There is not much good you can say about last night’s 5-2 loss against the Buffalo Sabres. The Rangers needed the win to keep up with the Flyers, who beat the Maple Leafs last night, but the Rangers couldn’t keep up against the first good team they faced in at least two weeks.
Things looked good for the Blueshirts going into the night. They got forward Ryan Callahan back and despite the fact that he never gets a night off, ever, Henrik Lundqvist has looked good of late. But it wasn’t enough, Callahan didn’t register a point, had a negative rating, and only played 12:54 minutes. And Lundqvist was pulled after facing just 16 shots because he only managed to stop 13 of them.
That game certainly could not be pinned on Lundqvist, especially since he might have been pulled early, and Callahan entirely though. The top two lines provided almost no offense, Brandon Prust and P.A. Parenteau were the only goal scorers, Prust has scored goals in three games in a row, and four of their six defensemen had negative ratings on the night. The worst was Michael Del Zotto with a -3
With the loss and the Philadelphia win, tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs is vital. If they don’t get any points tonight they cannot pass the Flyers in points even if they take both games against them. Fortunately they still could pass the Boston Bruins in that scenario, but not if Boston gets any points in their final three games.
Here are the standings:
6. Montreal – 87 points – 39 wins – 2 games remaining
7. Philadelphia – 86 points – 40 wins – 2 games remaining
8. Boston – 85 points – 36 wins – 3 games remaining
9. Rangers – 82 poings – 36 wins – 3 games remaining
10. Atlanta – 81 points – 34 wins – 2 games remaining
The Rangers can make the playoffs even if they lose tonight, but with the way the standings fall now it will look awfully bleak if they can’t get it done against Toronto. Luckily for the Rangers they are the last place team in the East, but Toronto did beat them just last week.
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Ryan Miller’s amazing blocker save on sniper Marian Gaborik, combined with three points from rookie Tyler Ennis, helped the Buffalo Sabres clinch the Northeast Division title in a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
The key point in the game came midway through the second period, when Brandon Dubinsky found Gaborik on a cross-ice pass on a two-on-one. Gaborik quickly snapped the puck at a wide-open net, but Miller pushed across the crease and deflected the puck away with his blocker.
“That’s the big part of the game,” Rangers head coach John Tortorella said after the game. “We have an open net, Miller makes a great save and then we just have a God awful change and they score their fourth goal.”
Miller finished with 30 saves.
The Rangers were 5-0-1 in their last six games heading into the game with Buffalo, and were looking to grab the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, but they were no match for the Sabres’ offensive rushes.
Henrik Lundqvist was pulled for the sixth time this season, after Sabres forward Jochen Hecht beat him on his glove side with the 6’8” Tyler Myers screening in front. Lundqvist allowed three goals on 16 shots.
“I was surprised,” Lundvist said of being pulled at 5:17 of the second period. “But at the same time it’s up to John, so I just have to deal with it. I want to play, but it’s his call.”
The Sabres benefited from a defenseman constantly joining the rush throughout the game.
“They’re probably one of the better teams in the league to join the rush like that and to make a good play when they enter the offensive zone like that,” Lundqvist said.
The Sabres were missing stars Tim Connolly and Thomas Vanek again, along with captain Craig Rivet, but Ennis picked up the slack.
Ennis scored the third goal of his career in the third period to put the game on ice for Buffalo. Ennis’ three-point night gives him seven points in six games since being called up on March 27.
Steve Montador played arguably his best game since joining the Sabres at the beginning of the season. He received over 21 minutes of ice-time for just the third time this season and had just his second multi-point game with two assists.
Drew Stafford snapped a 17-game goalless drought when he beat Lundqvist five-hole on a first period wrist shot. He also assisted on Toni Lydman’s second period goal, shortly after Miller’s big save on Gaborik.
It was a big statement game for the Sabres, who snapped their two-game losing skid and clinched the Northeast division for the sixth time in franchise history.
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The Rangers’ primary focus heading into tonight’s pivotal matchup with the Buffalo Sabres has to be about simply wrapping up two points and inching closer to a playoff spot, but one element that should make the game just a little bit more interesting is the chance that the two teams could meet in the playoffs.
Perhaps even as early as the first round.
Heading into tonight’s game, the Sabres, who lead the Northwest Division with 96 points and have four games remaining, including tonight, are just one point behind the New Jersey Devils for second place in the Eastern Conference.
The Devils, also with four games to go in their schedule, are in Atlanta tonight to face the Thrashers, who have 91 points and three games remaining.
