Buffalo Sabres

The Morning Skate: Healthy Sabres still searching for goals

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The Buffalo Sabres head off to Long Island after two days of rest and a roster that is nearly identical to the one that began the season 10-5.

They’re missing one major piece – Thomas Vanek – which makes matters a bit complicated when considering the Sabres haven’t scored three goals (without the help of an ENG) since January 13. Besides Vanek, the Sabres are finally healthy. If this season has taught Sabres fans one thing, it’s healthy changes everything.

The Sabres lost their first two contests against the Islanders this season, scoring three goals in the pair of games. It is just a microcosm of a season that has spiraled out of control in too many ways. The current lack of offense isn’t without effort. Buffalo threw everything they had at Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist. All they came up with were a few posts and two goals in two games.

Buffalo’s offensive struggles are now front and center. A rejuvenated defensive corps have been playing solid hockey and Ryan Miller appears that he has gotten himself back on track. Only the lack of offense remains the glaring shortfall with the team. I have to say that trading out some of the stale offensive pieces may be the only way to find offense on this roster. Continue reading →

Depth improved with Ennis playing center

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Maybe Lindy Ruff had reached the end of his rope when he decided to skate Tyler Ennis at center, earlier this week. Whether or not that was the case, it is looking like the right decision.

When Monday’s practice Tweets and reports came out, seeing Ennis at center was assumed as merely a temporary stopgap. After all, Luke Adam and Jason Pominville had gone directly to Montreal to meet the team. Ennis remained at center for Tuesday’s game and reprised the role yesterday against the Rangers.

It is no secret that Ruff has grown tired of Adam’s play as of late. The rookie has been demoted to the fourth line and is seeing fewer minutes each night. The struggles culminated in a healthy scratch on Tuesday night, the first game back from his time participating in All-Star weekend.

The scratch, combined with a dire need to produce offense likely thrust Ennis into his current role. There have been no goals through two games, but it would appear that the decision has been a wise one. Ennis is a dynamic offensive player. His nimble, has terrific hands and showed a penchant for sniping last season. He played center during his junior career in Medicine Hat before moving to wing in the NHL. His most recent position change may provide the answer to a question the Sabres have been searching for since July 1. Continue reading →

Double Minors: Scoring changes everything

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Even a clean sheet from Ryan Miller couldn’t get the job done against the Rangers. Miller certainly helped steal a point for the Sabres, but his counterpart stole a pair.

Miller and Henrik Lundqvist put on a clinic all evening as both the Sabres and Rangers traded blows through a scoreless regulation and overtime. It took a five-round shootout for the Rangers to nab the bonus point and the 1-0 decision.

Both teams had their chances. The Sabres carried the play late, fueled by a raucous crowd – a rarity this season. New York also had their fair share of chances. The Blueshirts had some glorious chances early in the game, before the Sabres turned the territorial tables.

The Sabres gave a great effort, their third-straight. It is no mistake that three strong efforts have given this team five out of six points. It seems as if their win in New Jersey instilled some confidence which has shown as of late. Buffalo has been desperate for some positive play, they got some more last night. Unfortunately, the scoring wasn’t there. Continue reading →

The Morning Skate: East leading Blueshirts come to town

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The Sabres finally have strung together a pair of wins. Now they begin one of the league’s toughest schedules to close the season (couldn’t find the Tweet).

Tonight the New York Blueshits Rangers are in town fresh off a shootout loss in New Jersey last night. Henrik Lundqvist is expected to be in goal tonight and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see Ryan Miller back in for the Sabres. Miller has put together a string of solid outings and the rest he received during the All-Star break will likely sway Lindy Ruff to start him. As for any other lineup changes, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Luke Adam given a chance to right his recent wrongs; but Ruff hates to alter a winning lineup.

Tonight will be a difficult test for the Sabres. Their last two wins were low scoring affairs as the offense is still struggling to find their way. In addition, Thomas Vanek is expected to miss time after being injured last night. That is probably for the best, I feel that he has been nursing a few injuries over the past few weeks.

Buffalo will also need to contend with the East’s best, a team that embarrassed them during their last visit. The Sabres have finally found some good mojo, it will be important to keep that rolling. Continue reading →

Double Minors: Sabres finally hit a streak

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The last time the Sabres won at least two games in a row they were sniffing the top of the Eastern Conference standings and looking like a contender. Then Milan Lucic happened, the team hit the skids and spiraled to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Get over it, Montreal.

Alas, the Sabres won two-straight. Ryan Miller made 27 saves, Paul Gaustad had three(!) points and Ville Leino even scored a goal in the 3-1 victory over Montreal.

The Sabres did indeed score three goals, but the real story was hanging tough while trailing and eventually leading by just one. Despite giving up an early goal, Leino tied the game and Gaustad notched the game winning goal in the third.

The pair of victories have been sandwiched by the All-Star break. But what began as a truly ugly road trip, has closed with a little bit of hope. The Sabres now play three of their next thirteen at home, this stretch will truly determine where this season will be when the chips are down.

