Shutdown Pair

Category: Sabres

  • Gameday 2010-2011 – Sabres at Canadiens

    The Buffalo Sabres play their final regular season game against the Montreal Canadiens tonight at 7:30 PM.  Buffalo wants to ‘channel their anger‘ from the somewhat embarrassing collapse against the Preds the other night, so hopefully that leads to a beatdown of the Habs.  Said Gaustad:

    I’ll say this: Guys on this team care. They do show emotion and don’t think they don’t. It’s just that you don’t see it. It’s not something we normally reveal to you guys but we care. You just happened to see some of it [Sunday].

    I think it’s good for fans to see a bit of it like that (and to hear about Jerry Sullivan’s logo gaffe too) as it’s been a concern for some in the past, whether the Sabres players ‘care’ enough.  Sort of like the ‘Vanek is lazy’ meme.  Anyway, here’s hoping the team’s energy is well-focused tonight, as the Canes play Ottawa, which is not exactly an automatic loss for Carolina to say the least.

  • Leads

    The Sabres still have a 3 point lead as far as staying in the playoffs, right?  Just checking.

    I won’t be able to blog too much for the next week or so, but will be on Twitter a bit.  Just FYI.

  • Random Sabres Thoughts

    There’s a lull in the schedule, following the loss on Tuesday, so here are some random thoughts.

    • Tim Connolly played…well?  Has had a few games.  This would be huge if it continues, so Buffalo can keep Boyes on the wing.
    • Where is Jordan Leopold?  Might be better on D but we could use his scoring.
    • Does Kaleta have a spot in the lineup when he gets back?  In the playoffs?
    • Does Patrick Lalime still wear that hat in the press box?
    • Love the tribute painted on the ice for Rick Martin.  I never saw him play, but I can see how big he was here, on and off the ice.

    The next few nights are nerve-wracking, as Toronto and New Jersey both play tonight, with NJ and Carolina in play tomorrow.  The Sabres need to have a good weekend against Atlanta and Nashville (who really need points too).

  • Jinx!

    It’s that time of year again, where the little jinxes and superstitions you have about watching hockey intensify right along with the importance of the games.  You saw it last night with Jeremy White’s successful petition to get the Sabres to at least try a different goal song…and then not score at all.  Maybe you concern yourself more with where you are stting during the game, and maybe re-wearing that shirt you had on when they won the other night.  You’re dressing your kid in the ‘lucky’ onesie.  You consider turning the game off when your bad-luck spouse walks in the room.  Don’t act like it’s not happening.  You know who you are.

    If you’ll excuse me, I need to go find that classic logo hat I wore during Stafford’s hat tricks…

  • Character Wins and Subsequent Losses

    A come from behind win against the East-leading Philadelphia Flyers is an event to be celebrated.  Some even declared the weekend a success just by getting these 2 points.  While that’s true enough from a certain point of view, I’d like to see Buffalo take the playoff spot by the throat and not let go.  Win tomorrow, behind Enroth (who they have won for before), and show the league they are not an easy out.  Take that 7th spot, gain points against a couple of good teams in Pittsburgh and Boston, then roll the Leafs in front of their own fans.  I want waffles on the ice, guys.  Too many times this team has impressed and regressed.  The move needs to be made now.  Make it so.

    As far as the game goes, you have Pominville, Ennis, Stafford and Sekera scoring, with Nathan Gerbe getting the empty netter that many of us missed (see below).  Brad Boyes and Thomas Vanek both had 2 assists, and Vanek played more than 20 minutes.  Tim Connolly, by the way, 17 min, -1, ‘winning’ just over a quarter of the draws he took.  So valuable.  Montador, +3.

    By the way, Time Warner Cable and MSG combined for a horrible series of gaffes in the broadcast today, twice causing those of us on the SD feed to lose the game, including with 2 minutes to go when MSG switched back to…halftime of a Women’s College Basketball game.  You just can’t be that asleep at the switch on such an important game.  I’m smart enough to have my DVR record 30 minutes past the normal end time, you’d think they could have a guy you know, watching the game to make sure the right broadcast stays on.  Terrible.

