Ottawa Senators

Double Minors: Sabres/Amerks unravel late in Ottawa

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Maybe, just maybe, the injuries caught up to the Sabres. After scrapping to a 1-1 tie after 40 minutes, the Sabres simply couldn’t hang with Ottawa on the way to a 4-1 loss.

Buffalo, playing with five players who began the season in Rochester, looked over their heads many times in the game. Particularly in the third period. In particular, the second Senators goal came after prolonged play in the Buffalo zone and a turnover at the blue line by Paul Szczechura.

Lindy Ruff’s system isn’t all that complicated. He preaches puck possession and responsible play in zone. The basic idea is that if your team has the puck, the other team can’t score. It would appear that the depleted Sabres roster is thin on players capable of truly executing this system. Look no further than the shots Bufallo has been giving up lately. A puck possession team shouldn’t surrender 35 or more shots on a regular basis.

Ruff did show great faith in Ryan Miller, sending him back to the crease after his five-goal embarrassment on Saturday. He made some big saves as looked in control of his space this evening. His stat line will again show three goals against, not doing much for that astronomical 3.02 he entered with. However, he turned aside 35 shots and can’t hold much responsibility on any of the three goals he allowed. Earning third star honors and giving that type of performance shouldn’t be too disheartening to Sabres fans.

In fact, if you were to ignore Saturday, it would appear that Ryan Miller may be slowly finding his way out of the woods. He probably doesn’t have as nice of an iPhone compass as Ilya.

  • One last note on Miller, Ottawa’s second goal came on a rebound that struck him in the mask. The ice-level replay clearly showed that at least one strap had become unhooked. Now, this had no effect on his ability to stop the cross-crease feed that led to the goal, but it would have been nice if a referee had stopped play early on that one.
  • Derek Whitmore certainly showed he has some NHL skill in him. As a late college free agent, Whitmore’s career trajectory probably was going to end in the AHL. He has carved out a nice niche as a reliable scorer in the AHL and has now shown he can skate at the NHL level. He still looks similar to Szczechura, however – a depth NHL forward who would likely be 13 or 14 on the depth chart.
  • Marcus Foligno was -1 with two hits. He looked as if he needs a bit more time to develop his skating. He certainly has the ability to translate into a third or fourth line banger with some scoring touch. Not sure if his potential goes much higher than that. Still, a good showing in his first NHL game.
  • Thomas Vanek scored yet again, if the Hart was voted on regarding how valuable the player’s contributions to his team are – not incorporating league-wide stats etc. – Vanek might just be the runaway leader. Without him the Sabres would be looking at a lottery pick.
  • Jordan Leopold and Mike Weber had a rough night. They combined for two sloppy plays on the first two Ottawa goals. These things happen from game to game, but the mistakes are magnified lately with the number of missing regulars.
  • Daniel Alfredsson has been kept fairly quiet in this season’s series against Ottawa. It is awfully nice considering that mustache is the worst thing I have ever seen.

Three Stars

1. Eric Condra

2. Craig Anderson

3. Ryan Miller

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The Morning Skate: Brotherly battle in Ottawa

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More reinforcements have arrived from Rochester. Derek Whitmore and Marcus Foligno will make their NHL debut tonight in Kanata as Buffalo faces the Senators.

The two most recent recalls are in to replace Tyler Ennis and Colin Stuart as they join the other half of the Sabres roster on the injured list. The injury situation is beyond laughable at this point and the Sabres are entering a situation where they just need to maintain some semblance of consistency.

Buffalo went into Ottawa earlier this year and turned in a strong enough effort to get a shootout victory. Their most recent showdown with the Sens was a disappointing overtime loss in which the Sabres entered the first intermission on the heels of very good hockey. Unfortunately, they didn’t put their foot on the collective throat of the Senators, instead they chose to play not to lose.

Based on the potential line up for tonight, it would seem as if the Sabres will be lucky to stay in the same league as their opponent. Ryan Miller is likely to be very busy based on the sloppy play the team usually puts forth and the fact he will have an even further depleted roster.

