Once again, Sabres fans are banging their heads against the wall as inconsistency threatens to dash our playoff hopes once again. Some wanted to mark the inability to beat the Senators as our swan-song, however, you must keep these things in mind.
First, it was our third game in four nights, and second in two; a game that Lindy should have placed newest member, Telqvist between the pipes giving Lallime a brief break from action. The veteran instead found himself tired and berated by shots most of the time not close to being stopped by our horrible play in our end of the ice.
Second, Ottawa has our number this year. Every team, even the best, always will face an opponant who no matter how good or bad their record, you just cant win against them. In the past, the Panthers have been that team for us. This year, as in years past, the Sens have been that team as well.
Also, do not forget that no matter how well the Sens do from this point on, they are not making the playoffs.
The Sabres, despite the current position, are still only three points out of the mix, and still have a game at hand. So despite the current picture, the Sabres are actually in a very good position.
Now, with that being said, they will require continued success against the Flyers tonight, and the other teams that are in the current Eastern mix for the playoffs. Buffalo has been quite good with those teams so far, and I will still predict that the faltering teams of the Rangers, and the Canadians, with their coaching issue, will find themselves out when we get to April.
Calm yourselves Buffalonians… after all, not only can the Sabres be back in the playoffs this year, but the Bills even have Terrell Owens. So get your popcorn ready Buffalo. It should be a fun time in sports.
Picture: Ryan Grimshaw (Rochester–Harvard) and a few western N.Y. teammates at the Empire State Games in 2008. The western New York region men’s ice hockey team has won eight consecutive Empire State gold medals. The tournament is a set of annual Olympic-style competitions for amateur athletes from the state of New York, divided into six different regions of the state: Adirondack, Central, Hudson Valley, Long Island, New York City and the Western region.
Does Minnesota really deserve to be called “The State of Hockey?”
Eh…maybe…if one state was already the 11th province, but, comparatively, the state of Minnesota does not stand a chance to upstate New York and specifically, the western region.
Minnesota and upstate have three things in common: They border our northern neighbors, Canada; have a major city called Rochester and its residents praise ice hockey, but upstate has quite a bit of an edge when it comes down the sport, itself.
Because upstate is clouded by the misconception that everything in New York, is merely the Big Apple, one must draw the conclusion that, while “the city” and its metropolitan area makes up more than half of the state population, it only takes up about 118-miles of a state that has more than 55,000.
In fact, in just upstate, alone, most of New England (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut—minus Rhode Island) can fit within its limits and this is where the bulk of ice hockey reigns supreme.
Believe it or not, according to Fromtherink.com, an online sports magazine “for the fans,” upstate produces the most collegiate, amateur, Olympic and NHL players from the United States than another state in the country—the majority of players come from the state’s second and third largest cities: Buffalo and Rochester or generally known as western New York.
Reports from NHL.com indicate that upstate provides an average of three players a year to the league’s first round draft, since documented in 1963.
Upstate produces the most NCAA Division I colleges and universities for men and women’s ice hockey, while often making the Associated Press and other ice hockey poll’s top 25 list with Clarkson, Cornell, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and St. Lawrence, to name a few of the elite.
According to USCHO rankings, in both men and women’s Division III top 10, upstate gives the poll four teams, while the rest of the colleges come from various states across the rest of the Great Lakes region, mid-Atlantic, Northeast and upper Midwest.
The majority of the future NHL’s talent is produced in upstate due to holding four AHL teams—more than any state: Albany River Rats (Carolina Hurricanes), Binghamton Senators (Ottawa Senators), Rochester Americans (Florida Panthers) and Syracuse Crunch (Columbus Blue Jackets).
Everyday is hockey day across upstate—at every level.
Upstate is America’s hockey showcase.
At 20 below zero in Plattsburg, the state’s northernmost recognized city, you can find men, women and children, of all ages, gearing up for a competitive game of pond hockey on Lake Champlain.
Head south four-hours to the state’s capital, Albany, in the summer and you’ll see, at any hour, people blocking the roads with their nets and teams battling for a street hockey victory.