  • Gameday 2010-2011: Sabres at Flyers

    1pm game today at the hated Flyers.  Been back in town for a few days, but no time to watch the previous games back on DVR.  Glad they got points, not so glad about losing to Carolina.  Two today would be HUGE but it’ll be tough.  Gotta crash the net on these Philly goalies, and have Goose/McCormick/Montador clean up in front of Miller because you know the Flyers would retaliate.  Let’s do this.

  • Miller and Myers

    You’re still smiling about last night’s game, admit it.  Nerves to start, especially after Atlanta tied it, but Terry Pegula got his first win.  The Thrashers are a team the Sabres should beat, one that was struggling as much if not moreso than Buffalo the past few games, and they took care of business.

    It’s interesting to see the names popping up on the scoresheet now, such as Gaustad and Pominville.  We’ve kind of been waiting for these guys to chip in regularly all year, and now would be a great time for them to do so.  Most important, though, is the play of the two guys in the title, Ryan Miller and Tyler Myers.  Miller, after having a couple of rough games, has been very good in the past several, despit some of them being losses.  His save percentage in the last four is .947 and he’s been bailing the team out with some sick saves when needed.  Tyler Myers scoring on a booming shot on a rush down the right wing is becoming a thing, basically daring goalies to stop it.  So far, only the post has been successful.  It was also a Myers shot that lead to Pominville’s goal as he cleaned up the rebound.  A run that involves actual playoff wins is going to need these two guys on their game, along with the scoring Buffalo has been getting from Vanek and Stafford.

    The Sabres play two games this weekend, which I will be tracking by phone as I’m headed to Virginia for the week.  I’ll pop in on Twitter, especially to follow potential deadline deals that pop up, but won’t be blogging (or even able to see the games).  Have fun, guys.

  • Back to Work

    Yesterday was fun, probably the most fun being a Sabres fan has been in a few years.  But there’s a game tonight, an important one since Carolina gained a point last night.  The Thrashers should be an easier target to rebound against, being 1-6-1 and also losers of three straight.  The energy the team gets from the buzz in the building (heck, the whole WNY area) will send them out flying, I bet, but the finish has to be there.  I can barely contain my excitement for tonight.  And they haven’t even traded away all the players we hate yet!

  • No Financial Mandates

    Well, the press conference is over, tears have falled, but no axes – yet.  Darcy Regier has free reign to improve the team with ‘no financial mandates’ in place.  This is his trial run.  Can he improve the team?  Will he part with players he drafted to do it?  Draft picks?  There are no more excuses, that’s for sure.  More scouts, better player development budget.

    The presser hit the right notes for locals – Pegula came off as a funny family man, sitting near his hero Gilbert Perreault, firmly taking the helm while looking a bit uncomfortable on camera.  He joked with Ed Kilgore, jokingly deferred to his wife about the carpet and arena upgrades in the arena, and called his two twitter celeb daughters his ‘tweety-birds’.  He has our full attention, now he and Regier have to knock the trade deadline and this first off-season out of the park.  No pressure.

  • Pegula Eve

    I guess if the Sabres are going to lose 3 straight, the best time to lose them is when other teams are losing too and you can stay 4 points back of the playoffs.  Buffalo wasted a dominant performance by Miller, who did his best to bail the team out but he can’t score goals.  At least, not without a lead and an empty net at the other end.

    With the Sabres not playing until Wednesday, the focus will shift to tomorrow’s press conference, where Terry Pegula offically ‘takes over’ the ownership from Tom Golisano and gives his first press conference.  We are all waiting to see what he has to say, and more importantly what he and the team does going forward.  The first mile-marker for Pegula is the trade deadline.  Will his ownership change what Darcy Regier does?  It seems like it should, but how much of the recent moves (and non-moves) are Darcy, and how much are Larry and Tom?  We’ll see.