Sabre Rattling

A Couple of Barn Burners

Between Thursday's annual "No Defense Here" Classic against the Lightning and this afternoon's apparent (and I say apparent as I forgot the game was a 2pm start time and was out with the wife) stinker from Ryan Miller the Sabres are certainly giving the fans in the seats something to get excited about.... The coaches, on the other hand, have got to be wondering just how many times they're going to have to repeat the mantra about how games leading up to the playoffs will get more and more tightly played.

I'm sorry I missed the game against the Flyers this afternoon.  As apparently three different Sabres teams showed up.  In the first period the sloppy, overly-cute Sabres-Peeps had their chance to strut their stuff and did their level best to spot the Flyers to a 2-0 lead.  In the 2nd the Edmonton Sabres showed up, outscoring the Flyers 4-3 with Ryan Miller doing his best Grant Fuhr impression... unfortunately that would be the 1998 Grant Fuhr and not the one that actually played with the Oilers back in the 80's.  In the 3rd the same team that beat Philly earlier in the year showed up (minus Rya Miller), apparently outskating and outworking the Flyers, drawing penalties, outshooting them 13-1 and outscoring them 2-0, with Mike Gri-ere potting the game-winner with just 4 seconds left.  In my mind that's karmic payback for tying the 'Canes the other night with 0.4 secs left and eventually beating them in the shootout.

Points of interest:

• Derek Roy has 2 hat tricks in as many weeks.  He's been playing with tenacity and fire.  He's had a hard look to him recently.  You can see it in his eyes. 
• Dmitri Kalinin and Tim Connolly both returned from their injuries.  Tri was paired with Teppo Numminen against Tampa the other night, and didn't look too bad.  He's comfortable on the left side and Numminen's game is simple and direct, which should help to ease Tri back into the lineup while he rebuilds his confidence
• Speaking of Teppo, he finally bulged the twine for the Sabres, having compiled an NHL record 32 assists before finally doing so.  Props to the Repo Man.
• Ryan Miller has finally showed a couple of cracks in his game.  According to the boys on HF, Philly victimized him a few times today glove-side high. He was replaced in the 3rd by Marty Biron, who got no real work, seeing only 1 shot.
• Maxim Afinogenov was benched in the 2nd half of the Tampa game.  He was notably brutal with the puck in his own zone.  I have no idea how bad he played today but with the return of everyone from the M.A.S.H. unit, his ice-time is going to decrease, especially if he isn't going to put out the effort or use his linemates.
• The Briere/Hecht/Dumont line has been simply amazing.  They scored a couple of goals on the rush against Tampa on Thursday that could best described as 'too easy.'  4 points for Hecht today. 

As much as I love the flurry of goals for, more defensive efforts like the 3rd period need to be forthcoming if the boys are going to be serious in their chasing Ottawa for the division title.

Ta,

Down the Back Stretch They Come...

Link: ESPN.com - NHL - NHL Standings.

The Olympic Break started today (dammit), and while it's obvious to everyone that the Sabres more than most teams really need this break in the season to get some people healthy and rested I can't help but think that this might not work to our advantage.   When a team has been playing as consistently as the Sabres have, you hate to break that up with an extended layoff, regardless of how many injuries you're nursing.  That said, though, at least the schedule affords us some hidden breaks.

Looking at the standings linked to above, the boys in the soon-to-be-replaced-if-the-rumors-are-true AGH sweaters have a couple of advantages over the two teams that they will be jostling for playoff position with, namely the Sens and the Flyers.

While the Sabres will play a balanced schedule of 13 games home and away the Sens have to play 14 games on the road, including a brutal stretch right after the break where they'll play 13 games in 21 days.  Within that time they'll have a 6 games in 8 nights on the road.  THe only good news about that trip is that it includes 2 games against Florida and 1 against Washington.  Oif!  Ottawa doesn't get 2 days off in a row until the 22nd and 23rd of March.  If there was ever a time where the Sabres were going to be serious about a run for the Division Lead, it should be then.