Go west, five-hours, past central New York’s hockey zone in Syracuse, to Buffalo-Niagara Falls and you’ll find people counting down the days to mid-September when the city usually sees its first frost and signs of frozen ponds around Lake Erie, and a parade of western New Yorkers rioting in the streets during a Sabres game.
…And just 50-miles northeast in Rochester, you’ll see people shouting across the border to their friendly Canadian neighbors to “come on over” or boat across Lake Ontario to play in the annual Battle of the Border Cup challenge: Canada (Burlington, Ontario) versus USA (Rochester).
As USA Hockey, the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based national organization headquarters, proclaims and promotes “Hockey Weekend Across America,” the signals about the pastime’s popularity influence and reach in the U.S. gets seemingly more mixed every day, but it depends on where and how you look at it:
1. Geographically;
2. Organizationally.
While Sun Belt NHL franchises are struggling, youth hockey is gaining popularity in those areas.
Watching their NHL team on TV generates interest that goes beyond paying $50 for a ticket. Players from “non-traditional” areas in the U.S. are starting to show up in the NHL and that trend will, hopefully, continue.
The often-disdainful focus on Sun Belt markets, in some ways, misses a bigger issue.
Especially in this economy, the only way most U.S. markets will fill or come close to filling, their buildings, is if their teams win—and win in stretches sustained enough to create a demand for season tickets, the pressure to be the first in line for single-game tickets or to use the league’s officially sanctioned ticket exchange service.
That’s as true in Buffalo, Detroit and the Twin Cities, as it is in Florida and Phoenix.
Go back to the regression that happened during the AHL Rochester–NHL Buffalo affiliation debacle. It was one of the reasons, owners, Tom Golisano (Sabres) teamed up with Steve Donner (Americans) and got away with taking the Sabres’ affiliation northeast to Portland, Maine.
It’s near to impossible that this situation could happen again and that’s to say that if there is a U.S. market that now seems immune to drastic fluctuations in the league, it’s Buffalo, where the Sabres have sold out every game, since then.
Although, Detroit has deemed the name Hockeytown, USA, NHL editor for Yahoo!, Ross McKeon, dug inside NHL information and discovered that Buffalo was the runner up, only losing due to lack of Stanley Cup appearances. “It was an unfortunate time for Buffalo when the league picked the heart of ‘Hockey Town’,” McKeon said.
However, in 2006, there was a grassroots movement to western New York and Buffalo was labeled as the “New Hockeytown” by Ilitch Holding, Inc., the parent company of the Red Wings, due to an overwhelming fan presence that was previously clouded by Minnesota and Detroit, and the state’s general reputation.
The only time Buffalo failed to sell every seat in their arena was on Oct. 15, 1972 when it was only 475 seats under capacity.
Buffalo is the only city that hosts an NHL team that, not only, sells out every game, including pre and post season, but also holds and sells space for people to sit outside the Sabres’ HSBC Arena and watch the game on the large, erected video screen in the parking lot.
While the sport has been ingrained in the upstate culture for generations, perhaps in some places, as much as in Canada, the reach now is more pervasive than it has been.
Upstate, of course, is only one of a few hockey-loving regions that are preeminent on the country’s hockey scene, along with the rest of the Great Lakes region, mid-Atlantic, Northeast and upper Midwest, but it’s the leader.
The Olympic Centre located in Lake Placid, N.Y. was home to the 1932 and 1980 Olympics, where the U.S. men’s hockey team made history in winning gold, coming in as the underdogs.
The Olympic Centre is not just about history, though.
Today, its four fully operating rinks provide an adventure for hockey players in the “true upstate” and east central-southeastern Vermont regions.
One of the rinks that the Olympic Centre features is the Herb Brooks Arena, named after the legendary Olympic coach who led the unheralded 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to its historic defeat of the Soviet Union and ultimately, a gold medal.
At almost 8,000, the Herb Brooks Arena has the largest seating capacity of the Olympic Centre’s indoor rinks. This part of the Olympic Centre was officially dedicated to Herb Brooks on Feb. 23, 2005, the night of the pinnacle celebration for the 25th anniversary of the 1980 Winter Games.
