Tag Search Results for "FA"
Saturday, April 7, 2007
For a sports fan this time of year is like Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving and a birthday all wrapped into one. With the start of the baseball season, March Madness, and the Masters, Tivo’s and VCR’s (for those still living in the Stone Age) aren’t being given very many nights off. But out of all of this quality television is there any...
As a last minute decision I put together a playoff pool together. I invited a solid amount of hockey fanatics to the draft and ended up with enough for a good time. The draft was a very good time as it lasted over an hour and was pretty much solid hockey talk. The contrast in opinions, the intense loyalties, the fake loyalties and indecision were all omnipresent to the par...
I am a refugee from ESPN Fantasy Hockey Correspondent purgatory. For the first three years I wrote a column there, I had something like 110K page views. I got email from all around the planet. But since ESPN got rid of hockey, fantasy hockey is the ugly duckling of fantasy sports, and I'm lucky to get one email a month. So I figured I'd give MYHB a shot. I like Ecklund's w...
What a season for the Buffalo Sabres and fans. They have taken home the President Trophy as the top team in the National Hockey League throughout the regular season. They finished with 53 wins and 113 points.
They will be playing the New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs on Thursday night puck drops at 7:08pm. This should be an interesting series. Ted N...
So, here we are on the cusp of the playoffs and I find myself in very unfamiliar territory. My beloved Sabres are the Stanley Cup favorites for the first time in my lifetime.
This isn't like '99 when it was "an average team with the world's best goaltender". This isn't like last season when no one outside of the Sabres' organization thought much of that team. This ...
Thursday evening at 8pm in front of a packed HSBC Arena the Buffalo Sabres will begin the 1st round of Stanley Cup Playoff action against the #8 seed New York Islanders.
Many storylines come to mind when it comes to this series. From Rick Dipietro's mysterious head injury to the well awaited Jack Adams award winning battle between Nolan and Ruff, as the Replacement look...
Who the hell Anointed the Buffalo Sabres Stanley Cup winners? yeah i picked them in first round but come on Buffalo, stop already!
It amazes how every publication and website has buffalo winning cup and people in Buffalo already going to arena to pick out their spot for indoor parade pep rally. Gee, one year every publication picked flyers win the cup and the got sweep...
[b]QUOTE:[/b]
"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope." ...
One Team One Goal
Lindy and the boys have fulfilled a season long goal…………. Lock up home ice advantage throughout the playoffs!!!!
This year’s edition of the Buffalo Sabres has lived up to the high expectations of the local fan base. They have managed to do so amidst a plethora of man games lost due to injury & a league that was put on notice last spri...
Hey, this is my first blog. I made these predictions for all of the playoff rounds so I thought I would share them with you. Note that these were made before the games tonight.
[u][b]Eastern Conference Quarterfinals[/b][/u]
[b]1. Buffalo (4-2)[/b] vs. 8. NYI
[b]2. New Jersey (4-1)[/b] vs. 7. Tampa Bay
3. Atlanta vs. [b]6. NYR (4-2)[/b]
4. Ottawa vs. [b]5. Pittsbur...
This is how I see this game and theseries breakdown!
Special teams throw out what we have done for the year vs everyone else lets go head to head!
Sabres PP 6 of 23
Isles PP 3 of 19
Buffalo also has added 2 Shorties into the mix! Advantage Buffalo!
Breaking down the Centers:
Drury--- Yashin...
This is it Sabres' fans. We have been waiting for this since we watched the Hurricanes raising the Cup last year. I think the team has been waiting for this since THEY watched the Hurricane's raise [i]THEIR[/i] Cup last year.
In my second blog, I wanted to just take a brief look at the series.
I think every publication has already made the world aware that Buffalo ...
Tonight starts the quest for the Cup
Lord Stanley will come to it's rightful place in BUFFALO, NY
Thomas Vanek will score 2 goals
Other scores: Connolly, Drury, Briere
Tonight starts the Journey that will be finished when Buffalo Wins the Stanely Cup right here in BUFFALO,
Join Sabres fans during the game at [b]www.sabreschat.com/chat.shtml [/b]to talk a...
Well, Game 1 is finally here! The past several days have inched by as I've waited for the playoffs to start. It should be a good game. I think the Islanders will really work hard and battle. The Sabres have waited for this all season, so they better be ready. I expect them to play like they were at the start of the season and during the playoffs last year. At times t...
Tampa's going to SPOOK the devils tonight. 4-2 probably.
NYR vs. ATL will be as exciting as the build up was for PIT vs. OTT. Then look what happened, the upper seed played like the upper seed. Kovi and crew, do yer thang!
Buffalo -- Score lots, rack up d'em points, my pool entries are count'in on it. Just another day at the office for Vanek and co.
And then t...
It seems to me one of the major challenges the Flyers have will be determining what to do with certain players who are, at this point, "tweeners"...guys like Ryan Potulny, RJ Umberger, Dimitri Afanasenkov and Stefan Ruzicka. They aren't really muckers and grinders who should be on checking lines. They have scoring talent; but they may not be ready to take on the role of ...
Sabres are up 2-1 after 2 periods. The Sabres are playing pretty well, but they aren't capitalizing on some chances that they usually would. Roy's giveaway was terrible and led to the Isles only goal so far. If the Sabres can score on the PP at the start of the 3rd, they should be in good shape. Should be a good 3rd period!
The only thing the Islanders did good tonight was save the embarassment. The score (4-1) was a lot better then I thought it would be and still the Sabres crushed them. Dubielewicz was the only player on New York actually keeping his team in the game. The Sabres outshot them, out hit them, out scored them, and simply out played them. It was a well deserved and expected win ...
I've been waiting for this game since the Sabres dropped Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the RBC Center in North Carolina last summer.
Little did I know I would BE at this game.
I gambled a bit and bought my first ever Mini Pack last August, with the assumption that the Sabres would be back and have another great season. More than anything, it was good for...
Watching the Sabres vs. Islanders game last night I made an observation about the Islanders that I wanted to share. I don't get to see them play too often, so I'm making this assessment based only on one game (maybe not a fair thing to do).
Anyway, the Islanders have a lot of talented players, but too few of them are actually good players. Under the heading of [i]Tale...
Local reports in the Buffalo News seem to suggest that the NY Islanders may not have been prepared for Game 1. See Tim Graham's article in the Buffalo News at [url]http://www.buffalonews.com/111/story/52798.html[/url].
To quote the article, "[i]Signs of slapdash postseason preparations were troubling. Star winger Jason Blake peeked at the Sabres morning skate and asked...
I did full-game recaps in the past, so how about bringing it back out for the playoffs?
[b]Notable Statistics:[/b] [url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=270412002]Box Score[/url]
Powerplay: Buffalo 2/6, New York 0/3
Giveaways: Buffalo 7, New York 14
Shots: Buffalo 11-11-13 (35), New York 1-9-11 (21)
[b]J's opinion:[/b]
1. [u]Rockin' the HSBC pre-gam...
One man's search for culinary kismet continues after an initial failure.
Game 1
Main dish: Some goody-two-shoes health food garbage.
Result: Wild loss, 2-1
Game 2
Fajita burrito (chicken)
Black beans
guacamole/salsa and chips
diet Pepsi
After reading Garth's blog, the Islanders certainly have a problem on their hands. Ricky D, who you'd have to think when healthy, is far and away the better of the two if not a straight up world class goalie. Dubielewicz is a young, upstart guy with a lot of potential: I really like this kid, he's not afraid of anything and challenges the shooter very aggressively. But nev...
The more I see of Dainius Zubrus, the more I like him.
I know most of the conversations have involved the playoffs, but looking ahead a little bit, if there's any way they can re-sign this guy after the season I'd love for them to do it. I truly believe they will make an effort to sign both Drury and Briere, but if for some reason they can't get both, I'd be happy with...
Great game by Drury and company last night. A couple points to consider:
1) Following last night's 4-1 victory, Chris Drury made the expected, credit-deflecting comments to the media. As he usually does, he mentioned that the team felt really prepared because of Lindy Ruff's tutelage and how Lindy deserves credit because he has been drilling all of the important thing...
Who needs a Zubrus Medallion?
Got a couple.
Interested?
I believe that some of us, as Sabre's fans, have been spoiled by the most exciting team in hockey and, quite possibly, all of sports. I actually heard some disgruntled people calling into the local radio sports-talk shows complaining about last night's Sabre's convincing 4-1 victory over the Long Islanders in game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarter finals. Apparently, the...
Here are how the options stand. (1) DP stands on his head, steals a game for the Isles, and Ted Nolan comes out a hero. (2) DP stands on his head, but Sabres still overpower the Isles as a team, and it's a huge risk with little reward. (3) DP comes out rusty, Sabres run over the Isles, and it's a huge risk with NO reward. (4) DP gets hurt (long- or short- term) and Ted ...
I caught Ian Mendes' blog on Sportsnet ([url]http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/ian_mendes/2007/04/13/deep_thoughts[/url]), and still wonder if he can actually address the question of why to boo Sidney Crosby. He can't seem to figure it out either. Or maybe he just can't seem to string multiple thoughts together coherently when it's not about the ultimate greatness that is the...
FLAMESTR writes...
PUBLIC APOLOGY PLEASE ANY HOCKEY PLAYERS PLEASE READ
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I have heard it said that players need to give the fans proper respect, while this is true but what comes to mind is a double edge sword, meaning don't the players deserve the same respect. Now don't get me wrong the fans have a right to call how it is if a player makes a mistake call him on it. But what his nationality or I Q or his up bringing have anything to do w...
What a game so far.
The Islanders have turned up the heat
But just when you thought they would turn it up higher.....
HERE COME THE SABRES
Sabres score late to come within one goal of the Islanders
remember [url]sabreschat.com/chat.shtml [/url]
It is going on 5 hours after the Sabres lost to the Islanders and I am asking myself the question: Where is the desperation and desire from this team? Perhaps they hurt more than helped themselves by winning so many games early in the season. Did this allow them to coast into the playoffs? This team seems to need a fire to be lit under them to get motivated. It has been sh...
ForeverFlyer16 writes...
It's About Time Ron Hextall is Given His Due In Flyerland.
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I watched the Flyers 40th Anniversary DVD to see Ron Hextall's emotions, and have in me feelings rekindled that I had over the entire period that he was with the Flyers... That exuberance that he displayed epitomized what being a Flyer actually means... He, along with Bob Clarke, acted with the raw emotion that I would like to see in every Flyer, every game, every year.
...
I have been a fan of sports for a long time, and I have seen my share of bandwagon fans…but outside the current day red sox (they couldn’t get a guy without a boston accent to admit they were a fan until they won…now some chucklehead in Indiana is proclaiming himself a lifelong fan, yet cant remember a manager prior to Francona), nothing touches the current day Sabre...
So I'm busy AGAIN tonight, and this would mean missing TWO broadcasts in a row, which I don't think I can handle. Does anyone know if a radio station in New York City plays it? Normally, I listen to all the game on internet radio so I can hear Rick Jeanneret's broadcast. If RJ's play-by-play is unavailable, what is the radio station that has the Islanders' broadcast? I...
I'm going to try something different and if people like it maybe I'll do it again in the future. Live updates to tonight's Sabres game...highlighting key plays and my thoughts as the game is going on. I would love to hear feedback, so please leave comments. Enjoy...
[b]10:14 p.m. EST:[/b] And that's it! Not the prettiest ending, but the Sabres hold on. The Isles po...
My sources are telling me that early indications point to Sutter firing Playfair.
Details to come.
The Sabres put forth a much better effort in Game 3, resulting in a 3-2 win and the lead in the series. Finally, the Sabres forwards scored all 3 goals, including goals from Briere and Vanek. Zubrus currently leads the team in points, with 4 (all assists). He was great again tonight, providing good offense and defense along with a strong physical game. Both of the goal...
Beasts. Everywhere. It's a good thing I have my trusty guide with me. We step out of our vehicle and onto the dilapidated lot in Uniondale, Long Island. Nassau Coliseum stands like some archaic ruin, except the ancient Roman and Greek ruins are far better managed. My guide carries our hidden snacks and drinks in her deep-pocketed coat. The rain bleats down like the hammer ...
By the power of Grayskull, a few points:
1) If last night was a game of Ice Hockey on the original Nintendo Entertainment System, Lindy must have gotten a hold of a Game Genie because Mair and Zubrus were able to hit like the big, fat players but also, somehow, had the agility and speed of the skinny guys that usually get run over. They were only credited with 8 hits i...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Pens or Sens Will Have Nothing Left for Round Two
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I wrote yesterday about how the Sabres need to ratchet up the “physical” play if they expect to make a serious run to the cup. After watching game 4 of the Pens & Sens… maybe the Sabres plan will work out just fine if they meet one of these teams in the ECF.
To put it simply and succinctly, these teams are absolutely KILLING each other. I have to believe that ...
1) What’s better than playoff hockey? In a series that could potentially be labeled “boring” by comparison to past playoff series and those currently underway (especially Ottawa-Pittsburgh), the Sabres and Islanders have, instead, found a way to stay interesting due to an odd debate over “shooting at the goalie’s head”, the ridiculous behavior of Islander fans...
Yitzhak writes...
The First Official Washington Capitals Blog on this Site
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Since this site is woefully prejudiced against us Capitals fans, I felt it was time to step up to the plate and fulfill the glaring need for a Capitals Blog. Granted there are only about four Capitals fans on this whole site, but that is really besides the point.
As anyone remotely familiar with the NHL knows, the Capitals were atrocious down the stretch, and in some w...
Game 4 between the Sabres and Islanders is tonight at 7:30 in New York.
Buffalo currently leads the series 2-1 and could take both away games along with a commanding lead with a win tonight. Games 2 and 3 were very close games, though I thought the Sabres were much better in Game 3 than in 2. If the Sabres come out to play from the start, I don't think they'll have any ...
10 Reasons the Sabres will win tonight
1 – Sabres skate like the wind, Witt and co. is just too dam slow
2 – Islanders have nothing left after giving max efforts in games 2 and 3
3 - Roy, Afinigenov, Vanek line will dominate
4 – Miller is better than Dipeitro
5 – Mike Schopp says so... and Bulldog agreed (imagine that?)
6 - Chris Drury is a hockey god and t...
In 2004, a young man (well, if you count 26 as young) got to live a dream of a lifetime and go to a Stanley Cup Finals Game. That young man was me, and being from Newfoundland where the closest NHL team is Boston (it could be Toronto, but I can't stand the Leafs) I never even got close to a pre-season game in my first 25 years of life.
That year, I experienced the grea...
6:44
just got off the train and walked one block to the bus station and now I'm heading to the Coliseum. by the time we got to Hempstead, not many people on the train still remained -- most being SABRES FANS, which was amusing, to say the least. on the bus right now, several more. we are packing the arena!
7:07
just got into the arena ... testing it out AND I HAVE ...
These calls NEVER go Buffalo’s way… EVER!
Vanek’s goal – Common sense tells you it was clearly a goal… however I was fully expecting that to be disallowed.
The Afinegenov powerplay – Max somehow drew 6minutes in penalties with a hard play to the net that we see over and over again. Again, I live in Buffalo, I expected co-incidentals at best.
Game 4 N...
Okay, I just want to make a few things clear. I have now attended three Sabres games in three different arenas: HSBC Arena, Madison Sq Garden, and Nassau Coliseum. Of course, the crowd at HSBC is unbeatable when you're rooting on the home team, so I'll leave that aside. As for the MSG crowd, they were more than friendly and I struck up a good conversation with the guy n...
My evening started typically enough. Stuck in unmoving traffic to get over to JFK. My future brother-in-law was coming in for the game tonight...taking off from work as a chef in a very highly respected restaurant in Florida. I look up, half expecting to see bats, but instead the sky is thickly overcast in the gray fog which has enveloped Long Island since hockey came to t...
...it appears that the puck was indeed across the goal line before Miller got pushed into the net. From all I'm hearing this morning, it appears the league got this one wrong and the goal should have counted. A camera angle from in front of the net shows the puck across the goal line between Miller's pads.
That being said, there's nothing that can be done about that n...
To read Part I:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=567&post_id=557
[i]We last left our hero, yours truly, with his trusty guide, her brother (the former Islander fan trumpet player) watching Game 4 of the Islander/Sabres series. A man donned in a Ranger jersey has sat in the seats, and bad vibes are back in the Coliseum.[/i]
"Leave it all on the ice"
...
Enough crying about how mean the Isles fans are, you would be pissed if you got screwed out of two games too. However, let's look at those two games. For one, Vanek's goal was not CONCLUSIVELY across the goal line. I know it was, you know it was in. However any camera angle did not show it to be conclusive, it was assumptive. Which it does not say in the rule book. Flash b...
I am not going to apology for splitting hairs over the use of Nation when describing the fans of certain NHL teams or the co-opting of the term for profit. No, I won’t because I’m Canadian and we’ve been splitting nations and attempting to sew them back together, and to the larger fabric, since our inception.
For those of you reading this in Canada I realize inv...
Now before I get flamed by every single Sabres fan on Earth this is just an opinion I've formed after watching the Sabres take out the Isles in 5 games.
The Sabres are incredibly talented, they are loaded with offense and have a pretty good back end to boot. But, they didn't run away with this series as much as some Sabres fans (and again I''m not painting them all wit...
[i]O Calgary Flames who skate in the Dome,
Hallowed be the ice upon which you play.
Your power rankings will climb
As your points do over time, at Sportsnet as well on TSN.
Give us this day our special teams skill.
And forgive us our tresspasses as we check those who try to do us ill.
Lead us not to the penalty box and deliver us from unreviewed goals,
For thine are...
Though I am a believer in only the one, true, God...thank-you hockey gods (and San Jose Sharks)!!! How fitting that Thugville's third major (non-fighting) penalty and countless game misconduct cost them the game and series! It could not have been more perfect. If you can blame the lack of hockey enthusiasm on any players, it would certainly include the thugs of the game...
Heroes:
DRURY- Captain Clutch adds 2 more GWG's to his already impressive resume 14 total GWG's in the post season.
BRIERE Line- Slow start follwed by solid game 4 & 5 performances.
AFINOGENOV- Anther slow starter... Turned disappointing series into a great ending with Series winning goal. Welcome back MAX NATION
Zeroes:
HECHT- 0 Goals, but an impressive 18 SOG ...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
'Sabres Only' Fantasy Hockey Leauge – Join In for Round Two!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Sabres Fans… Join in for round 2 of the hometeamhockey.com playoff fantasy league. Below is a short description from the site's creator. I've participated for the past few "divisions" and really enjoy it. You should give it a try.
[quote][i]Fantasy Hockey for the Home Town Fan. Why a fantasy league with just one team? My thinking is this: I like Fantasy sports, bu...
Alright Flames fans, let's forget yesterday or even this whole series ever happened. Let's get down to business for next season.
Here is the list of UFAs for the Flames:
Tony Amonte
Marcus Nilson
Jeff Friesen
Darren McCarty
Byron Ritchie
Wayne Primeau
Roman Hamrlik
Brad Stuart
Brad Ference
Jamie McLellan (G)
Here is the list for the RFAs:
Matthew Lo...
I delayed posting a blog after our overtime defeat because it would be ridden with grief and emotional outbursts. Tears are not rare when it comes to me and my beloved Flames. Needless to say I am struggling to find my way again, as I commit so much to the team and their journey.
However, this blog is for looking forward. I would love to be in Sutter's position right...
Can someone please notify the Buffalo Sabres and their respected media that they have only won one round so far in the playoffs. Buffalo is a great team and looks destined to continue their current success for many years. Heck, they might even win this year’s Stanley Cup and lay the begining piece of the “New NHL’s” first dynasty. However, heading into game one ...
Sabres de Buffalo vs Rangers de New York
Les Rangers ont été surprenant contre Atlanta, mais dans le fonds, si on regarde leurs récentes acquisitions - Brendan Shanahan durant l'été et Sean Avery 1 ou 2 semaines avant la date limite - c'est pas vraiment surprenant qu'il aient battus Atlanta, ces deux joueurs là ont apporté du coeur à cette équipe et le désir d...
Dear Santa Clause (aka: Mr. Hicks and Mr. Armstong),
As this sport very much relates to a holiday – the regular season being New Year’s through Thanksgiving and the playoffs being Christmas – here is my Christmas wish list for the off-season (in essay form!).
The Dallas Stars have now compiled three straight first-round exits after solid, promising regular-seas...
I wish I could kick it back with some old school commentary, but my life schedule has not been kind this playoffs. While I've listened to 90% of the games on internet radio, I had to miss two whole games in the 1st round and I got back in time for the 3rd period, but I fell asleep shortly after Pominville's goal was credited. Hey, what can I say, they took awhile!
So,...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Looking Ahead (already) to Next Season's Sabres Lineup.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Rangers have NO chance. In addition to the Sabres being the overall superior team in every facet of the game, this series is a terrible match up for the Rangers. Sabres in 5 at most.
Since I’m confident that round two is “in the bag” already… Let’s spend a little time looking forward to next season. Here’s how I think the line up will look on openi...
Hey guys . . .
[b]Believe it or not[/b] nobody from Toronto is going to come to the HSBC wearing white gloves and carrying the Stanley Cup just because you won the 1st game of the series 5-2.
[b]Believe it or not[/b] the Rangers didn't expect your team to roll over like dogs and aren't demoralized from one loss.
[b]Believe it or not[/b] they actually intend on showin...
I get the sense that some of you think the Cup is already in your possession. Believe it or not it's still early in this series and extremely early in the run to the Cup.
Would I rather that the Rangers were up 2-0 coming back to MSG, you bet I would. Would I rather that the Rangers were able to a win a game in HSBC, especially Game 2 in which they out played the Sa...
I could probably write a pretty long blog about how the Rachunek goal was a goal, kicking motion my ass. I could write lettter and verse on how the refs seemed to miss so many calls on the Sabres and none on the Rangers.
Well I could write that blog, but I won't. I will just say [b]Hell Of A Game[/b].
That is what playoff hockey is all about. Same pit in my stomach...
The Rangers win. Yes I know, I know. I was jumping for joy too.
However the road is far from over. The impressive showing they brought on against Buffalo was great. They played their game. They came on tough and really left everything out on the ice and in so were rewarded by a great Rozsival shot to finally end the game in the 2nd OT.
This game had everything. Hits,...
nickgregory writes...
The life of a new father, and random hockey thoughts....
Posted Monday | Comments 0
No matter what anyone tells you, you can never fully be prepared for taking care of an infant. My daughter is now 5 ½ weeks old, and as a result, I am sleep deprived, nerves are ragged and I feel like I could snap at any moment, but the good news is I am watching a ton of hockey (while flipping between the damn Yankees proving that they should have bought some pitching i...
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2854004&type=story
This is this story that brought about this little rant...
Scott Burnside is a good hockey guy, let's get that out of the way. But of course there is a 'but' here. He claims that since players can pass the puck with the skates why not allow them to deflect it with their skates? My first reason on why not ...
Eastern Conference Semi's, Game 3, Madison Square Garden, New York, New York.
The Rangers have jumped out to a surprisingly commanding 1-0 lead over the Buffalo Sabres, who have a 2-0 in the series. Jaromir Jagr put the blueshirts ahead earlier in the game, and now New York continues to dominate the game. Marcel Hossa takes a pass from Jagr and neatly gives it to Karel ...
When I was first hired by the HHOF last summer, the first question I asked was "Will I be working Induction Night?". Thats where I was told all employees work that night. Since then, that was the one night I was looking forward to. However, Induction night wasn't till November 13th, so I still had 2 and a half months to get my feet wet there.
So as I got more experience...
When the puck drops a little past 7 pm tonight at Madison Square Garden the boys in blue will be looking to hold serve and send the series back to Buffalo all square at 2 games apiece.
The first win against 6 losses this season against the Sabres should give a little boost in the confidence of the Rangers. They have played well the past 2 games, playing the style tha...
Here we go off to Buffalo all tied up 2 games apiece. Don't think many Sabres fans thought we'd be looking at a best 2 out of 3 series after game 1.
I'm sure we'll hear lots about how it was a goal, what a difference a few days make. Happen to be listening to Briere being interviewed, I guess he doesn't read the Sabre bloggers on myhockeybuzz, because he thought th...
Did Jagr have a heart transplant or what? Maybe he was possessed! Maybe he sold his soul to the Devil. Whatever he did this guy was moving. Jagr has once again proven that when he wants it, he is almost unstoppable. This guy looked like a work horse the entire game. He back checked, forecheck, moved it well, passed, shot, and scored.He led this team by example. Showing why...
Since I am from Buffalo and now live in Illinois, you would think I would enjoy the Spring time heat that has finally found its way to the Midwest, but I am feeling the heat due to this playoff season and I am not enjoying it. I am feeling so stressed during these Sabres games, it is incredible. What other Sabres fans feel this? I haven't felt like this in the playoffs unt...
Over the last few years, we've seen a lot of two-headed monsters in the nets of NHL teams. We've seen Roloson and Fernandez, Miller and Biron, Giguere and Bryz, Nabokov and Toskala, Vokoun and Mason, and the list goes on...
Roloson and Fernandez were the first to split, and just a few months ago the Miller/Biron monster was broken apart. This summer, it appears we'll ...
Who would've thought that the New York Rangers would hold the high flying Buffalo Sabres to 2 goals over 8 periods of hockey at Madison Square Garden to even their Eastern Conference semifinal at 2 games apiece.
The Sabres were the highest scoring team in the NHL averaging 3.75 goals/game over the course of the regular season. What many don't realize is the Rangers w...
[b][i]"Anticipation, it's makin' me wait...it's keepin' me wa-a-a-a-aiting"[/i][/b]
[b][i]"The waiting is the hardest part"[/i][/b]
T minus 2 hours 'til the puck drops and I can't wait, heck I was getting antsy at 9 am this morning. Truth be told I was getting antsy for this game 2 days ago.
I hope that the Rangers are as antsy to get this one started as I am, ...
Yep that sure did hurt.
With 7.7 seconds to go Drury rifles a shot over Henrik Lundqvist and pass Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi and into the net, tying the game at one. That shot had eyes. With only a few inches of open net about to be closed off by Girardi's glove Drury launched the Sabres to an OT winner and a 3-2 lead in the series. It brings back memories of Valeri Zelepukin's tying goal wit...
First I would like to take this opportunity to say congrats to Sens Fans. Your team was better than mine, and I can accept losing to a better team. Also as a whole you guys have been the classiest group of fans to invade what I am happy to say used to be our arena. Now all I ask of the Sens is they go all the way so I can comfort myself in the fact that it took the Stanley...
It is probably too soon to write how it feels after watching my Rangers team go down 5-4 today, but I don't think time will change my opinion of this team.
All I can say is that I'm proud of the 2006-2007 New York Rangers. This team never gave up, not when most counted them out during the regular season and not today down 2 goals to the Sabres.
Jaromir Jagr showe...
HomeIceFan writes...
Sorry Eugene: Either Have Us Full-Time, Or Not At All
Posted Monday | Comments 0
This Ottawa-Buffalo series is going to be an exciting one. Geographically, Leaf fans could easily get their hockey fix being smackdab in between these 2 towns. At the same time, it's easy for Leaf fans to hate both these teams. Do you hate the team that crushed your Cup dreams some years ago, or do you hate the team who brags about crushing your dreams, yet never has? Dani...
It looks like Canucks are making huge atempts for offence. For example:
Paul Kariya - 40% - Would work very well as hometown boy
Scott Gomez - 25% - Would bring some good offence to Vancouver
Anson Carter - 25% - Could work with Sedins, cheaper
Ladislav Nagy - 20% - Would bring good offence
Wes Walz - 10% - Always plays good ag...
Sabreswinthecup14 writes...
a little ottawa playoff history against the sabres
Posted Monday | Comments 0
nobody cares about the regular season anymore. playoffs is whats up. what happened to the senators last year. they killed us every game. playoffs was a different story. two words... Jason Pominville. sabre fans, no need to worry. this one line offensive team is no threat to us.
LETS GO BUFFALO!!
Supernick writes...
Mes prédictions pour la 3e ronde et Lecavalier contre Price?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Sabres de Buffalo vs Sénateurs d'Ottawa
Les sabres on eu un début de séries plûtot ordinaire contre les rangers mais ils se sont bien repris dans les deux dernières parties. ils ont la chance de compter sur 4 bonnes lignes d'attaque, leur seule faiblesse est l'avantage numérique, ils ne font pas grand chose en avantage. aussi il leur manque un jouer de caractère ...
Coming into work this morning I was greeted with warm sunshine, a cool breeze, and the comfort of knowing the Sabres are still playing hockey. All should be right with the world, but hanging in the back of my head is a cloud of doubt. The knowledge that this could be the last couple games I watch, the fear that Ottawa will be too much for us, that again we will come so c...
First off, I was at the arena tonight...Another amazing atmosphere for sure. And not the prettiest hockey game in the world (turnovers, barage of penalties in the first two periods, plenty of hits, etc.), but certainly entertaining! Here's to much more to come between these two teams!
Now..Credit goes to where credit is due. Congratulations to the Ottawa Senators on ...
WILL THE BUFFALO SABRES AND THEIR SPECIAL TEAMS PLEASE REPORT TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS...THE BUFFALO SABRES AND THEIR SPECIAL TEAMS TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS....THANK YOU
That's what I heard over the HSBC p.a. tonight following an embarassing showing (or lack thereof) by the Sabres in game 1 of the ECF. Bottom line is, if their power play continues to b...
Going to my car Thursday morning I was greeted with the cold, wet blanket that can be Buffalo spring. My initial thoughts were concern about how this was going to affect the ice. I knew it was going to warm up, but would the humidity lift, and if it didn’t were the Sabres going to have problems dealing with slow, choppy ice. No matter I thought, game time was twelve h...
Swede writes...
In Buffalo, with no radio or television? Not a problem!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I've learned this past week that doing yard work during a Sabres game CAN be accomplished. I had mowed my lawn the day before and I was too lazy to pick up the piles of grass that the mower had thrown across my lawn. It was the end of the first intermission of Game 1 between the Sabres and Senators when I chose to go out and rake and pick up the grass, trying to make it ba...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Alfredsson Fined $25k and Suspended for Game 3
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Well he SHOULD be! In the first OT, Alfredsson lept from his skates and pounded a defenseless Henrik Tallinder from behind. This one of the most egregious/dirty boarding incidents I have ever seen in my life and Alfredsson gets not even a deuce for his trouble.
Tallinder nearly broke his neck. Alfredsson should have gotten a major and been tossed from the game. Take...
After the Parent trade, wasn't this guy supposed to be the Predators' top defensive prospect?
Well, he sure hasn't shown it in the playoffs.
In 19 playoff contests, Franson has just 3 goals an 4 assists to go wth a solid +8 rating. Those are pretty solid numbers for a defensman under normal circumstances. But these aren't normal circumstances. Franson had 17 goa...
Gee, Lindy Ruff is a brilliant coach after all......
While not quite as taxing as being a Chicago Cub fan, the lot in life for a Vancouver Canucks fan is, and has always been, how will “we” screw it up this time? Whether we’re talking performance on the ice, Drafting, Uniforms etc, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day Canuck fans are almost always left with disappointment and wondering what might have been.
I...
I love youtube. it has everything you want as a hockey fight fan. i want to share my top #10 fights on you tube
#10 Cam Neely TKOs Lindy Ruff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDt8pgmsfV0&mode=related&search=
your're not a hockey fan if you dont like cam neely
Let’s face facts, the Sabres are getting beaten by a better team. They need to come to grips that the mythical 2nd gear that we have been waiting all playoffs for does not exist. They are not better then the Sens, and do not have the players to beat them on talent and skill alone. This sounds defeatist, but it is just realty. The coach and players need to finally ac...
What in the hell happened here? Three games totally dominated by Ottawa. No “ifs, ands or buts” about it. No excuses. A thorough beating. PERIOD.
So… now I have to come up with a few reasons to make myself believe that the Sabres are on the verge of a monumental comeback. Here it goes.
[b]They can replace Kalinin. [/b]
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a s...
Everyone spoke to how fast, talented and overpowering the Sabres were in the regular season, including yours truly. But, as I have stated before and others before me, the playoffs are a different time of year. Winning the President's Trophy means two things, you get a nice trophy and you get home ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
Home ice advantage. Who cares?...
The last three games you picked Buffalo and you saw the results. Our city has a curse as it is, your picking jinx doesn't help.
All kidding aside, the Sabres really are in a huge hole.
Let's hope the 3-0 gives them a HUGE wake up call.
Here's to the team showing up tonight....here's to Miller doing his stuff again...here's for lots of shots and some goals (dare I...
The Fat Lady is warming up if not already singing.
It's gonna kill the Sabres fans, most of them thought they already won the Cup when they went up 2-0 on the Rangers. What am I saying they thought they had it wrapped up after going up 1-0.
It looks like they will be on the Links this weekend. I guess those directions to the HHOF in Toronto will come in handy for...
This is perfect! The stage is set... the Sabres got 'em right where they want 'em! I can already feel the pressure mounting on the Sens for game 6! Keep the faith!
Like I said before… the Sabres are on the verge of a monumental comeback! Are there any other teams you would expect to be in this scenario? Buffalo has been known for comebacks all year... Ottawa is known ...
[img]http://www2.ottawasenators.com/_static/webUpload/265/228_1.jpg[/img]
Growing up as a child in Ottawa, ON and playing minor hockey for years, the one constant thing that remained the same throughout my childhood was the fact Saturday Night was Hockey Night In Canada. A lot has changed since then, which brings me to my point for writing this article.
With NFL, NB...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Sabres Payroll a Tight Fit For Drury OR Briere in 2007/08
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
We Buffalo Fans are doing alot of "back of napkin" figuring on the Sabres contracts and salary cap next year but not many are considering the actual dollars they spend compared to their budget. Get out your abucus and follow along.
According to [url]http://www.nhlnumbers.com/buf.html[/url]the Sabres spent $45.43 million (actual dollars) on their players salries last y...
"the BASTard makes me ILl."
http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/david_bastl/2007/05/22/bonds_great_buffalo_sucks/
For those who frequent Sportsnet, you may have seen the latest pile of horsecrap that David Bastil spewed out all over the front page today. For the second time in the last month, he wrote a completely unintelligent blog about why Barry Bonds is the greatest...
For those outside of Buffalo, just an interesting little story....
I called HSBC Arena yesterday. I was hoping to buy season tickets. The response I got: "We're all maxed out for next season. We can take your name down for the waiting list though."
What?
It's not like I waited til the last minute. Last year I ordered my tix in August and had no problem.
You...
So here we go, another off-season filled with free agents and question marks only fit for the Empire State. This year it comes down to the absolute core of the team, the two captains, Chris Drury and Daniel Briere.
I love Chris Drury, he is everything I want my captain to be. If I have a team led by Drury, backstopped by Ryan Miller, and coached by Lindy Ruff, I am ...
According to the Raleigh News and Observer, Glen Wesley wants to return next season for his 20th season. Here's what Glen had to say:
"That was definitely not the way I wanted to finish the year off," Wesley said. "I'm really looking forward to coming back and getting a fresh start and wanting to win again. That should be everybody's objective in the locker room. We hav...
Only a few hours to go now until game 2 starts. I am pumped.
Lots to expect out of this one. Will the Sens be able to fight back or will the Ducks just keep on hitting everyone and wear down the Sens?
I really think that this is the Ducks chance. They have a great opportunity to go ahead 2-0 in the series and forcing the Sens to win 4 in 5 games. They have a lo...
My son and I were at a park day the other day and he was playing road hockey in which he scored many goals and killed us and wore me to a frazzle. Now I am writing this blog about how much I am out of shape I am writing because of what took place at the game. One of the younger boys was playing to who had his stick up to high and my son (dougstr) was trying to teach hi...
Montreal 1993 game 2. Marty Mcsorley gets called for and illegal stick..........Result The hockey nation of Canada gets the cup for the last time in the century.
Aniehim 2007 Danny Heatley, Jason Spezza, and daniel alfreedson.......... A once Unstopable force Turns into the highest paid turn over machine in the NHL.
Result...........well probably a Stanley cup.
...
OK, so I leave on this ridiculously long business trip 3+ weeks ago sitting on top of the world. The Sabres had just dispatched the Rangers and were about to face the Sens (hind sight being 20/20, I wish it was New Jersey). Fans in Buffalo were crazed. You couldn't walk into a store without seeing a huge display of Sabres logo merchandise for sale.
Stop 1: Las Vegas
...
So tonight will pretty much decide this series. Ottawa are on the ropes and Alfredsson, Heatley and Spezza continue to struggle against Anaheim's checking line, the Niedermayer-Pronger unit, and JS Giguere. But they return home to the Scotiabank Place with (hopefully) rabid fans who weren't even remote thoughts the last time the Senators won the Cup(except for that one 99 ...
[img:right]http://www.wgr550.com/sabres/top10/media/02_mayday.jpg[/img]
Congradulations to Brad May on his first Stanley Cup Championship. nearly 14 years and 2 months ago Brad scored one of the biggest Stanley Cup Ot winning goals in history. Now his name will enter the history books as a Stanley Cup winner. It is nice to see him get his due.
With over 900 games pl...
Congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks. An outstanding organization and a tremendous hockey team. They deserved everything they got.
And now our lives fall back to normalcy. No more puck. At least not on the ice.
It's a terribly sad time of year. At least we have the NBA Finals starting tomorrow, right? Major League Baseball is in full swing. And then football s...
[img:left]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/Zacobius/nhl_blog/capt.jpg[/img] Well congrats to the Ducks. What a great playoff run and what a win in Game 5. After all those close games, it was great to see them in a blowout. After watching Cory Perry in London, it was great to see him get that goal (what a shot) and once again, no celebration looks better in sports t...
[img]http://nhl.speedera.net/image-upload/regier_tallAP.jpg[/img]
Picture this: It is July 4th in the United States in Western New York and some Sabres fans get together for a BBQ to celebrate Independence Day. And when Buffalo sports fans have an outing, you can bet the house it is only a matter of time before the conversation turns to either the Bills or Sabres.
...
This is an open question for all the NHLers out there. Unrestricted free agency is almost upon us and a handful of notable free agents such as Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, and Ryan Smyth to name a few, look like they will become UFA's.
So here's the big question. As a top level UFA how do you decide which team you will decide to sign with? For some it...
GilPerrault writes...
The Correlation Between the Sabres and The Sopranos
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Sabres’ past season and the final episode of the Sopranos have a few things in common. The Sabres built up the hopes and dreams of the City of Buffalo for its first ever significant national championship. We, Sabres fans, have seen this team develop over the years with big wins, strong efforts and winning streaks that led to the best record in the NHL’s regular sea...
They are both returning for 07-08. Details not known at this time, but they have agreed to new deals with the Sabres. This per WGRZ-Channel 2 in Buffalo, broadcasted during this evening's 5 p.m. news.
WGR-550 is also reporting that Ruff has signed this evening.
The focus of the Sabres can now move STRICTLY to free agency.
Buffalo has not had a captain as heartfelt as Chris Drury since Pat LaFontaine played here. Any interview you watch, you'll hear "us", "team", "we". Also, it's been a long time since I've heard a professional athlete in Buffalo speak about the city in the way Drury has in his time here. Drury said it's great to see those basketball nets vacant, and all the kids playing str...
Buffalo has not had a captain as heartfelt as Chris Drury since Pat LaFontaine played here. Any interview you watch, you'll hear "us", "team", "we". Also, it's been a long time since I've heard a professional athlete in Buffalo speak about the city in the way Drury has in his time here. Drury said it's great to see those basketball nets vacant, and all the kids playing str...
Buffalo has not had a captain as heartfelt as Chris Drury since Pat LaFontaine played here. Any interview you watch, you'll hear "us", "team", "we". Also, it's been a long time since I've heard a professional athlete in Buffalo speak about the city in the way Drury has in his time here. Drury said it's great to see those basketball nets vacant, and all the kids playing str...
Based on Ek's list of who's the best available, I'm forecasting where each player will land this summer:
#1 Centers
1. Chris Drury (7.5M) - San Jose. I think they'll sign Drury and trade Marleau. Anaheim already has McDonald and Getzlaf as their top two centers and the Kings have Kopitar and Cammalleri.
2. Scotty Gomez (7M) - Atlanta. Gomez centering a line of ...
Well here it is mid June, were getting close to the draft which might mean a couple of trades but more important it's getting close to July 1st. This might be some fans favorite time of the off season. It could even be their favorite time of the year because right now every fan feels that their team has a chance to make the necessary changes to have a shot at hoisting ...
When asked about his approach to signing #1 RFA Tomas Vanek, Darcy Regier held firm.
“I don’t believe in operating out of fear,” said Regier. “Tomas is a Restricted Free Agent and will have a market value that we’ll go from there.”
Interesting stance by Darcy but I can;’t say I’m surprised. It’s going to take a $4million plus offer to get Vanek ou...
Here's a list of my top picks for the Wild to pursue this offseason.
Forwards:
[b]1) Jason Blake[/b]
A few things stand out in my mind when I look at Jason Blake. First, obviously, that he was a 40 goal scorer last season with the Islanders and led them in points with 69, but also that he played at a +1 for them over all 82 games. Blake is a ferocious forechecke...
Per TSN, http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=211407&hubname=
In order:
Penalty Shots. Really, this just brings it in line with what all of Canada has been doing for a few years now, and I agree with it. Why should you not be allowed a penalty shot when you get tackled from behind, just because the other team's player didn't wait another two-thirds of a second? A br...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Drury, Briere Never in Sabres Plans From the Start
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
When the Sabres season ended, the speculation started. Would the Sabres sign Drury or Briere? How much money would they command? Questions, Questions, Questions!
In the middle of the season we thought Drury might cash in on a $6mil/year long term contract. And with “leading scorer” statistics, Briere might get more.
Now, as we close in on July 1, those sala...
Every year different NHL teams try to make an off season move that will change the shape of their franchise for the better, but sometimes we see the general managers of these respected teams hitting their heads over a desk asking "Why?". I've made a list of five players who, this season, didn't come as advertised and instead get paid for having a big name and nothing else....
It is very hard for me to rant about Darcy Regeir. I think he has done a very good job considering the mess the Sabres were in last year, and now this year. The one thing I wish I could illustrate to him though, is that it is not always a bad thing to ink a player to a long term deal. Long term not being 3 or 4 years; I'm talking about a franchise player, 5 or 6 years. ...
Per Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
No word on the others yet.
Congrats to a truly deserving guy!
Other deserving players are going to have to wait a year unfortunatley, and three more will hear they are in with Al.
Great news for the Blues family that Al isn't one of those who has to wait.
Way to go Chopper!
Dear Darcy,
I want to preface this by saying I think you have had some very difficult circumstances in which to deal with these past 2 seasons, and I commend you for your hard work and efforts. I think you have done an excellent job at adding great young prospects through the draft and trades. You had a great deal of foresight as it pertained to the rule changes, an...
The NHL announced that the Salary Cap will be $50.3 million this upcoming season. And before we get into the rest of this blog, I say (Sarcasm On) 'good job NHL' for releasing the Salary Cap figure approximately 48 hours before the UFA period begins on July 1st, what a way to provide the teams enough time to determine who they can fit or not fit under the cap! (Sarcasm O...
falvai writes...
The Bright Side of losing your two co-captains...for nothing
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Buffalo fans facing the ultimate reality
Ya gotta feel for a fan who's team could potentially lose their two co-captains, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Vanek blasted 43 goals and with Bobby Clarke not around anymore, an offer sheet fiasco is a little less likely. Drew Stafford moved quickly from the fourth line and had some truly highlight reel goals....
[b]Buffalo Sabres, you let a lot of us down today. But you can right your wrongs. There is still time.
Don't give up our hopes of a Cup. We are not far away, with the current team - in fact we may be the closest ever - even without Drury and Briere. Get some new guys in here; keep us competitive; give us a reason to continue to support this team.
PLEASE do the rig...
TheHabsFan writes...
Why the Montreal Canadiens can't compete for UFAs...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
During the TSN broadcast, the panelists said it. During the singings, the players said it. When Rivet and Recchi left, they said it. It's no secret, yet everyone seems to miss it.
The problem is not taxes! The problem is not language! The problem is certainly NOT money!
THE PROBLEM IS THE DAMN MEDIA! Players do not want to come here and get their lives ruined by a bu...
My message is to the [b]MEDIA OF MONTREAL[/b]. [b][u]Enough is enough!!![/u][/b] I, and the fans of this great franchise have had it!!! I have said it for years that the media is who manages the team, not the organization. Year in and year out, we see the same trend building, worse and worse as the years go by. This time around, you will not blame Gainey or the rest o...
todays press conference in buffalo was nothing more than when in every election year when politicians go around from city to city expressing the common sense to the "potential voters". today the same thing took place in buffalo, ny when Sabres President Larry Quinn and General Manager Darcy Regier held a press conference today. instead of talking to voters they were talk...
OK we screwed up not keeping Drury and anyone who could check left the Year Before, Grier, Mckee.
So out of whats left of FA pool I will try and salvage a little of our dignity.
1. Sign Shanahan or Selanne. We need people to buy up these new Jerseys and two of the top sellers just left town. SHANAHAN BACK WITH RANGERS
...
Swede writes...
Are you a (lnsert Team) fan or are you more of a Hockey fan?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
As I sit on the ''throne'' typing away on my PDA, I was thinking of how I am a Hockey fan more than a Bruins or Buffalo fan. I follow the playoffs when my teams aren't in it and the time between the Finals and July 1st I spend most of my free time reading about upcoming moves. But not just Bruins or Sabres moves but ALL of the teams moves.
Damn typing on these things are...
[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/Heymateo/smhockeywoodtopper.jpg[/img]
Lombardi [url=www.lifeinhockeywood.com]wheels and deals [/url]and makes a few steals.
The Edmonton Oilers had a slow yet oddly some what busy day today. The Oilers signed Goaltender Mathieu Garon to a 2 year contract, and agreed to terms with Raffi Torres on a 3 Year $6.75 Contract. The signing of Garon spells the end of Markkanen as the Oilers backup, Garon brings some decent numbers with that will help the Oilers more then Markkanen was able to give Rolo...
Well sabres fans it's confirmed Teppo Numminen has resigned with the Sabres
[url]http://wgr550.com/sabres/fullstory.php?id=2491[/url]
According to nhlpa.com Sabres vetern Defenceman Teppo Numminen has a 2.6 million Dollar salary for 07-08.
Here is a link for the sabres team page on nhlpa.com:
[url]http://nhlpa.com/WebStats/PlayerSearchV2.asp?OIDTeam=9508[/url]
...
As the first week comes to a close in sabres nation Post DB (Drury & Briere) Sabres fans had had to look inside them selfs to see where they stand with this team. The article written by eklund earlier was some good reading i hope all of you sabre fans have a chance to read it. All the points that were brought up were all good points. The Sabres are not dead in the water. T...
So who's the winner so far in the Free Agent summer grab? Is it Philadelphia with the leading free agent scorer Briere? The Rangers and their two-headed coup, or the Avalanche with heart and soul warrior Ryan Smyth. Well, I'm gonna go with the less flashy Thrashers and their retention of underrated (until now) center Slava Kozlov. They are one of the very few teams to re...
What is this city coming to? Have we been reduced to acting like the fans of a certain hockey team in Southern Ontario?
Mr. Gainey, Bobby "G", or my personal favourite, "Teflon Bob" has been, and continues to be criticized heavily from both the English and French media since the draft. The man who once sported a head of dirty blonde curls is probably wondering if Theo ...
What is this city coming to? Have we been reduced to acting like the fans of a certain hockey team in Southern Ontario?
Mr. Gainey, Bobby "G", or my personal favourite, "Teflon Bob" has been, and continues to be criticized heavily from both the English and French media since the draft. The man who once sported a head of dirty blonde curls is probably wondering if Theo c...
It seems as though the Sabres franchise knew this was coming. Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe needs to bring in a marquee player, and Thomas Vanek was on his hit list. Buffalo GM Darcy Regier said no way, Vanek is staying in town, and we'll match any offer sheet you throw at him.
Well, Lowe tried to call Regier's bluff, but Darcy wasn't bluffing. The 7-year, $50 million pi...
With the recent departures of Co-Captains Daniel Breire & Chris Drury a lot of people have written off the 2007-2008 Buffalo Sabres. Not this fan! Well not anymore atleast.
Let’s take a minute to look back at this time in 2005. Many experts and fans around the league didn’t expect the Sabres to make the playoffs yet reach the ECF. The Sabres fought numerous in...
[b][u]BUFFALO:CONTENDER OR NOT?[/b][/u]
July 7th, 12:44 AM:
Last season, the Buffalo Sabres, made it to the Eastern Conference final, they faced there newest rival the Ottawa Senators. Will it happen again? By the looks of things..No. The Buffalo Sabres so far in this free agency have basically acquired no one, while losing there two best players IMO, Daniel Briere a...