One spot ahead of the Thrashers, with 92 points and four games remaining, sit the Rangers, currently in ninth. The Rangers aren’t just looking to make the playoffs right now, they’re aiming at getting as high a seed as possible.
Should they finish sixth or seventh, the possibility of a series with the Sabres looms large.
In three previous contests between the two teams this season, the Sabres hold a slim edge, with two victories to the Rangers’ one. All three contests, however, were one-goal games.
In fact, the two teams happen to share many similarities.
Unquestionably, both teams’ most valuable player this season has been each of their respective goaltenders. Henrik Lundqvist, of course, for the Rangers, and the hero of the United States’ silver-medal effort in the Olympics, Ryan Miller, for the Sabres.
Both teams could use a little bit more firepower offensively, although the Sabres boast a bit more scoring depth than the Rangers. Then there is Marc Staal and Tyler Myers, the two lanky young defensemen that anchor the blueline units for both teams.
Even in the faceoff circle, the numbers are nearly identical: the Rangers winning 49.1 percent of their faceoffs (20th in the NHL), and the Sabres winning 48.8 percent of their draws (22nd in the NHL).
On the power play, both teams are just about average. The Rangers are fifteenth in the league with the extra-man advantage, converting at 18.4 percent. The Sabres, meanwhile are just behind, in seventeenth, at 17.7 percent.
Where the Sabres hold an edge, however, is on the penalty kill. The Rangers are no pushovers in that department themselves, denying the opposition’s power play at a rate of 84.2 percent, good for ninth-best in the NHL. Buffalo, however, is tops in that category. They kill off 86.5 percent of their penalties, and that’s the highest number in the league.
Of course, there is also the memory of the last time these two clubs faced one another in the post-season: the 2006-07 Eastern Conference Semifinals, when then-Sabre captain (and current Ranger captain) Chris Drury helped Buffalo eliminate the Rangers in six games.
That Ranger team was not only the best edition of the club since the lockout, but perhaps even since the 1996-97 team that made it to the conference finals, and the series against the Sabres was the most exciting Ranger playoff series since that ‘97 team lost to the Flyers in five games.
Of all the potential first-round matchups for the Rangers, a list that includes the Washington Capitals, the New Jersey Devils and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo might just be the most preferable. What do you think? Who would you rather see the Rangers face in the first round, if they do indeed manage to make the playoffs?
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The Rangers’ primary focus heading into tonight’s pivotal matchup with the Buffalo Sabres has to be about simply wrapping up two points and inching closer and closer to a playoff spot. But one element that should make the game just a little bit more interesting (aside from the already-established history between the two clubs) is the chance that the two teams could potentially meet in the playoffs, perhaps even as early as the first round.
Heading into tonight’s game, the Sabres, who lead the Northwest Division with 96 points and have four games remaining, including tonight, are just one point behind the New Jersey Devils for second place in the Eastern Conference. The Devils, also with four games to go in their schedule, are in Atlanta tonight to face the Thrashers, who have 91 points and three games remaining.
One spot ahead of the Thrashers sit the Rangers, who have 92 points and four games remaining and currently in ninth. With a game in hand on all three of the clubs directly ahead of them in the playoff race, the Montreal Canadiens, the Boston Bruins, and the Philadelphia Flyers, the Rangers aren’t just looking to make the playoffs right now. They’re aiming at getting as high a seed as possible. Should they finish sixth or seventh, the possibility of a series with the Sabres looms large.
In three previous contests between the two teams this season, the Sabres hold a slim edge, with two victories to the Rangers’ one. All three contests, however, were one-goal games. In fact, the two teams happen to share many similarities.
Unquestionably, both teams’ most valuable player this season has been each of their respective goaltenders. Henrik Lundqvist, of course, for the Rangers, and the hero of the United States’ silver-medal effort in the Olympics, Ryan Miller, for the Sabres. Both teams could use a little bit more firepower offensively, although the Sabres boast a bit more scoring depth than the Rangers.
Then there are Marc Staal and Tyler Myers, the two lanky young defensemen that anchor the blueline units for both teams. Even in the faceoff circle, the numbers are nearly identical: the Rangers winning 49.1 percent of their faceoffs (20th in the NHL), and the Sabres winning 48.8 percent of their draws (22nd in the NHL).
On the power play, both teams are just about average. The Rangers are 15th in the league with the extra-man advantage, converting at 18.4 percent. The Sabres, meanwhile are just behind, in 17th, at 17.7 percent.