The Flyers, on the other hand, have played 2 more games than Buffalo and trail them by two points in the standings comeing into the break.  What's more, they still have 13 games on the road.  The only road trip of note is a swing through the Southeast and Pittsburgh.  Also of note is the 5 (yes, 5) games left against the Devils. 

For the Sabres the schedule has nothing that stands out as being particularly brutal, just 26 games in 49 days like the Sens.  The longest road trip is 3 games while the longest homestand is just 2 games.  There are 5 more meetings between them and the Maple Queefs and 4 more matchups with the Sens. 

Looking over the schedule I would say that every game is a must-win (no shock there) and that once the trade deadline passes I would hope that Lindy uses the expanded roster as a way to rotate people in and out to keep the team as fresh as possible.  One of the other happy outcomes of finding out about all of this depth in the organization is that we have options as to who to dress and who to sit/spell. 

Lasly, I've got to think that there is a significant trade coming.  It won't be a headline grabber, like the Joe Thornton trade, but something vital like the Briere for Gratton deal.  There's been some speculation amongst the HF faithful that the recent play of former 1st rounder Jri Novotny might make him an attractive bundle with either another forward or a goalie to pry loose a top-4 d-man from someone looking to get younger and cheaper...

I'll throw up some trade speculation in another post this week after I've given it a little more thought.  But, now it's time to gear up for the Olympic Tournament. 

Ta,

Underdogs No Longer: Sabres Knock off Sens in Shootout

Link: ESPN.com - NHL - Screen Shots: Sabres Biggest Underdogs.

This is a game we needed to play the way we played it.  It was a tough, physical, end-to-end game.  From the Peters/McGrattan tilt early in the first to Vanek's sick move to freeze Hasek and go... where else(?)...glove-gide high, this was a preview of the playoffs-to-come and I don't care what anyone else says, I'm looking forward to it with all of my being.

Buffalo vs. Ottawa, Saturday February 4th:

Coming into this game there were a lot of lingering questions about the Sabres in my mind.  I wanted to believe that they could skate with the Sens, they did.  As well, I wanted to believe we finally had a collection of shooters who could put a puck past Hasek.  Kotalik's one-timer was other-worldly.  Lastly, I wanted to believe that we could match whatever level the Sens took the game to and best it.  There were times in the 1st and 3rd period where I thought that the Sabres completely dictated the play.

What I believe now is that this Sabres squad is capable of all of those things and a few more.  With the return of Pyatt and Dumont this team has more edge, more sand.  With every game he plays Ryan MIller is solidifying his stranglehold on the Buffalo crease, and beginning to erase the disappointments of the past seasons and purge the ghost of Dom, with no biger step taken towards doing so than out dueling him in tonight's shootout. 

From the middle of the third period on, I knew this game was going to the shootout, I just felt it in my bones.  I didn't think either team would be able to break through the other's committment to not allowing another goal.  The Ottawa penalty killers were amazing in the third.  I've lost none of my respect for the club John Muckler has given Brian Murray to coach.  I've only gained respect for the squad that wears the sweaters I love to root for. 

Points of Interest:

• Jason Pominville and Paul Gaustad have truly arrived as NHL'ers.  Both were all over the ice tonight doing all the things that were expected of them and som that weren't.  Remember, I haven't seen a game in nearly amonth, and the difference for me was striking.
• Taylor Pyatt is beginning to show bits of being the power forward he was drafted to be.  And, he is a lot faster skater than I remember him being. 
• Ryan Miller has developed ice water in his veins.  At the beginning of the season I was still very worried about his mental toughness.  I don't worry about that anymore.  He has become nigh-unflappable. 
• The Sens ability to counterpunch is downright scary.  I noticed a lot fewer drop-passes and cute moves at their blueline late in the game than there were earlier.  It was trying to be fancy that got us into trouble against them earlier in the season and after a couple of attempts by Roy and, I think, Max early in the game I didn't see much of that after that stuff almost landed the puck in the back of our net.
• Our Power Play could survive the loss of Briere, but it can't survive losing Timmah! as well.  Connolly brings that rare combination of strength along the boards to control the puck and make the great pass to settle the power play down to set plays up. 
• This was Andrew Peters best game as a Sabre, and it was a great move by him to take mercy on McGrattan after breaking his nose and drawing blood.  Maybe we should send a tape of that to The Kaspar-fish, he might learn something.
• My heart couldn't take a 7 game series between these two teams.

