Shutdown Pair

Tag: sabres

  • Vanek Downs Flyers

    It wasn’t always pretty, but the Buffalo Sabres pulled away from the Philadelphia Flyers and won 5-2 today at First Niagara Center.  Thomas Vanek was in on every goal, scoring 2 of them, and Steve Ott scored in his first game.  Tyler Myers and Cody Hodgson had the other tallies.

    It felt like Buffalo came to play in the first, always close to the puck and pushing play up the ice.  They fell away from that early in the second period, however, and that’s when the Flyers took over and got their 2 goals.  Vanek tied it later though, and the Flyers’ dead legs didn’t do them any favors in the third.

    Who I liked:  Vanek, of course, and Cody Hodgson came on as the game went on, too.  Drew Stafford attempted to fight Scott Hartnell the second time the stupidest Flyer tried to ram a Sabre into the boards from behind.  Miller was very solid in the net, with both goals being deflected or screened.  He wasn’t grabbing as many pucks and freezing it as often as he usually does, but that may be the rust.  Ennis won 64% of his faceoffs, and Hodgson and Grigorenko were both positive as well.

    What I didn’t like:  John Scott was on the ice for 3 shifts totaling 2:10.  Why?  I realize Gerbe and Leino are both out but if you don’t trust him to play, dress someone else.

    Things I still don’t believe:  Vanek played 19 minutes, and took 9 shots.  NINE.  SHOTS.  I dream of games like that from him.

    I’ll see you again tomorrow night, as Buffalo is heading to Toronto to face the Leafs.

  • Gameday 2013 – Flyers at Sabres

    It sure was fun to type that title, and it’ll be even better to watch the game.  Let’s put the lockout in the rear view and enjoy the Sabres being back on the ice.  I won’t be at the game, though I will still be trying to get into the press box several times this year.

    Ville Leino may not be able to play today, with a nagging injury.  Nathan Gerbe is hurt but should be back soon.  We get to see the first game for Mikhail Grigorenko, as well as Steve Ott.  And John Scott I guess.  With so little camp action, and no pre-season games, I don’t have much more to put here, other than I’ll be recording the game and will have some thoughts on real, actual Sabres hockey afterwards.  Let’s go!

  • Things to Remember

    If you’re like me, and you tuned out the NHL a bit since the end of last year thanks to lockout shenanigans, you may be a bit fuzzy on some of the details surrounding the Sabres as they currently stand.  Here’s a handy list you can refer to, to help with your water cooler conversations.

    • Steve Ott, Adam Pardy, and John Scott are all Sabres.  Yes, Scott counts, even if he’ll be warming a press box seat.  (please don’t kill me John Scott)
    • Ville Leino is still a Sabre, too.  Sorry jerks, compliance buyouts start AFTER this season.
    • It is still funny when Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Myers stand next to each other.
    • Terry Pegula added a pit trap underneath the Sabres logo in the dressing room, so REALLY don’t walk on it, Harrington!  There’s no spikes at the bottom, but that IS where Harry Neale will be sitting, ready to regale you with the same stories about coaching in the WHA that you’ve heard thirty times.
    • Rob Ray will be in the booth next to RJ, so you can marvel at the way he makes ‘at all’ sound like ‘a tall’ even more.  Rayzor is thrilled, as Pierre McGuire was really starting to creep him out when sharing the space between the benches.
    • The Winnipeg Jets are a team again, in case you forgot.  They have not yet moved to the Western Conference, either.
    • Toronto fans will still be crossing the border to see their beloved Maple Leafs, until they take a look at the roster and decide shoving the money they’d be spending in the fireplace for heat would be a better use for it.
    • Tim Thomas is still crazy.
    • Milan Lucic was denied by the competition committee when he asked if he could use “one of those mart carts” on the ice.  He left the conference room dejectedly, though he did have to take a knee once to catch his breath.
    • Scott Gomez is still a Canadien.

    I hope that helps you get ready for training camp.  Go Sabres!

  • Goodbye Lockout, Hello Season

    You know, I didn’t sleep well last night, as you can tell by my 3am tweet on my non-hockey Twitter account about the movie Sahara.  I considered staying up for a while to see if anything was truly going to happen with CBA negotiations.  Nah, I thought – it might get done within the next few days, but not tonight.  Well, I guess it was technically this morning, but we’ll have a hockey season again!  I’m excited!

    What’s that?  Why am I not raging at them for taking so long?  Or declaring they’ll never get my money again, or any of the other hyperbolic statements you’ve been hearing (or making)?  I’ve had my moments, especially after some of the really stupid statements have come out, but I knew I’d come back.  When the league is good, it’s the best hockey played by the best players in the world.  It’s FUN.  So why not watch it?  So you can sound like you are making some grand statement?  Will you enjoy that more than a Vanek snipe, or RJ call of Miller robbing a dude?  Have fun, I guess.  I’ll be over here, waking my kids again when Pomiville scores an OT winner.

