Buffalo Sabres

2ITB Roadie: Bandits, Amerks and BBQ

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The Buffalo Sabres will skate into Ottawa tonight with the chance to at least draw even with Winnipeg this evening. If the Bruins can take care of business this afternoon, the Sabres will be playing for a share of eighth.

Now, I still contend that the team has yet to reach a point of watching the schedule on a nightly basis, but that day is drawing near. The Sabres have twice had a chance to draw even with eighth and have failed. Tonight is a game in which they will be rested (sort of) and is also one of those valuable “games in hand”. Winnipeg’s loss last night in Calgary came in their 68th game, this is game 68 for the Sabres. So far Buffalo has been strong when playing on a night their opponents are idle, but this game is yet another pivotal matchup.

Ryan Miller will be back in net tonight after getting a couple well deserved days off. I expect to see Ben Bishop in net for the Senators. Bishop is a massive goalie looking to make his mark on the league. He has waited a long time for his break and this season might be it. Buffalo’s oft-anemic offense will need to start rolling early tonight.

The main thing to watch for is two-fold. First, if Thomas Vanek is playing, I expect to see some new lines. John Vogl, Kevin Snow, Paul Hamilton and the rest of the Sabres media reported the shuffled lines at yesterday’s practice. However, those combinations came without Vanek and Patrick Kaleta. I expect to see some changes made in the hope to spark some more offense. If Vanek isn’t playing, seeing what Lindy Ruff comes up with (Marcus Foligno was recalled) will be equally interesting to a fully healthy lineup.

This special edition of The Morning Skate is because I’ll be taking the day to enjoy all the city of Rochester has to offer. So I’ll have Dinosaur BBQ and watch the Bandits and Amerks play.

The Bandits enter tomorrow’s game with their season in the balance. They simply cannot afford another loss if they expect to sneak in the playoffs and who better to snap their funk than their I-90 rivals?

One of the Bandits’ two victories this season came against Rochester, but this is a whole different Bandits team we are talking about. They have unraveled defensively and are getting offensive contributions from a small, core group. Things need to change in Banditland if a playoff push is to remain in the cards.

Like the Sabres, the Amerks are in the thick of a playoff race themselves. Luke Adam has been wearing #72 since his demotion (ugh) but has seven points in 11 games. He had a couple rough games upon his arrival, but has come around as of late. David Leggio had a great night against Binghampton tonight and I hope to see him again tonight. We shall see. Here are a few things I’ll be looking for from the Sabres prospects:

  • Shaone Morrisonn: I’m interested to see the big veteran. I liked his signing last year, unfortunately he didn’t work out. He has been steady for Ron Rolston and the Amerks this year, I want to see his game now; perhaps he still has a future in the show.
  • Defensive prospects: Drew Schiestel was loaned to Texas, which has freed up some playing time for other prospects. The defensive cupboard is going to be crowed in the next few seasons; Mark Pysyk and JGL are on their way and Brayden McNabb has shown his chops. I want to watch McNabb closely along with Joe Finley, T.J. Brennan and even Matt MacKenzie (if he plays). These guys have something to prove if they expect to stick around.
  • Phil Varone: Dude has been lighting it up for the Amerks. 8+33 in 60 games from the development camp invitee. I liked him (along with Johnathan Parker and Steven Beyers) in the summer and Varone has turned out to be a worthy addition to the pipeline. He is only signed with the Amerks for now, but I could see him getting a look from the Sabres.
  • David Leggio: I hope he gets the nod in net again, I’m interested to see where he stands in terms of development. The Sabres have some tough choices regarding all of their goaltenders in the coming months. Leggio is part of that group.

There will be Double Minors posted of the Amerks game, a Bandits recap and a brief write up on the Sabres. Stay tuned.

Taking a closer look at the new masks for Miller and Enroth

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Phil, from Black Blue & Gold, tossed out a Tweet linking to Ray Bishop’s Facebook post of Ryan Miller’s brand new paint job.

Miller’s masks have long featured some sort of take on the head of his team’s mascot or logo. Perhaps the coolest thing about the evolution of his helmet was the way he and Bishop had worked together to transition the design of the goathead logo into the era of blue and gold.

However, Phil’s Tweet helped to unveil Bishop’s most recent design for Miller.

