Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres expected response against the Bruins

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The time for retribution has passed. As sad as it is to say, the Sabres opportunity to truly get payback for the hit Milan Lucic put on Ryan Miller was two Saturdays ago. Unfortunately the Sabres cowered at the thought of putting up a fight. They turtled and are now a laughing-stock for their soft play.

I can circle for $50 if you want.

Many Sabres fans are expecting a bloodbath tomorrow night. Fans have been calling to Joe Finley to be called up from Rochester in order to fight the big bad Bruins. I wouldn’t be surprised if some were expecting Dr. Hook McCracken, Screaming Buffalo Swamptown and Ogie Olglethorpe to take the morning skate. However, I doubt there will be anything close to a bloodbath tomorrow night.

Yes, the Sabres truly dropped the ball when Miller was run over. There needed to be some sort of toll for Lucic to pay after taking a run at Miller. Sadly, nothing was done. While it will be too late to truly may Lucic answer for his actions, a fight probably won’t be out of the question tomorrow. However, it is doubtful that multiple scraps will be in the cards. That doesn’t mean the Sabres are still a bunch of pansies. If they come out and play a physical game, they will prove there is more to this bunch than the soft shoves Lucic was handed last time around.

The one thing I have taken away from this situation is the overall resolve of this group of players. Sure, they can’t seem to figure out how to win at home and they often have slow starts which doom the outcome of some games. Still, Miller has let his voice be heard. As have Paul Gaustad and Robyn Regehr.

It seems as if the resounding message is, “we want to win and we want to win often.” Continue reading →

Time for Sabres to cure home woes

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Ten of the next twelve Sabres games will be played at First Niagara Center. This is a massive home stand that, when finished, will have wiped half of the home contests from the schedule.

No need for a full out liney, the Sabres just need to establish a physical edge at home.

The Sabres official home record is 5-6-0, however one win came in Europe so the record should stand 4-6-0. Buffalo’s road record is rather impressive, 7-2-0. Their road record is 8-2-0 if you count both European games as road contests.

While the current state of affairs down on Perry Street aren’t as dire as last season (0-6-1 before their first home victory), it is getting close. Buffalo are 3-2-0 in their last five home games but have dropped their last two despite outshooting both opponents.

Some losses are due to slow starts (ex. Philly loss) others are due to special teams maladies (ex. Carolina loss) and other times the team just doesn’t get the job done (ex. Wednesday and Saturday). Based on the upcoming schedule, this needs to stop.If the Sabres are to stumble through this stretch of games they will be back on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Unfortunately things don’t start off very easy. The NHL’s hottest team rolls into town two weeks removed from bullying the Sabres all over the ice. Boston has taken the Northeast Division lead on the heels of their ninth-straight win and will have a day of rest prior to facing the Sabres. Continue reading →

Myers on the shelf for 4-6 weeks; Brennan recalled

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News broke this morning that Tyler Myers will miss up to six weeks due to surgery on his injured wrist. T.J. Brennan was recalled from Rochester to fill the void left by the injury.

Brennan was with the team in Carolina last Friday as a safety valve in the event that an injury or illness struck down a defensive corps that was already short Mike Weber. While there was no intent to play Brennan upon his last call-up, he will most certainly see time this week as the Myers injury left Buffalo with only five healthy defensemen.

While Myers hasn’t been a tower of power early this year, he had been trending back to an effective member of the blueline with three good outings after being a scratch against Montreal last Monday. While he hasn’t made major contributions to the team, Myers’ injury leaves a hole in the top half of a shaky set of defensemen. Inserting Brennan simply bumps the lower three up a peg. Marc-Andre Gragnani becomes number five, Christian Ehrhoff number four and so on.

Brennan will see limited minutes skating beside Gragnani and will just need to operate on the K.I.S.S. methodology. Having the chance to make his NHL debut will be a big deal for the former second-round pick. This is certainly an opportunity to showcase his talents to the organization and prove that he is worthy of a permanent promotion in the near future.