  • Luke Adam watched from the press box this evening. It was a questionable choice considering the youngster had just returned from a weekend surrounded by the best players in the game. However, given his recent play, he certainly warranted some time watching in street clothes. If a healthy scratch in Montreal does for Adam what it did for Tyler Myers, then sit the kid down.
  • The big story comes via Paul Gaustad. Gaustad chirped Max Pacioretty late in the game, asking “Where’s Chara?” Montreal is pretty angry about the whole situation, but it is probably getting overblown a tad. First of all, a chirp is a chirp. They are jabs meant to irritate or infuriate and you leave them on the ice. Montreal basically asked the same thing of Gaustad regarding the Lucic/Miller incident; so Gaustad responded in kind. On a side note, I’m fairly certain P.K. Subban has tossed out some real off-color nonsense himself. So Habs fans may need to temper their fury on that one. Lastly, for a city/fanbase up in arms over their coach being unilingual, they get awfully upset over a cheap chirp. The fact that the best man for the job may be chased out of town for not speaking French is embarassing for that franchise, city and fanbase. But it’s cool, get mad at a guy for tossing out a chirp during the game.
  • Ryan Miller turned in another terrific performance. His last three outings have been pretty sharp, in my opinion. His team quit on him in Winnipeg, but he played a strong game. You have to like Miller’s attitude and work ethic recently. He will be the key to any sort of run the Sabres put together.
  • Tyler Myers showed a strong physical side tonight. He also got caught up ice on the Montreal goal. I’m okay with him playing an active game, so long as his partner can support him. Pairing him with Christian Ehrhoff may not be the best choice because Ehrhoff is also an active threat offensively.
  • Hey! Ville Leino scored a beauty tonight. His puck possession may be the best on the roster, quite a shocker to see him play a productive game skating with the team’s better players, no?
  • Lastly, It’s cool if the Canadiens players are quick to jump on Gaustad for being a marginal talent. But when Carey Price says he is irrelevant during the game, he should check the gamesheet. Goal and two apples for Goose tonight, also 60% at the dot with two blocked shots.

Game Summary/Event Summary

The Morning Skate: Sabres getting healthy after All-Star break

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Only during the NHL Premiere games did the Sabres roster look as it did yesterday in practice. Aside from Jochen Hecht, it appears as if the Sabres are as healthy as they have been all season.

Tyler Ennis and Paul Gaustad appear ready to play tonight in Montreal. The same reports note that Brayden McNabb has passed his baseline test and should be ready to return by the end of the week. It is a major step forward for a team that has been searching for answers with multiple players injured at a given time.

The question remains, is the roster good enough to win games? Considering the make-up of the lines, it is safe to assume that the line-up will be a near carbon copy to the one that started the year 10-5. That, of course, was before their confidence was all but destroyed by Milan Lucic and a string of injuries.

Tonight’s game in Montreal presents the Sabres the opportunity to win two games in a row for the first time since November. It will be a tough task in a hostile building against a team that plays Buffalo well – particularly in net. But a healthy roster means fewer excuses for everyone involved.

Highlighted Matchup

Tyler Ennis, Luke Adam and Ville Leino. The three players, particularly the latter two, have had interesting seasons. Adam was red-hot to start the year but has filtered to fourth line minutes as of late. His creativity seems choked off as Lindy Ruff continues to demand more from the young pivot. However, he has just returned from the All-Star game, it would be foolish to keep him stashed between two grinders. Ennis skated at center yesterday in practice and could potentially make the shift if Ruff is truly looking for different answers. Keep an eye on Ennis simply because he hasn’t been the impact player he was last year. If he shifts to pivot and Leino bumps to wing, pay even more attention. Ennis and Leino need to start producing, there is no more time to wait for them to warm up.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Ryan Miller

MTL: Carey Price

Last Meeting

Sabres 3 – Canadiens 2 SO, Bell Centre, 11/14/2011

Ted Black wants major NHL events, is the city ready?

Chris Ostrander1 Comment

Ted Black came out of this weekend’s board of governors meeting with a mission that he has trumpeted many times over the past 12 months. He wants to host anything and everything related to the NHL.

Whether it be the All-Star Game, Draft, Winter Classic or something so cool we haven’t even heard of it, Black and the Sabres want in. Unfortunately the Columbus Blue Jackets will host the 2013 All-Star Game before the event is skipped for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. However, being passed over for next season may be in the best interest for the Sabres as a team (and management) and the City of Buffalo.

Frozen canals and real attractions would make a great venue for All-Star festivities.

First of all, it is totally awesome to think that Ted Black is going into every BOG meeting and lobbying for the Sabres to host the any major NHL event. This is just another one of those tangible examples of what this ownership group is doing to make Buffalo “Hockey Heaven”.

Going into All-Star weekend, 2012 Draft and 2013 Winter Classic hosts had already been chosen. Also, considering the Leafs will be the visitors for the next Classic, it is safe to assume the Leafs will be due to host in the near future. The decision on who would host next year’s All-Star game was to be made this weekend; giving Black the opportunity to pull for Buffalo as the hosts.

