Sabre Rattling

The Big Easy in Ottawa

Link: Buffalo News - Sabres go down effortlessly.

.... for the Ottawa Senators that is... and, well, for the Buffalo Sabres too, because if they continue to show the same lack of intensity, effort, and discipline in every game of this magnitude it'll be easy to predict the outcome come playoff time.

'Collectively sh?%^ing the bed,' as my counterpart at Hockey Country so eloquently put it, the Sabres were out played, hustled, worked, shot, hit, scored and classed in the first half of this game.  Only after Max beat Ray Emery on the short side did the Sabres begin to even look like they belonged in the same building as the Sens.  Up until that point Ryan Miller had been outstanding giving up 3 goals when he could have easily have given up twice that many and no one would have blamed him.  To be honest though, it didn't seem to me that Ottawa was getting a ton of outstanding shots as MSG flashed the Scoring Chances around the time of the Sabres' goal giving Ottawa the edge 9-3 even though they were outshooting the Sabres something like 27-6 at that point. 

The shift that produced Max's goal was the first one where the Sabres looked dangerous, actually getting through the neutral zone with speed and determination.  It was started by a great play by Derek Roy, one of the few people who got off the bus last night with the intention of outworking the Senators.  I've made mention of Roy's strength recently and last night confirmed those thoughts.  He and Danny Briere were the two guys trying to will the Sabres back into this game, and they nearly succeeded. 

To shift gears here for a minute and focus on the Senators, it was obvious to me that Bryan Murray sensed the Sabres' disinterest and sought to put them out of their misery early by feeding them a very steady diet of the Top 2 lines in the first period.  It seemed to me that every time I turned around Spezza and Heatley were on the ice.  Of course, it didn't help matters that the Sabres couldn't stay out of the box (regardless of the quality of the officiating).  The Sabres didn't really have an answer for them and were constantly hemmed in their own end, which was as much a function of the ferocious forechecking of the Sens and the lack of puck support exhibited by our forwards, who repeatedly left the zone before our defensemen even had control of the puck, no less a clear passing lane out of the zone.  So, multiple turnovers came from the D trying to move the puck to no one.   By the time the Sens went up 3-0 I was watching this game only to see how the Sabres responded to the situation, not expecting (or really even wanting) them to win the game, it was now important for them to lift themselves up during this game and try to contend.

Flashing forward to the 3rd period where Daniel Briere proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a star in this league; one of the most talented and tenacious players in all 3 zones.  Watching this game on TV you could see how badly he, personally, wanted this game, even when his teammates were letting him down.  Multiple times I saw him go in deep, challenge for the puck in the corner and foil Ottawa's breakout/turn the puck over to begin a cycle.  The second PP goal was a direct result of Briere's gutsy performance, setting the stage to lift his team on his shoulder's and bodily bring them back into contention.  I would not doubt that he personally apologized to Ryan Miller between periods.  ;)

Once this became a 3-2 game, it also became the Sabres.  Only then did they begin to attack the Sens, not playing with timidity and inordinate respect for the Sans.  And, it is here that Sabres fans can take comfort and Sens fans should be worried because the Sens were given (rightly or wrongly) every opportunity to put this game away and bury the Sabres and they didn't.  After the Sabres PP goal i knew they wouldn't get another one for the rest of the game.  The lengthy 5 on 3 that was gift-wrapped to the Sens which was almost personally killed off by Derek Roy and Ryan Miller to keep the game close may possibly be a turning point for a couple of players in our organization. 

In the end it wasn't our night, and it should not have been... the Senators deserved their two points, but in no way was the outcome of this game indicative of anything other than that the last 3 meetings between these teams should be doozies.  I don't think the Sens have another gear.  They threw everything they had at a Sabres squad playing with a stick in their ass and a quiver in their stomachs and only won 3-2.  My feeling is that if, and this is a HUGE if, the Sabres come out and play their best game against this Ottawa squad that we destroy them in a Big Easy of our own.

The burning question, of course, is are they capable of playing that game?  Until the next meeting my answer to that is "I have no idea."

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... :)

Well, At Least They Scored 4

Link: WGR SportsRadio 550 : Home of the Buffalo Sabres.

Buffalo vs. Ottawa, 11/2/05

The title of this article says it all.  Miller gone 6-8 weeks with a fractured finger and the Sabres give up 10 to the class of the NHL, the Ottawa Senators.  To go into much depth on this game would do it a dissrervice because frankly there's not much to be said that the score doesn't say. 