Highlighted Matchup

Foligno vs. Foligno. Marcus is lucky enough to make his NHL debut against his brother Nick. It is probably a stretch to think the two will drop the gloves, but everyone is hoping to see Marcus’ take on his father’s trademark goal celebration. The two brothers are certain to run into each other over the course of the game, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Ryan Miller 17GP 8-6-2, 3.12 GAA, .902 SV%

OTT: Craig Anderson 28GP 13-11-2 3.42 GAA, .894 SV%

Last Game

12/13/2011, First Niagara Center, Sabres 2 – Senators 3 OT

Double Minors: Sabres give up another lead at home

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The Buffalo Sabres lost yet another game on home ice. This time they squandered a sparkling effort from their starting goaltender and a brilliant close to the first period.

Despite yielding an ugly first goal, Ryan Miller and the Sabres battled back to right the ship before the end of the first period. Paul Szczechura scored his first as a Sabre and Tyler Ennis converted a nice passing play to give Buffalo the lead. That would be the end of the scoring parade for the Sabres.

Much like last Wednesday against Philly, the Sabres opened the game with a barrage of shots. After putting 12 pucks on net in the first, the Sabres fired only 17 of the next 48 shots between the two teams. On the night the Sabres were outshot 44-29. on home ice.

While Miller was up to the task, the Sabres penalty box parade kept any momentum from being built in the second. That carried into the third period when Ottawa managed to tie the contest. If the Hockey Gods had been on Buffalo’s side tonight, that shot would have hit a leg and caromed wide. Instead the seeing-eye shot found the cage.

Drew Stafford blew his coverage on Jared Cowen (the offensive dynamo that he is) on the game winner. Not much else to be said about the OT tally when both forwards were caught watching.

  • Credit to Ryan Miller. He has been a darn good goaltender since his return. Yes, the Philly game was not ideal. But he has made plenty of sparkling saves since coming back against Nashville. Tonight was no exception. He made many big stops to try and stem the ebb going against Buffalo. Nothing he could do through the forest of players on the tying goal. He almost robbed Cowen on the winner. Again, depending which way the Hockey Gods lean, that one may bounce to the slot.
  • I was happy to see Szczechura score that beauty of a goal. He was a great depth signing by Darcy. Depending on what the team needs at a certain time, he may even be more attractive to insert than Matt Ellis. Again, dependent on the situation.
  • Sadly, Szczechura is still centering Vanek and Pominville. That needs to change. While they have each managed to creep onto a few scoresheets, both have suffered a significant setback from their hot start. Vanek just needs to find the net a bit more and the goals will certainly come back.
  • The Leino-Adam-Kassian line could do this team a solid by finding the net. They create opportunities but seem to be all Swedish and no Finnish. Ironic considering Leino’s nationality, no? If this line can consistently find the net, the Sabres will enjoy more games like Washington, Nashville and the first period of the Philly game.
  • What a terrible move by Lindy Ruff keeping Marc-Andre Gragnani in the lineup. Sure, he saw about four minutes of power play time. There is no way Andrej Sekera, Jordan Leopold and Christian Ehrhoff aren’t capable of providing enough oomph on the points. Gragnani’s roster spot was wasted this evening. When he did get a shift on defense, he was walked by Erik Karlsson in OT.
  • Listening to the game, you didn’t hear from Mike Weber, Robyn Regehr or Brayden McNabb very often. Exactly what you want from your stay-at-home core. These three certainly look as if they’re a strong bunch to keep together for the foreseeable future.
  • Off the top of my head, Buffalo is 3-0-0 in their third jerseys this season. That includes a pair of home victories. Perhaps those duds should get run out a few more times.

Three Stars

1. Jared Cowen

2. Peter Regin

3. Ryan Miller

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The Morning Skate: Slumping Sabres and Sens meet at FNC

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Two teams struggling to keep their head above water will meet this evening at First Niagara Center. The Sabres, who have struggle mightily at home, desperately need a win against their Northeast Division rival. The Senators haven’t been able to keep the puck out of the net lately as they’re in the middle of a similar slide as Buffalo.

