Author: Chris Ostrander

Interesting development in the Coyotes situation

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I haven’t been doing too much reading about the Coyotes pending sale recently because I simply stopped caring. It became very monotonous to read the same thing over and over. So, I waited until something concrete developed. Finally, something did. I will defer to the TSN article for all the details.

I’m not sure if the city council vote could be viewed as a “Judgement Day” of sorts, but it is certainly a big step for the Coyotes future in Glendale. All signs seem to be pointing towards a positive vote. That means the city will give the NHL $25 million more to keep the team in the Desert for another year. Thus giving them another 365 days to figure out a sale agreement with a potential buyer, no matter who that may be.

The fact of the matter is that this is nothing more than a band-aid. The city is going to give away millions to keep a team that loses millions every season. It is time to face facts, there is a small number of passionate fans in that city, but there aren’t enough to support a NHL franchise. I understand that moving a team for the second time isn’t the solution to all the problems. However, it seems as if the Phoenix experiment has failed and it is time to evaluate a new future for the franchise.

On to game seven

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When I said Detroit would take San Jose in seven games I envisioned a back and forth series, not a wild three-game comeback by the Winged Wheel.

The Sharks were 16 minutes away from locking up the series in game six last night. Funny, the Sabres were about that far away in game six as well. No matter, the Red Wings scored three unanswered goals and sent the series back to the Golden State for a seventh game. The Sharks also had a pair of two goal leads erased on Sunday, at home, in game five. Continue reading →

‘Zags sick lax goal

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Gonzaga’s insurance marker in their WCAC lacrosse championship win was rather unique. Have a look:

The goal secured a 10-8 victory over Good Counsel. I’m sure people are going to ask, “where is the goalie”. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Good Counsel had set up a ten-man ride to try and get the ball back to tie the game. Good job by Gonzaga to have a play to negate a ten-man ride and a player who can hit the cage from 80 yards. This thing has officially gone viral, you know because even Sportscenter was showing lacrosse. Usually you need the Final Four to take place for such an event to occur.

Tom Modrak sent packing

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The Buffalo Bills made a personnel decision many thought should have been made at least a year earlier. Tom Modrak was relieved of his duties as VP of College Scouting.

In fact, Mr. Modrak will no longer be with the organization at all. This ends a decade of average drafting based, at least partially, on advice from the team’s former number one scout.

Just to highlight some of his handiwork, Aaron Maybin, Donte Whitner, John McCargo, J.P. Losman, Mike Williams and three different running backs. Of course, not all of these picks can be saddled squarely on Modrak’s shoulders. But it is safe to say his scouting staff and influence in the war room had something to do with it. Add to that the fact that the Bills haven’t had a largely successful draft class under his watch; you’re eventually led down the road of termination.

This is a strong move by the organization. Many have pointed out that this is the time (after the draft) that scouting staffs see turnover. Additionally, many have said that the reason he wasn’t fired last year was due to the fact that it was the first year under Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix. Basically Modrak was given a grace period before being shown the door.

Fans should be glad he is gone. There is little doubt that he orchestrated a great deal of the poor drafts the Bills have had in the past decade. Obviously the new regime has identified the people they should keep and the one they need to jettison. While this won’t expedite the rebuilding process, it does offer a ray of hope that the team will begin to draft well once again.

The only depressing part of this story is that this guy was able to stick around for 10 years. Perhaps if this move had been made a few years earlier the fan base wouldn’t a massive gray cloud hovering over them in the form of a three year rebuilding project.

Goose and Grags at the Worlds, Aces back to Portland

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Since the Buffalo Sabres’ departure from the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs their players have dispersed to various locations. The “Black Aces” like Jhonas Enroth and Mark Mancari have been sent back to Portland to help with their playoff run. Meanwhile, Marc-Andre Gragnani and Paul Gaustad accepted invitations to represent their countries in the IIHF World Championships.

Gaustad recently joined Team USA for yesterday’s 4-2 win over Norway. Gaustad logged two penalty minutes and was given an ‘A’. It should be interesting to see if Gaustad’s time with the US will help him gain some additional experience against the best in the world and in clutch situations. Having another player with big-game experience will be huge moving forward. Continue reading →

This Nix guy seems to know what he is doing

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Two days of drafting and the Buffalo Bills appear to be a much better tam than they were on Wednesday.

Obviously the selection of Marcell Dareus was an easy decision and will help the team from get go. However, Nix made two more choices on day two that appear to be wise. At least on the surface.

