Author: Chris Ostrander

Sabres After 41: Looking forward

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

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?

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

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

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

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

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

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

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

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

NHL Links

Game Summary

Event Summary

The Morning Skate: Sabres trudge back to face Jets

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

The current state of the Buffalo Sabres is pretty darn ugly. Outside of a pair of players, there is no scoring. Despite playing strong hockey, their franchise netminder can’t keep three goals from getting by. The head coach seems to be making baffling lineup choices while the general manager is generally stuck due to a ridiculous injury situation and tight cap number.

All of that plus the fact the Sabres are three points behind tonight’s opponent for tenth in the conference. Raise your hand if you had the Sabres in the draft lottery rather than the top five this season. Nobody? Okay.

In all seriousness, tonight’s game (along with the remaining 42) is a must win. Buffalo is five points from a playoff position and need a strong run in order to secure a berth yet again. If the Sabres are able to establish some footing, last night’s loss will be nothing more than a hiccup. While that loss fits perfectly with the disheartening trend the team has picked up, it certainly be discarded with some strong play.

The Sabres victimized the Jets in their first meeting and probably would have blown their doors off if it hadn’t been for some terrible defensive zone coverage. Ryan Miller earned a victory in that game despite being piled on by the fans and hung out to dry by his team.

While a 60-minute effort still evades this team, simply finishing chances may be all that is necessary to win a few games. Last night was a perfect example, they can’t afford to provide yet another.

Highlighted Matchup

Sabres centers. Jochen Hecht is nothing more than a warm body between Vanek and Pominville. They really don’t need anything else at this point. Luke Adam will surely fill a larger role this evening and Ville Leino’s return may be pushed based on Derek Roy’s injury. The Sabres didn’t properly address their biggest need this offseason and now it is staring them square in the face – if it hadn’t been already this season.

Projected Goaltenders

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

WPG: Ondrej Pavelec 33 GP 14-13-5, 2.94 GAA, .907 SV%

Last Game

11/8/2011, First Niagara Center, Sabres 6 – Jets 5 OT

Double Minors: Yet another poor performance, yet another loss

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

Simply put, the Sabres aren’t very good. Despite piling on scoring chances last night, they couldn’t provide the necessary goal support to get a win.

Ryan Miller played a fine game, but again allowed three goals. He has allowed three or more goals in nine of his last ten outings.

To be fair, Miller probably isn’t to blame for this loss. In fact, he has been playing some strong hockey lately, he just isn’t getting the results to show for his effort. The numbers certainly work against him. Between the win-loss record, his goals against and his save percentage; Miller is not earning the money the Sabres are paying him.

What is important to realize is that Miller is not the crux of the issue at hand. The Sabres continually fail to provide secondary scoring, continually lapse in the defensive zone and rarely muster the moxie to perform in big moments.

The issues with this team go beyond an identity crisis, beyond a stagnant coach and beyond a franchise goaltender struggling to find his game. There seems to be a top-to-bottom systematic failure on this team and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.

To say the time to fix the squad is now would be foolish. The time to act would have been weeks ago, when the slide was apparent and there was still time to bail out the boat. It certainly appears as if this ship has taken on too much water.

  • Both goalies playing tonight have been struggling this season. Neither outplayed the other and each were victimized by similar plays in the third period. In fact, Buffalo’s first goal and Carolina’s third were results of defensive breakdowns.
  • Last thought on Miller’ he needs to make the big save on LaRose in the third. That wasn’t a particularly fantastic goal and is one you expect him to stop. While the first two are forgivable, the third one is a shot he needs to have. I’d say the fluky second goal too, but since Ward was beaten on a nearly identical play, it is a wash.
  • Drew Stafford was signed to score goals. Goal scorers usually cash in on open shots from the slot. Not only does his contract look like a poor investment, he lethargic play is likely starting to wear on most Sabres fans.
  • Tyler Myers was fantastic tonight. The Two Towers pairing between he and Brayen McNabb will be a cornerstone of this franchise. Myers needs to roll this performance into the games immediately preceding his injury. He was playing good hockey and it would seem the streak may have continued through his absence. Still, he needs to bottle that game and bring it every night.
  • At what point will Lindy Ruff answer for the inexplicable decision to keep Marc-Andre Gragnani in the lineup. Injuries be damned, T.J. Brennan plays a more physical, engaging defensive game. Based on the way this team is playing, that is the type of defender the Sabres need. You would have to think Ryan Miller and Jhonas Enroth have only this thought when Gragnani steps on the ice:

Three Stars

1. Eric Staal

2. Chad LaRose

3. Cam Ward

NHL Links

Game Summary

Event Summary

The Morning Skate: Back-to-back wins back on the table

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

November was quite a long time ago. Sadly that was the last month in which the Sabres won two games in a row. Tonight’s contest gives them the opportunity to win two-straight since before Ryan Miller’s concussion. Yes, it has been that long.

