When the NHL trading deadline is over, each team in the league has played their cards and laid down their hands. There’s no more need to posture, no more bluffing. Each team by their actions makes it clear whether they are in or out, buyer or sellers, in the race for the Stanley Cup.
For teams like the Buffalo Sabres, for whom the making the playoffs will take a lot of work and actually winning the Stanley Cup would have to be the result of a million different bounces of the puck going exactly the right way, this day can be especially trying.
Even if winning the Stanley Cup this year might be wishful thinking for the Sabres, they definitely have a shot at the playoffs, especially if the the trading deadline supplied some reinforcements.
If you make the playoffs, you never know what might happen. And in terms of team profitability, the playoffs are key. The players don’t get paid any more for playoff games, and the revenue from those extra games makes the difference between losing money or making a profit for a team like Buffalo.
Not to mention that a good playoff run energizes the fan base and generates season ticket sales for the next season.
So there was a lot of pressure on Sabre’s GM Darcy Regier today. One of his best players, albeit also one of his most often injured players, Tim Connolly, either had to be signed or traded, or else he would probably walk away in July leaving the Sabres with nothing.
Most felt the Sabres would deal Connolly, fearful to invest big dollars into a gifted player that had only taken the ice for one out of every three games for the last three seasons.
But the Sabres first move of the day was to declare that they are ‘in’ the game for the play-offs this year by signing Connolly for two-years at four and a half million per.
Some might say giving Connolly a 50% raise after his last three years is crazy. Others will say that Connolly is one big check away from being sidelined permanently.
All true. But there is no denying that Connolly, when healthy, is one of the most gifted playmakers in the league. And there is also no denying that any player in the league is just one big check away from being sidelined by injury.
Regier stated later in the day that when they looked at all the available free agents, Connolly was the best value so signing him was the clear choice.
Considering that Olli Jokinen, arguably the other most talented center available makes $5,250,000 per year and, while more durable than Connolly, has a lower point-per-game average, Regier’s position is understandable.
Regier’s next move was to shore up the Sabre’s goaltending. The Sabres’ Ryan Miller is our indefinitely, and while back-up Patrick Lalime has played well, there are no goalies in the Buffalo system with NHL experience behind him. So Regier traded a fourth round pick to Phoenix for Michael Tellqvist.
While not Patrick Roy, Tellqvist has a winning record in playing more than 100 NHL games. He offers insurance just in case Miller is out longer than hoped for or Lalime can’t handle the full load.
To bolster the Sabres five-on-five play, Regier then traded a second-round pick to Toronto for centerman Dominic Moore. Moore, with 47 points, is a mid-level scorer with grit and strong character, as evidenced by the assistant captain’s “A” he wore on his Leaf’s jersey.
Moore will be a UFA in July and may just be a rental for the Sabres, but for a team like Buffalo that has been struggling to score in even-strength situations and also plays a little soft, Moore should be a good addition for the play-off run.
Adding Moore meant somebody else had to go, so Regier finished his day’s work by trading the under-performing Ales Kotalik to Edmonton to get back the second round pick he gave up in acquiring Moore.
Kotalik’s big shot will be missed on the power play, and the Sabres will also be weaker in shoot-outs, but Kotalik never seemed to want to use his big 230 pound frame to its full potential.
Kotalik certainly has more talent than guys like Paul Gaustad and Pat Kaleta, but his refusal to get his uniform dirty in the corners and in front of the net made him a liability that his shot and backhand deke move could not offset.
At the end of the day, when all the trading was done, Darcy Regier had made a bold statement to his team that he believed in them enough to commit dollars to one of their better players and provide some reinforcements in the form of Moore and Tellqvist.
It wouldn’t take long to see how the Sabres would react to this message and change in team chemistry as they took the ice against the Montreal Canadiens at 7:30 pm at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo.
For the first 13 minutes, it looked like the Sabres had not heard the message as they were totally dominated by the Canadiens. Buffalo gave up three consecutive penalties in the first 13 minutes and only stellar play by the Sabres’ Lalime in goal kept Buffalo in the game as the Canadiens outshot Buffalo 16-3.
But then Montreal took a delay-of-game penalty and 18 seconds later Derek Roy scored to give the Sabres the lead in spite of being totally outplayed.
When Roy scored again within three minutes of the second period, the Sabres began to believe. Kaleta’s shoulder forced Montreal defenseman Mike Komisarek to cough up the puck in center ice, and Jaro Spacek jumped on it. After a nice move at the blue line, Spacek walked on on Montreal goalie Carey Price and blistered a slapper into the net for a 3-0 lead.
