After a brief layoff, Eric (of 3rd Man In) and I are back for the second edition of The Instigator Podcast. Episode two offers a look at what we thought of last week’s Sabres Blogger Summit. We offer a brief recap and a few thoughts on a couple of specifics that came up throughout the Summit. In addition, we give a couple additional thoughts on the team’s struggles and where they seem to be heading. As always, comments and criticism are welcome.
Survival may be the word of the week for the Buffalo Sabres. Survival in the sense of team health and survival on the ice.
Buffalo continues a rather lengthy road trip tonight in Detroit and will have numerous trying road dates throughout this week. In addition to facing the Wings, the Sabres will be in Chicago, St. Louis and Winnipeg. They close the trip with the Devils and Canadiens. Not exactly the schedule a struggling team would want to see.
The Sabres played pretty strong hockey when they beat Toronto on Friday night. However, on Saturday, they reverted to the form which has dominated for much of the season. Another missed opportunity at building a winning streak was lost and tonight doesn’t necessarily offer a lay-up either.
The Red Wings dominated the Sabres earlier this season. It would appear that same result could occur tonight. Buffalo’s defense is wearing thin and lack their top defenders as they prepare to face one of the most dangerous offenses in the NHL.
Two points will be a tough chore for the Sabres, but it would give them four in their last three games. At some point the Sabres need to find a foundation for a run at the playoffs. This road trip might do the trick.
Highlighted Matchup
Buffalo defense. When Mike Weber and MAG are looking at top-four minutes, there is a problem. Without Brayden McNabb and Robyn Regehr, the Sabres are forced to dig into the Rochester honey pot once again. Andrej Sekera is expected to play with Joe Finley as the scratch. Still, Tyler Myers and Jordan Leopold will get the big minutes for Buffalo while Weber, MAG, Sekera and T.J. Brennan round out the six defensemen. This group will need plenty of help this evening against a dangerous hockey club.
Projected Goaltenders
BUF – Ryan Miller 26 GP 11-12-2, 2.97 GAA, .903 SV%
DET – Jimmy Howard 37 GP 26-10-1, 2.04 GAA, .924 SV%
Last Game
12/2/2011, First Niagara Center, Sabres 1 – Red Wings 4
You might say the course of events the Sabres follow is becoming old hat. They find life with a victory and roll into their next game seeking a win streak. Inevitably they lose the game and at least one player to injury in the process. That script is certainly getting a lot of work.
The Sabres were three minutes from guaranteeing a point percentage of .750 between Friday and Saturday, unfortunately they surrendered a pair of late goals (one ENG) in their loss to the Islanders. An overtime or shootout loss to New York would have mattered little had the Sabres managed to secure the bonus point. Getting points three-quarters of the time will be necessary for the remainder of the season if there is any hope of making the playoffs.
Friday’s game was a well-played outing for almost the entire team. Ryan Miller played a strong game in goal, the Sabres got goals from their grinders and they took two points from a team their chasing. Mike Weber had an ugly night and Buffalo lost Brayden McNabb to an injury. Far from a flawless night, but it was a victory.
Saturday was a relatively flat effort. Again they allowed a team to pepper Jhonas Enroth with pucks. Enroth played a great game, but the onslaught he faced can easily explain why three goals found their way in. The fact that the Sabres even had a chance at a victory was a testament to the game Enroth put forth. Unfortunately the rookie was saddled with another loss, something that has become fairly regular with him.
Thomas Vanek rocked a penalty shot off the post with 90 seconds left. The shot was awarded on a bogus call that should have been ignored. Vanek, who was nicked up yet again, beat Nabokov but not the post. The Sabres couldn’t gain the zone beyond that point and eventually surrendered the empty net goal that iced the game.
It was a weekend series that was close to a guaranteed success and had the potential to be a monumental success were they to have won in overtime or the shootout. Unfortunately Saturday’s poor effort shrouded the work the team did on Friday at home.
Now the Sabres hit the road for games against some very hot hockey teams. The Red Wings and Blues are both winning tons of hockey games and the Jets may have the most hostile arena in the NHL. None of that bodes well for a team that has lost eight-straight on the road.
Since the lockout the cure-all for the Sabres has been home contests against the Maple Leafs. Even earlier in the season the Sabres filled up the net in a 5-4 home victory. Starting with that game, the Sabres have collected points in their past six home games (thanks @NickelCityIan).
Of course, the slight home turnaround has been countered with a sour run on the road. A run that includes Tuesday’s 2-0 loss in Toronto. Through three games this season against Toronto, the home game has won each meeting. With any luck this evening’s game will continue that trend.