However, Brennan may not be staring at the biggest opportunity. Ehrhoff may just be the defenseman with the most to gain from the injury to Myers. Ehrhoff’s lack of responsibility in the defensive zone through the first 20 games has been lackluster, to say the least. He has loafed through many games and certainly isn’t living up to the big contract he signed in the offseason. He has put forth a much better effort in recent games and is hopefully finding his comfort zone in Buffalo. Regardless, the increased ice time he is likely to see in Myers’ absence will give him the chance to show he is worth the giant contract he signed in the offseason. A big effort from Ehrhoff would certainly lessen the blow dealt by the loss of Myers.

Double Minors: Sabres 2 – Coyotes 4

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Last night was a game the Sabres should have won. Plain and simple, the Sabres outplayed the Coyotes in nearly every aspect of the game. The bounces just didn’t go their way.

Buffalo’s opening salvo alone should have produced at least three goals and probably contained double the scoring chances. Mike Smith had a little luck on his side as the Sabres found two posts and whiffed on a few open nets. Shane Doan took the air right out of the building with a rocket from the right boards that found the top corner behind Jhonas Enroth.

While the second period was where things got away from the Sabres – outscored 2-1 and outshot 15-14 – the story of the game was a lack of finish. Ville Leino did a marvelous job creating a pair of opportunities, Thomas Vanek had a handful of great chances, none of them went in.

Special teams were a moot point in a game that featured only three minors and neither goaltender looked particularly sharp. Smith made 43 saves to get the win, many of them point-blank, but he was fighting the puck in the early going. Enroth himself looked more like the goaltender from Wednesday, rather than the one that stoned the Hurricanes on Friday. He was kicking out bad rebounds, and looked very uncomfortable for most of the game. Hi struggles, just like Buffalo’s inability to finish, showed on the scoreboard. All three Phoenix goals fall into the questionable category. The first being particularly egregious while the other two had plenty of defensive lapses before the goalie was ultimately beaten for a softie.

Either way, Enroth needs to be sharp when his team outshoots the opponent the way Buffalo has recently. Twice this week the Sabres have held possession and the shot advantage and twice they have lost the game. The forwards need to start finding the net, they have had plenty of chances but haven’t cashed in and the goaltenders need to make a few more saves for the team in front of them.

  • Obviously the home woes haven’t been solved yet. They need to soon, the Sabres play 10 of their next 12 at First Niagara Center. A strong showing on this run will open up a gap between the Sabres and those giving chase.
  • Tyler Myers looked as if he injured his right arm/shoulder/wrist on Buffalo’s second period penalty kill. He was protecting it quite a bit in the corner before heading off the ice. Losing him will be a major blow to this team. Losing your number six man is one thing, losing a top three guy is a totally different monster.
  • Credit where its due, the Leino/Boyes/Stafford line is dynamic. They move well with the puck and all three compliment each other well. If anyone doesn’t fit it may just be Stafford. Regardless, good job by Lindy Ruff putting those three together.
  • Luke Adam was rewarded by the hockey gods after he found iron in the first. His tip-in goal was a big boost for a young kid who was recently demoted to the third/fourth line. While Adam may be best suited to play between Vanek and Pominville, his line with Nathan Gerbe and Corey Tropp was involved offensively and looked far more dangerous than the Ellis/Gaustad/Kaleta line.
  • Christian Ehrhoff looked foolish on Phoenix’s second goal. However, his last two games have been impressive. While his offense hasn’t shown up yet, he has been involved in the defensive zone. He has even begun to play with a physical edge, something he was missing for games one through seventeen.
  • I was disappointed BizNasty didn’t have a better celey planned for last night. I’m sure the last thing he thought he would do is score a goal. But still, I was really hoping to see a one-of-a-kind celebration from the NHL’s best Twitter feed.

Three Stars

1. Mike Smith

2. Radim Vrbata

3. Luke Adam

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The Morning Skate: BizNasty and the ‘Yotes roll into Buffalo

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Paul Bissonnette’s mother will get to see him play in an NHL game for the first time. This is a great moment for the Welland native who is often in and out of the lineup due to his role as an enforcer.