I can’t say I hate the look of Miller’s new helmet. It fully embraces the white buffalo used in the Sabres’ logo while incorporating many of the traits that have come to define the iconic mask he has been wearing for years. The elimination of the old styling consistent with the goathead in favor of an all white buffalo head. There are hints of blue in the fur and the horns have a gold tint to them, tying the two to Buffalo’s color scheme.

What I love about Miller’s new mask is the inclusion of the third jersey script, crossed sabres and the charging buffaloes. Bishop did a phenomenal job tying those three pieces into the mask. The new design elements blend better than the look of Miller’s old Sabres masks. Previously, the bottom portion of Miller’s mask was a stark contrast to the stylized design of the top.

The new design, while contrasting, has much better flow with the inclusion of both logos that appear on each Sabres uniform. I’m looking forward to seeing Miller roll out the new mask. However, I would assume he will hold off due to the impressive run he has been on recently. Continue reading →

Double Minors: Offense sputters in loss to Bruins

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Once again the Buffalo Sabres couldn’t muster the offense to maintain the early lead they built in Boston. Once again a one-goal lead was established and sat on. Once again the Sabres will wait to climb the final rungs of the playoff ladder.

For what it’s worth, Sami Pahlsson scored a late goal to put Vancouver over Winnipeg late last night. Of all the teams Sabres fans are keeping their eyes on, Winnipeg is the one that matters most.

Last night’s loss was another in which the Sabres scored only one goal. It was also a game in which they held a lead but failed to build upon it. The past 14 days have been grueling for the Sabres. They have gone from Anaheim, up the coast to Vancouver (via San Jose), to Winnipeg and now to Boston. They will stop off in Ottawa tomorrow night. In that whole span the Sabres returned home for Wednesday’s overtime win against Carolina.

This rough road schedule is a likely culprit for additional fatigue and bumps and bruises. But the Sabres have failed to adapt to many of their shortcomings this year, particularly in the scoring department. Whether this is a coaching issue or player issue is unknown. All I know is that any hope of actually catching eighth place will come on the coattails of more than just one or two goals per game.

Jhonas Enroth’s unfortunate losing streak continued despite a fine showing. He turned away 13 shots in the first period alone, finishing with 25 saves on the night. Enroth’s losing streak has been subject to a number of game in which the Sabres failed to provide proper goal support. Last night was another good example. Enroth did prove that he’s capable of earning another start before the end of the season.

  • Funny how Cody Hodgson went from being the toast of the town to an alleged bust in just a week and a half. Apparently the Sabres acquired Wayne Gretzky and no one told me. Give him time to settle into the system, offensive players often take a little longer to acclimate to a new system. Especially a system that runs on only one goal per game.
  • Alexander Sulzer continues to acquit himself nicely. Three games in, he is a major improvement over Marc-Andre Gragnani.
  • I still wonder about the mental toughness of the Sabres at times. Surrendering a one goal lead isn’t a rare occurrence. However, both losses this week came after being tied entering the third period. Again, both games came after rough travel days, but that type of game is what the Sabres will see in the playoffs.
  • There is no reason to start scoreboard watching just yet. The Sabres still control their own destiny and simply need to win their games. They have been getting some help lately, but there is no reason to fret over every other team’s win or losses when the standings will change in 24 or 48 hours.
  • Buffalo’s physical game hasn’t seemed to suffer much since losing Paul Gaustad. However, their faceoff numbers are down significantly and I wonder if it is something that will really start to prove to be a factor. Even on Wednesday, Ville Leino’s faceoff loss led to Carolina’s first goal. Just something to keep an eye on.

Game Summary/Event Summary

The Morning Skate: Torrid schedule continues in Boston

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Buffalo came forth with a strong bounce back effort against Carolina last night after dropping a 3-1 loss to Winnipeg on Monday.

The Sabres are now heading to Boston on a night that a pair of their playoff race competitors are in action. Toronto’s loss last night gave the Sabres more help in the playoff race. Getting a win tonight and regulation losses in Vancouver (Winnipeg) and Washington (vs. Tampa Bay) will keep the Sabres collective heads above water.

Boston has been up and down in recent weeks, playing strong hockey while laying eggs shortly thereafter. The Bruins and Sabres have played an interesting series this season, I have to wonder how Buffalo will fare against a supremely physical team with the general lack of physicality on the Sabres roster.

I fully expect to see Jhonas Enroth in net tonight. Ryan Miller has started 21-straight games and has played at least 30 minutes in the last 22 games. He has seen a ton of action in every game since last week – save for last night – and needs some time prior to this next run of games he will be sent on.