There’s an average of more than 15 hockey jerseys, of professional and high school players to come out of the respective area, on display at all professional ice hockey arenas—including the Olympic Centre—as part of the museum-like atmosphere you can see at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
This advertises the sport’s reach that makes arriving early to the arenas and taking a walk around the main concourses advisable for first-time visitors.
Part of the experience is knowing that high schools and towns in the area bore a plethora of NHL standouts like Jason Bonsignore (Rochester–Edmonton Oilers); Tim Connolly (Syracuse–Buffalo Sabres); Brian Gionta (Rochester–New Jersey Devils), captain of the U.S. Olympic Team; Pat Kane (South Buffalo–Chicago Blackhawks), the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2007, etc.
The World Junior Hockey Championship, which is held at the, more than, 19 thousand seated HSBC Arena, is the same arena where the Sabres play and will make history in 2011 as the first city in New York State to hold this tournament and only the fifth U.S. city to host the championships in its 32-year existence.
Dwyer Arena on the campus of Niagara University will serve as the secondary facility for the event.
“Buffalo is a wonderful city and we could not be more pleased to be bringing the World Juniors to western New York,” Ron DeGregorio, president of USA Hockey, said. “The Sabres are a first-class organization, and the participants and fans from around the world will have the chance to experience that first hand.”
“We are honored that USA Hockey has chosen the Buffalo Sabres and HSBC Arena as the host for the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Tournament,” Tom Golisano, Rochester native and owner of the Buffalo Sabres, said. “All of western New York will benefit greatly from this world-class event being staged right here in Buffalo.”
“The interest level of the World Junior Championship continues to grow,” Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey, said. “The tournament is a crown jewel within international hockey circles and an event at which fans will see the future stars of the National Hockey League and Olympic games.”
The United States has earned six medals in the event’s history, claiming gold in 2004 and 2008, silver in 1997 and bronze in 1986, 1992 and 2007. Team USA has played for a medal in each of the last six World Junior Championships.
Recently, several junior hockey players from upstate have participated in the World Juniors: Mike Cieslak (Rochester–Vermont), Ryan Grimshaw (Rochester–Harvard), Kevin McCarey (Baldwinsville, N.Y.–New Hampshire), Kevin Montgomery (Rochester – Ohio State/London Knights OHL), Jeremy Morin (Auburn, N.Y.–Pioneer High School), Joe Palmer (Yorkville, N.Y.–Ohio State), etc. A few years ago, Stephen Gionta (Rochester–Lowell Devils), Brooks Orpik (Amherst, N.Y.–Pittsburgh Penguins), Adam Reasoner (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.–Boston College), etc. participated in the games.
Another one, of many, hockey events to happen in upstate, was the NHL Winter Classic held in Orchard Park, N.Y., at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills, between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Winter Classic in Buffalo was the first NHL outdoor game and to date, it attracted the most fans and sold more seats than any Winter Classic, with an attendance of 57,167.
On Jan. 1, 2008, in a blizzard, high of 23-degree-day and more than, already, 60-inches of snow, Sabres fans were not phased by the weather.
Some fans went shirtless sitting outside with their favorite hockey player’s number painted on their chest, while Pittsburgh fans shivered uncontrollably in their seats, as more snow and temperatures dropped drastically, hoping for a victory.
Unfortunately for Sabres fans, the Pens got just that.
Out shooting the Sabres by seven shots on goal, Pittsburgh eventually won in a shootout, 2-1, but despite a failed attempt by Buffalo, they still made league and franchise history.
Western New York Hockey Magazine featured several articles on first hand experience of the Winter Classic, including player interviews and broke down all major hockey events happening in the area.
“The magazine is the definitive guide and source for local hockey action,” publisher, Steve Mason, said. “You’ll find great photos, features and articles from award-winning writers like Hockey Hall of Fame writer, Jim Kelley—plus all the news from this country’s ‘Hockey Hotbed’!”
Just last year, the magazine took an in-depth look at two of the nation’s most prominent tournaments, held right in the World’s Imaging Centre, Rochester.
In 2007, western New York experienced two major hockey tournaments in the city of Rochester by hosting the Atlantic Hockey Conference Championship and Division I collegiate club championships, at the nearly 12 thousand seating capacity of Blue Cross Arena, home of the AHL’s Rochester “Amerks.”