Buffalo will need to find some goal scoring, particularly secondary scoring. Drew Stafford has had numerous golden opportunities as of late but has cashed in only one, a dirty goal against Edmonton. Stafford’s under-performance along with others lack of production has caused the most issues with the Sabres so far this season. The rare victories as of late have come when players not named Pominville and Vanek score.
Highlighted Matchup
Stafford, Boyes and Leino. This line has shown some strong puck possession and the ability to create opportunities. However, they haven’t found the net just yet. Leino was invisible in Toronto, but was creative against Winnipeg. In fact, he was one of Buffalo’s best forwards. If this line finds the back of the net, the Sabres will likely find two points.
Projected Goaltenders
BUF: Ryan Miller 25 GP 10-12-2,3.01 GAA, .902 SV%
TOR: Jonas Gustavsson 21 GP 13-7-0,2.91 GAA, .908 SV%
Last Game
1/10/12, Air Canada Centre, Sabres 0 – Leafs 2
While the writing may be on the wall that the current make-up of the Buffalo Sabres is a stagnant collection of players yearning for a change of scenery, there remains a few small glimmers of hope.
If the injury situation is ever solved there is a chance to recapture some of the magic the Sabres had to open the season. Last year’s miraculous run to the playoffs obviously serves as a barometer that this season isn’t over just yet; only that it will be an uphill battle. Lastly, the swirling rumors that the Sabres may be nearing a deal offers some promise that new faces will bring change and success to this team.
The first portion of the Sabres mid-season report offered a look back at some of the most obvious issues the team has gone through to this point in the season. Allow part two to offer a look ahead to the remaining 41 games on the schedule. Continue reading
Remember the glory days? The Empire Sports Network broadcast Sabres games, had a handful of talk shows and a nightly highlight show that was centered around Western New York sports.
At one point Empire was truly thriving. It was the perfect outlet to serve WNY in terms of Sabres and Bills coverage in addition to high school, college and other professional sports. Unfortunately the Adelphia scandal all but killed Empire and it died off prior to the 2005-06 NHL season.
The recent MSG/Time Warner spat has blacked out a vast majority of Sabres fans and has left many questioning what the next step will be in this regard. the contract dispute is nothing more than the final straw for many. The lack of respect MSG has shown the WNY market is pathetic. Aside from Sabres games, there is little acknowledgement for the region. That includes commercials. Unfortunately the Sabres; contract with MSG runs for the next few seasons, ending in 2016-17. If the contract must run its course, then so be it. But is there a chance that a different entity could step in?
There is no secret that Ted Black comes from television. All the reports about him during the Pegula sweepstakes pointed to the success he had in building FSN-Pittsburgh. Between Pegula’s deep pockets, Black’s prowess with a sports television station and the obvious market demand in Buffalo; it would seem a regional sports network would do well here.
The first point that should be made is that there has been mo mention of anything along these lines happening. Who knows if Pegula would even be interested in forking over more dough to bankroll this type of venture? In addition, there is the current MSG contract to consider as well.
But just thinking outside the box certainly paints a picture that this type of channel would not only have plenty of content, but the potential for a strong, successful lineup. The Sabres, Bandits and Bills would obviously be the cornerstones of this channel, but UB, Niagara, Canisius and additional high school and college sports would provide ample filler. Building around some of the staples which Empire succeeded with, there is a foundation that can be augmented by additional coverage and programming. Continue reading
There doesn’t seem to be an antidote for the goal scoring woes or the porous goaltending or the injury bug. No answers can be found in the locker room as it seems the roster is growing rather stagnant.
The Sabres haven’t won two games in a row since November. Since then they have spiraled from the top of the Conference to 11th place. Now they are handcuffed by their own salary cap issues and are left searching for answers from within. The problem is there are no answers to be found.
Buffalo lost a 3-2 game the last time they were in Toronto. Ryan Miller had a solid outing, but still yielded three goals to the opposition. Despite his play passing the eye test, his chance to show up in a big moment passed by and the Sabres left with a loss.
Miller has had a pair of strong games against the Leafs this season, even though he has allowed seven goals in the two games. While his game is fairly sound, it would seem that his psyche is a bit wounded. He has allowed some rough goals at rough times in this stretch of foul play. Something that he desperately needs to resolve.
It would be of some help if the Sabres could score more than one or two goals for either of their goaltenders as well. The Sabres will face The Monster tonight, a goalie who hasn’t seen a whole lot of time against this club. It is an interesting choice considering James Reimer’s success against the Sabres this early in his career.