While Ottawa’s defense and goaltending have been spotty, they may get a reprieve against Buffalo. The Sabres have struggled to score more than once lately, let alone three or four goals. Ottawa has managed to find the back of the net despite their struggles. Considering Buffalo’s recent efforts at home, this game has the ability to turn into a snooze fest similar to Friday night.

The Sabres have been struggling with nearly every aspect of the game since the roster has been ravaged with injury. It seems Buffalo’s somewhat impressive depth has been worn thin with injury after injury. Some reports point to the Sabres receiving some reinforcements for tonight’s game. With Paul Gaustad and Pat Kaleta expected back, Buffalo’s penalty kill unit and generally grit should improve.

Buffalo’s first two games against Ottawa were wins. However, both came with far stronger rosters than the one Buffalo will ice tonight.

Highlighted Matchup

Buffalo special teams. The Sabres are still short on both special teams units. However, the power play still sports significant talent and has become terribly stagnant lately. Lindy Ruff noted more movement is necessary to create chances. It would seem a good night from the special teams units may equal two points for the Sabres.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Ryan Miller 14GP 7-6-1, 2.80 GAA, .910 SV%

OTT: Criag Anderson 26GP 12-10-2, 3.42 GAA, .895 SV%

Last Game

11/11/11, First Niagara Center, Sabres 5 – Senators 1

Double Minors: Sabres 5 – Senators 1

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The Sabres finally made one look easy, despite playing the dullest second period of the season. Buffalo chased Craig Anderson early and poured in five goals on Ottawa on their way to an easy victory.

Derek Roy continued his hot streak with a goal and two assists while the Subway Line continues to find the scoresheet on a nightly basis. This time it was Thomas Vanek making a nifty pass to Luke Adam for Buffalo’s fourth goal. of the evening.

The continued success of the Vanek-Adam-Pominville line is a nice luxury, the fact that the Leino-Roy-Stafford line has come to life is huge for this team. Leino, despite being fairly invisible for the first two periods, came to play in the third. His board work was fantastic and he manged to score his first goal in North America this season on a very nice three-on-two rush.

Buffalo’s defense was a completely different unit than the group that hit the ice on Tuesday. They made smart, easy plays with the puck and did a fantastic job protecting the house all night. Lindy Ruff mentioned it in his press conference, the Senators maybe had five or six quality chances all night.

The biggest beneficiary of the Sabres play in zone was Jhonas Enroth. The rookie turned away 36 shots, but few were of a great challenge to the netminder. Giving credit where it is due, Enroth made a few dazzling saves and turned in a gem for the Sabres last night. His play is exactly what they need and it seems as if he is going to be able to carry it on for some time.

  • The only thing that would have kept Enroth in for tonight’s game against Boston would have been a shutout. Considering he played back-to-back last weekend, Ruff will not want to over work him too early on in the year. Still, he has put forth an excellent stretch of games and he has likely pushed his projected starts from 20-25 to 30+ for the year.
  • Tyler Myers certainly wasn’t stellar last night. However, he played within himself and made good choices with the puck. I feel his play will take some time to come along again this year, I truly wonder if his offseason conditioning program is not up to snuff.
  • Corey Topp will be returned to Rochester. However, his NHL debut was impressive. He manged to find the back of the net, was on for a couple of goals for and was generally effective in his role. I would imagine he will see at least 15 games this season due to injury.
  • I think Ville Leino’s season is finally ready to begin. He was shuffled to four different lines before settling on the wing with Roy and Stafford. This appears to be the right spot for him as his playmaking seems to be back on track. Prime example: he led the three-on-two and made a slick pass to Stafford before eventually depositing the rebound for his second goal of the season. That type of play is what people are expecting from him, I would imagine that this will continue now that he has found a comfort zone.
  • With Pat Kaleta returning tonight, I really hope Lindy Ruff places him with Matt Ellis and Cody McCormick. Not only do those three play a hard-nosed style without ever quitting, the Gerbe-Gaustad-Boyes line has been very impressive during Kaleta’s absence. It seems obvious that Boyes has recated well to both of his promotions (Gaustad line and power play) and will continue to play well with talented players. You don’t lose as much with Kaleta skating on the fourth line as you do when Boyes is on that line.