Both tournaments were a success, bringing in revenue and thousands to the city, and settling a victory for RIT and Robert Morris (Moon Township, Penn.).
College hockey, including the ranked teams mentioned in the beginning, remain popular around the state, and brings an estimated 25 percent of fans into the New York border from Ontario and Québec.
“With their love of hockey, French speaking people and number of Canadians there, upstate really should be the 11th province,” contributing online blog writer, Miguel Cardosa, said. “There is no doubt, that ‘state’ eats, sleeps and breathes ice hockey…all year long.”
Take, for example, even something most people think as small as high school hockey; it’s all some towns have and the only time you’ll ever see the streets of Potsdam, N.Y., a small town in the “true upstate,” ever have a traffic jam.
According to Americanhockeycenter.com, the largest high school ice hockey tournament in the U.S. is held in Rochester with the Rochester Rumble Hockey Tournament. All division AAA teams from the state and selected hockey teams from across the country enter the tournament held at the ESL Sports Centre. All tournament finalists are invited to participate in the season ending Advanced Tournaments “Tournament of Champions.”
It’s difficult for upstate to have more of a “State of Hockey” résumé than Marty Reasoner. Playing for McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, Reasoner was awarded several NCAA, Olympic and NHL awards, including Rookie of the Year and tournament MVPs, and is part of the display that honors the hockey arenas in western New York.
He played three seasons at Boston College before turning pro with the St. Louis Blue in 1998 and started his World Championship career in 2002 with the U.S. Olympic Team in Sweden. His NHL career is still prospering while he was just traded, last year, to the Atlanta Thrashers from Edmonton.
As for other upstate hockey players, the Buffalo Sabres have a roster of more players from upstate than any other team. “There’s nothing like playing at home for my favorite team growing up as a kid,” Patrick Kaleta (Angola, N.Y.), forward for the Sabres, said.
Other upstaters who play in Buffalo with the Sabres are Tim Connolly (Syracuse), Tim Kennedy (Buffalo), Matt MacDonald (Niagara Falls) and Derek Whitmore (Rochester), and Andrew Peters is from nearby, St. Catherines, Ontario.
These hometown heroes are the reason hockey is so eminent in upstate and gives a reason to believe, especially during times of crisis.
When tragedy hit on Feb. 12, 2009, when Continental Airline flight 3407 crashed into a suburban Buffalo home, it created a devastated western New York. “Hometown heroes” and local hockey clubs helped keep the focus off the devastation by helping out and playing games.
The Sabres had a moment of silence during the Buffalo-San Jose game, that next day and the region began feeling slightly at peace with the situation.
The league had offered the Sabres an option to postpone the game, but the team refused the proposal, because it would give residents a moment to forget about their sorrows.
This story was heard around the country and helped the sport gain respect.
Hockey fans in upstate are quick to admit that there is not enough advertising to hightlight that a region of New York State, of all places, is the country’s hockey heaven or the real “State of Hockey.”
Yes, upstate lives this sport.
Goaltender:
1) A position in ice hockey that attempts to prevent the puck from entering the goal.
2) A player who gives his team a chance to win.
The Sabres battled back several times from a goal down and dropped a dismal third period to the Ottawa Senators for a final score of 6-3 at Scotiabank Place. Buffalo had some bad plays in their own end, and some turnovers, but the excellent play of Patrick Lalime subsided into the normal, run-of-the-mill washed up goalie Patrick Lalime that we all know and dislike. He had some good saves, too, mind you, but none of the borderline tough plays were made by Lalime, resulting in a loss.
After a convincing first period between the two teams, the score was 1-1. The first goal was scored by Daniel Alfredsson on the power play. He ripped one upstairs while he was walking in and the puck found its way over the shoulder of Lalime. Buffalo answered with a power play tally of their own when Drew Stafford wristed one past Elliott, who was slow to get over.
The Sabres came out F-L-A-T in the second. Midway through the period, Chris Kelly received a pass at the point he slapped past Lalime. This was one of Lalime’s soft goals in my opinion. No screen, no one anywhere near the shooting lane, clear view of the shooter and all, and Lalime still couldn’t get the glove on it.
