Author: Chris Ostrander

Buffalo Bandits 2012 season preview

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A particularly busy offseason has the Buffalo Bandits roster looking quite a bit different than it has in recent seasons. A few trades and interesting roster moves brought some turnover to the team that still has the talent to be one of the NLL’s power teams this season.

Mike Thompson will anchor the crease for the Bandits this season.

Darris Kilgour’s club made a significant step forward in establishing quality secondary scoring, something that hurt the club at points throughout the 2011 season. Luke Wiles and Kevin Buchanan will certainly compliment John Tavares, Mark Steenhuis and Tracey Kelusky at forward. Of course, Roger Vyse and Chad Culp’s offensive abilities won’t go unnoticed either. Mat Giles also should be counted on to provide some offense this season. How much will be determined by his playing time.

Wiles and Buchanan represent a step forward in re-establishing the dominant offense that drove the team to the 2008 NLL Championship and a ridiculous 8-0 start in 2009. The potential of the two puts them right on plane with players like Kelusky and Vyse. While that group of four doesn’t possess the all-world talent of a Steenhuis or Tavares, they may turn out to be more valuable to the overall success of the team than the two stars.

The X-factor on the offensive side of the ball may very well be Jeremy Thompson. The rookie is a promising talent and it will be interesting to see if he cracks the line up in his first year. Playing for a coach who has long favored proven veterans over rookies, Thompson’s first year may be used for development more than production. However, the first round selection has the opportunity to step in to fill the shoes of the recently departed Brett Bucktooth. Continue reading →

Time to re-evaluate the All-Star Game

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Last season the NHL took a brilliant step forward regarding the All Star game. They eliminated the East vs. West format and instituted a “fantasy draft”.

While the All Star game is pretty much a waste of time (aside from the skills competition), the draft has brought some relevance to an otherwise boring display.

The draft is the best thing to happen to the All Star Game since ever. Letting the league’s best players basically just pull sticks to determine teams was a fantastic addition to last year’s game and shouldn’t be changed. Ever.

With the All Star rosters being announced today there was the expected uproar from fans clamoring for their team’s snubs and the inclusion of those who they deem unworthy of selection. For example, there is little reason for Thomas Vanek to have been left off this roster. Perhaps there was a wink-wink nudge-nudge agreement to leave him out in order to rest, but he has been one of the NHL’s best forwards this season. There is little reason to leave him out of this game.

The likely explanation for Vanek being snubbed can likely be found in fan voting. Because the fans are allowed to determine the six starters for the game, there is the usual run of home players who are sometimes undeserving of the selection. So, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek, Erik Karlsson, Dion Phaneuf and Tim Thomas were voted to participate. That doesn’t necessarily mean they would have been selected. Of course, Michalek, Thomas and Karlsson are worthy additions. The other three could probably have been left off for other players. Here lies the problem. Continue reading →

Reflecting on the Sabres Summit

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There is little doubt the Sabres Summit was a success. It served as a forum for Sabres bloggers to have their voice heard by the Sabres organization. Specifically, their voice was heard by team President Ted Black.

Of the topics I had pegged to bring up, a few were covered by my fellow bloggers, as I expected. However, I had two topics that I wanted to make sure I brought up. The first being the potential re-use for the empty Backstage Club/former Ira Ross Aerospace Museum. The second topic was about the potential return of the Frozen Four and re-implementing the Punch Imlach Hockey Showcase.

The space that was previously used by the Ira Ross Aerospace Museum is situated along the side of FNC, behind the Sabres Store and below the Harbor Club. While the arena renovations were being completed, this housed the Sabres gym equipment. Now it lies vacant, waiting for a new use.

Black noted that the space is 12,000 square feet, there is little space to utilize it as a restaurant due to the store and other neighboring rooms. However, he also pointed out that he has a secret plan for the space that he doesn’t yet wish to reveal. My hope is that his idea is for a Sabres Hall of Fame.

I was unfortunately unable to follow-up my original question with my thoughts on establishing a Hall of Fame in that space. Black also mentioned the terrible location for the entrance to that part of the building. Certainly an avenue for access through the arena could be established, particularly for an attraction like that. Black also mentioned that the idea of building vertically into the Harbor Club could be a possibility. It could also offer a secondary source of access.

