Sabres Pregame

The Morning Skate: The Legend of Joe Finley arrives vs. Red Wings

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The Sabres have really hit the skids lately. They only seem capable of beating teams who are about to fire their head coach – save for the Blue Jackets – and can’t keep their lines together long enough to form any sort of chemistry.

Meanwhile, the juggernaut that is the Detroit Red Wings comes to town sporting a six-game winning streak, a healthy roster and a generally tall task for the Sabres this evening. Buffalo is still struggling with injuries, Big Joe Finley will make his NHL debut this evening in place of Jordan Leopold. On the bright side, Ryan Miller is back in the lineup (he will backup tonight) as are Tyler Ennis and Pat Kaleta.

I’m hoping Ennis remembers where he left his offense for the offseason, because he was fairly useless in the time before his ankle. I would imagine Ennis goes in for Matt Ellis and Kaleta replaces either Zack Kassian or potentially Ville Leino. Obviously much of this will be up in the air until game time.

The bottom line for tonight is that the Sabres need a victory. They have been horrible at home and need to buck the trend. They face a difficult matchup as the Red Wings are healthy, talented and generally difficult to beat. Still, the Sabres need to get back into the left hand column and begin climbing back toward the top of the Eastern Conference.

Highlighted Matchup

Joe Finley. The man who spawned a Twitter hashtag for the ages (see line above). I was high on Finley when he was drafted by the Caps. I became an even bigger fan when he blossomed for North Dakota leading up to 2009. Injuries derailed his development over the past two seasons and the Sabres very well may have stumbled onto a diamond in the rough with this guy. He certainly had the potential to be an effective NHL defenseman, injuries have just kept him from reaching that level.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth 15GP 8-4-1, 2.27 GAA, .926 SV%

DET: Ty Conklin 4GP 1-2-0, 3.33 GAA, .880 SV%

Last Game

2/26/2011, HSBC Arena, Sabres 2 – Red Wings 3 SO

The Morning Skate: Injured Sabres return against Isles

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The Sabres are expected to have three of their nine injured regulars back in the lineup when they face the New York Islanders tonight.

Patrick Kaleta, Robyn Regehr and Drew Stafford are all expected to return from injury this evening. Regehr is a definite, he was paired with Brayden McNabb at the morning skate and those two will form a physical pair on the blue line. According to the News, Ruff didn’t confirm if Kaleta and Stafford would be back. However, considering T.J. Brennan, Corey Tropp and Paul Szczechura were all returned to Rochester, it would seem as if those three will be back.

So it will be a slightly more familiar lineup tonight compared to the roster from Saturday. The Islanders have hit a rough patch which has forced them to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Their three headed goaltender situation has muddied the water a bit but it seems Al Montoya has come out for the better, his numbers are the most impressive compared to Nabokov and DiPietro.

It is good to see Zack Kassian and McNabb stay with the big club until the rest of the Sabres’ injuries are resolved. Kassian has shown a physical side to his game and McNabb is just mean on the ice. With that pair continuing that type of play, fans have to be excited for what is in store a year or two down the road.

Highlighted Matchup

Brayden McNabb/Robyn Regehr pairing. These two have the potential to be a prototypical shutdown pairing. McNabb showed significant puck skills in junior and with the Amerks. That skill set, plus his willingness to hit anyone around him, makes him a very attractive prospect. Obviously Regehr comes as advertised. I’m interested to see them together this evening.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth 14GP 8-3-1, 2.29 GAA, .9225 SV%

NYI: Al Montoya 8GP 3-3-1, 2.20 GAA, .929 SV%

Last Game

2/13/2011, HSBC Arena, Sabres 6 – Islanders 7 OT

The Morning Skate: Injuries mount as reinforcements are called

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The injury bug has bitten the Sabres hard. Robyn Regehr and an unnamed forward (assumed to be a center) have joined Ryan Miller, Tyler Ennis, Tyler Myers, Mike Weber, Cody McCormick, Pat Kaleta and Brad Boyes on the injury list. The Sabres have called up Brayden McNabb and Paul Szczechura from Rochester.

There is still no news on which forward was injured – Mike Harrington speculates that Thomas Vanek or Jason Pominville could be candidates based on plays from last night.

Regardless, the Sabres will be playing with quite a few Rochester Americans on their roster this evening as the struggling Washington Capitals roll into town. The Sabres are in desperate need of a home win and a bounce back victory after three-straight losses.

The Capitals are in equally rough water as they have failed to live up to expectation this season despite their high payroll and roster of superstars. Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin and high-priced free agent Joel Ward have all been sat down for various lengths of time throughout the early going here.