In the third period, Gaustad put the game away, first scoring a nice deflection off Craig Rivet’s point shot on a power-play and then out-racing Mathieu Schneider to a loose puck to break in alone on Price for a short-hander and a 5-0 lead.
All that remained was to see if Lalime could earn a well-deserved shut-out but unfortunately he gave up a loose rebound that resulted in a Montreal goal with just a minute left.
The Sabres won, and they need every win. But equally important, they need the energy that comes from believing that you have a chance and the moves the Darcy Regier made today appears to have recharged the Sabres’ batteries.
One game does not a season make, but Max Afinogenov came back to the ice after a long absence and played one of his best games of the year. There’s no denying that Max brings speed to the ice but that all too often he goes nowhere.
Tonight, at least, he used his speed in both directions and made several nice defensive plays.
Don’t make your playoff reservations just yet but every Sabre fan has to be excited that this year’s team has a better chance today than they did yesterday.
Montreal 1 Buffalo 5 (HSBC Arena)
posted by Rocket
AllHabs.blogspot.com
Hockey is a complex game. Sometimes, when you do most everything right, you don’t get the fate that you deserve. For the most part, I believe in creating your own breaks. But once or twice in an 82 game schedule, there is a period when the bounces just don’t go your way. Tonight was that period.
The Canadiens had a great start. They dominated in most categories including time of possession. Most of the first period was spent in the Sabres zone. The shots at one point were 16-3 for the Canadiens. They also had a 12-6 advantage on faceoffs.
Does this mean that Patrick Lalime was turning in a spectacular goalie performance? Not really. Often times he had no idea where the puck was. Lalime started shaky and it seemed that if he gave up one goal, a half dozen would soon follow.
There was a good chance that Mikhael Tellqvist would get some game action only hours after being picked up by the Sabres.
Looking at the scoresheet one may think that Buffalo sat back. We saw San Jose dominate a period when the Canadiens sat back. But the Sabres were aggressive with their forecheck sending two and three forwards. The Habs were simply playing well enough to clear their zone.
As pucks bounced near the Buffalo goal , or trickled through the crease the Canadiens shooters began gripping their sticks a little tighter. Even the Canadiens red hot power-play went cold in the first despite some excellent puck movement. The power-play unit was 0 for three in the first period.
Buffalo seemed to gather some momentum from the failed Canadiens’ power-play opportunities. They started to press but Carey Price was solid. Even when Daniel Paille went in alone, Price stood his ground. As Paille went through the crease, he elbowed Price in the head.
There were verbal protests and some pushing but no one on the ice went after Paille. Not even Josh Gorges who was responsible for Paille getting free after a terrible line change.
Shortly after, Mat Schneider went off for a delay of game penalty. On the ensuing Sabre power-play, Jaroslav Spacek fanned on a shot from the point. The bouncing puck when off Lapierre and found its way to Derek Roy who was all alone with an open side of the net. Buffalo had a 1-0 lead on a broken play.
It’s rather easy to imagine what Lindy Ruff said to the Sabres in the first intermission. You played a horrible period and are fortunate to have a lead. Now let’s makes these adjustments.
We also can imagine what a good coach would say in the Montreal dressing room. The team needed to be encouraged. They had played well but had some bad breaks and a fluky goal against. Guy Carbonneau should have been stoking their confidence.
But we know from various sources that Carbonneau saves his communication skills for his media conferences. We also know that the psyche of the Canadiens is very fragile. Lastly, we know that without coaching adjustments, the Habs have a history of poor performances in the second period this year.
With a power-play to begin the second period for 1:42, the Canadiens should have come out with a plan that would get them back into the game. Instead it was the weakest power-play of the night with little net pressure.
Just over a minute after the power-play expired, Derek Roy made it 2-0 for the Sabres. Gorges was guilty of a giveaway and abandoning his man in front of the net. Again, Carey Price had no chance.
Early in the second period, Price made some good saves to keep his team in the game. Price was square to the shooter and was not allowing rebounds.
Jaroslav Spacek went around Patrice Brisebois with ease and in alone on Price. Spacek made the score 3-0. Commentator Harry Neale said that Brisebois looked like a 90 year old grandmother on the play. Neale was being generous. Brisebois looked worse.
The Canadiens effort in the second period was feeble. Buffalo had made adjustments and had carried the play. The Habs didn’t improve in the third.