That's two huge victories in the past 2 games, thoroughly out-skating the Flyers and playing Ottawa to a stand-still. For this effort we'll probably drop in the TSN standings because Kalinin got injured. 

Ta,

p.s. Don't just take my word for this, check out The Mirtle's thoughts on seeing the game live here.   Pay close attention to his praise for Goose and JPom.  My eyes misted over... :)

Turin the East: 9 in a Row on the Road

Link: James Mirtle: Team USA names Olympic hockey roster - A hockey journalist's blog.

Thanks to James Mirtle for posting up a good set of comparisons between the actual Olympic Roster for the US and a couple of different projections of what the team should have looked like. 

What I find fascinating is the performances put in last night by the two Sabres in contention who weren't picked for the team, namely Ryan Miller and Tim Connolly.  Miller, in his first start since October 28th, stopped 32 of 33 shots and out-dueled Antero Nittimaki in the SO to earn the Angry Goat Boys their 9th straight road victory.  While Timmah!, with all the pressure on him to score after Floppa put the B. Street Bullies ahead, came up enormous with a sweet back-hander to send the game into the regualr-season equivalent of Double OT allowing Max the opportunity to be the hero.  So, in the end last night's game was a big "Screw you" to Don Waddell et.al. over at US Olympic Central from the boys from Western NY and boy howdy, was it loud and clear.  Good job guys.

If injury was the reason why Miller was left off the squad then why take Robert Esche?  No slight to him, he's a fine goalie and I'm sure the decision was a tough one, but if performance was to be the ultimate arbiter, as Waddell has said, then Miller's 11 games should have been more than enough to warrant a better appraisal :

"Ryan's season started off very well as we all know, and then unfortunately he suffered the injury. Injuries are something that nobody can control. We felt that the three goaltenders we named are all starters with their hockey clubs and have had success with their hockey clubs."

How's that for double-speaking the situation.  Esche has had to fight off Nittimaki all season, John Grahame hasn't exactly set the world ablaze in Tampa and was soundly out-played by Miller in their one meeting in Grahame's barn earlier in the season (another SO win... where Miller stoned both Richards and St. Louis).  If anything Miller can only not be considered the starter in Buffalo because Marty Biron is only the hottest goalie in the friggin' league. 

As for Connolly, his inability to effectively play the wing probably hurt his chances more than anything, he's a centerman on a squad with too many already.  Couple that with his playing in the media black hole of Buffalo and it's an easy excuse for Waddell and Lavalamp to use.  Truth to tell he's more valuable as a penalty killer to that squad than Mark Parrish is as a reserve Right Wing, but hey, what do I know?  I mean, if Keith Tkachuk actually skates what are the chances of his taking a bunch of dumb penalties? 

Props to the Co-Captain, My Captain, Chris Drury for making the squad... not that there was any real doubt.  I will take some umbrage with Mr. Mirtle's line combinations though.  If Drury isn't centering the 4th line then he should be on Weight's Left Wing, not his right.  That's where he was in Colorado and that's the side he plays on the Sabres PP.  His normal linemates are Hecht and Grier.  He and Hecht flip-flop positions regualrly, while Grier is a RW and nothing else. 

There will be plenty of other Sabres in attendance during those two weeks in Italy as Teppo Numminen and Toni Lydman will certainly skate for Finland, Jochen Hecht for Germany.  Afinogenov will probably skate for the Russians along with maybe Kalinin.

As for the game itself, I listened to the radio feed and it seemed like a tight contest.  The Flyers seemed to have problems containing the Sabres once the boys found their legs in the second period, but Nittimaki came up huge a bunch of times.  Considering this was the 4th game in 6 nights for us, getting anything from the game was a plus.  I'm not going to read too much into this though, the Flyers are banged up right now so, any win is a good win but in no way am I convinced this team won't give us more trouble in the future. 

Ta,