The Sabres and Ottawa, while they are members of the same division are obviously playing two different games.  Compared to the Sens the Sabres are the Pittsburgh Penguins, unfocused, chaotic, individualistic and slow.  Chris McMurtry over at Hockey Country has a good run-down on the game last night.  The things to take away from this shellacking are as follows:

• Brian Campbell and Rory Fitzpatrick cannot both dress against any team with playoff aspirations.  With Toni Lydman out indefinately with a groin pull means November cannot end quick enough.  Neither are fast enough or talented enough to be out on the ice with guys half as talented as Jason Spezza, no less Spezza himself.
• The more this team struggles, the more Chris Drury is showing up.  This is a good sign.  One of the few positives from last night's game was how hard he worked in the 2nd period with Jochen Hecht to try and make a game out of this.  His work fed Danny Briere and for a while it looked like they could take this game back from the Sens. 
• Unfortunately, Mika Noronen blows chunks (Noronen fans just keep quiet, I've heard it all before a thousand times).  Biron wasn't any better last night, certainly, but Noronen was handed an opportunity to steal this game back and was incapable of doing so.  Goals 6 and 7 were stops he had to make, or at least look like he had a chance in hell of stopping. 
• Biron needs to start both games against the Habs this weekend.  Of the two goalies he's seems almost comfortable with the speed of the NHL.  Granted Ottawa made him look otherwise last night, but then again, they made most of our roster look similarly.  While Marty had pucks dribble through him, at least he was in position to make the save.  Noronen was might as well have been on the bench for all the chance he had to stop most of the rubber he saw.  Pitiful.
• Vanek needs to be either sat out for a game (or 6) or sent to Rochester.  Period.  His game is non-existent at this point.  He made a nice play on one of the goals last night, but he won't play any kind of defense.... ever!  Waving your stick somewhere in the vicinity of your check while they skate, full-speed, at your defensemen is not playing defense.  Earth to Thomas, you are not Mario Lemieux.  Hit somone, make a play, move your legs... do some friggin thing!  Bring up Derek Roy and Jason Pominville now to replace both Vanek and the injured Mike Grier. Update: According to a fan who caught the local coverage of the game Jim Lorentz (Buff's color commentator) was told by Lindy Ruff that Vanek has been battling the flu.  If true that would explain a lot.
• The time is now to make a move for another defensemen.  Period.  Overpay if necessary.  We cannot get blown out by division rivals because of one injury on defense.  That is unacceptable.  More reason why Biron needs to start and try to get in a groove.  If Kevin Lowe wants to move Steve Staois, then Darth Fair Value needs to do something to get it done.  One more night of Fitzie and Campbell and I'm going bug hunting in Silithus with the Acid Queen! (World of Warcrack reference).

WGR also has Ryan Miller's post-game comments available.  At least he is staying positive.

Also of note, Lindy Ruff hasn't been talking much to the press lately.  What a shock there!

Ta,

Weekend Roundup: The Good and the Not-So-Good

So, Friday starts off pretty damn well, I get up to go to work only to find out it's a half-day due to it being Homecoming Weekend for Florida.  It's cluelessness like that that still leave me being just a southerner-in-training.... well, that and my having not shot and cleaned a deer yet.  When I say things like, "But I used to love college football," with a plaintive and hopeful look like the one my dog gets when I'm chewing on a piece of steak and looking right at him, I still get disapproving looks from the Keepers of the Southern Flame.  I get sympathy for my stance about the Second American Revolution and hating Lincoln, but....... no college football.... no admittance to the group.  Application Denied!

Forget the fact that all of the above is strictly in my head, and I guess it's up to you to decide where my head should reside.  Regardless of all of that, having just a half day of work on Friday and only two uncomfortable conversations with co-workers and family ahead of me on the schedule, things looked great for an evening of serious couch-potato(e)ing.... After frittering away the hours leading up to the puck drop power-levelling my Druid on World of Warcrack I sat down next to the wife with a bowl of nuts, a glass of whiskey (Eagle Rare,10 yr, single barrel bourbon... not bad... a little too sweet) and my slavish fan-boy devotion to the guys in the Angry Goat Heads.

It was Boston vs. Buffalo... and the B's were banged up.  Things looked good for our boys.  7:30pm rolls around, we switch the satellite receiver to the appropriate channel of NHL Center Ice ready to receive the dulcet tones of Rick Jeanneret giving us the pre-game run down only to find a game of CFL Football.  Ahh, sweet irony. 

Quick!  To the Bat-Internet-Connection!.... check with HF to find out what the story is....Apparently the deal between DirecTV and MSG had gotten signed only minutes beforehand, otherwise the Sabres game would not have been showing.  I guess the game wasn't on NESN for some reason.  After about 5 minutes of obsessively switching back and forth between where the Sabres should have been and some other games... the feed changed from CFL Football to the DirecTV "Technical Difficulties' screen.  Things were looking up, at least now that channel was worth watching.... :)

After about 15 minutes of idling around flipping through the other games, waiting for them to get things straightened out I switch back to 'blue and white' channel to see the not-so-glorious  non-AGH 3rd jerseys flying (well, bumbling really... the first 10 minutes were not good hockey) around the ice at the HSBC arena.  The comforting sounds of Rick and Jim were in evidence, even if they had to compete with a bad crowd mix, and all was much better with the world.