Last fall, when Bobby Clarke was asked about why he tendered Ryan Kesler an offer sheet, he went on the offensive and blamed it on Nonis. Well, first he said he followed the rules as outlined in the CBA, and if you don't like the rules, call the commissioner.
But the thing he said that was of real intersest was when he questioned by Nonis had left his RFA unsigned f...
brownelvis writes...
Why this UFA Period Proves that the Lockout Was Worthwhile .
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Dan Tolensky wrote an interesting Blog wondering if July 1st, 2007 was the day that we wondered if the Lockout was a waste of time. I usually love what you're writing because he don't miss much. This time I think that he has. I say, however, that the NHL convinced the NHLPA that they would play for funny money that may, or may not, be worth an actual US Greenback ... for t...
With all the action surrounding the first week of the 2007 unrestricted free agency season, I decided to take a look ahead to next year to see what's in store for us. Barring any contract extensions (and there will be at least a couple) it appears that next year many teams will finally have their opportunity to acquire an elite puck moving defensemen. The crop of talent ...
I like the guy, but a three year extention for $11.25 million for a guy who's played only 1 full season in the NHL. What the heck will Dion Phaneuf sign for when his time come 5 Million + a season! Tell me again, Why was there a lockout.
Deke2194 writes...
Someone call the Wah-mbulance, this baby's out of control.
Posted Monday | Comments 1
[i]EDIT: After reading some comments made, I just want to add that the Sabres are my second favorite team after the Oilers. Most of the reason I became a Sabre fan was because I love Chris Drury as a player, but now I like the rest of the team as well.[/i]
That baby of course is Darcy Regier, GM of the Buffalo Sabres, who is mad that some big kid tried to steal his toy...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Admit it… You Considered the 4 1st Round Picks from Edmonton
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Larry Quinn made a great point in the press conference when asked whether or not the Sabres considered taking the four 1st round picks as compensation from the Oilers on the Tomas Vanek deal.
[i]“In the 37 year history of the Sabres, there haven’t been 4 players picked in the first round better than Vanek.”[/i]
I think that’s pretty accurate. The Sabres have ...
[i]Last season, Sidney Crosby was the best player in the NHL. That is a simple fact. Anybody who disagrees can take it up with his newly acquired Art Ross, Hart and Lester B. Pearson Trophies. So why shouldn't he be paid as though he just completed a clean sweep of the three hardest to win individual trophies the league offers? I see no reason.[/i]
Some will argue t...
The NHL announced that a outdoor game will be played this year. A Pittsburgh newspaper said that the Penguins have agreed to be the away team. The two possible home teams are Buffalo and Detroit. This game will most likley be played at the Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills. This game will be amazing! Sign me up for tickets. As a Buffalonian this will be a cha...
After signing Rafalski, Drake & Hasek, the wings are still lacking scoring for next season. This is where Alexei Yashin could help. Although, he is a selfish player, the Redwings are very thin in the scoring department. The top line of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Holmstrom can not continue to carry the teams scoring on their back. I think Yashin would fill in well ...
After reading all of the Negative Blogs on the Sabres and All of the Press of the Former Captains Whom Will Remain Nameless. I figured I would write about something that could get the fans Smiling again. See We have a Terrific Team, Two players dont make a team and as far as Im concerned this team is headed in the right direction THE FUTURE.
So thinking in the future....
[i]Kevin Lowe finally got the big name UFA he was looking for, and the third new face for next season's blueline. But it comes at a steep cost. Is Sheldon Souray worth a cap hit of $5.4 million per year? Hard to say right now. But for some reason, for the last few hours I’ve been seeing flashes of Jason Spezza and some pylon in a Habs sweater flashing through my mind...
Below is a list of notable unrestricted free agent signings (sorted by team) from the 2005 & 2006 off seasons. It’s funny how crazy us fanatics get about signing free agents and how depressed we get if our teams (the Sabres in my case) seem to miss out on the talent bonanza.
After a deeper look through this list, I’m pretty happy with the Sabres approach. W...
Reading over Eklund's post, I can only agree of who I think are the top prospects for the Sabres this UFA,RFA season. We need to fill out the team, and soon being that training camp is creeping closer and closer, and who better to do that than Andy Sutton and Martin Gelinas, hell even Daniel Markov would be a catch.
The thing is, compared to most teams in this league th...
many fans, bloggers, gm's etc are worried about the spending spiraling out of control. but i feel they are wrong...
...the over the top mentality the flyers and rangers had this july 1st is going to cause a counter-reaction for the remaining gm's this season. i believe we will see more the likes of joe thornton and iginla type signings by the time the new year hits.
...
I was in Toronto on Monday, mainly to visit the Hall. What a beautiful city, Toronto is, I would've gone up in the tower, but my family and I didn't want to fork over $22 bucks a piece to do something all three of us had already done, even though my parents did it 22 years ago...and I did 6.
The Hall is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL building, inside and out, the archways in ...
Jimmert44 writes...
Darcy Regier deserves better from the people of Buffalo!!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It has been 10 years since Darcy Regier has arrived in Buffalo and what a decade it has been. From the end of Ted Nolan, to the Adelphia/Rigas scandal, to the loss of our two captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, just to name a few obstacles that Darcy Regier has had to overcome as GM of our beloved Sabres.
A lot of fans don't understand the "behind the scenes" wo...
As we sit and await training camp which opens September 13/07, many Leaf fans are wondering some of the same things
Will we make the playoffs this season?
Are the Leafs going to make a trade?
What will the line combinations be this season?
Will a rookie step up in camp and make the team?
These questions are no different then any other year as a die hard Leafs fan...
It's the end of July and the weather is beautiful outside. The 2006/2007 NHL season ended over a month ago and we are still 5 weeks away from the start of training camp for the 2007/2008 season. This is supposed to be the "Off Season" for Hockey. You wouldnt know that if you came to Hockeybuzz.com.
I signed up to be a Season Ticket holder on this site about two weeks...
Derek Roy has become the most recent player to agree to a contract prior to his arbitration hearing. He and the Buffalo Sabres have agreed to a 6 year 24 million dollar contract as reported by Garth. He is one of many to avoid a scheduled arbitration hearing this summer as 17 of the 30 players who filed for arbitration have already reached agreements with their respective ...
Yeah, this doesn't have anything to do with hockey, but I did wear a Hockeybuzz hat to the theatre, so that will have to qualify. Not only that but BluesFan44 demands a review.
After much personal anticipation-I have been a Simpsons junkie since the days of the Tracey Ullman Show shorts-I finally got to see a feature film dedicated to my favorite yellow folks and their ...
Well Lets start be saying that I believe in Darcy, Lindy, Mr. Quinn & Mr. Galisano. They Brought this team back from near expolsion. Back when the Knox brothers brought the Sabres into the NHL, they had a dream and a hope that this team could and would be great. The Sabres were one of the quickest teams to make the Stanley cup finals. They had Great players and a g...
With Michael Ryder signing for just under $3 million, The $4 mill Kevin Lowe offered RFA Dustin Penner now looks even more ridiculous. Burke must have had a big fat mile when he saw that.
Both players hit around 30 goals, with Ryder out performing in the assists department. Also, Penner is entering his second NHL year, and while he displays great potential, he hasn't...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?page=screenshots070730
An article about the top five worst signings this season. It really was tough to pick five I am sure.
All week I have been sitting here reading post's from some bloggers that belive that signing group 2 free agents is poaching in the new CBA. Most of the writters who are saying this are fans of teams that are in a strong position and either have had this done to them or feel it may be heading there way. With the salary Cap and mid market players stocks rising every night I...
Andy,
I really enjoy your blogs and you seem to have some very good hockey connections to go along with your insight, but I think you have lowered yourself to the level of the critical masses on this one.
First off, Edmonton is a nice city, not flashy, but nevertheless a good place to live (and anyone who complains about the cold needs to toughen up). Those who bash ...
Well, perhaps this Edmonton offer sheet thing has been beaten to death, especially since Strickland seemingly launched a Molotov cocktail onto Whyte with his latest blog. But maybe there is a method to Lowe's offer sheet madness.
So for all of you who think Lowe is crazy or overpaying for "unproven" talent, think of his offer sheet like a poker game. I don't think Kevin...
One afternoon, when I was 4 years old (1984), I was at the Ice Palace in West Edmonton Mall with my brother and parents. I don't remember what the event was or why I was there, but, the Edmonton Oilers were playing a charity shinny game with some guys wearing red jerseys to this day, I claim, that they were the flames. Not because I remember Lanny's moustache or even a fla...
The Edmonton Oilers have had a rough year. They lost Chis Pronger (arguably the games best defensemen), Michael Peca, Joffrey Lupul, long time captain Jason Smith, and of course one of the all time fan favorites, Ryan Smyth (who signed with divisional rival Colorado thus adding salt to the wound). Then they signed Michael Nylander, oh wait, nevermind, he signed with…Wa...
I've heard plenty of voices over the past few weeks say that the salaries are spiralling out of control again and that the salary-cap really doesn't mean anything anymore. Obviously, this isn't entirely false inspite of what many fans of my Edmonton Oilers will tell you. Obviously as a whole this won't affect the salary cap as the cap is tied to league revenues. What thi...
What Mr. Lowe has done has ended the boys Club. Mr. Lowe has has served notice that all the RFA'S have more options than just to sit around and wait for their gm's to sign them which is not just a bad thing , It has made GM's more aware of the RFA'S which means General Managers have to do thier jobs. I am sorry but that is a nut shell. The main reason the Bur...
Lowe was desperate for some help upfront and he found it in the form of a RFA, Dustin Penner. Who just happened to play for Anaheim, where Chris Pronger ended up last year after his wife complained about Edmonton, and while Mr. Pronger couldn't be a man and honor his contract he opted out. Kevin Lowe got snubbed in the UFA market, and needed to improve his team so he went ...
For aslong as I can remember, The city of Buffalo has been known primarily as a "Football" town. Growing up I was taught two very important rules 1) Do not curse and 2) Hate the Miami Dolphins. From the time I was young to just a few short years ago many Buffalonians would not even recognize Hockey until Football season was over.
Times sure have changed!!!
The tw...
I re-edited this post because I thought it was a fun discussion!:
I feel bad for Buffalo, because Lowe basically forced their team into overpaying for Vanek, though he did sign the offer sheet. But still, I think if a player signs an offer sheet, let him go. He obviously isn't willing to sacrifice for the sake of his own teams benefit.(Meaning, go into arbitration and...
A month ago when the Sabres lost Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and Danius Zubrus in the span of about a week Sabres fans wanted someone's head. I think now that they have settled down a bit and took a step back, they have realized, the Sabres aren't all that bad.
The biggest loss of the three is definitely Chris Drury and he will certainly be the [img:right]http://nyrange...
His last blog was about Brian Rafalski and that was July 2. I know there is not a ton of news coming out of Detroit these days. But couldn't he find something to talk about, I thought he was the D's rep on hockeybuzz.
HEY MARK, here are some topics you could blog about. Zetterberg saying he wants to be a Redwing for life, or maybe who is going to do the scorin...
Though I am biased as a hardcore Sabres fan, I think few will debate the fact that Buffalo has one of the best farm systems in the NHL. In the past few years, we have seen guys like Paul Gaustad, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek come up through the ranks and be very successful at the professional level. Buffalo has a knack for developing young talent and the Sa...
or, Can "playing the system" work out? I'm curious, what do people think about this?
Over this off-season, for example, the rangers spent nearly 20 mil per year on Drury and Gomez alone. Noone can deny that these are premier players, and these additions have caused talk of the rangers being the powerhouse of the atlantic division. The islanders, on the other hand, se...
During the 2006-2007 campaign for the Buffalo Sabres, you knew in the back of your mind the carnage was about to commence come July 1st, 2007. Once Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier stated that he will not talk contacts till after the season was over with potential Unrestricted Free Agents Danny Briere and Chris Drury, the future did become the now in Western New York.
T...
The very first live professional hockey game I ever seen was between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings. The year was 1994 and Wayne Gretzky was a King. Edmonton was leading the game 4-2 with 10 minutes in the third period. I believe it was Louie Debrusk had just been kicked out of the game following a fight/scrum.
In the next 4 minutes the Kings came back, t...
I can't delete my old blog from before the playoffs started. I've tried, and confirmed my request. But when I refresh my screen, or click on my profile again, there it is...staring me in the face like a bad tuna sandwich.
AArgh
Now who is ready for the season to start?
I woke up this morning, and for being August 15th, the air in Buffalo was crisp and cool; Albeit I woke up at 7:30am. I updated my blog, [url]http://www.pelicanfoul.net[/url], and I check the news everyday for my Sabre fix, as that's what Buffalonians do now a days. The Bills... who are the Bills?
This summer we have seen anger, disgust, sadness, retribution, joy, and e...
Ron Guillet writes...
Ron Guillet's Forecaster Special : The Buffalo Sabres
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Alright, folks. I've predicted players stats for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Now I'm going to the Buffalo Sabres, a team I have lots of respect for and holds a distant #2 to my Leafs. The following is a prediction blog of the players on the Buffalo Sabres and how much goals and points I think they will accumulate.
*NOTE*: I'm just assuming everyone p...
[b] [u] By: Jon Cunningham[/u] [/b]
[i]Please note, all apostrophes show up as an 'a' with ^ above it. I didn't do it, sorry. [/i]
[b] [u] [i]Hello All![/i] [/u] [/i] [/b]
In this blog, I will examine all the NHL Teams major additions and subtractions during the off season, and examine if the team is better or worse because of it.
Each team will have a rating of...
A couple of weeks ago, I sat down one Sunday afternoon and turned on NBC. I was really, really hoping to find hockey on TV. I knew there was no way I was going to see hockey on TV during August, but a girl can hope, can't she?
I blame this state of affairs entirely on [code]my husband[/code].
A few years ago I was blissfully ignorant of hockey. Any knowledge I had of...
This blog's story takes place last night at the Buffalo Bills pre-season game against the Atlanta Falcons. As I arrived at the stadium with my friend Shell, I see a few Vick jerseys walking into the area and I start to think to myself that this can get ugly after people get more beer into them.
As we get to our seats, we notice that there are 2 Vick wearing Jersey guys ...
When you think of the word Captain for the sabres, you think without a doubt the likes of Chris Drury and Danny Briere from last year. When you think for this coming season who will be the captain you are left wondering who would be the best to fit the role. Would there be another co-captain duo this year as there was last year? My guess would be as good as yours. However,...
[b]THE CALGARY FLAMES GET IT[/b]
I thought I would write another blog on what is really important in life. Most of these players understand what is really important for the NHL. You see the players understand that no how many records they break, or how many goals they score, it doesn’t matter if there are no fans to watch them! I am going to share some stories that sh...
So, hubby is running a Yahoo Fantasy NHL league again this year, and he wants me to join.
I'm not sure that's such a good idea.
I joined the league last year, and it was a blast. I got to trash talk his co-workers and learn a lot more about the NHL. I even managed to draft many of my beloved Predators for my team.
It is for the sake of the Predators, though, that ...
BuffaloMat writes...
How many Sabres fans think Quinn should leave town?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This has been a fun debate for the past few months. I know a lot of people say things out of anger but really don't mean what they say. So, what do you really mean? Let's find out how many people support Quinn for the actions he has done this past off season with the Sabres.
I could show a lot of facts that might sway someone's decision a certain way, but that's not ri...
I think it would be fun to get together with the Buffalo fans from this site in a offical bar/restaurant Hockey Buzz get together. It would be the place where other HB posters/bloggers could get together if they're not going to that particular game (or an away game) and just hang out and watch some hockey. Bring whoever you want with you that you usually get together with ...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 1: Alexander Mogilny
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nhl/buffalo/MogilnyBuf.jpg[/img]
When I think of my childhood with growing up with the Sabres, the best time watching them was when I was about 9 years old. My first memories about watching the Sabres were at a time when they played when I was in bed. My mother would wake me up (Obviously they weren't late games but I was young!)...
Now that Drury and Briere are gone, and preseason is less than a month away, let's play a little game to get to know our new team! The 07-08 Buffalo Sabres.
We sometimes forget that off the ice, these are real people...people a lot like you and me. Some of us share more qualities with certain Sabres than others. Which Sabre are you most like?
Grade yourself in eac...
With hockey season just around the corner (finally something other than baseball to watch!) I was hoping to brainstorm ways to get non-fans interested in our beloved sport. One of the problems the NHL faces when it comes to network television is smaller audiences. Due to the lack of marketing, hockey has fallen to a niche sport (please note I know its still boss in Canada...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 2: Pat LaFontaine
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.classicbuffalo.com/images/LaFontaine.jpg[/img]
If the video doesn't show up click this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TZL4BCePwA
EDIT: The video doesn't seem to be working. It's a wonderful video, check it out.
This tribute video sums up anyone can say about Pat LaFontaine. However I am going to still say words about him ...
These are some awesome sayings by Rick. He is a legend in Buffalo for everything he says and for being with the Sabres. He has the most animated sayings in the history of commentating in Hockey. Check these out.
For some reason video is messing up so here's the link to it. It's great, i'm sure you'll like it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEfbyrKnKc0
Also c...
Happy long weekend puckheads!!!
-I have been playing NHL08's demo almost non stop since it became available. The skating engine is unreal, as is the AI for the computer controlled players. It's a free download on XBox Live, for your 360 console. Well worth a DL and play for free.
-Speaking of the NHL games this year, the date for NHL 2K8 was bumped up to September 1...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
4 Sleepers, 4 Busts for your Fantasy Hockey Draft
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's about that time for Fantasy Hockey drafts and I have a few ideas on sleepers and busts for the upcoming season. A bunch of us Hockeybuzzers got together and created a yahoo league and had the draft last night. It was good fun and if you'd like to take a peak inside the draft results, have a look-see at the link below.
-[url]http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/hoc...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 3: Pierre Turgeon
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.sabresalumni.com/2001/playerpics/turgeon-draft.gif[/img]
I was going to do Part 3 on Dale Hawerchuk but since it seems appropriate I thought I would do it on Mr.Pierre Turgeon.
Turgeon's 91-92 career pretty much was a wash with the Sabres but ended strong with the Islanders since he was part of a trade for Pat LaFontaine........... and since I a...
I bet you're wondering what I am talking about and saying to yourself "No one uses Time on Ice as a strategy for fantasy Hockey...." In my league we have just announced a statistic that will now become a strategy for our hockey team owners. This has been worked out to detail and such but is still actually being worked on to tweak out the bugs.
Who played the most in the...
[b]WHAT IS THE SINGLE MOST THING YOU HATE ABOUT THE NHL?
[/b]
Today blog question is to name one thing that you hate about the NHL. Notice I said one thing; I am sure everyone could found a lot more than just one.
[b]spiegs13[/b]
One of the things that bothers me with the new rules - although it wasn't that different before - is when a player is on a mini-breaka...
[b]WHAT IS THE SINGLE MOST THING YOU HATE ABOUT THE NHL?
[/b]
Today blog question is to name one thing that you hate about the NHL. Notice I said one thing; I am sure everyone could found a lot more than just one.
[b]spiegs13[/b]
One of the things that bothers me with the new rules - although it wasn't that different before - is when a player is on a mini-breaka...
[img]http://bp3.blogger.com/_RV9Gvwc2Eks/RuMpW14j8fI/AAAAAAAAAA0/ohmL0Z6mpQU/s1600/alt_01a.jpg[/img]
If you can't see it here's the link. It's showing up on my end, but here's the link.
[url]http://bp3.blogger.com/_RV9Gvwc2Eks/RuMpW14j8fI/AAAAAAAAAA0/ohmL0Z6mpQU/s1600/alt_01a.jpg[/url]
This is a celsius logo made. It's been criticized to be looking like a goat...
I know this is a hockey website, however I also know that many who read and contribute to this site are also sports fans in general. I thought it was important to make note of the tragedy that struck the NFL, and all of the sports world this past Sunday when Kevin Everett was carried off the field on a stretcher, without any noticable movement. It has been announced that...
In an old school, no goalies and straight points only format, ten people participate in a pool. You're second to pick, just barely missing out on that first overall pick, and drafting Sidney Crosby.
You're up, the second pick overall, whose name do you select to your team?
San Jose's Joe Thornton, Tampa's Vincent Lecavalier, one of Ottawa's Dany Heatley or Jas...
I haven't had the chance to write a blog for quite sometime, due to class restrictions and working on my papers. Although I took tonight to draft my fantasy team. I had the second overall pick and just missed out on Sidney Crosby, and I decided to take Mr. Joe Thornton. Below is my team I drafted, and would like if you all would rate my team :)
Joe Thornton - C - San Jo...
So, the draft for my fantasy hockey league was this weekend. I went second from last, so my top picks (the usual -- Crosby, Ovechkin, Chris Mason) were long gone. I got most of my other requested players, though.
This is going to be a tough league. In addition to my Hockey Husband, who is running the league, we have Hockey Buzz bloggers Paul McCann and Brandon Felder, p...
I havn't written a blog so I figured I start with my fantasy teams and get opinions from everyone how how it is. I would appreciat all feed back positive and negative. I enjoy reading all blogs on the site and I will continue to blog probily regularly. A little about me I'm obvously a Blues fan. Have been ever since I've been into hockey. Despite that I try as much as posi...
I was looking over what the capitals have been doing this off-season and just placing it in my mind what is actually going on with this team. You would think that the team would have a better standing with the talent that seems to come out of there don't you? Some will argue that there is no talent... well that's just hog-wash.
Alexander Ovechkin is an obvious 100 poin...
today after the skate lindy ruff held a brief presser (http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=337685). in this news conference he stared that he intends on keeping one of the most exciting lines for the sabres last year(RAV) together. this article also states that the rest of the forwards will look like this opening night.
Vanek...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Fantasy Hockey - With only the Sabres roster!?!?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Sabres Fans... Join the hometeamhockey.com fantasy league. Below is a short description from the site's creator. I've participated for the past few "divisions" and really enjoy it. Give it a try.
[quote][i]Fantasy Hockey for the Home Town Fan. Why a fantasy league with just one team? My thinking is this: I like Fantasy sports, but I don't have the time to [img:right...
Woohoo! Go Preds!
What a great start to our season. A shutout from Chris Mason, a bit of "enforcement" from Tootoo, a couple of goals from Arnott, and a packed arena. For a couple of hours tonight I was able to forget all the craziness going on with the possible sale of the Preds and just enjoy the hockey game.
I've noticed an interesting phenomenon at Preds games.
...
How it must feel to be a father of an NHL player. I have two kids in my life and I could not imagine how proud one could feel to see them play in the NHL. Off-course all children’s parents will love there children no matter what they end up doing, that being said if I ever have the privilege of seeing a member of my family play this great game at the highest level I woul...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Anatomy of a Hockey Buzzard: HockeyPuckusBuzzardus
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Anatomy of a Hockey Buzzard:[/b]
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/hockeyaccident12_edited-2.jpg?t=1191607046[/img]
[i]HockeyPuckusBuzzardus[/i]: a fascinating species of modern day hockey fan often found in their native habitat of the HockeyBuzz site, www.hockeybuzz.com. When not chasing, discussing or arguing rumors, they are known to frequent...
millertime writes...
Season Opening Outlook: The 2007-2008 Buffalo Sabres
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As the Sabres drop the puck on their 2007-2008 season tonight at HSBC Arena, I thought I'd share my outlook for this year.
I'm a devout Sabres fan, have been following the team since the Mogilny/LaFontaine era (I'm only 21), and I've studied the history of the team too, back to the French Connection days. I've stuck with the team through the really bad, the bankruptcy,...
DucksFan07 writes...
Why the NHL and Hockey will Always be a Fringe Sport
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Before everyone gets all hyped up and lights their posse torches, please let me say that I have accepted this fact and am completely at ease about it. In many respects, I am very happy about it. There are a lot of positives to having a limited, rabid, knowledgeable, fan base. Less bandwagoneers to fling on/off depending on the team's record. The downside is that we have le...
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:nagITiFfeAvPsM:http://images.cnhi.zope.net/images_sizedimage_180211403/lg[/img]
[b]You know you're a hockey fan if:[/b]
* You know all the words to "O Canada"...in French...and you're American
* You hear "Prince of Wales" and you immediately discount the guy with big ears, perk up thinking Bettman might actually get one rig...
Traditionally, sports in Ohio are generally regarded as mediocre. However this year I feel there is an excitement for Ohio sports that has not been around for a long time. Here is what has been happening:
-Last night, the Cleveland Indians defeated the New York Yankees 6-4 to move on to the AL Championship Series. The Indians haven't won a World Series in almost 60 year...
Since when did the entire city of St. Louis jump on the Blues bandwagon? I know the Rams are losing and the Cardinals didn’t make the playoffs, but this is ridiculous.
Last year, I could walk up the night of the game and get tickets. But now, the first three games are well on their way to becoming sellouts! Only a few very expensive seats remain.
I’m not saying t...
Well the first two games haven't been pretty have they? As Dave Davis on LGS so succinctly titles his column, "Tallinder and Lydman's Play Leaves Something To Be Desired".
Scott Wraight in his Power Rankings on SI.com doesn't hold back on the offense: "Offense from the forwards would be a welcome addition -- just four goals so far."
Even on the Sabres.com forum, th...
Four games into the season and no season preview from me as I had promised. All I can say is sorry, but I have been very busy and could not find time to get it done before the start of the season. Since it is too late to do a preview, we will call this an Octoberview. I am going to get into a few different categories based on what has happened up until now. I am not going ...
BuffaloMat writes...
My debut article in a local magazine in Buffalo, NY
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Images have been acting funky on here but here's a try... It's the cover of a magazine I write for which is Under the Scope Magazine.
[IMG]http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t261/Mat_Rex/coveroctober.jpg[/IMG]
Well the magazine came out a little less than a week ago. I plugged hockeybuzz in the first sentence. The magazine is called Under the Scope. It's a ne...
Ducks versus Wild tonight at 5pm PST at the Honda Center. I'll be there early for warm ups. Just in case.
"Should be a good old fashioned grudge match, so come on down. Bring the kids. There are still plenty of seats available at the War Memorial."
During game 5 of the Ducks v. Wild playoffs last season, the pregame action was gnarly. First off, the Wild were ...
Rochester is in Hamilton this week, and that means I get a chance to see Sabres' prospect Adam Dennis play. This is installment #1 of my "Amateur Scouting Report" series. I will also report how Jaroslav Halak does, and list some skaters who stood out to me at the end.
[url]http://everythinghockey.blogspot.com/2007/10/amateur-scouting-report-adam-dennis.html[/url]
[im...
Let us go back to the days of last season before January 1st. The Sabres of yesteryear had their foot on the proverbial throttle. Consecutive win streaks, destroying franchises in a single game (Philadelphia) and generally wrecking havoc. During the month of October, the Sabres scored 53 goals (4.8 a game!) and by the end of the season, won the Northeast Division by 8 poin...
Those of us living in Buffalo looking for the NHL Network on Time Warner Cable (TWC) will be waiting a while. According to the following story in [u]Business First[/u] on Monday, October 8, TWC cites lack of room and bandwidth for the unavailability of the NHL Network in one of the top viewing markets in the U.S. for the NHL.
As some of you may know, TWC recently droppe...
As stated by various sources the NHL network will be available in the WNY area by the end of the month. It is supposed to be channel 90 for Time Warner customers. If you go to the channel now it says reserved. Finally Time Warner has done something right.
and are outplayed by their lesser known mates, what should a coach do? During the last game the Ducks played against the Dallas Stars, there was one Duck who stood out against his other teammates - Drew Miller. The younger brother of Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, scored his 1st NHL goal the game before against the Nashville Preds and the excitement of that event clearly car...
[b]SHUTOUT?,,, 0-0 Ties, shootout, backup goalie, regulation time, overtime, hmmm. [/b]
Fantasy Hockey players can get very anxious over these kind of things,,, he gets a shutout!, he gets a shutout not?
Recently I was very curious about who potentially would get a shutout in a 0-0 tie. This came up after the Saturday, October 20, 2007 - BOSTON 1, NY RANGERS 0 (Shoo...
I would like to start off by saying thank you to all of you who sent me stories of your favorite moments in Sharks history.
Many of us have our own fond memories of a time when the team or a certain player did something that just wowed us. Is wowed really a word? Who cares, right? Many of us also share the same moments as great times at the Tank or Cow Palace, for thos...
Alright so previously I had written about the media coverage in the Bay Area, and how it covers the Sharks. I asked many fans and some other bloggers about their take on the topic, and came up with quite a bit. Well a couple of weeks ago Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News got back to me on the subject, and this is what he had to offer on the subject.
He agrees that...
Well the first month of the season is complete and the Sabres are a .500 team. How do you think the team's Captains for October did?
Here are the stats of these players:
Player GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW S S%
Jochen Hecht 10 3 4 7 1 4 0 0 0 32 9.4
Henrik Tallinder 10 0 2 2 -3 10 0 0 0 6 0.0
...
TWC announced on October 31 that the NHL Network is now available on channel 171 in Buffalo! Also, Versus HD is now available on channel 771. Enjoy!
ExtraB writes...
Priority Signings Hockey Cards To Include Gretzky and Crosby
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
-
In a previous post I announced the details of the upcoming Fall Sports Card Expo taking place in Toronto November 9-11. Both Upper Deck and In The Game Trading Cards will be offering amazing hockey card wrapper redemption programs. I had reported on the details for the ITG program but Upper Deck had not released the details of their program.
[img]http://www.hockeyh...
They need more efforts like the one tonight in Montreal.
They played great. The other team was just better.
Goes without saying, the Habs have looked great to start this season. And Cristobal Huet played just phenomenal tonight. I've always liked him. I think it's unfortunate the Montreal media and Canadiens' fans can give him so much flack, but maybe that is hel...
We all know that as fans it seems like there are only 2 emotions in our fan-lives, a giddy rollercoaster of ups and downs, from supreme and utter glory as our team wins to dark, lonely despair as they fail don't.
In some ways it's easier to be a fan of a really good team, like the Wings, or a fan of a struggling team, like the Blue Jackets.
The Red Wings of the pas...
[b]The Passion[/b]
Year after year the Leafs have tried to end the drought and year after year they have failed. It does at times get really frustrating that the team that I grew up watching just can't pull it off...at times it can even hurt. I have endured the endless bashing of our Leafs on hockey sites such as this one, I have also bashed other teams.
While some...
You read it right. I figured since none of the usual top Pacific Division teams really want to get their games going and take a lead to win the Division, then why not Phoenix? They have a bunch of "no name" kids on the team that can all play the game. Aside from Shane Doan and Jovo, who else is well known? I would love to be in the locker room and experience the new bl...
Every time Al MacInnis appears on the jumbotron in St. Louis, the crowd cheers. Al MacInnis is a class act, and his Hall of Fame status has been bringing back great memories. Because of my age, most of my memories come from his time in St. Louis, so feel free to add any more in the comments. Here I go:
-His Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe in Calgary. I've only really seen t...
Remembrance Day just passed up here in Canada and with American Thanksgiving on the way, it made me start thinking of reasons why I am thankful at this time of year, some of which I'd like to share with you all below.
*I am sooooooo thankful of the people who have answered our country's call, both in the past and now, who and continue to defend the lifestyle we lead and...
I have an eerie, excited feeling about tonight's game, one I have not felt since last year. I had anticipated the Sabres' slow start to this year, and I even called it in my preseason blog. I also have said they will turn it around, and I truly believe that.
Tonight is a big game for them, and as I said, I just have this weird good feeling about it. The Sabres have b...
All right all you fantasy hockey junkies out there this blog is for you. This is the 1st in a once a week blog I am going to start putting out, to help make your picks, and especially for those of you in larger pools, to pick up some sleepers that most people would overlook, and for those of you in HBSL this will help when your trying to make that last pick to fit under th...
That's it, I have had enough. I have had enough of Lindy complaining about the trap, enough about Garth saying they are working out their issues in practice (4 days off and they looked the same), enough about they would be a playoff team if they didn't hit the crossbar, enough about a turnaround is surely in the works ("look at the standings from last year and this year- a...
Is it only me or does it seem that the Sabres have "bye-weeks" between games? If the scheduling were'nt enough of an uphill challenge for relevance, the overall interest in this team has all but died a quick two-contract death in Buffalo last summer.
Coming into the year, the talk in Buffalo was all Sabres, all the time. The pro-sport attention rival Buffalo Bills wer...
Here's what NHL 08 says will happen after Ronan Tynan's performance:
Fights:
Fisher vs. Pratt
Goals:
Stafford (Campbell, Roy) 6:00 1st PP 1-0 Sabres
Mair (Spacek) 9:59 1st 2-0 Sabres
Vanek (Tallinder) 11:03 1st 3-0 Sabres
Connolly (Afinogenov) :23 2nd 4-0 Sabres
Alfredsson (Heatley, Meszaros) 15:45 2nd PP 4-1 Sabres
Fisher (Vermette, Eaves) 17:53 2nd 4-...
Jsaquella writes...
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly-Flyers deals thru the years
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is a David Letterman-esque list of the best and worst trades in Flyers history-at least in my opinion. I hope you enjoy and have some ideas of your own.
Many, many, many thanks to living hockey encyclopedia Bruce "Scoop" Cooper, who provided a lot of the details on these trades.
[b]The Best[/b]
10. [i]Traded Serge Bernier, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Lesuk to the ...
DucksFan07 writes...
Lecavalier and the All Star Ballot - What is the Deal?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Sidney Crosby leads all Eastern Conference vote getters by over a 2:1 margin. Will he end the season with over 240 points and is he twice as good as his closest talent? I say assuredly "No." The leading scorer in the NHL and the best player in the NHL today is Vincent Lecavalier and he has less than one third the votes of Sid. What gives? Daniel Briere, a great player...
The first place Ottawa Senators lost 4-2 to the lowly Buffalo Sabres in what was expected by some to be a one-sided game, namely myself. In the first period nothing went right for Ottawa, as turnovers were common and the defensive zone coverage was pathetic. Ray Emery played poorly in the first, allowing 3 goals on 14 shots including a brutal goal from the blueline where R...
The other day I came across the MLS soccer website, and just out of curiosity, decided to try and find out what the average attendance was for an MLS game. I was fairly shocked to discover than for the past 4 seasons, the average attendance at MLS regular season games was over 15 000, and in 2007 was nearly 17 000. I didn't think that soccer was by any means a major spor...
I wanted to wait until the Sabres were at least 20 games into the season before I started writing a blog. My feelings coming into this season were that the team would be fine without Chris and Danny, but that it was going to take about 20 games for them to find their way. I liked the make up of this roster, but knew that some changes would have to be made as the season ...
Unfortunately, I will not be able to write consistantly for a couple of months. Ive had some issues come up and I wont have the means to post my atricles. Therefore, I would like to bid farewell to my faithful (and not so faithful) readers. I hope to return as soon as possible.
Thank you all.
Go Rangers!
How many times have you picked up and dropped players this season?
What sleepers can you pick up to win the following week in your H2h game?
Which free agent goalies should you pick up due to injury?
Who's injury might have an effect on next weeks games?
These are some of the questions Hockey Fantasy Owners have each week.
We all love Hockey Buzz, why don't you as...
Would it be Brashear or Pronger or Boll or Godard or Parker or Boogaard or Chara or Neil? None of these guys hold that distinction. Instead, there is Tie Domi incarnate leading the league and his name is Daniel Carcillo. Who.......? What team does he play for......? The Phoenix Coyotes. Those of you in the west may have guessed it right because you've seen this 5'11" ...
You know you're a Blues fan...
- if You think Weight Watchers is a Doug Weight fan club and some chick named Jenny Craig is president.
- if You yell 'Blackhawks Suck!'...at a Cardinals game
-if your vision of hell entails the Blues losing in the second round of the playoffs with either Detroit or Colorado winning the Stanley Cup
-if you realize just how depress...
When I think of the word ''fan'' I immediately see a drunken fat guy painted in team colors yelling at the rink with pride. But what really constitutes a fan? In many occurrences in my life, I've been faced with people who allegedly cheer for a team, but when things go awry, they turn away and grab the reins of another club. Actually most of the people I converse with in p...
the first part and notes for a future blog where i lazily save it onto hockeybuzz instead on my own machine. i repeat, this is not a complete piece. any recomendations, questions and comments that are helpful are welcome. thank for your patience and consideration for my laziness. ;-)
here's something interesting my fellow fans. a quote from murray out of rutherford'...
Although it is not unusual for the winning Red Wings to make the front page of the local papers, they were presented by [i]Detroit Free Press[/i] writer, Tom Walsh on 12/11/07 in a less than winning light ([i]Filling Empty Seats in Hockeytown: Red Wings Bring in Exec to Combat Sagging Attendance[/i]). This article can be found online at http://www.freep.com
It appears t...
For most teams, the style of play where you get over the center red line and throw the puck deep into your opponent's zone is called "dump and chase" and it can be an effective game strategy against certain teams and at certain times of a game. For the Anaheim Ducks, that strategy is known as "dump and go crush your opponent into the end boards" and it is becoming the 1st...
DucksFan07 writes...
Time for Some Ducks to Score and Top #1 Lines in the NHL
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Marchant, Pahlsson, Rob Neidermayer, Moen, Miller, Bertuzzi, and MacDonald - It is time for you to stand up and be counted. You comprise the 2nd and 3rd lines of the Ducks and your lack of scoring is killing this team. We are 33 games into the season and you have very little to show for it. Do you expect your first liners to win every game for you? Some of you guys pla...
Even those who don't follow baseball know who the [b]New York Yankees[/b] are. And these fans and potential fans know what the [b]Yankees[/b] are about - [b][i]winning[/i][/b]. We recall that earlier in the past season the [b]Yankees[/b] were faltering. Some pundits were predicting that, for the first time since time immemorial, the Yanks would not make it to the post seas...
DucksFan07 writes...
Need Tickets to Leafs-Lightening Game on Jan 1 in Toronto
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I am making a trip to Ottawa for the annual Bell Cup youth hockey tournament for my son during the holiday and then we are off to the HHOF in Toronto. While we are there, I would love to take my 10 yr old to ACC to watch the Leafs play the Lightening on Jan 1. What a great experience it would be for the both of us. As you in Toronto know, finding a ticket to a Leafs gam...
Hey Everyone,
This is just going to be a quick Christmas blog. I just wanted to take a second to wish all of my Hockeybuzz friends a healthy and happy Christmas. I hope you all get a chance to spend the day with your families and really enjoy the day and remember what it's all about. Take a moment to think about how lucky you are to have all of the gifts in your life th...
BUFFALO -- To nullify any advantages or adversities created by weather conditions at Ralph Wilson Stadium during Tuesday’s AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic (1 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio), the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins will switch ends halfway through the third period – ensuring each team would spend the equivalent number of minutes attacking or def...
Happy Holidays to everyone, I hope yours are great!
The Sharks dominated the Predators last night and have played great hockey in extending their road win streak. I wish they would do the same thing at home and this team would be number one in the league. Maybe having the team in a hotel in San Jose would actually work for them! Whatever is working, the Sharks have been...
[b]RED WINGS
A FORCE, AS ALWAYS[/b]
The Red Wings probably have the best Dman in the League, and two of the best forwards in the league. They are Stanley Cup Contenders. They are the toast of the west. Why? Simple, they are that good; they have a solid defense, and adequate goal-tending which looks better because of their defense. Simply put, this team has no wea...
My vote is either Montreal, Detroit, or Toronto.
It has been suggested in other media that Montreal would be a great tie-in to celebrate the organization's 100th anniversary. Great idea to highlight Original Six in any form.
Another floater has been to tie the Winter Classic to the All-Star Game. I like that idea even better if the All-Star Game is held in a norther...
Happy New Year everyone!
The High Sticking Show on www.wilyradio.com is comming back later this month. Stay tuned for more details, and I will keep you more up to date this time around!
So during New Years I played Rock Band. If you haven't had a chance to play it, and are a big Guitar Hero fan (like myself), you will really enjoy it! The drums are really fun, and th...
7:30 AM : Get up from an easy going night of not drinking too much. I get my four layers of clothes on, check to make sure I have everything I need and run out the door to our meeting place for our limo.
8:30 AM : Arrive at my waiting destination, we start to celebrate with a few glasses of Champaign and Orange Juice which is also commonly known as a Mimosa. After ...
thechosen6 writes...
Fantasy Suprises and Other Thoughts for the First Blog
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First time blogging on this site and I figured I'd kick it off with a focus on fantasy hockey.
A few surprises:
[b]Patrick Sharp[/b] - Where in the h-e-double hockey sticks did this come from? Sharp is on pace to put up both more goals and more assists than he has in the last two seasons combined. Looks like the kids in Chicago are having an impact on everyone in th...
With the 2007/2008 NHL season reaching the halfway mark it dawned on me that 14/28 players (according to nhlnumbers.com) are UFA's or RFA's. Seeing as this team seems to be having consistency problems it may not be such a bad thing to start fresh with some new players and get rid of some of the older ones. With that being said, here are who I think the Wild should try to k...
Well we have another exciting match up between these 2 division rivals, even with Buffalo being ravaged with injuries, sens can’t look past this game to Saturday night's tilt against the wings. Its going to be Gerber in nets for Ottawa and kind of surprisingly we are going to see Thibeault, or T-Bonz as the buffalo faithful like to call him (and I will now be calling him...
Ok, this is my first post in a very VERY long time, so let me shake off some rust.
The Winter Classic aside, this last game against the Senators has been the first time I've liked what I've seen on the ice in a long time. Yes, the Sabres did lose when they had many chances to take this game and Vanek and Pominville are still struggling to finish easy chances. But Pomm...
Well, it's coming down to crunch time before the trade deadline and already we have been bombarded with rumours about us getting a guy and them getting a lot of our guys. If you are like me, you have probably thought about what the numbers are and who is in the mix. Well, technically everyone is in the mix (e.g. Vokoun) but, I thought I would give the info on who our UFA...
Kelekin writes...
2008-09 Off-Season: Calgary Flames (An Early Look Ahead)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It'll be an interesting off-season for the Flames this year.
To look ahead, this will be a make or break off-season in regards to whether or not the team will be able to compete in the two or three years thereafter.
Currently there is 40 million locked up towards next year's salaries, with about 10 million to spare. The question remains, what will we be able to do wi...
Thought this would be fun. Below I give you players that will be UFA's at the end of the season. Next to the players is a Factitious contact. Who would you sign?
Marian Hossa (5yrs - $40,000,000)
Pavol Demitra (2yrs - $8,500,000)
Brian Campbell (6yrs - $37,000,000)
Cory Stillman (3yrs - $13,000,000)
Mats Sundin (2yrs - $12,500,000)
Markus Naslund (4yrs...
With Timmy Connolly, Jarsoslav Spacek, Derek Roy, and Maxim Afinogenov still out on injuries the Sabres fall to 0-5-5 after a loss in Madison Square Garden to the Rangers. The first period seemed to be owned by the Rangers without a doubt. The boys couldn't get the puck out of their own zone. This time no one can blame Ryan Miller for the loss considering he let two int...
[b]APOLOGY TO THE CALGARY FLAMES FANS[/b]
I noticed as a fan blogger now I have never really laid up on my bashing of the flames. Well that is plain wrong how can I really seriously consider myself a fan of the league if all I do is bash the home team I live in.
Well that is ending today I want to make sure that I am a fan of the NHL which includes well the ...
Some players who might help your team.
Andrei Kostitsyn (MTL) winger : He has 18pts in the last 19 games
Nicklas Kronwall (DET) Defense : He has 20pts in the last 28 games
Mike Mottau (NJ) Defense : He has 5 pts in the last 9 games
Kris Letang (PIT) Defense : He has 4 pts in the last 6 games. Watch out for this guy. He's a stud in the making. Grab him up w...
Pavol Datsyuk
Jason Spezza
Mike Richards
Andre Markov
Brian Campbell
Nicklas Kronwall
Dion Phaneuf
Shane O'Brien
Kris Letang
Marian Hossa
Rick Nash
Henrik Zetterberg
Wojtek Wolski
Lee Stempniak
Andrei Kostitsyn
Ian Laperriere
Kevin Bieksa
James Wisniewski
Ryan Clowe
Eric Godard
Rick Dipietro
Ray Emery
Has anyone seen Chris Kunitz? Where did the banzai-skating, run everything that moves, open up space for your line mates and fastest player on the ice go? Either the NHL told him to slow down and stop running opponents or someone whispered in his ear and told him he was a finesse-style player and could avoid contact and still be effective. Either way, he is lost and we ...
Yes, we just lost 4-2 to Toronto, but I'm not speaking on emotion.
I'm speaking as someone who has watched this team closely all year long, their trials, triumphs, and tribulations.
This team is close of being a playoff team, but it's just not there at the moment. [b]It's one or two players short.[/b]
Look at the Sabres' recent losses to Atlanta and the Rangers, w...
Oh, the wonder of Toronto Maple Leafs' fans cheering against our once beloved team. It's a sad but necessary process which strips the energy and magic from cheering on the Buds.
Delusional as it is, most of Leaf Nation just pushed aside the terrible management decisions and held on to our lucky charms while praying to god - who is known as Mats Sundin for the Blue and ...
millertime writes...
Buffalo Doom & Gloom: Leafs-like situation may blow team up
Posted Monday | Comments 0
All the attention of the Hockey World, it seems, is on the Toronto Maple Leafs, but there's now a disaster just two hours southwest.
Someone told me it's the Curse of the Buffalo Bills that has inflicted this team. The moment they stepped on the ice at Ralph Wilson Stadium, they got a heavy dose of "We find ways to lose" injected into their bodies. Now I don't know if...
Tootoo's injury was the last straw. It appears that my fantasy hockey curse is back in full force this year.
So I did it. I made the ultimate sacrifice.
I dropped all the Preds from my team.
[sniffles]
I had dropped Gelinas and Hordichuk early in the season. I dropped Bonk a few weeks ago.
On Sunday, I dropped Tootoo, Legwand, Suter, and Radulov. The change ...
DucksFan07 writes...
Two Good Hockey Films - The Rocket and In the Crease
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Although Slapshot is the finest hockey movie ever made, there are a couple of others that I've recently watched that are focused more on the drama and struggle of hockey and less on the comedy. The two movies that I recommend are "The Rocket" and "In the Crease."
The Rocket is the story of Maurice Richard. Besides the obvious scoring records that Richard is known for,...
The Sabres HAVE to use this weekend off as a method to cleanse thier system of the first half of the season. If they get their act together quickly, they can climb right back in the playoff hunt.
After losing 12 of their last 14 games, they can climb to the 8 spot by THIS FRIDAY if they take care of their own business (at Tampa, florida and Atlanta) and things break ri...
I posted this as a comment in one of the topics in the forum, but I felt it was long and detailed enough to post as my blog as well;
First of all....I would make no major changes to the game itself....maybe just eliminate the instigator penalty.
Some of you guys are arguing that owners would lose too much money expanding the ice surface........ummm.....why the hell d...
10:07 p.m.: Some quick post-game wrap-up...Big win for the Sabres. Miller 1st star with 35 saves and Gaustad with the GWG. Other updates since Buffalo's game ended, the Habs win in OT 2-1, Boston holds on to win 2-1 and they actually pass the Rangers in the process, at least for now, as they have one more win and two games in hand.
Updated Eastern Conference standings l...
DucksFan07 writes...
Lidstrom Takes a Punishing Hit..... and no Response
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I've been trying to post this for four days, so I apologize for the rather untimeliness. I still don't know what the problem is/was. I just hope it works this time.
Before you "bomb throwers" get started, I am going to take a neutral stance on this and just want to compare how various teams would have responded. Let's hear how your team would have responded. The R...
SabreCrazy07 writes...
Campbell: All signs point to a one way ticket out of Buffalo
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Attention Real Estate Agents. Soupy's can will soon be ready for showing. ( Bad pun, oh well must be tired)
Lets face it Sabre fans Campbell is as good as gone. Did anyone catch his comments today after practice?[url]http://eod.liquidviewer.com/wgr-od/wgr/20080219_campbell.wma[/url] He is truly a dejected individual. He has been a roller coster of emotions for the past ...
I’m not Darryl Sutter, though, so I’m just having fun and you can read and comment all you like. Sure, most are wishful thinking and maybe even a bit far-fetched, but have fun anyway.
1) [b][i]Trade Matthew Lombardi, Anders Eriksson, Andrej Taratukhin, and 2009 #2 Draft Pick to Florida for Olli Jokinen:[/i][/b] Flames get the #1 Center they’ve been wanting for yea...
I've been trying to post this for four days, so I apologize for the rather untimeliness. I still don't know what the problem is/was. I just hope it works this time.
Before you "bomb throwers" get started, I am going to take a neutral stance on this and just want to compare how various teams would have responded. Let's hear how your team would have responded. The R...
Dear Mats Sundin,
I realize that you spend hours in the gym and on the ice every week trying to prepare yourself for the rigours of playing hockey at the NHL level. However, I also know (based on two very reliable sources) that you take the time to read every single comment and post made on this site so I thought I would clear a few things up.
First off, I was...