    I’ll have to reacquaint myself with the roster again – I did say I wouldn’t be checking in until things were done, and I mostly kept to that.  I know some other folks (especially ones that live in Rochester) have been doing solid work tracking the Amerks and our boys overseas, but I didn’t have the time to cover all of those different leagues.  I’ll be looking forward to talking real actual Sabres hockey with all of you again, and hey, maybe I’ll see you again in the press box.  (might have to get some well-read posts here, or my stats will look pathetic when I submit them!)

  • See You In December

    So, yeah, lockout.  I find myself particularly unmoved by either side of the equation this time around.  I can never understand how the negotiations move so slowly, always start later than seems logical, involve only a few actual meetings, and seem to treat an actual deadline as something of a suggestion.  Both can say they are all about the fans, but we’re being condescended to.  The only honest one out there so far (that I’ve seen) is Paul Bissonette.  He pointed out that the players are trying to protect their futures, which I get.  Especially for a plug like BizNasty, who will likely never make big bucks (for a pro athlete), and may have a short career thanks to a major part of his job is being pummeled in the head.  The owners, of course, have every right to want to make as much money as possible.  I do have some trouble believing their accounting on some of this, but the fact is, it is a business for them, even if they are fans too.  I could imagine that Terry Pegula’s “if I want to make money, I’ll drill another well” probably went over well with Jeremy Jacobs and his ilk.

    Anyway, now that the lockout is on, and the owners pulled the “this deal is only valid until tomorrow!” card out of the deck, I don’t expect much of anything to happen for a couple of months.  I can’t think the league will want to lose the Winter Classic, though that would be hilarious since Toronto’s involved.  But with little actual negotiating happening week to week, who knows at this point.  My interest wanes with every passing day, and football season is here for now.  I’ll see what’s up after Thanksgiving, or when the Bills are eliminated from playoff contention, whichever comes first.

  • Lockout

    Hey, this thing is still here!  I’ve been quiet on the Sabres blogging front here, because aside from the Dev Camp scrimmage, little of interest has been happening in these parts.  And looming over everything is the potential lockout.  I started out fairly positive that things would be resolved mostly on time.  The words being said about the process were positive, and not so excessive that it seemed one side was fighting the other in the media.  Progress from the last time around!  But it’s still dragging, and the numbers being thrown around are still in the “I’m going to ask for whatever the expert said it’s worth” phase on Pawn Stars.

    The last lockout was particularly painful for me.  I started watching hockey as a kid, but grew away from it as the game bogged down and got boring.  I went to a few games once I moved here, thanks to Adelphia giving away free tickets to it’s employees (my friends) like candy on Halloween.  I really got back into things in the playoff run leading up to the lockout, though.  I loved watching the Flames and the Lightning, and I was ready to be a full-fledged fan again…and then I got gut-punched.  I toughed it out, past the ridiculous posturing, stupid rumor bloggers and basketball. 

    What’s coming up next, though?  It looks more and more like this season doesn’t start on time.  I was quite enjoying the pressbox on the rare occasions I could get in there and was looking forward to seeing the progression of that this season.  It’s also pretty hard to build up my kids as fans when the game randomly disappears for months (or a whole year) at a time.  I’m not one to blog about the ‘negotiations’ between the NHL and NHLPA so this space will probably be somewhat dark barring major player movement or something similar.

  • Shifts in Strategy

    The Sabres have made some moves.  They usually do this time of year, especially since Pegula bought the team.  The theme so far has been to get tougher.  John Scott, a feared fighter (murdersaurus!) who will probably see limited action, was the first signing of FA for Buffalo.  More intriguing is the trade, sending Derek Roy out to Dallas, and getting Steve Ott and Adam Pardy in return.  Pardy is probably just a spare part that had to be tossed into the deal, and at $2 million, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get the Shaone Morrisonn treatment in Rochester.  Buffalo has too many D to find a spot for him here.  I mean, I’d rather have Sulzer as the seventh guy at $725,000.

    No, the interesting part of the swap is Roy/Ott.  I’ve defended Roy in the past, but it seems clear his welcome had worn thin with many people.  The team trades away offensive production for ‘grit’ and penalties.  Ott will not be a top 2 center, which leaves a hole to fill if you assume Hodgson is the number 2.  Ennis showed some skills as a C late last year, but it’d be risky to run him out there without a larger sample size to judge him on.  That leaves another trade as an option, and while I know Darcy can find guys that we think aren’t available and make it happen, I just can’t see who it is who is going to fill that role that Roy leaves empty.

