Miller says the F word, shows where he stands moving forward

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Last Wednesday’s debacle against Philadelphia was a multilevel failure that started with the goaltender and went right down to the last forward. It also served as a catalyst for many unhappy, goaltending illiterate – likely hockey illiterate too – to voice their displeasure with the play of Ryan Miller.

I’m here to win. If I’m discouraged, if I’m pissed off, that’s just how it is. I want to win. I don’t want to be out there getting scored on. I don’t want to be pulled out of a game. I want to, you know, I want to [expletive] win the game.”

It is true, Miller had gone on a tough run since his season opening blitz. After racing to the top of the NHL goaltending statistics through his first five outings, Miller has come back to the pack with an 0-4 run that has seen him post a goal against above three and a save percentage below .900 on the run. His season numbers are still quite respectable (2.48 and .922) and he showcased elite talent in each of his four wins to open the season.

It might be due to Buffalo’s lack of familiarity with a true super star, it also has a lot to do with familiarity by contempt. Sabres fans see Miller anywhere from 65-75 nights a season and are treated to some truly remarkable goaltending. They also see him at his worst, so there is a wide body of work to reference. I have said it before, if the same fans were to watch Carey Price, Roberto Luongo, Jonathon Quick or any other top netminder, they would get the same headaches. Continue reading →

The Morning Skate: Reincarnated Jets make return to Buffalo

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Tonight’s game is going to be no different from either of the two visits the Atlanta Thrashers made to Buffalo last season. The only difference will be the color of their jerseys and the name on the scoreboard.

Still, tonight will be monumental for a reason other than the Winnipeg Jets flying back to Buffalo for the first time since the mid-1990s. This evening, Rick Jeanneret and Dale Hawerchuk will be enshrined in the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame. It should be a great ceremony as the last HOF induction I was present for (Andreychuk and Ellis) was quite stirring.

It is somewhat ironic that Hawerchuk will be inducted on the night Winnipeg returns to Buffalo. After all, it was with the Jets that Hawerchuk became a star. Of course, this is quite a different Jets team that will roll into First Niagara Center.

The Jets, who have struggled to find much consistency this season, will wrap up a seven-game road trip this evening. Winnipeg has taken seven of twelve points on the roadie despite dropping two of their last three (one in a shootout).

Buffalo is fresh off a back-to-back wins over Calgary and Ottawa over the weekend, two wins that put the Sabres back into the top eight in the Eastern Conference. Of course, the two-day lay off has brought a few teams back up to the Sabres in terms of points.

Jhonas Enroth played a big role in both wins, particularly Friday’s win over Calgary and has been quite good in relief of Ryan Miller as the team’s usual starter finds his way through a tough patch. Perhaps the best part of the two wins is that the rest of the Sabres roster has managed to pick up some slack from the Subway Line. While Thomas Vanek, Luke Adam and Jason Pominville have been held scoreless in the last two contests, the rest of Buffalo’s roster has managed to start finding the net.

Buffalo will certainly lean on their entire roster to find the net this evening. The Jets have had a few barn burners already this season (-10 goal differential on the season) but have tightened up the ship recently.

Highlighted Matchup

Tyler Myers and Andrej Sekera vs. Nik Antropov and Alex Burmistrov. Like Saturday in Ottawa, Lindy Ruff will certainly use more than one defensive pairing and one forward line to match Winnipeg’s two big scorers. The pair of Russians have 21 points (7+14) already this season and have been the most consistent offensive players for the Jets. Burmistrov’s agility plays off Antropov’s size nicely and the two seem to be establishing some chemistry. Obviously a sound defensive approach will be necessary to keep the pair quiet.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Ryan Miller 9GP, 4-5-0, 2.48 GAA, .922 SV%

WPG: Chris Mason 4GP, 1-2-0, 2.68 GAA, .893 SV%

Last Meeting

3/19/2011, HSBC Arena, Sabres 8 – Jets (Thrashers) 2

 

Deskchair Quarterback: Bills 11 – Jets 27

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The Buffalo Bills finally managed to put together a real stinker. It took eight games for someone to truly befuddle Chan Gailey and the Buffalo offense, Rex Ryan certainly did a number on them on Sunday.

Buffalo’s defense wasn’t even close to the weak point against the Jets. In fact, had they received some support from their offense, the defense may have given the Bills a very good chance at a victory. Unfortunately the Bills struggled to throw the ball, run the ball and generally move the chains against one of the NFL’s top defensive units.

