Buffalo Sabres

Big changes in store for 2012-13 Sabres season

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Ted Black certainly knows how to open. The third #BasementBrigade blog summit had a very interesting start with Black breaking the news on a number of very interesting pieces of information pertaining to a number of media-related additions for the 2012-13 Buffalo Sabres season.

The bombshell came with the announcement that the Sabres will lead the charge for a new two-hour radio show called Sabres Hockey Hotline airing on WGR at 10:00 am Monday through Friday. This is a year-round show which means that Colin Cowherd will no longer be heard on Buffalo’s air waves. Thank God.

From the Sabres:

We are very excited to add yet another platform for our fans to get original Sabres content,” said Buffalo Sabres President Ted Black. “Sabres Hockey Hotline will give fans an additional 350+ hours of Sabres programming each year that we know fans will love. It’s an ambitious undertaking for our organization and that’s why we put Kevin in charge of producing and hosting the show. He brings an important level of experience and passion for Sabres hockey that will make the show a great success. Continue reading →

Last game of the year, can’t hold anything back now

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If there is one common trend that I constantly hear Sabres fans complain about, it is that the Sabres are mentally weak and don’t show up for big games. Whether it is a team complaint, a criticism of Ryan Miller or Thomas Vanek or even Lindy Ruff; fans (and some media members) like to point to mental fragility and the lack of that big game mentality with this roster.

Now, I am not debating the mental toughness – or lack thereof – of the Buffalo Sabres’ roster. In fact, it is something I have felt has been an issue since Chris Drury departed in 2007. The lack of mental toughness is surely a culprit for a number of losses over the past few seasons and the early playoff exits that have plagued the team recently.

However, it is the concept of showing up for big games or when it matters that most seem to misunderstand. The reason this is misunderstood is that every game is a big game. Every shift and every save is equally important. In fact, the only “must win” games are those when you’re on the verge of elimination or victory (see: playoffs). Otherwise, every other game is of equal importance. (Even the playoff example is flawed because one player could be the reason a series was extended to six or seven games.)

This is probably a difficult concept to grasp, especially for those who like to point at poor performances of many players as evidence for their assumed shortcomings. The fact of the matter is that there are truly only a handful of games that could be considered more or less important than any other game during the year. Aside from the games that come down to the wire at the end of the year (and playoff games), each game carries the same level of importance. There is a reason every game is worth two points.

The difference of a game’s perceived importance is due to how much a team has succeeded or struggled during the year. Tonight’s game six is the biggest game of the year for the Devils, just as it is for the Kings. However, tonight’s game wouldn’t be happening if the Devils hadn’t won on Saturday, their last biggest game of the year.

I’d like to tie in the simplest example to prove my point. Since goaltenders are easily the most scrutinized players in hockey, they often are easily targeted as showing up or disappearing in big games. To connect that to Sabres Nation would be the opinion that Ryan Miller doesn’t show up in big games. The fact of the matter is that you always need your goaltender, star player and team to show up on a consistent basis. So, while the evidence is ultimately flawed, the argument is valid. Continue reading →

The Instigator Podcast 1.12 – Golden Ticket

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Eric and I are back in action with another Instigator Podcast. Before delving into our thoughts on the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, we have a brief chat about the upcoming Sabres New Media Summit (aka the Basement Brigade Summit).

Of course, we play plus/minus with a special Stanley Cup Final spin and look forward to adding some guests to the program for some coming episodes, yet again.

Sulzer re-upped for another year in Buffalo

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Alexander Sulzer is no longer a rental property. The Buffalo Sabres took him off the market with a one-year $725,000 contract.

Sulzer, who was originally thought of as a toss-in to the Hodgson/Kassian trade was solid for the Sabres in the stretch run and earned himself an extended stay with the club. Sulzer has gone well beyond the pleasant surprise he was in March to a full-blown upgrade for the Buffalo blue line.

Remember, Marc-Andre Gragnani was swapped for Sulzer as each were pending free agents at the end of this season (Gragnani was an RFA). If the Sabres kept him, Gragnani would have likely been tendered on the basis that just about every RFA gets a tender on a yearly basis. That would mean he would have been in the conversation for a roster spot yet again in the fall. Now he is not and most fans are rejoicing over his absence.

