Shutdown Pair

Tag: Alexander Ovechkin

  • Which is it?

    Are the Sabres really as good as they looked last night?  Did getting two NHL players back in the lineup (even ones derided as much as Boyes) make that much of a difference?  Or were the Capitals really playing that poorly?  I’m inclined to think the latter, and I only heard the first period on the radio and watched the other two.  There was a lot of cruising around by Caps players, and Buffalo could consistenly break out of their zone and gain entrance on the offensive side.  For any of us that have watched Sabres games this year, you know it hasn’t been THAT hard to stop ’em from doing that.

    Christian Ehrhoff did some great work last night.  Scored what turned out to be the game winner, blocked four shots, had some other solid defensive plays.  Robyn Regehr frustrated Ovechkin quite a bit, including that hard hit behind the net.  Though my favorite ‘hit’ on Ovi is when he ran into Kassian and went flying backwards right along with him.  I’d like to give a shout out to Roy also, 21 minutes of ice time, had a point, won 65% of his faceoffs.

    Michal Neuvirth deserves ‘special’ recognition for being terrible, letting in 3 goals on 6 shots, none of which was some amazing, unstoppable shot.  He had nothing last night, not sure if it could be fatigue since there was that whole Christmas break thing.  On the other hand, it was Miller’s sixth straight start, and it was his best in that stretch, with both goals scored on him due to a screen in front.  The first might’ve even been goalie interference.

    The rest of the week is busy for Buffalo, as they play the Devils tomorrow in Jersey, then go to Washington for these same Caps for Friday.  Saturday (Tux and Pucks) they return home for the Senators.  Enroth one of those games if Lindy still has ‘The Schedule’ going.  Might try for a press pass for Saturday depending on what ends up happening for New Year’s Eve.  We don’t usually go out.

  • Gameday 2010-2011 – Sabres at Capitals

    The Caps look to get revenge on the Sabres tonight at the Verizon Center, as Buffalo makes the trip down to Washington to face the Ovechkins.  Did you know “that’s great” Derek Roy has 21 points, while Ovi has 25?  I also wonder if we’ll see an NHL goalie this time around.

    Gerbe is back in while Kaleta sits with a bruised sternum.  Rivet is…more interesting.  He’s healthy, but Ruff may not want to mess with a winning lineup.  Rivet isn’t happy about it, but even he said he understands the idea.  It’s something to keep watching as the season develops.  Would they ever reassign the captaincy with Rivet still here?

  • Vanek Dazzles on OT Game-Winning Goal

    It almost wasn’t fair to Braden Holtby, who had played quite well against the Buffalo Sabres.  When Thomas Vanek skated in alone, with two defenders in the area, Holtby probably thought he could handle it.

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd-IYT47kWw[/youtube]

    Yeah, John Carlson, you might just have to read up on this Vanek character.  What a way to get your first home win, no matter how delayed it was.  Vanek also had a more typical goal in the second, cleaning up a rebound in his office in front of the net.  Montador had the Sabres’ first goal.

    Ryan Miller had some great saves in his first game back, including stopping Ovechkin on a breakaway, though he did have a puck that he thought he squeezed bounce between his legs and thankfully not into the goal.  Great to see him back out there.

    Do yourself a favor and go back and watch that goal again.

  • Sabres and Respect

    As usually happens, as soon as the cup was awarded, you started seeing odds for who was going to win next season getting thrown around.  So I took a look to see where Buffalo ranks, and they (as of this morning) sat at 18/1.  Not in the top tier, with teams like Chicago, Pittsburgh, or San Jose (ha), but solidly in the second tier.  Where they should be, most likely, based on the talent we think will return.

    What I want to know is, will the Sabres be considered a true threat next season?  Buffalo was a division leader, had a respectable if not spectacular scoring differential, and has Ryan Miller.  But you KNOW that the top ‘Cup Contenders’ everyone will mention in the East are Pittsburgh and Washington, with yet more obsessive coverage of Crosby and Ovechkin.  Olympian Miller might get Buffalo some more pub and national notice, but I think our guys will have to seriously outperform WAS/PIT for a long stretch to get put in their category.  And, you know, get back on NBC.

    Whatever else happens this offseason, I am expecting this team to be the division winner again.  Let’s see if anyone outside of Western New York has any opinions, or if the extent of it will be “oh hey, yeah, the Sabres, they’ll be OK, I guess…”.