BizNasty will be in the lineup for Phoenix tonight, how much ice time he gets is anybody’s guess, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see his line rolled out first as a treat to the pugilist and his family. In other news, former Sabre Taylor Pyatt will play his 700th NHL game this evening. Girls seem to think he is dreamy, I always thought he played soft for a guy his size.

Buffalo is playing the second half of their sixth set of back-to-back games this evening. According to that same TBN report, the Sabres have taken a few precautions to make sure they have plenty of energy heading into this evening’s contest.

Lindy Ruff will certainly go right back with Jhonas Enroth this evening as the rookie pitched a 34-save shutout last night and looked strong in doing so. The Sabres did a great job protecting the house last night and make Enroth’s work pretty easy. Still, the youngster made some huge saves and deserves to be ridden til he bucks this team.

The Sabres will likely ice the same line up as last night, why change the winning combination? Most reports have Jochen Hecht close to a return along with Tyler Ennis. It will be interesting to see who Hecht replaces (guessing Matt Ellis) once he comes back full time. While Hecht is pretty much the NHL leader in bad angle shots, he will offer a stable force for the Sabres in the defensive zone. The last thing I want to see if Luke Adam sent to Rochester in order to make room for Hecht.

Highlighted Matchup

The Sabres at home. Yep, the whole team is under the spotlight tonight. The Sabres are beasts on the road but are just .500 at home this season. Both Enroth and Ryan Miller have been victimized by lazy play in front of them on the First Niagara Center ice and it is high time the Sabres find a way to put out a solid home effort. Even some of their home victories (Winnipeg) came despite a brutal team effort. This issue needs to be solved now so it doesn’t crop up in the spring.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth 10GP, 7-1-0, 1.95 GAA, .935 SV%

PHO: Mike Smith 14GP, 8-3-3, 2.17 GAA, .934 SV%

Last Game

1/8/2011. Jobing.com Arena, Sabres 2 – Coyotes 1 OT

Double Minors: Sabres 1 – Hurricanes 0

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It is always nice to see the Hurricanes lose. It’s also nice knowing they’re wallowing near the Eastern Conference basement.

Jhonas Enroth put together a gem only days removed from a rough outing in which he was pulled early. The Sabres performed admirably as they limited Carolina’s prime chances and cleared most of the second opportunities. Still, the kid had to be sharp in the second period while the Sabres let the Canes roll up an 8-0 shot advantage.

Still, Buffalo pieced together a sound 60-minute effort, something they have struggled do to all season. Their goaltender was solid, they won the special teams battle and played complete team defense. So many games have featured a disjointed defensive effort from the Sabres, each defenseman was effective tonight and the forwards were equally strong in contributing.

The Sabres have to bounce back to First Niagara Center tonight for a game against BizNasty and the Coyotes. Considering Phoenix’s surprising start, the Sabres will certainly have their hands full.

  • Tyler Myers has officially played two good games in a row. He was involved offensively and managed to maintain his physical game at both ends. That benching really served as a wake up call.
  • Christian Ehrhoff may have had his most effective game thus far. While he didn’t find the scoresheet, he actually played defense and started getting pucks to the net on the power play. Perhaps his adjustment period is coming to an end as well, just like Ville Leino’s did.
  • Speaking of Leino. He, Drew Stafford and Brad Boyes were a pretty solid trio Sure, it is a line made up of three wingers, but they were very sound all night. It seems fairly obvious that Boyes is a better player when he is in the top-six. Shocker. Leino continued to come along in terms of comfort. I’ve been really obsessing over his progress this year simply because of his contract and the potential he brings to the table. I’m glad his creativity is coming back to him.
  • It is unfortunate that T.J. Brennan probably won’t see any time this weekend. You can’t really blame Ruff for sticking with his six best, but considering the type of response you get from a guy making his NHL debut, you may have gotten an equal or better return from Brennan that you get from, say, Marc-Andre Gragnani.
  • The special teams won the battle last night. After looking foolish in the home opener, the Sabres special teams have really progressed. The penalty kill remains stellar and the power play creates chances. Last night was a perfect combination.
  • It is going to be interesting to see what happens with Luke Adam. He was demoted to the fourth line, and won’t be seeing many minutes for the foreseeable future. He was effective with Vanek and Pominville and if he faltered Ruff would put a more responsible player in that slot. I fear that his removal from the top-six will hurt the team more than it will help.