Highlighted Matchup

Sabres toughness vs. Bruins toughness. The absence of Paul Gaustad has yet to show much effect on the Sabres. Boston plays a hard game and I wonder if the Sabres have the muscle to run with a team that plays such a style. Obviously players like Chara, Lucic and Thornton will be too much to handle. But like the 6-0 win last month, Buffalo simply needs to push back and show they’re capable of not backing down.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth

BOS: Tim Thomas

Last Meeting

Sabres 2 – Bruins 1 SO, First Niagara Center, 2/24/2012

Double Minors: Special teams powers overtime victory

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Buffalo’s power play hasn’t been pretty as of late. But it got the job done last night against Carolina. A late 5-on-3 penalty kill kept the Sabres floating long enough to seal the game in overtime.

Realistically, it should have never gotten to that point. Cam Ward made a number of big saves in the second period to keep the Hurricanes alive. Buffalo exploded for a pair in the opening 1:02 of the period and almost had a third, but Ward was up to the task. He made 15 of his 39 saves in the second period alone, keeping the Buffalo onslaught at bay until Chad LaRose could tie the score.

Ryan Miller was stout, turning away 22 of 24 and rebounding nicely after yielding two goals on his first 17 shots. He has certainly earned a rest and should most definitely take that reprieve tomorrow night in Boston.

While it took seven attempts for the Sabres power play to tally twice, there was some good and bad to take away from the unit. Both units continued to looks disjointed with the puck and committed a number of turnovers as a result. However, if they were able to settle the possession, there was some strong puck movement high on the umbrella. Both goals came from high puck movement and point shots.

The penalty kill stayed strong and will need to remain stout as this playoff run continues. Tomorrow’s game in Boston along with Saturday and Monday carry a lot of weight for the Sabres if they hope to gain more ground.

  • For all the hooting and holler that has been done (me included) about the top line, they answered the bell last night. Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville each had a goal and an assist in the victory. This just add fuel to my argument that Roy brings them down. Their success came as Roy went pointless, obviously they cannot coexist. Obviously I’m not serious, this line needs to extend that success in the next five days.
  • Still waiting on Cody Hodgson’s first point. No matter, I haven’t hated his game and I’m still happy with the dynamic he brings to the roster.
  • I bemoaned the thought of giving $5.5m to a player who essentially plays a strong two-way, defensive game and chips in offensively. Then I realized that is precisely what Ville Leino is currently being paid to do. Yes, he lost that faceoff clean. But his puck possession is the best on the roster and he drew a pair of late penalties due to it. His play has turned a corner these last few months, I think it is time to stop hating on him and his contract.
  • Alex Sulzer is making me a believer. He has slightly better puck skills than Mike Weber – though he seems due one bad fumble per night – and plays a fairly similar style. Depending on defensive depth next season, I could see him getting a contract over the summer. I’ve liked his game thus far.
  • As I said above, it is time to give Ryan Miller a rest. His play over the past few games has been showing some signs of fatigue. That isn’t to say I haven’t been pleased with the last three games, it is just time to give him a little more time to recuperate.

Game Summary/Event Summary

The Morning Skate: Three in four begins with visit from Hurricanes

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The Sabres arrive home after an impressive four-game road swing along the west coast to an important game against a team they have struggled with for most of the season.

Carolina rolls into town with a 2-1-0 record against Buffalo this season and can play the role of spoiler tonight if they take two points from the Sabres. Buffalo could only enjoy one off day from their grueling western swing as they’re back with three games in four nights, beginning today.

Lindy Ruff is faced with a couple tough decisions for tonight’s game. The first is which goaltender to start. The second is what to do with his stagnant top line.

The goaltending question is rooted in two schools of thought. Do you roll your starter against the weaker opponent and the backup on the second night of the back-to-back set? Or you can roll out Jhonas Enroth against a team he owns while giving Miller the additional day off.

My money is on choice number one. Based on the way Lindy Ruff operates, he will want to put his team in the best position to earn points. In my opinion, that is why he will roll out Miller against the Canes. That also keeps him away from a hostile atmosphere in Boston the next night. Is that the right choice? I say no.

Enroth’s career numbers against Carolina are phenomenal, let him build on that history and shutdown the Canes. They’re a bottom feeder; don’t waste one of Miller’s starts on them. Not to mention, getting Miller an extra day of rest will do more for the long-term success of this unlikely playoff run. Plus, I don’t take too much stock in trying to keep Miller from a tough environment like the TD Garden will be on Thursday. He is mentally tough (most goalies are) enough not to be bothered with what the fans will be doing that day, it shouldn’t be too big of an issue.