    The X factor in this is Bobby Ryan.  Not a C, but if you want to replace Roy’s scoring potential, there you go.  Perennially over the 30 goal mark, Ryan could add some punch on the right side, where Stafford has failed to find consistency.  Unfortunately, Derek Roy had been one of the guys mentioned going back as a return, so now you’d be left with figuring out who Anaheim wants in return.  Ennis?  McNabb?  I don’t think we’d be getting off easy here, and many of us fans wouldn’t like what we’d lose.  Alexander Semin?  Somehow I don’t think he would get along with Lindy Ruff, but I wouldn’t fault the team for trying it out, if the cap hit can be managed.

    Buffalo is in an interesting spot here.  The old ‘core’ is getting slowly replaced by new guys, with Roy, Campbell, Goose and others out of town.  Can the young guns like Ennis, Gerbe, McNabb and the like step up?  Will there be a stud center on the team due to a trade out of left field?  The Sabres aren’t far out of the playoffs, but there hasn’t yet been a move that says “Yep, they just got closer”.  Big time right now for both Darcy and Lindy.

  • Sabres New Media Summit

    I was invited to, and will be attending, the third Buffalo Sabres ‘New Media Summit’.  They used to just say ‘Blogger’ there, but New Media sounds all professional-like.  If you have any questions, feel free to pass them on, and I will do my best to hide behind Phil from B&B&G and wait for someone else to ask them.  Seriously, I will ask what I can.  Time to dust off my dress pants!  The life of a blogger that works from home, I tell ya.

    Who else decided to go?

  • Sabres Thoughts

    Gotta get a few things out there.  First, I don’t care if your coach is an asshole.  He shouldn’t have to hold your hand or give you a pat on the back for your effort.  You left that behind when your mom was no longer waiting off the field or ice surface with orange slices and a bottle of water.  Second, he might be yelling because you are MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.  If we as fans are throwing our hands up in the air and shouting obscenities at you as you weakly pass across in front of your own net YET AGAIN, I can only imagine what Ruff is thinking.

    Look, I realize that emotions and personality play a part in all aspects of life, and for a hockey player, that includes hockey.  I’ve had bosses I didn’t like, but I kept working hard because I prided myself on it.  Didn’t mean I was happy with it, but I like working and money.  The stakes are a lot higher for these guys, but so is the compensation (and it’s guaranteed money).  Should you look for another job?  Okay, I can see that.  Don’t want to re-sign here?  Sure, maybe that’s the case.  But I think Mike Grier showed that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the hill.

    I am a generally positive guy.  I like this team, and most of the players and coaches.  When I say I want to see the Sabres win the Cup, it’s these guys I’m talking about.  I realize that players and coaches come and go (some cities have that a lot more than others) but on the whole, I’d like success for the home-grown talent and not free agent mercenaries.  With all that said, if Terry Pegula/Ted Black/Darcy (or a new GM) decide these guys need to go, let’s do it.  Now is the time, while the long term contract guys are still young.

    Okay, NOW you won’t hear from me much more after this.

  • Thus Ended

    The Sabres can no longer make the playoffs, and have one more meaningless game.  In the short term, I was ticked about it last night, but today, not so much.  It was a very difficult season in many ways, with injuries, underachievement, and media sniping.  The highs were really high, and the lows were rock-bottom.  We saw veterans and prospects leave (Gaustad, Gragnani, Kassian) and got a few new contributors (Hodgson, Sulzer).

    How do I feel about this season?  I’m disappointed that it won’t be going on to the playoffs, for sure.  There is talent here – and I think the deadline improved that overall – but injuries and some questionable play overrode that.  Next year’s roster won’t be that different, barring trades, as there are already 20 players under contract.  Hecht, Boyes, and the surprising Sulzer are UFAs, with TJ Brennan, Tyler Ennis and Patrick Kaleta as RFAs.  I can’t imagine either Hecht or Boyes being back.  Sulzer is interesting, though.  I’d love to keep him, as he showed some decent skills and kind of took that 6/7 D spot from Weber.  Ennis is a no-brainer, and I imagine Kaleta gets a deal.  That’s 13 forwards, including Marcus Foligno and Corey Tropp.  If Brennan and McNabb start with Rochester, that leaves Regehr, Ehrhoff, Myers, Leopold, Sekera, and Weber as the D pending something with Sulzer.  Of course, Miller/Enroth in the net.

    Do I think that’s where we end up?  I do not.  The Pegula era Sabres have already shown they are willing to deal guys to get guys, and we have parts and pieces other teams would covet.  July 1 is going to be interesting.  Buffalo will be a player again, a destination for players who hopefully see the improvements and potential here.

    I might post about the draft, and July 1, but expect this space to be fairly quiet in the offseason.  I’m planning on blog maintenance, such as trying different themes, stuff like that.  Might post up about the playoffs if the mood strikes, too.  I’ll still be on Twitter, and please check out my non-hockey gadget/movie/TV/book talk at Honk if you Love Justice.