Three Stars

1. Jhonas Enroth

2. Jason Pominville

3. Brian Boucher

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The Morning Skate: Injuries piling up as Sabres head to Carolina

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Buffalo’s second matchup against Carolina comes with a different set of circumstances than the first meeting did on October 14 at First Niagara Center.

The home opener for the Sabres came on the heels of an excellent European debut, but was only game number three of the young season. The Hurricanes had already played four games and had yet to hit the skid they’re currently mired in.

Now the Canes are searching for answers as they attempt to climb away from the Eastern Conference basement. The Sabres, on the other hand, are trying to maintain their grip on the top spot in the Northeast Division. However, the team’s toughness and entire makeup has fallen under heavy scrutiny as of late despite their spot in the standings.

Buffalo will be without Mike Weber due to an injury suffered against New Jersey but will still have the services of Tyler Myers as he did not receive any supplemental discipline for his hit on Danius Zubrus. T.J. Brennan was recalled from Rochester, although it is likely he will serve as the seventh defenseman while Marc-Andre Gragnani comes back from the press box. It wouldn’t be a bad move to toss Brennan into the fire. After all, why call the kid up to plop him in the press box?

The one thing working against the Sabres this evening is the team they’re playing. Sure, the Hurricanes have been sinking in the Eastern Conference standings. But this is a team fresh off a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the Canadiens. Prior to that, the Flyers hung five on them and chased Cam Ward in unceremonious fashion. It appears that some may think this team is destined for a low finish, those sentiments may just shake them out of their funk. For a team that has had some seriously slow starts and terribly inconsistent efforts, the Sabres do not want to stare down a desperate team looking to tighten up defensively and battle for a victory.

Highlighted Matchup

Special teams. The home opener saw the Hurricanes deposit a pair of shorthanded goals and create at least five total opportunities while a man down. They added an additional power play marker, and their first goal was scored just after a penalty expired. While the Sabres have had a marvelous turnaround since then, they will need a better showing than they had against New Jersey. When Buffalo’s special teams are clicking they are a difficult team to beat.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth 9GP, 6-1-0, 2.19 GAA, .926 SV%

CAR: Cam Ward 16Gp, 6-8-2, 3.27 GAA, .904 SV%

Last Game

10/14/2011, First Niagara Center, Sabres 3 – Hurricanes 4

Double Minors: Sabres 3 – Devils 5

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Depending how you spin it, the Sabres either had a hiccup along the line of a solid run; or the Sabres have dropped two of their last three.

The latter may be more appropriate considering Buffalo has allowed five or more goals in three of their last five games – one of those was a victory over Winnipeg. Clearly the team’s streaky defense is becoming an issue while Lindy Ruff’s line shuffling continues to be an extreme success or failure.

New Jersey rode two early goals to a 3-1 first period lead and never led by less than two the entire game. Another slow start at home as to be concerning to the staff, it certainly has the fans questioning the team’s talent. Frankly, the fact that this team so often stumbles at home is starting to become a serious issue. The task now is to identify what is causing these slow starts. Is it the coaching staff, the players, a combination? No matter where the onus lies, this is something that needs to be hammered out. Ryan Miller has been hung out to dry in the opening minutes of a home game twice and Jhonas Enroth was the victim last night.