Thomas Vanek responded by grabbing a puck in the slot, spinning around, and wristing one past Elliott. Ottawa got one right back when Nick Foligno took advantage of a poor positioning choice by Lalime, who left a gaping five hole for a tap-in.
Should Foligno have been picked up? Yes. Should Lalime have had the paddle down? Absolutely.
Jochen Hecht scored an ugly power play wrap-around goal off the butt of Elliott’s stick to tie the game at 3-3. Chris Campoli, fresh from the Islanders, shot one from halfway up the boards, through a screen, and into the net. Ottawa would not let up.
A 2-on-1 with five minutes left in the game resulted in another Senator goal. Ryan Shannon passed around an out-stretched pass-blocking Toni Lydman’s skates for a Nick Foligno tap-in. Lydman went down too early; Lalime bit on a faked shot and committed, making it easy for Foligno to finish the six-footer.
A Rivet flip-dump out of the zone would put the icing on the cake for the Senators. A long pass to Alfredsson and a 30-foot wrister looked like it handcuffed Lalime. He once again had full view of the shooter with no obstruction or misdirection and couldn’t get anything on it. It’s shots like that which could be steered away for the team to get a chance to win.
Now, let me reinforce that Lalime had his good moments, too, and it’s not like the whole game is on him. There were a few too many defensive miscues and botched plays.
However, like many Buffalo fans, I feel like Ryan Miller could have stolen this one for the Sabres. Though the stats are much the same for Tellqvist, he somehow managed to compile a much better record of 7-5-1 with what many consider a lesser team in front of him. I look forward to his debut this week, and hope to see a spark in his play that gives Buffalo a chance to win.
Tonight could have been seen as the Buffalo Sabre’s swan song. Coming off two straight games of dominance Buffalo looked to make it three wins in a row against the Ottawa Senators.
The Sabres had everything to play for tonight. Sitting in 10th place in the eastern conference standings, and every team around them playing an inspired brand of hockey. Buffalo needed to match the intensity of their rivals.
Unfortunately for Buffalo Sabres fans tonight was just another showing of the lack of consistency this team has shown over the past two seasons. The Sabres were out shot, out hit,out classed, and worst of all out scored. As buffalo lost 6-3.
And guess what Sabres fans this is just another game this season where the Sabres lost a game to a team that they should clearly beat. teams like Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Ottawa, Carolina are all teams that could be considered gimmes for two points.
But Buffalo has failed to capitalize on those opportunities. Here is a list of my reasons why this seems to be a difficult task for this team.
Head coach Lindy Ruff’s insistence on player shuffling on lines is nothing more than a true showing of the discontent he has for his players and their play. But this is not the way you can fix a team or a line.
Not allowing players to try and work through their slumps, and rough patches with the same line mates is going to benefit nobody on those lines.
Undisciplined penalties are another area of concern. Players like Adam Mair with lazy penalties do not help the team going forward. Ruff needs to preach a little more skating and a little less being out of position for his players.
Defense which was strong the last two games fell apart at the seams tonight. Jaro Spacek, Chris Butler, and Craig Rivet all showed tremendous weakness tonight in the drubbing.
Forwards like Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Drew Stafford , and Thomas Vanek need to come together and get the offensive side of the ship corrected. If Buffalo fails in their quest to make the playoffs this season, one will only be able to sit back and look at many of the deficiencies I have listed as the reason Buffalo is watching the playoffs rather than playing in them.
Wow what a difference 24 hours makes, did I ever mention that I hate the Ottawa Senators? I grew up hating the Bruins and the Flyers mostly. Although Bobby Orr is to this day my 1A favorite hockey player along side Richard Martin. It will just always be that way.
Sorry I just don’t want to talk about any part of that game tonight.
I paused the game long enough to listen to the interviews of TO and Russ Brandon.
All I can think about is WOW, TO is a Bill, and the Bills haven’t been able to pull my attention from the Sabres in quite some time.
Just wanted to mention that I am looking forward to seeing Knowing.
TO is a Bill and he is going to line up on the other side of Lee Evans.
James Hardy, you better get healthy quick, this could get interesting.
Trent Edwards time to come of age buddy. This is it, the best receiving crew your going to see, time to do it.