Early in the period, the Sabre power-play struck again. Josh Gorges was caught out of position in the slot leaving his man alone in front to deflect a point shot past Carey Price. Again Price had no chance on the play.
Later the Sabres scored on a Mathieu Schneider giveaway that sent Gaustad in alone on a breakaway. The Canadiens were on a power-play.
Buffalo dominated on special teams. Their power-play was two for three. The Canadiens power-play was 0 for five while giving up a short-handed goal.
The Canadiens defense was awful particularly Brisebois, Gorges, and Schneider.
Carey Price will be blamed but shouldn’t. He can’t be faulted on the goals. While the Canadiens did a good job keeping the shot to the perimeter the past few games, tonight the Sabres had free lanes to the goal.
This would have been a very different game if the Canadiens power-play had scored in the first period; or, if an experienced coach had settled the team between periods; or, if the defense had performed.
What was Guy Carbonneau’s assessment? Carbonneau said “This is our playoff spot. we are battling for this and if we’re not able to sustain the energy and the focus then there is something wrong. They’re either tired or not in shape so again we will go back to the drawing board and talk to them tomorrow and see what we can do to get it better.”
We know that other than changing line combinations, there is not much in Carbonneau’s “drawing board.” In other words, he doesn’t have a clue.
Post game
Georges Laraque left the game and did not return with an undisclosed injury.
Pre-game
Starting lineup: Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, Kovalev, Schneider, Markov
Carey Price and Patrick Lalime started in goal.
Marc Denis backed-up Price. Newly acquired Mikhael Tellqvist was the back-up goalie for Buffalo.
Dandenault and O’Byrne scratched. Halak out with the flu. Bouillon, Latendresse, Tanguay, and Lang were out with injuries.
Rocket’s three stars:
1. Paul Gaustad
2. Derek Roy
3. Daniel Paille
Today, March 4th at three PM was the NHL’s trade deadline. Thomas Vanek (above, pictured with management) returns to the lineup tonight against Montreal alongside some major deals, changing his teammates for the remainder of the season. Let’s take a look at what trades, and re-signings management made, or did not make, this year.
Glen Sather has given up some of the future in an effort to make the playoffs in 2009. It’s been a long season for the Rangers, one where they started very strong, and then have faded so much they are barely in a playoff spot with 20 games to go. In what may be Sather’s last season as GM (he is a rich man, and can’t imagine he can be bothered to live through the mess he has created), and he is clearly trying to do what it takes to save the season.
The gambit may well fail, as Pittsburgh is very likely to pass the Rangers in the standings with the addition of Guerin. Buffalo has also strengthened with Dominic Moore, the goaltending depth, and the confirmation that Connoly is staying.
The Rangers gave up a second-round pick and a conditional pick, quite possibly in the second or third round if Antropov signs a new contract. Antropov is a free agent come the summer. New York also gave up three players for Derek Morris, who is also a free agent in a few months.
One of the players is Petr Prucha, who still has potential for a long productive career. They also gave up cap space for the next three years for claiming Sean Avery; they are responsible for half of his hefty contract.
Ranger fans will be happy to see the moves, but there is a very good chance that the team misses the playoffs and will look back on this week as one that screwed the team, leaving them stuck with Redden and his contract and doomed to mediocrity for the next few years.
March 4, 2009
(3:17 P.M EST)
BUFFALO, N.Y.—As the team prepares to go into the last stretch to the playoffs, Buffalo Sabres management signs Dominic Moore in a last minute effort for Ales Kotalik with a 2nd round pick in a four team trade, and sign veteran Tim Connolly and goalie Mikael Tellqvist.
Center Dominic Moore, acquired at the last minute of the deadline for Ales Kotalik and a second round draft pick in a four tream trade sending Kotalik to Edmonton , is a great playmaker with 29 assists, 41 points total with Toronto, and great potential to the Sabres.
Tim Connolly was signed to a two-year extension of $9 million, giving him a raise after missing 34 games in each of the past two seasons.
Goalie Mikael Tellqvist was traded to the Sabres from the Phoenix Coyotes for a fourth round draft pick for a backup role as Ryan Miller continues rehab on his ankle sprain.
So what grade do we give to the Sabres?
As I listen to the fans of Sabres in the past half hour on WGR550 AM radio, I hear good things about signing Connolly—only if he stays healthy, a good point—and good things about our new goalie for insurance, and Moore to add some firepower to the offense with the arrival of Thomas Vanek and Maxim Afinogenov tonight.