Things got even better in the second period when the Sabres out-worked and out-skated Boston to a 2-0 lead.  It was one thing to put up numbers against the disorganized Isles, it's quite another to do so against the harder-working, more balanced Bruins.  Ryan Miller was just fabulous in this game, none of the jitters or over-committment that was evident in the game on Wednesday was visible on Friday.  The top line is going to start garnering more attention, which should open up the ice for the 3rd line (Kotalik-Connolly-Afinogenov).  The 2nd line has the unenviable position of being both the checking line and the top PK'ers.  I'll be surprised if Drury and Hecht's numbers meet my original projections for them this year, to be honest.  Someone has to draw the tough assignment, and Gaustad/Pyatt are not quite ready for it yet. 

Speaking of those guys I really like what they bring to the table.  Pyatt has been an absolute horse out there.  More physical and more aggressive.  He's been attacking defenders coming through the neutral zone, using his body to shield the puck and gain the zone.  When the fourth line has the puck in the offensive zone and can handle themselves against the opposition's 2nd line, that's a tactical victory that won't show up on the scoresheet, but will win you games.  Those guys need to keep up the hard work. 

The third period was a good test for Miller.  Boston came at him hard through the first ten minutes and he rose to the occassion.  We could have easily surrendered the lead during that stretch... the B's were that good.  But, we got some outstanding work from both Jay McKee and Henrik Tallinder then, both playing very smart, very steady in their own zone.  Two quick notes on these guys...

1. McKee is beginning to look like the Jay McKee pre run in with Mount Mario.  The weight he's lost is evident in how much better his skating is... which translates into better postioning and better puck movement.
2. Tallinder has grown up a lot and is beginning to look like Mattias Ohlund out there.  Not flashy... no one aspect of his game stands out from any other.  He skates, moves the puck, makes good decisions and surprisingly, has a good shot from the point.  He uncorked it twice on Friday and both were well-timed/placed.  The first one turned into the 2nd assist on Grier's goal.

The sign of a good team is one that can weather a storm and then capitalize on the other team's mistakes.  The goal by Ales Kotalik was a perfect example of this.  Lindy Ruff had been trying to get "Al" more ice-time, and he did so by shifting up his bottom two lines and not playing Andrew Peters much.  Kotalik has been the beneficiary, teaming up with both Connolly and Gaustad.  It was 'Goose' who made the play at the blueline to trap Brian Leetch and spring Al.  He has a monster of a shot (if he could pass worth a damn would be a star in this league) which he uncorked on Andrew Raycroft beating him far-side high, ringing it off the inside of the post.

Max's goal sealed what was a near perfect game from the boys in Red, Black and White. 

The less said about saturday's whitewash in Ottawa, the better.  Honestly, I wasn't expecting much, and for the most part they lived up to my expectations.  3 games in 4 nights on the road against the class of the Eastern Conference.  Ottawa did to the Sabres what the Sabres did to Boston the night before.  They were quicker, sharper and more committed.  Had Hasek let in a goal during the first period, we might have had a chance, but the boys were out of gas in the third period, and what was a close game became a rout quickly.  The game-surfing started once it went 4-0.  Hats off to the Sens, they are a squad to be emulated not envied.

Ta,

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall... Part 1

I love being new at something.  This is now the third time I've started this message and I'm hoping like heck it is my last.  Anyway, back to hockey:

With the UFA pandemonium finally subsiding, we can start to take a look at the Sabres competition, namely their rivals in the Northeast Division.

Ottawa:

Departures-

Radek Bonk C/LW (Montreal via trade to LA)

Todd White C (Minnesota via trade)

Jacques Martin Coach (Fired, now coaching Florida)

Patrick Lalime G (St. Louis via trade)

Martin Prusek G (UFA signed with Columbus)

Curtis Leschyshyn D (UFA signed with Colorado)

Arrivals -

Dominik Hasek G (UFA from Detroit)

Ray Emery G (AHL promotion)

Steve Martins C (UFA from St. Louis)

Tomas Malec D (UFA from Anaheim)

In Limbo -

Peter Bondra and Shaun Van Allen (UFA's)

Overall, this is still the team to beat in the division.  They brought in an aging Hasek, who we know wont be all-world but who does have swagger and the ability to win games single-handedly.  Emery should be fine as his backup.  The defense is absolutely loaded:  Chara, Redden, Phillips, Volchenkov, de Vries, Porthier.  Their scoring is stacked with the likes of Hossa, Havlat, Spezza, and Alfredsson plus they have some excellent support players in Fisher, Varada, Schaefer, Vermette, and Neil.  Their questions are few, though Hasek's health is primary.  LW and second line centre scoring are also possible concerns on the ice, and cap issues may be a distraction off the ice.  But this is still one of the best teams in all of hockey IMHO.  And they faceoff with Buffalo 8 times this year....