Highlighted Matchup
Goal scoring. There is no other issue surrounding this hockey team besides goal scoring. When they can start hitting three goals on a regular basis and keep losing then turn to the defensive zone and goaltending. Until then it is quite unrealistic to expect to run off nine or ten 2-1 victories.
Projected Goaltenders
BUF: Ryan Miller 24 GP 10-11-2, 3.05 GAA, .901 SV%
TOR: Jonas Gustavsson 20 GP 12-7-0, 3.07 GAA, .903 SV%
Last Game
12/22/2011, Air Canada Centre, Sabres 2 – Maple Leafs 3
Few expected the Sabres to be in this sort of hole at the halfway point of the 2011-12 season. Perhaps some pessimistic fans expected the team to struggle, but the vast majority of fans expected some sort of improvement over last season’s seventh-place finish.
The injury bug has certainly bitten this team hard. The results of the injury plague that has swept through the roster can’t be ignored. But there are still plenty of other factors at play which are far more telling signs as to why the Sabres currently reside in 11th place in the East.
Poor goaltending, spotty defensive play and barely any goal scoring have truly condemned this team. As the second half of the 2012 season begins, there are plenty of questions surrounding the future of the core, the coach and even the general manager. First, a few reflections: Continue reading
Usually the Buffalo Bills serve as the muse for finding every way in which to leave their fans befuddled. After a 2-1 overtime loss to Winnipeg, it would seem the Sabres are exhausting any remaining avenues for evaluation.
Despite both teams tossing plenty of shots on goal, the game was rather dull. It should be mentioned the full house of fans were incredibly tame too. Based on the last two games, it would seem the biggest culprits regarding the First Niagara Library are the fans. Of course, there isn’t much to cheer for on the ice.
Buffalo received a great effort from Jhonas Enroth in goal, turning aside 39 shots in the loss. Not only was this the second straight game in which Enroth faced a barrage from the opponent, it was his second-straight overtime decision.
Between performance and the apparent fact that Enroth is the only player capable of securing at least one point each night, Lindy Ruff may need to revise his decision to ride Ryan Miller.
Last night’s loss was yet another one-goal effort from the Sabres. This time, Tyler Myers registered the tally on the power play. What seemed lost on many of the fans in the arena was the tremendous passing play that created the goal. While fans complained of too many passes, or yelled shoot, Pominville’s centering feed got behind Ondrej Pavelc. So much for high hockey IQ.
Obviously scoring is the plague killing this season. No matter how bad the goaltending has been, it truly only can be held accountable for a handful of losses. Expecting a shutout or a one-goal against performance each night is foolhardy. Until more scoring finds its way into the lineup, this team will be heading for a lottery pick.
Three Stars
1. Johnny Oduya
2. Ondrej Pavelec
3. Jhonas Enroth
NHL Links
The current state of the Buffalo Sabres is pretty darn ugly. Outside of a pair of players, there is no scoring. Despite playing strong hockey, their franchise netminder can’t keep three goals from getting by. The head coach seems to be making baffling lineup choices while the general manager is generally stuck due to a ridiculous injury situation and tight cap number.
All of that plus the fact the Sabres are three points behind tonight’s opponent for tenth in the conference. Raise your hand if you had the Sabres in the draft lottery rather than the top five this season. Nobody? Okay.
In all seriousness, tonight’s game (along with the remaining 42) is a must win. Buffalo is five points from a playoff position and need a strong run in order to secure a berth yet again. If the Sabres are able to establish some footing, last night’s loss will be nothing more than a hiccup. While that loss fits perfectly with the disheartening trend the team has picked up, it certainly be discarded with some strong play.
The Sabres victimized the Jets in their first meeting and probably would have blown their doors off if it hadn’t been for some terrible defensive zone coverage. Ryan Miller earned a victory in that game despite being piled on by the fans and hung out to dry by his team.
While a 60-minute effort still evades this team, simply finishing chances may be all that is necessary to win a few games. Last night was a perfect example, they can’t afford to provide yet another.
Highlighted Matchup
Sabres centers. Jochen Hecht is nothing more than a warm body between Vanek and Pominville. They really don’t need anything else at this point. Luke Adam will surely fill a larger role this evening and Ville Leino’s return may be pushed based on Derek Roy’s injury. The Sabres didn’t properly address their biggest need this offseason and now it is staring them square in the face – if it hadn’t been already this season.
Projected Goaltenders
BUF: Ryan Miller 24 GP 10-11-2, 3.05 GAA, .901 SV%
WPG: Ondrej Pavelec 33 GP 14-13-5, 2.94 GAA, .907 SV%
Last Game
11/8/2011, First Niagara Center, Sabres 6 – Jets 5 OT
Two in the Box 