Not to harp on the idea, as I have detailed most of my thoughts previously, but I think the potential is there to take advantage of the trajectory that Canalside is taking along with the potential connection of the harbor bridge in the near future.

One other idea I did mention with regards to Canalside was for the Sabres to be part of a project to build a Sabres-centric bar. Just like HockeyTown in Detroit, just with a bit more of Pegula’s or the organization’s influence. Continue reading →

Sabres Blog Summit: Recap

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Yesterday’s blogger summit at First Niagara Center was one of those events that hones in on the attitude that the Pegula ownership group has brought to the table. Not only have the Sabres opened their arms to the blogging community covering the team, they offer them pizza, wings, pop and beer. Oh, and an audience with the team president.

The original blog summit took place in the summer and was a true eye-opening event for those so accustomed to the closed-door policies of the Golisano regime. As he described the incredible commitment level from the Pegulas, Black served up one of his more memorable quotes.

“The Penguins won the Sidney Crosby draft, Buffalo won the owner lottery.”

That is certainly a true sentiment. Events like these, the ticket deliveries and the general transparency offered at many levels is refreshing.

As for the summit itself, it was a congregation of about 20 Sabres blogs in the media work/meal room at FNC. In an attempt to avoid beating a dead horse, I’ll attempt not to cover the event ad nauseum as I’m sure many of my counterparts have offered great analysis already. Continue reading →

Double Minors: Yet to reach rock bottom

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Look on the bright side, Ryan Miller held the opponent to fewer than three goals. he made 26 saves on 28 shots.

Of course, the Sabres lost. A 2-0 shutout at the hands of the Maple Leafs. It would seem as if the Sabres are still spiraling their way to the bottom. Thomas Vanek left the game early, leaving the Sabres with one capable scoring threat. The Leafs had little trouble snuffing out the Buffalo attack on their way to an easy win.

A slow start equated to a flat effort that came from a team that is slowly drifting into coach-killing mode. As to what may shake the roster from the funk? It will either be a new voice or some new faces. Frankly, having the same players with a new bench boss will only go so far. Eventually these guys will revert to passionless hockey. The real solution would be to pluck a few from “the core”. These players need to know they aren’t safe, a shake-up would prove that.

  • Buffalo’s goal scoring has become flat-out embarrassing. To hear Darcy Regier say no shake-up is imminent goes beyond embarrassment to blatant lunacy. The Sabres are in desperate need of a new identity. Terry Pegula was supposed to bring that when he came on board, he was the first drop in the bucket. Now the Sabres need to identify the issue staring them in the face. It may already be too late.
  • Ryan Miller once again played a strong enough game to get his team the win. Considering the timing of some of the questionable goals he has allowed lately, early ones trump late ones in my opinion. If there was any heart or spark on that bench, the 2-0 deficit would have been easily erased. Hell, it happens enough in the other direction. Miller can’t be blamed tonight. Yet another game no goal scoring failed the team.
  • Hopefully Thomas Vanek truly did have the flu. The Sabres are an obvious train wreck without him in the lineup. He and Jason Pominville may be the only two players keeping this team on the rails. The “slump” being experienced by the Sabres’ depth scorers has far surpassed the typical definition of a slump. These players are flat-out underperforming with the production they have been putting forth.
  • Pat Kaleta’s game is going to drive him out of the league. His penalty today was borderline, but probably the correct call. While he is effective on the penalty kill, there is little else he can add at this point. It will be a tough call to re-sign him in the summer. Particularly considering Corey Tropp is knocking on the door.
  • How awesome is Toronto’s goal song? It is a rip off from a couple other teams, but it is tailor-made for an NHL goal celebration. However, based on Twitter, the atmosphere in ACC was generally awful. Probably because 60% of ticket holders show up in suits and want to discuss profit margins. I wonder how high their hockey IQ is.
  • January will officially determine if the Sabres are buyers or sellers at the deadline. If Regier makes a deal during January he will open the door for his team to turn around. If he waits, the Nail Yakupov sweepstakes will have begun.

Three Stars

1. Jonas Gustavsson

2. Nikolai Kulemin

3. Mikhail Grabovski

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Sabres After 41: Looking forward

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While the writing may be on the wall that the current make-up of the Buffalo Sabres is a stagnant collection of players yearning for a change of scenery, there remains a few small glimmers of hope.

