Shutdown Pair

Category: NHL

  • Lockout

    Hey, this thing is still here!  I’ve been quiet on the Sabres blogging front here, because aside from the Dev Camp scrimmage, little of interest has been happening in these parts.  And looming over everything is the potential lockout.  I started out fairly positive that things would be resolved mostly on time.  The words being said about the process were positive, and not so excessive that it seemed one side was fighting the other in the media.  Progress from the last time around!  But it’s still dragging, and the numbers being thrown around are still in the “I’m going to ask for whatever the expert said it’s worth” phase on Pawn Stars.

    The last lockout was particularly painful for me.  I started watching hockey as a kid, but grew away from it as the game bogged down and got boring.  I went to a few games once I moved here, thanks to Adelphia giving away free tickets to it’s employees (my friends) like candy on Halloween.  I really got back into things in the playoff run leading up to the lockout, though.  I loved watching the Flames and the Lightning, and I was ready to be a full-fledged fan again…and then I got gut-punched.  I toughed it out, past the ridiculous posturing, stupid rumor bloggers and basketball. 

    What’s coming up next, though?  It looks more and more like this season doesn’t start on time.  I was quite enjoying the pressbox on the rare occasions I could get in there and was looking forward to seeing the progression of that this season.  It’s also pretty hard to build up my kids as fans when the game randomly disappears for months (or a whole year) at a time.  I’m not one to blog about the ‘negotiations’ between the NHL and NHLPA so this space will probably be somewhat dark barring major player movement or something similar.

  • Shifts in Strategy

    The Sabres have made some moves.  They usually do this time of year, especially since Pegula bought the team.  The theme so far has been to get tougher.  John Scott, a feared fighter (murdersaurus!) who will probably see limited action, was the first signing of FA for Buffalo.  More intriguing is the trade, sending Derek Roy out to Dallas, and getting Steve Ott and Adam Pardy in return.  Pardy is probably just a spare part that had to be tossed into the deal, and at $2 million, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get the Shaone Morrisonn treatment in Rochester.  Buffalo has too many D to find a spot for him here.  I mean, I’d rather have Sulzer as the seventh guy at $725,000.

    No, the interesting part of the swap is Roy/Ott.  I’ve defended Roy in the past, but it seems clear his welcome had worn thin with many people.  The team trades away offensive production for ‘grit’ and penalties.  Ott will not be a top 2 center, which leaves a hole to fill if you assume Hodgson is the number 2.  Ennis showed some skills as a C late last year, but it’d be risky to run him out there without a larger sample size to judge him on.  That leaves another trade as an option, and while I know Darcy can find guys that we think aren’t available and make it happen, I just can’t see who it is who is going to fill that role that Roy leaves empty.

    The X factor in this is Bobby Ryan.  Not a C, but if you want to replace Roy’s scoring potential, there you go.  Perennially over the 30 goal mark, Ryan could add some punch on the right side, where Stafford has failed to find consistency.  Unfortunately, Derek Roy had been one of the guys mentioned going back as a return, so now you’d be left with figuring out who Anaheim wants in return.  Ennis?  McNabb?  I don’t think we’d be getting off easy here, and many of us fans wouldn’t like what we’d lose.  Alexander Semin?  Somehow I don’t think he would get along with Lindy Ruff, but I wouldn’t fault the team for trying it out, if the cap hit can be managed.

    Buffalo is in an interesting spot here.  The old ‘core’ is getting slowly replaced by new guys, with Roy, Campbell, Goose and others out of town.  Can the young guns like Ennis, Gerbe, McNabb and the like step up?  Will there be a stud center on the team due to a trade out of left field?  The Sabres aren’t far out of the playoffs, but there hasn’t yet been a move that says “Yep, they just got closer”.  Big time right now for both Darcy and Lindy.

  • Sabres New Media Summit

    I was invited to, and will be attending, the third Buffalo Sabres ‘New Media Summit’.  They used to just say ‘Blogger’ there, but New Media sounds all professional-like.  If you have any questions, feel free to pass them on, and I will do my best to hide behind Phil from B&B&G and wait for someone else to ask them.  Seriously, I will ask what I can.  Time to dust off my dress pants!  The life of a blogger that works from home, I tell ya.

    Who else decided to go?

  • A Response to GeekDad’s Open Letter to the NHL

    My worlds, they have collided.  I read GeekDad (via Wired) fairly often, as there’s often great gaming and science content there, and that’s of interest to me and my son/daughters.  I was quite surprised to see an article there about hockey, combining my two blog-lives in one place.  Unfortunately, it’s not a positive thing – it’s about the insane level of violence that marred the beginning of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

    Look, we’ve all talked it to death over the past week, and I’m not going to re-hash it.  Shanny got some of these suspensions wrong.  The jumping elbow-to-the-head isn’t a ‘hockey play’ and needs to be handled with severe penalties.  If you don’t like fighting, that’s fine, not everyone does, and there are plenty of folks who would like to see it reduced or eliminated from the game.