Marshawn, buddy, tone it down, just a little at least. no plates, tinted windows, blunts and a gun, damn man, even you gotta know better. you have millions and a kick ass bad, have a blast. That’s just begging to get busted.
The Buffalo Bills better see about investing in an Offensive Lineman or five.
Jason Peters needs to step it up, play out his contract and leave if he wants to , but PLAY it out.
OK, still pissed about that Sabres game, but what are you gonna do. Still a lot of hockey to be played. Next up: the Flyers Tuesday on Versus.
Too bad nobody watches.
Go Sabres!
Just when you thought the Sabres had figured things out and were energized for the stretch run, the “bad” Sabres showed up and laid an egg in Ottawa.
A team like Buffalo that is fighting and scratching for the playoffs simply can’t lose games to teams below them in the standings, as the Sabres have done to the Islanders and Senators in the last week.
This is especially true when Pittsburgh, Carolina, Florida, and New York, the other teams vying for those playoff spots, seem to be winning every night.
Tonight, the Sabres were bad in every phase of the game.
First, you have to question the coaching decision to start Patrick Lalime for the sixth straight game. Yes, Lalime had played great his previous two games—but the man has played only 12 games all season.
Lindy Ruff tried to ride the hot hand, but he rode it into the ground as Lalime let in at least two soft goals against Ottawa. Now Ruff is almost forced to start his new back-up, Michael Tellqvist, acquired at the trade deadline from Phoenix, against Philadelphia on Monday night.
Logic suggests Philadelphia will be even a tougher challenge for the Sabres than Ottawa. Wouldn’t it have made better sense to send out Tellqvist against Ottawa, and let Lalime get recharged for the Flyers?
But you certainly can’t put all the blame for this loss on Ruff and Lalime. The defensemen played probably their worst game of the year.
Chris Butler continues to make long passes through center ice that have turnover written all over them. Toni Lydman has developed an allergy to using his body. Jaro Spacek took two bad penalties and after scoring a goal the other night has forgot where the net is again.
Even Craig Rivet made an unbelievably bad play, lofting the puck to the Ottawa defense just as all the Sabres were expecting him to get the puck deep as they went for a change leading to an uncontested Daniel Alfredsson breakaway and goal.
As bad as the defense was, the forwards were even worse.
Derek Roy was a give-away machine. Vanek missed a point blank open net. There were too many drop passes just inside the blue line, too many missed nets, too little desire to take the body in the defensive zone and stop the Ottawa forwards from cycling the puck at will in the Buffalo end.
The key goal occurred just 1:13 after Buffalo had come from behind the second time to to tie the game at 2-2. The puck was fired into the Buffalo end and Derek Roy battled Nick Foligno for it. Lydman went to the corner to help out.
Foligno shrugged off Roy, side-stepped Lydman’s weak effort, and executed a sweet give-and-go as he went to the net and stuffed the puck between Lalime’s legs.
The goal came at 19:28 of the second period and killed any momentum the Sabres had from tying the game. To the Sabres’ credit, they came out in the third period and tied the game again on a nice wrap-around power-play effort by Jochen Hecht.
But once again, just 1:19 later, Chris Campoli scored to give Ottawa a 4-3 lead. This was an awful goal by Lalime, fired from the boards at the face-off hashmark.
Buffalo stepped up the pressure and had chances, with the puck laying uncovered in front of the net as the players battled. But no Sabre could get a stick on it.
Finally, Henrik Tallinder dove to keep the puck in the zone and missed. Drew Stafford whiffed in his attempt to back him up, and Ryan Shannon and Foligno raced to the Buffalo net with only Lydman back.
Lydman sprawled but failed to block Shannon’s centering pass, giving Foligno an easy goal past the over-committed Lalime and into the open net.
Yes, it was a bad loss. Only sixteen games left and Carolina and Florida both won, sending Buffalo to 10th place. The Sabres remaining schedule is no cakewalk and they’re probably going to need to win at least 11 of their remaining games.
Dominic Moore is a nice role player but he’s not putting this team on his back and carrying it to the play-offs himself. They’re going to have to do it together. It says here they need Numminen. He’s better than Butler, probably better than Lydman too.