Three Stars

1. Derek Roy

2. Jhonas Enroth

3. Drew Stafford

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The Morning Skate: Enroth back in net against Sens

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The Sabres will ice the same lineup they went with last Saturday in Ottawa as the Senators visit First Niagara Center for the first time this evening.

That includes the man between the pipes. Jhonas Enroth with get his fifth start of the season for the Sabres, his second-straight against the Senators.

It is a good choice by Lindy Ruff as Ryan Miller has a career 13-15-2 record against Ottawa.

The Senators will have their captain back in the lineup as Daniel Alfredsson will play his first game since suffering a concussion against the Rangers.

Buffalo’s special teams has powered the Sabres recently as the penalty kill unit has been bettered by only one team (Pittsburgh) and the power play has enjoyed a strong run despite not registering goals in every contest.

Buffalo enjoyed a shootout win over Ottawa last Saturday, despite yielding the game’s first goal and a tying goal on a poor defensive change in the second period.

The home woes have been halted for the time being as the Sabres have found a bit of mojo after opening their recent home-stand. This game marks the opening of Buffalo’s fourth set of back-to-back games and three games in four nights. All three games are against Northeast Division foes and will serve as an excellent chance for the Sabres to further cement a spot in the East’s top eight.

Highlighted Matchup
Michalek-Spezza-Alfredsson vs. the Buffalo defense. The Sabres defense was horrendous against Winnipeg, as was the d-zone coverage. Buffalo allowed Michalek to register an early goal last week before shutting down the top line. Still, the Sabres can expect a tougher night than Tuesday if they’re equally irresponsible in zone.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth 5GP, 4-0-0, 1.41 GAA, .952 SV%

OTT: Craig Anderson 14GP, 6-5-1, 3.47 GAA, .886 SV%

Last Game

11/5/2011, Scotiabank Place, Sabres 3 – Senators 2 SO

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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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

2ITB NHL preview: The East

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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 →

Looking back at my conference predictions

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A prognosticator I am not. My mock NFL Draft senior year was about 15% correct. When I went about predicting the NHL’s playoff picture back in October, I didn’t have high hopes. Let us see how 2ITB did:

East

Prediction – 1. WAS, 2. PIT, 3. BOS, 4. NJD, 5. BUF, 6. OTT, 7. MTL, 8. PHI, 9. NYR, 10. CAR, 11. TOR, 12. TBL, 13. NYI, 14. ATL, 15. FLA

Actual – 1. WAS, 2. PHI, 3. BOS, 4. PIT, 5. TBL, 6. MTL, 7. BUF, 8. NYR, 9. CAR, 10. TOR, 11. NJD, 12. ATL, 13. OTT, 14. NYI, 15. FLA

So I was a bit off in the middle. Not too many people would have bet on that epic collapse by New Jersey and I, admittedly put far too much stock in Brian Elliott and Pascal Leclaire. Philadelphia overachieved (according to my original calculation) and I vastly underestimated Tampa Bay.

Washington was a pretty easy choice to make, as was keeping Atlanta, Florida and the Islanders at the bottom. Otherwise it was a hodgepodge of close calls and near misses.

West

Prediction – 1. LA, 2. VAN, 3. CHI, 4. SJ, 5. DET, 6. NSH, 7. ANA, 8. CGY, 9. COL, 10. PHX, 11. STL, 12. DAL, 13. MIN, 14. CBJ, 15. EDM

Actual – 1. VAN, 2. SJ, 3. DET, 4. ANA, 5. NSH, 6. PHX, 7. LA, 8. CHI, 9. DAL, 10. CGY, 11. STL, 12. MIN, 13. CBJ, 14. COL, 15. EDM

Since the West is such a crap shoot it would have been pretty hard to predict either way. I gave LA too much credit and it turns out the Hawks didn’t have close to enough depth to compete at the level they did last year.

My biggest oversight was with Colorado at nine, turns out they really stink. The Western playoff picture is extremely interesting this season, with the amount of parity out there it isn’t a stretch to say that any team can advance and any team could have finished two to four places higher.