A signing of a goalie is a good addition to the team, as we have no timetable on Ryan Miller, and a good insurance help for these last 18 games.
The signing of a forward to help score goals where the Sabres offense is lacking was critical this deadline. Did we see that signing? Yes. Finally the Sabres management came through to get a playmaker and a help to the struggling offense.
I’ll leave the grade up to you in the poll.
The Sabres are searching a playoff spot between fifth and eighth place, where tonight is the start to a hopeful playoff run.
The Sabres play Montreal at 7:30 tonight at HSBC Arena, trying to end a three-game losing streak and to go into a tie with Carolina for ninth place. Tonight’s game will be Nationally Televised on Versus and TSN and on WGR550 AM radio, the Sabres’ flagship station.
-Bobby Giambra-
Carey Price will get the start Wednesday night when the Montreal Canadiens visit the Buffalo Sabres.
Price, who has struggled since the All-Star break, has been sitting on the bench lately while Jaroslav Halak has been shining for the Canadiens.
Halak however is ailing the flu and has missed the Canadiens’ last two practices.
Halak was the winner of the Canadiens’ Molson Cup February Segment, going 5-2 with a 2.90 GAA and a .931 SvPct with one shutout. He is currently on a four-game winning streak.
Forward Alex Tanguay has been practising with the team, but was not cleared by team doctors to play tomorrow. He is expected to be available either Friday or Sunday.
Captain Saku Koivu was not at practice today, likely taking a therapy day.
Center Kyle Chipchura was sent down to the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs before the Canadiens set out to Buffalo this afternoon.
Currently sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference with 69 points in 63 games, the Buffalo Sabres are in the thick of the playoffs race with the trade deadline looming.
The Sabres have lost their past three games, scoring only three goals during that span and during Ryan Miller’s absence. Patrick Lalime has been doing very well in goal for Buffalo, but an evident lack of offensive support and led to poor results, especially against the Islanders on Saturday where they lost 2-0.
Injuries to key players such as Thomas Vanek, Tim Connolly, Paul Gaustad and Ryan Miller have affected the team’s chemistry along the way. Jason Pominville and Jochen Hecht’s subpar seasons haven’t help either.
With Thomas Vanek likely back Wednesday against the Canadiens, the Sabres will likely get the boost they need to start scoring goals again.
The real question now is should the Sabres be sellers or buyers before tomorrow’s trade deadline?
The fans are desperate for a playoffs appearance and I’m sure Lindy Ruff would welcome any help he can get; however, GM Darcy Regier will have to be very creative to bolster his lineup for a playoffs run.
With Miller’s long term injury, the Sabres desperately need to acquire another veteran goalie if they hope to make it to the postseason. The Sabres also need help on their backend and their defensive has been very inconsistent throughout the year.
Regier will likely try to trade underachieving forward Maxim Afinogenov – if he can find a taker. Other players such as Tim Connolly and Henrik Tallinder are likely dangled by Regier in order the get free up some salary and get help.
Some defensemen the Sabres should try to acquire are Phoenix’s Derek Morris, Columbus’ Rotislav Klesla, Nashville’s Dan Hamhuis, ans Colorado’s Jordan Leopold.
New Jersey’s Scott Clemmensen and St. Louis’ Manny Legace would complement Patrick Lalime’s work nicely and should not be expensive
March 2nd, 2009
(7:00 p.m. EST)
Buffalo, NY: A tale of two seasons between the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bills are on the verge of chaos and disgrace for Buffalo fans. Tempers are flaring as I sit here at my kitchen table listening to WGR550 AM Buffalo Sports talk, agreeing with fans, and radio hosts complaining about management in Buffalo.
Buffalo has yet to see the Bills or the Sabres win a Championship, simply because our management has yet to make moves on trade deadlines and to make a push toward the playoffs by adding players.
Buffalo fans are known as some of the loyalist, and are paying for a product to perform and win whether it’s on the ice or field. Fans are furious with the GM’s of the Sabres and Bills not doing enough to make fans happy and to make their teams better to compete for a championship.
The loss of Vanek and Miller is no excuse for the Sabres to become slumpers in the NHL as of late, since Lalime has stepped up and the offense has not produced in front of him.
Vanek, in fact by reaction to Buffalo fans, should have nursed his jaw while playing as other players in the NHL do the same, especially if your on a team such as the Buffalo Sabres who need all the offense you can get.
