Shutdown Pair

Tag: Atlanta

  • 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!

  • Sabres Overrun the Thrashers 4-1

    The hockey gods lobbed a hanging curveball over the Buffalo Sabres’ plate (if you’ll pardon the mixed sports metaphors) and they made solid contact, winning 4-1 in a mostly-empty Phillips Arena.  Atlanta was returning from a west coast trip, missing several key players (such as Bogosian and Pavelec) and Buffalo took advantage.  Tyler Ennis opened the scoring by getting behind the D and sniped one in off the post.  Great play by Montador on the outlet pass.  Ennis very nearly scored again after the faceoff at center ice, and was definitely working well with Rob Niedermayer and Mike Grier.  You got a little worried as the period went on, as the Sabres continued to pour on the shots but didn’t get any more goals.

    That changed in the second period, though.  Just one minute in, Tyler Myers gets his first of the year while on the power play, as he took a one-time shot off a Chris Butler pass and buried it.  Thomas Vanek was in his office providing the screen.  Butler had a great game to my eyes, including some solid defensive plays where he didn’t get panicky.  Cody McCormick got his second goal of the year soon after, cleaning up a rebound, of which there were many.

    The shutout was not to be, however, as Tobias Enstrom got one past Miller on the power play early in the third.  There was a screen in front, couldn’t make out who it was, but not a bad goal to allow.  By the way, love the Thrashers’ broadcasters getting excited for Ron Hainsey (6’3″, 210lbs) knocking someone down, when it was Tyler Ennis (5’9″, 163lbs)…yeah, he should be able to do that.  Thomas Vanek got it back, though, blistering one home after he got behind the Atlanta defense.

    The theme throughout the night was shots – Buffalo had a ton, didn’t give up many, and the guys that NEEDED to shoot did (Myers, Vanek).  There was very little to complain about.  Let’s see, though, if they keep it up back at home.  Friday, Ottawa, be there.

  • Gameday 2010-2011 – Sabres at Thrashers

    Well, Lindy did the expected, and bag-skated the team, along with a line shuffle.  Here’s what they will look like according to Vogl at the Buffalo News:

    Vanek – Roy – Stafford
    Hecht – Connolly – McCormick
    Gerbe – Gaustad – Kaleta
    Ennis – Niedermayer – Grier

    Reuniting Vanek and Roy is good, and Stafford isn’t terrible so far.  McCormick might give the Connolly line a spark with some hard work and hits.  That third line could be sneaky good, as Kaleta has some offensive upside, combine that with Gerbe’s speed and Goose’s size in front of the net and you might have something.  On the whole, it’s a good balance, every line should be able to contribute at both ends.

    On D, Morrisonn is doing the lonely ‘skating on his own’ and will be out tonight.  Miller should get the start in net.

    While the Atlanta games are never easy for Buffalo, even without Kovalchuk in the mix, it’s winnable.  It could even be a get-right game, with Chris Mason and a 3.0 GAA in net.  Ondrej Pavelec is still out after collapsing on the ice, though he should be back soon, which is great.  I probably won’t get to watch the beginning of the game with family commitments, but I’ll try and get in by the second period.

  • MacArthur, Kennedy and Arbitration: Validation for Darcy?

    The inestimable James Mirtle wrote an article about the arbitration process, and specifically Clarke MacArthur’s ridiculous award.  We now know how C-Mac got it:

    When it came time to meet with an arbitrator, the Thrashers simply asked for the award to be presented immediately, based on the player’s demands, so they could then walk away from the contract.

    <snip>

    “We said, you know what, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad thing if he gets this silly award,” Thrashers general manager Rick Dudley said. “We kind of encouraged it.”

    This was actually crazy like a fox, as it turned out.  With Clarke getting such a high award, the Thrashers could walk away.  If they had wrestled it down to $1.6mil or below, they would’ve been stuck with it the way Buffalo was with Tim Kennedy’s.  Could you imagine how much grief GMDR could’ve saved himself if he had gamed the system like that?  “Yes, please award him $2 million bucks.  WE DARE YOU.”

    Regier’s reasoning behind the arbitration problems:

    Sabres GM Darcy Regier said part of the problem stems from depth players being paid less under the salary cap as stars get a larger share of the pie.

    “The arbitration system has largely been built over the years on a pricing system for these players that, if it’s not obsolete, it’s going to be obsolete,” Regier said. “[Free agents] are available on the market for a price determined by the market and not by an arbitration system that’s running a little behind.”

    The Niemi/Turco situation is the prime example…why pay $2.75 million when there’s a guy who had similar numbers willing to take half (one reason:  if the guy is 10 years younger, but with the cap situation in Chicago…).  Rick Dudley, Thrashers GM says it best here:

    “My theory is very simple,” Dudley said. “If I put the player on waivers tomorrow, would he be claimed? If the answer’s no, then in all likelihood, that’s a contract I wouldn’t want.”

    Tim Kennedy passed through waivers.  Bottom line, his award (even if not crazy) is a contract no one wants.  Teams may regret it in a year or two, but I doubt it.

  • Goodbye, Max

    According to George James Malik on Twitter (via Sovetsky Sport and Sport-Express), Maxim Afinogenov has signed a 5 year contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, with an option for a 6th year.  Kind of expected this after he didn’t re-sign right away with Atlanta.  He’s the sort of player who would get quite a bit more money there (though I don’t know the terms yet).

    I wish him the best of luck.  Max could bring a crowd to their feet like few others the Sabres have had recently, even when, more often then not, we ended up groaning and throwing up our hands in frustration when his dangle fizzled.

    Could’ve met Max at Puck Drop a few years back, but my son was restless so I gave my spot in line to a young lady that was wearing Max’s Dynamo Moscow jersey.