The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and as expected, Brian Campbell is no longer a Buffalo Sabre. An instant analysis on the deal:
For Buffalo:
While losing one of the better offensive defensemen in the game, Buffalo adds some much needed size and grit with the addition of winger Steve Bernier. Bernier, at 6'2 225, instantly becomes one of the Sabres biggest fo...
millertime writes...
To all hockey fans: Don't Feel Bad For Us Sabres Fans
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I've been hearing a lot of "sorry to hear about Campbell," "I feel for you guys," "it's got to be a tough night for you," etc. from many of my hockey buddies across North America. I'm sure other Sabres fans have heard similar sentiment.
But please, don't feel bad for us. No reason to.
Let me start by putting it this way, this day is NOTHING, NOTHING compared to tha...
Note to Sabres fans: There is too much time left.
A rash of negative phone calls hit the WGR-550 AM airwaves yesterday in Buffalo as fans voiced their disapproval with how contract negotiations with D Brian Campbell were botched, forcing a trade.
It appeared that many fans were pointing the finger directly at GM Darcy Regier. This wasn't Regier's fault. This time yo...
If you are lucky enough to have a close friend or relative that can light a room with their smile or presence, then you have a glimpse of what it has looked like around the Duck's locker room for the last 10 games. The Ducks are 9 - 1 since the return of Teemu Selanne and when he steps in and has a 5 point night like he did against the Blackhawks, that helps too.
Sel...
Since the inception of the shootout after the lockout, the playoff races have never been more competitive and the parity in the league since the lockout has never been higher.
At this point in time in the season, with only about 15 games per team remaining, it's safe to say that there are 22 teams remaining with a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. And if the Edmon...
thechad13 writes...
Toronto's playoff push is just a mirage.....Here is why.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As we enter mid March the Toronto Maple Leafs have once again put together a run that has seen them tease their fans with the thought of playoff hockey in 2008. Since February 2nd The Leafs have managed to put together a run of 10-5-0-1 and as of the end of play tonight sit six points out of the eighth and final playoff spot with thirteen games left to play. With that b...
I am just going to throw this out but do you think Carter wants to sign here. In the this past stretch where injuries have run rampant though the lineup Carter has been asked to play huge minutes in various different roles. If Richards doesn't get hurt its more then likely Carter would be relegated back to 3rd center status and get the minutes and linemates of a 3rd line c...
As spectators of sporting events we often have the urge to yell, shout, boo, clap or make any other type of noise we deem necessary to let somebody know just how we are feeling. It might be the common double-syllabic, repetitious chant using the opposing goaltenders first or last name in hopes they let in a soft one on the stick side. Perhaps it's the jeering directed to...
WOW! I just watched the end of the Montreal-New Jersey game on Versus, and how about those Habs?
I wish I would've seen this whole game, but ending up with 38 saves, obviously Carey Price had to be sensational. I personally have had some concern about Carey but he stepped up in a big game in a big way and I'd officially like to say I'm on the Carey bandwagon. This gu...
DucksFan07 writes...
Ducks Lose, Dead Weight, and Carlyle Lays and Egg
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Ducks gave one away in the 3rd period last night in Phoenix. The hard part was trying to determine if they were playing "prevent defense" to hold on to the lead or if they were actually trying to win the game by playing offensively and attacking. Lately, with the total lack of scoring, it is often difficult to know which is which. Either way, they let a 2 -0 lead tu...
9 games left in the regular season. Popular opinion among Sabre fans seems to be if they could just play with some conistency in these games they have a shot at finishing 8th, or even 7th. I like what I saw Friday and Saturday. Totally different team than the one who showed up (or didn't) against Pittsburgh. I like the lineup, I hope things keep rolling and Ruff decide...
Yeah, yeah, I know this is being a homer, but the consistently HUGE number of comments made on practically every post by Garth is impressive. Nice showing by Philly and Pitt fans as wel, not only on their boards, but the Buffalo boards too. I think it says a lot about the passion each city's fans have for their team, and hockey in general. I know there are some other gr...
[b]Needing two points to keep their playoff hopes alive [/b]the Predators came up against a team that was just more hungry than they were. The Washington Capitals looked like a desperate team playing in desperate times and wanting desperately to get two points closer to the post season (did I use the word desperate enough in that sentence? ). The Preds on the other han...
I don't want have to rely on help from Atlantic and Southest division teams down the stretch here to get ahead of Philly and/or Washington. I need to see a continuation of the weekend's games tonight. 2 must have points before finishing up with 8 division opponent games. We'll find out exactly how much heart this team has. It's Lindy's job to have these guys motivated ...
Have you ever heard one of the soccer (futbol) announcers scream, "Gooooooooooooooo (take a deep breath) aaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll" after a goal? I don't care who you are. When you hear that kind of exuberance and excitement, you can't help but smile and maybe even laugh out loud with some of the same bubbly enthusiasm. Or have you ever heard R...
Big game, have to have these 2 points. Need Chicago to shut down AO and the surging Caps. Buffalo might have to get 15-16 points of these last 18 to grab a playoff spot. No time to let up.
Can't take this one for granted, TB on a 3-game win streak
Lines:
Paille-Roy-Bernier
Hecht-Gaustad-Pominville
Vanek-Kotalik-Afinogenov
Kaleta-Mair-Stafford
Sekera-Weber
Ly...
After watching tonight's 7-4 win over Tampa Bay, I am convinced of one thing:
The Buffalo Sabres are schizophrenic.
The Sabres managed just two - that's right, two - shots on goal while giving up a pair of second-period goals to one of the worst teams in the league (last in the Eastern Conference with 66 points, or 15 points behind the Sabres). They left the ice fo...
I am all for the Mapleleafs, and would love to seem them make the playoffs, but it is not going to happen folks, let me explain. Lets consider for a moment that the Leafs win all of their remaining games for a total of 92 Points, now for the sake of argument lets assume all of the remaining teams also win all of their games so we can see how many loses each team will need ...
millertime writes...
Fascinating--If Sabres win out, They're in the Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What does the Boston loss mean tonight?
If the Sabres win out - each of their last 8 games - they are in the playoffs. Period.
Nobody behind them can catch them if they win out and they would leapfrog Boston for a playoff spot, regardless of what currently-eighth-place Philadelphia does.
Buffalo will have tallied 16 points for those 8 wins and would finish with...
Well, if there was any doubt on the fate of the Sabres - I called this weeks ago -, they proved tonight why they don't deserve to be one of the 8 Eastern Conference teams left standing for the 2008 NHL postseason.
But beware of the spin! In the coming days and weeks, these are the things you'll be hearing from Sabres management, head coach Lindy Ruff, and general manag...
Often a topic of conversation among hockey fans here in Buffalo, along with local media, and possibly throughout the league as well, I have a few thoughts about Ryan Miller.
First off, I like Ryan Miller. For the most part I think he's done a solid job in net for the Sabres. I will do my best to detach myself as a Sabres fan and look at the realities facing this team in...
I would like to conduct an unscientific poll as to what those of us here at HB love about our game and what we believe, collectively, is the single best reason for being a hockey fan today. Another way to look at this would be to ask yourself, "what is my favorite part of the game?". A number response is all that is required, but feel free to comment as well. [b]Results to...
My family and I just happened to fall prey to the nasty sickness that has been floating around and not going away in a normal timeframe. This one was abnormally uncomfortable as even my bones and teeth hurt. Nothing like waking in the middle of the night after 15 hours of sleep in a soaking wet sweat, but I am wandering off topic.
The bottom line is I missed the "Ne...
WGR and WKBW are reporting that Teppo Numminen's suspension has been lifted and he could play as early as Thursday. I say, as a fan, I want to see him back and playing. Especially with the current injuries, the Sabres could use some veteran presence (and a right-handed d-man) on the blue line. Teppo gives a team just that. I am not saying that this will give us a smoot...
We're all getting riled up for playoffs and every now and then I still see people whining about the physical style that is hockey. This is hockey people. Hockey players get hurt, it's an outcome a physical game brings. This isn't a new growing problem, checking has been there since the beginning.
NHL teams made a mistake when they figured they no longer need tough guys...
Just want to send out some love to all of the Western Conference teams that are gunning for the Cup. May the best Ducks team win.
The Dallas Way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPmc4dYQpx0&feature=related
The Sharks Way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E81PKj9dTZc&feature=related
The Ducks Way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vIn2gYoLZ0
The Detroit Way
http:...
Professional athletes make TONS of money.
Compared to the average person, they make more money in one year than we will see in a llifetime.
Like television, movie, and music stars, they often have personas that are larger than life.
We put these people on a pedestal...tell them that they are special...and then tell them that along with being special and making al...
I love to read and write blogs. I love to learn from, and educate, other bloggers. I love the sense of humor and sarcasm of unencumbered bloggers. I love the respectful, yet free flow of expression. But there is something that has been driving me nuts - Blog Titles.
Here are a few examples of the abhorant titles that I have read:
"Ducks Deficiencies Demand Deadline...
As usual enjoy.
I would love to hear from Caps fans as it seems I am very popular with them right now.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Have a great weekend.
Go Flyers
I am already feeling a bit anxious today due to the 2 day break between games 2 and 3 between the Sharks and Flames.
Thankfully, there is some afternoon hockey to watch between Detroit and Nashville. Does anyone else notice that Detroit is constantly almost interfering with opposing teams goaltenders? Holmstrom is always parked right in front of the net, and as much as ...
Zetterberg? Datsyuk? Alfredsson? No, It's Fabian Brunnstrom.
Lets not get over our heads here. Fabian Brunnstrom is a 23 year old late bloomer with a lot of potential but don't expect Brunnstrom to make the lineup with ease. He is far from ready.
Brunnstrom should be treated like a 18 year old prospect who just got drafted in the first round. Don't get me wrong, Bru...
Hooker thoughts and what needs to be done to WIN game 4.
1. Change the top line- I think we need to change the top line period. The Flames know what to expect from that top line. I say send Cheech and Joe to the 2nd and promote Little Joe, Patty and Seto/Clowe to the top line. This then allows the top line (Joe and Cheech) to have a little more space and MAYBE just get...
When I was in the 8th grade, I had to take a public speaking course. "Speech," as it was referred to, was a time for me and my adolescent friends to really get stupid and make blundering fools of ourselves. Now granted, we were not trying to be fools, but being 13 years old and having to give a speech in front of a classroom full of peers with bad acne, big hair, pink sh...
When I was in the 8th grade, I had to take a public speaking course. "Speech," as it was referred to, was a time for me and my adolescent friends to really get stupid and make blundering fools of ourselves. Now granted, we were not trying to be fools, but being 13 years old and having to give a speech in front of a classroom full of peers with bad acne, big hair, pink sh...
The STARS are one step away from advancing to the second round for the first time in way too many years. It certainly is not over...but they have a strangle-hold on this series. Credit the Ducks for finally figuring out the STARS power play...they [u]COMPLETELY[/u] shut it down. On the other hand, Dallas figured out how to beat Anaheim's aggressive 5-on-5 attacks...[b](...
Today the Philadelphia Flyers organization must face the consequences of poking fun at an article that poked fun at their organization. In short the Washington Post is accusing the Philadelphia of Copywrite infringement for passing out a copy of Mike Wise's fan-bashing article. The article was distrubted to fans as the entere the Wachovia center, along with thunder stic...
Rather than give a rousing pre-game pep talk, I'll rely on a classic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpSFExhRdBA&NR=1
C'mon boys. Git-r-done.
What costs the Sabres nothing but goes a long way to keeping players happy? Communicating. Communicating with the players, understanding their gripes and being able to listen to them. Do you think that Larry listens to the players? My answer is no.
Drury, Briere and Campbell all took the contract laundry out in the media. I'm sure Ryan Milller will be doing the same on...
As the Dallas Stars finished a 4 - 1 victory at the American Airlines Center in Dallas over the defending Stanley Cup Champions, a loud audible sigh of relief was heard around the NHL. It occurred last night around 8:25pm Pacific Standard Time. I'm sure if you were awake, you heard the loud "[b]ahhhhhhh[/b]" from your own lips and from the collective lips of millions of ...
Just kidding. I am not going to go there yet. Looking back at the season, it was pretty much a bad beginning, mediocre middle, followed by a bad ending. The good thing is there is always next year. Hopefully this team gels and grows and maybe adds a solid defenseman or two. The main competition is the Penguins now. That is who they have to keep up with. But this team has g...
After watching game 3 against the Rangers, I'd say pretty good.
But seriously. 7-0. In all likelihood about to be 8-0.
I wouldn't have predicted it, not in a long shot, but the Pens are proving why they're the cream of the crop in the East, and they're rising to the top at precisely the right time.
Their confidence is SKYROCKETING after this win at MSG. Not onl...
MusicCityMadness writes...
MusicCityMadness Musings --- Crowd Control & Respect
Posted Friday | Comments 0
After reading Julie Robenhymer’s great columns on her “fan” experiences I’ve been formulating my take on the state of respect, or lack of, that I have seen in my 30 plus years of attending sporting events at different venues around the country.
Baseball is my first love, followed closely by Hockey. I really prefer to go to hockey games for live action so maybe ...
I played in a tournament this weekend called the Wally Cup in Fort Erie, On. In our last game today we had a surprise opponent. Buffalo Sabre Dan Paille played on the other team. We were all shocked. You could really tell that he was going easy, he played defense and didn't take a shot. But he did make a couple amazing passes. I got my Picture taken with him after the game...
MrBigglesworth writes...
FLYERS DEFENCE : Free Agency Analysis & Predictions
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Randy Jones will get re-signed for $1.3 mill multi-yr deal.[/b]
[b]I predict Hatcher, Smith and Modry all off the books come next season.[/b] With Hatcher retiring/buyout and Smith/Modry leaving as FA's. Big Hatch does have 1 more yr left on his 3.5m contract, but I will go on a limb and point at Rathje to compare. Youngsters Parent and Kuks both played solid in t...
Last pre-season I was introduced to the fabulous world of hockey by my boyfriend. He's originally from the bay area and has been following the Sharks franchise since they started years ago. He took me to the Rookie Exhinition game between the Sharks and the Ducks at the Anahiem Ice training facility. Being in such an intimate environment really sparked something in me, and...
Yesterday/Early Today, all off us were caught up with the actual game held in real (really long) time. So it is understandable that many of you who participate in fantasy leagues might have missed Monday's good news:
The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari for [i]Major League Baseball Advanced Media v. CBC Distribution and Marketing[/i], 07-1099.
And even though ...
Kings have aquired St.Louis Blues 2009 5th round draft pick for 20 yr old T.J. Fast. Fast spent last year in WHL.
Fast, 20, was selected by the Kings in the second-round (60th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 71 games this past season with Tri-City of the Western Hockey League where he recorded 54 points (17-37=54) and 92 penalty minutes.
I think t...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Teams Overpaying Free-Agents? This Is Just The Beginning
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The question comes into play during every off-season. Every signing is accompanied by speculation, more so on price than talent itself. After last off-season saw Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and Scott Gomez land contracts worth over $7 million per year, the question will be asked even more and the speculation will be even more intense. As we all know, though many like to “...
[img]http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Video/080613/n_russert_specialreport2_080613.vsmall.jpg[/img]
If you haven't heard yet, Tim Russert, the host of NBC's Sunday morning political show, [i]Meet the Press[/i], and a Buffalo Sabres fan, died today at age 58. Russert collapsed at work whilst working on this Sunday's edition of the show, and couldn't be saved....
As most of you know by now, Buffalo's own Tim Russert passed away Friday afternoon from what is being described as a "sudden cardiac death". The 58 year old South Buffalo born was best known for his 17 year stint as host of NBC's "Meet the Press" while serving as NBC News Washington Bureau chief. He was also a distinguished author with two best selling books "Big Russ a...
I received this email today...
[i]In the next week the NHL Fan Face Off team will be sending out a survey on NHL game attendance. In order to guarantee that we have a sufficient number of individuals attending games from each NHL team we need your help in recruiting new panelists for the NHL Fan Face Off Panel.
Please have your friends, family, colleagues, etc visit ...
[i][b]Criteria[/b][/i]
Under 35 UFA defenceman
[b][i]Legend[/i][/b]
Name age ; current salary/projected salary
[b]Name[/b] in bold are players I like most to sign w/ Flyers
[u][b]TOP TIER over 5mill[/b][/u]
[b]Redden [/b]age31 ; 6.5/6.5
[b]Campbell[/b] age29 ; 1.7/6.5
[b][u]MIDDLE TIER 2-4mill[/u][/b]
[b]Roszival[/b] age29 ; 2.1/4
Stuart age28 ; 3.5/4
...
millertime writes...
Sabres should consider big offer to acquire Jokinen
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Olli Jokinen could be just what the Buffalo Sabres need.
While everyone is focused on Buffalo's biggest, glaring needs this offseason - at defense and back-up goalie, with the forwards stocked up - the Sabres should do all in their power to acquire O.J.
When I read that Florida is looking for a first round pick and two young players, my interest intensified. Buffalo...
I believe this weekend, perhaps even today, will be the last of Maxim Afinogenov in a Buffalo Sabres sweater. Now, don't get me wrong, I am a Sabres fan of the utmost degree. My first game, albeit only six years ago or so, January 12, Sabres v. Islanders and Satan had put in his first goal in a long time ending a what came to be the norm - a slump. I have watched and li...
For Toronto fans, the Entry Draft 08’ signaled a new age. With the much vaunted clear out in the upcoming months, the draft had all the makings of a cornerstone with which the franchise could rebuild in the next few years.
Despite having 10 picks at their disposal, even after the eyebrow raising trade for Jamal Mayers, the Blue Nation was hoping that Toronto could buck...
Yet another UFA day is rapidly approaching, now just a measley week away.
As usual, hockey fans across North America are gaining excitement as this day approaches and the calendar is about to flip July.
And from a personal point of view, I couldn't be more excited - as usual - to see what my beloved team, the Buffalo Sabres, will do.
A year of disappointment, only...
The Cloutier situation
By Rich Hammond on June 23, 2008 1:46 PM
Here's the deal, according to the Kings...
Before Cloutier was placed on waivers, he was examined by Dr. Ronald Kvitne, a highly respected orthopedic surgeon, who determined that Cloutier was healthy enough to play. Cloutier sought a second opinion, and that doctor also deemed him healthy enough to pla...
In addition to Eklund's rumor today that the Sabres are extremely interested in Brian Rolston - and why wouldn't they be based on the veteran leadership the team has lacked since Chris Drury departed - I found an interesting tidbit.
What do he and Thomas Vanek have in common?
Same agent.
Steve Bartlett of Rochester, N.Y., just down the Thruway from Buffalo, repres...
With the coming of Eminger, I do not expect the Flyers to land a Campbell, Liles or Roszival type UFA. As much as I'd like to think we could get an RFA like Boumeester, I dont see us signing anyone over 3mill.
--UFA--
UFA [b]Joe DiPenta[/b] - age 26, 6'4", 220lbs. Shoots Right.
6 points and +3 in 23 games, with 16 PIMs and 5 shots on goal, but he averaged ONLY 11 m...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Don't Expect A Big Splash From Flames; My UFA Wishlist
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I'll be plopped in front of TSN on Tuesday for the excitement, but if the Calgary Flames manage to make a big splash, it'll just be a bonus. Although the departure of Rhett Warrener, Marcus Nilson and Anders Eriksson cleared up a bit of cap space, the re-signings of Daymond Langkow, Craig Conroy, Curtis McElhinney and Eric Nystrom make huge grabs on the UFA market very unl...
That's right. Forget about tomorrow (Tuesday July 1st) as a day that your team will get better. Darcy might try to make a splash by signing a UFA, but his bid will fall far short of what other ravenous teams out there will be offering.
Wait for Wednesday and Thursday to arrive, when the big money is off the table, and the Tier 2 UFA's are still around. I'm forecastin...
In this blog we'll go back to this time last year and get some hindsight analysis of the UFA signings from last season.
But first.
It should be noted that the UFA process is not a way in which GM's look to find bargains or good prices on players. It's an all-out bidding war for the services of players who have earned the right to seek "fair" market value for their w...
[b]I apologize for my absence Avs fans, but in May of this year I moved to South Korea for one year to teach ESL and it's kind of hard to keep updating blogs with everything that's been happening!
As Colorado fans, we clearly remember the date of July 1, 2007. On this day we made two major signings to kick off Free Agent Frenzy, with the additions of Ryan Smyth and Scot...
millertime12 writes...
Sabres lose chance at Liles, but Orpik's still out there
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So far, this "Free Agent Frenzy" has been more like a free agent bore. But there was no lack of re-signings before noon, including Aves Defensemen Liles. I personally was hoping the Sabres would pick up Liles and Orpik. Plan C is prabably Striet of Montreal. Only time can tell, but I can tell you one thing. If they do nothing HSBC Arena will be up in Flames. By the way, go...
[b]Let me start by saying that I am an optimistic person by nature. I try to believe that all things will work out well in the end or at least that every situation has the potential to turn out well.
As the whole hockey world anxiously awaited FAF (Free Agent Frenzy), I suggested the Avs could use some depth wingers - guys with a little heart and soul. You can't questi...
Drive for Five writes...
'Streit' Jackets on sale now in the Islanders Store
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://nycya.com/5/images/streitjacket.jpg[/img]
With the recent signing of former Canadiens defenseman Mark Streit, what better way to make a buck off of the fans you've driven completely insane? The Islanders 'Streit' Jacket is here just in time to protect you from yourself and others. Yours for the low price of $71.08, to commerate the signing date of our new powe...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Bye Bye Playoffs?: Evaluating The Flames, 2008 Edition
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As much as I scoffed at the money thrown at players like Cristobal Huet, Jeff Finger, Brian Campbell, Wade Redden and Mike Commodore, I was also very disheartened in the relative quiet on the Flames' front on July 1. Though today's signings of Jim Vandermeer and Curtis Glencross make the situation a little better, their inability to find a viable 2nd line still makes the p...
[u][b]NOUS DEMENAGEONS !!!
http://www.alnh.tk/
Nous voulions un site plus complet que ce simple blog, je vous donne rendez-vous !
http://www.alnh.tk/
[/b][/u]
[i]*Veuillez notez que les mises a jour sont administrer par Marc-Antoine Perrault et Etienne Jolette.[/i]
[i]NB: les accents de fonctionnent pas[/i]
[u][b]Rumeurs[/b][/u]
-Ilya Nikulin est ...
I am not sure what to make of things. I was excited at the coming of UFA time but the lack of anything going on has left me a little bummed out. I read this comment from Doug Wilson “We’re a better team now than we were at the beginning of last season.”
Ok excellent...but how is San Jose a better team now than it was last year at this time? Bernier is not here...
Let me clear something up.
Now that Brooks Orpik has signed with Pittsburgh, some Sabres fans have looked back to Andrew Orpik's comments to the Buffalo News a few days ago and shaken their heads, comments they thought all but assured Buffalo was a likely destination for the d-man:
"Buffalo is a place he'd definitely want to come," Brooks' brother Andrew told the Buf...
Many Flyers fans who watched all of the free agent and trade craziness in the last few days are scratching their heads wondering why the Flyers have only made a handful of relatively minor moves.
The answer is...Addition thru Subtraction !
[b][i]Lets examine how this 'Final Four' team has improved in the off-season thus far...[/i][/b]
[u][b]Umberger out ; Giroux i...
http://www.postgazette.com/pg/08185/894617-100.stm
First of all, I want to thank everyone for all of the comments recently and especially the kind words when I broke the news of the Curtis Glencross signing and terms on July 1st. I appreciate all of the support and love to see as many comments as possible. I will continue to give as much Flames analysis and insight this off-season.
I have addressed what I felt Sutter ...
Its been quite interesting the past few days and I am quite excited that trades seem to be back. YAY!
[b]Leafs: [/b]I've noticed that alot of people HATE the moves that the leafs have made so far. And I cannot fully understand why. While I do agree that the leafs paid a fair bit for Finger and Hagman I don't think it has a negative effect on what the leafs are trying ...
Enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blog/
Have a great weekend.
So for those of you who get lost sometimes in trades, I've tried to compile a good list of what Buffalo has given up and then gotten through trades in 2008:
[i][b]Trade Deadline Day 2008:[/b][/i]
[b]Sabres give up:[/b]
[20 Games of service from Brian Campbell]
7th round pick in 2008 Entry Draft [later became Drew Daniels (RW)]
[b]Sabres get:[/b]
Steve Bernier (...
roenickscores08204 writes...
Holmgren gets 3-year extension, Asham signs multi-year deal
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ed Snider announced today that the Flyers have reached an extension with current GM Paul Holmgren that will keep him for another three years. This is a great thing for the team and is easily our best signing of the year. Holmgren has done something that never happens in hockey. Through his great trades and signings he took a last place team to the Eastern Conference Finals...
[i]Sabres fans, hockey fans, and all others:[/i]
This is my first chance to impress you with my opinions or bore you with my stupidity. UFAs and RFAs will come and go, and that is what you have to expect. It is no fun when its your favorite player (Drury, Grier,...ect.) and some times you just want to get rid of a guy (Kalinin). Its the busin...
tubbytreats writes...
Bernier Offer Sheet - Did Darcy really make the best deal?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Bernier was offered a 2.5m 1yr offer sheet by St. Louis, just mere days after Vancouver acquired him for a 2nd round pick in 2010 and 3rd round pick in 2009.
Since the offer sheet was in the 2.0mil to 3.0mil range, Buffalo (should St. Louis have filed the offer sheet) would have been entitled to St Louis' 1st and 3rd round picks in 2009.
Kinda stinky to see what coul...
First off, let's see how I did with my off-season move guesses (http://my.hockeybuzz.com/user.php?user_id=19560) and what Sutter did in comparison to my guesses:
1) [i]Trade Matthew Lombardi, Anders Eriksson, Andrej Taratukhin, and 2009 #2 Draft Pick to Florida for Olli Jokinen[/i]: [b]FAIL[/b]. Ok, so this big trade didn't happen, but that's not to say Sutter didn't try ...
The world has come to an end. Well, not literally, but figuratively, with the signing of Big Burt. The Calgary Flames have signed Todd Bertuzzi to a one-year contract worth 1.95 million buckaroo's (I do know buckaroo's is not a word.)
The factor that makes this interesting is the call for mercy from the Flames. They are asking the fans to give Bert a second chance. T...
Hey, you guys, yeah I'm pointing at you in the media. It's time you stopped writing the same stuff over and over. I've started to get quite annoyed with the Toronto Hockey media the past few weeks because you continue to read the same things, printed in the paper and posted online, every day and every week. Okay, so Niklas Hagman, Jeff Finger and Curtis Joseph are not goin...
[b]First a little disclaimer: this blog won't be entirely different from my last as it concerns the addition of grit to the Avalanche in the upcoming season...thought you'd like to know now instead of later.
So, in the past few days, the Avs have resigned the "Cody Macs", that is Cody McLeod and Cody McCormick and now have added former Avs player Brian Willsie from the ...
By Rich Hammond on July 16, 2008 1:21 PM
The Kings have signed restricted free agents Erik Ersberg, Gabe Gauthier, Matt Moulson and Joe Piskula to contracts for next season. I'll try to get the terms and money for these deals, particularly Ersberg, since he was headed for arbitration. I'd have to guess Ersberg agreed to a two-year contract, but that's just a guess.
...
Hey there to all my hockeybuzz brethren and sistren (is that a word? Sure, why not). So, this isn't a normal blog or anything just a call for help. I know that alot of you out there in hockeybuzz-land live in the greater Toronto area, and alot of the others have visited the area. So, my wife and I are making our first ever trip to the Toronto are in a couple weeks and othe...
With the news that Ryan Miller has signed for a 5 yr deal i am sitting here excited for the upcoming season. people all over town have been going Enroth this Enroth that saying that we have no chance to sign miller, hes good as gone. Well to those people shame on you! hes here for 5 more years after this one at a reasonable 6.25 a year. Miller is smart to resign here becau...
The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Peter Harrold to a three-year contract, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.
Harrold, 25, played in 25 games for the Kings last season, recording five points (2-3=5) and two penalty minutes. He scored his first c...
The mystery surrounding the resigning of Restricted Free Agent Ryane Clowe continues. As the summer drags on, no news comes forth about his status. We were led to believe from published reports that he had a "gentelmen's" agreement with Doug Wilson at the end of last season. The only outstanding issue had been length on contract as reported. So what is up? Since no news is...
[i]Many Predator fans have been wondering where Pred's blogger PredJoe has been this off season. This article pulled from wire reports answers this question. [/i]
[b]Ufa Russia [/b]- While the international dispute continues over young Alexander Radulov and his NHL and KHL contracts one American is also seeing if, he too, can strike gold in Russia.
PredJoe has been b...
Toskala35 writes...
Anaheim's AHL Affiliate Sets up Best Publicity Stunt Ever
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The [b]Anaheim Ducks[/b] have a new [b]AHL[/b] affiliate, and what better way to bring buzz to the team with a good, ole fashion, publicity stunt. Well the [b]Iowa Chops[/b] have gone above and beyond any publicity stunt seen before... It may seem like I'm going way off topic here, but hold on:
The entire sports world is hanging onto every piece of news in the [b]Brett ...
I would like to thank Mr. Spratt Personally he was a great to allow me some time with him. I can tell, what the Flames see in James Spratt you can tell a lot about man by his dad thanks so much again. I will posting another interview with Mr Severen in a couple of days both men deserve equal time.
...
FLAMESTR writes...
In Conversation wit a proud Father C.J. Severen's Dad
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Interview with Mr. Severen
CJ's father[/b]
[b]FLAMESTR[/b]: You mentioned one thing yesterday that I want to start out with. He started out at what, four and a half?
[b]Severyn[/b]: He was rollerblading at three and a half, and at four and a half he stepped on the ice. The first time he stepped...
I have posted this over in the forums too, but some people may not venture into that part of the board, so I felt I would dedicate an actual blog to the news.
Rich Hammond, the most reliable source for legitimate information on the team, has given a couple updates on the status of some of the players on the team.
First, there are two players at the top of the RFA lis...
It was just a few years ago when Maxim Afinogenov was loved by many in Buffalo.
"MAX NATION" was a craze! You heard a loud "ahhhh" take over the HSBC (Hot Sauce, Blue Cheese) Arena every time he touched puck.
Now Max is fading in popularity with his in-ability to play defense which tends to lead him to the BOX. And his mis-conception of how big nhl defensemen really ar...
Not much hockey to talk about these days???
I'll do my best to keep focused on hockey but my blogs are starting to be very un-hockey related.
Funny how none of the Leafs wanted to move at the trade deadline and now Tucker is gone, McCabe is on his way out and God only knows what's up with Meatball Sundin.
Jose Theodore a Washington Capital, that just doesn't sound...
So, being that this the first blog I have ever written on here, I wanted to stay somewhat neutral with my topic. That means no Sundin or McCabe talk, no Radulov and CHL talk, no trade rumors or speculations. Just something fun.
What I want to know is if you were to make a team, using one player from every team, who would you pick? Now let me add the restrictions. You mu...
I participate in a 12 man fantasy league and we draft very early before every season. Our draft was conducted last weekend. The league is very competitive and is worth quite a bit of money by fantasy league standards or atleast by college student income standards, seeing as we are almost entirely composed of college students. The requirements of the league are also very in...
I realize that many players, media and especially fans read Hockeybuzz on a daily basis, and I believe this may be the most efficient way to get this message across.
There is a HUGE difference between the fans and the media, and this was evident this week on the airwaves in Montreal. Jean-Charles Lajoie, a radio commentator on CKAC radio in Montreal managed to OUT-TWIT...
I absolutely cannot wait for the NHL season to start, and I just might be more excited to draft some fantasy teams. October 4th cannot come soon enough, school is boring during the week nights and homework is just lame, I need the center ice package to deliver me from boredom. I decided to complete a "big board" type of list for a blog on hockeybuzz that I would like to ma...
I absolutely cannot wait for the NHL season to start, and I just might be more excited to draft some fantasy teams. October 4th cannot come soon enough, school is boring during the week nights and homework is just lame, I need the center ice package to deliver me from boredom. I decided to complete a "big board" type of list for a blog on hockeybuzz that I would like to ma...
I've said it in different ways before, but we're really starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel here, folks. That said, this very brief edition of Duck Puck will focus on which Ducks you may want to add to your fantasy rosters, after a quick news roundup.
As we've finally reached a month in which NHL teams will hit the ice, the annual season previews are being rele...
Rebuild.
That was the game plan going in to the off-season after another abysmal season from our boys in Blue and White.
Given this arduous task was veteran GM Cliff Fletcher. I mean, it's not every day that MLSE realize their failure and place this kind of responsibility on their GM (or... is it?).
Fletcher got to work right away, trading a 3rd round selection in...
[b]Basic Quick Facts[/b]
[i]Position[/i]: C
[i]Shoots[/i]: Left
[i]Height[/i]: 5-6
[i]Weight[/i]: 160 lbs
[i]Birth date[/i]: 1987-07-24
[i]Hometown[/i]: Oxford, Michigan
[i]Acquired[/i]: 5th round (142nd overall), 2005 NHL Draft
Nathan Gerbe, gives inspiration to small athletes every where. Here is a player I can't wait to see wearing a Sabres jerse...
[u]Depth Chart[/u]
C
Tim Connolly
Derek Roy
Paul Gaustad
Adam Mair
Jochen Hecht
Nathan Gerbe
Marek Zagrapan
LW
Thomas Vanek
Daniel Paille
Patrick Kaleta
Clarke MacArthur
Philippe Gogulla
RW
Drew Stafford
Jason Pominville
Ales Kotalik
Maxim Afinogenov
Andrew Peters
Mark Mancari
D
Jaroslav Spacek
Toni Lydman
Henrik Tallinder
Craig Rivet
Andre...
Update, 3:30 p.m. EST: The entry I had posted here before is meaningless now! Pommer signs a 5-year extension this afternoon, reportedly between $5 and $6 mill per season. Thoughts? I think it's a great deal and I'm ecstatic to hear the news! No more distractions going into Camp. Let's get the season started, Sabres fans!
Sabres fans on pins and needles...Just wait...
It's Sunday morning and you spent all of last night basking in drink after drink. You were the life of the party, from what you remember anyway, and even that's a blur - almost seems like a lifetime ago. You're still gaining your senses this morning and you have a horrible feeling in the gut of your stomach. You don't want to do a THING today.
Now you know what the S...
Max Afinogenov is in the ultimate contract year. Not only is he in the last year of his contract, but he was shopped around in the offseason and is auditioning for all 30 other teams in the NHL either via trade during the season, jockeying for line placement on the Sabres or for his free agent contract following the season. Right now, it looks like we are going to go be ge...
Oh boy, we are just days away from the regular season now. I wanted to post the 2nd installment of FT50 before the regular season gets under way, you may notice a few changes. Any difference from the last, may be because of any announcements or rumours of line combinations that I have heard since the last post. Also the news of Gonchar's injury has dropped him off the list...
Greetings to all buzzers. Thanks for clicking on my maiden web log. If brevity is the soul of wit, I either have no wit or no soul. Thus, my season preview will be posted in two hefty installments.
With the trans-Atlantic set of games aside (and it was nice to see those Easterners learn what [b]real[/b] travel is like), I’m looking towards Thursday when the true fant...
Just a little nostalgia to get you in the mood to enjoy your reading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjAPoN8qs0Q
Can anyone smell that? I'm talking about the mild aroma that is building in Anaheim. I'm hoping the autumn breezes and winter rains can wash it away and renew a freshness. I'm hoping for spring flowers and a summer Cup. However, this aroma has the potent...
SabreCrazy07 writes...
SABRES BEGIN THE CRAIG RIVET ERA....#52 NEW BUFFALO CAPTAIN
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In a text received from the Buffalo Sabres they have named the newly aquired d-man as their newest captain. Also releaed was the news that Pominville, Hecht, Spacek & Numminen will all be named assistant captains. Probally they will be rotated. Since i believe that the league only allows 3 players to wear letters.
So Sabre fans what do you think? Me myself am relieved ...
Friday marks the beginning of a new season for the Buffalo Sabres when they face off against the Montreal Canadiens at 7:30pm at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo. The two divisional rivals kick off the 2008-2009 season with a lot of questions open for discussion for both squads after disappointing finishes last year.
The Sabres are attempting to rebound from a season that foun...
The Sabres are coming off a convincing 7-1 win against a lackluster, DiPietro-less New York Islanders team, though a pro hockey team nonetheless who was embarassed on their home ice and there's no excuse for that.
The Rangers are coming off, well, one of their best starts in franchise history. 5-0 out of the gate ties their best all-time feat, and with a win tomorrow n...
I did a little breakdown of the Sabres lineup from last year to see how we did when our big guns score. Last year we had 5 players that broke the 20 goal mark. Vanek-36, Roy-32, Pominville-27, Kotalik-23, and Hecht-22. I figured it by percentage of points secured in games that were scored in.
1. Roy - 25 games 19-4-2 80%
2. Kotalik - 20 games 14-5-1 ...
Who knew the Preds were invited to a coming out party last night? I didn't...but that is exactly what happened. The Preds, and the rest of the NHL, got a look at the force that is Fabian Brunnstrom. The 23 year old Swedish talent became the third player in NHL history to net a hat trick in his first game and in the process has everyone wondering just how good this guy will...
Earlier I posted this....and the Sabres are already up 3-0 with 6 minutes left in the first. Can't be right all the time! I'll chalk this up to my Vancouver bias described below in my earlier entry.
I'm going out on a weird limb tonight, and I'm predicting a 4-2 Vancouver win for this evening's game at HSBC Arena.
I say Steve Bernier will be pumped and fiery for th...
What a game What game. Sabres Fab Five is not on:
Thomas Vanek continues to dominate this opposition. One Goal and One Assist. That makes 6 goals in 4 games. Well on his way to the 50 Goal Campaign and leading this team back to the playoffs.
The power play i was tough on them during the first game. Well so far they have been very good in the last couple games.
...
Boy, what a game! Our boys came out a little flat and undisiplined. Their legs were laboring a bit and not to mention they ran into eachother a few times but WOW; what a way to gut out a point! This team showed a lot of grit last night!
The first 20 minutes couldnt have gone worse. ATL peppered Lalime with shots from everywhere, and he absolutely stood on his hea...
Boy, what a game! Our boys came out a little flat and undisiplined. Their legs were laboring a bit and not to mention they ran into eachother a few times but WOW; what a way to gut out a point! This team showed a lot of grit last night!
The first 20 minutes couldnt have gone worse. ATL peppered Lalime with shots from everywhere, and he absolutely stood on his hea...
Boy, what a game! Our boys came out a little flat and undisiplined. Their legs were laboring a bit and not to mention they ran into eachother a few times but WOW; what a way to gut out a point! This team showed a lot of grit last night!
The first 20 minutes couldnt have gone worse. ATL peppered Lalime with shots from everywhere, and he absolutely stood on his hea...
Boy, what a game! Our boys came out a little flat and undisiplined. Their legs were laboring a bit and not to mention they ran into eachother a few times but WOW; what a way to gut out a point! This team showed a lot of grit last night!
The first 20 minutes couldnt have gone worse. ATL peppered Lalime with shots from everywhere, and he absolutely stood on his h...
Hats off to the Buffalo Sabres for starting the season 4-0-0-1. Many people were predicting the Sabres to finish anywhere from 7th to 12th in the standings this year and this team is trying to prove all of them wrong.
In the first complete week of the season (Monday-Sunday) the Sabres finished 3-0-0-1 and had some individual dominant performances. I took the liberty of...
[img:left]http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20081024/capt.738c262e1cf3423496b1292413cdaaa0.sabres_wild_hockey_mnpb103.jpg[/img]
Rising like a phoenix from the ashes, the Sabres came back from two goals down inside the last 5 minutes of the 3rd period to defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in overtime.
The Sabres one line was the story of the night after scoring 3 out of the...
airtsabes writes...
If the playoffs started today. Pre-premature playoff picks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The current playoff teams if the season ended today are:
The Eastern Conference
1. Buffalo
2. NY Rangers
3. Carolina
4. Montreal
5. Pittsburgh
6. New Jersey
7. Washington
8. Boston
The Western Conference.
1. San Jose
2. Minnesota
3. Detroit
4. St. Louis
5. Edmonton
6. Colorado
7. Chicago
8. Calgary
Buffalo over Boston
NY Rangers over Washingto...
I'm going to play off of the infamous "Ek Factors" for this one, and give you the "Mill Factors" for this game. BTW, before I get started, Ek and his family remains in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Get well soon Ek!
[b]Senateurs d'Ottawa[/b] (2-5-1, 14th in conference)
at [b]Buffalo Sabres[/b] (6-0-2, 2nd in conference)
Monday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m....
Another week finished, another 5 pts. The Buffalo Sabres go 2-0-0-1 this week. This team is off to a hot start in the still young season and that is without many key players.
If I told you before the season started that Hecht, Connolly, Gaustad, and Rivet would miss 24 man games to injury in the first 8 and we would still go 6-0-0-2 who woulda laughed. I probably would o...
The Sabres are back in action tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They are looking to rebound from their pathetic perfomance aginst the Senators.
How the Teams Stack Up:
[b]Power Play[/b]
Buffalo: 21.6% - 7th in the league
Tampa Bay: 10.8% - 29th in the league
[b]Penalty Kill[/b]
Buffalo: 90.2% - 4th in the league
Tampa Bay: 84.3% - 11th in the league
...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals, minus Alexander Ovechkin, head to Buffalo for a Saturday night match-up with the Sabres. The Sabres (6-2-2) come into Saturday nights game having lost three straight. The Capitals (5-3-1) will try and build on the win against Nashville, a 4-3 shootout victory, from Tuesday night. This will mark the second straight ...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Buffalo Sabres showed the Washington Capitals on Saturday night that speed kills. The Capitals came out flat and got absolutely blown away, 5-0. Apparently, after the game coach Bruce Boudreau of the Capitals was as mad as he has ever been, since taking over the reigns last November.
The Capitals looked flat from the start. Thomas Van...
Week 3 started pretty rough for the Sabres. 2 dismal 5-2 losses to the Senators and Lightning. They looked like they did not deserve to be playing in the NHL. Then when you get down on them they throw you a 5-0 domination over Washington. Lindy got them back to basics with the defense first style and it paid big dividends. So they finish the week 1-2 with Gaustad and Conno...
[img]http://www.sabresfans.com/images/Roster/aleskotalik.jpg[/img]
Last year Ales Kotalik scored 43 pts in 79 games. This put him in 63rd place in the league among wingers. His salary for the season was 2.5 million which was tied for 56th for wingers tied with 8 others. Does this mean he was overpaid for his production and is he worth this much or more in a contract ex...
8-3-3 19pts H(4-2-1) A(4-1-2)
Week 4 started great and then got ugly. 1-1-1 with Miller starting all 3. He started the week with shutout and it all went downhill from there. Our guys decided to revert to their lazy defensive play of last year and it cost them. One can say that Lalime should have started one of the back to back games but I do not think it would hav...
I am hearing all sorts of panic from the Flames fans. Yes, the sky is falling. Our defense is standing around. Our forwards are back to not helping the defense Kipper is back to being human. Generally, this team reminds me of Dr Jeckell and Mr Hyde. I just do not understand how this team can be so awesome one night and terrible the next.
This phenomenon does not go j...
It's pretty hard to believe, but I am currently in first place in the Fantasy Hockey Pool presented by KIA on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada! Ron McLean even said my name on TV!
I currently have a 2 point lead over second place, and am trying to keep a blog updated daily to show my progress.
http://rblight18.blog.ca/
Or check out the CBC website if you don't believ...
Buffalo Sabres 8-3-2 6th in East
St. Louis Blues 5-7-1 15th in West
Last week:
Sabres - 1-1-1
Blues - 0-2-1
Powerplay:
Sabres: 21.6% 5th
Blues: 27.1% 2nd
Penalty Kill:
Sabres: 88.7% 5th
Blues: 81.0% 15th
Goals per game:
Sabres: 2.93 t-16th
Blues: 3.00 t-10th
Goals against:
Sabres: 2.21 t-3rd
Blues: 3.38 25th
Team leaders:...
[b]9-5-3 21pts H(5-3-1) A(4-2-2)[/b]
[img]http://www.letsgosabres.com/images/players/photos/ryan_miller.jpg[/img]
Week 5. What a disappointment. 1-2 with Miller making an appearance in all 3. What happened to Patrick Lalime? 6 goals against on 23 shots. Miller was not a lot better. 7 goals against in just over 2 games.
So we picked up 2 more points in the standings...
They've paid all the bills, and they've given some key personnel hefty raises, but at the one-quarter mark of 2008-2009, it's not paying dividends for the Buffalo Sabres.
It has to be highly disconcerting for Tom Golisano, Darcy Regier, and Co. to witness this promising young core underperform. They have to be scratching their heads, and as the Sabres' losing streak ha...
9-8-3 21pts H(5-5-1) A(4-3-2)
Week 6. Wow, just where are the Sabres headed? 0-3 this week, and I do not know what to think of this team anymore. We gave up 14 goals and only scored 6. The lone bright spot of the week was AHL callup Mark Mancari. Scored a goal and was a +/- of 0. We pick up 0 points in the standings and now sit at 9th place in the East, out of the playo...
11-9-3 25pts H(7-5-1) A(4-4-2)
Week 7. Riding a 5 game slump coming into the week who would have thought we could win 2 out of 3 from Boston, Pittsburgh, & Montreal. 2-1 this week, and they looked a lot better as of late. We gave up 8 goals and scored 9. We pick up 4 points in the standings and sit at 9th place in the East, still out of the playoffs but only by 1 p...
It was recently revealed that Columbus Blue Jacket prospect Stefan Legein has decided to resume his hockey career and attempt to make it back into his old form. It was about 3 or so months ago that the news first surfaced that feisty Blue Jacket prospect and Ice dog star had lost the passion for the game and had decided to hang up his skates. But now it appears the passio...
I stumbled upon a site that breaks down NHL statistics in some very interesting ways. I have decided to use some of these formulas to decide who this team needs to get rid of. For anyone that’s interested and a source for my breakdown.
http://hockeyanalytics.com/Research.htm
Offense:
Offensive Engagement (OE) measures the degree to which players are involved in t...
13-1-3 29pts H(7-6-1) A(6-5-2)
Week 8 + Monday. (Added Monday because I was not at work yesterday and had no opportunity to do my report) Well, they let the first 2 games get away but came back strong in the second half of the week. 2-2 this week, and it seems like they might have some scoring touch back.. We gave up 10 goals and scored 9. We pick up 4 points in the sta...
2-1-0 4pts
After the first loss of the season the team bounced back rather well with 2 wins against Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh on the road.
Vanek, Roy, and Kotalik are tied for the team lead with 2G each. Roy, Stafford, Mair, and Gaustad each have 2A. Roy leads the team with 4P.
Stafford leads the team in +- with a +4, meanwhile upcoming star Gerbe has a +3 after m...
First, I apologize for the lateness of this short but important blog. Yesterday, I went straight from work to United Centre, and this is the first chance I've had to get in front of a computer.
Anyway...
If you're a season-ticket holder planning to stay at the Hilton for the convention this summer, you DO NOT have to wait until 9:00 this morning to reserve your room...
We are now 31 games into the season and still struggling to find an identity. Our record is now 15-13-3, tied with Carolina at the 8th spot in the East(we have 15 wins to their 14). It is interesting to know(at least to me) that after 31 games last year we had exactly the same number of points, 33. It seems to me that we almost the same team as last year and it will pro...
As a Vancouver Canucks fan, particularly one not living in the city of Vancouver. I find it difficult to get Canucks' news, without venturing online. So it's heartwarming to see how many fans across this great North American plane have so much to say and offer about my team. The nuggets of knowledge expressed, i often find unbiased and completely insightful, and it tota...
Two points. That's the stat that matters here. But, as Harry Neale put it, "The Sabres got two points the hard way, when they should've had them the easy way." Everyone at the HSBC Arena thought that Clarke MacArthur was the hero with his goal in the third period, as it gave Buffalo seeming insurance and a 3-1 lead. Key word: they [b]thought[/b] he was the hero....
Record 9-5-2 H 4-3-1 A 5-2-1
GF – 52 3.25/g
GA – 42 2.63/g
Leaders:
Roy 21pts
Vanek 9G
Roy 13A
Stafford +7
Mair 29PM
Vanek 4PPG
Roy 5GWG
Lydman 34Hits
Against current playoff teams we are 2-3-1. Against non-playoff teams we are 7-2-1. Tallinder has 1pt in 16 games. If we extrapolate our current record out over the 58 game schedule we will fin...
[img]http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/ad4a3bdb34.jpg[/img]
Its that time of year again for the Rangers. It has come every year since the lockout, no matter how well or how poorly the season began. Because the Rangers are once again slipping out of the playoff picture ever so slowly, and if they do not right the ship soon, it will be too late. It is gut check time...
For comparisons to the rest of the league I took the highest scoring center on each team for a total pool of 30 rather than the top 30 highest scoring centers in the league. So how does Derek Roy stack up?
