Shutdown Pair

Tag: sabres

  • Yeah Sabres!

    I haven’t felt compelled to post much of anything this preseason, as you may have noticed.  A touch of snark at the Leafs here, a bit of whimsy about Shanny’s player discipline for head-hunting there.  Beyond that though, nada.  I think there’s a good reason…I’m satisfied.  For the first time in a while, I so like what the team has done in the offseason I don’t feel the need to do a bunch of research, or scour Behind The Net’s advanced stats, to try and show you why Buffalo should be better this year than last.  The moves stand on their own.  They took a playoff team from last year, lost only a few players, replaced them with guys who are most likely quite a bit better.  Jhonas Enroth looks primed to be the solid backup goalie that we’ve waited years for, and Miller has been sharp early as well.

    I guess what I’m saying is, I need the season to start to find something to complain about, or praise highly.  I’m content.  Once the games start, I can champion someone’s cause for the Calder again, or show video of why Ehrhoff is an important player for the Sabres.  Let’s resolve to make this the best blogging and tweeting year for Sabres fans ever.  The season begins, and I’m ready.

  • The Shan-Hammer, Sabres Edition

    [poll id=”4″]

    Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall ban the hell out of head-targetting assclowns.

    I think we’ve all seen so far this pre-season that the ‘new sheriff’ Brendan Shanahan is wielding a big stick when it comes to player safety and suspensions.  This is good, as there are a LOT of dangerous hits that can be taken out of the game without a huge change to how it’s played.  With that being said, until the players fully integrate this level of enforcement into their game, it’s likely that there could continue to be suspensions at a prodigious rate.  I’m curious as to who you think might lead the way for Buffalo in the regular season?  I hope that it ends up being just one guy with a two-gamer, but I’m nervous that it won’t be.  Buffalo plays a phsyical game now, and adding a guy like Robyn Regehr is just going to enhance that.  Tyler Myers makes me nervous too, since he’s gotten more physical and his elbows are right at Scott Gomez head level.  Have a different candidate?  Let me know who you think.

  • Preseason – The Best Time to be a Leafs Fan

    I watched both Leafs games over the weekend (including the one here in Buffalo in person) and it struck me, watching the drunken obnoxious Toronto fans, that this must be their favorite time of year.  There is hope, manufactured by their fever dreams about their prospects.  Any win is an indication that things will go well this year, and a close loss is the Leafs ‘standing toe to toe with the “contender” Sabres’.  Can’t forget the quotes around that.  You can bet your ass they’d tout Buffalo as a contender (no quotes) if the Leafs had won either one of the games.  They are the first to try an smirk at the Sabres’ offseason pickups, so it was GREAT to see Ehrhoff being so instrumental in their defeat.  Oh, I almost forgot how much the Leafs fans enjoy snarking about the Sabres relying on Miller to win games, when their faint playoff hopes are basically on ‘Optimus Reim’ not being a Steve Mason-esque one year wonder.

    So crow while you can, Toronto.  Take close losses in the preseason as fact that you are ‘closer’ to your betters, but remember your place in the regular season.  Which is 4th in the division (hey, Ottawa won’t be any better).  At least you have that.

  • Sabres Win Pre-Season Opener

    It wasn’t pretty, but the Sabres got the win last night against the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1.  Gaustad and Gerbe scored in the third to take the lead and assisted on the other two goals, and Kaleta added an empty netter to seal it.  Brandon Sutter was your Canes goal scorer.  It definitely looked like a pre-season game for most of the first two periods, with Buffalo giving up chance after chance.  Jhonas Enroth (playing the second half) made some fantastic saves, and new guy Drew MacIntyre was solid.  We also had our first look at Leino in a Sabres uniform, and he looked pretty good.

    The Sabres play the Habs tomorrow night, possibly with some more of the regulars in the lineup.  I know some of the junior players are returning to their respective teams.  Hockey is back, and it feels great!

  • Teppo Numminen!

    Man, it’s like Terry Pegula and Ted Black are mindreaders.  I love the idea of Teppo as a coach here, even at the end of his career he was always a steadying and calming influence on whoever he was paired with.  He could always clear the zone (oftentimes when no one else could) and I obviously found his story pretty inspirational.  Anybody that would fight back from multiple heart surgeries to keep playing is someone I’d want influencing my young defensemen.  Good luck, Teppo!

  • Target: Buffalo

    Shield yourself against trolls this year guys

    It’s already started.  It may have started last year, even.  Tweeters and bloggers who left Buffalo alone, or held them up as an example of a team doing the best it could with less are disappearing.  Media members and pundits who ignored the Sabres are paying attention now.  Terry Pegula made sure of that.  Not all of the attention is positive, though.  Some folks have an agenda, or are simply grumpy morons.  They are trying their best to rile you up, mock the spending spree Terry is on, belittle the players on your favored team.  Do you know why?  There are two possibilities.