It looked as if Gailey was coaching scared on Sunday. He knew the Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromatrie were waiting in the weeds on his outside receivers while the remaining nine players were packed in the box ready to stop the run. Gailey took some shots down the field, but not enough. That allowed the Jets to leave their corners on an island while coming heavy with blitzes and different run packages. It was clear that Gailey wasn’t going to challenge the Jets’ two all-pro corners and he paid for it, the offense never got rolling and the Jets time of possession squeezed any life the Bills may have had. Continue reading →

Double Minors: Sabres 3 – Senators 2 SO

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The Sabres managed to get it done again. A late October slum has been temporarily halted after a back-to-back sweep, the most recent win coming in a shootout against Ottawa.

Buffalo didn’t make the weekend easy. After a hard fought 2-1 victory over Calgary on Friday, the Sabres allowed the first goal and a poor tying marker to the Senators before closing them out in the skills competition.

Jhonas Enroth got the nod for the second-straight night, a pretty easy decision based on his recent play. While Enroth wasn’t the goaltender he had been over the previous three games, he gave the Sabres an opportunity to win the game.

Buffalo had a flat start from top to bottom, it wasn’t until midway through the second that anyone showed a spark. Luckily, most of the team was able to find their reserve tanks late in the weekend to get two points. Considering the situation, a three-for-four weekend would have been totally acceptable, the bonus point was exactly that. A bonus.

The Sabres can thank the Leino-Roy-Stafford line along with Nathan Gerbe for the victory. Gerbe’s incredible individual effort created Buffalo’s second goal while the Roy line was easily the best on the ice for Buffalo for the entire contest. Roy tallied in regulation and the shootout and the line continued to create chances and be generally effective in both zones.

Buffalo returns home for a pair of games this week, starting Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets.

  • Ville Leino appears to have found his comfort zone within the Buffalo system. He has settled in nicely on the wing with Roy and Stafford – Buffalo’s closest line to the Briere and Harntell combo Leino skated with in Philly. Leino’s brilliant slap pass – yes, it wasn’t a shot – hit Roy on the tape for Buffalo’s first goal. It was nice to see him rewarded for three strong games in a row.
  • Tyler Myers had two games in Ottawa. He had a rough go for the first 30 minutes before finding his game in the latter 30. It seems clear that Myers is best when he is free skating and not trying to play a conservative style. When Myers plays aggressive and freestyles, he is an elite defenseman.
  • The Subway Line has been quiet for two games in a row. Vanek had a nifty SO tally and is still creating chances. The pucks will keep going in for those three, I feel a lot of their success rides on what kind of game Luke Adam is having. If Adam is struggling, ice time will vary as will the line’s center. When Adam is on, the line stays together and is able to click.
  • Brad Boyes continues to thrive in a more prominent role. Not to mention he had a great SO goal, but his real contributions are coming alongside Nathan Gerbe and Paul Gauastad.
  • I’m interested to see where Tyler Ennis will land once he is healthy. He struggled a bit through the first few games before getting injured. Now, Leino has settled in on one wing and Gerbe and Vanek are locked into their positions. It is tough to admit, but Ennis looks like the odd man out for the Sabres at this point.
  • Jhonas Enroth deserved the start against Ottawa. While he was fairly average, he made some strong saves and got the two points. Tuesday will be a perfect opportunity to bounce back with Ryan Miller, Enroth didn’t do anything on Saturday to merit a third-straight outing.

Three Stars

1. Derek Roy

2. Craig Anderson

3. Milan Michalek

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Kaleta suspension creates balance with Sabres lines

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Losing Patrick Kaleta did not seem to be the type medicine a slumping Sabres team needed. However, it seems as if the line jumble created after the suspension may have been exactly what the doctor ordered.

Brad Boyes and Nathan Gerbe could be seeing a lot more time together in the future.

Losing Kaleta forced Buffalo to recall Corey Tropp from Rochester and move Brad Boyes to the wing with Nathan Gerbe and Paul Gaustad. Tropp skated with Matt Ellis and Cody McCormick. Tropp was effective in a limited role and should see a few more minutes over the next three games.