Where the Sabres hold an edge, however, is on the penalty kill. The Rangers are no pushovers in that department themselves, denying the opposition’s power play at a rate of 84.2 percent, good for ninth-best in the NHL. Buffalo, however, is tops in that category. They kill off 86.5 percent of their penalties, and that’s the highest number in the league.
Of course, there is also the memory of the last time these two clubs faced one another in the postseason. The 2006-07 Eastern Conference Semifinals, when then-Sabre captain (and current Ranger captain) Chris Drury helped Buffalo eliminate the Rangers in six games. That Ranger team was not only the best edition of the club since the lockout, but perhaps even since the 1996-97 team that made it to the conference finals, and the series against the Sabres was the most exciting Rangers playoff series since that ‘97 team lost to the Flyers in five games.
Of all the potential first-round matchups for the Rangers, a list that includes the Washington Capitals, the New Jersey Devils, and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo might just be the most preferable. What do you think? Who would you rather see the Rangers face in the first round, if they do indeed manage to make it to the playoffs?
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As many of my faithful readers know, when it comes to the Buffalo Sabres, I fancy myself a bit of a coach/GM.
So I figured that before the playoffs started, I would put together the line pairings I would use in the first round. This is something I’ve wanted to do all season, and what better time than now?
You’ll notice there are quite a few changes and several names missing, but this is what I think is right for the team.
I’m just hoping somebody within the Sabres’ organization is reading.
Just kidding—but seriously.
First Line
Ennis-Connolly-Pominville
Anybody who has been watching the Sabres all season knows there is really no difference between their first and second lines.
The big change here is throwing the youngster Tyler Ennis onto a line that seems to be missing exactly what he can deliver.
A lot of teams will be focusing on Tim Connolly’s puck handling and Jason Pominville’s shooting, leaving Ennis and his quick hands open to cause a lot of problems for opposing teams.
Don’t forget Ennis has five points in five games, too.
Second Line
Vanek-Roy-Kennedy
Up until about one month ago, I had serious doubts about Tim Kennedy. At one point I even felt he was the Sabres’ weakest offensive player—but he has proven me wrong as of late.
This line seems to be clicking and it would just be stupid to try and fix something that isn’t broken.
While Derek Roy is on fire, it would be nice to see Thomas Vanek start scoring some big goals again.
Third Line
Hecht-Gaustad-Grier
I miss this line so much. There’s just too much defensive talent between these three players.
Jochen Hecht seems to have found his scoring touch, kind of, with Connolly and Pominville, but he’s a much better defensive forward than he is a scorer.
It’s also obviously not a secret how good the “Goose” and Mike Grier are from a defensive “shutdown” perspective.
Fourth Line
Torres-Mair-Kaleta
Hits, hits, hits.
The Sabres don’t have a lot of size, but at least this line can intimidate some of their opponents.
Raffi Torres has done a pretty nice job since joining the team on March 3 in terms of balancing offensive production with gritty play.
Patrick Kaleta can’t be kept out of the lineup. He draws the most penalties of any player in the league—I just hope he’s healthy for the start of the playoffs.
Defensive Pairing One
Myers-Tallinder
Enough said.
Defensive Pairing Two
Lydman-Rivet
Toni Lydman’s defensive play has improved dramatically over the course of the past two months; hopefully enough to counteract captain Craig Rivet’s poorly timed pinches and slow skating…and bad turnovers…and blown coverage.
Why is he captain again?
Defensive Pairing Three
Sekera-Weber
Between Chris Butler and Andrej Sekera, I’ll give the nod to Sekera, on the basis that Butler hasn’t proven a single thing to me all season.
Mike Weber is probably the big surprise here. But he is a defensive specialist and leads the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates, in plus/minus.
Weber’s defensive play is exactly what Sekera needs to feel confident about joining the rush and scoring like he should be.
The two biggest names missing from this list are Drew Stafford and Steve Montador.
Stafford has been incredibly inconsistent this season, and I’m sick of waiting for him to produce like he can—there’s no room for that on Coach Hogan’s team.
As for Montador, he’s about the worst defenseman I’ve seen in Buffalo in quite a while—with maybe the exception of Dimitri Kalinin.
And in case you couldn’t figure it out, Patrick Lalime won’t be starting in goal.
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Montreal 3, Sabres 0 (Bell Centre)
“Now if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times. Poise counts!”—Kramer
Last night, I was quoting Ghandi, tonight it’s Kramer. Yes, at All Habs, there’s something for everyone.