14G t11th
24A t11th
38pts t8th
+2 t18th
21:45/g 4th
49.7%fo 19th
20PIM 20th
43Giveaways 29th
25Takeaways t15th
So in 5 categories he is in the top...
[b]What do we all think about these Sabres?[/b]
The game as a general manager is complicated for sure. We can all bag on Darcy all we want, but hopefully we can be entertained by the next couple of months. We have a situation though, and hopefully it can be resolved by March 4th.
Max and Kotalik both need to be gone. We have to get something in...
I am a very lucky guy.
I get to go see several leafs games every year, and I am thankful for the opportunity.
The one thing that really pushes my buttons about being there is that a good chunk of the lower bowl is corporate seating. The leafs sell out every game and the waiting list for season tickets is insanely long. We are talking 15 + years.
When corporate ...
It's a question I have been pondering for quite some time. What truly makes a hockey game exciting, and what truly makes a hockey team exciting? The question first dawned after New Jersey's last game before the All-Star break, a 5-2 victory over the Habs. I remember after the game, I had a very happy debate with various Habs fans, along with one or two other Devils fans on...
Think fast: it's February 20th. You're the general manager of a middle-market NHL franchise. Your team has done poorly in the standings over the past five years, but this year is different. They have been playing decent hockey and lie 1 point inside of the 7th seed.
In the past, this time of year meant one thing: selling. You'd sell a couple of players to playoff-w...
FLAMESTR writes...
IMPORTANT DOCUMENT FOR FATHERS AT GAME MANDATORY TO READ
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]BASIC MANUAL FOR FATHERS/HUSBANDS WHEN TAKING
THE FAMILY TO AN NHL GAME
INTRODUCTION[/b]
This manual is for the use of comings and goings to a hockey game. But you can substitute any other sport or any other function that you are attending. This is all meant in fun and not intended to offend or to portray any person.
[b]ITINERARY
1.0 SPOUSE[/b]
I...
Lindy Ruff took over the head coaching job in Buffalo in July 1997. Since then Buffalo has only made it to the finals once, and everyone knows how that one ended (cough cough...no goal...cough cough).
During that same time period, there have been 137 coaching changes in the NHL. That's 11.42 changes per year, or about one-third of all NHL teams.
Darcy Regier has als...
It's time for a new era in Montreal.
The notion of unloading Alexei Kovalev from the Habs' line-up may seem absurd to some fans of the team, but I believe this is a crucial step towards their path to the Stanley Cup.
Whether you're a fan of Kovalev or not, it's undeniable that he's a tremendous talent. The problem with him is that he only plays when he wants to, and ...
It is very simple for the Sabres right now, they must answer the bell. Time after time we have seen this team struggle. It will only continue. UNLESS, Darcy Regier can get this team back on track. The only way to do that is by making a trade. Why should we stand still? What have we got by standing still? July 1st 2007 was horrible. July 1st 2008 was almost as bad. ...
I thought I'd give this a shot ... maybe SOMEONE in EK's staff could at the VERY LEAST address the players as to what is going on and when they estimate all will be up and running correctly. A simple update note is really not asking too much.
[b]ANY WORD FROM EK AND STAFF WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED BY ALL INVOLVED![/b]
Thanks!
There is time when life is far more important, I mean seriously hockey is just a game. David Moss lost his Grand Father and missed the game on Sunday. Even though I know he is not reading this blog, I for one would like to him to know that his hockey fan thinks enough of him that he is my thought during his time bereavement sometimes hockey is just a game we love ya David...
There is time when life is far more important, I mean seriously hockey is just a game. David Moss lost his Grand Father and missed the game on Sunday. Even though I know he is not reading this blog, I for one would like to him to know that his hockey fan thinks enough of him that he is my thought during his time bereavement sometimes hockey is just a game we love ya David...
I wish I could tell you what a real fan is and what it means to be a fan to your team. I mean, I know what it is like to pull for a team or root for them. But as a fan, you certainly have the right to boo a team. But how far are you aloud to go? I mean, I have seriously heard people insult the player’s intelligence and his upbringing. I am just as bad as the others. I am...
Sabrefan28 writes...
Sabres need a wake-up call....going on 2 years now
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I think I have finally reached my breaking point...
It's time for people to be held accountable and there is plenty of blame to go around...
I think [b]Lindy Ruff[/b] is a good coach, but clearly after the last two years, he isn't getting the message through. You could argue that the talent isn't there, but these players don't even seem to care that they are losing....
The Thrashers have had some shotty goaltending in the early half of the regular season with people doubting the teams goalies. Then Atlanta's main man Kari was sidelined with back issues and then came another question. Could the man known as "Moose" get, and keep this team on track? Well, after a month of continous pressure on the veteran, he ended up with a record that mo...
Gilmore.Tuttle writes...
Briere will be X factor for Flyers in Playoffs
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Its that time of year for Flyers Fans to start the "nail-biting" in regards to our goaltending issues. Biron is INCONSISTENT and cannot be relied upon to stop the puck in the playoffs. When he does make a save he is guilty of kicking the rebounds directly into the slot, resulting in incremental scoring opportunities. Last year Biron was the "X" factor in the Flyers post se...
The season has ended for the Thrashers, with most fans going home dissapointed once again. Some things did improve, but a lot more things stayed broken and I'm here to help good ol' DW out. I'm going to go through the three positions (forward, defense, goalie) and review them, with some other little tid bits as well. So hang on for the ride as this is the first ever Thra...
ThrashFanatic writes...
Kovy Not Only Thrasher Impressing In Russia - Championship ?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Once 8 years of pass after drafting a player and still not seeing him play in any of the teams affiliates, the player slips off your radar and never usually gets back on. It's different with a kid named Ilya Nikulin. He has had never shown up on the stats side of things like most defenseman so I had never cared to follow him or his Russian teams but today I followed his ...
This off season the Maple Leafs must decide to spend during free-agency or stay the course. I believe the Leafs should make a giant move and sign Marian Hossa to a contract of something like $9 million/5-6 years, or avoid all other UFA's. While I believe the Sedin twins are talented, they aren't Marian Hossa.
My other reason for Hossa or bust would be the better UFA's...
You may recall that, last spring, Capitals owner [b]Ted Leonsis[/b], who gets full marks for enthusiasm and accessibility, used the platform of his blog on USAToday.com to post his "Take" on the fans of Philadelphia:
=====
[i][b]Day 6: Tuesday, April 15 (Flyers 6, Capitals 3)[/b]
My family and partners traveled to Philadelphia —the city of brotherly love. After ...
FLAMESTR writes...
A Fond Farewell to the Flames and Summary of the first round
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Before we discuss the second round, I wanted to talk to you about a discussion between a dad and a son. My son always reminds me that the players are very human and they make mistakes and really they don’t set out to lose. He had to remind me of this over and over again as the Hawks were eliminating my Flames.
I have had conversations with my son reminding me the F...
Mr_X writes...
Sens have Current Team issues to deal with before UFA period
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Alright, So I won't talk about what the sens should do or who they should sign in the off season, but rather what they should do to finalise they're team and roster spots before they even get there, before they can worry about anything else.
The sens had alot of problems this year, it's dealt with, it's done, let's forget and learn about it, they have to address their c...
Well fellow losers, we come to that time of year again where we expect to turn off the hockey games early. After all, the amazing season and President's Cup win means zilch, zip and nada as we suffer another humiliating loss to the Quacks of Anaheim. You have to hand it to the Ducks though. They pulled a mediocre season into a great run so far. Hiller has been amazing and ...
Another disappointing end to what was looking like a promising season. But I have to admit, the effect and anticipation for the playoffs has worn off. I've had to brace myself for early departures in each of the last 3 seasons as it truly seemed inevitable.
My season-long problem was Mike Keenan. He proved early and often that he's about 10 years removed from b...
Can we really hang this years early playoff exit on Sutter? The guy who has brought our beloved Flames to the post season for five straight seasons, and one of them to the Stanley Cup Finals? The guy who created what I think is one of the most talented teams we Calgarians has seen since the 80's? I say no. Here's why.
Our team was performing well up until February. We t...
There is a lot of obvious attention being paid to the playoff series' that are at hand, and when it comes to Islander country most are focused on the possibility of obtaining John Tavares. But today I am going to take a look at the impending UFA's on the roster and give my reasons for why they should or should not return.
The first two that I will rule out are Yann Dani...
1) [u]Coaching[/u] – My first engagement in the Flames’ off-season moves would be to make a coaching change. But, unlike most of the outcry from Flames fans and media, I would not fire Mike Keenan as head coach. I know most fans are calling for Keenan’s head I believe that (other than the constant line-juggling and “strong encouragement” to have Kipper play all ...
Rewind a year to Ottawa, when interim GM Cliff Fletcher was preparing to make his last great splash. Trading up to secure hard hitting blueliner Luke Schenn, a player unto which the Leafs hoped to bank their revival, set in motion a summer of upheaval paving the way for Brian Burke to step in mid-season. For many the draft of 2008 marked an era of realization, that change ...
mslepp writes...
Calgary Flames: Recent Activity and Addressing the Rumours
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Who Will be at the Helm?[/b]
This is the major cloud that's been looming over Calgary for the last couple weeks.
Darryl or Brent?
Sutter or Sutter?
Even with the firing of Dave Tippett in Dallas (which doesn't make a whole lotta sense, but is an issue for another day), the Calgary Flames have been super quiet about what's going on in the search for a head ...
If Barack Obama is the people’s President, Judge Wapner was head of The People’s Court, and The Rock is the People’s Champion, then surely Steve Yzerman is the People’s Captain.
Yzerman had a long, 23-year NHL career. Not all of it was pretty, not all of it was good, but Yzerman left the game in 2006 as one of the most beloved players to have ever laced up a pa...
landsharkhockey writes...
Falling Stars - Disappointing 2008 Performances
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Looking back again at the 2008-09 NHL season, there were a number of players who failed to deliver on fantasy hockey expectations. We'll ignore the situations that were due largely to injuries (Zubov, Brodeur, etc.). That's a topic for another day. These guys tanked unexpectedly and can't blame the medics. Here are the top 11 fantasy disappointments of 08:
[b]1. ...
Any other Sabre fans felling uneasy about what is about to go down @ high noon on July 1, 2009?
Well first off I think it is a complete joke that this week's guest on Sabres Lunch Express is none other than GM Darcy Regier. My first thought probally like most Buffalo Fan's is $#Y%@&%$#. You gotta be kidding me. Shouldn't this guy be earning his paycheck? NHL GM's h...
Yet again we find ourselves four days beyond the start of the NHL Free Agency period, and yet again Sabres fans find themselves with very little encouragement to purchase tickets for the next season.
The story in previous years was that the Sabres need to not only make it to the playoffs, but also go multiple rounds for it to be possible to break even or potentially pro...
Montreal trades Christopher Higgins, Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko & Doug Janik to New York for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Mike Busto.
Montreal landed their long sought-after #1 Centre on Tuesday, but it wasn't the Flying Frenchman that everyone expected. GM Bob Gainey felt the price was too high for Vincent Lecavalier and instead settled for an overpaid, underac...
Spacepawn writes...
Habs RFAs and UFAs Forwards Are Worth Less - Part 1 of 2
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens had the most players to re-sign or seek out this 2009 off-season. Might be a new NHL record to add to the list of Habs records. The team's GM, Bob Gainey, at the time of the NHL Draft, had 11 players signed and $33 million of cap space remaining. While some teams will be opting for minimum cap this coming season, Montreal will remain a contender for ...
Spacepawn writes...
Habs RFAs and UFAs Forwards Are Worth Less - Part 2 of 2
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is part 2 and final of a two-piece article writing about the value of Montreal Canadiens UFAs and RFAs from the 2008-09 season.
In part 1, I covered the big name Habs UFAs and compared them to the new recruits. In short, the value of the UFAs were on average lower than that of the new signings. And as the new signings are more or less all younger (exception is Ale...
There are certain times of the year that I dread. Everyone has them. Unfortunately, mine coincide with hockey every year. The first time of year i dread is the NHL trade deadline. The second, came one week ago today, free agency in the NHL.
Being a loyal fan of the Sabres, I always get my hopes up. I think that the Sabres will do something to improve the team. However, ...
As I looked at NHL.com to check the free agent tracker, and with anticipation, saw that Buffalo had made a move. Then I saw, that it was Matt Ellis who had returned to Buffalo for another season.
I was impressed with Ellis last season. When he was on the ice, he gave 110%. He may not score a ton of goals, but no one can argue the effort he puts forth on the ice. Ellis ...
I just want to start by saying that some of you sabre fans should really be ashamed of yourself. People are being very critical of the Sabres Brain trust which is very understandable, but you really look at everything that has Transpired since the Lockout, the Sabres have had a plan. they established a team out of the lockout that was structured for the new NHL and play...
I understand the Islanders wanting/needing to rebuild with young talent. The problem is that they have very little young "talent". If you look past Bailey, Okposo and Tavares, there is absolutely no young talent what-so-ever.
Bergy is nothing that we thought he would be, Neilsen is OK at best and Tambo is a complete failure. I don't mind these guys being on the team,...
Terms of deal are unknown but he has re-signed with the team. Good news finally for us Ranger fans.
On May 13, 2006, during the first overtime of game 5, Jason Pominville sped past Daniel Alfredsson while Jay McKee was in the penalty box, and scored on Ray Emery to send the Sabres into the Eastern Conference Finals. However, disaster loomed for the Sabres, as 4 of Buffalo's 6 starting defensemen would become injured during that the series against Carolina.
Now, I'm no...
[img]http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs130.snc1/5573_660449596708_15724929_38449161_3910193_n.jpg[/img]
Rule #1: Success Breeds Success
This seems to be a rule that Sabres GM Darcy Regier has forgotten. For the past two seasons, Regier has failed to recognize that veteran leadership is so crucial to the success of a hockey team. The Sabres are a prime ex...
A few years ago Darcy Regier faced some important decisions when addressing his pending unrestricted free agents. The first test was Drury and Briere then a season later it was Brian Campbell. The final test came when he matched the Edmonton Oilers offer sheet for Vanek.
Looking at back at all the scenerio's Darcy paid the one guy that was worth the money he signed ...
[img]http://www.thehockeynews.com/imgs/dynamique/photos/original/article_12553_2.jpg[/img]
Someone asked me a fair question the other day: Is Buffalo Sabres #26 Thomas Vanek a superstar? After 4 years of NHL play, can Vanek be considered in the same league as Ovechkin, Crosby, Datsyuk, Malkin, Zetterberg or Iginla? To that question, I'd have to say, "No". But can he g...
Tampa bay, Florida, Colorado,Phoenex,Buffalo, and the New york Islanders are all interested in Tanguay. Ive heard that Colorado and Florida are the front runners at this time. Teams such as the Islanders and the Coyotes seem to have lost interest as his price tag continues to climb with the added interest.
"They're one of the teams we've talked to, but that's about all I ...
MIAMI HERALD: George Richards reports the Panthers have an offer on the table for Alex Tanguay as do other teams. Richards suggests if the Panthers lose out on Tanguay the club could make a minor move prior to the start of next season.
TAMPABAY.COM: Damien Cristodero reports Tanguay is rumored to be asking for $5 million for next season, down slightly from the $5.375 mill...
[img]http://www.darcyregiersucks.com/images/tx.regier.jpg[/img]
Two weeks of free agency now completed! Buffalo has done little to improve their chances of making the playoffs this year. General Manager Darcy Regier has made two moves since the free agency period has started. While all the other teams are making numerous moves and acquiring all of these big name playe...
All fans anticipated the release of the 2009-2010 season schedule. Again, the Buffalo Sabres have an intriguing schedule ahead of them. Numerous exciting match-ups lay ahead in the upcoming months.
There are a few clutch points in this season that will make or break Buffalo's season. The months of December and March contain the most games for Buffalo. This will test Bu...
This is from my blog at hfboards......
"I don't know why the Rangers aren't considering this...... How about Derek Roy? The dude puts up 30 goals a year and has a set of wheels. How about this....
Rozsival, Zherdev, Anisimov, Sauer to the Sabres for Derek Roy(4 mil) and Nathan (1 mil)Paetsch. The Rags shed about $7 million and take $5 million, leaving $6million to si...
Many Sabres fans are wondering these days, who if anyone is running (ruining) the Buffalo Sabres team. After another dissapointing free agency period, Buffalo came away with no names worth getting too excited about. Trades can still be possible, in fact I can almost guarantee the Sabres will make a move or two. Probably soon. But for right now, this is the Sabres line...
BUFFALO — This October the cold, brisk air will surround HSBC Arena. The 2009-10 Buffalo Sabres will be on the ice in front of their typical sold-out crowd. All 18,690 will be in their seats while viewers across Western New York and beyond will be tuning in to Rick Jeanneret. The whistle will blow, the puck will drop and Sabres hockey will begin again!
But not yet.
...
As the off-season winds on we are starting to see more teams signing veteran journeymen to provide organizational depth. Much like the Rangers earlier signing of Tyler Arnason, these moves may not pay dividends to the NHL roster but can provide teams with veteran role players to fill in at the NHL level in case of injury and also offer AHL prospects a veteran mentor to sho...
KevinJames writes...
The Difference Between Lalime and Biron: 400K For 25 Wins
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7Ukm-B3o-WI/ReR310YSOMI/AAAAAAAAAks/x-Gg9gWv0So/s320/MartinBironAction.jpg[/img]
Biron Signs With Islanders, 1 YR at 1.4 M. Sabres Management Caught With Their Head In The Sand
Going into the summer, the Sabres had two glaring issues to deal with:
First, the Sabres desperately needed to acquire a few veteran defenseman. The Sabres took...
landsharkhockey writes...
Finishing Strong - Players who ended last season on a tear
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As we start to turn the corner on summer, it's just about time to start gearing our minds towards next season's draft. To kick things off, let's take a look back to see which players had the strongest finish to the 2008-09 season. We'll ignore the obvious players who were strong from start to finish, and focus on players that turned it on in the last quarter. It's not ...
It is a Friday night during the summer and I am watching Sci Fi no surprises there.
My ponderance of the evening is player fan relations in the NHL. I think most of you know me. I am one of the diehards that waits for the Flyers players mostly after games but often after practices too. I have a jersey project the jersey is for me and me alone. I intend to frame it a...
[u]Inching Along[/u]
[img]http://www.thehockeynews.com/imgs/dynamique/photos/original/article_16260_2.jpg[/img]
It's been a slow, rainy summer this year in Buffalo. That mood has seemingly set the tone for the Sabres this off season as well.
On Saturday, the Sabres signed former Colorado Avalanche center Cody McCormick to a one year deal worth 550K. McCormick is a...
I recently read the article about the Sabres building the team they have to be competitive. The pieces are there, according the Darcy Regier. There is a comfort level of the roster. I don't deny that the team has talent. It's there. However, for the past two seasons, the team has missed the playoffs with these players. Could a piece be missing?
There is the ability to d...
174 games in the NHL. 23 points. 110 PIM.
Hardly the statistics you'd see on an all-star player - but that's what Joe DiPenta is: a locker-room all-star.
The 6'2" 202 pound defender - who won a Cup with Anaheim in 2007 - is still fondly remembered in Anaheim not for his presence on the ice, but off it. Even after leaving the Ducks, he continued to do charity work for...
On paper, Stefanovich looks to have all the tools that teams look for: a blend of scoring ability and size. Stefanovich’s sharpshooting abilities and offensive instincts are top notch, but his effort is inconsistent at best. Though he is willing to drive to the net, Stefanovich is a player who mainly fights through contact but doesn’t initiate physical play. His skatin...
If you've been playing fantasy hockey for a number of years, you inevitably start to get attached to certain players. You have it stuck in your head that the player is a star and has to be drafted. If you're interested in winning, you sometimes have to forget the past and acknowledge when the dog just can't run like he used to. The trends indicate that these boys are on...
With the departure of Jaroslav Spacek, Max Afinogenov, Teppo Numminen, Al Kotalik, and most likely Dominic Moore and Andrew Peters, and the addition of Mike Grier, Cody McCormick, and Steve Montador, the Sabres will surely have a "new" look this coming season. The past 2 seasons have left us fans asking "Where is the grit?", and finally Darcy has addressed the issue....
As a die hard Hockey fan, i've been looking at all the trade rumors out there. Some of them Make no sense and some arent that far fetch. So what I wanted to do is look at all those rumors and see which one would be best suited for the Sens...
First off the find out what would be best for the sens, we would need to know what is the biggest weak spot in the Sens lineup......
As you evaluate your draft list for the upcoming season, pay special note to a number of players who carry a bit of a high-risk, high-reward aspect. While you don't want to necessarily avoid drafting them, you definitely want to limit the number of these guys that wind up on your roster. It's ok to roll the dice on Marian Gaborik in round 3, as long as your first 2 picks...
In preparing for your upcoming fantasy hockey drafts, one of the keys to watch for are players who are poised for a breakout season. If you draft purely off of last season's stats, you're always going to miss out on some of the best performers. If you managed to snag Jeff Carter, Zach Parise, or Bobby Ryan last season, you were well ahead of the game. Here are 4 names a...
Mr_X writes...
Who takes on leadership with Sens - Roster still questioned?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[url]http://s1.zetaboards.com/NHSL/index/[/url]
See Below
So here's something that really gets to me.. Yea I’m not liking what Heatley’s doing, but what was management thinking when they gave him the “A”, permanently?! I remember watching the first or second game since he'd been promoted; with that fancy letter on his jersey he started it off with an undiscipli...
When it comes to fantasy hockey drafts, the temptation is to pull out last year's stats and pick the guy who had the most points. A lot of bad assumptions go into that philosophy. For one thing, you ultimately end up with a host of one-hit wonders and miss out on the rising players. We've assembled here a list of players that peaked last year or had a fluke of a great s...
Hello Sabre fans this is my first blog, been holding off but had to make my voice heard I've read tons of blogs this summer about how the Sabres have done nothing this offseason and that they won't make the playoffs. First off I'd like to start off with saying this team would have made the playoffs last year if not for Scott gomezs slu foot on Ryan Miller. Our playoffs hop...
Can someone tell me why Brian Propp is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame? He played 16 NHL Seasons, played in 1016 games, 425 Goals, 579 Assists, for 1004 points. In NHL history he has the ,ost points by a left wing in the NHL playoffs (64 goals, 84 assists for 148 points). He played in the Stanley Cup Finals 5 times in those 16 seasons. He is a totally class act that ha...
Looking at the rankings for this coming season, I'm surprised at how lowly ranked the Sabres are by the people who are doing it. I, by no means, believe that the Sabres are a Stanley Cup contender, but I do see a playoff team in the current roster. This team has the potential to finish anywhere as high as the 6th seed and is 100% capable of winning a playoff round.
By t...
As you continue to prepare your draft list, take some time and scour the stats sheets for players on the rise. The trends indicate that these players are getting better every year and should continue to climb in 2009. If you draft purely on last year's stats, you'll probably undervalue many of these players.
[u]Offense[/u]
[b]Nik Antropov[/b] - Atlanta just may be...
Today I am going to write a general hockey blog avoiding the DP talks, Tavares interests, and disappointing predictions that many have for the Islanders next season. Instead I'm going to write about what I was just doing on my laptop, and it's something I frequently find myself doing when I'm bored. Or when it's the school year, I usually do this when I have to write a pap...
Here are the top 10 goalies you should target for your fantasy hockey draft, and why:
[b]1. Luongo [/b]
Luongo has ousted Brodeur as the can't miss goalie come draft day. Although injuries limited his value last season, his second half performance demonstrated why he's the definition of money when it comes to goalies. Don't hesitate to draft him in the top 5 picks.
...
Here are the top 10 defensemen you should target for your fantasy hockey draft, and why:
[b]1. Mike Green[/b]
Worthy of the #1 overall pick, if your league places any significant value on defensemen. He's a lock in for the top blueliner in 2009, as he has been for the past 2 seasons.
[b]2. Sergei Gonchar[/b]
Say what you must about about Crosby and Malkin, but the ...
When it comes to drafting a fantasy hockey team, there is no greater joy than the moment you call a name and hear 3 other GM's groan, "I forgot about that guy!". These players will be overlooked by your average GM for a plethora of reasons. Mostly, because they're not as smart as you. Some of these guys had below average seasons last year, due to injury, etc. Others are t...
Yahoo finally opened up fantasy hockey season today, so I'm sure many of you will be signing up shortly to get in on the action. After all, draft time is the most exciting time of the year for fantasy hockey fanatics. There are a variety of formats out there from Yahoo and others. But which one is best? I've been managing a fantasy hockey league for 18 years now, and w...
When it comes time in your fantasy hockey draft to select a goalie, one critical thing to be wary of is goalies sharing time in net. You might be drafting a stud with a 2.1 GAA, but if he only gets 50 starts, it's going to hurt you in the long run. So here a handful of teams that have a cloudy picture between the pipes, and what it should mean for you at the draft table....
I will admit it; I don’t know about most of you but I am a fantasy addict. I play fantasy baseball, football and especially hockey. In fact, this year I have joined 3 leagues, two of which are keeper leagues. This will be my first foray into a keeper hockey league so I am looking forward to it. In one of the keeper leagues, the league manager paired up all of the teams a...
Anaheim
-MVP: Ryan Getzlaf
-Key New Face: Saku Koivu
-Sleeper: Andrew Ebbett
-Super Sleeper: Luca Sbisa
Atlanta
-MVP: Ilya Kovalchuk
-Key New Face: Nik Antropov
-Sleeper: Anssi Salmela
-Super Sleeper: Jason Krog
Boston
-MVP: Zdeno Chara
-Key New Face: Marco Sturm (back from injury)
-Sleeper: Matt Hunwick
-Super Sleeper: Vladimir Sobotka
Buf...
In the fantasy hotspot, we evaluate players who are experiencing a boost in production (or potential production), due solely to the linemates that have landed with. At least for the short term, it's worth picking up one of these guys and riding the wave that comes with being paired up with top talent, or with added power play time. Here are a few players going into the s...
When it comes to draft time for your fantasy hockey season, there are certain players that require you to look beyond the numbers. For one reason or another, you ought to tread carefully with this list. Whether it's off-ice troubles or uncertain roles within a team, be careful to not put too much faith in this crew.
[u]Offense[/u]
[b]Jonathan Cheechoo[/b] - After s...
That time is here. Face off is almost 48 hours away between the Habs and the Sabres. What awaits for the loyal fans of Buffalo this season?
After looking through what happened in the off-season, I feel that Buffalo is yet again, not prepared or ready for the season to start. Looking at the final roster, I don't feel this team is any better than the team last year. There...
WarHero writes...
Game Day: Montreal - vs - Buffalo - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Here we go folks, hope you enjoy the blog! Let's see how the Markov-less Habs will fair. Roman Hamrlik returns to the line-up tonight. Dags sits, Stewart is in.
1st Period:
19:29 - Gomez with a chance, Miller stands tall!
18:45 - Offside Montreal
17:25 - Montreal Penalty - Metropolit - Hooking
17:20 - Buffalo Goal - Tim Connoly - Rivet & Roy
14:55 - Both sid...
Welcome to week 2 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (10/12 through 10/18).
[u]Week 1 Review[/u]
Week 1 was all about the Washington Capitals, with the top 4 scoring leaders coming from D.C. Of those, only Brooks Laich can be considered surprising. Most likely, he's already been nabbed in your league. What's more surpris...
The Sabres behind Ryan Miller's 25 saves shutdown the Preds 1 to 0. Rinne on the other end made 41 out of 42 saves, but gave up his only goal with a little over 3 minutes remaining in the 3rd on a rebound goal by Grier.
Notabales from the game:
No Offense (D) - Every line really didn't produce many scoring chances. Just overall a bad night offensively. Erat with ...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091011/thumb.bed21253d478472186ec7ad266d65949.sabres_predators_hockey_tnmh121.jpg[/img]
Buffalo has began their season by scoring four goals in the first three games of the season. For most teams, this would be a huge problem. The Sabres managed to escape with five out of a possible six points to start the year.
Buffalo's real test wil...
The rate of injuries to significant fantasy hockey players seems to be pretty high this season compared to most years. Many key names have gone down, some of which will be out for a significant stretch of time. This can wreck a fantasy hockey team, particularly if you own several of these players in your lineup. Here's a look at the key injuries so far, and what it mean...
[img]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20070420/sabres_77895.jpg[/img]
The day Buffalo wins the Stanley Cup.....will shock the hockey world.
The loyal fans of Buffalo have been waiting, and still are, for the Sabres to win their first Stanley Cup. It has been almost 40 years, and the team has yet to win it all.
They have come close a few times over the years:
...
It's finally happened. The Sabres have scored more than the Buffalo Bills in a single 60 minute game. The scary thing is, the Sabres are still playing.
Unfortunately, I was unable to actually sit down and watch the Sabres play up until tonight. Aren't weddings wonderful? I saw bits and pieces of the Coyotes game. Other than that, I haven't been able to see a game.
T...
And no, I'm not talking about the amount of work they will have to do IF the Lighthouse Project ever passes.
The Islanders had a typical let down Saturday, scoring three goals in a solid 50 minutes of hockey to watch it fade away in the final 10, losing in the shootout to a team they had all but beaten in regulation.
Monday they had a chance to make up for it with a...
Welcome to week 3 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (10/19 through 10/25).
[u]Week 2 Review[/u]
A few surprising starts seem to be continuing in the West as Colorado and Phoenix haven't slowed down a bit in week 2. The entire Pacific division seems to be upside down from top to bottom, with the Coyotes and Kings on top an...
[img]http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Buffalo+Sabres+v+Philadelphia+Flyers+JuXj3BdrXvTm.jpg[/img]
[i][u]Question[/u][/i]: Should Ryan Miller have played for the Sabres last night in Atlanta?
That question is on everyone's mind after a 4-2 loss against the Thrashers Saturday night at the HSBC. While it's important for Miller to get his rest, and for backup goaltende...
Finally this season, I was able to get to a Buffalo Sabres game. What's even more incredible is that I talked my girlfriend into going to two games, back to back. I'm not sure she liked me taking notes on my cell phone. SO, here is a recap of two very different games played at HSBC arena this weekend.
New York Islanders, 10/16/2009
This was a great effort by the Buff...
Here's a new look:
Canadian franchises are in danger, not because they aren't drawing enough crowds or making enough money. No, Canadian franchises are in danger because the game as a whole is struggling.
When 80% of the league is based in either a non-hockey market (boy have we heard that phrase a lot this summer) or in a struggling economy (sorry neighbors to the s...
As I fought the stomach bug that has been traveling through, I wasn't able to comment immediately on Paille's trade. Now that I bring up his trade, my gut is starting to gurgle again.
I find this trade rather surprising. Now, I'll be the first to admit that Dan Paille has been a minor disappointment for a first round draft pick. However, Darcy Regier's explanation of ha...
Welcome to week of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (10/26through 11/2).
[u]Week 4 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 5 Games:[/b] NY Islanders, Phoenix
[b]Teams with 4 Games:[/b] Colorado, Edmonton, Minnesota, Montreal, NY Rangers, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington
[b]Teams with 2 Games:[/b] Atlanta, Calgary
Despite decent start...
As I sat down last night thinking that I would mainly be watching baseball. I was surprised to find out that the ALCS game was rained out, and I'd have to wait another night. This meant, bring on the Sabres. However, the Sabres game was a little scary.
I noticed numerous things against Tampa. I'm amazed I have made it this far without saying this, I was disconcerted wit...
After 8 games of NHL play, the question surrounding Tyler Myers' future with the Sabres this season needs to be decided after the next contest with New Jersey. I will admit that, in the beginning of the season, I believed that the best thing for Myers' growth would be to have a test run with the Sabres until his time limit expired and then to rejoin his junior team in Kelo...
Almost two weeks ago, I was at Galleria Mall with my girlfriend, killing time before the Buffalo Sabres game. As I stood looking at something in a store, I heard a voice behind me saying "There must be a Sabres game tonight." I replied that there was. "I know," she stated, "I see a lot of Sabres jerseys.
What that young woman may not have understood, is that it didn't n...
Welcome to week of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (11/3 through 11/8).
[u]Week 5 Matchups[/u]
Teams with 4 Games: Atlanta
Teams with 2 Games: Chicago, Edmonton, LA, Minnesota, Nashville, Ottawa, Philadelphia
It's a well balanced lineup on the schedule next week, with every team but one having 2 or 3 games. Altanta is...
I sat down Friday night to watch the Sabres pound Toronto. On paper, it looked very simple. Buffalo, vs Toronto. Buffalo should have run away with this one before it began. Surprise, it didn't happen.
Buffalo had fairly good pressure all night long. However, Gustavsson was impressive, but Buffalo couldn't put it home. Numerous attempts failed, and the evening culminated...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091105/capt.9b3a594a46c74bba91f2a9b29324310b.islanders_sabres_hockey_nydh108.jpg[/img]
Miller vs. Marty: Round 2
Ryan Miller and Martin Biron faced each other this past Saturday, with Biron getting a 38 save shutout. At the other end, Miller was pulled midway through the game and sat on the bench watching the rest. The Islanders beat b...
[img]http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/v/nhl/teams/1/50x50w/buf_2.jpg[/img]
The Sabres shutout the Islanders last night 3-0, avenging their 5-0 loss at the Island Saturday night.
My partner Kevin already gave a recap of the last night's game, but here are some quick thoughts on the game, and some insight on a few key players:
[b]Thomas Vanek: "On Switch" Has Been Flipp...
With one of the greatest sets of players ever to enter the Hall of Fame last night, it seems like an appropriate time to look ahead at what is to come for the Hall. Recent retirees like Sakic, Sundin (and possibly Roenick) are pretty much a lock when their wait period ends, but what about current NHL players? Which players have already earned their spots and which ones a...
Welcome to week 7 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (11/16 through 11/22).
[u]Week 7 Matchups[/u]
Teams with 4 Games: Florida, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa Bay
Teams with 2 Games: Minnesota, NY Rangers, Vancouver
This is the week to ride the Coyotes. Phoenix has 4 games, including matchups with Tampa Bay, Minnesota, a...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091114/capt.36df281e5b144d3fbca20df904c74148.flames_sabres_hockey_nyd101.jpg[/img]
Calgary (11-4-1) vs. Buffalo (10-4-1)
What more could you ask for in this game? It's too bad these teams only meet once a season.
It was as advertised. These two teams played extremely well, making this game have the feel of a playoff atmosphere.
T...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091119/capt.c966f6e06a1e4aa783d698acfbb82b8b.panthers_sabres_hockey_nydh103.jpg[/img]
Buffalo (12-4-1) vs. Florida (7-9-2)
The score did not resemble the game at all. For about 50 minutes, it was a one goal game. Here is how it happened:
Drew Stafford scored the first goal of the game late in the first period, his sixth of the seaso...
Welcome to week 8 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (11/23 through 11/29).
[u]Week 8 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 Games[/b]: Anaheim, Boston, Carolina, Calgary, Columbus, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Nashville, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis
[b]Teams with 2 Games[/b]: LA, Montreal, New Jerse...
Of late I have tried posting blogs that discuss more than just Ranger game recaps and previews. The reason for this is obvious; Jan Levine already does such a great job doing that and most of us watch the games anyhow so what’s the point in me writing up another game analysis. It’s especially tough, when the team is losing, to rehash what went wrong or what needs to be...
With the recent struggles of the Toronto Maple Leafs, many fans are wondering what is happening to this once proud franchise. Leafs’ fans often claim to be the most faithful fans in the sport, and while this may be true, is it really what the team needs? Fans are present at every game; no matter what city the team is playing in there will often be at least on fan in at...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091121/capt.492a4d93e711443fa9a94c69b22f47d1.islanders_wild_hockey_mnjm102.jpg[/img]
Becoming an NHL goaltender is hard enough. Becoming an elite starting goaltender is even
more challenging.
However, there are always backups. Every team has them, but they don't necessarily prefer to use them. A starting goaltender is expected to m...
Welcome to week 9 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (11/30 through 12/6).
[u]Week 8 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 Games[/b]: Anaheim, Columbus, Colorado, Detroit, Florida, Nashville, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto
[b]Teams with 2 Games[/b]: Carolina, Edmonton, NY Islanders, Philadelphia, Phoenix
Not a good week to be starti...
[img]http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikelynaugh/3092328453/[/img]
Buffalo 4, Philadelphia 2
If these two teams were to meet in the playoffs, what a series that would be.
This was arguably the most entertaining game of the season for the Buffalo Sabres. Maybe that is exactly what they need to get back to winning ways.
After an 8-1-1 start, Buffalo has lost four in...
With the latest Maple Leafs' loss the same question remains regarding the status of several players on the roster. Brian Burke promised changes, and while the roster has seen a major overhaul, and the future does look brighter, one has to still find themselves asking if this is where the changes should end for this season. The Leafs have managed to crawl out of last plac...
This blog will basically break down a bunch of numbers associated with Shawn Horcoff since the lock-out, and look at comparable players/contracts.
[u][b]Horcoff since the lockout:[/b][/u]
09/10: 11P/23GP =0.48P/GP Playing injured, now w/o Hemsky
08/09: 53P/80GP =0.66P/GP Roughly 0.7
07/08: 50P/53GP =0.94P/GP Roughly 1
06/07: 51P/80GP =0.64P/GP Roughly 0.7
05/06: 73...
[img]http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/games/2009120302/photos;_ylt=AuJkKj5f3yUg4dTobrl0tfcrvLYF?slug=94373a5b92ce47f78db507ba81d52809.canadiens_sabres_hockey_nydh108&prov=ap#photoViewer=urn%3Anewsml%3Asports.yahoo%2Cap%3A20050301%3Anhl%2Cphoto%2C98e7aa55f32a4134908e1e6adfa900c4.canadiens_sabres_hockey_nydh106%3A1[/img]
Buffalo (15-7-2) vs. Montreal (12-13-2)
It did...
Welcome to week 10 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (12/7 through 12/13).
[url]Week 10 Matchups[/url]
[b]Teams with 4 Games:[/b] Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Calgary, Colorado, Florida, LA, Minnesota, Montreal, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Washington
[b]Teams with 2 Games[/b]: Boston, NY Rangers
The Av...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091201/capt.b69d37411aab4325a67bcc5009d5bbe4.bruins_savard_hockey_ny178.jpg[/img]
The Boston Bruins signed Marc Savard to a seven year extension worth just over 28 million. There are many reasons why this is an amazing deal for Boston.
First off, Savard is 32. They signed him through the 2016-2017 season, when Savard will then be 39 ...
Buffalo (16-8-2) vs. New Jersey (19-7-1)
[img]http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/12/26/PH2006122601149.jpg[/img]
Perhaps the goaltender matchup we will see in the Olympics.
Ryan Miller vs. Martin Brodeur
Buffalo had a chance to move back into first place in the division with a win.
Not tonight. The Devils were all over the Sabres. Buffa...
Buffalo (16-9-2) vs. Washington (19-5-6)
It looked like a no-brainer. The caps were easily the favored team against the Sabres. With Buffalo scoring one goal in their past two games, Washington looked like the best bet in this one.
The Capitals came into the game first in points, goals, and power play percentage.
Wednesday night, Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres...
Backup goaltender Patrick Lalime was on top of his game as he led the Sabres to a 2-1 win over Brian "Soupy" Campbell and the Blackhawks
Buffalo (17-9-2) vs. Chicago (19-7-3)
Chicago enters the night 5-0-1 against Eastern Conference opponents this season. Friday marked only the second time in seven years the Blackhawks have visited Buffalo. It was also the first time...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091215/i/r814805491.jpg[/img]
Buffalo (19-9-2) vs. Montreal (15-15-3)
The Sabres have not played well in the Bell Centre. Ryan Miller has not won there in four starts. Buffalo disregarded those stats and came in and beat the Canadiens.
The game resembled a style similar to the Sabres' 2006-2007 season. It was an offensive game, ev...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091217/i/r822088240.jpg[/img]
Buffalo (20-9-2) vs. Ottawa (16-12-4)
Since the 2005-2006 season, the Senators have dominated the Sabres, winning 21 of 31.
On Wednesday night, it remained that way.
After the first period the Senators were only up 1-0. I say ONLY because of Ryan Miller. The game could have easily been out of reach f...
Welcome to week 12 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (12/21 through 12/27).
[u]Week 12 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 Games[/b]: Buffalo, Chicago, NY Isles, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Toronto
[b]Teams with 2 Games[/b]: Calgary, Detroit, NJ, Washington
[b]Teams with 1 Game[/b]: LA
L.A. is enjoying a nice Christmas break ...
Buffalo (21-10-2) vs. Pittsburgh (24-10-1)
Another big challenge for Buffalo arrived on Saturday night. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins were in town to try and defeat the Sabres. Pittsburgh had Friday night off, while the Sabres were busy beating Toronto. Thomas Vanek was unable to play due to an upper body injury. However, Patrick Kaleta was back in the lineup for the f...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091224/i/r95991619.jpg[/img]
Buffalo (22-10-3) vs. Washington (22-8-6)
The Sabres are coming off of a overtime win in Toronto, in which the team played without Thomas Vanek and Patrick Kaleta. The Capitals have not played since Saturday, when they scored four times in the third to defeat Edmonton.
The Capitals have 130 goals score...
Wow, it's been a loooooooong time since I last had the time to sit down and write one of these. Unfortunately it will be extremely brief...
For a lot of hockey fans, Boxing Day through the New Year holiday is considered sacred, especially for Canadians. It's the most magical time of year when the best of the best from around the world come together to fight for World Ju...
Ottawa (18-15-4) at Buffalo (22-11-3)
The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 5-3 win for Ottawa back on November 21st. However, several Sabres were suffering from food poisoning that night. A few nights later, when the Minnesota Wild came to visit, their players found that their equipment was set on fire. The Senators have won six straight games against ...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091228/capt.16fb2ef16d5f44d7af63e2ec402fdc41.sabres_blues_hockey_motg101.jpg[/img]
Sabres (22-11-4) at Blues (17-15-5)
Sunday marked the only meeting between these two teams. Buffalo edged out a 4-3 victory in their lone meeting last year. The Sabres are coming off of a overtime loss against Ottawa while the Blues beat Minnesota on Sat...
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=media%2Fapphoto%2F16fb2ef1-6d5f-44d7-af63-e2ec402fdc41.jpg&w=512&h=407[/img]
Home sweet home for the Blues....or anything like it. The Blues-Sabres game tonight went like a classic home game for the Blues. They battle for about two periods, take a lead and tease the hometown fans....then completely fall apart by game's end. While...
Welcome to week 13 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (12/28 through 1/3).
[url]Week 13 Matchups[/url]
Teams with 4 games: Anaheim, Atlanta, Calgary, Chicago, Columbus, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, New Jersey, Ottawa, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Jose
Teams with 2 games: Florida, Toronto
Not a strong week to ...
Pittsburgh (26-12-1) at Buffalo (23-11-4)
The Sabres entered tonight's game trailing the Penguins by three points in the Eastern Conference. Buffalo is coming off of a big win in St. Louis where Patrick Lalime earned a 5-3 win for Buffalo. Pittsburgh is coming off of a tough loss against Toronto. The Penguins tied the game late in the third, but Ian White scored with ju...
#36 Patrick Kaleta
He is known as one of the biggests agitator's in the NHL. He was drafted by the Sabres in the 6th round (176th overall) in 2004. The Buffalo native is becoming known for his hits on opponents. In Buffalo, the company "Carubba Collision" sponsors the hit of the game: they have for years. Due to Kaleta's physical play and since he has the hit of the gam...
Buffalo (25-11-4) at Montreal (21-19-3)
The Canadiens hosted the Sabres for the fourth matchup between the teams this season. Entering the game, Buffalo led the series with a 2-0-1 advantage, outscoring Montreal 11-7.
The Sabres were coming off of back-to-back games in which they have overcome three goal deficits. They came in on a three game winning streak as they h...
Welcome to week 14 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (1/4 through 1/10).
[u]Week 14 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Anaheim, Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Toronto
[b]Teams with 2 games:[/b] Edmonton
Although 3 of their 4 games this week are on the road, the Flames have the mo...
Buffalo (26-11-4) vs. Tampa Bay (16-15-10)
The Sabres began a three game homestand tonight, beginning with Tampa Bay. These teams have met once before this season, with Buffalo edging out the Lightning in overtime for the victory.
Buffalo struck the Lightning with a fast start to open the game. Lindy Ruff has been on the Sabres to try an play better in the first peri...
Toronto (15-20-9) at Buffalo (27-11-4)
Buffalo had a chance to extend their five game winning streak on Friday with a win against Toronto. The Sabres were also also looking to beat the Maple Leafs for the tenth straight time. Buffalo has outscored the Leafs 15-6 in the four games played this season.
Everything looked to be in favor the Sabres for Friday's game. It is...
Ok, so I was going to write a blog about the debate over trading and keeping Thomas Kaberle...but after last nights game against Buffalo, something had to be written.
When you outshoot your opponent 50-31 you should really put a few pucks in the net...however when the other goalie is Ryan Miller that number drops quite drastically...especially since he comes out of nowh...
Buffalo (28-11-4) vs. Colorado (24-15-6)
The Sabres enter the night with a perfect 7-0 record against the Western Conference. Buffalo is looking to extend their current win streak of six games while Tim Connolly hopes to extend his eight game point streak.
Patrick Lalime starts between the pipes for Buffalo, allowing Ryan Miller to rest after making 48 saves last nig...
Welcome to week 14 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (1/11 through 1/17).
[u]Week 15 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Calgary, Detroit, Minnesota, NY Rangers, Pittsburgh, Washington
[b]Teams with 2 games:[/b] Buffalo, Colorado, NY Isles
The Rangers get the prize for most favorable schedule this week, with thre...
Buffalo (28-11-5) at Atlanta (20-19-6)
Tonight, Buffalo began a seven game road trip that will last two weeks, beginning in Atlanta. The Sabres have struggled against the Thrashers lately, but did defeat them 4-3, despite being down 3-0 on January 1st.
Atlanta is 12-3-3 all time against the Sabres at home, so Buffalo had to bring their best if they wanted to win the ...
Welcome to week 16 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (1/18 through 1/24).
[u]Week 16 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Florida, New Jersey, NY Isles, Ottawa, Philadelphia, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Toronto
[b]Teams with 2 games:[/b] Calgary
It's a pretty full ...
Buffalo (29-11-5) at Islanders (20-19-8)
With a 7-1-2 record, the Sabres headed onto Long Island looking to win their second of seventh game on the road trip. The Islanders came in having won their last two, including a convincing 6-0 win over Detroit.
Rick DiPietro started in net for the first time in over a year at Nassau Coliseum. There no surprise seeing Ryan Mil...
Sabres Take First Place In Eastern Conference
Buffalo (29-11-6) at Phoenix (28-16-5)
With the New Jersey Devils loss, Buffalo had a chance to take over first place in the Eastern Conference. Phoenix and Buffalo met once earlier this season back in the beginning of the season, with the Sabres winning 2-1. The Sabres come in with 7-0-1 record against the Western Confe...
Recent injuries can either wreck your fantasy hockey team's season, or provide an opportunity for you to cash in on another's misfortune. Here is what you need to react to some of the biggest IR news in the NHL:
[b]Teemu Selanne (F - ANA)[/b]
With Selanne being out of NHL action until after the Olympics, many owners will be tempted to dump him (if they haven't already...
Buffalo (30-11-6) at Anaheim (22-20-7)
Buffalo comes close after trailing by four, but cannot complete comeback
Buffalo had the opportunity to regain 1st place in the Eastern Conference. Washington won their game earlier against Detroit. They were down 2-1 in the third but rallied to win. The Sabres needed two points to jump back into first place.
Patrick Lalime rec...
Buffalo (30-12-6) at Los Angeles (27-19-3)
The Sabres and Kings met for the only time this season. Last time they met, Ryan Miller shutout Los Angeles in a 5-0 win.
The Sabres almost made quite a comeback in their last game against Anaheim. Buffalo quickly fell behind 4-0 in the first period with Patrick Lalime in net. The Sabres came out in the second, narrowing the...
Welcome to week 17 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (1/24 through 1/31).
[u]Week 17 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Calgary, Detroit, LA, New Jersey, NY Isles, NY Rangers, Phoenix, St. Louis, Washington
[b]Teams with 2 games: [/b] Boston, Philadelphia, San Jose
Look for the Capitals to have a big week, not th...
Buffalo (30-12-7) at San Jose (34-10-8)
The last time these two teams met was on February 13th, when flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Even though the NHL offered to postpone the game, the Sabres chose to play.
Buffalo went out to a four goal lead, only to see San Jose come back and score five goals. Jason Pominville tied the game up wit...
Buffalo had an amazing pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft when they chose 6 foot 8 inches Tyler Myers. The 19 year old rookie made an impression the moment he started playing for the Sabres.
Buffalo traded up one spot with the L.A. Kings in order to get Myers. They wanted him on the team badly. If they hadn't trade, there is a good chance he would not be on the Buffalo Sa...
