Shutdown Pair

Tag: Devils

  • Gameday 2011-2012 – Devils at Sabres

    It feels like a really strange night tonight.  The Devils don’t exactly excite anyone, and there’s so much other stuff happening around the Sabres it really feels like this game is an afterthought.  They players are all answering questions about their injured goalie, the injured goalie is snarking at the media, and some of the media is snarking right back (looking at you, Sully).  Add in a few other injuries (Cody McCormick is out, Corey Tropp is back), a goalie ‘controversy’ now on simmer thanks to the concussion, the return of Tyler Myers (Grags sits) and you’re one ring short of a circus.

    The Devils might have Kovalchuk back tonight if he feels OK during the pregame activities.  New Jersey played in Boston last night, losing on a late goal, so for once Buffalo will be (slightly) more well rested.  Enroth is firmly entrenched in the net, though I’m curious about what happens this weekend.  It’s a 7:30pm Versus game, though Dave Strader is calling it and he’s solid.  We do get more Pierre though, so look for Rob Ray to ‘accidently’ elbow him in between the benches tonight if he starts close-talking.  Let’s go.

  • Prediction Watch – A Recap

    If you recall, at the beginning of the year I gathered up as many of the Eastern Conference playoff predictions I could so we could compare the pundits’ prognostications to what really happened.  Now, one day before the playoffs, let’s take a look back and see who was close to right, and who was way off.

    As you can see, Corey Masisak and the SBNation Preseason Rankings were close, having Buffalo 6th and 7th respectively.  TSN and USA Today’s preseason power rankings also had Buffalo in the 9-11 range in all the NHL, solidly in the playoffs.  You can read the rest – some others weren’t very specific, just predicting a return to the playoffs or another division title.

    The most fun, though, are the ones who were really, really wrong.  Especially Tim Panaccio, the Flyer’s beat writer for CSN Philly.  I’ll put the whole thing here again to jog your memory:

    5. BUFFALO
    Lindy Ruff has been around longer than any other active coach in the league and will set a few records this season for both longevity (games coached) and victories. But as long as current ownership continues to wade in the middle of every season’s salary cap, the Sabres will never realize the dream of a Cup Final. Why goalie Ryan Miller hitched his wagon to this franchise long-term is beyond us. Buffalo is much weaker on defense, having lost both Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder. And the days of Michael Peca’s on-ice leadership are l-o-n-g gone.

    This gets even better if Buffalo takes out the Flyers in the first round.  (that’s 5th in the Northeast, picked below Toronto and Ottawa)  Of course, he couldn’t predict that a new owner would come in, or that Vanek would take that leadership mantle, or that the offseason acquisition of Jordan Leopold would work so well, but hey, who am I, right?  It’s kind of funny, looking back, at how many of these guys picked the Devils to be top 5 in the NHL.

    The Puck Daddy predictions were quite humorous, I was ready to talk up Erin Nicks for picking the Sabres to be 5th, but she also had the Devils first in their division, so that’s a wash.  Justin Bourne had Buffalo 7th but also had NJ and Ottawa in the playoffs.  Oops.

    So there you have it.  A great look at the preseason predictions that every columnist conveniently forgets about, unless they manage to hit on something right (which isn’t that often).

  • Back to Back

    Another weekend, another pair of back to back games for the Sabres.  Tonight they host the Florida Panthers (7:30pm start, take note) and tomorrow it’s the New Jersey Devils.  Steve Montador and Jochen Hecht practiced and may return, though lineup changes may be tough to justify.  Unless the Sabres burn one of the few remaining non-emergency callups they have, Mancari would have to go back if someone gets back in.  He’s played well (Lindy said Mancari/Gerbe/Gaustad might be their best line right now) so it’ll be interesting to see what is done.

    For Florida’s part, they’ve been shut out the past two games, by Chicago and the Rangers.  If I’m Ruff, and Enroth is in the plans for this weekend, I’d be tempted to put him in tonight.  Don’t think it happens though, with Miller fresh off a shutout.  Speaking of, it was GREAT to see Miller finally out-duel another good goalie.  If that can continue on into the playoffs, there’s no team they’d face in the first round that would intimidate me.

    New Jersey’s run is over, as they’ve fallen 9 points back of the Sabres and 8th place.  They’ve lost 3 of four, managing just 4 goals, and will also be on the downslope of a back to back.  I hesitate to ‘expect’ 4 points out of these games, but if I’m Buffalo, I’d be disappointed with anything less.

  • Oh, Kovy…

    Were it not for the fact he’s making a cubic buttload of money over the next 15 years, you’d almost feel sorry for Ilya Kovalchuk.  It’s obvious that he WANTS to help his team out but the harder he tries, the worse it goes.  Sort of like a Ben Stiller movie, it’s almost too embarrassing to watch.