No word whether Seinfeld’s ‘The Chaperone’ was required viewing at the morning meeting of the Canadiens, but the coach said “poise” was on the agenda.
Jacques Martin was conducting class and letting his students know that too many of them didn’t appear to want the puck on Friday night in Philadelphia. Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez were the exceptions to that rule and recommended as role models.
“What I liked is that we’re learning,” said Martin after the game tonight. “We had more poise and we were more comfortable with the puck.”
Indeed, the Habs have learned that scoring early and sitting on a slim lead for two-and-a-half periods is not wise. Yet it is something they have tried often this season, including the two previous games this week.
But not tonight.
The Canadiens continued to skate, forecheck, and pressure Sabres’ puck carriers in any zone on the ice. With the Sabres pressing to catchup, the Canadiens were also able to take advantage of mistakes, and increase their lead.
The concept is simple enough, but it seemed to come as a revelation to one person.
“When we forecheck, and use speed and quickness, we are a very good hockey team,” said Coach Martin.
Was this a light bulb moment? After 79 games this season, is coach Martin finally caught on to a system many of us have been advocating since October? I would love to think so.
Martin may stand at a podium and tell the media that he wants an aggressive, puck possession team, and that he wants players to forecheck. But if his team has a lead, whatever he tells them translates into a 1-4 system with players backpeddaling as fast as they can out of the neutral zone to protect their own end.
I think it’s just too hard for him to change.
But for a game, whether driven by the players or the coach, the Canadiens pressed the Sabres. Goal scoring came from players who have worked very hard throughout the season. Tonight they were rewarded for their efforts.
Ryan O’Byrne’s first goal in 25 months seemed to give the whole team a lift. The third and fourth lines were solid with Tom Pyatt and Sergei Kostitsyn being the other scorers for the Habs. Dominic Moore had two assists.
The Canadiens also dominated at the faceoff dot with Tomas Plekanec winning 12 of 14 draws (86 percent) and Scott Gomez going 15-for-21 (71 percent).
Jaroslav Halak had a second outstanding game but can share this shutout with his teammates who did a great job filling the shooting lanes and not allowing second shot chances.
“His teammates supported him better this time,” said Martin about Halak’s performance. “He made some good saves, but he didn’t have to work as hard.”
The Habs’ power-play continues to be a concern going 0-for-5 tonight.
Coming into this game, the Canadiens had not scored three goals in their previous seven games (not counting empty net goals). On Twitter, Arpon Basu posted a message that the Habs’ record is 33-3-3 when scoring three or more goals. Of those games, Halak is 23-2-0, and Carey Price’s record is 10-1-3.
Without putting too fine a point on the numbers, they simply mean that both goaltenders are equally doing the job when the team provides the offense.
So perhaps it’s time that coach Martin prepares a few more lesson plans. The topic? Scoring. Five-on-five scoring. Power play scoring. Any style of scoring that provides three goals a game.
How can the team get that production? By forechecking. Being aggressive. And poise. Because poise counts!
Rocket’s three stars
1. Jaroslav Halak
2. Ryan O’Byrne
3. Sergei Kostitsyn
Special mention: Dominic Moore, Tom Pyatt
Player quotes from wire services were used in this report.
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As a city, Buffalo has seen more than the fair amount of heartbreak in sports.
The Sabres, nearing their 40th birthday, are still searching for their first Stanley Cup. From the 1976 Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers to the ’99 Finals and “No Goal,” Buffalo has gotten within breathing distance of the most prestigious trophy in sports.
This season, the Sabres could make a deep push into the playoffs—and even bring the Cup to One Seymour H. Knox III Plaza.
But five things need to happen for Buffalo to bring home Lord Stanley’s Cup.
The Buffalo Sabres are on their way to the playoffs, but it is still a mystery as to which team they will play in the first round.
Buffalo has been on a roll as of late and is 10-3-1 in its last 14 games. Head coach Lindy Ruff is confident that the Sabres can continue their winning ways by using the team’s depth as its main weapon.
“We look at all lines as lines that should be able to produce,” Ruff told the Associated Press Wednesday night after the Sabres 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers.
As of now, the Sabres are in second place in the Eastern Conference and would be playing against the Boston Bruins in the first round, but there are still three other possibilities—the Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens could all end up playing Buffalo in the playoffs’ opening round.
Let’s take a look at how the Sabres would fair against their potential opponents.