Buffalo (30-13-7) at Vancouver (31-18-2)
The seven game road trip came to an end tonight for Buffalo. Buffalo needed to defeat Vancouver in order to win the trip. This was the only meeting between these two teams this year.
Buffalo won the only meeting last year by a score of 5-2. The Sabres had to face another Olympic goaltender in Roberto Luongo on Monday night. ...
hplayer11389 writes...
Prognosis After the Road Trip: It's Not as Bad as You Think
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
All I hear in Buffalo is, "Why do the Sabres keep losing?" The answer, folks, is not because of poor play. Sure, coming home after the team's lengthiest road trip of the season every fan, including myself, would like to have come out with more than 6 of a possible 14 points, but when you look hard at the trip, specifically the tail end, it's really not as bad as the record...
Welcome to week 18 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (2/1 through 2/7).
[u]Week 18 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Washington
[b]Teams with 2 games:[/b] NY Isles
The Islanders have cooled off a bit on the fantasy front over the past week. Don't expect g...
Buffalo hosted the Bruins looking for its second win in a row. Boston will have Marc Savard back in the lineup, which is a big relief for the Bruins. Without Savard, the team went 1-6-1 and only scored 13 goals.
Boston has won the first two meetings between these teams, but trail Buffalo by 15 points. Despite being 11th in the conference, Boston can jump all the way up ...
1/20/10
Hello Sabre Nation, this is a guide for our trade deadline possibilities. I will do this blog for potential forwards only. Many are very similar, but here are some minor descriptions of their game. Thanks for viewing and I hope you enjoy.
It is more than likely the Buffalo Sabres will look to improve their roster at the trade deadline on March 3rd or bef...
After back to back wins at home, the Sabres headed into Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins for the third time this year. The teams have split the first two meetings of the season, both with one goal wins.
For a while, it looked as if the Sabres had a chance to take first place in the Conference. With the Capitals winning ten in a row, the Sabres are nine points out of t...
As we approach the Olympic break, it's time to start making those last minute tweaks to your fantasy hockey roster to prepare for the playoffs. Often times, one of the toughest decisions facing a GM is letting go of a guy that was drafted high but having a subpar season. Sometimes we'll hang on to him simple because of his name and the foolish hope that surely he has to ...
Welcome to week 19 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (2/8 through 2/14).
[u]Week 19 Matchups[/u][b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Anaheim, Colorado, Edmonton, Nashville, NY Isles, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Vancouver
[b]Teams with 2 games:[/b] Toronto
It's the final week before the long ...
These two teams have only met once so far this season, with three more to go. Buffalo won that meeting 5-1, scoring all their goals in the third period. The Sabres are just 2-5-1 in its last eight games.
Carolina took a 1-0 lead when Aaron Ward scored his first goal of the season. After being outshot 8-4, Buffalo got on the board towards the end of the first. Andrej Sek...
The Sabres were hoping to snap a three game losing streak against Columbus. The last time these teams met was in 2008, when Columbus crushed Buffalo by a 6-1 score.
First place may be out of reach since Washington is on a 13 game winning streak, but the Sabres only trail the Devils by three points for 2nd place. Patrick Lalime is expected to get the start in net tonight...
When I think about life, I often take so many things for granted, including family. Our hearts go out to the Burke family. My heart aches for what they are going through. You know, sometimes when a team does not click, we as fans really seem to get very upset, we seem to forget what is really important in life.
We all got a hard lesson yesterday when the Burkes loss th...
I went into HSBC Arena Friday thinking that the Sabres were going to turn around their bad luck. I mean, they were playing Carolina, tied for last place in the East. In the end, I was surprised, and extremely disappointed.
Early in the week, Buffalo did play some powerful teams in the Penguins and the Senators. Brief periods of lackadaisical play killed them in the end....
As the midway point of the season came and went, the Buffalo Sabres were sitting comfortably atop the Northeast Division. Boston was the closest team team, but still trailed Buffalo by 12 points. Now, the Sabres have hit the biggest road bump of the season.
The west coast trip was just the beginning of the Sabres recent woes. The team has gone 2-8-1 in its last 11 games...
With only two games remaining before the Olympic break and less than 48 hours until the roster freeze, the Rangers have two very important games coming up. After tonight's loss against Nashville, sans Marion Gaborik, the Rangers managed one goal. With that loss the Rangers sit in 11th place, and four points behind the 8th seeded Lightning, who the they will play Sunday aft...
Buffalo got off to a quick start on Thursday night with a goal from Derek Roy. Later in the first, Jochen Hecht scored to give the Sabres a two goal lead. The shot went off of a Carolina player and into the net as Hecht earned his first goal in 11 games. Hecht didn't have any other options, so he shot it from a tough angle and it ended up going in. It's never a bad idea to...
Yes, for fans who were expecting a grand fireworks finale coming off the Olympic high, Trade Deadline Day was a bit of a let down. To the casual fan, not a single trade made yesterday would register more than an "Oh. Is he any good?" However, to the fantasy hockey nut (which I assume you are, since you're reading this), there was plenty of fallout from what did, and wha...
It's been a relatively slow season in terms of significant rookie impact in the fantasy hockey realm this year. The past few seasons have been extraordinary in terms of rookie showings. Consider: Steve Mason and Bobby Ryan in 09. Patrick Kane and Nicklas Backstrom in 08. Malkin and Stastny in 07. And, of course, Ovechkin and Crosby in 06. All of these players were m...
Welcome to week 22 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (3/15 through 3/21).
[u]Week 22 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Calgary, Dallas, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay
[b]Teams with 2 games: [/b] LA, Montr...
Buffalo (36-21-10) at Atlanta (28-29-11)
The Sabres visited the Thrashers Tuesday night as the second game of a current five game road trip. Buffalo was coming off of back to back losses against Minnesota and Detroit.
Just 33 seconds into the game, Nik Antropov put Atlanta in the lead. The Sabres fell behind by a pair of goals in the two games prior to this one, and ...
Are the Sabres even good anymore? I forgot what it has been like to see them as a winning team. They have dropped 16 out of the last 20 games and are close to losing the division lead.
To be in the division lead, they had to be good at some point, right? To lose 16 of 20 and still be in the lead means that they must have done extremely well in the first half of the seas...
Not many people are expecting the Sabres to go far in the playoffs, unless you are quite an optimistic fan. Buffalo’s chances do not look good going up against Washington or Pittsburgh, which is why winning the Northeast Division is a must.
The Sabres have been slumping for a while now, and Ottawa and Montreal are coming closer with each win. Buffalo has lost 16 of it...
Welcome to week 23 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (3/22through 3/28). Only three weeks left to go in the regular season, so not much time for those final roster tweaks.
[u]Week 23 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Calgary, Columbus, Detroit, Montreal, New Jersey, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Toront...
This is the final meeting between these two teams for the regular season. The Hurricanes have won two of the first three, despite being towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Tim Connolly began the scoring with a power play goal to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead. Buffalo played a solid first period, only allowing six shots on goal.
In the second period, Jochen Hec...
If you had to choose between Miller or Hasek, which one would you want on your team? Let's say both goalies came into the league at the same time, which one would you sign?
As a 21-year-old I don't remember watching Hasek as much as Miller, but I do recall "The Dominator" being an elite goaltender. The 1999 Stanley Cup Finals was when I really watched him excel, but we'...
So I spent about 4 hours today (seriously) obsessing over the playoffs and clinching scenarios, etc. and thought it would be an even worse waste of time if I didn't post a summary of my conclusions.
Here's the dealio, Sabres are at 88 points with 11 games left and can possibly achieve 110 points with a clean sweep of the rest of the season.
Ottawa, 81 points, 9 games ...
HerbyIsGood writes...
Sabres steal win with ingenious rope-a-dope technique.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens came out with guns a blazing tonight, unfortunately for them NHL games are 60 minutes long. The Sabres didn't look too bad in the first, but had trouble getting pucks to the net. Montreal on the other hand scored just 41 seconds into the game, as Kostitsyn managed to flick the puck over Miller's right pad off of a pass from Plekanec.
The Sabre...
Here's your Fantasy Hockey Feed for today…
4 Stars
#1 - Marian Gaborik (F - NYR) - Gaborik came up huge with 2 goals and an assist, leading the Rangers to a much needed 5-0 victory over the Islanders.
#2 - Valtteri Filppula (F - DET) - The Redwings are fighting for the final spot out West, and Filppula's performance last night granted the team 2 more points in th...
Many fans will remember this game for a long time. This wasn’t just an ordinary game. The Sabres were in the mix of one of their best regular season performances of all time, a year in which they would win the Presidents Trophy.
The Senators and Sabres have always had a rivalry, but this game was nastier than usual. Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson, two Sabre killer...
Wednesday night’s game against Montreal was the perfect of example of a time when fans should not leave a hockey game early. If the Chris Drury goal with 7.7 seconds left to go against the Rangers in the playoffs taught Buffalo fans anything, it was just that.
Though, how many empty seats were there as the clock began to run down? Just how many people got up to leave ...
Buffalo's physical play was active in the first period. Matt Ellis, Thomas Vanek, and Patrick Kaleta were all throwing their bodies around. When challenged by Zack Smith, Kaleta dropped the gloves and took care of his opponent.
It was a good way to get the crowd into the game, but the Senators received a lucky bounce past Miller. Ottawa got on the board first after a sh...
Welcome to week 24 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (3/29 through 4/4). Only 2 weeks left to go in the regular season, so not much time for those final roster tweaks.
[u]Week 24 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games[/b]: Anaheim, Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, LA, Minnesota, Nashvill...
Grier was drafted by the St.Louis blues in the ninth round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Although he was drafted, he wasn’t expected to make that team. It was a long shot for him to do so. While playing at Boston University, Grier’s rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers, giving him an opportunity to play at the NHL level.
Once he completed college, Grier became a...
The Sabres came into Boston coming off of a 7-1 victory over Tampa Bay two nights before. The Sabres were without Thomas Vanek, Tim Connolly, Raffi Torres, and Patrick Kaleta.
Head Coach Lindy Ruff wasn't worried a bit about the team. He had confidence in the players that were recalled from Portland.
Nathan Gerbe, Tyler Ennis, and Mark Mancari all be replaced the inj...
When the Ottawa Senators were ahead of the Buffalo Sabres going into the Olympic break, everyone was very upset. After two straight losses to Pittsburgh and Washington along with a somewhat, disappointing trade deadline people started to panic. Questions like, “Is Raffi Torres enough for what this team needs? Is the defense falling apart? Are Pominville and Roy still ...
Here is your final edition of the Fantasy Planner for this year's regular season, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (4/4 through 4/11). If you made it this far, that means you're in the finals and may have room for one last tweak to that roster.
[u]Week 25 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Colorado, Edmo...
The Sabres currently sit third in the Eastern Conference, although they are not far behind New Jersey for second, who they trail by just a point. Buffalo is well on its way to the playoffs, but some people don’t expect them to go very far.
Is there room for improvement on the Sabres team? Normally, a team that finishes third in the Conference would seem to be a good b...
When the Ottawa Senators were ahead of the Buffalo Sabres going into the Olympic break, everyone was very upset. After two straight losses to Pittsburgh and Washington along with a somewhat, disappointing trade deadline people started to panic. Questions like, “Is Raffi Torres enough for what this team needs? Is the defense falling apart? Are Pominville and Roy still ...
The stage was set and everything was in place Tuesday night for the Sabres to clinch the Northeast Division. Buffalo had taken two out of the first three meetings this season, but the Rangers were expected to be desperate for points.
Buffalo gave New York a severe blow by defeating them 5-2, making it look easy. The Rangers tied the game at two, but that was all they co...
Buffalo headed to Boston Thursday night to take on the Bruins, who have won three out of the five meetings coming in. Each team gained six points in those five games.
The Sabres were coming off of a 5-2 in which they clinched the Northeast Division. The Bruins came into Thursday with a one point lead over the Rangers for eighth place.
The Sabres have had a rough time...
Sabres Leave Ottawa With Two Points
This was the final meeting of the season between these teams, and Ottawa has won the first five. Ever since the brawl back in 2007, the Senators have had the Sabres number.
Buffalo is fighting for the second spot in the Conference, so a win tonight was important. These two teams could also meet in the second or third round of the p...
The Sabres have passed the 100 point threshold, and that is truly a remarkable accomplishment. I've ragged on this team all season long. I, more than anyone else, have been very critical of this Sabres squad. Yet, I'll be the first to admit that I'm truly impressed at what this team has done.
They're bringing playoff hockey back to Buffalo after all these years. Finally...
[u][i][b]HEY, IT'S YOU KNOW WHO!!! JUST TRYING OUT THIS BLOG THING SINCE I'VE BEEN GONE FOR A WHILE!!! FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, ALL MY ACCOUNTS EITHER NEED A NEW CELL PHONE NUMBER OR HAVE BEEN BANNED TIL 2012!!! IT JUST SEEMS THAT A CERTAIN MASKED "ANONYMOUS" BLOGGER AND HIS CRONIES CAN'T HANDLE MY TRUTH SPEAKING!!! I CAN'T SAY IF I WILL BE BACK BEFORE MY BANS ARE UP...
The playoffs are about to start, but it is never too early to look ahead to next year, especially depending on what happens in the playoffs, so here's my take on what to do with the Sabres roster next season.
[b]NOTE:[/b] [i]There will be no speculation of trades in this post, just salary figures on who is committed to contracts and assumptions of what some Free Agent r...
The Sabres made it look easy Friday against as they defeated the Bruins 4-1 at HSBC Arena. The crowd was electrifying the entire time and chants of “tuuuuuuuuka” emerged quickly after Rask allowed a goal on the first shot.
Unlike the other games in this series, the Sabres didn’t let up. They added another in the first period, then one more in the second. A late ra...
Entering the 2010 NHL Playoffs, the Buffalo Sabres had every reason for confidence heading into their quarterfinal matchup with the Boston Bruins. After all, the Sabres had a very successful season winning the Northeast division easily by sixteen points, nineteen more than the Bruins.
The Bruins, who only secured a spot in the playoffs the last week of the season, were...
Many fans were already hoping that Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff would not return next season due to the first round loss against the Bruins.
As almost every Sabres fan knows, Ruff is the longest tenured coach in the NHL, beginning his coaching career with Buffalo back in 1997. I don’t understand why so many people want him out of the Sabres’ front office.
The Sabr...
After a dissappointing finish in the first round, it is apparent that the culture of our team needs a bit of a shake. I think we have a very skilled team, but there are quite a few changes that need to be made. Mostly we need more players that will be more accountable and play a leadership role. We have a team of boys but we need a team of men. In making this blog, I t...
There’s always next year. The infamous phrase heard around Buffalo has been said again this year after the Sabres were knocked out in the first round to end the season.
Fans in Buffalo were disappointed again after what looked like a promising season. The Sabres made the playoffs for the first time since winning the President’s Trophy in 2007, but were then bounced ...
There is no doubt that we are looking at a serious turnover in the stars in the NHL. In the past several seasons, we have witnessed some of the all time greatest players ever to lace up the skates call it quits. Two of the last three years have featured incredible Hall of Fame induction classes welcomed in Toronto. The 2004 class was inducted in 07 with the likes of Ron...
Deal with Buffalo ? - Doubtful. Other than Kassian and Luke, their players and prospects don't really fit the Burke mold. Pick # 23 might be affordable and interesting - especially if it comes with one of the previously mentioned prospects, in a Kaberle deal, but I expect Buffalo will want to shed some salary in a deal, and THAT might kill any offer to Toronto.
Deal wi...
With numerous talented free agents hitting the market this Summer, expect the Buffalo Sabres to be involved. While they may not have done much in the past, this year should be different.
Buffalo will see many changes over the next few years, and this upcoming season is just a start. Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier are likely on their way out in the next season or two. Not o...
In three years from now, the Buffalo Sabres will be a completely different team, but that could be said about any team. The Sabres have a big couple of years ahead of them that will prove whether or not they will be a contender come playoff time.
The management will likely change soon, which may not be a bad thing. Lindy Ruff had and will face criticism regardless of wh...
My name is Landon Ewaniuk, I'm a disabled young man, I live for watching hockey. I'm not the greatest writer in the world, but a few months back I started my own site: [url]www.hockeyfanland.com [/url] Please stop by! My goal is to connect and talk hockey with the games great fans!!
The NHL and the Buffalo Sabres have officially released their schedules for the upcoming 2010-2011 season. The Sabres will begin its campaign on Friday, October 8 in Ottawa. Buffalo will then return home the next night to host the New York Rangers.
The Sabres longest home stand of the season will take place in February. Buffalo will host six teams in ten days, including...
What a letdown! I am not talking about the result of the finals. I go through this every summer. From October through early June we are conditioned to watch hockey. Almost a game every day and then once we are seriously hooked they start the playoffs and the games get better! Then we get to witness the ultimate an OT goal to win the Cup and the next day we must quit �...
It’s been a few years since General manager Darcy Regier has made a significant move to improve the Sabres. The offseason has just started, and I am already tired of waiting for Regier to do something. It’s just not going to happen.
There were plenty of positive thoughts and opportunities, but none of them have or will come through. Tomas Kaberle has been the bigges...
6/24/10 - This time of the season is the most exciting to me. It’s where champions are built. Darcy Regeir always says that he will build his team in the off-season. Darcy Regeir’s time to make a move is NOW. We have some key ingredients, including an all-world goalie, a number 1 defenseman, and a 40 goal scoring winger. We have some very important third and four...
The first week of July is always a busy time in the hockey universe in terms of player movement. It has evolved into a Mini Me of the Trade Deadline. While the top stories this year will center around the likes of Kovalchuk, Gonchar and Hamhuis, in terms of fantasy hockey, these deals will have little impact on where those players will rank on your draft list. The real ...
A little over a month ago, I wrote a column detailing what the Sabres’ plans for this offseason should be (see: Sabres’ Potential Blueprint, May 13th, 2010.) Some of my suggestions are still viable, others not (ex: Jason Arnott being dealt to New Jersey, Nathan Horton to Boston.)
After writing the previous article, I had a chance to review the 2009-10 season for the...
with the first day all finished up we now have the kovy sweepstakes down to three teams kings, devils, and an unknown eastern team. Im not sure if the rangers are in because of their money situation and are focusing on frolov it looks like possibly burke is looking to beef up the leafs and add scoring. Lou said that the devils are still very much in the race and that they ...
Most of the major off season moves this summer were obviously made with an eye towards capturing the Cup. The Penguins and Devils restructured their defense in a big way and role players were shifted all around the league. While these deals will play a big role in the fortunes of these NHL franchises, they barely register on the radar in terms of fantasy hockey impact. ...
TheRat14 writes...
Fantasy Hockey Enthusiasts - The FHL Wants You! 4 Openings
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Update: And then there were four. Four franchises left so it's not too late to grab one for the upcoming season. See contact information below.
Welcome to the Federal Hockey League. The FHL has been setup to provide a simulation for lovers of the greatest sport on earth, ice hockey. The league homepage can be found here: [url]www.greytowergames.com[/url]
You as t...
Darcy Regier may have surprised many fans with this signing. Rob Niedermayer has agreed to a one year, one million dollar contract with the Buffalo Sabres.
Niedermayer has been in the league for 16 seasons, and is playing for Buffalo in this next one. Although he has a career plus/minus of -115, Niedermayer brings in more grit and experience to the team. He has 450 poin...
If you're a Sabres fan, you probably find yourself predicting the outcomes of games before they start. Well, now you have the chance to submit your predictions and win prizes based on how well you do.
Sabreshockeycentral.com has introduced a Buffalo Sabres prediction challenge that will test the knowledge of many fans.
All you have to do is predict the winner and sco...
First lets all take a deep breath and say "FINALLY". We have been waiting on Kovalchuck for 19 days and quite frankly getting a little tired of this saga.
With Kovy finally putting pen to paper in thr Swamp, this has already affected the fantasy hockey world. Had Kovy signed in Los Angelas as had been rumoured many times it could have been a fanatsy bonanza for may Ki...
I believe the best oppurtunity for the Oilers to trade the disgruntled Sheldon Souray is to the Buffalo Sabres for Tim Connolly. That would be the core of the trade.
The Sabres have over $8million in cap space, so taking Souray's $5.4million would not be disastrous. Souray also gives Buffalo something they desperately need; a top 4 defender, who can play significant pow...
Ok, once again we are in a situation where Kovalchuk reigns supreme in the headlines. I thought we had finally rid ourselves of this 3 week dog an pony show. Now 17 years and a 102 million dollars on the surface seems no different then Loungo, Zetterberg, Hossa and DiPietro. But here is where you are wrong. This is different and shady all in the same breath.
Yes we ...
I grew up in the Buffalo NY that was hard working and proud of it. The city was overcast gray from the smoke emitted out of the huge stacks from a busy Bethlehem Steel and the Ford Plant was rolling with 3 full shifts a day. The Queen City had life. The Bills were the only game in town until the Knox family brought the Sabres to Buffalo for the 1970-71 season.
Right fr...
The Sabres have not fared well against the Stars over the past decade or so, and it began to show during a game in Dallas a couple of seasons ago. Buffalo made a trip to Dallas to take on the Stars in mid January and started off with some struggles.
Buffalo’s problems began when Drew Stafford took two straight penalties, both of which resulted in a goal for the Stars....
February 13th, 2009 was a lot more than just a game between the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks. A plane crash in Clarence Center left the entire city of Buffalo devastated. The National Hockey League questioned whether or not the game should be played.
A few of the Sabres had family and friends that lived in the area, and many people knew some of the victims that di...
Over that past few days I have heard over and over that Burke will begin to entertain offers for Kaberle once the Kovalchuk situation gets ironed out. To a certain degree I agree with this thinking, because I do believe that if the Kings do not get Kovalchuk (which I do not believe they will), then I feel that Kaberle will be a King and I truly believe Wayne Simmons will ...
Hello Hockey Buzzers!
Being as as this is my first blog and all, i thought that i would write about something that i am infinitely familiar with: Sports disappointment. After another summer of (mostly) lackluster moves, the Sabres (and dont even mention the Bills) are seemingly not much better than they were last year. I suppose i should prefice this with the following
...
The Sabres lineup has not seen many moves since the beginning of the off-season. The loss of Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman didn’t surprise many fans. The addition of Jordan Leopold and the expected call up of Mike Weber will replace the openings those openings.
The Sabres have depth at forward but do they have enough scoring power remains the question. The team is ...
Predictions for the upcoming NHL season are already being posted around the web, and many teams are not done making moves. At this point, are the Sabres good enough to win the division again?
Mike Corcoran, a Tampa Bay radio host, posted his Eastern Conference predictions with Buffalo finishing in fifth place. Corcoran stated this about the Sabres:
"Some will make th...
After a flurry of activity in the first couple days of the free agent season, the market cooled off, leaving a lot of players sitting on the sidelines waiting for their phones to ring. There was a sense that everyone was waiting for Ilya Kovalchuk to sign and then the remaining pieces would start to fall into place. Well we are approaching August and although Kovalchuk is...
It’s no secret that Tyler Myers had a terrific rookie season last year with the Buffalo Sabres. He recorded 11 goals and 37 assists and played in all 82 games. To complete the phenomenal season, he was awarded with the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year.
The 20 year old towering defenseman played just as big as his height as he lead the team in ice time per game. Mye...
After reading in a post today on TSN, it was identified that Taylor will not attend the summer evaluation camp for Hockey Canada. By skipping the camp by rule, he will be ineligible to play in Buffalo this Christmas. Which in turn basically states he will be playing top six minutes in Edmonton come this fall. Is this a good thing for both parties? Is Hall ready for a y...
wangzhiyuan writes...
If you often drive to unfamiliar places for business or plea
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
If you often drive to unfamiliar places for business or pleasure then you should make sure you get a top of the range system.
This means all you have to [url=http://www.dunkshoes100.com]dunk shoes[/url] do is follow the audio instructions given from the system and you will be taken to the postcode or destination you input into the Sat Nav at the beginning of the journe...
I've been fairly quiet for quite awhile. I sat and watched Buffalo exit the playoffs in the first round with a lackluster effort against the Bruins. I thought to myself, "Well, at least we made it to the playoffs, and won the Northeast Division". I thought back to the Sabres who got into the playoffs, got eliminated in the first round, reassessed what needed to be done, an...
I really hate the off-season, because it's really hard to write a blog at this time of year. In fact, it makes it almost impossible to write one right now. Please bear with me as I try to figure out what to write. You think I am joking? I have already deleted this column 3 times!
I thought I would write about someone who does not get written about, and talk about th...
According to Regier's latest press conference, the Sabres may head into training camp with a 22 man roster instead of the allotted 23 man roster, which most teams opt for. There are many things wrong with this picture, both explicitly and implicitly.
Now, it's understandable to do this for a few reasons, mostly financially speaking. However, when you have that extra sp...
Forbes has recently put out a list of the best fans for the four major sports leagues in North America (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL). The list includes the top four teams from each of the leagues. The NHL is represented by the following teams:
3. Detroit Red Wings
6. Pittsburgh Penguins
11. Montreal Canadiens
16. Chicago Blackhawks
This excerpt from the Forbes article e...
The Sabres and Oilers had nearly identical records when they played each other for the lone meeting of the 2008-2009 season. Thomas Vanek was the only Sabres player to go to the all star game, with much thanks to his 28 goals.
This game got out of hand early and it remained that way for the rest of the night. Just ten seconds into the game, Drew Stafford took a shot the...
landsharkhockey writes...
Top Fantasy Goalie Rankings and Draft Strategy for 2010-11
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Years ago, drafting goalies was easy. Every season, you could argue over order, but you couldn't go wrong with Roy, Brodeur or Hasek. These days, it's much harder to predict who will be the elite fantasy goalies from year to year. Consider this: the top 5 fantasy scorers from 2008 included the likes of: Tim Thomas, Niklas Backstrom, Steve Mason, and Cam Ward. If you s...
Since the Buffalo Sabres are coming upon its 40th anniversary season, I decided I would reflect on the past 39 years of the team's history. The franchise began in 1970 and the Sabres have made two Stanley cup final appearances, but lost both of them.
The Sabres have given the fans in Buffalo great entertainment. However, fans are becoming restless as Buffalo remains wit...
detwiler007 writes...
If Kovalchuk = UFA, what does it mean to the Sabres?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Long story short, nothing. And everything.
Nothing because there is not a single chance in the world that the Sabres would do something as ridiculous as sign Kovalchuk. The Sabres already have 2 contracts like that: Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. On a quick aside, I would be very inclined to say that dumping either of those at the right price would be a very intell...
TheRat14 writes...
Fantasy Hockey Enthusiasts - The FHL Wants You! 4 Openings
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Update: And then there were four. Twenty-six filled and four franchises left so it's not too late to grab one for the upcoming season. See details below:
Welcome to the Federal Hockey League. The FHL has been setup to provide a simulation for lovers of the greatest sport on earth, ice hockey. The league homepage can be found here: www.greytowergames.com
You as the ge...
landsharkhockey writes...
Top Fantasy Defensemen Rankings and Draft Strategy
Posted Monday | Comments 0
When it comes to formulating your draft strategy, take some time to carefully consider your approach to defense. More than any other position, defensive scoring can vary dramatically from league to league. Some leagues value scoring by a defenseman higher than forwards, while others lump them together. This can dramatically change your approach in terms of when to draft...
landsharkhockey writes...
Top Fantasy Forward Rankings and Draft Strategy for 2010
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
For a solid fantasy hockey draft strategy, there is much to consider for goalies and defensemen. When it comes to forwards, it's a much simpler proposition. First off, get to know your point system. This can make a huge difference in ranking your players. For example, if your league counts goals and assists equally (join a new league), then guys like Joe Thornton and ...
As expected, I figured Buffalo would come out with a new third jersey this season. However, what I do find a little disconcerting, is all the talk about how starting next season, Buffalo will be switching jersey's, again.
Over the past 14 years, Buffalo has had, well it's hard to count. At the end of the 1996 season, Buffalo switched from the classic jerseys of the blu...
After reading Jon Walters’ 40th anniversary team on Sabreshockeycentral.com, I was inspired to walk down memory lane and design my own. While many players that I loved made the list (like my all time favorite: Donald Audette) I found myself wondering where players like Rob Ray, Ric Seiling and Gerry Korab were.
So I came up with an idea. Why not make a 40th anniversa...
[img]http://ryannellis.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/nhllogowallpapers.jpg[/img]
Instead of annoying board-posters, I will now post my own hockeybuzz blogs. If you'd like to catch up on what we've been talking about over at sabretake, you can visit us at http://sabretake.com
Now, onto our latest article:
Now that our “Down the Road” segment is out of its misery(...
Now that the anger and confusion surrounding the latest Tim Kennedy arbitration fiasco has begun to subside, I think it’s time for the team and city to move on and forget about the whole ordeal. It stings to see a young, home grown player with such a feisty game be thrown to the curb, especially in the midst of an uneventful off-season that saw no major changes to a team...
I have taken some time over the past week to sit back and wait to see how the Kaberle and potentially the Kovalchuk situation would play out before writing my next blog. Well one of the shoes dropped on the weekend with Kaberle remaining a Leaf. I know this has set off a firestorm in Leaf Nation as to whether this move was correct. At this point it is irrelevant because...
In preparing for your upcoming fantasy hockey drafts, one of the keys to watch for are players who are poised for a breakout season. These are guys who have yet to reach the upper levels of fantasy hockey players, but could get into that territory by season's end. If you draft purely off of last season's stats, you're always going to miss out on some of the best perfo...
Every year some average Nhl player or young stud who hasent lived up to expectations has a huge breakout season. Jussi Jokinen went from a waiver pickup to a 30 goal 65 point player. Genrally younger players tend to breakout in their 3rd or fourth campaign. In this blog i shall post up 10 players who i think will breakout this year . Here are my top 10 breakout players for...
An important key to winning any fantasy hockey league is nabbing one or two steals in the draft. It's a wonderful feeling to call out a name late in the draft and then hear a guy or two mumbling about how they forgot about him on their list. These players may be overlooked or undervalued by other managers for a variety of reasons. Some of these guys had below average se...
In part one of my 2010-2011 fantasy report I looked at 10 forwards who'm I expect to breakt out. In this report I will look at 5 Defencemen and 5 Goaltenders Who are expected to produce and break out. I will give an ion depth analysis on every player. Without further ado.
Defencemen:
1. [b]Eric Johnson [/b](St-Louis Blues) Johnson did not play a sinlge game in 08-0...
When news broke out that the Sabres would be unveiling a new alternate jersey this upcoming season, it left fans wondering what could be the next marketing scheme that Golisano and company had in store for us. We’ve seen our share of new jerseys in the past. From what I can gather, the goat head was generally accepted. “The Slug”, although ranked at the top in sales ...
Finishing in the season near the top of your league can be gratifying, but if you're reading this, you're probably in it to win. And in order to win, you sometimes have to roll the dice on a gamble or two and hope you cash in. You certainly don't want to load up too much on these guys, as the chances of them all panning out is small. Here are a handful of guys that coul...
[img]http://www.portlandpirates.com/photos/news/Pirates-logo-on-black.gif[/img]
As the season draws near for us crazy Sabres fans, we tend to forget that another season of Pirates hockey is about to unfold as well. Then again, can you blame someone for forgetting about a farm team in Portland, Maine(apologies to all our Portland, Maine visitors)? It was this question that...
Some teams have cap space right now and can make a trade. Having cap space doesn't mean a team will make a trade though. In fact the biggest indicator of a teams willingness to make a trade is expectations. There are few teams with that right combination of cap space and high expectations that have voids that need to be filled...possibly by Calgary who is definitely consid...
When preparing for your fantasy hockey draft, the lazy man's plan is to pull out last year's stats and pick the guy who had the most points. Many bad assumptions go into that philosophy. You ultimately end up with a roster of one-hit wonders and miss out on rising players. The players identified below likely peaked last year or had a fluke of a great season. While most o...
Every fantasy hockey league is different. Even if you're Biff Tannen and you know exactly how many points each player will score next season, it's no guarantee for fantasy victory if you don't fashion your draft strategy to the league you're in. In this post, I'll give you some tips and guidance on how to draft (and win) in a standard CBS fantasy hockey league.
Point...
As Sabres fans look at this year’s team after the offseason moves (or lack of them), most likely they will be disappointed. Fans have been very critical of the management’s moves over recent years. With a deeper look at the team, has the team improved? A quick comparison may not look better, but even with the lack of acquisitions, the Sabres may be set for a deep run ...
The Northeast Division is expected to be close once again this season, but the Sabres won’t have an easy time repeating as division champs again. The Northeast saw many changes and will be as competitive as ever as Toronto is attempting to return back to the playoffs.
The Northeast is considered one of the toughest in the NHL and this year should prove that statement...
BuddyBrier writes...
September Predictions for 2010 (Who will make the playoffs?)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hello
This is the Moose Review and I’m Buddy Brier
Now that it’s September, it’s about time we take a look at the upcoming 2010/11 NHL season
We’ll start with my predictions of the teams that make the playoffs for the end of the upcoming season.
In the west, I’m predicting the standings will look like this:
1st - Detroit
2nd - Vancouver
3rd - Sa...
There has been a lot of criticism of Craig Rivet’s play over this past season, and let’s be honest: most of it had merit. There has also been some recent unrest in his captaincy and leadership of the team. Should Rivet be the Captain? How has he done so far? And who could take his place? Let’s take a look.
Craig Rivet came to the Sabres in the summer of 2008 after...
All good things eventually come to an end. When it comes to drafting a winning fantasy hockey roster, it's important to know when the end has come, or at least, know when it's approaching. As much as we hate to acknowledge it, hockey players can only stay on top for so long before they start to slide. If you draft with your heart and pay too much attention to history an...
We all remember how this season ended, but many may not be aware of how the Sabres actually got to the finals during the 1998-1999 season. The Sabres were not expected to do well at all that year.
Just one year prior, Miroslav Satan led the team with just 46 points. The Sabres draft picks before the start of the season didn’t fare too well, either. They included Andre...
Information is key if you want to dominate your fantasy hockey draft. Here are some players with major risk factors, that you should be wary of drafting, and in some cases, you should strike him from your list completely.
Offense
Maxim Afinogenov ATL
Afinogenov signed on to play in the KHL. So you may want to avoid drafting him, eh?
Paul Kariya UFA
O...
If you’re a Sabres fan, you probably find yourself predicting the outcomes of games before they start. Well, now you have the chance to submit your predictions and win prizes based on how well you do.
Sabreshockeycentral.com has introduced a Buffalo Sabres prediction challenge that will test the knowledge of many fans.
All you have to do is predict the winner and s...
The summer of 2010 may not have seen much head-turning activity on the part of Sabres management, but they still managed to make plenty of moves to shake things up in the roster. Changes made to the defense have garnered the most interest, as certain veteran players were put on the market, while fresh faces were brought in to fill their roles.
The combinations of defens...
As a follow up to my previous article on CBS Fantasy Hockey Draft Strategy, I wanted to come back with a breakdown of how you should approach drafting in a standard head-to-head Yahoo league. Many of the principals are the same as CBS (and any league for that matter), so if you missed it, check it out here:
http://www.landsharkhockey.com/post/2010/08/31/CBS-Fantasy-Hoc...
1. Jose Theodore - Back to back 30 win seasons and above .900 save percentage.
2. Miro Satan - 10 points in 13 playoff games last year and still 20 goals capable.
3. Bill Guerin - coming off another 20+ goal season and 9 points in 11 playoff games, someone needs a veteran leader.
4. Marc-Andre Bergeron - QB of your PP, defensive liability at times
who, with the right...
With rookie camp opening on Monday it is the right time to take a look at the battles that will be taking place this September. Much of the roster is set and there will probably be few surprises. However there is a chance for upsets and underdogs.
There is a top-6 forward spot up for grabs. There are also 2 defensive spots and 2 bottom-6 forward roles open for competiti...
One important factor to consider as you're putting the finishing touches on your draft list, is how well the players performed down the stretch last season. Consider two guys who finished last season with 48 points: Lee Stempniak stormed the castle down the stretch, racking up 14 goals in his last 19 games. Meanwhile, David Backes limped across the plate with just 10 po...
#20- Chris Drury- He only played in Buffalo for three seasons,but he was a true captain on and off the ice. He scored that goal when it was needed most. His timely, clutch goals, are why he is on the ice in the last few minutes of a game.
The hit that he received against Ottawa a few years back is what
sparked the Sabres/Sens brawl
. His biggest goal in Buffal...
Drafting goalies is a risky proposition. More than any position, this choice can make or break the fate of your fantasy hockey team. One of the biggest factors you need to consider is how often a goalie is going to play. Some netminders can be counted on to get 70+ starts a season, while others will sharing the net with another man. In short, you want to avoid the spli...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Darcy Regier (GM) Lindy Ruff (Head Coach)
[b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 45W 27L 10OTL 100PTS
[b]Place:[/b] 1st Northeast, 3rd East, 11th NHL
[b]Top Scorer:[/b] Derek Roy – 80GP 26G 43A 69P
[b]Captains:[/b] Craig Rivet (C)
[b]OFF-SEASON MOVES
OUT:[/b]
Henrik Tallinder (Signed with New Jersey)
Toni Lydman (Signed with Anaheim)
Tim Kennedy ...
It's late in the draft and you're starting to lose focus. You've got one spot left to fill and all the good ones have been taken. At this point, you take the next guy on the list with the most points and call it a day. I'm here to tell you that there's a better way. It's called the "Specialist".
In general, when ranking your players, you want to focus on guys who ...
The preseason has already started, and we are two weeks away from the Sabres regular season opener.
If you’re a Sabres fan, or just an NHL fan, you probably find yourself predicting the outcomes of games before they start. Well, now you have the chance to submit your predictions and win prizes based on how well you do.
Sabreshockeycentral.com has introduced a Buffa...
landsharkhockey writes...
Fantasy Hockey - Players on the Rise for 2010-11
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Like playing the stock market, when it comes to winning at fantasy hockey, it is critical to identify players who are on the rise. These players are all but guaranteed to improve their numbers over last season. Which means that your average opponent may tend to undervalue these options.
Offense
Niclas Bergfors ATL
Bergfors was the prize coming back to Atlan...
landsharkhockey writes...
Fantasy Drafts Trends: Overdrafted and Underdrafted
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Now that a good many fantasy hockey drafts have taken place, it's a good opportunity to step back and take a look at some trends. When you're dealing with the masses out there, you have a large number of uninformed players making bad decisions, which you can benefit from. After participating in many drafts myself, I'm seeing a host of players being taken way before thei...
Andrej Sekera started the scoring with a shot off the crossbar that went in. Tyler Ennis scored Buffalo’s second goal on a 2 on 1. The Sabres third goal came from Rob Niedermayer. Towards the end of the second period, Toronto broke the shutout after Nikolai Kulemin scored.
Ryan Miller played the first 30 minutes of the game, making all nine saves. Jhonas Enroth made 1...
Here are some brief thoughts and opinions I had while watching tonights pre-season game:
First off: Wow! It’s great to have hockey again. I thought the long, lame summer would never end. So now that the honeymoon is over we can talk about how the Sabres looked. Before that, I would like to go on record as saying I like what the Leafs have done. They will be very good ...
For the most part, I encourage fantasy hockey players to largely ignore what goes on in the pre-season. Ryan Craig got a hat trick for the Pens, so should I draft him as a sleeper? (no, you shouldn't). However, the one thing that you should not ignore at this time of year is the injury news. Preseason or not, those things don't just go away when October 10th rolls arou...
A back and forth battle ended with Toronto on top. Nikolai Kulemin’s 2nd goal of the night turned out to be the game winner as the Maple Leafs won 5-4.
Nathan Gerbe scored on a penalty shot in the third period, narrowing the deficit to one and allowing Buffalo over eight minutes to tie the game.
With the goaltender pulled, the Sabres weren’t able to draw even. Bu...
Is it just me or am I starting to hate Drew Stafford less on this roster? Stafford had his struggles last year. They are well chronicled and frequently talked about. I was ready to throw in the towel on the much maligned power forward. He just couldn’t seem to get it together and bring a consistent effort every night. I did however, have a addendum to my surrender.
Th...
If you study my fantasy hockey cheatsheets, you may notice a distinct lack of rookie presence, particularly on offense. There's a good reason for that. As a rule, there's too much risk to spend an early pick on a guy who may not even make an NHL roster. Trying to predict where a rookie will finish is a total crapshoot, particularly when you've never seen them play. Th...
This is our first of many Sabres monthly wallpapers that we will be releasing. One of our designers, Chris Downey, has created this one for October.
The Sabres will play face Atlanta, Ottawa, Chicago, and New Jersey twice during the month of October. The Sabres have four sets of games on back-to back nights, and have three games in four nights three times.
This is no...
Hey there, stranger. Long time no see.
Yes, we’ve been M.I.A. for quite a while. Mike, Trevor and I have been busy with life, so we haven’t been able to keep this blog as updated as we would like. However, on my day off, I’m going to give my prediction for the Buffalo Sabres this year. Hopefully, they see this post and decide to contribute their own predictions as...
We're just days away from the start of the season, so it's time for our first weekly installment of the Fantasy Planner. Depending on your league, week 1 may be very short, or very long, since the first games are on a Thursday. We'll combine the games from this week, along with the full next week for this edition (10/7 to 10/17).
Week 1 Matchups
Teams with 3 Games...
For a summer that included no transactions involving superstar hockey players, fans are showing a lot of interest in how the revamped Sabres roster will perform this year; just ask the near 17,000 that showed up at HSBC Arena for the first preseason game.
There has been plenty of impressive work done by the Sabres in the exhibitions thus far, but like in most profession...
Another highly anticipated NHL season is just a couple of days away, and once again, the Buffalo Sabres are not favored to win the division. The Sabres haven’t changed too much from last year. A few players came and left, but for the most part, they are relatively the same.
Many experts have already submitted their predictions for the 2010-2011 season, and many have f...
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=35&id=77834
Roy with 2 goals, Ennis with 2 assists. 'Nuff said.
Follow me on Twitter: http://Twitter.com/The_Frazier
If there was one player who you would have predicted to score a hat trick tonight, Derek Stepan may have been the last choice.
In his first career NHL game, Stepan scored three times on Ryan Miller, leading the Rangers to a 6-3 victory over Buffalo on Saturday night at HSBC arena. Stepan became the fourth player in NHL history to score a hat trick in his first career ga...
I will be having a live blog for tonight's sabres and blackhawks game.
Feel free to stop by at any time.
Here is the link:
[url]http://www.coveritlive.com/index.php?option=com_altcaster&task=playaltcast&altcast_code=5bcd86f3f8[/url]
The Sabres dropped their third straight game (all at home), falling to the Devils 1-0 in overtime.
New Jersey earned their first win of the season. They have been playing with 15 skaters due to cap space. Well, it worked out for them. Ilya Kovalchuk's quick shot beat Ryan Miller to give New Jersey the victory.
The Devils played their usual, slow and boring game of ho...
Week 1 is just about under our belts and there are many story lines to the fantasy hockey season. No time to panic (yet). We'll save that for next week. Here is what you need to know for week 2 (10/18 to 10/24):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Montreal, Philadelphia, Phoenix
Teams with 4 Games: Calgary, Chicago, Nashville, NY Rangers, San J...
During the first few days of the season, when players don't perform exactly how they were supposed to according to your draft list, the constant message is "Don't panic yet. Give it time.". It's never wise to overreact and make poor decisions based on just a few days worth of results. So, when exactly is it time to panic? How long is enough time to look at a player and...
Two weeks into the season. You should have some idea if your team is on the right track or not at this point. Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 3 (10/25 to 10/31):
Matchups
Teams with 1 Game: Vancouver
Teams with 2 Games: Boston, Detroit, Nashville, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay
Teams with 4 Games: Los Angeles, Montreal, ...
Friday proved to be just another frustrating night for the Buffalo Sabres and its fans. Ottawa defeated the Sabres 4-2 in front of the HSBC Arena crowd.
Daniel Alfredsson continued his tear against the Buffalo Sabres, scoring three times and earning his 1,000 career point.
Alfredsson came into the game with just one goal and four assists on the season, but had a hat ...
[b]Vanek scores twice, Sabres earn two points in 6-1 victory over New Jersey[/b]
What a difference 10 days can make. Last Wednesday, the Sabres were shutout 1-0 by the Devils. On Saturday night, Buffalo went into New Jersey and made it look easy, winning 6-1 at the Prudential Center.
Martin Brodeur was expected to get the night off, since the the Devils were playing ...
The gm Darcy Regier and the coaching staff keep on saying that the sabres are going in the right direction to win the stanley cup. The question is When ? Because so far the play of this team this season from the start right now has been inconsistent, sloppy, and non physical play. Oh and a powerless powerplay . When is the time going to come when theyre going to make a blo...
Every season, a handful of players jump out of the gate and exceed expectations in the first few weeks of the season, leading to a mad run on the waiver wire. But how many of these players will still be valuable fantasy contributors two months from now? Years ago, Brian Savage was infamous for having huge numbers in October, only to crash and burn and disappear by Christ...
Soon the calendar will be turning to November and you should have a decent idea of how solid your roster is for the season. Last week, we urged you to load up on Canadiens, based on their favorable schedule. Hopefully you listened... Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 4 (11/1 to 11/7):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Calgary,...
Another loss. Another disappointing game for the Sabres. Don’t even bother with the “at least we got a point” phrase. The Sabres had a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period and were not able to hold off the Atlanta Thrashers.
In front of just 10,000 at Phillips Arena, the Thrashers capitalized on Sabres mistakes all night long, and Dustin Byfuglien capped it off...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 5 (11/8 to 11/14):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Columbus, Dallas, LA, Nashville, New Jersey, Philadelphia
Teams with 4 Games: Anaheim, Atlanta, Edmonton, Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Washington
Not that you needed another reason to avoid playing your Devils this week (if you have any that are act...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 6 (11/15 to 11/21):
Matchups
Teams with 4 Games: Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Colorado, LA, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, San Jose, St. Louis, Vancouver
Every team is looking at a full schedule this week, with either 3 or 4 games each. The Bruins look to have it particularly good, with 3 of 4 at...
First off, apologies for a title that sounds like it was written by a 12 year old girl. But maybe that's how I feel. There comes a point in certain relationships when you just can't take it any more. You've been burned so many times that you've had enough, and it's time to break up and move on with your life.
And so it is with me and certain NHL players in the fantas...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 7 (11/22 to 11/28):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Anaheim, NY Islanders, Phoenix, Vancouver
Teams with 4 Games: Boston, Calgary, Columbus, Dallas, Florida, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington
If you of the mind that the Sout...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 8 (11/29 to 12/5):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Buffalo, New Jersey
Teams with 4 Games: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Minnesota, NY Rangers, Phoenix, St. Louis
After just 2 games last week, Anaheim comes back with 4 matches this week that should favor their fantasy players. The Ducks hav...
[url]http://www.sportsblognetwork.net/its-nut-up-or-shut-up-time-for-the-leafs/[/url]
This could possibly be the biggest weekend of the year in Leafs Nation. The pressure is mounting, expectations are growing and the blue and white have their biggest test of the season ahead of them: Back to back road games against divisional rivals, while missing their captain and thei...
I think the perfect storm for angry Flames fans is when the Oilers win and are two points back of catching the Flames (with a game in hand) and the Flames get blown out by the Vancouver Canucks on the same night. That is simply like pouring salt and lemon juice on our open heart surgery.
There are fans clamoring for heads to roll however which heads and in what order i...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 9 (12/6 to 12/12):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Carolina, Chicago, LA, NY Isles, Phoenix, St. Louis
Teams with 4 Games: Anaheim, Dallas, Detroit, San Jose, Toronto, Washington
This promises to be a high-scoring fantasy week, as many of the top scoring teams have 4 games on the radar (Dal...
KevinJames writes...
Miller's Shutout Overshadowed by Buffalo's Solid Game
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
If the Sabres only played once a week they might be the best team in the league.
After five days of rest, the Sabres played their most complete game of the season, defeating Columbus 5-0 on Friday at HSBC Arena.
The victory marked the first time the Sabres have defeated the Blue Jackets since 2004.
There was not much more you could ask for out of the Sabres on F...
projp1 writes...
Patrick Kaleta fight. Sabres vs. Blue Jackets. New Owner?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Did anyone see that fight at about 10 minutes or so left in the 3rd period in the Sabres and Blue Jackets game? Talk about a beating. Kaleta literally made contact on pretty much every punch he took and then after the fight he dusted off his hands and the crowd went CRAZY. Let's just say Buffalo had a good night.
Now if anyone has seen my last blog than you know I am...
Buffalo came into this game coming off a big win against the Blue Jackets 5-0 and Miller gaining his first shutout of the season.
The first two meetings between the two squads were split. Buffalo winning 2-1 and then dropping the 2nd meeting in Buffalo 4-2. This time, there was no scoring in 65 minutes of action, meaning that Ryan Miller and Brian Elliot each recorded ...