Aaron Williams, a versatile CB/S was Buffalo’s second round pick and it seems safe to assume he will fill the spot left by free agent, Drayton Florence. I didn’t love this pick. Williams was projected as one of the better safety prospects in the draft, but I have never been a fan of the “he can convert to safety at the next level” line. It doesn’t hold water for me. That being said, the Bills were in a bit of a tough spot with most of the big-name quarterbacks off the board. I am certain this pick would have been Christian Ponder had he survived. Continue reading →

Buffalo selects Dareus, lost their QB

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The first five picks of the 2011 NFL Draft went pretty much according to plan. The Carolina Panthers selected Cam Newton first, to the delight of just about every Bills fan, and the following picks fell into order.

After Denver selected Von Miller second overall, the Bills were left with a fairly easy decision. They selected Marcell Dareus, the massive and agile DT from Alabama.

Dareus addresses a handful of needs for Buffalo. Chiefly, their inability to stop the run. I’ll leave the rest of the explanation up to Mark Gaughan, he has quotes and an in-look at the selection. Continue reading →

2011 NFL Draft: Who do the Bills take?

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My love for pro football has seriously fallen off in recent years. It is a great game, but the NFL has become a business, not a sport. The No Fun League moniker certainly crops up a lot and it is hard to like the players when they all act like jerks. All the time.

However, free agency and the draft always peak my interest. Of course, the looming lockout/work stoppage put the kaibosh on free agency. The draft will go on. Why? I’m not quite sure, but it doesn’t matter and I am still looking forward to tuning in. The big question in tornado alley Buffalo is, who do the Bills select with the third overall selection?

Leave it to Buffalo to bottom out in a year with such a weak class at the top of the draft. Still, there are a few options available at the third pick. They have a plethora of needs starting at QB right on through DT. Outside linebacker and offensive tackle are also huge weak points for this team. However, they can’t address every need in the first round, only the most glaring one.

I see five players that the Bills could take a serious look at with the third selection. Marcell Dareus, Blaine Gabbert, Von Miller, Cam Newton and Patrick Peterson. Of those five, I wouldn’t touch Newton. He comes across as a huge phony, a cheater and a jerk. I think he will be a cancer to any locker room he gets put into. Miller and Dareus (even Nick Fairley) address immediate needs on defense. They are highly skilled and would be effective for a defense that desperately needs help. Gabbert and Peterson are pretty much safety valves for me, based on who is picked at one and two. Here is my breakdown of the prospects in the order I would take them:

Von Miller -OLB, Texas A&M

Von Miller would be my choice if I were the Bills. He is a bit undersized at 6’2″ 246 pounds, but he has a solid body of work in a competitive conference. Miller is a edge rusher who can play in both the 3-4 and the 4-3.  He has the style and skill that Aaron Maybin was supposed to bring. Buffalo has had a pretty horrific pass rush over the past few years, Miller would help fill that void and hopefully bump Chris Kelsay to a three point stance all the time. He is exaclty what the Bills need and there is no reason why he shouldn’t be available for the third pick. That is also why I chose him as a correspondent with the original, DC based, Two in the Box.

Continue reading →

2ITB second round predictions

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I was a tidy 6/8 with my first round selections in the 2011 Stanly Cup Playoffs. Of course, that means I will go o’fer in round two but that won’t keep me from taking a stab at it anyway.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning

This could be an interesting series. The knee-jerk choice is Washington. They can score almost at will and they did a good job keeping a defensive-minded team, with a good goalie, at bay in round one. The Caps also got strong goaltending, something many had questioned. Tampa, on the other hand, took a while to wake up. They fell behind Pittsburgh 3-1 before igniting their offense a bit and then riding Dwayne Roloson into the second round. It is Roloson’s pair of shutouts against Washington that intrigues me. Also his flawless elimination game record (6-0). If Roloson continues the way he is playing, Tampa will be dangerous. I am willing to go against that, I like Washington’s new-look defensive game and their ability to fill the net. Caps in six. Continue reading →

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round one recap

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To say the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs were highly entertaining would be a massive understatement.

Half of the series went to a game seven and three of the four deciding games were spectacular. The one exception was the 5-2 drubbing the Flyers put on the Sabres. The other four series were equally entertaining. I would say the Caps 4-1 triumph and Detroit’s sweep of the Desert Dogs were the only ho-hum parts of the first round.

Eastern Conference

#1 Washington Capitals defeat #8 New York Rangers 4-1

I had the Caps winning in five, which really is no great stretch of a prediction. This could have shaped up to be a much different series had Marian Gaborik not gift-wrapped the game four overtime goal for Jason Chimera. The Capitals improved defense was strong as was Michael Neuvirth. Washington scored timely goals and Henrik Lundqvist wasn’t enough to counter the superior match up. Turning point: Marian Gaborik’s gaffe leads to OT winning goal to give Washington a 3-1 series lead. MVP: Michael Neuvirth – 4-1, 1.38 GAA, .946 SV% Continue reading →