Moves by the trade deadline tomorrow at 3 p.m. EST for the Buffalo Sabres is a big must for management to regain trust of Buffalo fans, or expect more opinionated fans, and a drop in ticket sales for the once predominant franchise after the NHL lockout.
Check out all the latest news on trades and acquisitions of the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills as the next 24 hours become tense for Buffalo, by tuning into WGR550 AM radio, or online at WGR550.com, Buffalo’s sports radio and the Sabres flagship station.
-Bobby Giambra-
March 1st, 2009
(6:00 p.m. EST)
Buffalo, NY: The Buffalo Sabres are in a dilemma while sitting at ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Missing two of their top players, Goaltender Ryan Miller, and Forward Thomas Vanek, the Sabres see themselves tied for 9th place and one point out of a playoff spot behind the Pittsburgh Penguins after a three-game losing streak.
The question Buffalo fans are asking is, will the Sabres make a move by 3 p.m. tomorrow? Buffalo fans, along with WGR 550 AM radio out of Buffalo, NY are asking for moves by Buffalo GM Darcy Regier, of either Maxim Afinogenov or Tim Connolly for another big defenseman or a forward to produce points for the Sabres as they have scored just three goals in their past three games, and were shut out by the last place New York Islanders 2-0 Saturday.
Afinogenov has been a healthy scratch as he was cleared over 10 days ago to play after suffering a groin injury. He has missed more than 20 games, which caused him to speak to The Buffalo News saying simply that he wants to play, or he wants out. But are teams willing to give up for a player who has the most potential but just cannot produce, scoring just two goals and having 12 points on the year?
Tim Connolly has produced for the Sabres as of late, but is injury prone. A player who is possible help for teams in need of a playmaker and could make a deep impact for a playoff push. Buffalo needs to find players within their system or players available upon the trade deadlines, which want to move into a leadership role to make that final playoff push in the upcoming weeks.
Some available players to watch on the move to the Sabres, if any moves are made, are defensemen Derek Morris of the Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, sixth-year veteran Rostislav Klesla, and forward Milan Hejduk of the Avalanche, and Nashville Predators Center Radek Bonk.
Thomas Vanek is expected to play Wednesday Night (according to Sabres.com) against their Northeastern Division foe Montreal Canadians after suffering a broken jaw, which will help out Buffalo’s offense (hopefully).
Along with Vanek, Afinogenov is expected to play also; as fans are hoping he plays to a high standard as he something to prove to the Sabres’ management.
Darcy Regier must make some critical decisions to gain some offensive fire for the slumping Sabres, and to make Sabres fans happy with the product their PAYING to watch.
Wednesday 3 p.m. is judgment day for the 2008-09 Sabres as they find out there fate whether they have new additions or the team they have right now as the final weeks of the season are approaching.
Stay tuned for updates between tonight and tomorrow 3 p.m. EST for all trades and signings, on NHL.com, TSN.ca, or for Buffalo Fans, tune in to WGR550 AM radio for all your Sabres news.
-Bobby Giambra-
With the trade deadline on a couple days away, and after watching the dismal performance by the Sabres at the Islanders on Saturday night, it’s clear the Sabres biggest woes are not due to this team minus Ryan Miller.
In losing their last three games, its clear they need help on defense and possibly someone who can put the puck in the net. With that said, here are some players that I could see on the trading block in the days before the March 4 deadline.
The Sabres are in a tough spot with Tim Connolly. The question now is whether to keep him or not. He will be a unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. The last three years of his contract have basically been a no-show for Connolly, as he was hurt for the majority of those three years. But in the last three months, he has become one of the more productive forwards on the team, but with his injury history what team would possibly take a chance on him.
Max Afinegenov is now healthy, but has yet to play, making me wonder if the Sabres have finally had it with having patience in his development as a two way forward. His constant turning the puck over in the offensive zone has made fans and coaches alike frustrated with this player once held as the next Pavel Bure.
Other players that may catch an eye by other teams could be Ales Kotalik who shows signs of domination when he wants to play, but he has his spurts of not showing up many nights. Jochen Hecht, Tony Lydman, and Hennrick Tallinder could all be on the trading block if the Sabres want to get help for the final push for the playoffs.
Sadly for Sabre fans though, in order to actually get something, you need to give something up. And unless the Sabres are willing to part ways with players like Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad, Jason Pominville, or Thomas Vanek, which wont happen, they’re not going to get much in return.
I believe it may be quite difficult for the Sabres to be buyers at the deadline, with the chance for one of the final three playoff spots up for grabs, the Sabres will probably on the outside looking in again this year.
