Buffalo Sabres

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?

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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 →

Double Minors: At long last, a win

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It came in about as ugly a wrapper as you could find. But the Sabres finally got a win on the road.

Ryan Miller stood on his head, making 27 saves, and Nathan Gerbe sealed the victory in the shootout. The Sabres only mustered 14 shots, but they played responsible game and finally got a victory.

The good news was that Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehrhoff made their return to the lineup. Regehr only saw 18:10 of ice as he may not be back to 100% just yet. Ehrhoff picked up where he left off prior to December 30. He played a team-high 24:27 on the night. The bad news is that Jochen Hecht is out with another concussion and it seems extremely serious. Hopefully he recovers soon, it has been a nightmare season for the veteran center.

Ryan Miller’s first star effort shouldn’t go unnoticed. Everyone and their three brothers had been waiting for Miller to put toegther a sound outing, he did just that last night. Not only did he face twice the amount of shots that Brodeur faced, he made a handful of dazzling saves needed to keep the game tied. Miller has been making some timely saves over the last couple weeks, but he hasn’t received the defensive or offensive support for them to matter. The goals weren’t there tonight, but the defensive game was much better and it finally showed on the scoreboard. Continue reading →

The Morning Skate: The All-Star break is almost upon us

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It has been a long January. A very long January. After tonight’s match up there will be a brief reprieve for Sabres fans during the NHL All-Star break. Perhaps the best part of the time off will be the opportunity the team’s walking wounded has to heal.

Here’s hoping.

The Sabres skate into New Jersey with nothing to hold their heads up about. Their leading scorer has begun to slump, their most steady defenseman has been out injured, their replacement defensemen have been quite average and their goaltending continues to perplex. Oh, and they have lost 12-straight road games and still can’t score goals. Like I said, a long January.

Somehow, there is still some hope floating about. Truly. Christian Ehrhoff returns from a rib injury that has held him out for some time, Tyler Ennis and Robyn Regehr are skating in full and trade talk around the league is heating up. For those hoping for a Marlins-esque deconstruction, keep holding your breath. But don’t be surprised to see some moves made.

The Sabres are playing a very beatable team this evening. Unfortunately Marty Brodeur seems to do his best “Marty Brodeur” every time these teams meet. So goals will certainly be at a premium. Ryan Miller played the last game at The Rock, and played pretty well. He still yielded three goals, but you couldn’t hang the loss on him. This smells like a great opportunity for Lindy Ruff to use his backup. Let Miller take a full week off and decompress. Of course, Lindy Ruff will probably play Miller. It just seems like a good opportunity to let him collect his thoughts. Continue reading →

Double Minors: Effort comes up short in 12th-straight road loss

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If yesterday’s 4-2 loss in St. Louis came during any other season, if would have been just a road loss. Buffalo had scored the first goal, yielded three to their opponent before cutting the lead to one before having the game iced with an empty net goal. However, because this came as the Sabres’ 12th-straight road loss, it has much more meaning.

Considering the Sabres were playing one of the league’s hottest teams and facing the hottest goaltender of the past few weeks, the outcome could have been much worse. Compared to the dismal effort shown in the previous three games, this was an improvement. Yet, there were still plenty of shortcomings.

The Sabres received goals from two defensemen. However, the forwards were shutout and only two (Ville Leino and Jason Pominville) registered points. Buffalo only had 21 shots on goal (three in the third) and seven were taken by defensemen. No player on the Buffalo roster had more than two shots.

Ryan Miller had a strong game, stopping 23 of 26 on the night. He made numerous big saves while the game was still in doubt. Two St. Louis goals, including the game winner, came with two players right on Miller a top the paint. Yet again, it was a night that Miller didn’t get much support from the players in front of him. Continue reading →

The Morning Skate: Skidding Sabres face red-hot Blues in St. Louis

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In late October a road trip would have been welcomed for the Sabres. They were struggling to win on home ice but were beastly on the road, my how the tables have turned.

The current seven-game trip the Sabres have embarked on couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Sabres have lost 11-straight on the road and are in the thick of a tortuous road journey. Buffalo’s road woes have been magnified on this trip through some of the NHL’s toughest home arenas. The Islanders, Detroit, Chicago and Winnipeg dispatched the Sabres by a 19-5 margin over the first four games of the trip. The final three take Buffalo to St. Louis (tonight), Montreal and New Jersey.

Just to rub a little salt in the wounds, the Blues have been playing some of the league’s best hockey of late. Jaroslav Halak is rolling, posting a pair of shutouts in his last two games. Just what a team with scoring woes needs to see.

The Sabres are still thin with injuries and may even have to play Joe Finley as a forward this evening depending on the status of Patrick Kaleta. All things considered, the potential line combinations may force Lindy Ruff to play his scoring lines more. Getting his top players premium ice time is something Ruff has shied away from at times this season. The potential for Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek to see upwards of 20 minutes could be a very good thing. Continue reading →

Double Minors: Offense dooms result yet again

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It is becoming rather commonplace for Ryan Miller to give up three goals in most of his starts. However, few of his recent outings (save for Detroit) have looked like games where the goaltender has been lost in the crease.

Look to last night’s 4-1 loss to Winnipeg as an example. Miller was dazzling in the first period, stopping 18 of 19 shots, allowing only a tipped shot on the crease in the opening 20 minutes. He was far less busy in the closing periods, facing only 14 shots and yielding three goals. One frightening number concerning Miller is that he was credited with only one save in the third period, the only other shots were Winnipeg goals.

To think a franchise netminder would only turn aside one shot in the closing frame is astounding. Considering the two goals and the pace of the period, it isn’t that hard to fathom. Miller was first beat on a power play tap in by Tim Stapleton as Andrej Sekera was caught floating between two players early on. Antropov scored the final goal after stripping Marc-Andre Gragnani in the corner and beating the defenseman and Jochen Hecht to the crease to deposit a rebound off Miller’s original poke check. I found it difficult to find fault with any of the four goals scored. Only the fourth was a bad goal to give up, but considering the effort given by the players in front of him, Miller didn’t stand much of a chance. Continue reading →