Two years ago Craig Rivet arrived in Buffalo and was given as daunting of a task as there could be for a professional hockey player; Captaining a timid, lost Sabres club that was still reeling from the loss of Daniel Briere and Chris Drury.
It didn’t help Rivet any that he spent the last couple of seasons beforehand on the back lines of the San Jose Sharks, and was ye...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 10 (12/13 to 12/19):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Vancouver
Teams with 4 Games: Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, LA, Nashville, Ottawa, San Jose
Lots of teams with 4 games on the schedule heading into the Christma...
The Sharks worsened their HSBC Arena record to 1-13-1, losing to Buffalo tonight by a final score of 6-3. Flukes and turnovers mixed with a tired San Jose squad to spell a loss to end their road trip.
The scoring was opened at 12:18 of the 1st period with a fluke goal off a faceoff being shot by Cody McCormick, deflecting into the air off Paul Gaustad's skate, and hitt...
Oh my. Looks like another loss, which means a win tonight and the record will probably keep skipping. In the meantime everyone is calling for Sutter's head on a platter for putting together a loser team with one of the highest salaries.
Let's look at this calmly though. Sutter was made Executive Vice President this summer. Does that tell you that ownership wants him go...
California dreamin’ or California nightmare?
I’d say the latter was a more apt description of the result of the two game road trip. Two games, one point – simply put, it’s just not good enough.
Despite late charges in both games, the Flames fell short in each game – stretching it to the shootout in Anaheim while falling in regulation in LA.
They fall be...
In light of the Flames facing off against Toronto tonight, the team they partnered off with to make last year's blockbuster deal, I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the Flames options moving forward.
The Flames have issues. That’s clearly apparent. But fixing those issues -- therein lies the true work of art.
How do you get yourself out from under...
Short schedule this week with two days off for Christmas. All over the board, from 1 game to 4 by team:
Matchups
Teams with 1 Game: NY Rangers, Philadelphia
Teams with 4 Games: Atlanta, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Vancouver
More than any other week this season, it's important to pay attention to the schedule next week. If you've got Rangers or Flyers in yo...
“Do you struggle to save the puck? Are you having trouble stopping that little black piece of rubber from going in the net? Do you find yourself riding the pine more than you think you should? If so, we believe we have the answer for you. Come on over the Calgary where the Flames will show you what true hospitality is all about. Their under-achieving band of overpaid hoc...
Well, it's boxing day in Canada, which means it's time to take all of those unwanted presents back to the store and cash them in for something useful. Now wouldn’t be spectacular if you had that option with your fantasy hockey team? After all, I'm sure there a few picks that you were feeling warm and tingly over when you opened them in October, only to find out that th...
The Flames are on a roll – sort of.
Winners of their last two games, and four of their last five under the Dome, the Flames climbed to within six points of 8th spot in the western conference. Let’s just ignore the fact that the Flames have played more games than pretty well everyone else in the conference save the Ducks.
Olli Jokinen has six goals in his last ni...
landsharkhockey writes...
Top 10 Events of 2010 that Shaped Fantasy Hockey
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
It's not right to end the year without a pointless top 10 list. And since fantasy hockey is what we do here, here is my contribution, as I present the events that had the biggest impact on fantasy hockey in the year 2010:
10. Stempniak to Phoenix
A deal that largely went unnoticed at the time quickly became the most significant fantasy trade of the season. On Marc...
[img]http://www.thehdcrowd.com/screenshots/office_space_25.png[/img]
With the anticipated passing of the scepter, er sword, whatever, from TommyG to Terry Pegula, Sabres fans are licking their chops at the prospect of ditching our itinerant king for one that will give a flying you know what about the affairs of state at the foot of Washington Street. Thanks for the save...
Before you start making accusations: Yes, Chris Osgood is my avatar. Yes, I'm a Red Wings fan. Yes, that means I'm biased. But I am trying to be fair.
And I do believe that Chris Osgood deserves to be in the hall of fame. Was he ever the best in the world at his position? No, but he was close (much closer, I think, than most people will give him credit for), and his num...
As you sit back on Saturday and (hopefully) enjoy the Winter Classic, don't forget to give your fantasy roster a little attention. Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 14 (1/3 to 1/9):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Montreal, Ottawa, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Washington
Teams with 4 Games: Carolina, Chicago, Florida, Minnesota, ...
Lets see what was it a 6-3 loss in Buffalo? I honestly don't remember much of this game in Buffalo as I try to block bad memorys.
Ryane Clowe was extreemly upset with the loss to the Canucks. The Sharks didn't play poorly in the gave vs Vancouver but they didn't earn the win. With some of the Sharks players being down right PO'ed help us tonight to crush the Sabres...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 15 (1/10 to 1/16):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Atlanta, Dallas, New Jersey
Teams with 4 Games: Boston, Edmonton, Nashville, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington
Ride those Canucks this week as Vancouver cannot do wrong right now. They've g...
Sabres Hockey Central now features text alerts to keep fans updated on the Sabres action. They are free of charge and can be customized to your liking. You can even be notified when there is a new post on the site.
Click below for more information
[url]http://sabreshockeycentral.com/2011/01/07/text-alerts/[/url]
It’s no longer December but we’re all still recovering from our various food induced comas over the holiday break. Why not sit back and do what Sabres fans do best, look toward the future.
I mentioned it was December because Mike Weber turned 23 on December 16th and it looks like he can celebrate that birthday as a honest-to-goodness NHL defenseman.
Weber entered...
18-18-5. Probably not where most fans thought the Sabres would be halfway through the season. Buffalo is in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Once Derek Roy was ruled out for the season, many fans were expecting a collapse or a panic mode, but the Sabres scored 11 goals in the next two games and have earned nine out of ten points since.
Despite going 4-0-1 in the pa...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 16 (1/17 to 1/23):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Chicago
Teams with 4 Games: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Calgary, Florida, LA, Montreal, NJ, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa Bay
It's worth noting that Chicago is the only team with a mere 2 games on the schedule, and they come against ...
The Sabres are on the outside looking in. They sit 10th in the East; 8 points out of 8th place. They have lost Derek Roy for the season.
Tyler Myers and Ryan Miller are having disappointing seasons and the veteran leadership has been deemed unfit to play. How can the Sabres possibly make the playoffs? There is a way, but it isn’t pretty.
A start with the look at th...
The Flames got smoked 6-0 by the Minnesota Wild? Are you joking me? Lot of broken ankles this morning jumping off the Flames resurgence bandwagon. Come on over to The Sports Roundup to get a quick look at the what the Flames are facing now. Plus the Flames could have had Fleischmann for Regehr, would you have done it? Post your comments here:
http://www.thesportsround...
Short week coming up with the All-Star Break. Make sure you pay attention to the schedule as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 17 (1/24 to 1/30):
Matchups
Teams with 1 Games: Anaheim, Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Minnesota, Montreal, New Jersey, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Tampa Bay
The other half of the league has two g...
Tim Connolly was born on May 7th, 1981 just outside of Syracuse in Baldwinsville, New York. He was selected 5th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1999 Entry Draft. Connolly had played two years for the Erie Otters of the OHL, where he produced at well over a point-per-game pace before being drafted.
After two mediocre (but not terrible for a rookie, by any means)...
Coming off the All-Star break, most leagues feature a slightly shorter game schedule, so once again, it's important to pay attention to the schedule. Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 18 ():
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Anaheim, Buffalo, Chicago
Teams with 4 Games: Montreal, New Jersey, Pittsburgh
Only three teams featu...
Hey everyone. I've been following Hockeybuzz for a little while now (used to be mostly on trade deadline days, or weeks leading up to it), but I now find myself visiting at least 3-5 times daily.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Jeremy, and I'm a 29 year old male living in Edmonton, and as most people, I'm a homer. I love the Oilers. Always have, always will.
I f...
Just a couple weeks left before the trade deadline shakes things up a bit. Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 20 (2/14 to 2/20):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Atlanta, Columbus, Pittsburgh
Teams with 4 Games: Buffalo, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Washington
Only three teams are facing the short schedule this week. ...
Hey, I'm just another armchair GM and fan, but if I'm Calgary's Jay Feaster, I'm really looking to bulk up for a serious playoff push. With the way Calgary have turned their season around since the departure of Darryl Sutter, I suspect Calgary will squeak into the playoffs.
And, I’d hate to be the guy to say “anything can happen in the playoffs”, but… ANYTHING C...
When trying to identify value in daily hockey, or when considering waivers and trades, it's critical to know what players have been doing lately. Blindly following the leading scorers to date will give you a host of bad information.
The leading scorers over the past 2 months are dramatically different than those who led the league through the first 2 months of the seas...
The trade deadline is still two weeks away, but GMs seemed to have moved the calendar forward a bit this season. The deals that went down last night may ultimately overshadow anything that transpires at the end of the month. So what does all this mean from a fantasy hockey perspective? I'll break down a few here:
Anderson (COL) for Elliott (OTT)
I speculated at the ...
Most of you probably read that headline and thought, "Thanks tips."
Yes, we all know Darryl Sutter left us with very little to go with on the farm in terms of prospects.
And, we all know that we don't have a 2nd or 3rd round pick this year. The 2nd was thrown in on the Primeau/Stralman deal for god knows why and even more mystifying was the 3rd being thrown in t...
Hey folks, my name is Kenny Brewster.
[b]I am writing this today with a humble request for your help.[/b]
I am a finalist in a contest to win a 55" Toshiba HDTV, but I can't win without your votes.
I have produced a short audio clip that is less than 2 minutes long, it is a spoof of the old "I AM CANADIAN" commercials. In the audio, I talk about how the Internet an...
As new ownership presented itself in Buffalo, I like all Buffalo fans, sat in anticipation as to what was to come on February 28, 2011. However, I was extremely disappointed, and now it's time for me to say what no one else is...
Buffalo is currently smack in the middle of the playoff race, a place that not many expected them to be in, including myself. Buffalo had nume...
Following perhaps the most uneventful trade deadline day in a decade, fantasy owners are left to wonder what impact (if any) will the 16 trades have on the remainder of the fantasy season. As last season proved, some of those low-profile deals can have a huge impact on the stretch, if you can snatch up the one or two players who most benefit from a change of address. Las...
Sabres Sabremetrics: by Joey Pezzino
Here is my thesis to the Buffalo Sabres in 2010-11: I believe that for this current Buffalo Sabres team to have maximum success moving forward, that we will need to see Paul Gaustad and Andrej Sekera step up and play more consistently. I really do believe that their success will equal overall team success and I have some stats to p...
landsharkhockey writes...
Fantasy Planner: Preparing for the Playoff Push
Posted Friday | Comments 0
We're down to the final month or so in the fantasy hockey season, which means playoffs are just around the corner. If you're still paying attention at this point, that means you're probably still in the running to win. You've done your homework all season long, and there's no point going to sleep now. There are still some valuable waiver options and last minute tweaks t...
Nine games into the Terry Pegula era and the Buffalo Sabresboast a 6-1-2 record under new ownership. Coincidence? I think not.
Ever since Pegula officially took over the ownership of the Sabres, they have been a different team. If you remember correctly, one of Pegula’s first quotes as the owner was, “Winning is not a goal. It is a belief.”
The Buffalo Sabres h...
Former Buffalo Sabres forward and “French Connection” line member Rick Martin was killed in a car crash on Sunday, according to a source.
The accident occurred at Main Street and Salt Road in Clarence around noon Sunday. Eyewitnesses say Martin’s car crossed a lane of traffic and hit a pole.
State police responded to the scene and are expected to provide more det...
The Sabres have had a busy month. With the change in ownership, the addition of Brad Boyes and the current race back into the playoff picture there has been a lot of optimism. I hope, though, that fans are taking just a moment to stop and look back at one of the other big moves during deadline week.
Captain Craig Rivet was claimed off waivers by the Columbus Blue Jacket...
As the NHL playoffs are approaching, many teams are still in playoff contention and are battling to move up in the rankings. 16 of the 30 teams will make the postseason, but is it better to be battling for one of the lower spots?
Sabres fans saw what happened during the President’s Trophy-winning season in 2006-2007. Although they had a great team, they were upset by ...
After three days of rest and a visit from Dominik Hasek, the Sabres came out with an offensive mindset. A three-goal first period would be all the Sabres would need as they went on to frustrate the Thrashers all game long.
Buffalo defeated Atlanta 8-2 at HSBC Arena on Saturday night.
Jason Pominville opened the scoring with a goal just 24 seconds into the game. Evand...
I know it’s a little late for a post-game wrap-up, but better late than never, I guess. The Red Wings dropped a heartbreaker to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday and I have a few theories…
The first is a little convoluted. I think maybe the Red Wings have a little stage fright. I haven’t checked the numbers (and maybe I should), but I think the Wings have a lo...
The role of the enforcer in the NHL is a tough one. It has all the benefits of boxing and you’re still expected to do all the other things that good hockey players are supposed to.
Cody McCormick is one of the men who has taken this road to the NHL and now he is in a battle to prove that he’s still useful.
On Thursday night against Boston McCormick fought Gregory...
There are rumors going around that Derek Roy will be ready to play if the Sabres go deep in the playoffs. While those rumors may be true, do the Sabres want him back at that point in the season.
The team has improved significantly since he went down, but would brining him back help or hurt the team? What if Roy does come back and further aggravates his injury, forcing h...
Andrej Sekera was drafted in the 2004 Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, with the 71st overall pick. Being a third-round pick, there were some expectations for Sekera to develop into a decent NHL defenseman.
Sekera signed a three-year entry level deal with the Buffalo Sabres after posting 55 points in the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack , while boasting an impressive plu...
There is a lot of differences of opinion on who the best goalies in the league are from year to year. I dug deep into the numbers to see who the cream of the crop really has been over the last 5 years. Most of these will be expected but there may be a couple that surprise some. I pulled the stats for GAA and SV% for the last 5 years and averaged out their numbers to find t...
The Sabres came into this game on a three game winning streak with aspirations of crushing the Leafs playoffs hopes. Toronto had nothing to lose and came out with an impressive performance in the first period.
Dion Phaneuf ripped a shot past Miller to get the Leafs on the board. Darryl Boyce scored late in the first period to give Toronto a 2-0 lead.
Buffalo had trou...
Does Tim Connolly deserve a contract extension? I am pretty sure that there are few Sabres fans that believe Timmy is worth the $4,500,000 we are paying him for his 36 pts this season. So if he is not worth that much money how much is he worth? Using player stats collected before last nights games I compared other centers in the league that have within 7pts(20%) of Connoll...
Since Martin Biron’s departure, the Buffalo Sabres have struggled to find that ideal backup goaltender to support franchise star Ryan Miller. The first replacement, Ty Conklin, wasn't with the team for even ¼ of a season and played only three games.
Next up was Jocelyn Thibault, who was about as wildly inconsistent as they came and lasted just one year. Patrick Lalim...
Well, after a last game collapse by Carolina, then Chicago, then Dallas the playoffs are set. Time for predictions!
QUARTERFINALS
WASHINGTON over NY Rangers in 6
BUFFALO over Philadelphia in 7
BOSTON over Montreal in 6
TAMPA BAY over Pittsburgh in 7
VANCOUVER over Chicago in 5
SAN JOSE over Los Angeles in 6
DETROIT over Phoenix in 7
ANAHEIM over Nashville in ...
Two nights after a tough 5-4 loss in Philadelphia, the Buffalo Sabres will be taking the ice at the HSBC Arena, looking to take a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Here are four keys to victory for tonight's game in Buffalo:
- The Sabres must play better defensive hockey.
Sabres' goaltender Ryan Miller has faced...
I know I haven't really spoke up on here all season but I am now. I'm sick of both teams whining about each other. Both teams have been dealt some bad breaks and some uneven and/or make up calls. When it comes right down to it, it doesn't matter.
The Flyers can whine all they want about games 1 and 5 and being over penalized but the fact is that they didn't score a...
Ok here we go……..
When I look at the Sabs I see potential for a great, great team. One like Boston has now. We have the parts of a team that are the most difficult to obtain (goaltending, a number one d-man, depth forwards who can add scoring, coaching, and sniping wingers). The main thing we need is centers (duh).
So here is what I would try and do today, this ...
During the 2009-10 playoffs we saw the emergence of Philadelphia Flyers forward [b]Claude Giroux[/b].
Giroux scored 21 points in 23 playoff games after scoring just 47 points in 82 games during the regular season.
[b]Seeing a player jump from .57 points per game to .913 during the playoffs, when scoring is usually at a premium, is like a red light going on behind the...
TheSabresTaco writes...
Taco Time - Adding double meat to the offseason!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, it was inevitable. Any legit Sabres fan knew our biggest flaws running into these playoffs. Sure, we didn't have our "#1" center in Derek Roy, we had an injured Tim Connolly, Brad Boyes; who shouldn't ever play center, Robbie Neidermeyer, and Paul Gaustad up the middle. Compare that to Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Danny Briere, and Blaire Betts (a less talented Goose)...
The Sabres lit the lamp 245 times this past regular season, but here are a few that are worth taking another look at. These are not ranked or posted in any particular order.
Click below to check out the videos:
[url]http://sabreshockeycentral.com/2011/05/18/goals-of-the-year-2010-2011/[/url]
Looking back on the season, there are so many memorable moments, but we’ve created a list of the top 10 games of the season for your viewing pleasure. Take a look and let us know what you think.
Click below to continue reading:
[url]http://sabreshockeycentral.com/2011/05/19/top-10-games-of-the-year/[/url]
Dropping the gloves in the NHL has become somewhat of an art-form in today’s game. Whether it be the endless marathon, total beat-down or even the occasional all-out brawl, nothing gets the blood of hockey fans pumping better than two players tossing hay-makers.
The Buffalo Sabres racked up 30 fighting majors this season — many of which resulted in a Sabre skating t...
With the Western Conference Semi-Finals now in the books, the NHL’s final four is set in stone. And while the remaining 26 franchises who weren’t as fortunate as their counterparts witness the conclusion of the postseason from the tee box, their respective fans are left with nothing to look forward to — aside from viewing what is likely to be some great hockey – ot...
electric81 writes...
A Red Wings Fan's Guide to Brian Rafalski and the Sharks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The last couple of days have been pretty eventful in the hockey world, and for a Red Wings fan, there’s some thought-provoking conversation fodder out there.
So Brian Rafalski has announced his retirement with one year remaining on his contract, and the San Jose Sharks were defeated in 5 games by the Vancouver Canucks on a loopy, lucky, double-OT goal by Kevin Bieks...
Hi my name is Mike Rizzo I am a frequent visitor to Hockeybuzz.com and I have read a lot of these blogs all of them are fantastic by the way, and I just want to give my opinions on my favorite team the Detroit Red Wings. What better way to start my first blog then to tlk about a great career that just ended Brian Rafalski.
Brian Rafalski officially retired on Wednesday a...
Hockey season came to a halt sooner than most Sabres fans probably would have liked this year. While the NHL Playoffs rage on, the Buffalo Sabres are anticipating one of the most eventful off-seasons in recent memory as new owner Terry Pegula brings his winning attitude and deep pockets to the table.
And so I thought: while we're stuck watching the remainder of the tour...
This coming summer is going to be a big one for the Buffalo Sabres. With many fans expecting big changes due to the ownership change and a year that fell short of expectations it will be interesting to see what Darcy Regier has up his sleeve.
With a bigger bankroll and a somewhat improved team image, the idea would be to draw some bigger name free agents. Fans are also ...
It makes you cringe, as a Rangers fan, just a tiny bit.
It is not even June and the next door Islanders have already made a splash on the restricted free agent market, re-signing core young guns Michael Grabner and Kyle Okposo to five year deals. It is even worse when you see that the Islanders - yes those Islanders with the worn down stadium and the uncertain future in...
Mr. Pegula should take note on the recent news that True North will NOT retain Rick Dudley as their GM.
I truely believe Duds would be a great asset to the Sabres Organization. He has ties to the community as a former player & coach. He also still resides in the area. But the ties to the oraganization is not the main reason to hire him. Here are just a few reasons he sh...
1. Kevin Cheveldayoff is believed to be winnipegs new gm
2. Pittsburgh Signed forward Nick Johnson to a one-year contract
3. Atlanta Fired general manager Rick Dudley.
4. Devin Setoguchi was the subject of various trade scenarios over the course of this past season, prompting further speculation that his future with San Jose might be in jeopardy.
5. Florida Panthers G...
johnkriegs writes...
Chris Drury bought out by Rags? Sabres look to improve.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Richards...
Well, as many of you know, Drury will likely be bought out by the Rangers to make room for Richards. And yes, the Rangers are the team that will sign Richards. I say there is 90% chance that that will happen. So good for the Rangers, another soon to be overpaid player on their team.
On the Sabres...
Now that means that Drury would beco...
Hey! I’m Justen and yes, I spelled my username wrong haha. I’ve been visiting HockeyBuzz.com for years now. Mostly to look for the newest GARTH blog to get my Sabres fix, and/or rummaging through the forums. I love talking Sabres hockey and I’m here to do just that.
After a Dismal 1st half of the year due to a Tallinder-less Tyler Myers, a Lydm...
I can't stand them. The other thing that pisses me off is that a lot of people in Calgary including a lot of the bars are supporting them. It makes me so angry but seeing them lose tonight was so great. Come read why here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/why-i-dont-like-canucks.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Another Positive step for the leafs offseason. Carl gunnersson being signed over the next two years helps us keep our young and talented blue line intact. The large and smooth skating defensmen has shown us all that he is capable of manning a number two power play unit and I look forward to watching him continue to grow.
SabreHess writes...
Sabres and Richards...a match made in hockey heaven
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I doubt very many will see this blog as it is my first on hockeybuzz.com. All the same i want to get my opinion out there in the cloud so to speak.
Eklund himself is on record as of this morning proclaiming the Sabres are one of the secondary teams in the Brad Richards extravaganza. This isn't the first time that notion has been intimated, but i guess this time it h...
[img]http://i54.tinypic.com/64kvn8.jpg[/img]
I just finnish-ed(get it?) watching the Sabres recent first round draft pick Joel Armia of the Finnish Elite League, meet the media. A few answers to questions he had really kind of irked me:
Q: “Do you get much exposure to the NHL in Finland?
JA: “No, not much”
Q: “Do you know much about the Buffalo Sabres?”...
The draft came and went a bit more anti-climatic than expected. The Sabres did well for themselves adding the agile Finnish winger Joel Armia (though i would have preferred Mark McNeill) and the exciting Daniel Catenacci but to expect either of these players to have in impact in the 2011-2012 season is unrealistic. This years draft was to continue stocking the cupboard ...
The Devils have three MAJOR UFAs.
Adam Mair.
Andy Greene.
Johan Hedberg.
When it comes to Mair I'm sure all the Devils fans are happy and thankful to his contributions to the team last year. I myself believe he is a great player but I don't think he is going to be resigned.
Andy Greene I think should definitely be resigned. He is an all around great blueliner....
ZACH PARISE/RFA
VLADIMIR ZHARKOV/RFA
ADAM MAIR/UFA
MATT CORRENTE/RFA
ANSSI SALMELA/RFA
MATT TAORMINA/RFA
MARK FRASER/RFA
ANDY GREENE/UFA
JAY LEACH/UFA
JOHAN HEDBERG/UFA
BUYOUTS--ANDREW PETERS/JAY PANDOLFO
SabreHess writes...
Sabres add Leino, re-up McCormick....Ehrhoff Thoughts
Posted Friday | Comments 0
With the handcuffs off Darcy Regier is proving to be resourceful and more aggressive than myself and most Sabres fans have ever given him credit for. Signing Ehrhoff was a great move to add a durable blueline presence who can command the Sabres PP until Myers or Gragnani is ready and chip in 30-35 assists for the next decade. People are complaining about the term of the ...
Assuming they re-sign Enroth, Weber, Gragnani, and bring up either Kassian or Adam to fill the final roster spot:
Vanek - Roy - Stafford
Ennis - Leino - Pominville
Gerbe - Gaustad - Boyes
Hecht - McCormick - Kaleta
Kotalik, Kassian/Adam
Regehr - Leopold
Ehrhoff - Gragnani
Myers - Weber
Morrisonn
Miller
Enroth
Before I begin I would like to preface this post by saying a sincere to thank you to the Pegula Family, as well as the entire sabres organization for arguably one of the most exciting off seasons in team history. The future of this franchise is brighter than it has ever been.
With that being said. It seems for now that the Buffalo Sabres are re-enacting an old slogan...
Before I begin I would like to preface this post by saying a sincere to thank you to the Pegula Family, as well as the entire sabres organization for arguably one of the most exciting off seasons in team history. The future of this franchise is brighter than it has ever been.
With that being said. It seems for now that the Buffalo Sabres are re-enacting an old slogan...
Before I begin I would like to preface this post by saying a sincere to thank you to the Pegula Family, as well as the entire sabres organization for arguably one of the most exciting off seasons in team history. The future of this franchise is brighter than it has ever been.
With that being said. It seems for now that the Buffalo Sabres are re-enacting an old slogan...
Before I begin I would like to preface this post by saying a sincere to thank you to the Pegula Family, as well as the entire sabres organization for arguably one of the most exciting off seasons in team history. The future of this franchise is brighter than it has ever been.
With that being said. It seems for now that the Buffalo Sabres are re-enacting an old slogan...
So...Tomas or not Tomas? No, I'm not a headline writer for NHL.com or the guy who titles episodes of The Simpsons (I'm convinced they are the same person, go ahead prove me wrong). I'm just a man trying to answer what is really the last remaining big question surrounding the 2011-2012 edition of the Boston Bruins. In a recent Boston Globe poll, over 67% of people indicated...
Most have lauded the Sabres organization over the past few days for recognizing they weren't going to land Brad Richards and immediately snatching the next best playmaker on the open market in Ville Leino. In terms of ability the Sabres are upgrading their forward corps by adding a solid two way player with soft hands, great vision, and proven playoff performance. Howeve...
With Sean O'Donnell's departure, Andreas Lilja's signing at $737,500 sounds good at first sight to round out the defense, with Oskars Bartulis ready as a 7th defender or possibly taking his spot at training camp. There are a few problems I see with this signing:
1. [b] Andreas Lilja hasn't played a 70 game season since 2007-2008.[/b]
This concerns me a lot. He has only...
Now that the initial free agent frenzy is over, I'd like to review some contracts that have been handed out in order to assess the value of 3.5 to 4.5 million dollars on the open market. Or more importantly, to see how NHL franchises value that dollar range differently. Below are a list of forwards who have signed AFTER July 1st 2011 to contracts that will have an annual...
[img]http://oi52.tinypic.com/scrjvm.jpg[/img]
February 22nd will be remembered by Sabre fans as the day the Terry Pegula bought the Buffalo Sabres. Tom Galisano turned over the key to HSBC arena along with a key for a cage that held his poodle, Darcy Regier. Pegula unlocked the cage and out came a charging, foaming from the mouth, Cujo. Mr. Pegula then gave his new pet...
It’s 7-14-11, and to Buffalo Sabres Fans, that can only mean one thing –
It is FRENCH CONNECTION day.
The numbers 7, 14, and 11 hang grouped together in the rafters of HSBC arena in tribute to three hockey players who were arguably one of the greatest line combinations in NHL history.
With the late Richard Martin (#7) at left wing (Rest in Peace, Rico), Re...
landsharkhockey writes...
Fantasy Hockey Lessons Learned (2010-11 Season)
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's been a couple of months now since the fantasy hockey season ended. Plenty of time to gloat in your championships or lick your wounds (I've done a little of both, being in so many leagues). Now that the dust has settled, it's a good opportunity to look back on this past season and draw out some lessons from the past season. If you've been playing fantasy hockey for ...
Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood retired today after 17 seasons in the NHL. Now comes what is sure to be a great and very hostile arguement over Osgoods hall of fame chances. I will give you all my opinion at the end of this blog but I am going to make a list of reasons why he should be in the hall of fame and reasons he should not be. Without further ado here are the ...
The Northeast Division has an impressive crop of young defensemen that are about to enter into their prime. Spearheaded by Tyler Myers, P.K. Subban, Luke Schenn, and Erik Karlsson, and they likely will be joined by Dougie Hamilton in another year or two. There has been much debate as to which one of these guys is the best rearguard, but i'm going to keep this strictly ab...
Not sure if some of you realize this but Buffalo and Washington are over the NHL's cap limit.
Buffalo is over the cap by $3,595,357. Already an exorbitant number, it will more than likely go up since they still have yet to sign defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani. Gragnani made $500,000 last season so you could expect some sort of raise. This would put Buffalo above $4 milli...
One thing I love about Baseball is how much time you can spend dissecting the statistics. No sport lends itself better to be broken down by the numbers than baseball. Not that statistics ever tell the whole story, far from it, but they sure give us plenty to talk about between games, and during the off-season. The other great thing baseball has done is add newer statist...
In my last blog i wrote about how i feel the NHL needs newer more innovative statistics and introduced my first new stat of the year the Shift Impact Percentage or SIP%. I'm not going to recap what the statistic is composed of, for that see my previous blog. Instead i'm going to delve right into the numbers and start applying the stat so we can start to gauge what is a g...
"Oh man. I forgot about him." Inevitably, you will hear this curse several times at any fantasy hockey draft. It typically comes from the guy whose draft preparation consisted of printing off last year's stats. That guy always overlooks the players who missed a good chunk of time, or even the whole season, due to injury. It seems like 2010-11 had an unusually high num...
Read any hockey articles on the internet from markets outside Buffalo and you'll notice a common trend. Yes the rest of the league has taken notice that Buffalo is improved from last year, but they also are quick to point out the folly of the Sabres new-found spending prowess. I'd like to debunk that myth right here and now.
Let's get the 800lb gorrilla in the room o...
With Andrei Markov out of the lineup Montreal has struggled on the power play switching between who was scoring goals ( Camelleri, Subban, Wisniewski) they just couldn't get the puck in the net on the power play as much as they could have. With Markov coming back in the line up If he plays healthy and like he used to for Montreal look for Subban, Cammy, Plekanec goal cou...
Looking for sleeper picks in your upcoming fantasy draft or interested in who to look for as possible up-and-comers next season? You've come to the right place. After hours of statistical analysis, I have compiled a top-10 list (featuring video evidence) of rookies/prospects who are likely to breakout next season as bonafide NHLers or even superstars.
For the purposes...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 3 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Buffalo Sabres Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/b]...
Last season the Vancouver Canucks ran away with their division, earning them the presidents trophy in the process, and rode that momentum all the way to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals where it was promptly halted by Tim Thomas and the boys from Beantown. Though you could make the argument that momentum died the moment Aaron Rome cheap shot Nathan Horton. The Buffalo Sa...
You'd be hard pressed to find a Sabres fan who wasn't enamored with Chris Drury during his tenure, and I'm no different. Sure he left on bad terms, as he did with the Rangers but looking back I give him a ton of credit for bringing the Sabres back to legitimacy and teaching the young guys (Pominville, Roy, Vanek, Gaustad) what it takes to win.
Many of you recall his ...
The goalie position has become the hardest by far to predict with certainty. The leading fantasy scorers fluctuate dramatically from season to season. While the top 10 here seem to be your safest bets for starting goalies, you could easily make a case for about 5 other guys to finish as this year's top scorer. That complicates your draft strategy. Typically, goalies w...
There is much optimism in Sabreland right now. Though the team is not without holes, the off-season additions have fans chomping at the bit for the season to start and I'm sure the players are anxious to get back on the ice and make a run at dethroning their division rival Bruins. Are they the deepest team in the league? Probably not, but at this point the Sabres are cl...
landsharkhockey writes...
Top 10 Fantasy Hockey Defensemen Rankings for 2011-12
Posted Friday | Comments 0
What to do about defense? The importance of this position, much more so than any other, varies dramatically from league to league. In some formats, defense can win you a championship. In others, it's completely an afterthought. So before worrying about who to rank where, find out how much you should care.
The good news when it comes to this position, is that it's mu...
I have compiled a list of comeback players and break out candidates for the 2011-2012 season. These guys should help any fantasy pool, especially down the stretch.
Don't call it a comeback this is a throwback and a showdown!
1. Alex Ovechkin - 85 pts is a bad season when your the GR 8. Expect him to win the Art Ross this year 115pts.
2. Nicklas Backstrom - 65pts i...
I have compiled a list of comeback players and break out candidates for the 2011-2012 season. These guys should help any fantasy pool, especially down the stretch.
Don't call it a comeback this is a throwback and a showdown!
1. Alex Ovechkin - 85 pts is a bad season when your the GR 8. Expect him to win the Art Ross this year 115pts.
2. Nicklas Backstrom - 65pts i...
The center position is where you make your money, so you want to be sure and snag a superstar here. The position is also very deep, so you won't see a horrible drop off beyond the top ten. The other good news here, is that compared to other positions, the top centers are fairly predictable from year to year. With few exceptions, you can draft these guys with confidence ...
I'm new here...JUST registered.
I've always had this thought...not sure if it's new or not, and I have no idea how a person would go about getting an idea like this to the league, but....
I always felt that a player who just won the Stanley Cup should be recognized for it for the whole year. I know they all get rings, but I mean [u]on the ice[/u].
So...let's take ...
The cupboard is stocked with fantasy talent at the wings. As you prepare for your fantasy draft, be sure to know you league's system. Some leagues group wingers together, others discern between left and right wing, and others still group all offense together. If your league drafts by position, be sure to focus on the left wing position. Aside from the elite (Ovechkin/S...
It's been a wild and crazy off season... It's taken some adjusting to, especially as a Buffalo fan. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong, I'm just not used to it. Buffalo signing players they should, trying to improve the team? FINALLY!!!!!
Now, I've seen a lot of people making predictions as to what is going to happen with the upcoming season. I stand by this right ...
jeffgreig writes...
Fantasy Hockey is back!!!! Offering up any advice I can
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
If there is anyone out there having trouble putting together a decent team through a draft let me know and I would be happy to help out. Good luck to all you fantasy nuts out there!! Peace and most importanly GO LEAFS GO!!!
Upon my dismal performance in my usual fantasy hockey league last year I have tried to prepare myself better for this coming year. Although I did succumb to some awful luck. I drafted 9th overall, and took Praise. Luckily do to the dismal start of the Devil I packaged him and Zajac and jumped all over my first offer of Lecavliver and Nash. All in all, I finished dead last...
Upon my dismal performance in my usual fantasy hockey league last year I have tried to prepare myself better for this coming year. Although I did succumb to some awful luck. I drafted 9th overall, and took Praise. Luckily do to the dismal start of the Devil I packaged him and Zajac and jumped all over my first offer of Lecavliver and Nash. All in all, I finished dead last...
Check out my new website dedicated to giving you all the best and most up to date fantasy information for the upcoming NHL Season.http://fantasyhockeytalkandtips.weebly.com/
Welcome to my first blog! Hopefully I will bring a fresh perspective to your Buzz experience.
Here is what I promise. I will spell check my blog. I will speak from experience, in what I know and not how I can impress you. I am not an insider, don't pretend to know all the players nick names and if I don't won't disrespect the player by giving him a new one. I won't ...
11 Forwards
Alex Ovechkin : A constant threat to score 50 goals and 100 points there has been no one with more consistent point production and health in recent memory. need I say more?
Steven Stamkos: Will he score 50 goals? It’s either that or high 40s there is not much mystery to what his goal and point totals will be and that’s always a good thing.
Henrik Sedin...
11 Forwards
Alex Ovechkin : A constant threat to score 50 goals and 100 points there has been no one with more consistent point production and health in recent memory. need I say more?
Steven Stamkos: Will he score 50 goals? It’s either that or high 40s there is not much mystery to what his goal and point totals will be and that’s always a good thing.
Henrik Sedin...
If you've played fantasy hockey (or any fantasy sport) for long, you know that you don't typically win a season based on those first few rounds of picking superstars. For the most part, those picks all even out. It's the sleepers that can take an ordinary team and propel it to greatness. Finding that hidden gem, late in the draft, that finishes in the top 10 can make al...
11 Forwards
1. Alex Ovechkin : A constant threat to score 50 goals and 100 points there has been no one with more consistent point production and health in recent memory. need I say more?
2. Steven Stamkos: Will he score 50 goals? It’s either that or high 40s there is not much mystery to what his goal and point totals will be and that’s always a good thing.
3. He...
So anyone out there in need of a website that not only gives you the in and outs of the hockey world? I mean not just the major teams in the leagues I mean even the low traffic teams like the hurricanes Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets. All the teams have fantasy relevant players and sleepers that everyone should be able to find out about. So have a peek at the newest we...
As die hard Buffalo Sabres fans, we have certainly had to suffer through our share of disappointments. Beyond that, we have also hung on every word of hope sent to us from owners and managers. Who could forget John Rigas standing before a crowd in downtown Buffalo, declaring that he was going to supply the tools to "get the job done" Looking back, I am not quite sure ex...
hi im a new blogger and wanted to start with something sabres related. Thanks to Terry Pegula's buyer mentality the sabres have a situation that we havent seen in years, competition. Every year the returning players of the sabres have been able to come back and reclaim their previous role on the team because there was never a surplus of players, young and mid-aged that we...
With today being the release of EA's NHL 12, and amidst everyone's "top 5 hockey games" lists I'd thought I'd put my 2 cents in as well. For those of you not into video games, skip the next paragraph.
The most underrated hockey video game of all time was NHL Stanley Cup for SNES. Everyone says that about whatever their favorite game was growing up, but that was mine. ...
You won't get very far in fantasy hockey by drafting purely on last season's stats. For one thing, you'll be sure to miss out on a key segment of the fantasy world: the rising star. These are the guys on the upward trend, who are due to see a significant uptick in their fantasy value over previous seasons. We've targeted a number of players with a strong chance of hitti...
Being a Sharks fan requires a tough stomach.
Every year, we watch our team fail when it should succeed. We follow every big trade Doug Wilson makes and consistently say 'Ah! We overpaid!' Sometimes those trades work(Thornton/Boyle), sometimes they don't(Campbell/Guerin/Heatley). We're hoping for the best with Havlat/Burns. We never land big free agents.
These predic...
I believe with Ehrhoff we have a case of the "Anson Carter effect", A player with inflated point totals due to the players he's playing with.
28/50 points had the Sedin's involved.
Goals
PPG - Christian Ehrhoff (1) Wrist Shot - Assists: D. Sedin (1) & H. Sedin (1)
PPG - Christian Ehrhoff (2) Slap Shot - Assists: A. Edler (2) & D. Sedin (2)
Christian ...
Preseason predictions and rankings are about as much a guessing game as the weather. Until we've seen 30+ games of regular season action it is impossible to accurately predict how teams will perform. Yet it seems that as much as I cringe when I read everyone elses' rankings and playoff projections, I can't resist following suit. I'll try and check back on these mid-sea...
Today's fantasy hockey stats and formulas can provide more information than one person can possibly interpret at one time. It's becoming easier every year to get lost in the numbers.
I used to go thru some pretty intense number crunching when trying to predict how well players would perform in the upcoming season. Getting data from previous seasons and computing differe...
I'm sorry but this year's Winter Classic is a joke. It's all about the marketing and nothing to do with the hockey this year, and I hate to see the NHL waste one of it's few opportunities to rope in casual hockey fans by overexposing the same U.S. media markets. What does the state of Pennsylvania have on Gary Bettman? I mean 4 Winter Classic appearances combined betwee...
There was quite a controversy here in the Capital Region (Albany, NY) in the past week.
On last Thursday, 9/22, a writer for the largest local paper, the Albany Times Union, decided to step out of her normal job as the writer of a parenting guide, and into the shoes of a sports writer (and debatable into her Patriots footie pajamas).
As I read it last week, I thought...
Ok...keeper league...everybody has 1 forward keeper...rank these players (projected top 20 picks)...GO!
Pavel Datsyuk
Anze Kopitar
John Tavares
Jeff Carter
Henrik Zetterberg
Brad Richards
Marian Gaborik
Bobby Ryan
Mike Richards
Jonathan Toews
Derek Roy
Joe Thornton
Ilya Kovalchuk
Patrick Marleau
Loui Eriksson
Jarome Iginla
Rick Nash
Matt Duchene
Dany H...
andydrmm writes...
Sabres vs Ducks 10/7/11 A good win, but not a "dominate" win
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I rushed home from work to catch today’s Sabres game. How often are the Sabres going to start their season in Finland? Plus, OPENING DAY!!! As I’m sure everyone knows already, the Sabres won their opening contest 4-1. However, as one of my counterparts on this site stated; “Sabres dominate for 60 minutes”, I will strongly disagree. Like every game, there’s numero...
Well that went about as well as could be expected eh? Not only did the Sabres return from their European business trip with a valuable 4 out of 4 points, but they did so in a dominating fashion. I liked the fact that despite the distractions of sightseeing in Europe, when that puck dropped in Helsinki on Friday night the Sabres were focused on hockey and nothing else.
...
I've heard a lot of bad talk about Ryan Miller. I think that he may be one of the most undervalued players in the NHL. I've heard a lot of predictions about how Jhonas Enroth will be taking on a larger role in Buffalo, and Miller may be out the door soon. I think this would be one of the biggest mistakes made for the Sabres.
Ryan Miller is as good as the team around hi...
Welcome to my first Northeast Numbers column of the season. We're only a few games into the new year, but I figured it was the right time to take our first glance at the numbers and gauge these teams.
[u]Records:[/u]
Toronto[b] 3-0-1[/b] (3 ROW)
Buffalo [b]3-1-0[/b] (3 ROW)
Boston [b]2-3-0[/b] (1 ROW)
Montreal [b]1-2-1[/b] (1 ROW)
Ottawa [b]1-4-0[/b] (0 ROW)
...
So with the off-season signings by Buffalo, the general attacks around Hockeybuzz has been that Buffalo is going the (failed) route of the Rangers and other teams and is trying to "buy themselves a title".
I decided to look into the team to prove how inaccurate that accusation is.
Of the 20 players who have played for Buffalo this season, 14 of these players were d...
Here we are on October 19th, 6 games into the Canucks regular season, and local sports talk shows are flooded with calls by the usual boneheaded people about the teams 2-3-1 start, and of course, Roberto Luongo. It's not a debate or argument if Luongo isnt involved, not in this city. What really gets me is the fact that the team infront of Luongo last night owned 50 mins o...
The only thing missing from the Avalanche Game was the home team advantage. Sorry but I am going to say it one of the best teams in the league (for the moment) have a horrible fan base. Never in my life have I been to a home game and heard the away team chant... And the worst part was that the home team chants where swiftly overcome by "Lets go Blackhawks." Absolutely terr...
On the night where many thought to believe that this could be a make or break game for the Bruins they once again didn't show up for a full 60 min of hockey against the hated rival Canadiens. With 5 days off after there disappointing game against the Sharks many believed that this was a time for the team to rest and shake off this "hangover" people keep talking about. Appa...
The word is out that Lindy Ruff has decided to mix things up with his top lines. Leino will be skating alongside Vanek and Pominville, while the rookie Luke Adam will play on a line with Roy, and Stafford. The changes shouldn't come as a surprise, given the slow start by nearly every top 6 forward not named Thomas or Jason. Yes Luke Adam got off to a hot start, but he h...
Sabres rebounded with 4 points over the weekend with a goalie duel win against the Flames on Friday and a exciting shootout win in Ottawa. To my surprise even though I would have done it that way, Jhonas Enroth played both games over the weekend and played well. He is now 4-0-0 with a 1.41 GAA and .952 SV %. I'll get to the Miller vs Enroth debate later. First I want t...
Last night in Pegulaville City Hall the FN Center the night started with an emotional induction of Dale Hawerchuk and RJ into the Sabres Hall of Fame. The Sabres however didn't come out motivated and resulted in the worst possible start for Miller with a qucik 2-0 Jets lead. I give Lindy credit for sticking with Ryan and not oulling out the quick hook. Buffalo pulled ou...
One thing has become dreadfully apparent with this Jet team. They have shown an unbelieveable lack of discipline. With 12 penalty kills against Buffalo, the Jets gave the Sabres a gift-wrapped win, especially when your PK is as poor as the Jets" is. They missed an opportunity during this road trip to post a winning record despite having many regulars out of the line up....
There is no nice way to say this after the Sabres vs Bruins game from TD Garden Place tonight. The Buffalo Sabres deserved to lose.
Just about anytime that the Sabres made a turnover, anywhere on the ice, the Bruins capitalized. Buffalo’s passing was lackadaisical throughout the course of the game. The team lacked energy, despite having scored the first goal of the n...
Right now the Buffalo Sabres remind me of Cerberus the three headed hound from Greek mythology. In this case however, instead of a menacing multi-headed beast guarding the entrance to the Underworld, the Sabres have their own triple threat in Vanek, Roy, and Pominville.
Thomas Vanek (11g, 11a, 22pts) is tied for second in the NHL in scoring, despite averaging less time...
I had the perk of sitting in the 200 level on Saturday during the Sabres game, just behind the Sabres goal. As I watched, I noticed that while Buffalo got some very good opportunities throughout the game, Buffalo’s defense needs to stop holding up “Welcome All” as their opponents are on the rush. Plus, I noticed very few odd man rushes for Buffalo, last night, and al...
Let's re-enact the plot from the seminal classic "Trading Places" with Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd. I have a full day ahead of me as the Sabres new head honcho and while the very confused Darcy Regier spends the next 8 hours trying to find my car keys and navigate the rough and tumble Jersey neighborhoods, I have some phone calls to make.
[b]8am- [/b]I just entered the...
I read Garth’s blog earlier about the upcoming matchup with Boston (See Chowds Have Another Thing Coming). Dear God, I don’t know what else to say to this. I don’t know if he’s been watching the same games as the rest of us, but it was pretty presumptuous.
Buffalo should not be worried about extracting revenge on Lucic. Will someone take a run at him? I’d lik...
Apparently, some people (Garth) didn’t get it when I wrote my blog yesterday looking forward to the Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins game tomorrow night. Let me try, one more time.
First off, I see that Garth feels the Sabres should “run Seguin or Bergeron”. Then, he writes in that Shanahan, “God” of NHL discipline, will be watching the game very carefully. To...
I watched an extremely entertaining hockey game last night. Buffalo showed up to play, and meant business as well. I think Boston was probably surprised at Buffalo’s style of play last night. Despite the fact that Buffalo lost in the shoot out, it was a good loss for Buffalo, and should be a boost to their confidence.
Last night, Buffalo started to show the type of po...
There’s been a lot of trade talk recently, and the Sabres have been mentioned. How accurate these rumors are, I have no idea. However, I definitely think that a move or two may help Buffalo out.
As I’ve said, Buffalo needs to be aggressive in their own end. The recent call ups for Buffalo have done really well, and are playing excellent physical hockey. I’ve love...
Hey All,
I'll be back here ready to go for the Sabres game tonight. Get my take on the game as it unfolds tonight. Stay tuned!
In order to win here, 5 minutes prior to puck drop, Buffalo needs to defend their end aggressively. Zetterberg leads this offense, and pose a serious threat if Buffalo gives them the blue line. Hopefully they have fast break outs of their own...
I understand the frustration fans are having with the way the season which began with so much promise is starting to get away from them, it begs the question, should the sabres trade Ryan Miller? And if so, to whom and for what? It is a soft goalie market, I dont think you could get close to market value, but what does this Sabres team need to right the ship?
Your're reminded of it every time you go to a Sabres home game. They play it loud and clear over the P.A. system.
"From this day foward, the Buffalo Sabres reason for existence is to win the Stanley Cup".
Minutes later the puck drops and the action begins. Not long after that it becomes obvious that you've been duped into thinking this home game would be any differen...
As I write this article, I’m still debating what will happen due to the hit from Jordin Tootoo on, that’s right, Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller... Tough to say what will happen.
For those who missed it, Tootoo went into the Buffalo end, followed closely by Christian Ehrhoff. Ehrhoff poked the puck from Tootoo and had his hand on Tootoo’s back. Ehrhoff followed the pu...
We're just beyond the one third portion of the NHL schedule, and the divisional races are beginning to take shape. The Northeast Division is as tightly contested as they come as the entire division is separated by a mere 6 points. The next closest division races in the league are both 12 point margins in the Southeast and Pacific divisions. Here's where we stand in the ...
The title of this blog, pretty much sums it up. If you can’t play 60 minutes, you will lose. Every. Time. I’m starting to run out of excuses for Buffalo’s bad play. I’m holding off on the coaching... for now. Tonight, it was the fact that Buffalo couldn’t play 60 minutes.
Buffalo had a simply excellent first period. I haven’t seen Buffalo play that well in ...
So, much to my surprise (insert sarcasm), I logged on to write a blog recapping the weekend, and again, Garth has amazed me with his... “wisdom”. Again, Enroth has seen better days, however goalies are as good as the team in front of them. Regardless of who is starting in net, the team in front of Enroth and Miller is pretty pathetic.
I didn’t get to watch Friday...
For once, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, Garth has a decent point. Buffalo brass does need to sit down and have a nice long evaluation of the direction that the Sabres are headed in at this point in the season.