Boyes stood out more in his new role than Tropp did. Obviously he is playing in a more prominent role both on the power play and even strength. But he certainly looked right at home with two players who are more offensively gifted than his previous linemates. Continue reading →

The Morning Skate: Sabres back to the road in Ottawa

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The Sabres honored the late Rick Martin the last time they met the Senators

The Buffalo Sabres hit their third set of back-to-back games a night after finding some mojo at First Niagara Center with a 2-1 win over Calgary.

Since the season opening games were both neutral site contests, Buffalo has their first chance to sweep a set of back-to-backs after winning the first half at home. Since the Sabres did not skate this morning it is hard to say what lines may change or who the starting goaltender will be.

Expect the lines to remain the same, as Corey Tropp had an efficient night in his NHL debut and Brad Boyes looked right at home on the wing with Paul Gaustad and Nathan Gerbe. Same goes for the defensive pairings as the entire unit was sound against Calgary, yielding only 17 shots through the first 40 minutes last night.

The decision in goal may be difficult for Lindy Ruff. Jhonas Enroth had a very good night against the Flames and made the saves he needed to throughout the game. He wasn’t tested often, but he turned away any of the scoring chances he faced. Ryan Miller deserves a chance to get back on top of his game and tonight would seem to be a scheduled start for him based recent history. Had Enroth pitched a shutout last night I would put him right back in. Despite the only goal being a wacky deflection, you probably go with Miller to continue to show confidence in the team’s superstar.

The Sens are also playing the second half of a back-to-back set, however they had the luxury of sleeping in their own beds last night. Ottawa hosted Montreal on Friday, a 2-1 loss.

While the standings mean very little at this point in the season, tonight’s winner will move ahead of their division rival for the time being. Both teams are part of a four-way tie for fifth in the Eastern Conference. Of note, Kevin Sylvester and Danny Gare will call the game while Brian Duff will serve as the in-game host. It will be interesting to see how the new team does in their first true game working together.

Highlighted Matchup

Michalek-Spezza-Greening vs. Myers-Sekera. Lindy Ruff may choose not to match the Senators big line, but expect either the Myers or Regehr pairing to see plenty of time against Spezza and Michalek. The two forwards have combined for 28 points (14+14) through 14 games. Don’t be surprised if the Gerbe-Gaustad-Boyes line sees time against Ottawa’s top scoring unit too.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Ryan Miller 9GP, 4-5-0, 2.48 GAA, .922 SV%

OTT: Craig Anderson 12GP, 6-4-0, 3.66 GAA, .883 SV%

Last Meeting

3/13/2011, HSBC Arena, Sabres 6 – Senators 4

Double Minors: Sabres 2 – Flames 1

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Jhonas Enroth played big and the Sabres turned in their first 60-minute effort at First Niagara Center this season. Yet, they only escaped with a 2-1 victory over a clearly fatigued Calgary Flames team.

We made it tough on ourselves. It was one of those nights where you hit an arm or a foot, but skating-wise I thought it was one of our best games of the year.

Ruff had more than a couple of thoughts from his press conference that noted his pleasure with his team’s effort while leaving room for improvement. He noted a short handed 2-on-1 late in the first period, which amounted to little more than a routine save for Enroth, as one of the few gaffes on the evening.

The Sabres imposed their will on the Flames for much of the game. Buffalo put 18 shots on goal in the first period, followed by 19 more in the second. Had it not been for Henrik Karlsson in the first period, Buffalo would have found the back of the net four or five times. Ruff mentioned the power play created five or six chances on their own in the first. Unfortunately the extra man unit wasn’t rewarded for their effort.

Buffalo’s penalty kill was three-for-three and raised their season total to 93%, they have killed off 40 of 43 opportunities thus far.

Enroth was a big part of the victory and was somehow robbed of one of the three stars on the night. He had an easy go early on, facing only 17 shots through two periods, but turned aside 12 of 13 in the third period and finished with 29 saves. He certainly made Ruff’s decision tough going into tomorrow’s game in Ottawa after stringing together a shutout streak of 107:39 over his past three appearances.

The Sabres head to Ottawa tomorrow to face one of the four teams they are tied with for fifth in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa dropped a 2-1 game, at home, to Montreal this evening.