I never thought I’d say this but they also need Max, the good Max, who puts pressure on the other team, backchecks, and doesn’t give the puck away.
And it sure wouldn’t hurt to get Miller back.
I guess it’s true what they say; 4.5 M per for a couple years provides a little kick in the ass. In the case of Tim Connolly, amidst rumors of a possible trade, and many fans calling for the trade, a new contract has proved just that.
While only two games after the trade deadline, and dangerously close to must-win territory, they’re 2-0. In those two games, the Sabres have notched 10 goals and gave up only two.
Lalime has not only started and won both games, due to Miller’s injury, but has stopped 67 shots. That doesn’t bode well for Buffalo’s D, but I’ll take two goals on 67 shots any day!
Connolly meanwhile has two goals and three assists in the same time. Not too shabby for a guy who was unsure of his future only a few days ago.
With seven teams within five points of each other in the playoff race, every win is crucial as it seems the competition not letting off.
Some random thoughts while watching the Sabres and Coyotes… (on DVR, unfortunately)
Tonight started with noticing Max break two shifts in a row short. Not over extending which I know was part of the reason he has been in Lindy’s doghouse. But what’s so bad about stretching a shift here and there anyway?
Here is what I came up with:
20-30 second shifts: Keeping them shorter keeps your lungs from going into overdrive, allowing each shift to be as powerful as the last. It takes you less time for you to be ready for that next shift as well. Be ready to jump when a break presents itself, and it will. Usually when a person is stuck on a…
45-60 second shift, you probably feel pretty good dumping that puck in a second time at the 25 second mark of your shift, you want to go for it and make something happen so…
You dump it in, and turn on the jets, only three quarters of the way there the juice is gone, and the D has the puck, now you can’t change, your dead tired, chasing the puck like a bone, here is where goals and penalties happen, and the team with the guys who have only been on the for ice 20 seconds scoring the goals.
Enough chalkboard BS, I havn’t played hockey since I was 16, I am old enough to remember the ’74-’75 finals and the two All-Star games that followed, but I love the Sabres and definitely have my opinions.
I want to talk to the hockey fans who can eat it, breathe, live it, sleep it, but still are able to have a rational thought. I think I am a seriously diehard Sab’s fan, but I guess as I grow older I can watch and maintain some perspective when they lose.
Don’t get me wrong, they can drive me nuts, I don’t think they should have missed the playoffs last year, and I damn sure don’t think they should miss it this year. When they listen to Lindy and PLAY WITHIN THE SYSTEM good things happen, and oh yeah, see above KEEP THE SHIFTS SHORT.
~Moore looked like he was trying too hard, but I like the looks of him.
~Hecht – Pommer- Goose should be one dangerous line.
~WOW am I glad they signed Lalime this offseason.
~Holy cow, look at Max lay out for that block attempt.
~Sekera owes Connolly one for that goal, he should take him out to dinner.
~I started to say there are only a few basics a team has to follow to be an incredible hockey TEAM. But then I realized that a few really doesn’t cover, I am interested to see what any readers have to add to this list. (Subject to change at a moment’s notice, and will be edited with any additions.):
Beat them to the puck EVERY TIME.
Win the One on One battles
Crash the net, ugly goals count just as much
Stick up for your teammates, even if they are wrong
and oh yeah, my biggest pet peeve…
NO LAZY PASSES
I’m telling you, if he stays healthy, the Sabres got Timmy CHEAP.
Really, Harry had to go back and analyze Tallinder’s penalty? Heard in Rick’s voice right away, even as I was saying oh, crap.
I am really really happy to have Lalime here.
I have heard people ask how one guy can make a difference coming back into the lineup, Vanek has been out for a while and the Sabres have looked ordinary. Tommy comes back, and they are a power again.
Why again, is that? Back in the lineup, back in front of the net, where he KNOWS how to play, back to oops, two guys keeping one eye each on Vanek cruising through, leaves the extra three feet for the pass from Connolly to Spacek.
I know on one of Connolly’s goals tonight Tommy was flat on his back beside the net. Vanek makes the No. 1 line WAY better, he is shooting over 19 percent on the year for cripes sake.