    1.  They are a fan of a team that is a Have.  Terry, Ted and Darcy are doing everything in their power (and copious wallet in the case of Mr. Pegula) to ensure the Sabres join that club.  Everyone hates the Nouveau Riche.

    2.  They are a fan of a team that is a Have-not.  Maybe their owner is a cheapskate, maybe they are non-existent.  The Pegula Sabres represent everything they hate about the big money teams.  Long-term deals to free agents, cap ‘circumvention’, and fans that are having fun with it.  We should all be miserable with them, you see.

    It’s hard to blame them – how long ago was it that Buffalo fit into that second category?  We decried every huge contract the big money teams signed, then found a way out of.  We saw free agents that grew up in our system signed away for stupid money, and told ourselves it was OK, they weren’t worth that money anyway.  Our pipeline has talent, we’ll do it the hard way.  Well, the tables have turned.  Buffalo has a solid pipeline of talent coming up, AND they were the ones signing guys for stupid money.

    So what should you do?  Taking pity on the haters doesn’t work, because their minds our made up – anything you say to them will just confirm how messed up and WRONG you are.  It’s probably best just to ignore them and enjoy the ride.  Nothing will infuriate them more.  BUT, sports isn’t fun without a rivalry, so remember what was said.  There’s nothing better than gloating later when an idiot is proven wrong.

  • Sabres, Tyler Myers Agree to Terms on a 7 Year Deal

    From a Sabres.com tweet.  No financial data out there yet.  WOO!

    edit:  7 years, $38.5million.  $12mil in first year (10 in bonus, 2 in salary).

  • You Gotta Wear Shades

    As in, the future is bright, man.  I watched a good portion of the Traverse City Tournament championship game that the Sabres prospects played in last night, which they won 5-2.  The most amazing thing to me, despite the Rangers-centric broadcast, is how much praise the Sabres were getting.  Our boys were being treated like the class of the tournament, the team the others were benchmarking themselves by.  It might even be right to do that, as they won several games in fairly resounding fashion (6-3, 6-3, 5-2).  There was one loss sandwiched in there but overall they were the class of the tourney.  Fun to watch.

    The other fun story from yesterday was the Season Ticket delivery.  Buffalo invited several of my fellow bloggers along for the ride, and you can read about Kate and Heather’s takes on it at their sites.  I need to ensure my email address ends up in Ted Black’s hands.  I want in next time!  I have very cute kids who could accompany me!  Seriously though, what an amazing adventure they had, and it’s great publicity for the Sabres to boot.  Good job, guys!

  • The Importance of Tyler Myers

    Ryan Lambert went trolling again, and I’m biting.  Tyler Myers is reportedly close to signing a contract (now variously reported as 6 or 7 years) for $5.5 million a year.  Most people seem to think this number fits in with the new NHL landscape, but not Lambert!  He thinks we should be storming HSBC Ar-uh, FN Center because of the money committed to Myers (possibly), Leino and Ehrhoff.  Never mind that the core of the team also includes Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek.  Is it risky to give a contract like that to a player so young?  Sure.  Buffalo is playing a different game now, and the risk is worth the reward.  Myers plays the toughest minutes of any Buffalo D, he plays PP and PK, he’s getting tougher with each passing year, and he’s got better teammates on the backend.  He’s important, and they are paying him like he’s important.

    I debated about whether to even post this, as it’s not like Lambert is going to be convinced of anything.  The only thing that will convince him that Regier is right to do this is to have Myers dominate the league this year (and hey, maybe for the next 6 or 7 too).  With Myers and Regehr (most likely to me) taking the toughest assignments, that will leave Ehrhoff to think offense.  Leino is a wild card, but he has some dynamic players to work with on the top two lines.  We don’t know what will happen, but it’s going to be an exhilarating ride.

  • Myers Close to an Extension

    Hey, more awesome Sabres news!  According to the venerable Bob McKenzie over at TSN, Tyler Myers (along with the Islanders’ John Tavares) is very close to signing a 6 yr contract extension, worth around $5.5mil per year.  If true (and if there’s anyone out there I’d trust for this, It’s Bob McKenzie) that’s a great number for Myers and the Sabres, and it clears out one potential bit of drama for next offseason.  I for one certainly don’t want to have any Stamkos-esque “hey what if we sign Myers to a huge offersheet?  I’ll hang up and listen” garbage from other fanbases.  Tyler has quickly become one of the faces of the team along with Ryan Miller, and is a key component in making and keeping this team a Cup contender.  I may seem like a broken record saying this, but I can’t wait for the season to start!