However, I can already tell you the excuse that the brass will use to explain the recent play of the Sabres.
Injuries.
Thats it. I can hear Da...
At least Buffalo got a point. However, they should have gotten 2 points and again, Buffalo displayed their inability to play 60 minutes of hockey.
Buffalo started out playing very well. Why? They had a fantastic forecheck. Their forecheck alone forced Ottawa to make turnovers in their own end, and Buffalo cashed in early. Despite the early deficit against the Senators ...
I'm taking another shot at the live blog. Tonight, Buffalo takes on the Leafs.
If Buffalo wants to win, they need to play 60 minutes. This Maple Leaf team will eat them alive if they don't.
As one of my counterparts pointed out on here, Buffalo is ahead of their pace from last season point wise. However, what I don't think he's looked at is the fact that Buffalo co...
Amazing, last night Buffalo comes out with a great effort against the Maple Leafs. Buffalo almost looked like a team that could make the playoffs last night. Tonight, is not the case, and Pittsburgh is doing to Buffalo what I said would happen if Buffalo continued to play soft, weak, pathetic hockey.
I’m going to break down Buffalo’s defense and offense, and in ton...
After a close-call win against the conference dwelling Hurricanes, the Maple Leafs dropped two hard fought games this weekend against two good teams, Buffalo & Vancouver, who for the most part, played a little better than Toronto did over the 60 minute span.
Yes, both games had glaring errors. Neutral zone turnovers, horrible PK, a couple soft goals, HORRIBLE refer...
Since there is a lot of talk on our threads regarding the horrendous play of our D (this and most every season), I thought I'd break down 2 of the biggest offenders on the team who seem to be the goats all the time.
Andrej Sekera:
32 Games, 8 Points (2G, 6A), +2, 20 Hits, 46 Blocks, 19:11 TOI/G
Marc-Andre Gragnani:
30 Games, 9 Points (1G, 8A), +11, 7 Hits, 20 Block...
I’ve been slowly subtly pointing out what I think the root cause of the Sabres sloppy play this season in my past blogs. However, tonight, I’m going to just say it, point blank, what the problem is.
The problem is...
Coaching.
Again, to Lindy Ruff fans, I apologize. I’m a huge fan of him. He’s done great things for Buffalo hockey. But at this juncture, it...
After last night’s brutal loss to the San Jose Sharks, it’s time for the Tampa Bay Lightning Holiday Multiple Choice survey! No answer is a wrong answer; this is just to get a perspective from each and every single one of you. Without further ado, here we go.
[b]1. What should Steve Yzerman’s next move be?[/b]
[b]A: Fire Guy Boucher[/b]
When teams struggle, ...
First and foremost, happy holidays everyone! I hope everyone had a great holiday season, culminating tonight with the start of 2012. I took a brief hiatus from writing over the holiday season, but continued to follow the boys in blue and gold closely. So now, back to business.
In his last blog, Garth posted a video with the heading of “Jason Pominville is at a loss f...
I wasn’t going to write this... But after seeing what one of my counterparts once again has said, I feel a realistic viewpoint needs to be taken regarding Sabres hockey on this site.
“Decent effort against Ottawa. Yet again, not enough scoring in the end.” That’s from Garth.
What game were you watching?
As I watched the game from the First Niagara Center,...
I’ve been asked a few times as to where Buffalo would go with a new coach. Personally, I think there is only one answer to this, as for this season.
Ron Rolston, as interim coach, to finish the season.
One of the benefits I have is living where I can get to both Sabres and Amerks games on a regular basis. I’ve watched Rochester numerous times this season. They ...
I breathed a sigh of relief as the horn sounded at First Niagara Center tonight and Buffalo finished the game on top, for a change. However, this was far from perfect. Buffalo played a bipolar style of game. There were moments during the game when Edmonton was in control, despite having played in Chicago last night. Most importantly, Buffalo crawled away with 2 points.
...
This game, was almost painful to watch. I can’t describe it any better than that. Carolina, the worst team in the Eastern Conference, takes out Buffalo 4-2, in a game whose score indicated it was a lot closer than it actually was.
“Mark this date, 1/4/12, down as the day that the fortunes of the Sabres, and for that matter, the remainder of their season season, has...
You know, lately I’ve done a lot of harping on the system in Buffalo. I still stand by it. Buffalo’s system isn’t working as Buffalo continues to spiral out of control towards dead last in the east.
However, the person in charge with shaking things up on a higher level is Darcy Regier.
This is from John Vogl, reporter for the Buffalo News. Everyone’s read i...
Again, I wasn’t going to write this until I saw another unrealistic view of the Sabres portrayed on here. Come back to us Garth...
Here’s his excuses for why Buffalo is sinking fast, and again, I quote
1. Lack of scoring
2. Injuries
3. Goaltending
Ok, I can go with the lack of scoring part. I know, me agree with him? I’m scared too.
However, I come bac...
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want to really build on something that Garth wrote about before.
I back Miller as well.
Let’s be honest about how hockey works. How to assess blame in hockey? On average, 12 forwards are dressed a night, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies, 1 of which starts. Now, throughout any given night, numerous defensemen can make bad brea...
I'll be honest. The Sabres more than concern me. They scare me. I remember back on July 1st, the post I saw most often was "drop the puck already". I have not seen that much excitement in Buffalo since Gilbert Perreault or Pat LaFontaine. No one would have predicted that they would be 18-19-5 at this point in the season. Can they turn it around? I have no idea.
S...
[b]Pregame:[/b]
Toronto is about to step into HSBC Arena for the 2nd time this week. There is no doubt in my mind that Buffalo is going to be craving for a win against the Leafs considering the recent slide they have seen in the standings and the fact that the team they used to be able to write off as a win in their schedule, has finally started showing up to play.
...
There’s a lot of rumors circulating regarding trades, especially one that would send Tyler Myers to Anaheim, and bring Ryan Getzlaf to Buffalo. However, unfortunately, this deal isn’t as simple as that.
If it was as simple as Anaheim giving Buffalo Getzlaf, and Buffalo giving Anaheim Myers, given the current state of things, that’s simple;
Do it. Pull the trig...
First off I'd like to introduce myself as this is my first blog ever on this site. My name is Zachary MacKrell and I am a die hard Sabres fan from Youngstown, NY. I've been a Sabres fan all my life, all 19 years of it. It may not seem long compared to the longevity of a lot of other fans, but I assure you I am every bit as emotionally committed to this team.
Now lets ge...
I took last nights loss extremely hard. After getting a much needed win against the division rival Toronto Maple Leafs I felt it was time for the Buffalo Sabres to finally right the ship and make a push towards the playoffs. I was hoping for the awakening of Derek Roy, Drew Stafford, Ville Leino, and Marc Andre Gragnani. All players who we have seen be productive in the pa...
Something neeeds to be done to this buffalo sabres hockey team. I myself have always been a Lindy supporter, but if he believes that this core of players can take this city to the promise land, then i believe that it is time for a change.
Rumors have been swirling around this Sabres hockey team of potential trading partners and trading for certain players (all of which w...
Tonight marks a chance for the Buffalo Sabres to try and get back on track. Ryan Miller will be back in net tonight. If he plays like the Ryan Miller of old the Sabres could steal one tonight and lift the burden of this road losing streak off their backs.
Now Miller can play as well as he wants but the forwards and the defense need to give him the support he needs. They...
I’ve written about this debacle in Buffalo for many weeks now. The Sabres are spiraling out of control, and nothing seems to be happening to fix the situation.
I loved Jerry Sullivan’s article in the Buffalo News from today, tearing into Terry Pegula and the Sabres. He points out how Buffalo is 5 points out of 8th place, but also 5 points out of last place...
Le...
First off, hats off the the Detroit Red Wings for setting a franchise record 15 straight wins at home.
Now down to business. As the old saying goes, "When it rains it pours." I'd say at this point it is flooding for the Buffalo Sabres. A 5-0 dismantlement of a Sabres team who is finding it impossible to find itself. And by that I mean this Sabres team just doesnt have a...
Even a broken clock is right twice a day, a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut...there are a million colloquialisms that could be used to describe Jeremy Roenick's broadcast career. However in this case, I'm going with he hit the nail on the head.
Read the full article on prohockeytalk.com here: [url]http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/17/trade-talk-makes-f...
Figured I'd right a quick blog about what happened with Ryan Miller before I head off to work. Miller got pulled after allowing 5 goals through roughly 25 minutes of play in front of his friends and family who were in attendance.
After the game we saw the same type of fire and emotion from Ryan Miller when he got ran by Milan Lucic. When asked about if the Sabres player...
I just read Garth’s... “rebuttal” to the Jeremy Roenick and Mike Keenan interview from last night on NBC Sports Network.
I agree with the part Garth said about blaming Miller. Plus, as I listened, I don’t think I heard them blame Miller. The main focus was that things need to change in Buffalo. They aren’t on the same page, just like Roenick pointed out. I d...
The Chicago Blackhawks face one of two possibilities tomorrow night when they host the struggling Buffalo Sabres at the United Center-
Either they recognize and capitalize on the recently unfortunate play of the Buffalo Sabres...
Or, they shrug off the Sabres as any kind of real challenge, come out flat and succumb to the dreaded "trap game" against their unfamiliar ...
It has now been made public that the Sabres GM Darcy Regier is shopping forwards Derek Roy, Drew Stafford, and Brad Boyes around to many teams. Which teams, we do not know, but this information comes per ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. Regier is reportedly shopping these top 6 forwards in hope of getting another top 6 forward in return.
Derek Roy is the player I would be the most...
February 3, 2011:
“Starting today,” Pegula said, “there will be no financial mandates on the Buffalo Sabres hockey department,” in their effort to fulfill his dream of winning multiple Stanley Cups. “There is no salary cap in the National Hockey League on scouting budgets and player development budgets.”
“A clarion call should go out to the league and t...
According to Lindy Ruff he is the one that needs to start leading this Buffalo Sabres team. It sounds to me like the leadership in that locker room is at question, and that this team is obviously not all on the same page.
What Lindy Ruff needs to do is go all Ted Nolan on this team. All bets are off now, this team is spiraling out of control. If Lindy Ruff is going to l...
The Buffalo Sabres are spiraling down into a pit of despair. They can’t score goals and they can’t stop goals. The defense gives the puck away constantly, like that’s what they’re paid to do. The goaltender has little to no confidence in himself and the players in front of him. The coach has run out of answers for the terrible play that we fans watch every single g...
On paper this Buffalo Sabres team should be challenging for the top spot in the league. After starting the season with two wins in Europe, This team looked like it could not be beat. Then on November 12 the Bruins Milan Lucic slammed into Ryan Miller giving him a concussion. Simply put Ryan has not been the same since. Jhonus Enroth stepped in to take over for him whil...
How long ago does October feel with all the hype for the coming season? It feels like an eternity if you ask me. From those two convincing wins in Europe to whatever this is you want to call it now. The Sabres have quickly become one of the weakest teams in the league, and the boys on NBC Sports Network did not hold back when they spoke about the struggles in Buffalo.
F...
As I sit here in my Taro Tsujimoto jersey (hats off to those of you who get the reference), my thoughts have been stuck on the Sabres and when they will pull themselves out of this slump they are in and get back into playoff contention. I’ve been looking at the conference standings all morning, and slowly another question has been trickling into my mind...
[b]CAN[/b] ...
As everyone knows by now, Buffalo finally won a game on the road on Tuesday, squeaking out of New Jersey with a 2-1 shoot out victory.
This game may have just cost Buffalo getting back into the playoff race this season.
This win, as nice as it was to see Buffalo have more points than their opponent when it’s all said and done, gave management the excuse not to do ...
It is the time for the rumour mill to pump out all kinds of possible trades. Some plausible, others, insane!
As a Hab fan, I really believe that they need to make more changes. I also think that winning against Detroit could be detrimental to them in the long run. Geoff Molson, as much as he says he is hands off and he lets the hockey people run the operation, needs to...
The final score from tonight, shockingly, is 1-0 Rangers, but Buffalo did play a solid game. Last night, good effort against the Habs, but again, it’s the Habs, and they aren’t exactly setting the world on fire this season (sorry Montreal).
Ryan Miller has been a god send. He has looked simply stellar and back on his game lately. He has stood on his head. Also, the...
Buffalo surprised their fans last night with a dramatic comeback on the Isle to walk away with 2 points. Over the last 4 games, Buffalo has 7 of a possible 8 points. Things are looking up, but a real test comes up on Wednesday against the Bruins.
Buffalo was in an early hole, due to sloppy defensive play, which, continued all night long. As Garth said, “Miller made 3...
I have decided on a trade that would work pretty well
From Buffalo: From Tampa Bay:
Ryan Miller Victor Hedman
As we all know, Tampa Bay is in need of a goalie very badly. Ryan Miller is obviously someone who can pay the bill. And with Hed...
Everyone who watches hockey loves Saturday night hockey, there is just something special about it. What could be better than Saturday night hockey, with the potential of a record being broken. This Saturday night was no different, and Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres reached a milestone in his career with the Sabres. In a 4-3 Shootout win over the New York Islanders, Mill...
Well seeing how Buffalo as of late have been on a winning streak, not to mention all of the trade rumors around Pegulaville; Buffalo is in search of a trade. [b]Here are my thoughts:[/b]
Trade: Roy,Stafford,Sekera,Gragnani, 1st rnd pick, 2nd rnd pick (conditional)
to Nashville for
Weber, Wilson, and 3rd & 4th rnd...
Buffalo has been in the rumor alot lately and here are my thoughts........
[i]Buf trades Stafford, Roy, Sekera, Gragnani, 1st rnd pick & conditional 2nd rnd pick
to Nashville for
Weber, Wilson(their #2 line center) and conditional 3rd & 4th rnd picks[/i]
[b]THESE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS.......crazy as usual[/b]
I came home from work tonight and expected to watch a decent hockey game. To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for the Sabres tonight. I personally think the Bruins have the best chance at the Cup this season. Don’t get me wrong, I want Buffalo to win every game during the season. And I'm always in one of my many jersey's come game time. But, I’m also a realist, an...
After two demoralizing losses for the Tampa Bay Lightning, nobody is going to fault the odd fan or two for falling off the bandwagon here. In all likelihood, the Lightning will be sellers by the February 27th with their playoff dreams shattered, but, my name is Mr. Optimism and positivity is my game. The Bolts aren’t out of this race quite yet. They have games in hand...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Defeat Sabres in Tight Tilt + Penguins Preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Only in the NHL is it possible to be one of the best teams over a ten game stretch and not make up any ground. That’s exactly what’s happening to the Tampa Bay Lightning right now. 7-1-2 in their last ten, the Bolts have been playing some inspired hockey. Whether it’s players fighting for jobs, looking to get traded to a contender or just simply fighting for a pla...
The Sabres put together a little hot streak after the All-Star break. However, the past 2 games, they have gone right back to where they were before.
Can Buffalo make the playoffs? Yes. Is it a long shot? It doesn’t have to be, but the way Buffalo is playing, [b]yes[/b].
Which now begs the question, what should Buffalo do over the next two weeks with the trade de...
This is, plain and simple, unacceptable hockey from the Buffalo Sabres. I can’t reiterate this enough, but [b]NO LEAD IN HOCKEY IS SAFE[/b]. I don’t care if you’re up by 2, 5, or 20. All it takes is a split second, and boom, someone’s back in the game.
Now, certain people on here are blind to this... Let’s just be honest. I can love line combinations too, but...
Pre-game I was talking to a good friend of mine, we both agreed. Buffalo could win tonight. They have been playing fairly well. Philly is banged up. Enroth is well rested. Let's get a W.
We were reassured in the first twenty. Buffalo jumped ahead to a great 2 nothing lead off the stick of our best two players. Our ONLY two players who can score now a days. Pommer. From ...
This Sabres script has been written before and the story, for me , is getting very old. Since 1997 the Sabres have made the playoffs or just missed them 12 out of 13 years. And I, for one, don‘t want them to win more then 10 games over the next 2 months. It in no way helps them to just miss the playoffs a 5th year. In fact, losing the rest of our games gives us a g...
This Sabres script has been written before and the story, for me , is getting very old. Since 1997 the Sabres have made the playoffs or just missed them 12 out of 13 years. And I, for one, don‘t want them to win more then 10 games over the next 2 months. It in no way helps them to just miss the playoffs a 5th year. In fact, losing the rest of our games gives us a g...
This game can be summed up as a game that Buffalo should have won. Don’t look at the stats, don’t look at the standings... Buffalo should have won this game. Montreal is struggling this season, and is right next to Buffalo (well they were) at the bottom of the East.
Again, I don’t care about whether Myers played in his 200th game, and got his 100th point with a g...
Ive been holding out hope for the Buffalo Sabres to make a run at the playoffs this season but with this weekends loses to the Flyers and Canadians that hope is all but gone. Lets look at the numbers, Toronto currently sits in 8th with 64 points. That is 9 points ahead of the Sabres who sit in the 15th and final spot in the east. The Maple Leafs are on pace to finish this ...
If someone had walked up to me and my fiancé as we walked into First Niagara Center Sunday and said that Buffalo was going to win, I wouldn’t have believed them. I was pleasantly surprised, and pumped as time expired, and Buffalo had disposed of the Penguins.
I was very pleased with the effort today from the Sabres. This was the balanced scoring attack that Buffalo ...
After I wrote my blog this morning, I realized that I had just scrapped the surface as to what is bugging Buffalo fans. So, let’s talk about this realistically.
I think everyone knows that Buffalo can make the playoffs. However, will this team go anywhere? Sure, Buffalo has beaten the Bruins and Penguins pretty badly recently. But in a best of 7 series? I don’t thi...
Everyone in Buffalo is currently wondering what the Sabres status is going to be heading into the deadline on Monday. Rebuild? Push for the playoffs? Cup run possible?
Let’s look at what’s apparent right now. This current Sabres team has played inconsistent hockey all year round. They string together some good games, and then look like a team who would lose to a pee...
It has come that time of year when everything thinks they can fool the (twitter) world by taking on the persona of different management types. Director of Player Personnel, General Manager, heck even Equipment Manager from time to time show up throughout twitter. But my real question to everyone is this: Do you actually believe what these fakers say? Let's take for example...
There’s been a lot of talk lately as the Sabres (and fans) assess their organization. Again, the idea of creating a so called “Hockey Heaven” in Buffalo is pretty vague.
Management thinks that it is making it a great place to play hockey. The idea of selling Buffalo of as a great place to raise a family is fantastic too. The new locker rooms and upgrades to the a...
I’ve thought about this long and hard since I heard of the 2 trades that Buffalo has made. After some careful consideration, and looking at all of the stats, I’m not entirely sold on the deals that Buffalo has made. I’ll break it down to the two trades that were made today.
[b]Gaustad to Nashville[/b]
We all accepted this. I’m actually shocked that the Sabre...
Saturday, 06.14.2008 / 11:17 PM / 2008 Draft
Brampton Battalion center Cody Hodgson already is a student of the game of hockey. But he got a master's-level education during the Under-18 World Championships in April when he suited up for Team Canada at the event.
With long-time NHL coach Pat Quinn serving as professor, Hodgson earned high honors. As team captain, he l...
I could do a few things with this blog tonight.
I could talk about how turnovers are a hockey teams worst enemy.
I could say how Buffalo has been on a hot streak, and were due to lose.
I could talk about how certain Buffalo players need to step up in a game like this.
I could talk about how Buffalo is completing a pretty long road trip, and that they just si...
I think that the most entertaining part of tonight’s game against the Bruins, was watching Boston miss the empty net a few times in the past 2 minutes. Poor play and questionable decisions, and Buffalo has now dropped 2 of their last 3.
Buffalo made the mistake of playing the wrong goalies, in the wrong games. Carolina is the game that Enroth should have started in....
One thing really stood out to me tonight in Buffalo’s win against Ottawa... Ennis’s goal in the dying moments of the 2nd period.
For those of you who missed it, Buffalo gets the puck into the Ottawa end in the last 30 seconds of the 2nd period, down 2-1. Ennis is camped in front of the goal creating the screen on Bishop. Leino gets the puck back to Leopold who lets...
How can we find excuses? How can the team, or anyone for that matter, find an excuse for continued losses, at this point in the season? You can’t. No one can.
Tonight was another example of a game that Buffalo had to win, and should have won. What needs to happen for this team to move forward?
Let’s be honest. This team can’t move forward. If I hear how great...
No I’m not talking about tonights game. Another solid effort tonight from the Sabres. It’s good to see that they aren’t laying over and dying and are playing like they want to make it to the playoffs.
I’m glad that Hodgson is starting to find his way in Buffalo. 2 great goals from him tonight. Very impressive to see him starting to play to his potential. Miller...
Quick hit here on my end...
I spent tonight in Rochester watching the Amerks, and plan on having an update on them by the end of the weekend. I'm also going to do a recap of tomorrow nights game against the Wild on Sunday.
That being said, tomorrow night, I will be in Buffalo hopefully watching Buffalo squeeze into 8th place (and maybe even tie Ottawa with points)....
Wild weekend of hockey for me the past 2 days. I spent Friday night in Rochester with my family taking in the Amerks vs Binghamton game. Saturday, my fiance and I ventured off to Buffalo for the Sabres vs Wild game, as Buffalo makes a push for the playoffs.
[b] Rochester Amerks [/b]
The Amerks are still looking like a solid squad. They may not have won on Friday nig...
Buffalo has finally done it. They are finally in a position that a lot of us would like to see them in. They’re in that spot that I have been anxious about them getting into. With 5 games left in the season, Buffalo is now in charge.
As of right now, Buffalo is in complete control over whether they make the playoffs. Buffalo and Washington each have 5 games left. Buf...
Tuesday night, playoff fever had hit Buffalo. Buffalo didn’t just beat the Capitals, they ran them over with a 5-1 win. Buffalo was in sole possession of 8th place, 2 points up on the Caps, with 5 games left for both teams. Buffalo was in control, and just had to keep playing solid hockey to get into the playoffs.
The Caps won on Thursday, making it clear that Buffal...
Crawfish77 writes...
Buffalo's EPIC comeback via the hands of the Maple Leafs
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Who is ready for the NHL Playoffs? Although I think the, "Because its the cup" slogan for this years playoffs is a complete miss compared to the prior, "History Will Be Made" edition. The NHL playoffs are still very easy to get geared up for regardless. If you haven't seen the highlights or watched the Buffalo/Toronto game from last night, do it now! For my boy @Brimau5, a...
If you're a fan of Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier, don't click on the link. It's not pretty nor pleasant for a fan of either. I do like Ruff, but his time in Buffalo should be done...
Still Here? Great, go check it out, and enjoy.
Most importantly, thanks for reading!! :)
http://betweenthebenches.com/?p=1244
With Draft day looming, a lot of questions are in play.
Do we draft A potential top 6 forward in (Grigorenko, Forsberg, Galchenyuk).
Do we trade up with Edmonton (Who is in dire need of depth at D, and could get it in Ryan Murray.).
Do we trade for rights to an upcoming UFA (Parise).
There is a lot to think about, with one solid line (Pacioretty, Cole, Deshairn...
Brian Burke sure has his fair share of work to do this coming off-season. Now currently owning the longest drought without a cup AND the only team that hasn't made the playoffs since the Lockout, fans are starting to get upset. Ownership doesn't have a problem, just as long as they keep selling tickets, and I think that gives Burke some leeway when it comes to this season....
The Philadelphia Flyers' defense was an obvious fault in their game, leading to their subsequent elimination by the New Jersey Devils in 5 games in the Conference Semi-Finals. This was a problem during the season, however it was masked by their winning ways, as well as the inconsistent play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. During the season, the defense would bail him out of ...
andydrmm writes...
Live, Uncensored, Draft Blog (posted after the 1st Round)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Before anyone freaks about the title of my blog, don’t worry. My goal with this, as I sit down at 7:50 pm (all times EST), to watch the NHL draft, is to throw my thoughts out about the draft as it unfolds. Unfortunately, you the reader will get to read it after the draft is over. Sorry! So, here we go, enjoy… And yes, I will be focusing my thoughts on the Sabres.
Le...
As usual, Fred Shero was not voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
I certainly am not surprised by this since I don't think they'll ever enshrine Fred into the Hall of Fame. I heard there are some people highly opposed to his enshrinement.
I guess it has to do with the whole "Broad Street Bullies" era of the Flyers. I was a small kid at the time and don't remember a l...
I am new to the site, and plan on giving a different perspective on Buffalo Sabres hockey. My knowledge of the Sabres is extensive as my 20 year hockey career. Today is as fitting a day as ever as it was 5 years ago today that the Sabres lost Briere and Drury. New ownership, a different looking team, but the same diehard fans. Here is to a great 2012-2013 season!
Don't ...
Happy 4th of July everyone. I’ve been waiting and stalling on writing this in hopes that there’d be more to look at. However, I’m going to play the card that’s been dealt to myself, and the fans of Buffalo.
First, let’s look at the signings for Buffalo to this point. John Scott, 6’8”, 270. Perhaps he can play defensive line for the Bills as well. There is ...
[img]http://dildeepsingh.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/backlund.jpg[/img]
As it was just announced several minutes ago that Mikael Backlund has signed a 1 year 1-way contract with the Flames with a Cap hit of $725,000. This is even less then Roman Horak, T.J Brodie and Derek Smith will make this year.
Backlund is nothing but upside at the age of 23, despite his injury...
The sabres fanbase, myself included, has attachments to many players on thw current roster for reasons other than talent. Being from Angola, NY and going to the same high school as patrick kaleta, I obviously love seeing him on the squad. Nathan Gerbe is the personification of perseverance and is known for giving his all every night. But do they fit on the newly minted ros...
I’ve been thinking about this past season for the Sabres. Namely how and why things went wrong (if someone says injuries, I’m going to scream). I do really like the new players that Buffalo has brought in, and I’m anxious as to what will happen next. But my question is, will it matter?
I like the additions so far, and I get the feeling that there’s more in the w...
When I look at the Sabres roster for next year, the one glaring thing that sticks out is the number of d-men they have.
As it stand right now they have Ehrhoff, Regher, Myers, Leopold, Weber, Sekera, Sulzer, McNabb, and Pardy. Thats 9 NHL Dman. Somethings gotta give, somebody's goina get moved out. The big question is who, and for what?
First of all, let's look at w...
According to a Twitter hockey insider there is a possibility of Darcy Regier going after Shane Doan to possibly replace Thomas Vaneknif he's used in a trade which looks like it would be for Paul Stastny. Buffalo has talked to Doan's agent and has also had multiple talks with the Avalanche. In my eyes, Buffalo should do whatever it takes to grab Stastny with giving up a to...
As most people know, Mike Green rejected a 1 year 5 mil offer from the Caps.
Does This mean he will not return to Washington?
They could Trade him to a defense-needing team.
They could take compensation.
BUT if George McPhee is wise he will resign him
Leave Thoughts
~~SEXY OMLET 43
By the title I know most Sabres fans will think I'm crazy but let's look at Leino for a second. I'll admit when I heard that Buffalo had signed him I was excited and thinking he might do good in Buffalo, then I heard the price. A 6-year deal for $27,000,000 with 4.5M cap hit. That's the definition of overpaid, he had one good season putting up 19G 34A 54 PTS +14 but to me ...
The past few days on Twitter have been crazy about the possible moves that teams are making for Anaheim forward Bobby Ryan. The one thing I hate about twitter is you never know what deals are actually true and which are fake. I've heard Philadelphia , Buffalo, and Boston have all made offers to Anaheim for Bobby Ryan, Lets go more in depth on these possible trades.
Let...
[quote]BUFFALO, N.Y. (July 31, 2012) --- Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier today announced the team has signed forward Patrick Kaleta to a new, multi-year contract.
Kaleta (6’1”, 206 lbs., 6/8/86) led the team in 2011-12 with 116 PIM and led all forwards with 139 hits. Through 63 games played last season, Kaleta recorded 10 points (5+5).
A Buffalo nativ...
Alright, 2nd blog today, but this a fun one. I will be doing my all-prospect team today. These prospects can only have a MAX of 1 year under their belt. They must also play their respective position. I will be doing 12 FW, 6 D and 2 G.
Yakupov-RNH-Landeskog
Schenn-Galchenyuk-Kreider
Johansen-Couts-Forsberg
Granlund-Hodgson-Connolly
Larsson-Gardiner
Gudbranson-Ha...
The NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement will soon expire leaving both NHL owners and the NHLPA (NHL Players' Association) scrambling to get a new deal done that satisfies both parties. The first proposal showed the serious issues between the owners and the players and while the initial proposal is clearly one-sided, it can be worked out in time for the next NHL season. T...
Today Eklund made my day by saying the Oilers and Sabres were working on a major deal. As an Oilers fan this summer has been a big let down. Other than the signing justin Schultz the only other thing I could look forward to was 2 more months and then the season will hopefully start. So onto the rumor Eklund stated that the Oilers would want a significant D-man and right aw...
Rumors have been floating around for a while on Different players Buffalo is chasing. Names like Stasney, Ryan, and most recently Gagner have all shown up in rumors. It turns out, Buffalo could be setting up something a little better than most would have thought.
Recently the Flyers lost another D due to injury. The Oilers and Ducks are in desperate need of a good ...
Sorry guys. But my first blog in awhile is going to be somewhat negative. I also have to disclose that I'm a Leafs fan. Now with that out of the way, to the point at hand.
With Hasek wanting to return to the NHL (NHL or bust according to him) at 47 and the Leafs needing a veteran goaltender to backup Reimer (or Scrivens?) maybe there's a fit? Why not give him a try at t...
I finally found out that the Sabres minipacks were going on sale right before my wedding. Just one more thing to stress about the week I lose my freedom (kidding!!!).
Traditionally, My fiancé (soon to be wife) and I go in on a minipack with my parents. While we would like to get season tickets, it’s tough not living in Buffalo. However, we’re always watching the ga...
Corseting writes...
Exceeding Expectations - Fantasy players for 2012/2013
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I honestly can't believe we are almost at the start of another season. One that I promise you will begin with no lockout... just don't see it happening this time.
What I will be looking at is those players who I believe will surprise and contribute to your fantasy team (If not a "surprise" they will definitely improve from last year). This will be solely on [b]POINTS[/b...
Corseting writes...
Exceeding Expectations - Fantasy goalies for 2012/2013
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This is Part 2 of my fantasy outlook blog, for those of you who missed Part 1 on [b]players[/b], please check it out here:
[url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=96143&post_id=13915[/url]
Wonderful.
So, just as a refresher, the basis of this blog is to assess those fantasy assets who I see taking a step up in the 2012/2013 season. Although that doesn'...
Overall, Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier is playing it smart as the NHL is amidst the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement. Only 2 players on the roster have a higher salary cap hit than $6 million for the next season (Ryan Miller-$6.3 M, Thomas Vanek-$7.1 M). In the case the $58 million salary cap is agreed upon, player movement to Rochest...
Today I'm going to venture away from my usual niche of statistics and into the mysterious and compelling realm of prediction. That's right, my usual calculator gives way to a crystal ball, my mathematical approach gives way to voodoo. So I'll tell you what I see the standings being in the Northeast during the gap between regular season and playoff hockey. Let's start.
1...
So the new NHL game came out and i saw another writer asking if people would like to see the Sabers simulated day by day and he would write about it. I personally thought it was a great idea and I'de like to offer the same thing. Let me know if you'd like to see the Blackhawks season simulated day by day and maybe see the same scores we will once the season actually stars....
I have been blasting on Twitter all night!! Nobody has sympathy for millionaires – or billionaires – on strike. Now they can all fly to Cabo and sulk, while waiting for their 5 digit weekly checks to roll in again. What about the people who just lost their jobs – and possibly their homes? – because of all of this…
Wealthy people do not often fraternize with no...
PuckingOpinion writes...
If You Must Switch: How To Avoid The Bandwagon Title
Posted Friday | Comments 0
They're out there, and real fans hate them. The Bandwagon Jumpers.
How do we define a bandwagon jumper? It's really up to your own opinion I suppose, but I'm going to fill you in on my guidelines for a bandwagon jumper.
[i]
A Bandwagon Jumper is defined as a fan who displays a lack of loyalty and supports only winning teams, changing from team to team as success ris...
There’s a lot of buzz right now about there being a deal on the table between the NHL and NHLPA. I’ll believe it when they announce “There’s a deal we both agree on, and that we’re starting the season on _______ date.” For now, I’ll leave the speculation to everyone else, and write about something different (as well as a quick hit on Corey Tropp).
I’m no...
If Bettman's suggestion goes through and Fehr and Bettman are lesioned from the situation with players and owners doing the raw negotiations, a deal will get done much faster so long as they keep it that way. It will. But one side will probably be a clear winner at the end of all of this because they'll quickly establish a language and the more persistent will probably o...
I normally write a lot more. I just have been having a real difficult time coming up with topics right now due to there not being NHL games. A lot of the topics that I’m ready to dive into, I’d rather write about during the season. Plus, there’s real examples there to use, instead of just going back to the past.
It’s tough to write when there’s a lockout goin...
It’s Friday night, I’m at home watching... nothing. Well that’s not true. My wife is playing a Wii game while I sit here with a beer typing my blog. I’m reminded once again of the fact that there’s not NHL hockey on my TV, and the pain that it brings hockey fans.
I’m seriously concerned of the long term impacts that it looks like this lockout will have. I�...
If there is one thing anyone who follows the NHL knows, even the mere mention of the name, "Gary Bettman" evokes a response. The NHL Commish is a polarizing figure, no more so than when a new CBA is being formed, and especially when there is a strike or lockout. Everyone, from the casual hockey fan, to the players in the League, has an opinion of "Bettman", and surely aren...
With Eklund breaking the news that the amnesty clause is back in the lastest proposal offered by the NHL, it's time to play who gets the gate.
This is not just for Sabres fans, as it's for any teams fans.
Which player would you amnesty from your favorite team?
You can give two choices, ranking them 1. and 2.
There are going to be obvious choices, like Gomez with ...
Forget my initial opening for this. I’m currently hiding with my father, from the baby shower (for my sister), which is taking place beneath our feet. We currently have plenty of beer in a snow bank outside to keep it cold because the fridge is in the middle of the party, and there’s no way that we’re going down there.
Why am I here? Few reasons; playoff football...
I wont believe that Derek Roy isn't a Sabre anymore until I see it Sunday 1/20/13 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Sabres didn't make any moves for a true NHL caliber number 1 center, but I do like the moves that they made in the off-season (a very long off-season.) Buffalo Sabres traded Derek Roy for tough guy Steve Ott and dman Adam Pardy. They also acquired enf...
Everyone seems to be in scramble mode this week to pull together drafts, leaving very little time to prepare. If youre like me and play on various sites, its easy to forget the rules and nuances of each league. Blindly drafting without regard to the rules can be fatal. Even if youre Biff Tannen and you know exactly how many points each player will score next season, ...
As a follow up to my previous article on CBS Fantasy Hockey Draft Strategy, I wanted to come back with a breakdown of how you should approach drafting in a standard head-to-head Yahoo league. Many of the principals are the same as CBS (and any league for that matter).
For now, Ill focus on the specific things you need to know for Yahoo Fantasy Hockey leagues in order t...
I wasn’t going to initially write today. Take a day off, get ready for the season opener tomorrow. But then this happened;
Darcy Regier was awarded a [i]lovely[/i] little contract extension this morning.
Note the sarcasm.
Now, I’m not saying this out of maliciousness. Seriously. I have several reasons why Darcy should have been gone a long time ago. Let’s ...
So game one the leafs could have lost easily in the dying seconds and game two they could have won in the dying seconds. Not only was the scenario a coplete opposite, in my opinion the leafs played a better game against Buffalo than Montreal. Congradulations Ryan Miller for coming out and spoiling a great team effort with a stellar night between the pipes. Wouldn't it be ...
We all remember Terry Pegula’s emotional speech after he took over the Buffalo Sabres on February 22, 2011. We all know that he started his speech with “Who am I? I am a Sabre fan and have been since 1975.” He continued to go on with this speech by thanking Tom Golisano for “Saving my hockey team.” Then, he went on to turn to the great Gil Perreault and told him ...
This isn’t your typical “they’re over playing Miller” blog. The way the Sabres are currently playing, there’s a different element in play here. There’s a huge mental element that I feel may come back to bite Buffalo in the rear.
While I missed last nights game, I saw the highlights as well as how Miller bailed out the team last night, big time. After gettin...
I will not try to calculate cap or anything, this is for fun, and what I believe could potentially be an ultimate team. I will pick 4 lines, 3 sets of d, and two goalies. The point is to create a team not of superstars but together will play as a team.rnrn1st UnitrnJames Van Riemsdyke - Sidney Crosby - Steven StamkosrnrnThis unit will have JVR is front of the net, and Cros...
Emotion is a huge part of the game of hockey, more so than any other sport. That is the aspect of the game that draws in the fans; the intensity, devotion, and sacrifice. The ups and downs, the ebbs and flows. The excitement and the despair.
To an extent, the fans reflect the emotion of the game. We scream, yell, and shout. We sit on the edge of our seats, hoping and pr...
Blueliner17 writes...
Cody Hodgson Showing Offensive Abilities but Defensive Woes
Posted Monday | Comments 0
When the Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier traded for Cody Hodgson on trade deadline day of the 2011-2012 season, he was planning to fill the void at center. It was awhile before hitting the scoresheet but in the 2013 season, he has produced regularly while centering the top line between a hot Thomas Vanek (LW) and steady captain, Jason Pominville (RW). The consistency in sco...
It is fair to say that anyone expecting a brand new performance from the Buffalo Sabres after the firing of Lindy Ruff would be unreasonable. Remember, the same players, especially those who are underperforming (Stafford and Myers primarily), remain on the roster.
Does this mean these players are done for? No.
It means that Rolston had less than 12 hours to intill ...
First off, it's been a while since I've written an article (here or anywhere), so I thought I'd go for it again. Hi to all those I don't get the chance to "chat" with anymore!
With that out of the way, I went back to check the box score of all of the games so far this season to check out how the Sabres have been playing from a period-to-period perspective.In looking ba...
I’ve really had to wrap my head around this blog. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve had something even remotely positive to write about with this team. Well, the Sabres finally delivered something mildly positive to bring a glimmer of hope to the fans of Buffalo.
Remember, it’s just a glimmer.
Buffalo has gotten 6 much needed points the last 3 game...
What is wrong with the Devils? That is the question that all Devil's fan's are asking right now. After such a strong start, the Devil's have faltered in the last couple of weeks and have slid from 1st in the east all the way to 7th. There are several possible causes for the slide but I have highlighted below the few that I believe are the most pressing.
Scoring-With Pari...
First and foremost, this isn’t going to be an article complaining about how Kaleta was suspended. He deserved the suspension, to a degree. I’m also going to look at Kaleta’s roll with the Sabres, because despite arguments, I wouldn’t want to see him on another team.
We all saw what happened, and I don’t think anyone denies that Kaleta was going to be suspende...
Im sorry but what?rnrnhow the hell did kaleta get a 5 game suspension for a nudge?
that hit was barely a hit, Richards fell more than he was pushed, especially the day before the air jump on lundin was only a 4 gamer. to me this makes no sense
What will happen to Ville Leino?
well Regier needs to figure out what is going on with his 2011 off-season flop.
Leino had a stellar career high 53 points with the flyers before he came to buffalo but can he repeat it? no i dont think so nor do most.
last year he missed 11 games due to injury and played a mediocre season being demoted to the 3rd line. Ruff trie...
As the Sabres have hit the half way mark of the regular season they currently sit on the outside looking in. They have underachieved during the first 24 games and now making the post season seams almost impossible. The rangers currently hold the 8th spot with 4 points but contain a 3 game in hand edge over dull sabres.
[u]whats the issue?[/u]
-Well Miller has be...
As the Sabres have hit the half way mark of the regular season they currently sit on the outside looking in. They have underachieved during the first 24 games and now making the post season seams almost impossible. The rangers currently hold the 8th spot with 4 points but contain a 3 game in hand edge over dull sabres.
[u]whats the issue?[/u]
-Well Miller has be...
I’ve been asked a lot what moves I would make if I were GM for the Sabres. So, I’m finally putting this blog together after much thought. I’m basing my philosophy on one of my favorite movies, [i]Miracle[/i]. For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s the Hollywood version of the 1980 Miracle On Ice.
About 10 minutes into the film, you see tryouts for the 198...
First, my disclaimer, I have been a Sabres fan since as long as I can remember. My first phrase as a child, as far as I've been told, was "I wanna watch hockeysabres" Yes as one word. I do live in Maryland now as I had to sadly move from Buffalo to pursue my career.
The Sabres efforts have been lackadaisical as of late. Everyone from as high up as Pomminville all the w...
I apologize for the brief moment of silence recently. I was battling some illness this week and I’m finally feeling back up to par. So in getting back into this, I figured I’d delve into the trade deadline, and what the Buffalo Sabres approach should be.
I’ve seen a lot of trade rumors circulating this team. Emphasis on rumor. I don’t put much stock in these th...
Tonight, due to injury of Sabres defenseman, Andrej Sekera, would have normally seen extra defenseman, T.J. Brennan, as the replacement. That has all changed as Brennan was traded to the Florida Panthers for a fifth-round pick of the 2013 draft. And as Brennan scored in his first game with the team, seeing over 22 minutes of ice-time, Sabres fans have been critical of the ...
The Sabres should look into a trade with the St.Louis Blues. The Blues have alot of young great talent, both on offense and defense. They also hav alot of players who will be restricted free agents after the season, while the Sabres have some assets that the Blues could use for a deep playoff run this year. Darcy should look into a trade that sends [u][u]Stafford and Re...
I don't even know where to begin when it comes to the Sabre's power play this season, I mean as a Sabre's fan, I am no stranger to a poor and streaky power play, but what the hell is going on here? The Sabre's are dead last in the NHL converting just 13 of 108 opportunities, while also allowing a league leading 5 short handed goals. I could deal with a bad conversion ...
Not looking for an answer here. So don’t try to give me one (“Too late”, says my wife as I proof read it to her. She answered “no” for those of you who were curious.). I’ll admit that it’s very tempting to get caught up in the rush of the past 2 Sabres games. Winning in Montreal and then beating Toronto in what may have been the best game Buffalo’s played t...
We're now 15 games into Ron Rolston's time as coach, and I grabbed some numbers to see some form of comparison between he and Ruff's tenure this year. I thought I'd start with goaltending and get a sense of our overall defensive numbers.
Let's start with the 2 coaches' records:
Ruff: 6-10-1
Rolston: 7-5-3
Rolston started rough, 0-2 start from a lousy team who cou...
I know that there’s a lot of buzz surrounding the Sabres right now. Personally, I’m a little miffed by this. However, I can understand why Sabres fans are very excited with the upcoming games. There’s thoughts of adding to the Sabres win streak with their next 3 opponents. They may even hit the season high win streak of 4 games! Sabres fans are starting to get excite...
If I was in charge of the Buffalo Sabres, I would take a wrecking ball to the team and start over. The dream has vanished. Playoffs are not happening people. Ever since losing Briere and Drury, this team has struggled year after year. The drive and skill are lacking in the locker room. Ron Rolston's comments last night proves that coaching is not the issue, it's the b...
Last night, my wife and I were out to dinner after a day of errands, and we began discussing the Buffalo Sabres and the trade deadline. Over dinner, I laid out a revamp for the Buffalo Sabres. Long story short, Buffalo has a terrific opportunity in front of them right now.
And Darcy Regier at the helm to get it… [b]Yeah right[/b], won’t happen.
Regier is the indi...
Alright so definitely an interesting trade deadline day in Buffalo.
Moving Pomminville, Regher, and Leopold was a great idea without a doubt. Am I completely happy with the return on those players? Not yet. I know that getting two prospects and a first rounder and a second rounder for Pomminville seems great. The problem is do we trust Darcy and this administration ...
2 weeks ago, I wouldn’t have thought that the Buffalo Sabres would lose to the Panthers, Lightning, and Capitals, and then beat the Penguins, Senators, and Devils.
It’s like we’re in opposite land or something. Not that I’m complaining, but it is nice to see the Sabres beat some good teams for a change.
There seems to be something different about this Sabre...
How many times have we seen the Buffalo Sabres do what they’ve done this week?
The Sabres came up with 3 great wins against the Penguins, Senators, and Devils. They pulled themselves into a great position, having gotten within 4 points of the elusive 8th place seed in the Eastern Conference. Hope, for the fans of Buffalo, had been restored.
Heading into Tuesday ni...
First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers to the families impacted by today’s tragic events in Boston. In moments of tragedy, hopefully people can find inspiration in the actions of those who didn’t run away from disaster, but ran towards it in an effort to help. [b]Those individuals truly are heroes. [/b]
My family and I attended the Sabres vs Flyers game on Sa...
When the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres meet at First Niagara Center Friday Night the Buffalo Sabres will look to do something they have attempted three times so far this season and have failed to accomplish. That which has eluded them all season is four wins in a row. This team may not make the playoffs, but one has to believe that they may have turned a corner. Afte...
Yes, I know I’m a week early. I know that Buffalo’s final game of this season is next Friday against the Islanders. But that matters not, since the Sabres have lost to the New York Rangers tonight. Another must win game for the Sabres that they failed to rise to the occasion for.
And doesn’t that sum up the Buffalo Sabres for the past few years?
The past few s...
Those of you who have read my blogs for quite sometime know that I’m not a fan of Darcy Regier, and I haven’t been for quite some time. There’s a lot of talk about his future in Buffalo, especially as the Sabres will once again miss out on the playoffs. 2013 has seen Lindy Ruff leave the Buffalo Sabres organization, and it’s time for Darcy to leave too.
Let’s...
In breaking news....It has been made official that Darcy Regier will be the GM next season. Well that kills my hope for change. Darcy remains GM to fix his own mess of a team. After a second straight season with no playoffs, looking worse than before, and the same lousy excuse for a general manager the Sabres organization sees it fit to raise ticket prices...THIS IS MAD...
I think my title speaks for itself. I was convinced that today was the day that Darcy’s reign of terror in Buffalo came to an end. I was wrong. However, I didn’t think that things would take the turn that it did during the press conference at First Niagara Center.
There’s one direction that the Sabres are headed in right now. Straight down. The fans don’t even ...
After an [i]exhaustive[/i] search for a head coach, the Sabres have named their man. Ron Rolston will remain behind the bench for the Buffalo Sabres in the upcoming years. However, some individuals seem to be up in arms about this.
I don’t know what all the fuss is about.
Let’s look at this team that he had to coach. They weren’t exactly a team of all-stars. ...
This is the start of my off season assessment of the Buffalo Sabres players. I figured I would start with two on again, off again line mates in Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno. On paper, these are 2 completely different players. Ennis is 5’9”, 157 lbs while Foligno is 6’3” and 226 lbs. However, both of them can add a lot to the Sabres.
Before I kick this off, I�...
Tyler Myers.
I already know that just by saying his name, a lot of people’s attention just caught this blog. He’s been with the Sabres his entire NHL career, and after having a dazzling rookie career, he seems to be struggling.
Prompting the question...
What happened to Tyler Myers??
First off, his point totals have significantly decreased since his rooki...
Hey everybody, in this blog i'm gonna be doing a live blog covering the memorial cup final between the Halifax Mooseheads and the Portland Winterhawks. It's gonna be a good game and I hope you enjoy it.
To start out I'm gonna do a prediction and do a little talking about the 2 teams. In this game we have the projected top 3 picks in this draft (Jones, MacKinnon, Droui...
There’s one name that has been surrounded with controversy this past season with the Buffalo Sabres. That man, is Mikhail Grigorenko. The number one draft pick for the Sabres had very high expectations placed upon him. The way [i]some[/i] people wrote about him, I have expected him to show up in a cape, looking like a super hero. He could do no wrong according to some.
...
I figured, since I keep hearing trade rumors about the Buffalo Sabres goaltenders, it was about time to address it. Buffalo has a huge issue when it comes to goalies, but I think it’s a good issue;
They’ve got a LOT of goalies in their system.
As I’m sure a lot of you have figured out, I’m going to be focusing on Ryan Miller and Jhonas Enroth. I’ll also st...
The HABS have some interesting choices to make in this upcoming draft? They have 3 second round and 2 third round picks. I believe they will put together a package to try and move up to the top 15. By trading their first and one of their seconds might give them this opportunity. Anyone care to share their opinion?
As the Stanley Cup Finals reminds us that the shortened season of 2013 is coming to a close, thoughts turn to the draft in New Jersey. However, as Buffalo fans, we were looking towards the draft about halfway through the season when it was apparent that the Sabres just wasn’t that good.
Now, we sit a mere 2 weeks away from the 2013 NHL draft. This year promises to be...
Everybody knows that size matters.
I’m talking about the one that gives you the reach to get to the puck first or take it away from a player, the one that makes you less likely to get tossed away from the puck or that you can use to toss smaller players from it, the one that hurts when you bodycheck a player and the one that makes it less likely to get hurt or tired whe...