  • Corey Tropp made his NHL debut tonight, logging 6:19 on eight shifts. He had one great opportunity in the first period when he chased down a loose puck, unfortunately he couldn’t settle the puck to get a chance on net. “I thought his energy was good,” Ruff said. “For his first NHL game, with his ice time – the fact that we had the six minutes in power plays in the first period limited the first line’s minutes – but they had some great shifts at the right times for us.”
  • Brad Boyes was another player who benefited from a new role in the wake of Pat Kaleta’s suspension. Boyes skated on the wing with Paul Gaustad and Nathan Gerbe, a line that had seen some minutes late last season as well. They were very effective together and Gerbe put them on the board with an emphatic one-timer in the third.
  • With Tropp skating with the “fourth line” and Boyes up with the “third” the Sabres appeared to have great balance through all four lines. Boyes, who has been fantastic since his promotion to the power play, looked right at home with Gaustad and Gerbe, giving those two some additional scoring seems like the right decision to make for the foreseeable future. While this is only one game, perhaps Ruff will put Kaleta down with Ellis and McCormick once he returns from his suspension. When asked in his presser, Ruff didn’t tip his hat as to any changes upon Kaleta’s return next week.
  • For the first time all season, all six defensemen looked as if they belong in an NHL game. Not one pairing appeared to be the weak link. Tyler Myers and Andrej Sekera are very comfortable together and the remaining pairs looked to work well too.
  • Ville Leino, Derek Roy and Drew Stafford comprised Buffalo’s best line this evening. The trio created Buffalo’s first goal – with a big assist to Sekera – and were dangerous for the whole night. Leino seems to have found a comfort zone with these two and there doesn’t seem to be any reason to split them up.
  • For my money, you start Ryan Miller tomorrow in Ottawa. Something tells me Ruff will stick with the hot hand and ride Enroth once more. However, Miller is the franchise for a reason and is more than capable of bouncing back with a strong effort. He is due for a good game at the very least.
  • Enroth had a stellar third period and made more than a few big saves throughout the night. Credit the team for limiting Calgary’s chances for most of the contest and keeping things simple for the young Swede. More games like that is exactly what Buffalo needs from their backup. It is a crime he didn’t get one of the three stars tonight.

Three Stars

1. Drew Stafford

2. Henrik Karlsson

3. Brad Boyes

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Miller vs. Enroth needs to be evaluated with an open mind

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Don’t call it a controversy. Ryan Miller is still the starting goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres, much to the chagrin of many fans throughout Buffalo. However, too many people are looking at this situation with a closed mind, whereas they need to see the entire situation before passing full judgement.

Don’t expect a changing of the guard just yet.

Jhonas Enroth has given the Buffalo Sabres a weapon they have not had since Marty Biron’s departure in 2007. He is a high draft pick who is more than capable of filling the role of backup goaltender in the NHL. His stats back that up, he is 2-0-0 in two stars (one relief effort too) with a 1.39 GAA and .955 SV%.

Ryan Miller’s stat line is currently 4-5-0, 2.48 GAA, .922 SV%. Obviously the loss column sticks out there. Special thanks to Mike Harrington who tweeted the stats I was hammering out minutes ago. Miller was hovering near the top of the league through his first five games with a 4-1 record, 1.61 GAA and .950 SV%. He his 0-4, 3.91 and .874 in his last four, not as good. Again, thanks to Mike at TBN, he churned out the numbers before I could.

What really stands out in the whole “Miller vs. Enroth” flap is where the fans stand on the matter. Mind you, the media really hasn’t fueled the fire until this recent outing. Until then it had only been goaltending-illiterate fans on message boards and in the stand who know all there is to know about the position. Continue reading →

The Morning Skate: Backup battle between Sabres & Flames

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It will be a showdown between countrymen as Henrik Karlsson and Jhonas Enroth will each get the nod for their respective team’s this evening at First Niagara Center.

The Flames are coming off a 4-1 over Detroit last night and are crawling to stay relevant in the West. Buffalo, one for their last five, is searching for some stability. Whether that is in net, on home ice or in the standings. The Sabres were two points back of the Maple Leafs and fourth in the Eastern Conference just over a week ago. They are now one point behind the Rangers and Hurricanes for eighth place.

A dismal start doomed the Sabres on Wednesday in a game that should not have brought about that type of effort. Ryan Miller wasn’t particularly sharp and the rest of the team could not have been worse. It seems as if Mike Weber will be back in the press box after a ho-hum outing against Philadelphia. I expect this is because Derek Roy was not very good on the power play point, not because Weber played poorly.