    A lot of positives for Buffalo last night, with many of the big names contributing.  Derek Roy scored both in regulation and the shootout, Tyler Myers had a goal and 2 assists, and the +3 goes a long way towards getting him back where he belongs.  Enroth had an up and down game but made big saves when it counted (until he didn’t have to, thanks to Kovalchuk).  Is there any reason Enroth shouldn’t be the backup right now?  Leggio is killing it for the Pirates (currently 7-1), so let the Williamsville native take the reins.  How much of a loss is it if Lalime is lost via waivers, really?

  • Gameday 2010-2011 – Sabres at Devils

    Some things you will hear ad nauseum tonight:

    You get the idea.  It’s the battle of a backup goalie versus an AHL goalie, with both teams trying to claw their way out of the bottom of the Eastern conference.  Craig Rivet didn’t make the trip, looks like Butler back in.  Perhaps for the best.  Patrick Lalime is back as the backup, apparently his appendix is in fine working order.  Interesting how no one is clamoring for him now that Enroth won a game, including a solid shootout performance.

    I am cautiously optimistic about tonight, considering the opponent, it’s on the road, and they beat this same goalie not that long ago quite soundly.  Beyond that, not saying anything else until I see the effort from the past few games continue on for a few more.

  • The Road Warriors

    That’s what the Sabres are lacking, a dog (sorry Sabretooth)

    It’s kind of ridiculous, really.  We’ve seen plenty of ‘good signs’ for the Sabres at home, but they still haven’t gotten it done.  Then we see them blast the Devils, without Kovalchuk (seriously what the heck?) and Brodeur on the road, and it doesn’t tell us anything.  Tim Connolly, Tyler Myers, and Thomas Vanek are all scoring now, which is good, right?  But will it last?  Again, good signs abound, but these guys have to get it through their heads that they can do that to any team in the league, any given night.  We can see that they are capable of it, they have great passers, solid finishers, guys with great point shots, and a dominant goalie.  They just need to get things done.

    ***

    Okay, what the heck is up with Kovalchuk?  I’m not sure what the Devils and John MacLean hope to accomplish by sitting him – goal scorers don’t score/break slumps wearing a suit.  I can appreciate the desire to sit an underperforming player, but I feel that scorers just need to play out of it.  It’s also a PR NIGHTMARE for a team that also had tons of negative press over his contract to begin with.  Look at it this way:  before the bizarre Kovy benching, I would’ve shrugged off an NJ slump and assumed they’d get back in the mix by Christmas.  Now, I have a few more doubts, wondering about locker room issues and MacLean losing the team/getting fired.  Wouldn’t be the first time Lou has dumped a coach and taken over…

  • Calm Down

    Just a friendly reminder that Buffalo lost (regulation and OT/SO) 37 games last year en route to winning their division.  They 3 times lost 4 or more games in a row, including a stretch of 6 in a row.  I get the feeling they are still adjusting to new linemates/defense partners, and that certainly isn’t helped by Pominville being out.  There are definitely fixes that need to be made, but they sure do have plenty of time to make them.  Let it play out.

    Speaking of Pominville/Hjalmarsson, the suspension made Woot’s news aggregation/humor post.

    CHICAGO (UPI) — Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson has been suspended for two games following a questionable hit, ESPNChicago.com reported Tuesday.

    Hjalmarsson says that his hit, a techno cover of “Free Bird”, totally has precedent and is not even slightly questionable.

    Sounds like something a Swede would do.

  • Gameday 2010-2011 – Devils at Sabres

    Game four in a very busy schedule for the Sabres to start the season sees the undermanned New Jersey Devils visiting Buffalo for a 7pm game.  The Devils are icing a 16-skater lineup due to salary cap constraints, though it was 15 before former Sabres grinder Adam Mair was signed.  This will also be the return of Henrik Tallinder to Buffalo.

    All of this is well and good, but the talk is still all about Pominville, Hjalmarsson and the two game suspension.  Ryan Miller, as usual, was eloquent and should be one of the players’ most respected voices in the future.  Always look forward to his comments after something interesting happens.

    For tonight, Nathan Gerbe is in, and should see some PP time.  It seems obvious that the Sabres should try to skate fast and hard against the Devils in hopes of tiring them out, but it remains to be seen whether that will work.

  • You’ve got to go, Domino

    I’m with the side that doesn’t think there’s any huge deluge of FA signings now that Kovalchuk is off the board, but there are teams out there that still do need to add salary (or get rid of more than they already have).  The pickings are slim as far as big-impact in free agency, so what we might see are a series of trades from the cap-strapped to those under the floor.  Should be a bit more fun than waiting for Kovy, at any rate.