  • The only bright spot for the Sabres was Tyler Myers. His trip to the press box brought him back in full force. He played an aggressive game and was rewarded with two goals. The official stats credit him with only one hit, but I doubt that is actually an accurate number. Based on Myers’ response to being benched, perhaps Lindy Ruff should shelf more of his stars in the coming weeks.
  • Christian Ehrhoff takes the cake as the biggest disappointment for me early in the season. He is playing with zero passion and often looks as if he is loafing about the ice while he counts all of the zeros on the game check he will be collecting. It is about time that Ehrhoff find his game, he was an effective peice of the puzzle in Vancouver but hasn’t found a way to contribute in Buffalo. Just goes to show what happens when you overpay European players.
  • Jhonas Enroth is, in fact, human. While he didn’t get much help last night, the youngster had a very average outing on his way to being yanked after allowing five goals. He definitely got the Ryan Miller treatment from his teammates yesterday.
  • Don’t assume that Enroth being pulled was only because he played an average game. Ruff was likely trying to get him a few minutes to truly rest entering the weekend. The ten-minute respite may be an indication that Enroth will get the start on Friday and Saturday.
  • Slow start aside, it was the Sabres special teams which cost them yesterday. On the whole, the special teams units have been a big reason for Buffalo’s success. But a power play and short handed goal in the first five minutes is a recipie for disaster.
  • Fun times: Ville Leino picked up another apple. Dude just needs to keep finding his legs down the left wing. I have faith he will come around.
  • Still hate Derek Roy at center with Vanek and Pominville. The change-up pushed Luke Adam all the way to the fourth line while promoting Brad Boyes to center with Stafford and Leino. I contend that Stafford and Leino need a finisher at center, maybe Boyes meets that quota, but Adam is not at the point in his development where he can adapt to numerous lines. He fit perfectly with Vanek and Pominville, it would seem that moving him elsewhere is not going to work out.

Three Stars

1. Patrick Elias

2. Tyler Myers

3. Martin Brodeur

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Event Summary

Tropp recall keeps sandpaper in Sabres’ lineup

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With Cody McCormick out for tonight’s game against New Jersey – and potentially more games depending on the severity of his injury – the Sabres recalled Corey Tropp from Rochester.

This was the easy choice for Darcy Regier to make. Tropp had a fine showing in his first four NHL contests and even managed to find the score sheet with a goal and an assist in his first call up. Many fans were clamoring for Zack Kassian to be the replacement for McCormick, but Tropp was the right call.

Considering there isn’t much information out there regarding McCormick’s injury, it is impossible to speculate how much time he will miss. For all we know, he will be back on the wing for Friday’s game. Worst case is that he misses extended time and the Sabres are without their primary tough guy. Obviously the biggest issue that would impact is the expected response from the Sabres when the Bruins roll into town next Wednesday. While Tropp isn’t afraid to drop his gloves, he is not the fighter that McCormick is. Continue reading →

The Morning Skate: Sabres look to extend Northeast Division lead at home

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The Sabres return to First Niagara Center today to face the New Jersey Devils, a team fresh off a trip to Boston last night.

Buffalo remains without Ryan Miller and it appears that Cody McCormick may miss the game due to an injury sustained in Montreal. While no word has come down at this time the Sabres have two options, call up a forward from Rochester or dress seven defensemen. Obviously option two is far more attractive, especially considering the play of Corey Tropp in his four-game debut. Many fans are clamoring to see Zack Kassian, but it may be too soon for that. Marc-Andre Gragnani could end up on the wing, but that just seems like a monumental waste. However, he is probably better served in that position than any other.

The Devils fell to the Bruins thanks to a three-goal third period from the B’s. New Jersey is currently on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference ‘s top eight. Their position is due, in large part, to a shoddy start and an injury to Marty Brodeur. Of course, Brodeur wasn’t stellar in his time before or after the injury either, so it could be a case of an aging core playing in front of an aged star.

Considering Johan Hedberg played in Boston, it should be expected that Brodeur will be in net for the Devils this evening. The Sabres will counter with Jhonas Enroth as he is expected to see the lion’s share of work until Ryan Miller returns.

Highlighted Matchup

Zack Parise vs. Thomas Vanek. Both were NCAA superstars, both the Devils and Sabres offense run through them, respectively. Vanek has been on fire all season, Parise has decent numbers through 16 games. It will be interesting to see which player comes out on top tonight.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth 8GP, 6-0-0, 1.76 GAA, .942 SV%

NJD: Martin Brodeur 6GP, 2-3-0, 3.02 GAA, .880 SV%

Last Game

3/26/2011, HSBC Arena, Sabres 2 – Devils 0