    Where I take issue, though, is this:

    There is a large group of people who attend games just to watch people fight and get hurt.

    No no NO.  This is exactly the same as saying “oh, those rednecks only go to the NASCAR races for the crashes!”, and it’s just as untrue.  Way to set yourself up on the high road.  Hockey, like football and even basketball to a lesser extent, is a contact sport.  Guys moving that fast, there’s going to be collisions and injuries.  As a long-time fan, I find a clean thundering hit just as entertaining as a breakaway goal snipe by a skill guy.  The same way I enjoy a receiver getting blasted over the middle but holding on to the ball, or a player driving the lane and delivering a powerful dunk while defenders go flying.  I do not like the staged fights, but I admit I enjoy some good fisticuffs when there’s a reason for them.

    Look, I’m all for removing the stupid hits from the game, the head-hunting, heck, toss in the slewfooting while you’re at it.  It’s a great thing to advocate for.  I watch the game with my kids sometimes, though in general my son has ignored the fights when they happen (even if I stand up to get a look at who’s dropped the gloves).  But your words lose some of their effectiveness with me when you want to me and every other hockey fan I know into a ‘large group’ that loves seeing people get hurt.  Just not true.

  • Sabres Thoughts

    Gotta get a few things out there.  First, I don’t care if your coach is an asshole.  He shouldn’t have to hold your hand or give you a pat on the back for your effort.  You left that behind when your mom was no longer waiting off the field or ice surface with orange slices and a bottle of water.  Second, he might be yelling because you are MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.  If we as fans are throwing our hands up in the air and shouting obscenities at you as you weakly pass across in front of your own net YET AGAIN, I can only imagine what Ruff is thinking.

    Look, I realize that emotions and personality play a part in all aspects of life, and for a hockey player, that includes hockey.  I’ve had bosses I didn’t like, but I kept working hard because I prided myself on it.  Didn’t mean I was happy with it, but I like working and money.  The stakes are a lot higher for these guys, but so is the compensation (and it’s guaranteed money).  Should you look for another job?  Okay, I can see that.  Don’t want to re-sign here?  Sure, maybe that’s the case.  But I think Mike Grier showed that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the hill.

    I am a generally positive guy.  I like this team, and most of the players and coaches.  When I say I want to see the Sabres win the Cup, it’s these guys I’m talking about.  I realize that players and coaches come and go (some cities have that a lot more than others) but on the whole, I’d like success for the home-grown talent and not free agent mercenaries.  With all that said, if Terry Pegula/Ted Black/Darcy (or a new GM) decide these guys need to go, let’s do it.  Now is the time, while the long term contract guys are still young.

    Okay, NOW you won’t hear from me much more after this.

  • Thus Ended

    The Sabres can no longer make the playoffs, and have one more meaningless game.  In the short term, I was ticked about it last night, but today, not so much.  It was a very difficult season in many ways, with injuries, underachievement, and media sniping.  The highs were really high, and the lows were rock-bottom.  We saw veterans and prospects leave (Gaustad, Gragnani, Kassian) and got a few new contributors (Hodgson, Sulzer).

    How do I feel about this season?  I’m disappointed that it won’t be going on to the playoffs, for sure.  There is talent here – and I think the deadline improved that overall – but injuries and some questionable play overrode that.  Next year’s roster won’t be that different, barring trades, as there are already 20 players under contract.  Hecht, Boyes, and the surprising Sulzer are UFAs, with TJ Brennan, Tyler Ennis and Patrick Kaleta as RFAs.  I can’t imagine either Hecht or Boyes being back.  Sulzer is interesting, though.  I’d love to keep him, as he showed some decent skills and kind of took that 6/7 D spot from Weber.  Ennis is a no-brainer, and I imagine Kaleta gets a deal.  That’s 13 forwards, including Marcus Foligno and Corey Tropp.  If Brennan and McNabb start with Rochester, that leaves Regehr, Ehrhoff, Myers, Leopold, Sekera, and Weber as the D pending something with Sulzer.  Of course, Miller/Enroth in the net.

    Do I think that’s where we end up?  I do not.  The Pegula era Sabres have already shown they are willing to deal guys to get guys, and we have parts and pieces other teams would covet.  July 1 is going to be interesting.  Buffalo will be a player again, a destination for players who hopefully see the improvements and potential here.