The bottom line for the Sabres is they need to find a 60-minute effort. They have yet to do so in quite some time and it is a major reason they have won only once in their last five attempts.

Highlighted Matchup

Chris Bulter vs. Robyn Regehr. This isn’t very fair to compare, considering Butler is a young, error-prone defenseman and Regehr has been a rock for the Sabres for much of the season. However, these two were essentially traded straight up for one another. Plus they are both skating on a premier pairing. Butler has been rolling with Jay Bouwmeester while Regehr has skated with Tyler Myers for all but one game this season. Also keep an eye out for Corey Tropp, he has that rare size/skill bundle that makes power forwards such a commodity. He would make things very difficult if he has a good showing in these four games.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth 3GP, 2-0-0, 1.39, .955 SV%

CGY: Henrik Karlsson 3GP, 0-1-1, 3.31 GAA, .881 SV%

Last Meeting

12/27/2010, Scotiabank Saddledome, Sabres 2 – Flames 5


Double Minors: Sabres 2 – Flyers 3

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Don’t let the stats fool you, there were two different hockey teams on the ice at First Niagara Center yesterday.

A dismal start by the Sabres opened up a 3-0 lead for the Flyers only 6:30 into the game, chased Ryan Miller and had every fair weather fan (especially those in section 305) shouting for a trade. Now, the entire team was horrendous for those six minutes. Buffalo was outshot 11-2, outchanced 6-0 and outplayed in every aspect of the game.

Lindy Ruff made his goalie change after Miller was torched high glove for the second time and it was obvious that the team wasn’t responding to much else. From that point the game was fairly even, although the Sabres failed to muster any scoring chances for the remaining 54 minutes. In all, it was a really poorly played game by the team in navy blue.

Thomas Vanek was one of the lone bright spots for the Sabres, he continued to be an offensive force and had a role in both Buffalo goals. Outside of Vanek’s performance not much else was good. Andrej Sekera and Luke Adam tallied for the Sabres on two shots that went in from behind the net. One can only wonder how Ilya Bryzgalov would have fared with the chances Miller faced in this one, he didn’t look particularly sharp at any point. In fact, his only difficult save kept the game from going to overtime when he kicked his pad out on Vanek in the dying seconds.

The Sabres home record fell to 1-4 on the season and they continue to show an inability to play a simple game in front of their home fans. It is hard to blame them for not having an edge at home, the place is practically a crypt, but I’ll offer more on that tomorrow.

  • Mike Weber didn’t do himself any favors with his play, neither did Robyn Regehr for that matter. Both were out of position multiple times throughout the first period. After the first they were better, but still not polished. Weber had the look of a guy who has been in the press box for a month. He will need more time to get his game back.
  • Something that has been lost in the Miller flap is the abysmal play of the Sabres through the first six minutes. Just about every player stunk, along with Miller for that period. To be outshot 11-2 in 1/4 of a period is quite a feat. The silver lining is that the Sabres managed to outshoot the Flyers 29-15 for the remainder of the contest.
  • Drew Stafford was fairly average for most of the game. However, his line as a whole, had a strong game. Ville Leino had his most effective game while Derek Roy was visible at times. They didn’t get on the scoresheet, but their play signified that is inevitable.
  • Brad Boyes is stuck. He has been great on the power play skating alongside scorers. However, on a line with Matt Ellis and Cody McCormick, he is registered largely ineffective. Boyes was moved up to skate with Roy and Leino for a short time, but the experiment didn’t last long.
  • The line shuffle that occurred on Monday lasted all of five minutes. Not to say the new lines weren’t going to be successful but the team needed a jolt, pulling Miller and moving back to comfortable lines was the only logical decision.
  • Tyler Myers is somewhat of an enigma. He either makes great choices with the puck and in the defensive zone, then he passes the puck directly to Jaromir Jagr. It seems like he needs to settle down and make simple decisions. Last night wasn’t his worst game of the year, so there is certainly some progress being made.
  • The power play won’t succeed if Derek Roy continues to play on the point. He is a brilliant playmaker and puck handler, but his is not a competent point man. Roy needs to play from the boards or low on the circles. Jason Pominville is a far more competent point man for the power play, even if he breaks five sticks a game.

Three Stars

1. James Van Riemsdyk

2. Luke Adam

3. Jaromir Jagr

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