he is being asked to replace a legend in Dominik Hasek.

"I have butterflies," Biron will readily admit. "It's just wanting to prove so much to everybody."

But, as the Penguins are likely to find out when they face the Sabres this afternoon at HSBC Arena, Biron isn't exactly buckling under the challenge, posting a 2.02 goals-against average and .930 save percentage while going 2-2 in the early going.

Most impressive, perhaps, was his strong showing in his first head-to-head with Hasek two nights ago in Detroit, even though it came with a 4-2 defeat. He stopped 33 of 36 shots and turned in several exceptional saves to give his club a chance.

Spend no more than a minute or two with Biron, and you'll understand the root of his surprising success: He is as easygoing as any player in the league at his position, always flashing a smile and striking up a conversation. Whether he has just recorded a shutout or allowed a soft goal in overtime, his demeanor seldom wavers.

And that, it stands to reason, makes him a perfect fit for this critical time in Buffalo.

"I like this situation," Biron said. "It's very exciting. We have very big expectations for ourselves and ... I'm probably the guy who gets a lot of the expectations because I'm the guy who does what Dom was doing, but my expectations are higher than what anybody can imagine."

Biron's teammates expect quite a bit from him, too, and they seem downright thrilled to be playing in front of him rather than the enigmatic Hasek, who was traded to Detroit in July.

"We lived in the shadow of Dom for years," defenseman Jay McKee said. "It's in the back of our minds that we want to prove to anyone who doubted we could win without him. We have all the faith in the world in Marty. He's going to be a spectacular goaltender."

Hasek was spectacular in Buffalo, but he also had enemies in the locker room. None greater than tough guy Rob Ray, who is bitter about several comments Hasek has made since the trade implying the Sabres can't contend without him.

"There was no thank-you for the players who stuck their necks out for him the last seven or eight years while he won all his awards and made all his money," Ray said. "Or even the fans who supported him, a lot of times when things were against him and there was no need to support him. I think he could have done it in a much more professional way when he did leave."

The moment clearly belongs to Biron, and he plans to seize it.

And if pressure is an issue, he certainly hasn't done much to relieve it, judging by the cool, confident tone with which he continues to speak.

"Some days, I wake up in the morning and I say to myself that I'm the guy who's going to the All-Star Game and who's going to make a run for the Stanley Cup. And some days, I try to be more low-key. But that's not easy because I'm excited."

Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@ post-gazette.com.