    I might post about the draft, and July 1, but expect this space to be fairly quiet in the offseason.  I’m planning on blog maintenance, such as trying different themes, stuff like that.  Might post up about the playoffs if the mood strikes, too.  I’ll still be on Twitter, and please check out my non-hockey gadget/movie/TV/book talk at Honk if you Love Justice.

  • I Admit It

    I didn’t see the comeback.  The last one, I mean.  When it went 5-3, I let my wife turn the game off.  In my defense, my daughter was up sick with a horrible stuffy/snotty head so snuggling her was a bigger priority.  So imagine my surprise when Jen switched the game back on for a minute and we saw it was tied!  One of the goals was a smidge controversial, but whatever – they completed the comeback with a dynamite snipe from Derek Roy in OT.

    After the trade deadline, I was sparring on Twitter with Jimmy Murphy, ESPNBoston.com’s Bruins wonk.  He was perplexed as to why Buffalo would trade away our ‘answer to Lucic’.  Seeing as how no one currently on the team had ever really ‘answered’ Lucic, I was perplexed.  He said that came from a ‘Bruins source’.  Ha.  I replied that Marcus Foligno already played a ‘bigger’ game than Kassian had done in his time as a Sabre, so trading BZK was a non-issue.  Murphy went on to show his ignorance when he assumed I meant Nick Foligno.  I hope that after the past month, he’s figured out there’s another Foligno brother he might have to account for. 6G 7A +8, only 3 games in that stretch without a point.  And then there’s this:

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3frmLrl7K4&hd=1[/youtube]

    A “Hornet’s Nest”, indeed.

  • Forget Pominville At Your Own Peril

    It’s easy to forget Jason Pominville.  He doesn’t run guys over, he’s polite and non-controversial in his interviews, and doesn’t make waves off the ice.  We can’t even make fun of his haircut anymore.  Before this year, how many players on the team would you go through before you got to Pominville, if a new fan asked “Who are the Sabres’ best players?”  Remember even Bryan Murray, asked about Pominville’s magical short-handed OT series winning goal, asked about how a player got behind the D like that, answered “It’s Jason Pominville”.  We as fans have called him overrated, overpaid, and have hoped he’d be traded for someone, anyone else.  Eyebrows were raised when he was given the C, for sure.

    It’s pretty clear that maybe Lindy and Darcy knew more than we did about the room and Jason.  68 points in 77 games, 5 game winning goals, while facing the tough minutes each night.  That strip of Ovechkin last night, and the comments after the game about the team wanting to impose their will on Washington, speak volumes to his leadership by example.  He works hard every time you see him.  We need to do a better job of remembering Pominville.  I bet Ovechkin doesn’t forget him for a while.  Just like Bryan Murray.

  • Big McLargeHuge

    Tonight’s game is the biggest game of the Sabres’ season, since the last one.  And until the next one.  I actually started writing this last week, but never finished it, yet it still can be considered correct.  One new positive is that the Sabres can now narrow their focus down to two teams, as they are 6+ points clear of every club below them.  It’s all about Washington (tonight’s opponent) and Ottawa (4 points ahead, Buffalo with a game in hand).

    Nathan Gerbe and Patrick Kaleta are both cleared to play tonight, though it remains to be seen if either gets back in tonight.  I think it’s pretty safe to assume Marcus Foligno is going nowhere, so some combo of Tropp, Turnbull or McCormick would be sitting or sent back to Rochester.  Barring any oddities like sitting Boyes or whatever.

    7pm tonight, appointment television.  Recording it, kicking the wife off the big TV, the whole nine yards.  I’m finally feeling some excitement.  Let’s do this.

  • Gameday 2011-2012 – Canadiens at Sabres

    We all know what’s at stake for the Buffalo Sabres right now.  Every point is important, being 2 back of Washington (also playing tonight).  The improbable run Buffalo’s on (slightly more improbable than last year) is coming to a close, with only 8 more games left after tonight.  The Sabres have gotten a lot of help – the other contenders for the 8th spot have been doing a LOT of losing, so that even when Buffalo only picked up 1 point in a few games recently, it didn’t hurt.  They weathered Tyler Myers being out, and get him back tonight.

    So why isn’t there more buzz about this team?  Well, for me, I’m just enjoying the ride.  Trying not to get too wound up in case they falter.  Even if they make the playoffs, there are some juggernauts they might end up facing (Penguins look deadly right now).  Much like Gerbe’s second-half last year, I’ve loved watching Tyler Ennis develop.  I want to see more of this rough and tumble Tyler Myers.  I’m very much enjoying the success of the young guns on their call-ups, with Foligno in particular showing why we were okay with trading away Zack Kassian.

    I might just get to watch tonight, and while I’m not jumping-up-and-down excited like some people seem to be expecting, I’m happy.  Take it or leave it.