Another NHL season is upon us after a summer that was filled with more Buffalo hockey news than you could shake a stick at. The entire Eastern Conference saw a shake up over the summer and the conference could see a similar playoff race, with seeds 7-12 all within shouting distance of each other. I think the same playoff cast will return this season, but with a few minor changes: Continue reading
Buffalo Sabres
Where does Myers rank among his draft mates?
An easy assessment of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft would be to call it the Year of the Defenseman. Twelve defensemen were taken in the first round with twelve more being taken in the second round. Nearly half of the first 60 picks were spent on players to patrol the blue line.
One of those defensemen was Tyler Myers. The Sabres selected Myers, the number four ranked North American skater, with the 12th selection in the first round. Buffalo actually traded up one spot, to ensure they got Myers before the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings selected Colton Teubert with the next selection. Myers was the fifth defenseman taken in the first round, behind blue chips; Drew Doughty (2, LA), Zach Bogosian (3, Atlanta), Alex Pietrangelo (4, St. Louis) and Luke Schenn (5, Toronto).
Myers signed a seven-year $38 million extension this summer. This preempted the massive eight-year $56 million contract given to Doughty by the Kings and the five-year $18 million deal that Schenn got. Bogosian is on his second contract (two years, $10 million) and Pietrangelo will get a new deal in two summers.
As for the six drafted below Myers, only three have seen extended time in the NHL and three have yet to see time in the NHL. Myers is the only one to win an NHL award but isn’t counted on as much as Doughty is. Meanwhile, Schenn and Bogosian both fill top-four roles for their respective clubs but aren’t yet the top defensemen on their teams.
Myers’ contract is one of the best of the bunch, both in terms of length and cost, and he has seen more success than a large fraction of the picks. Of the twelve first rounders, I rank them as follows: Continue reading
Double Minors: Sabres vs. Adler Mannheim and stupid helmet numbers
Rather than just offering analysis of a game I merely listened to I will present a different point of view on today’s game between the Sabres and Adler Mannheim.
I expected little from this game rather than a unique way for European hockey fans to see the Sabres. Adler Mannheim was obviously outmatched in this game as they gave up three first-period goals as the Sabres rolled 8-3. The Eagles presented a challenge in the early going, creating a few chances on Jhonas Enroth, but couldn’t skate with the Sabres for 60 minutes.
Luke Adam and Tyler Ennis each scored twice, although Adam’s second goal was awarded to Thomas Vanek. Christian Ehrhoff scored on his native soil, as well. From the sound of it, The Ville Leino, Brad Boyes and Ennis line was deadly for the entire game, something that will hopefully carry over to Friday and Saturday.
The overall atmosphere of this game is what should truly be taken away. There was little doubt that the Sabres would be capable of winning the game. But applaud the fans of Mannheim as they packed the standing room seats 90 minutes before puck drop and chanted and sang for the entire game. Not once did I hear silence from that section, a truly marvelous feature to any sporting event, particularly hockey.
I am just as guilty as every other Sabres fan, I am not one to stand up an lead my section in a “Sabres on the warpath” chant for a few minutes, let alone an entire game. Of course, the fans in the F’N Center probably wouldn’t even carry the chant. Too many people are sitting on their hands. It is about time the crowds for home Sabres games make a difference, I hope the regime and roster changes help spark that in the 18,690 each night. Continue reading
The Morning Skate: Sabres vs. Adler Mannheim
The Sabres European Vacation is in full swing as they prepare to play their final preseason game against Adler Mannheim this afternoon.
The Sabres have had a few days to enjoy Germany and adjust to the time change after arriving over the weekend. A few practices and a stop to a U.S. military hospital has certainly kept the team busy. Now the actual business portion of the trip begins.
Jhonas Enroth will be starting today’s game and the Buffalo lineup will be slightly different than the final stateside preseason games were.With Derek Roy healthy, Lindy Ruff has shuffled his lines in order to keep chemistry while icing a balanced attack. According to John Vogl’s report, the lines will look something like this: Continue reading
F’N Center upgrades and more
As the offseason began, the construction crews moved into the First Niagara Center. Now that the summer has come to a close there are plenty of new features the soak in at One Seymour H Knox III Plaza.
Terry Pegula and company entered the offseason hoping to start the transformation of Buffalo into Hockey Heaven. It all started with the renovations of the Sabres locker room, plus an overhaul of the coaching staff’s offices and visitors locker space as well.
The locker room, expected to be the class of the NHL, is all but finished. An overhaul of the concessions and the de-Slugging of the entire arena was completed some time ago. The Sabres put gobs of money into the ice equipment, with laser beam Zambonis and dehumidification (is that a word) equipment. There are also plans to install a 90-foot video board on the outside of the arena, as well.