But that in turn makes EVERY OTHER line that much better, leaving one of the weakest in the press box (sorry, Clarke). He hasn’t scored yet, but who cares, he will and in bunches like normal.
Something tells me Max wants to stay in the lineup.
Don’t these guys realize the best way to protect a lead is to be in the offensive zone?
Damn, Kaleta is pain, and there is no way he should have gotten a penalty there. Well, maybe.
Thanks Wayne, I hope we don’t blow another 5-on-3.
How are three guys getting that much pressure at the blue line?
Nice shot Jason, glad the D-man was sweating Vanek (see what I mean) (Edit: on the 5-on-3, right after it looked like we wouldn’t even break their zone)
Now that was some pretty passing, looked like hot potato (Edit: This was on Stafford’s goal, second of the power play)
10 goals in two games, I could get used to this again.
Now that’s what I call a DUMB penalty, we really should score again just for Jovo being a dumbass.
Good Game, was fun watching them set Connolly up at the end.
They have to play like this EVERY game, no excuses.
Ottawa always worries me, damn them. But it’s our time to make a move and it’s two points we have to get. Go Sabres! More tomorrow.
Two months. That’s how long it had been since Maxim Afinogenov hit the ice for the Buffalo Sabres. Out since Jan. 3, 2009 with a groin injury, he has been in a jam offensively since last season.
In the two years following the lockout, Afinogenov totaled 134 points in 133 games, but since then, managed only 41 points in 91 games. There’s no denying the talent he possesses—however, the 29-year-old has just appeared lost at times on the ice.
Head coach Lindy Ruff didn’t hide his feelings, and scratched the Russian on a number of occasions before his injury in early January. With the trade deadline looming, it was an easy assumption to suspect that the life-long Sabre would be moved elsewhere.
Therein was a problem, and that was whether or not a team would believe the speedy forward just needed a change of scenery to find himself. Afinogenov expressed his wishes to stay in Buffalo, although only if he was competing.
In the end, Afinogenov didn’t go anywhere, and made his return to the lineup Wednesday as the Sabres hosted the Montreal Canadiens.
To impress Ruff, Afinogenov would have to play basic hockey. Back-checking and not giving the puck away would ultimately be his goal. Unattractive it may be—at the same time, it was necessary.
Simple, and effective.
He was no longer the man who could dangle like Pavel Bure. Instead, he would be forced to start from scratch to perhaps one day recapture that attribute.
Afinogenov played a superb game against the Canadiens by passing the puck, skating hard on the back-check, creating opportunities, and even chipping in with a power-play assist.
Ruff had to have liked what he saw, and for the first time in months we saw glimpses of the impeccable Afinogenov who dazzled the crowd on so many occasions.
It may take some time for him to regain his complete confidence, but he has taken the first step in becoming the player he once was.
In doing so, he is one step closer to once again being the player everyone came to call Baby Bure.
Everyone knew the Buffalo Sabres needed some offensive life after a three-game skip. Nobody expected that it would come from a player that hadn’t even seen the ice since mid-January.
Maxim Afinogenov did not score a goal in the Sabres 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. However, he played the way he used to and people were left partying like it was 2007.
Afinogenov had one assist on Paul Gaustad’s powerplay goal but that seems meaningless compared to what he didn’t do.
He didn’t skate around in circles looking like a one-man circus. He didn’t turn the puck over on either end of the ice. As Sabres play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanerett put it, he also did not do the “circle thing,” which has come to be Max’s trademark and his downfall the past couple seasons.
Afinogenov also made a brilliant defensive play that saved a sure goal in the final period of play. With the Canadiens racing down the ice on a two-on-one breakaway, Afinogenov came off the bench and raced down the ice arriving just in time to break up a cross-ice pass from right in front of the net.
He hustled to every puck and drove defensemen crazy with moves that looked like the old Afinogenov. Not the new Afinogenov that somewhat resembled a drunken man.
The only knock against his game was his short shifts that lasted an average of 42 seconds. Considering the lack of playing time he’s had, the conditioning issue is to be expected and will get better with time.
Overall, Afinogenov played the way his contract commands him to and helped the Sabres to their first win in March.