If the injury situation is ever solved there is a chance to recapture some of the magic the Sabres had to open the season. Last year’s miraculous run to the playoffs obviously serves as a barometer that this season isn’t over just yet; only that it will be an uphill battle. Lastly, the swirling rumors that the Sabres may be nearing a deal offers some promise that new faces will bring change and success to this team.

The first portion of the Sabres mid-season report offered a look back at some of the most obvious issues the team has gone through to this point in the season. Allow part two to offer a look ahead to the remaining 41 games on the schedule. Continue reading →

Could a Buffalo-centric sports station work?

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Remember the glory days? The Empire Sports Network broadcast Sabres games, had a handful of talk shows and a nightly highlight show that was centered around Western New York sports.

At one point Empire was truly thriving. It was the perfect outlet to serve WNY in terms of Sabres and Bills coverage in addition to high school, college and other professional sports. Unfortunately the Adelphia scandal all but killed Empire and it died off prior to the 2005-06 NHL season.

The recent MSG/Time Warner spat has blacked out a vast majority of Sabres fans and has left many questioning what the next step will be in this regard. the contract dispute is nothing more than the final straw for many. The lack of respect MSG has shown the WNY market is pathetic. Aside from Sabres games, there is little acknowledgement for the region. That includes commercials. Unfortunately the Sabres; contract with MSG runs for the next few seasons, ending in 2016-17. If the contract must run its course, then so be it. But is there a chance that a different entity could step in?

There is no secret that Ted Black comes from television. All the reports about him during the Pegula sweepstakes pointed to the success he had in building FSN-Pittsburgh. Between Pegula’s deep pockets, Black’s prowess with a sports television station and the obvious market demand in Buffalo; it would seem a regional sports network would do well here.

The first point that should be made is that there has been mo mention of anything along these lines happening. Who knows if Pegula would even be interested in forking over more dough to bankroll this type of venture? In addition, there is the current MSG contract to consider as well.

But just thinking outside the box certainly paints a picture that this type of channel would not only have plenty of content, but the potential for a strong, successful lineup. The Sabres, Bandits and Bills would obviously be the cornerstones of this channel, but UB, Niagara, Canisius and additional high school and college sports would provide ample filler. Building around some of the staples which Empire succeeded with, there is a foundation that can be augmented by additional coverage and programming. Continue reading →

The Morning Skate: Losing streak slides to Toronto

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There doesn’t seem to be an antidote for the goal scoring woes or the porous goaltending or the injury bug. No answers can be found in the locker room as it seems the roster is growing rather stagnant.

The Sabres haven’t won two games in a row since November. Since then they have spiraled from the top of the Conference to 11th place. Now they are handcuffed by their own salary cap issues and are left searching for answers from within. The problem is there are no answers to be found.

Buffalo lost a 3-2 game the last time they were in Toronto. Ryan Miller had a solid outing, but still yielded three goals to the opposition. Despite his play passing the eye test, his chance to show up in a big moment passed by and the Sabres left with a loss.

Miller has had a pair of strong games against the Leafs this season, even though he has allowed seven goals in the two games. While his game is fairly sound, it would seem that his psyche is a bit wounded. He has allowed some rough goals at rough times in this stretch of foul play. Something that he desperately needs to resolve.

It would be of some help if the Sabres could score more than one or two goals for either of their goaltenders as well. The Sabres will face The Monster tonight, a goalie who hasn’t seen a whole lot of time against this club. It is an interesting choice considering James Reimer’s success against the Sabres this early in his career.

Highlighted Matchup

Goal scoring. There is no other issue surrounding this hockey team besides goal scoring. When they can start hitting three goals on a regular basis and keep losing then turn to the defensive zone and goaltending. Until then it is quite unrealistic to expect to run off nine or ten 2-1 victories.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Ryan Miller 24 GP 10-11-2, 3.05 GAA, .901 SV%

TOR: Jonas Gustavsson 20 GP 12-7-0, 3.07 GAA, .903 SV%

Last Game

12/22/2011, Air Canada Centre, Sabres 2 – Maple Leafs 3

Sabres After 41: Looking back

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Few expected the Sabres to be in this sort of hole at the halfway point of the 2011-12 season. Perhaps some pessimistic fans expected the team to struggle, but the vast majority of fans expected some sort of improvement over last season’s seventh-place finish.