As for Ruff’s other tough task, he needs to find a solution to the scoring woes of his top line. It is a pretty simple concept. If they’re not playing well together, split them up. Buffalo needs a solid effort tonight. A quick start and sustained pressure should get the job done against Carolina.

Highlighted Matchup

Vanek/Roy/Pominville. If these guys aren’t broken up prior to the morning skate, they will be the trip to watch. It is my opinion that Roy would be better served in a checking role with Nathan Gerbe and Pat Kaleta. Whether Ville Leino or Cody Hodgson is the best fit for the center role on this line is debatable. Regardless, I feel that Roy’s presence often brings down Vanek’s game and the virus seems to have spread to Pominville as well.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth

CAR: Brian Boucher

Last Meeting

Sabres 2 – Hurricanes 4, RBC Center, 1/6/2012

The Instigator Podcast 1.7 – Fuel and Engage

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In the seventh edition of The Instigator Podcast, Eric and I take a look at where things could head with regards to amping up the fans and creating a raucous atmosphere similar to that of the MTS Centre.

As always, comments and criticism are welcome on Twitter.

Double Minors: Sabres come up short when it counts

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It was the biggest game of the season, to date, and the Sabres needed a strong showing. They didn’t get one. Buffalo looked flat for most of the game as they fell to the Winnipeg Jets 3-1.

The Sabres were facing a tough battle from the get-go. The final game of a rough west coast trip, in one of the league’s loudest barns against a team they are chasing for a playoff spot. Perhaps the deck was stack in the Jet’ favor before the puck dropped, but there was little push from Buffalo’s side of the table all night.

I don’t doubt that the fatigue factor played a major role in Buffalo’s performance, but it was just another one of those games where this group of players didn’t show up when they needed to. That isn’t necessarily a blanket statement, either. Ryan Miller had yet another impressive game (28 saves) and certainly gave his team a chance to get a victory. For the second-straight game in Winnipeg, Miller was strong and his team was flat.

Once again the top line of Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy and Jason Pominville were non-existent and turned a pair of three-on-two rushes into odd-man goals for the Jets. Lindy Ruff responded by plunking Vanek on the bench and using Roy as his extra attacker late in the game (#LindyLogic).

There can’t be too much overreacting put into this loss. Yes, it was a pivotal game. No, it doesn’t mean the season is over. Bottom line, it makes the journey to eighth that much harder and things would be a whole lot different if this road trip was finished 4-0-0.

  • It is about time Jhonas Enroth play an entire hockey game. Lindy Ruff was sort of forced into sticking with Miller. A pair of shutouts and generally awesome hockey kept Buffalo’s starter off the bench. However, running MIller into the ground will accomplish little. Show faith in Enroth and let him reward your decision. Two effective goaltenders are always better than one. I don’t care if Enroth plays Wednesday or Thursday, just get him in a game and do it soon.
  • Also, with regards to Lindy’s decision making. It is about time to do a little line shuffling. Whether or not Derek Roy’s presence has been what dragged down Vanek and Pominville, I think it is time for a new look. Cody Hodgson has been strong with Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford, but maybe he can help spark Buffalo’s two best scorers. Try this on for size: 26/19/29 – 23/63/21 – 42/9/36 – 37/22/78.
  • Robyn Regehr needs to hit Chris Thorburn on that third goal. Ryan Miller is standing his ground as a third-line grinder came to the crease with no option. Miller’s read is to hold his position and make the easy save. It is Regehr’s responsibility to deny the inside ice for Thorburn, that didn’t happen and suddenly Thorburn is the new Gretzky.
  • To that point, I have noticed the NBCSN crew getting on every pretty play more and more. I usually appreciate what Pierre McGuire has to say, but he is getting a little over the top with the major junior, college and European development references. He has a plethora of hockey knowledge, just use that and inform the viewers as to what they’re watching.
  • It is hard to pinpoint exactly who was good and who wasn’t for the Sabres. Mainly because most of the team wasn’t very good. All six defensemen had their struggles and most of the forwards were average. It was just a flat night for this team and they paid for it.
  • I love the fact that the MTS Centre crowd is loud and raucous for the entire game. It is a perfect combination of a hockey-mad city, loud fans and I would assume timely video/music choices. I’ll wait to see if the atmosphere at FNC changes for the better, but I don’t think many Sabres fans have it in them.