This might just fall into the must-win category for the Sabres. A week and  half ago this team was second in the conference, now they’re tied for eighth and are in desperate need of a big run to climb back into the top half of the conference.

Highlighted Matchup

The Youngsters: McNabb, Kassian, Brennan and Tropp. Sure Szczechura could fall into this boat as well, but he has seen time in the NHL (Tampa Bay) and was signed for veteran depth, he certainly isn’t a prospect. Still, the Sabres need big contributions from this bunch. Brennan has been great in his couple games, Tropp has shown he may be the next Pat Kaleta and Kassian and McNabb will need strong showings this evening to prove they’re at the same level as the other Amerks in the lineup tonight.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth 13GP 7-3-1, 2.40 GAA, .922 SV%

WSH: Tomas Vokoun 14GP 10-4-0, 2.66 GAA, .910 SV%

Last Game

4/2/2011, Verizon Center, Sabres 4 – Capitals 5 OT

The Morning Skate: Kassian set to make his debut

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It is the debut every Sabres fan has been waiting for. Some have been saying to call Zack Kassian up since he signed his entry level contract and appeared in a handful of games for Portland last year.

Zack Kassian will make his much anticipated NHL debut in Columbus this evening. John Vogl reports the big winger will skate with Luke Adam and Matt Ellis. A wise choice by Ruff to put Kassian with the center he skated with for nearly the entire summer. That will give him some familiarity for this contest.

Kassian will need to play a physical game this evening. His draft position was determined by his physical play and scoring touch. He hasn’t shown much physical edge since breaking into the professional ranks and he needs to find that side of his game if he has any hope of becoming an NHL regular.

Buffalo’s biggest challenge tonight will be to find continuity as they enter yet another game with some sort of change to their lineup. While Kassian is the newest face; Jochen Hecht, Corey Tropp and Matt Ellis will all be shifted from their roles on Wednesday.

Columbus is entering the game with Curtis Sanford and Allen York as their goaltenders for the contest. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering Steve Mason has had seriously terrible season (3.63 GAA & .875 SV%) while Sanford is sporting a 1.33 GAA and a .946 SV%, granted that is in only five games of action.

Buffalo’s previous victory over Columbus came on the shoulders of a brilliant performance by Jhonas Enroth as the Blue Jackets out shot the Sabres 43-26. Buffalo’s special teams were deadly in the last meeting and both units have been impressive throughout the year and will continue to key wins and losses for this team. Especially if they continue to struggle with injuries.

Highlighted Matchup

Buffalo penalty kill. The Sabres power play gave them a 2-0 lead on Wednesday night, T.J. Brennan made it 3-1. However, the penalty kill failed them, allowing a pair of goals (including the tying tally) as the Sabres found a way to lose to the Bruins. The penalty kill is missing plenty of pieces (Kaltea, Myers, Weber) and will need to shore up for this evening.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth 12GP 7-2-1, 2.13 GAA, .930 SV%

CBJ: Curtis Sanford 5GP 2-0-2, 1.33 GAA, .946 SV%

Last Game

10/27/2011, First Niagara Center, Sabres 4 – Blue Jackets 2

 

The Morning Skate: Judgement day has arrived

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The day of reckoning is upon us. That is to say, the Bruins are in town and most Sabres fans and media personalities expect a brawl during warmups.

Personally, I have the over/under for fights at two. 2ITB reader Chris Wasik is taking the under, as am I. If there is one fight, I won’t be surprised. But if there is less time spent throwing fists and more time throwing body checks the fans can’t be too upset with the Sabres’ response.

Bottom line, the Sabres didn’t respond how they needed to when the Miller incident first occurred and the time to answer the bell has passed. Lindy Ruff said it best in his morning presser (thanks to TBN),

We have to play a real hard game. That’s the message in all areas. Hard on the puck, hard getting it back, hard physically.

Buffalo will have a tough enough task cooling down the NHL’s hottest team. The Bruins have won nine-straight and have climbed to the top of the Northeast Division. Well, until Toronto won last night. To put it bluntly, Buffalo, Boston and Toronto will be playing musical chairs atop the Northeast for some time.

Tonight marks the first in a run of 10 games in the next 12 to be played at First Niagara Center. Judging by the Sabres hot and cold reactions at home, they will need a good run to keep pace with the Eastern Conference playoff contenders.

Despite the main focus of tonight’s game being on trying to take Milan Lucic’s head off, the focus should be on beating the Bruins and starting a run that will separate the Sabres from the rest of the Eastern Conference.