I’m certainly missing a handful of additional renovations and upgrades that will make the overall experience of the F’N Center – both on the ice and in the stands – better for everyone involved. Continue reading
Breaking down the Sabres goaltending schedule
The general consensus among the fans and media is that Ryan Miller had a down year in 2010-11. His 2.59 GAA and .916 save percentage paled in comparison to his Vezina winning season in 2009-10.
Miller did notch his sixth-straight 30-win season and was named team MVP for his work. A major culprit in his performance last year was the schedule he played. For the second time in his career, Miller shoulder the workload for over 30-straight games. That is 30-straight starts without any time off. Miller was forced to do the same in 2007-08 and his play was markedly worse in that season as well. There are two glaring reasons for these massive games played streaks. The Sabres needed Miller in net to make up ground in the playoff race; and Miller’s backup was so weak the coaching staff wouldn’t play him.
So, thank Jocelyn Thibault and Patrick Lalime for being better cheerleaders than goaltenders. Had Miller gotten a fair amount of rest, like he did early in 2009-10, his numbers would have been much better. The performance of the team in front of him also had a negative impact on his play. Continue reading
Double Minors: Sabres 3 – Capitals 4 SO
The Buffalo Sabres dropped their final NHL preseason contest to the Washington Capitals 4-3 in a shootout.
Buffalo led 3-2 in the third, only to surrender the tying goal to Matt Hendricks with just under seven minutes to go. Thomas Vanek scored twice and Jason Pominville added a first period tally for the Sabres. Ryan Miller went the distance and made 29 saves. Jhonas Enroth was expected to see at least one period, but Lindy Ruff opted to get Miller another complete game. I would expect Enroth to play 60 minutes against Alder Mannheim on Tuesday.
Since this contest was sans television there isn’t too much I can offer in terms of analysis. However, losing a third period lead with most of the ‘A’ team playing isn’t very encouraging. Continue reading
The Morning Skate: Sabres vs. Capitals
The Buffalo Sabres play in their final state-side preseason contest tonight before departing for Germany and the NHL Premiere. 
With the roster set for the season, this will be the closest to a regular season contest that anyone has seen to date. Luke Adam is probably the only player who will end up in Rochester; he is filling in for Derek Roy for the time being.
The lines should look something like this:
Vanek – Adam – Pominville
Ennis – Leino – Stafford
Gerbe – Gaustad – Kaleta
Ellis – McCormick – Boyes
Regehr – Myers
Ehrhoff – Leopold
Weber – Sekera
Ryan Fitzpatrick saved Buffalo from becoming a hockey town
Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills resurgence has captivated Buffalo sports fans and kept the city from thinking hockey-first. While the Sabres will lose top billing for the time being, they will benefit from a shared spotlight.
Just six and a half short months ago Terry Pegula looked down at Gilbert Perreault and cried. That action galvanized nearly every sports fan in Buffalo. It was an act that began to turn Buffalo into a true hockey town.
Pegula immediately put his plan into action to create Hockey Heaven. As the season wore down his team clawed their way into the playoffs and pushed the defending Eastern Conference Champions to the brink of elimination.
Once the summer hit, Pegula kept rolling. He unleashed Darcy Regier, who quickly brought in high-priced troops to improve the Sabres roster. Pegula’s team began a massive remodeling of the locker facilities in the First Niagara Center. Renovations were made to the concession areas and every slug logo, short of the ones on the banners, were stripped from the arena. Life in Pegulaville was in full swing.
All of this action swept Sabres fans off their feet while the NFL lockout was in full effect. Now, the “lockout” was a complete sham and only a few pieces of the NFL offseason were lost. There was never a threat of games being missed. However, the exasperated Buffalo fan base was just about ready to push the Bills aside, as a roster of undrafted free agents and no-names opened training camp. Continue reading
Europe approaches with one move to make
It has been a summer full of new faces, surprises and salary cap calculations. The situation surrounding the Buffalo Sabres roster finally became clear on Monday afternoon.
After waiving Ales Kotalik and Shaone Morrisonn over the weekend, Buffalo was on their way to unloading the money they needed to get under the cap. Meanwhile, Darcy Regier also sent down the remaining batch of prospects and veterans who had been searching for a roster spot.
While the organization waited to see if Kotalik or Morrisonn were claimed, the roster in Rochester got the remaining pieces they will use this season. Only Luke Adam and Matt Ellis remained in Buffalo after the cuts. Paul Szczechura also is with the Sabres, but The Buffalo News reports that he is injured as hasn’t been skating. Continue reading
Two in the Box 