Game Summary/Event Summary

The Morning Skate: Playoff position on the line in Winnipeg

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After two months of poor hockey and numerous losses, the Sabres are in a position to get back into a playoff spot against Winnipeg. With a regulation win the Sabres will be in a tie for eighth place. A win tonight would be another major step in an impressive, improbable turnaround.

Ryan Miller will be back in net again tonight. His game has been in phenomenal shape as of late, but I fear that his endurance is running low after a full run of hockey since the All Star break. In the one game he had off, he played 30 minutes after Jhonas Enroth was pulled in Philadelphia.I don’t doubt Miller will still have a strong outing, I just wonder if he had been better rested if his play would be that much better. I suppose this is still in line with the goaltending schedule.

Buffalo needs a 60-minute effort. They had three tough games on little rest on the West coast, tonight’s game comes after some rest for a road weary team. The Sabres top line has been absent as of late and that needs to change immediately. Without the production of Vanek and Pominville, the mountain that is the playoff race gets that much steeper.

Highlighted Matchup

Vanek/Roy/Pominville. This line has been slumping for a short period of time. It is my opinion that Derek Roy has negatively impacted the play of his two wingers. Regardless of the true cause of this slump, it needs to be snapped. Vanek and Pominville have been Buffalo’s MVPs all season. Tonight would be a great day to for them to turn a corner.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Ryan Miller

WPG: Ondrej Pavelec

Last Meeting

Sabres 1 – Jets 4, MTS Centre, 1/19/2012

Double Minors: Hot start keeps streak rolling

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After leaning on Ryan Miller for over a week, Buffalo’s offense woke up and provided the necessary scoring support that has been absent for a number of games this season. Of course, the Sabres did play on their heels for most of the final two periods.

Darcy Regier was likely smiling big after Ville Leino put in a pair of goals and Brad Boyes picked a corner to chase Robert Luongo after only six minutes. Christian Ehrhoff scored the winning goal and Cody Hodgson continued to display the skills that Buffalo has been lacking down the middle all year.

Granted, Zack Kassian played like and angry junkyard dog all night and picked up a late goal to keep the game interesting. The game Kassian showed last night was the type of hockey Buffalo drafted him for. That attitude was in and out during his time with the Sabres. Whether his game was inconsistent because of his attitude, coaching or lack of veteran leadership; is unknown. In my opinion it is a combination of all three. I have to think his immaturity played a role, especially considering the assumed core of the team. Add to a system that appears to be predicated on position and puck control over physical domination, you have a perfect storm for a bust.

The Sabres win gives them a chance to tie Winnipeg tomorrow night and snag a playoff spot for the first time in what seems like the entire season. The playoff push has gotten awfully interesting just over a month removed from the Fail for Nail campaign.

  • Ryan Miller’s tremendous shutout streak was finally ended in the second period. He played good hockey last night, it just wasn’t as dazzling as the previous handful of games. He was a difference maker, particularly in the second period. He needs an equally effective game on Monday before he earns a break mid-week.
  • The Sabres need to find a way to stomp their foot on the throat of their opponents. Too many times during the season Buffalo has staked a two or three-goal lead only to let their opponent back in to tie or steal a victory. Credit the entire roster for the third period clamp and grinding out the win. Still, this is not a way to win games. The Sabres were bitten in the playoff last year and I can assure you the same will happen this year, too.
  • Alexander Sulzer was quietly effective in his Sabres debut. He and Mike Weber play a similar game. I think Sulzer has better puck skills than Weber, while Weber plays with a little more jam. It is a good position to be in compared to how poorly Marc-Andre Gragnani played this year.
  • To that point, Gragnani looked like he wanted to prove a point was is still too soft to get the job done. Kassian has the physical gifts and edge to get that job done. Gragnani is a soft, expendable player and he proved that in spades last night.
  • I’m glad to see Ville Leino playing well. He is not my ideal pick as a center, especially a checking center. However, he has embraced the role and was rewarded last night. His game finally turned a corner in January. He isn’t earning his pay yet, but he is getting there.
  • I’m waiting to see Cody Hodgson actually get on the scoresheet. He has been terrific in all three games, but hasn’t gotten the tangible results that many fans are waiting for. Understand this, he makes the Sabres a better team today and in the future.

Game Summary/Event Summary