Highlighted Matchup

T.J. Brennan. The rookie will be making his NHL debut in a pretty big game. He has shown flashes of brilliance in his two seasons in the minors. While Brennan may not see a ton of ice time, he will need to play a sound game in order to prove he is capable of remaining the first man up from the farm as the season progresses. Not to mention, this is a defensive corps without two of their best defensive zone players, Brennan will need to be responsible in his own end all night.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth 11GP, 7-2-0, 2.06 GAA, .931 SV%

BOS: Tim Thomas 14GP. 9-4-0, 1.77 GAA, .938 SV%

Last Game

11/12/2011, TD Garden, Sabres 2 – Bruins 6

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

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

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

 

The Morning Skate: Miller out with concussion, Enroth to see extended time

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Ryan Miller stoned the Canadiens the last time the two teams met, it will be up to Jhonas Enroth to do the same tonight.

The Buffalo Sabres will play without the services of Ryan Miller this evening against the Montreal Canadiens.

Miller is out with a concussion sustained on the hit he took from Milan Lucic on Saturday night. Whether Lindy Ruff’s goaltending schedule called for Miller to play again this evening is a mystery, but the goaltender was strong until he was taken out due to the injury on Saturday.

The Sabres recalled Drew MacIntyre from the AHL for the time being. It doesn’t appear that there is any sort of timetable for Miller to come back. Based on last season, it should be about a two week process.

Buffalo enters this game in a bit of a flux. They were pushed around Saturday and have been hammered by the media and fans for their inaction following the hit on Miller. Certainly the team will come out with the goal of establishing themselves physically this evening. So long as they don’t go out of their way to run people through the boards, they should be in good shape.

Montreal is currently tied with Boston in the Northeast Division basement. However, both teams have started to click after suffering slow starts. In addition, Carey Price’s career dominance of the Sabres is never something to scoff at.

One thing that is lost in every Sabres loss is the big picture. Buffalo is still 10-6-0 and remain one point behind Toronto for the division lead and three behind Pittsburgh for the best record in the East. This week will be very telling for Buffalo in the standings. Tonight marks game three of a six games in eight night stretch. A strong points percentage on this swing will be key moving forward.

UPDATE: Multiple tweets and news stories indicate that Tyler Myers will be a healthy scratch for the Sabres tonight. Can’t say that is a bad decision, I’m sure Sekera and Gragnani will get their turn up there soon enough.

Highlighted Matchup

Jhonas Enroth. Since goaltending is such an independent position I am not going to include Carey Price here. The Buffalo defense is also an easy target, but the onus is now on Enroth. He faced a similar situation last spring when Miller went down and he answered the bell. This stretch of games – in which he will likely play each night – will do a lot for the fans who have been really pumping his tires and for those who still question if he is really a better option compared to Miller. He will need the support of his team, if the Sabres play as they have in front of Miller the last few outings Enroth is in for a long night.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Jhonas Enroth

MTL: Carey Price

Last Game

10/18/2011, Bell Centre, Sabres 3 – Canadiens 1

The Morning Skate: Ruff sticks to goalie schedule in Boston

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Lindy Ruff is sticking to his goaltending schedule this evening against the Bruins, Ryan Miller will be starting for Buffalo.

As Mike Harrington pointed out on Friday, Miller’s career numbers against Ottawa (13-15-2) and Boston (20-5-7) may have played a factor regarding who Ruff decided to play yesterday. the fact that Miller has been average in his last five outings and Enroth pulled out a win last Saturday in Ottawa likely had something to do with his decision as well.

Buffalo heads to Boston for the first time this season on a four-game winning streak. The Bruins have managed to string some victories together after a slow start that saw them lurking near the bottom of the conference for some time. The Bruins are also on a four-game winning streak of their own and have picked up six of their seven wins in their last ten outings.

Tim Thomas has given the Bruins some stability through their rocky start, however it has been Boston’s offense that hasn’t been able to click until recently.

Tonight should serve as a strong litmus test for the Sabres. They have shown the ability to get wins against stiff competition but also laid an egg against the Flyers, so playing another elite squad should give the fans and team an idea of where they stand.

Highlighted Matchup

Tyler Seguin/Milan Lucic vs. Buffalo defense. I want to highlight the Buffalo defense for the foruth-straight game because they haven’t managed to string together more than two or three impressive outings so far this year. Considering that the team hasn’t really put forth a complete effort in front of Ryan Miller, tonight would be a good game to start.

Projected Goaltenders

BUF: Ryan Miller 10GP, 5-5-0, 2.74 GAA, .913 SV%

BOS: Tim Thomas 10GP, 5-4-0, 2.00 GAA, .931SV%

Last Game

3/10/2011, HSBC Arena, Sabres 4 – Bruins 3 OT