The injury bug has certainly bitten this team hard. The results of the injury plague that has swept through the roster can’t be ignored. But there are still plenty of other factors at play which are far more telling signs as to why the Sabres currently reside in 11th place in the East.

Poor goaltending, spotty defensive play and barely any goal scoring have truly condemned this team. As the second half of the 2012 season begins, there are plenty of questions surrounding the future of the core, the coach and even the general manager. First, a few reflections: Continue reading →

Double Minors: All Swedish, no finish

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Usually the Buffalo Bills serve as the muse for finding every way in which to leave their fans befuddled. After a 2-1 overtime loss to Winnipeg, it would seem the Sabres are exhausting any remaining avenues for evaluation.

Despite both teams tossing plenty of shots on goal, the game was rather dull. It should be mentioned the full house of fans were incredibly tame too. Based on the last two games, it would seem the biggest culprits regarding the First Niagara Library are the fans. Of course, there isn’t much to cheer for on the ice.

Buffalo received a great effort from Jhonas Enroth in goal, turning aside 39 shots in the loss. Not only was this the second straight game in which Enroth faced a barrage from the opponent, it was his second-straight overtime decision.

Between performance and the apparent fact that Enroth is the only player capable of securing at least one point each night, Lindy Ruff may need to revise his decision to ride Ryan Miller.

Last night’s loss was yet another one-goal effort from the Sabres. This time, Tyler Myers registered the tally on the power play. What seemed lost on many of the fans in the arena was the tremendous passing play that created the goal. While fans complained of too many passes, or yelled shoot, Pominville’s centering feed got behind Ondrej Pavelc. So much for high hockey IQ.

Obviously scoring is the plague killing this season. No matter how bad the goaltending has been, it truly only can be held accountable for a handful of losses. Expecting a shutout or a one-goal against performance each night is foolhardy. Until more scoring finds its way into the lineup, this team will be heading for a lottery pick.

  • The uproar over Ruff’s decision to start Enroth seemed a little shortsighted. A back-to-back weekend was a good time to start Enroth, especially considering his last outing. If Ruff re-evaluates and decides to get more games for Enroth, it wouldn’t be a bad decision. However, until that happens there is no reason to think he is sticking with his decision to ride Miller.
  • Myers lost a few battles in his end last night. It certainly wasn’t as strong of an outing as he had in Carolina. However, Ruff rewarded him with quality minutes and seems confident in leaning on the cornderstone. A quality, while not outstanding, outing was certainly tarnished by the errant pass that led to the game winning rush for Winnipeg. Myers game far exceeds the struggles he had earlier in the year, it seems safe to say he is turning a corner.
  • Ville Leino’s return was a success. He was strong on the puck, made some fantastic feeds. Two resulted in chances and a subsequent penalty. His no goal was probably a good call considering he dug the puck from Pavelec’s pads. However, given how quiet that arena was, no whistle blew. Unless the call was intent to blow (which it wasn’t), there may be an argument in allowing that one to stand.
  • The Sabres should research a headset device that fans can wear which feeds them corrections to some of the things they say during games. For example, when one fan exclaims at the stupidity of placing Vanek on the point for a power play the device can point out that two defensemen are indeed on the ice but one is playing deep in the zone. Just spitballing on that one.
  • You can officially call him Grocery Stick Gragnani. The “defenseman” saw only nine shifts for 7:02 TOI. A majority of that time came on the power play. Obviously he is seen as a complete liability to this team. There doesn’t seem to be much risk in waiving him and bringing up any one of the players in Rochester. Again, T.J. Brennan exhibited a fine two-way game while be heads and shoulders better than Gragnani in his own zone.
  • Drew Stafford is in a serious funk. His goal against Edmonton should have acted as a catalyst to spur a scoring streak. However, he looks like he may be yet another player who needs a change of scenery to break out. Tim Connolly was stale in Buffalo and giving minor contributions, he is enjoying some sound hockey in Toronto. Perhaps a similar change is necessary for Stafford.

Three Stars

1. Johnny Oduya

2. Ondrej Pavelec

3. Jhonas Enroth

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Game Summary

Event Summary