Sulzer is now one of eight defensemen who will be vying for playing time next season. If T.J. Brennan is offered – and accepts – his tender, that number will climb to nine. Sulzer fit well as a fifth or sixth defenseman late in the year and showed patience and consistency in the defensive zone. Not to mention, his chemistry with countryman Christian Ehrhoff made for a sound defensive pairing.

I expect to see Sulzer as Buffalo’s sixth defenseman with Mike Weber being bumped to the seventh spot. In fact, I would even go so far as to say Weber is expendable based on this signing. Of course, Weber’s value may not be very high based on what he brings to the table for most teams.

Overall, this signing is very impressive for the Sabres, who received him as little more than a security blanket in their trade for Cody Hodgson.

Do the Sabres struggles trace back to how Lindy Ruff handles his players?

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Over his 15-year tenure, Ruff’s job has been called for a number of times. Fans on the radio and message boards have typically been those leading the pitchfork mob, but the media has even begun to levy more criticism against Lindy Ruff as of late.

Most notably, Ruff’s players have come out to question some of the methods he has become known for. Derek Roy and Ville Leino’s locker clean out day remarks were the two that stood out the most in terms of questioning their coach’s approach.

There was a lot of pieces that were kind of out of place,” Leino said. “Also, they’ve got to work with what they were given. We have a lot of good players and we’re a good team, which we proved at the end. We just didn’t get that chemistry and all that right away at the start, and it was probably too late.

Coaches do most of the work, and obviously players want to be better, too. I think we’ve just got to get more out of everybody, which we did at the end. It doesn’t matter who plays if you don’t get their talents out. You’ve got to try to use everybody with what they’re best at. ~ Ville Leino

Terry Pegula and Ted Black have voiced their support for Ruff and Darcy Regier many times. Black all but confirmed the two would be back for 2012-13 at the All-Star break. When it was announced they would return, there wasn’t too much surprise. However, the long stretch of listless hockey last year and ultimately missing the playoffs has brought more heat on the Sabres’ bench boss. Ruff has been coated with Teflon for a long time. However, it seems as if his coating is starting to wear out.

The base of this argument centers around the fact that the Sabres have not won enough hockey games the last few seasons. As most are quick to point out, the Sabres haven’t won a playoff series since 2007. They also failed to make the playoffs last season and suffered through a season-long string of inconsistent play and injuries.

While Lindy Ruff certainly isn’t the only person to blame for the struggles the Sabres suffered through last year, he is certainly part of the puzzle. Ruff didn’t seem capable of righting the ship at various times. He certainly didn’t sit idly by as the Sabres took a nose dive, it just seemed as if he wasn’t capable of finding the answers with the players provided to him. With reports from people on, or close to the team (like Paul Hamilton) that players had begun to tune him out.

Ruff’s ability to utilize his players properly has long been a knock against him, but usually it was centered on his underutilization back-up goaltenders.  The 2011-12 season brought out a mob of fans who felt he wasn’t capable of getting the most out of his scorers as well. Personally, I think this may be Ruff’s greatest failing. Continue reading →

The Instigator Podcast 1.11 – Basement Brigade

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Eric and I tackle a few different topics this week, including a few interesting Tweets, the World Championships and offer some thoughts on the relationship between blogs and mainstream media. Thoughts, comments and criticism are welcome here, 3rd Man In and on either of our Twitter accounts: @3rdmanin @2ITB_Buffalo

Sabres crease grows crowded with Lieuwen contract

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The Buffalo Sabres are slowly growing an impressive stable of talented goaltenders at the NHL and minor league level. Their most recent addition was signing Nathan Lieuwen to an entry level contract, one year after he was drafted.

Lieuwen was an overage junior last year and there was even a chance that he could have been signed to a pro deal over last summer. However, he was sent back to the WHL to play big minutes and continue to develop. Now the 6’5” 20 year old will battle for playing time in Rochester with David Leggio and Connor Knapp.

The addition of Lieuwen gives the Sabres five goaltenders under contract and even more talented keepers who sit in limbo entering the offseason. Brad Eidsness was once a promising prospect through two seasons with North Dakota, but he was unseated by Aaron Dell and will likely not receive a contract from the Sabres. Buffalo also signed Jeff Jakaitis to a minor league deal in order to provide Gwinnett with some additional talent. Jakaitis seemed to show some real promise before getting shelved with a season ending injury. There is also the looming status of Drew MacIntyre, who will be a UFA this summer after a very underwhelming season in Rochester.