The Sabres are getting healthy, which is a nice piece of news considering the last month and a half. Tyler Myers may return tonight and it seems as if Ville Leino will be back tomorrow, if not next week. The Sabres do still have the issue of missing two of their top performing defensemen.

Expect a tight game from Buffalo tonight. They escaped Carolina with a 1-0 win earlier in the year and the previous game (last spring) was decided in overtime. Buffalo’s secondary scoring has been so hit or miss that there is no telling what kind of numbers they will put up. If they register three goals, there should be no excuse for not winning.

Ryan Miller will start in net, he will likely start tomorrow too. His numbers have been pretty dismal, but he has been winning games. So he has that going for him, which is nice.

Highlighted Matchup

Tyler Myers. If he does manage to dress and play this evening, keep a close eye on him. Don’t expect Norris Trophy-level hockey. But be sure to watch what he brings to the table. There is a good chance he sees some limited minutes, but his contributions on special teams have been missed. Getting Myers back will do wonders for the power play and penalty kill.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Ryan Miller 23GP 10-10-2, 3.05 GAA, .900 SV%

CAR: Cam Ward 35 GP 13-15-6,  3.22 GAA, .897 SV%

Last Game

11/18/2011, RBC Center, Sabres 1 – Hurricanes 0

The Buffalo sports fan

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

The Buffalo sports fan:

Is totally die hard

Would prefer to trade their lazy, overpaid superstar now while his value is still high.

Knows exactly what trade or free agent move will lead to a championship.

Thinks your perennial All-Star and playoff stud SUCKS

Expects every shot to be stopped

Thinks a new left tackle and an elite pass rusher are the solution to the Bills’ woes

His seats really let you see the play develop – from the last row of the stadium

His old seats let you see the speed of the game – despite being obstructed by the benches

Wants to trade two underperformer’s for that superstar in the other conference

Wants a proven coach and GM, but can’t think of a proven name to fill either position

Thinks the GM should have cut that waste of money two years ago

LOVE Are insulted by the thought of sexy, scantily clad girls scraping the ice

Knew that the same lameduck player who walked as a free agent would blow up in another city

Doesn’t make a peep for an entire game, but claps in unison when the speakers say “everybody clap your hands”

Boos every former player, no matter what the circumstances were surrounding their departure

Sits on their hands all game but will cheer after a goal

Leaves with six minutes to go in a one-goal game

Still refers to the Winter Classic as the Ice Bowl

Hates when the Sabres play the trap, despite not being capable of identifying it

Wonders why the Sabres don’t score goals like you see in video games

Wants to know why the Bills are the only team never to score on bombs

Complains about every possible facet of every pro sports team in the city

Will sit in their season’s or by their TV every day until one of their teams wins a championship.

Taking an honest look at the Sabres trade prospects

Chris Ostrander1 Comment

There is a big gap between those on HF Boards proposing the Sabres trade Ryan Miller for Jonathon Quick, rumor sites tying different stories together to form conclusions and the men who actually make the deals in the NHL. This post would likely fall somewhere in the middle.

There doesn’t seem to be too many people left who would agree the Sabres are going to fare well with their current roster. Even Bucky Gleason’s most recent column added more fuel to the fire. While he seems to have a direct line to Ted Black (which is indeed a good thing), he did little more than insinuate players who could potentially be moved. The same goes for the columnist covering the Ducks. He made mention that moving Ryan Getzlaf would be a possibility. Never once was a source mentioned regarding any of those players truly being on the block.

Why bring this up? Because these columns are just that. Columns. If they were a report, sort of like those surrounding Kyle Turris, it would be a whole different situation.

It is painfully obvious that something needs to be done to awaken the players in the Buffalo dressing room. A safe bet would be to move at least two out the door for a fresh face. Preferably a fresh face that plays with a little jam.

The players atop the burn list for most Sabres fans will be Drew Stafford and Derek Roy. They certainly have earned their spots. In fact, those who look to the core of this team as the main problem would say these two are the most cancerous in the room. Moving that pair in some way shape or form would be addition by subtraction to most. I can’t say I would disagree, either.

That, of course, raises the question of return. Even one year ago Roy and Stafford would have fetched a pretty penny on the trade market. The same could be said two seasons ago. However, it seems as if Darcy Regier may have spoiled goods on his hands now. That’s not to say they wouldn’t be welcome additions to many teams. However, there isn’t a likely scenario in which Roy and Stafford can be shipped out for a brand new, shiny toy. Continue reading →