With Columbus hosting next season and the Olympics likely cancelling the 2014 event, the next All-Star Game without a host will be 2015. Looking at all the secondary factors; that should be the game Buffalo pushes to host.

To begin, First Niagara Center is a perfect arena to host an All-Star game or any other major NHL event.  Between the original features (pavilion, Harbour Club, congregating areas) and the new additions (laser beam Zambonis and locker room renovations), FNC is a class-A venue for any major event. It is the area outside the Arena that is ill prepared. Continue reading →

Pominville and Adam end All-Star weekend with strong showings

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Luke Adam and Jason Pominville are vanilla. They’re good shooters and play a strong game, but neither aren’t the type of game breaker that you typically see in an NHL All-Star game.

Not awkward. Nope.

However, both had pretty good showings at what turned out to be another great weekend for the NHL. Pominville had a goal and an assist to accompany his runner-up finish in the elimination breakaway challenge. Luke Adam hit 98 MPH in the hardest shot contest, beating Justin Faulk and likely earning the “shoot more” label from many a Sabres fan.

As I wrote previously, All-Star weekend comes with its ups and downs. From what I gather, the ancillary events throughout the host city are can’t miss entertainment just like the main attractions. The game remains a mere garnish on a weekend that has grown into a truly awesome party atmosphere.

The Fantasy Draft is a terrific way to kick off the weekend and create addition interest in a game that has typically been over looked. I have little doubt the fantasy draft/captains format will linger for years to come. After all, it trumps any conference or international format that had been used in the past.

The Skills Competition remains the marquee event for the weekend. The addition of a slam dunk contest wrinkle for breakaways is one of the NHL’s best ideas yet. Pat Kane took the cake with some additional pageantry, but Corey Perry and John Tavares each had an impressive repertoire of moves themselves. What shouldn’t be ignored is that Steven Stamkos’ three moves in the elimination shootout would have earned him high marks in the event won by Kane. It just goes to show the insane talent these players put on display, despite what Aaron Williams may think.

Personally, I could have watched the players stickhandle through those orange pucks for hours – so long as there was something more to the station than just stick handling. That alone was a terrific showcase of the skills on display this weekend. Continue reading →

Entertainment value varies throughout All-Star weekend

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By the end of tomorrow night, all of the interesting All-Star events will be over.  Between the Fantasy Draft and Skills Competition, the NHL All-Star weekend is more front-loaded than Christian Ehrhoff’s contract.

Last night’s fantasy draft was equally entertaining as last year’s. Having the players mic’d up is a stroke of brilliance and gave just as many gems as 2011. It would be hard to argue that Pat Kane’s comment on the blond jersey presenter could be topped. Nor could you argue that the comment was to be expected from a guy like Kane.

Logan Couture joined Phil Kessel as the last pick in the draft. The NHL made a wise change this season, rather than letting Couture stew by himself in his seat, they brought up him and Jamie Benn to the stage. Thus eliminating the ultra-awkward photo-op for the final pick. Couture is now the proud new owner of Honda’s ugliest production vehicle.

Some Sabres fans seemed to care deeply about where Jason Pominville was to be selected. Couture – who is a Bills fan – saved him from the humility and fans from worrying. Considering the stage in which this took place, would it really have been that big of a deal? Sure, it would have sucked for the representative from this underachieving team to go last in the draft. But he is still one of the best players in the league, there is a reason he was selected to the original pool of players. Not to mention, the players don’t seem to place too much stock in the All-Star game, so I’m sure they could care less about where they’re taken in the draft. Trust me, these guys could care less where they’re picked. Continue reading →

Statues for legends, could it work for the Sabres?

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The Buffalo Sabres fortieth anniversary brought about some very cool festivities and features. A new alternate jersey, the Albright Knox exhibit, the in-arena history exhibit and more. What the year-long celebration told me was there is a wonderful opportunity for a permanent Sabres Hall of Fame.

The Bobby Orr statue outside of TD Garden offers a nice template for the Sabres to potentially draw from.

I’ve shown interest in the Sabres involvement with the space which formerly housed the Ira G. Ross Aerospace Museum and the Backstage Club prior to that. Previous posts have been dedicated to my pipe dreams and I even used the Blog Summit forum to offer a suggestion regarding the space.

For those who haven’t read up on the subject; I envision the Sabres taking advantage of the empty space as a team-oriented Hall of Fame. Better yet, the 12,000 square feet (thanks Mr. Black) could be devoted to Buffalo hockey history. Regardless, I see that space as a perfect spot to celebrate the team’s history. In addition to putting together a Hall of Fame, I have come upon another idea regarding honoring the team’s history around the arena.

My most recent light bulb moment comes thanks to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens will be unveiling a Mario Lemieux statue outside of CONSOL Energy Center. Much like Chicago, Detroit and Boston (to name a few), the Penguins will immortalize their greatest player with a statue outside of the arena. Why don’t the Sabres do the same? Continue reading →