There is no reason for the Sabres to re-sign MacIntrye this season, but that doesn’t mean the goaltending pipeline won’t be clogged heading into 2012-13. With Ryan Miller the obvious leader of the pack and backed up by Jhonas Enroth, the Sabres also have impending UFA David Leggio along with Knapp and Lieuwen as AHL goaltenders. Continue reading →

Grading the Sabres: Final defensive group

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The final group of defensive grades will also be the final portion of the Sabres’ report cards. This group includes the three players called up from Rochester at various points during the season.

Mike Weber – C+

Weber was slightly less consistent that he had been in previous seasons. His best hockey was played with somewhat limited minutes as compared to games when he was given a heavier dose of ice time. While he was a decided upgrade over Marc-Andre Gragnani, he was little more than an adequate sixth defenseman. Overall, his year was little more than average. Considering the role he fills, you can’t complain too much about what he brought to the table. However, there is likely room for improvement that could come in the form of another player.

Alexander Sulzer – B+

Sulzer’s time with the Sabres was somewhat brief, but he was solid in those few games. A mobile defenseman, Sulzer showed he has a nice physical side to his game while not being a pylon. His athleticism might be what is most impressive to me. While he is a UFA this summer, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him re-signed. Considering he was basically a throw in with Cody Hodgson, discovering him could be a major steal for Darcy Regier and the Sabres.

Brayden McNabb – B+

McNabb still needs to stew a little longer in the minors. However, I don’t think that he will need to start the season in Rochester next season. In fact, if he continues to progress over the summer, I have little doubt he will find a spot in the top six.

McNabb is physical and has shown he can contribute offensively. Some of the traits he possesses makes him a very interesting player for the Sabres going forward. He could definitely be a cornerstone for the Sabres defense for a long time. Continue reading →

Grading the Sabres: Defensemen part one

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My report card for the Sabres defensemen will be split into two five-man groups. Alexander Sulzer and Mike Weber will be in the second group with a trio of prospects. The first group will be the top five, if you will.

Tyler Myers – B

Overall, it was a decent season for the big man. There were times that he still looked lost defensively, but it was fairly obvious that he is a big part of Buffalo’s transition game. His absence often crippled Buffalo’s ability to move the puck and enter the zone.

I actually think there were some stretches that Myers was especially effective in his own zone, showing that two-way game that so many people are waiting to see develop. A healthy Tyler Myers is important for the Sabres. However, based on the last two years, a proper offseason program is what is important for Myers.

Christian Ehrhoff – A

When the Sabres signed Ehrhoff, I was ecstatic. Even though he didn’t go out and score goals like Bobby Orr, Ehrhoff was a very effective member of the Sabres blueline. In fact, he was their most consistent defenseman for the entire year.

While his goal scoring was down, he led all Buffalo defensemen in points, which is what he was brought here to do. What was unexpected was how great he was defensively. If the coaching staff would build their powerplay to better suit Ehrhoff, I think you would see his numbers increase. Continue reading →

Grading the Sabres: Adam, Chewy and those departed

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This is the final group of forwards I will evaluate. This set of grades will actually include reviews of the three players who were traded at the deadline, plus a pair of centers who are still with the team.

Luke Adam – B-

Adam sort of got a raw deal this season. After a scorching hot start, he ended up in the doghouse and eventually was sent down to Rochester after the All-Star break. His demotion was permanent as he is still playing on the farm. I loved his play with Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville and I contend that line should probably have stayed together through the brief slump that eventually led to Adam being sent to Rochester.

Adam did struggle some along the way this year and may have needed more seasoning. However, I think he was handled poorly and I question if his confidence has been shaken by the way Lindy Ruff decided to ship him away.

All things considered, Szczechura proved he is a capable depth forward, perfect for the AHL and spot call-up duty.

Paul Szczechura – B

Just one game short of ten, I felt comfortable giving Szczechura a grade for his play. He was called up in the middle of Buffalo’s injury crunch and actually outperformed some regulars. He had a few very nice games at center and proved that he is more than worthy of an early call up in the future. Like Derek Whitmore, Szczechura doesn’t fill a fourth line role all that well but has that offensive touch that makes him intriguing to recall. Again, if the Sabres are in need of a bit more skill, Szczechura is likely to get a call. Continue reading →