As we approach the start of free agency and the draft, a lot of people are up in the air as to what is going to happen with the Buffalo Sabres.
Despite how some of my blogs come off, I’m a huge fan of the Sabres. I always have been, and I always will be. Regardless of what this team does, I’m still rooting for them. However, there has to be a certain disconnect wit...
Well, the weekend of doom, I mean draft weekend is upon us. Sorry for the doom comment, being a Sabres fan, you kind of get used to it being a difficult week/weekend (especially with Darcy in charge). There are certain does and don’ts with this draft/free agency/trade period. Personally, this is how I would handle things were it me.
Let’s address the don’ts first...
Sunday, my wife and I ventured off to Buffalo for lunch with her mother, and then for the ever popular Sabres Draft Party. This blog is going to cover the Sabres draft, and the atmosphere in First Niagara Center as the day progressed.
Like many others, we arrived at FNC and I was on my phone following up on every rumor that I could find. I had donned my Taro Tsumimoto ...
I won’t take anything away from right wing David Clarkson. When he deploys his A-game, Clarkson is a rugged power forward with tons of offensive upside, the type of player any team would want. With that said, I cannot put enough emphasis on the wording of that previous sentence, more particularly, the first five words of it, an allusion to the glaring shortcomings that h...
Free agency begins tomorrow around the National Hockey League. The Buffalo Sabres have begun their offseason by making a couple small moves. First, the Sabres drafted a couple of talented, young defenseman in Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov. Overall, they had one of the best drafts for any team in the NHL. Also on draft day, the Sabres traded defenseman Andr...
With already 22 contracts, and the soon to be signed MacKinnon, the Avalanche already had a full roster making for a slow free agency season. The Avs put both Hunwick and Zanon on waivers with the hopes that one or both would get picked up by another team. No one was interested, leading to Zanon being bought out earlier today. The Avs did not use one or their two complianc...
Rumors are vanek and miller for Niklas Backstrom and a first round pick from Washington.
Darcy Regier was not kidding when he said he would remain quiet during the free agency period. The only news the team made was signing AHLer, Drew Bagnall, and re-signing defenseman, Alexander Sulzer. Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek are still members of the Buffalo Sabres, for now. Talks between Buffalo and the St. Louis Blues ended when the price for Ryan Miller was ...
I have been waiting to discuss free agency/trades for something to happen with Buffalo. Alas, I can wait no more. Yes I know free agency is still on going, and trades can happen at anytime. However, the initial excitement has come to a close.
The Buffalo faithful have been wondering where Darcy Regier has been. There was even several tweets on Twitter with the hashtag ...
BuffaJoe writes...
Tallinder, McBain, Sulzer, and the Sabres' logjam on defense
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Since it's the most recent development, I'll start off by saying that I think bringing Tallinder back into the fold was a great move by Darcy and the Sabres. Not only has he had a solid career as a defensive defenseman, but he is exactly the kind of hard-working professional that the young Sabres need as a role model. The most interesting aspect of this move, however, is w...
andrewhitson writes...
Motown Musings: Wings Roll into Development Camp
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Exciting times ahead in Motown. The Wings were active on FA Day bringing in much needed top six depth while staying away from costly trades or ill-timed signings.
I've seen a lot of fans chime in on line combinations lately, and without a doubt Mr. Babcock has plenty of options to play with. But, for the thrill of the guess, i'll post my idea of an ideal situation on op...
In stunning news today, Ilya Kovalchuk retired from the NHL. He is leaving the Devils with 12 years left on his current deal and $77 million left on the table. Kovalchuk will go back to Russia and now probably play in the KHL.
So where does that leave the Devils? Their leading scorer is now gone, they re-signed an aging (but still very talented) Patrick Eli...
ScottyHuck writes...
Buffalo, Calgary and Columbus First Round Draft Results
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I know it has been a while since the 2013 NHL Draft came to a close, but this is something I have been meaning to comment on for a while and simply haven't gotten around to writing. Since its been a while, here is a list of who picked whom and in which position.
6th Overall - Calgary - Sean Monahan
Center - 6'2"/185 lbs
8th Overall - Buffalo - Rasmus Ristolainen
D...
It seems the Sabres may be done with free agency and trades for the upcoming year. Honestly I am ok with that. I wish we could have picked up a veteran forward to help score goals and help the youngers guys but all in all I am looking into the season with optomism. Do I think the Sabres have a contending team? No. Do I think they are a borderline playoff team? No. To me th...
Salutations, First off, I’d like to give a little background about myself in order to allow you all to either consider my thoughts coming from a valid source or choose to ignore me right off the bat. I am a twenty-eight year old male who was born in raised in the Rochester area. I have been a Buffalo sports fan for as long as I’ve been alive. I have never played org...
Brayton writes...
Evaluating the Schedule and the Upcoming Season for Buffalo
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
For the first time since the 2011-12 season, the Sabres will be playing a full 82 games. The schedule was released yesterday afternoon, just hours after the NHL had announced that NHL players would be allowed to play in the Sochi Olympics in February of 2014. Here are some of the dates to look forward to this season:
Oct. 2 @ Detroit
Oct. 4 vs. Ottawa
Oct. 12 @...
Many in Buffalo are still wondering, why in the world are Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek still on this team? Well it's not an easy question to answer. There is little logical sense to keeping to aging stars with only a year left on their contracts for a team that has publicly said that it is time for a rebuild. Time for a rebuild means tearing down the core that you previous...
For those who did not attend, I got a huge problem with top prospect Mikhail Grigorenko after what I saw at the scrimmage at First Niagara Center. Mikhail Grigorenko, last year's 12th overall pick, centered the top line on Team Gold and had the chance to stand out amongst the other prospects. That is not what happened. Fellow first rounder Zemgus Girgensons centered the to...
Remember almost 4 years ago when Ryan Miller was probably the world's best goaltender? Not only was he the Vezina Trophy winner that year, but he was also the MVP of the Vancouver Olympics and almost led Team USA to the gold medal over Team Canada. It seemed like Ryan Miller was unstoppable and was gonna lead Buffalo to glory.
Almost 4 years later, Ryan Mill...
I know I’ve been quiet for awhile. I have been racking my brain as to what is going on with the Sabres, and whether anything is even taking place at First Niagara Center. Unfortunately, not much is going on aside from a few signings of restricted free agents.
However, as July comes to a close, a sense of hockey is in the air. The Sabres development camp has come to a...
Losing my post v-card, here we go...
We all know Grabovski had some choice words for the Leafs organization and staff, but considering how he was used by Carlyle, can you really blame him? We all know players in his situation are thinking it, but it actually takes balls to say it! You have to commemorate him for holding it all in during the season and showing up every ...
For the first time the other day, I took the 10 minute drive from my house to Rayzor's Hot Dog Stand in Springville, NY. Rob Ray has done an excellent job with the place and the food was pretty good as well. Inside, Rob has his own "penalty box" gallery with many pictures of himself as a Buffalo Sabre. There he had a picture of one of his memorable fights against B...
It’s tough being a Sabres fan these days. There’s not a lot of hope or optimism surrounding the team. The Sabres website did a great job the other day playing up the NHL.com article on Rick Jeanneret’s infamous “May Day” call. I started thinking about some of my favorite memories watching the Buffalo Sabres.
Now I have to emphasize this, these are 2 of my fav...
It is clear we have a couple holes on the Canucks depth chart. In my eyes we need 1 physical stay at home D-Man and 1 grinder who can score when needed to. With only $4.5 mil our options are fairly few, but I feel there is an opportunity here to get exactly who we need and stay under the cap. Now Gillis just needs to pull the trigger before they get snatched up.
My tak...
“I point the finger squarely on (NHL agent) JP Barry, the man who blessed us with the (Dany) Heatley mess.”
Doesn’t it feel like every time the Senators hit center stage in the NHL world Eugene Melnyk is quoted saying something as blasphemous as this?
I mean if it’s not his personal vendetta against Matt Cooke being publicly announced after his top defense m...
The Buffalo Sabres season is upon us once again. This time, no lockouts and no stalling. 27 days until the preseason begins, and 44 days until the first game of the year in Detroit. There are still a lot of questions on who is going to play and who is going to make the roster. I will be evaluating the roster for the Sabres and giving you my take on who will play w...
Hey everyone,
Right now, the Flyers line up something like this:
Hartnell - Giroux - Voracek
B. Schenn - Lecavalier - Simmonds
Laughton - Courturier - Read
McGinn - Talbot - Rinaldo
Rosehill - Hall
Not a bad forward group right? And the D line up like so:
Coburn - Timmonen
Meszaros - Streit
Grossmann - Schenn
Gustaffsson
Mason
Emery
Whe...
We're now only 39 days away from the start of the Buffalo Sabres season! Training camp is days away and the preseason begins in another 22 days. As I drove past the First Niagara Center on the I-190 yesterday, seeing the construction of the Harbor Center as well, I started to feel the anticipation of the season coming. I'm really eager to see how this young group o...
It's official! September 12th is the day training camp begins for the Sabres! Now there are 15 days until training camp, 18 days until the first preseason game in Montreal, and 35 days until Buffalo opens the season in Detroit.
The Sabres defense is stock-piled again like last year. Last year there were many questions on who will play and who will be in Roc...
It’s been awhile since I’ve written. Part of the struggle right now, for just about all Sabres fans, is things don’t look too good for the Sabres at this point in time. It’s not a good position that they are setting themselves in for the upcoming season.
Buffalo is in the same position they find themselves in just about every year- stuck in the painful middle p...
I completely understand peoples views on the buffalo sabres. what direction are they going in? what is to happen to our stars? who are able to step up? how good can our prospects play? how well will rolston do in his first full season as an nhl coach?
this is the issue with this team, wayyyyyyy too many questions. But i am here to try to answer most of them
On m...
Now this subject has been talked about a lot this summer but not until recent news this might actually be legitimate.
buffalo has inquired about players on the Colorado Avalanche, Patrick Roy is apparently interested in acquiring Ryan Miller. This seams to be growing and growing with certainty.
why this can work? well the avs currently have way too many skilled ce...
Let the talks heat up again as Ryan Miller is, apparently, back on the trading blocks. Eklund first reported that talks between the Sabres and Avalanche involving Ryan Miller were heating up once again as training camp quickly approaches. Then another outlet reported the same thing that Miller talks in Colorado were beginning to brew. Then, Garth told us yesterday ...
Follow me on Twitter @jcimms9
September has arrived and we are but days away from training camps beginning to open and unless things change fast there will be two very noticeable faces missing for the Leafs.
RFA's Cody Franson and Nazem Kadri have yet to ink a deal with the blue and white after coming off both players most impressive season performances to date.
...
Today the Sabres, well, Steve Ott, revealed the new 3rd jersey to the public via Twitter. After two months of sneak peaks and clues about the 3rd jersey, the jersey has been unveiled to some harsh criticism. When I saw the jersey, all I thought was, "um..."
Here's what they look like:
[b]http://sabres.nhl.com/club/gallery.htm?id=37853&navid=DL|BUF|home[/b]
...
I could not wait any longer, and I believe that the situation will remain the same. With two days until players begin reporting to Buffalo, and three days until training camp begins, the Buffalo Sabres' goaltending position is solid. Even with all the speculations of Ryan Miller being traded, Miller is still a member of the Buffalo Sabres. So this is what I have fo...
In a six second Vine yesterday, Cody Hodgson addressed the Buffalo Sabres fan base that he was going to be a Sabre for six more years. Hodgson and the Sabres have been talking for months about a new deal, and finally came to a deal yesterday afternoon. The terms of the deal are six years at $24.5 million, which is an annual base of $4.25 million a year. That shrink...
It's early in the morning here at Sabres training camp, day number three. Since being a college kid does not allow me time to enjoy what I want to enjoy, I missed part of the second day yesterday. Made it just in time to see the scrimmage between Team Gold and Team Gray and for session three. Session three included players such as[b] Tyler Ennis, Drew Stafford, Joh...
[b]Rasmus Ristolainen[/b] got his first shot at the NHL on Sunday against Montreal. In the game, Ristolainen had two shots and an assist in 23:22 TOI. The defensive group in Buffalo is stacked, and it would be a tough road for Ristolainen to make the Sabres. The Sabres are giving the 18-year old every chance they can for him to make the NHL roster. So does Rasmus ...
Tonight is the first preseason game at the First Niagara Center since September of 2011. The lineups are set, and once again more young talent will be displayed tonight in Downtown Buffalo. The lineup looks like this:
[u][b]Forwards:[/b][/u]
[b]Vanek-Hodgson-Armia[/b]
[b]Ennis-Grigorenko-Flynn[/b]
[b]Tropp-Larsson-Leino[/b]
[b]Gillies-Porter-Adam[/b]
[u][b...
The Buffalo Sabres are now 3-0 in the preseason with an impressive 5-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. In front of 17.626 fans at the First Niagara Center, there was a lot of good things to take from the game last night. Some players took a step back, but some players made a statement with their performances.
Carolina got the first goal of the game with...
We’re officially less than 2 weeks away from hockey season starting. Buffalo Sabres hockey starts with a lot of huge questions and there really aren’t a lot of answers. The roster is slowly getting trimmed down, and the next thing we know, Buffalo will be taking the ice at Joe Louis Arena for their opening game against the Detroit.
While there are a lot of concerns...
Many users have already written about the Scott/Kessel ordeal, here are some of the most important facts to keep in mind before stating your opinion on the matter:
- Scott was on the ice already during the Tropp fight and stayed on the ice
- Carlyle put Kessel out on the ice, knowing Scott was already out there
- Scott was going to fight whoever was put n...
I am not talking about color of skin or race but there are some key building blocks.
You have to have a guy from Sweden on there. It is a must. Chicago has more than one. We moved our only guy, Omark to the minors.
Good goalies don't come from Regina, if they are born there, fine but they need to play minor league hockey in Quebec. We all know that. Chicago agai...
Five days. FIVE DAYS. That is all the separates us die-hards from the start of the NHL regular season. It’s hard to believe that this time last year we were wondering if there would even be a hockey season for the 2012-13 campaign. However, it is quite a different story this year. Thank God. With the regular season starting soon many Fantasy Hockey League drafts will be ...
Today I got the Sports Illustrated NHL Preview Edition. The Sabres were ranked 14th out of the 16 in the east with New Jersey and Florida being the only two teams below. Considering the fact that no NHL regular season games have been played this seems like a fair assessment. The question Sabres fans are asking is where will these ranks be in the coming months. Personally I...
BuffaJoe writes...
Drew Stafford Is Already Playing Himself Off the Roster
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The heat will be turned on high for every Sabre this season. Looking through the roster in the midst of the Sabres’ overhaul reveals a melting pot of players from different stages in their careers. Every player has a lofty set of individual challenges to face this season, and while the same can be said about all players at the beginning of a new NHL season, the effects a...
There are 2 games in the books for the Buffalo Sabres. 2 games, 2 loses. To be honest, it hasn’t looked pretty despite the close scores. Buffalo made it look close last night against Ottawa, but a lapse in the dying moments cost them at least a point. As predicted, Ryan Miller keeps Buffalo in games, to give everyone that glimmer of hope.
The opening 2 games of the s...
By the time that I finish writing this blog, Buffalo will have lost their 5th game in a row. It is 4-1 Columbus at this time, 5 minutes into the 2nd period.
Before reading this, I offer a disclaimer;
[b]I am not going to sugar coat this.[/b] No matter how much I hate having to write this, I’m keeping this grounded in reality.
I have heard a lot of dissent over...
Did they mention there would be suffering?
Never a good thought going into a season. Looking at the very young roster, however, one can think that suffering is not inevitable. Players like Armia, Gigrensons, Grigorenko, Ristolainen, Foligno, Larsson, and Porter are a fine display of young talent that should make this team a top contender for the East, or at least a te...
Another night of Sufferin’ with the Sabres is underway at First Niagara Center. We all knew that this season wasn’t going to be pretty, but we didn’t think that it was going to be this bad. I’m editing a quote from the movie [i]“Moneyball”[/i] to sum up the Sabres season at this point;
“There are good teams, and there are bad teams. Then there’s 50 feet ...
While I was watching the Sabres game Saturday night, I was on Twitter live chatting like normal. As the team’s play, I guess the right terminology would be “improved” as the game reached its late stages, several reporters were mentioning the excuses that would be used for this game to justify the eventual loss.
I started having flashbacks at this point.
2 yea...
Paging Mr. Pegula, where are you? Your team is a wreck right now, your fans are getting relentless, and you are 1-9-1 in the first eleven games. The last time we had no clue where our owner was with this team was the last owner, who you bought the team from!
First thing is first, eleven games in and firing the general manager would not be the end of the world....
Last night was just another example of the Sabres failing to rise to the challenge of a “rivalry” game. There’s no love lost between Buffalo and Boston. I’d have hoped that Buffalo would have at least risen to the occasion, and played Boston hard. They even had a chance to win with the game 3-2 heading into the 3rd period. Instead, they failed to generate shots, an...
Well just when you thought it was safe to check out the out bloggin page the long time lurker has put out an article. I am going to try and cover the Leafs a different way as well as one hot topic issue A night never blogged but people like me for hockey talks so I thought I'd put out a blog on my thoughts cheers and thanks for the reads.rnrnNow I know this is a HOT topic...
As I was getting ready to leave my parent’s house, celebrating my dad’s birthday, my phone starts blowing up. I start researching and immediately am greeted by Twitter blowing up with news that Thomas Vanek is no longer a Buffalo Sabre.
Let’s take a look at the actual deal that was made.
Buffalo Sabres send Thomas Vanek to the New York Islanders.
New York ...
As I sit down for yet another episode of “Sufferin’ With the Sabres”, I look back on a week of rather painful hockey. Yes, I know that can be said for any week of Sabres hockey. The Sabres looked abysmal against the Rangers, and lost a tough battle to the Stars in Lindy Ruff’s return to Buffalo. Plus, the week started with the Sabres sending Thomas Vanek to the Isl...
The Anaheim Ducks faced the Buffalo Sabres tonight and came away with a 6-3 win. The thing is, for whatever reason, Buffalo has been a mess all season. They have 2 wins and 5 points, they have yet to win at home, and they have only scored the 1st goal in a game only once. To me, that is the perfect recipe for a desperate team that could come out and beat the Ducks if they ...
There’s a lot of rumblings right now about Ron Rolston, and how he needs to be fired, even after last night’s surprise victory in San Jose. At this point in time, I really can’t jump on this bandwagon, nor do I plan on it. Rolston is starting to look more and more like a scapegoat to take the blame.
Why, you ask? I’ll get to that.
I’ve got several reasons...
Always Mighty writes...
Ducks defeat Sabres and Canucks, injury news, Steckel signed
Posted Monday | Comments 0
After defeating the Phoenix Coyotes, the Ducks had 2 games left on their 3 game homestand against the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks. They came away with victories in both games, extending their home record to a perfect 8-0 and extending their league leading point total to 31 with a record of 15-3-1. Frederik Andersen played in both games and improved his record ...
[b]Ryan Miller[/b] has been the franchise goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres since the 2005-06 season. He has become the winningest goaltender in franchise history, and has played 495 games as a Buffalo Sabre. His name has been the talk of the town for numerous reasons in recent years, but this year it is has not been will Miller be traded, it is when will he be traded.
...
I’m not used to getting up the morning after a Sabres game, and seeing them with another tally in the win column. I’m sure a lot of people in Buffalo aren’t used to that.
I return to my normal mantra, the Sabres didn’t win that game last night, Ryan Miller did and as much as I hate saying it, Jonathan Quick’s injury late in overtime helped as well. Scrivens, ...
This morning, I went to get my medical treatment and got plugged in for my infusion. I had just written my morning blog, which I normally do during my treatment, and had started watching Netflix. Suddenly, my phone went off stating that the Buffalo Sabres were having a “major” news conference at 10:30 am.
My mind of course starts racing as I hop on Twitter, which h...
Tonight's game marks the end of the season series between the Sharks and Canucks. It's pretty early to be ending a season series, but I'm sure these two teams have had enough of each other. Four of the Sharks first 19 games have been against Vancouver, as well as a few pre-season games and a four game sweep of the 'Nucks in last years playoffs.
The Sharks took the firs...
To the surprise of nobody, the Sabres and Pat LaFontaine have asked for permission, and received it, to talk with two of the hottest Gm candidates in the market: Jason Botterill and Jim Benning.
Both have strong resumes, have been building their skills by working their way up the hockey ladder the proper way, and are widely considered by all involved with the league to ...
It seems like distant memory since the announcement came that Buffalo Sabres fans were done with Darcy Regier. I am still lobbying for November 13 to be a paid holiday across Western New York. Unfortunately, the scoreboard still says that the Sabres are losing games.
I said this on my Twitter account earlier in the week. Every time Ted Nolan comes out and makes a state...
Say what you will about the Stars' current season standings. They might once again continue their perennial placement on the bubble of the playoffs - perhaps they may even continue the playoff-drought that Stars fans have endured for half a decade now. But, to say that they haven't moved forward since last season would be a farce, despite sitting in the same positions th...
Although this season was somewhat predictable when it comes to how the Sabres would finish, last nights win against the Maple Leafs was a step moving forwards. The Sabres finally started playing with life and emotion. Ted Nolan has really changed the culture here, regardless of his record as Head Coach. He promised back at his first press conference that the culture in Buf...
As it stands right now, this summer looks to have a large selection of UFA's for every position. Teams will have tight budgets, some are in serious trouble already and others are losing tons of players, which will mean a scramble to create a roster. I understand that it is early and that a lot of these players will resign. However lets go with the assumption that they a...
I know I’ve been quiet lately. I blame it on the holiday season being in the full effect. That and my job is a nightmare. The same can be said with the Buffalo Sabres to be completely honest.
Despite the new leadership, the team continues to struggle. The Buffalo Sabres may be playing with a lot more heart now, but they still can’t manage to put the puck in the back ...
Yesterday was another long arduous day at work. I watched the snow fall outside my office and accumulate on the cars in the parking lot. Finally, 5 o’clock came, and I booked it for home where my wife was waiting. She was decked out in her fleece, and several layers, she continued to bundle up. I quickly shed the shirt and tie, and threw on my long johns. After grabbing ...
First and foremost, Happy Belated Holidays to everyone. I know it’s been quite awhile since I was on here. Due to my work situation, and the Holidays which proved more interesting than normal, caused my absence. However, that hasn’t kept me from staying on top of the Sabres, and watching what has appeared to be an improved team attitude.
A lot has happened througho...
Today, the Buffalo Sabres took a step towards the rebuild and hired the GM that Pat LaFontaine feels can lead the Sabres out of the darkness. Tim Murray has been brought in to assess talent and build the Stanley Cup champions that the Buffalo faithful deserve.
I was at work this morning when I received my notification stating that the press conference was scheduled for...
So first off, this is my first attempt at sports writing, so please be constructive in the comments. Little bit about me, I’m only 13 and have had a passion to get into sports writing for a year or 2 now and I`m a die-hard Sens fan. I like to write about trade speculation, players "values", and other things like that because that is one of my favorite aspects of professi...
This afternoon, WGR's Jeremy White has posted that Buffalo Sabres general manager, Tim Murray, "let slip" that he is discussing a deal with Ottawa Senators GM, Bryan Murray. No specifics on who it involves on either side but Sabre fans may want to review young players in the Ottawa organization. Tim Murray has stated that he is looking for young prospects amongst all the t...
This afternoon, WGR's Jeremy White has posted that Buffalo Sabres general manager, Tim Murray, "let slip" that he is discussing a deal with Ottawa Senators GM, Bryan Murray. No specifics on who it involves on either side but Sabre fans may want to review young players in the Ottawa organization. Tim Murray has stated that he is looking for young prospects amongst all the t...
Friday, February 28, 2014 (or March 28, 2014 if you read the Buffalo News), marked the end of an era in Buffalo. It was an era that a lot of people didn’t necessarily want to see end, but we knew was coming, even if we didn’t want to admit it.
[b]Ryan Miller, is no longer the goalie for the Buffalo Sabres. [/b]
Miller has been haunted by trade rumors for the pas...
With the recent resignation of Pat LaFontaine being shrouded in almost total mystery with an over abundance of theories flying around the internet (mine is that he was merely a figurehead and when that reality hit, with the lack of power he had relative to the new GM, he decided being a rah-rah free agent recruiter wasn't the job for him), I thought the best way to leave t...
Blueliner17 writes...
Alex Tuch Should Be Under Watch by Sabres, Murray
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
As many know, the Ryan Miller/Steve Ott trade yielded a conditional draft pick for the Sabres. If situations arise where GM Tim Murray can use the Blue's 2014 first round pick, the scouting staff better be prepared. As there is a dire need at the wing position, Alex Tuch, a winger in the U.S National Develpment Program, should be on watch. I have not seen much of what he c...
Let me start my first post by first giving you a bit of background on myself...rnrnI am a 25 year old recent graduate living in Tonawanda, NY and have been a diehard Sabres/Hockey fan for as long as I can remember. Watching the Sabres of the early 90s and a certain Goaltender named Dominik Hasek inspired me to begin playing myself.rnrnI remember being merely 10 years old ...
Let me start my first post by first giving you a bit of background on myself...rnrnI am a 25 year old recent graduate living in Tonawanda, NY and have been a diehard Sabres/Hockey fan for as long as I can remember. Watching the Sabres of the early 90s and a certain Goaltender named Dominik Hasek inspired me to begin playing myself.rnrnI remember being merely 10 years old ...
Let me start my first post by first giving you a bit of background on myself...rnrnI am a 25 year old recent graduate living in Tonawanda, NY and have been a diehard Sabres/Hockey fan for as long as I can remember. Watching the Sabres of the early 90s and a certain Goaltender named Dominik Hasek inspired me to begin playing myself.rnrnI remember being merely 10 years old ...
Let me start my first post by first giving you a bit of background on myself...rnrnI am a 25 year old recent graduate living in Tonawanda, NY and have been a diehard Sabres/Hockey fan for as long as I can remember. Watching the Sabres of the early 90s and a certain Goaltender named Dominik Hasek inspired me to begin playing myself.rnrnI remember being merely 10 years old ...
I know not everyone is an Oilers fan but few are fans of teams picking high this year. Now saying that Buffalo or Edmonton (who combined have a great chance on getting the first pick in the lottery) win. Does Edmonton trade down?
Ekblad is an amazing dman. He is huge and will be great one day. Many scouts put him as a number two guy that plays an amazing shut down role....
There is a lot of disagreement as to what the Oilers should do during the off season. There are some people that would like to see one of the young stars traded for so other star. Realistically, these trades are not that common.
Sometimes you will see a young prospect that is under performing (Paajarvi is an example) be traded for a player who had concussion problem...
I’ve been reading blogs on HB for years now and recently created a profile. I always wanted to throw out a comment or two when reading great analysis (see Yost, French around draft time, etc.) as well as when seeing comically bad team coverage (Richard Cloutier for one). However, I’m a bit emotional and get easily drawn into petty skirmishes with trolls – as well a...
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Ryan_Miller_skating_2011-10-15.JPG[/img]rn[img]http://twopadstack.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/nhl_g_miller01jr_576x324.jpg[/img]rnrnrnrnRyan Miller has a reputation of being an all-star goaltender, and was part of a trade this year that sent him from Buffalo to St. Louis. St. Louis wanted better goaltending in an ...
Well another season has come and gone. Another lottery finish, another season of failed expectations. Now comes every Oiler fans favourite part of the year. Summer. Hope is in the air and all of us armchair GM's can tinker, trade, and sign whomever we choose to improve this team.
The Oilers top 6 currently looks like this going into next year:
Hall-Nugent Hopkins-Eberl...
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Ryan_Miller_skating_2011-10-15.JPG[/img]rnrn[img]http://twopadstack.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/nhl_g_miller01jr_576x324.jpg[/img]rnrnrnRyan Miller has a reputation of being an all-star goaltender, and was part of a trade this year that sent him from Buffalo to St. Louis. St. Louis wanted better goaltending in an ...
Hello everyone, before I begin this blog I'd like to introduce myself before I start, as this is my first time blogging on the site. I'm Joey and I would consider myself a big fan of the Sabres and of hockey in general. I do have season tickets to Buffalo Sabres' games so I (should) know my stuff. Enough about me for now. I'd like to thank Eklund and all of the...
Might as well join the onslaught of Sabres bloggers!
The gents at WGR raised a fine point last month about moving forward with Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson. They raised a very valid point that continuing with both simply wouldn't be possible. The Sabres need at least one better centericeman than either of them are or can become (some may say we need two). This would lea...
Might as well join the onslaught of Sabres bloggers!
The gents at WGR raised a fine point last month about moving forward with Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson. They raised a very valid point that continuing with both simply wouldn't be possible. The Sabres need at least one better centericeman than either of them are or can become (some may say they need two). This would l...
The Sabres have many roster questions going into the 2014-15 season. As a college student going to school out of state it was very tough to watch such a bad team play all season. I am proud to say though that I stuck with this team all year, and hopefully will be rewarded this year and next year with some electric prospects. The question of Reinhart or Bennett is one I can...
By the time a player becomes a UFA, their abilities have usually been on display for long enough for the team that was paying them to be able to make a decision on them. For the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, I think they would love to have more time with a couple of their UFA's, and a lot less with others.
To start off the list, Nikolai Kulemin. Kulemin has been a so...
Hello to all who are reading, I'd like to introduce to you my series of Buffalo Sabres Report Cards for any prospects who have played int he 13-14 season. I won't just be covering players who played for the Sabres or Amerks but I'll also do it for juniors or college leagues etc. So, let's get started now... I figured I'd start with probably the best prospect in the orga...
andydrmm writes...
Return from Hiatus- Ready for NHL Draft and Sabres Hockey
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
First and foremost, my apologies from disappearing from the world for a bit. I With having my original job privatized, then getting a new job immediately afterwards, been a bit busy. However, I’m back for the 2014-2015 with renewed vigor.
We’re now officially a week away from the 2014 NHL draft. There’s one way to look at the past season;
You can’t get much ...
ZzHockey writes...
Will a trade benefit Colorado more than signing a UFA?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the St. Louis Blues having huge interest in Paul Stastny what will Colorado do?
When it comes down to it, the loss of a Centre is not really that big a deal to Colorado, they have an unbelievable amount of depth that no other team in the NHL has. Stastny would be a huge blow speaking of chemistry between Landeskog, MacKinnon and himself, but not something that can...
The 2014 draft had Colorado walk home with 7 new prospects. I can honestly say I was shocked when the Avalanche did not talk Brendan Lemieux when he was available at #23, a natural wing, in which Colorado depth wise is in need of. He grew up around the Avalanche, was born in Denver Colorado his favorite player is Ryan O'Reilly. Instead Colorado takes CONNER BLEACKLEY a pla...
July 1st 2014 began very horribly for Colorado Avalanche fans as they found out Centre Paul Stastny signed a 4 year (overpaid) contract with rival St. Louis Blues.
As the day went on, the Avalanche made a few moves that could be questionable yet could turn out to be great.
What Colorado got:
Jesse Winchester, 30, had 18 points (9g/9a) in 52 games for the Florida...
vettaco writes...
Five guys who are UFA's that aren't signed and should be
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As of today there are still a few good free agents out there that teams should be looking at. I am not sure what the players are asking for but if they have been on the market this long then I am guessing their price has gone down. My five picks are below.rrnrn1. Devon Setguchi (RW)rnThis guy can skate, hit, score and play on a 2nd or 3rd line. He was magic one year in San...
Attitude.
This should be the word trending in Buffalo this coming NHL season and it already has been a little. Savvy Sabres fans have either recognized the moves by Murray as mindset changers or at least they are trusting what the GM is saying. Whatever your position is on the moves made this offseason, this season has a different feel to it. No question.
The real qu...
I have been "Fantasy Hockey Blogging" for a few years now, and thought I would drop a small one on here!
I have been a (self-appointed) Fantasy Hockey Guru for a few years now. I play in some insanely competitive leagues that mimic all life like NHL systematics for Drafting, ELC's, Contract renewals etc... so after years of this I have always had a knack of planning, sc...
This is a precursor blog and will include my team I have assembled in the last 4 years. I will break down some of the rules each roster allows and will give you a deeper look into how in depth these leagues can get at a certain level.
First off, I will start at the roster and cap management. On the Major roster you are allowed 25 players that can accumulate points (head...
MrBeanTown writes...
Fantasy Island - Your Top 5 Left Wingers for 2014-15
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Seeing I have already rather the “Top 5 Goalies” for your fantasy leagues this year, I will move onto a position that seems to be lacking in comparison to others in the league. Here you will get your Top 5 Left Wingers for fantasy purposes in 2013-14.
To keep it in context, these are the scoring categories I base my rankings on:
[b]Skaters[/b]
Goal: 2
Assist:...
Before I get into detail about my top 30 fantasy players, let me first show you the scoring setting my league uses.
Goals - 1
Assists - 1
SHP - 1
GWG - 1
Wins : 2
Losses : -1
Goal Allowed : -1
Shot against : 0.1
Shutout - 2
__________________________________________________
1: Tuukka Rask
2: Ben Bishop
3: Carey Price
4: Sergei Bobrovsky
5: Sidney Cro...
[b]Please follow me at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Western Conference also boasts a few good names still left unsigned. Jaden Schwartz headlines the group that includes a goalie that won a couple playoffs games this year and a young winger that scored a series-winning goal. The rest of the group all gained playoff experience except for the young Predators ...
landsharkhockey writes...
What the Fantasy Experts Got Wrong: Over-Rated Players
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For the average fantasy hockey player, draft preparation consists of purchasing a magazine, turning to the last page and cracking open a beer 10 minutes before draft time. They may pull up an injury report while they're waiting for that last guy to drop off his kids and show up 10 minutes late for the draft. For those who put their fate entirely in the hands of the exper...
landsharkhockey writes...
What the Fantasy Experts Got Wrong: Under-Rated Players
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Part 2 of our look at where you can go wrong by drafting purely off a magazine draft list continues with our underrated players. (Part 1 called out those over-rated players).
[u]OFFENSE[/u]
[b]Nathan MacKinnon[/b] (Yahoo:25 / landsharkhockey:9)
If you trust Yahoo, you're missing the boat. MacKinnon will dominate for the next decade.
[b]Anze Kopitar[/b] (THN:29 ...
With just over a week before the first puck drops, we're entering prime time for fantasy hockey drafts. If you're like me and play on various sites, it's easy to forget the rules and nuances of each league. Blindly drafting without regard to the rules can be fatal. Even if you're Biff Tannen and you know exactly how many points each player will score next season, it's ...
As a follow up to my previous article on CBS Fantasy Hockey Draft Strategy, I wanted to come back with a breakdown of how you should approach drafting in a standard head-to-head Yahoo league. Unfortunately, Yahoo has discontinued the Pro Leagues (probably due to their refusal to move off the rotisserie format).
Many of the principals are the same as CBS (and any league f...
The Blues came out strong in the first period, outplaying and outshooting the Hurricanes fourteen to six in the first period with little to show for it. Even with their strong play, they were unable to get a puck past stingy netminder Cam Ward. They were however rewarded at the end of the period with Vladimir Tarasenko and David Backes drawing penalties, allowing them to...
Update 1:18 pm
Reports are that Butler, Lindbohm and Jaskin have been assigned to Chicago and Fabbri back to juniors. I am trying to research how Lindbohm can go as it was my understanding that his Finland contract only had an NHL roster out. More to come on that front. JR is saying that Lindbohm choose to go to Chicago over Finland because he was told that he was c...
Modern day Oilers fans will remember in the not too distant past they were in the Stanley Cup Finals facing off against a Carolina squad with a young upstart goalie by the name of Cam Ward. Names like Mike Morrison, Jussi Markkanen and Ty Conklin were all to familiar to Oilers fans, much to their chagrin. Little did the fans realize that when the trigger was pulled on a ...
The Sabres certainly didn't perform like they had jet lag flying out west to take on the Kings, Ducks and Sharks. Coming back to Buffalo 1-2 is a good thing for this team.
Over-all for this team it was a successful road trip.
We saw out west is what we haven't seen previously from Buffalo, a team doing the little things that count like winning battles along the boar...
Sam Reinheart was selected #1 overall in the 2014 NHL Draft this year, As the young man has given Buffalo some light headed into this early young NHL season entering November. Sam Reinheart has earned his first point in the NHL last night as the Buffalo Sabers beat the San Jose Sharks by a final score of 2-1. In his 9th game with the Sabers Sam finally found himself on the...
I wondered how long it would take us to get here – how long until everyone in Chicago and around the country, including the great Jeremy Roenick would start blasting the lack in goal production of the Chicago Blackhawks to the rest of the Nation on national television. But there he was and there we continue to be – all of us collectively together starting to write of...
I was prepared for an all-out war, a battle between the two teams I thought were going to be in the Stanley Cup Final last year. But as it turns out; Montreal didn’t show up to fight, only Carey Price did. There are a few things that could open articles this morning, I’ve seen a lot of them already, but I’d like to start with giving credit where credit is due. What a...
Happy Throwback Thursday Feather Faithful!
What better way to start "week 5’s around the dots" than with a throwback close to our own hearts here in the WINdy city. Last evening the Chicago Blackhawks unveiled their sweaters for the upcoming Bridgestone Winter Classic against the Washington Capitals on New Year’s Day. It will be the second Winter Classic the Hawks ...
We've seen this before in Chicago sports and multiple times from the Blackhawks - let down. While some might find last night to be a telling effort in the negative categories, there again were a lot of positives - but glaring issues for the Hawks continue to be front and center for those of us watching and not playing. When a team, any sports team, has gone deep in the Pla...
CHICAGO- The San Jose Sharks (8-5-2) will swim into the Madhouse this evening for a date with the Chicago Blackhawks (7-6-1) that will pit two Western Conference playoff contenders against each other for the first time this year. This will be the first Western Conference match-up for the Hawks since Winnipeg came into town last Sunday and stole two points, in literally one...
Raderstorf8 writes...
What better place than here!? What better time than now!?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
CHICAGO- It was a Saturday evening around 7:23 PM when I sat into my seat - beer in hand I looked around at the other 22,000 people doing the very same thing - thinking the very same thoughts. That's when the lights went out - that's when the decibels inside the Madhouse began to rise. The Chicago Blackhawks in recent years have become the epitome of what a professional sp...
This is the center of most importance when it comes to winning the Cup in the NHL. Teams that are deep at center, even if they do not have what would be considered a true number 1, elite level player, are the teams that are most often in the final 4 and competing for the Cup. Certainly it helps to have that elite top of the line player, but it is not mandatory when you are...
AustinTyler writes...
Chabot Partly To Blame...? Defense......Taylor Hall
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Its only been a few days since Mr. Chabot joined the world of the unemployed, but am I the only one who can see a difference already? Watching the Oilers goaltending over the last two games, I have noticed a few things that really stand out. First off, the focus on the play is better than I have seen it all year. Both Fasth and Scrivens seem to have a renewed faith in thei...
The Buffalo Sabres having won six out of their last seven games are now 9-14-2. This could mean two things. 1. the team if buying into Ted Nolans system and are playing with confidence and will continue to win games, and maybe, just maybe ( but probably not) playoffs are in sights. 2. this is just a phase and it will soon pass.
The question is which one is best for...
Just for fun. Here is my early season Sabres mock draft for the upcoming
1st pick (2nd overall)- [b]Jack Eichel[/b] (Center); The Sabres get their franchise centerman. Eichel will immediately step in and produce for one of the leagues worst offenses. The Sabres may be crowded at the center position but there is no doubt Eichel immediately jumps to the top of the dep...
This would be the barren wasteland of positions for the Sabres with regard to their prospects, their depth, and their current LW's with the big club are nothing fantastic either.
Overall, the LW position for the Sabres consists of two solid but unspectacular ancillary players at the NHL level, two hopeful prospects whose top end may only be in bottom 6 roles, a total wi...
I have managed many fantasy teams and though it makes little sense to share my secrets with those who play in my leagues, in a forum such as this, I am finally free to reveal some of the tips, tricks, and secrets that have netted me success in the world of fantasy hockey. As the season goes on, I will offer advice periodically on whom you should consider picking up, dropp...
In my last post, I discussed strategies for drafting your fantasy hockey team. Drafting well is critical to your team's success. If you play fantasy football, you know that sometimes if a team has an awesome draft, they will hardly need to touch the waiver wire all season, especially if their team crushes the competition week after week because even if they wanted to g...
Right Wing is perhaps the position with the most intrigue when it comes to the Sabres, unless you count the cold war era espionage level shroud of potential surrounding their goaltenders.
If you ask those that watch and evaluate prospects professionally, they will tell you that Buffalo has no less than 5 interesting to intriguing Right Wing prospects.
If you ask the ...
kingcong39 writes...
Yet Another Tyler Myers Blog Staring Nikita Zadorov
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Admittedly, the title of this blog was meant to mislead.
There have been more words wasted on the idea of trading Tyler Myers from a range of a bag of pucks that Sabres fans should be happy to get for him to nothing less than the three best players on the opposing team.
There is one, and only one, way in which you trade Tyler Myers if you are the Buffalo Sabres.
T...
Buffalo, NY
The Buffalo Sabres, currently 8th in the Atlantic Division with a record of 14-26-3 are down but certainly not out. At roughly the halfway point of the 2014-2015 season, Buffalo center Tyler Ennis and Coach Ted Nolan are confident that the team can still turn things around and make a run for the Cup this spring. Despite a seven game skid, the team's scorin...
Playoffs is definitely overstating it for the 25th overall Ottawa Senators, who might not be overly upset with a regulation loss tonight. They've gone 3-6-1 over their past 10 games, and a top 5 pick is certainly starting to sound pretty good to the Senators, whose playoff hopes are all but gone. A regulation win for Buffalo would still leave them 2 points behind the depre...
If you are not a Carolina Hurricanes fan, you likely view the Canes as another sad sack team struggling at the bottom of the standings. But, amidst all the trade rumors swirling around the Hurricanes these days, they have quietly put together an extended string of solid outings since the start of 2015 (9-3-3). Their latest effort was a hard-fought 5-4 win over the San Jo...
LazarBeam writes...
Buffalo loses Myers, Two Top Prospects for Evander Kane
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
To Buffalo:
Evander Kane
Zach Bogosian
Kasdorf
To Winnipeg:
Tyler Myers
Joel Armia
Brendan Lemieux
2015 1st rounder
Drew Stafford
This trade makes me angry.
I don't understand why Buffalo would risk so many great, young prospects for Kane and Bogosian.
Kane is a proven offensive force, don't get me wrong. Every team in the league could use a guy like K...
Tim Murray, please stop making me so angry.
I just don't get it. This team had all the pieces, all they had to do was wait for them to come together.
Enroth was only 26 years old, 27 this summer. A top goaltending prospect, drafted 46th overall in the 2nd round.
Enroth was the smallest goalie in the league playing for the worst team in the league. Getting drafted ...
There has been a lot of trade rumors about Evander Kane this season. The Vancouver native became a real problem for the Jets and it was only a matter of time before he’d be shipped off to another team. That team just so happened to be the lowly Buffalo Sabres. Sitting at last place in the NHL, Buffalo is king of the hill when it comes to trade rumors. Their most valuable...
It is clear that Tim Murray is not going to simply continue making picks and the team being terrible during the rebuild. He made that obvious with the trade that took place yesterday, however, there are two options the team could take regarding the 2015-2016 season. There is the slow but sure approach, and then there is the aggressive approach, like what he did with the tr...
[code]Welcome, I have been reading every blog about the end of this season and the beginning of hope, along with all of you and thought I would throw my own hat in the ring. I will start at the Trade Deadline. ...
How can a team with Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Perron, Kunitz, Hornqvist, and Bennett struggle so mightily to score goals? Do we in Pittsburgh over-value these guys? Perhaps for a couple of them, but on this list there are supposed to be elite level, generational talent. That talent level should never struggle to score goals, especially on the power play. So here's my take:
...
In another bold move by [b]Sabres GM Tim Murray[/b], this one coming ahead of the [b]April 1st Mascot Trade Deadline[/b], longtime Mascot "[b]SabreTooth[/b]" has been traded to the [b]Florida Panthers[/b] for a [b]7th round pick[/b] in [b]2019[/b]. Initial reports by [i]SteelOpus[/i] from '[i]diebytheblade[/i]' have been confirmed, sending the beloved Cat to Florida ahead...
The contracts the Sabres have on the books for the 2015-2016 season, by position.
LW – E. Kane $5.25M, M. Moulson $5M, Foligno $1.875M, Deslauriers $.6375M (the only full position) [b]TOTAL $12.7625M[/b]
C – Z. Girgensons $.894167M, J. Larsson $.950M, C. McCormick $1.5M [b]TOTAL $3.344167M[/b]
RW – T. Ennis $4.6M, C. Hodgson $4.25M, B. Gionta $4.25M [b]TOTAL $13...
Seeing the highlights of the Calgary Toronto game last night and the tremendous performance (amid the embarassment that is the Maple Leafs this season) of Sean Monahan and his line, it had me thinking back to the 2013 draft.
The Buffalo Sabres needed forward help in the worst way. The situation was dire, although in hindsight, dire would only be an applicable word to th...
Johan Larsson’s career in the NHL had mimicked a yo-yo since the Buffalo Sabres traded for him from the Minnesota Wild. At the time of the trade, he was thought of on a wide ranging scale, from quality prospect destined to make an NHL impact to a pseudo throwaway with the Wild fans laughing that he wasn’t Zucker or Coyle. What was once thought of as a haul for Jason Po...
In the middle of true panic and hysteria setting in during the 3rd period of the Sabres Stars game last night when it looked like the Sabres were going to gain more useless points in their quest for a guaranteed top 2 pick, amid the joy of the Stars pulling out the regulation win, the Tyler Myers dead horse was revived and then beaten again.
Two important notes before I...
stefm45 writes...
Being a Hockey fan in Sunny South Africa (Yes South Africa)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
To say its difficult is an understatement. With the extremely early mornings or late nights (huge time difference) and the lack of coverage down here it is hard. I am writing this piece for my blog to give people in America and Canada and anywhere else (if you are South African... Wow) an insights into a fan's perspective who lives in a country that barely recognises Ice...
Hello HockeyWorld, ScottQ32 here. It's true tank nation is over and my Sabres have not won. The Edmonton Oilers will draft 1st overall. The Sabres will pick at second and will still get a generational player in Eichel but from my standpoint you can't help but think what could of been. I tried to see Connor in Erie at my birthday in November but he was injured. I also tried...
The Edmonton Oilers are set to draft Connor McDavid 1st overall after winning the lottery last Saturday. Now we're wondering who else completes the top 5 ? So many solid prospects to choose from. I'll do a mock draft of the first five picks.rnrn
[b]1. EDM: Connor McDavid,Center.[/b] A no brainer at this point. The Oilers will have amazing depth at center for years to co...
There are two paths the Sabres could take this offseason, and which one of the two is correct is up to the individual.
Path A is one of immediacy which consists of the Sabres looking to upgrade their top 6, specifically the right win position, ASAP. There are targets the team could make outside the almost endlessly mentioned obvious candidate who shall not be named to s...
The Edmonton Oilers have the chance to add 4 players in the first two rounds of the draft this year. Among them is one of the highest acclaimed players of our generation. If he lives up to that hype or not, he will be expected when the Oilers are shopping to fill holes in their roster.
I think the Oilers might be in one of the most unique positions in NHL history. In...
For a die-hard Buffalo Sabres fan living in the hockey mad metropolis of Edmonton, Alberta…it couldn’t have gotten much worse than April 18th, 2015.
I figured suffering through back-to-back seasons of utter ineptitude resulting in two straight 30th place finishes…and knowing full well I would witness the Sabres also lose out on the 1st overall pick in the NHL entr...
[i]Bare with me on this blog. It was written quickly as it has been a long time since HB's actual Oilers Blogger has said anything. A week before the Oilers make 5 picks early in the draft and the best rumors are found on TSN and their website sucks. Like it or not, someone had to say something at all about the club as this is truly a momentous time for the Oilers club t...
Now before people go off half cocked just remember all of these teams had a chance to negotiate contracts with these players for fair market value before the day after the NHL draft or file for arbitration.
As soon as an offersheet is put down as an NHL GM i would look at the other RFA's on the team and find the one I like and put an offer sheet down.
So here is how ...
Oilers latest GM came with a lot of hype. Oilers Brass have changed everything from the President to the scouting staff. However the GM is the first one to show his stuff and he really was not amazing during the draft. Seems like the scouting staff did their job in terms of the 2 late picks he made but he mortgaged they Oilers future for magic beans.
The Oilers trade...
It’s been a wild weekend for the Buffalo Sabres franchise and fans, and things don’t look to be settling down anytime soon.
All of these additions to the team have lead to many people creating starting lineups. Of course, these are just speculations, as it’s likely head coach Dan Bylsma will try out new lineups at training camp later in the summer. But with all of...
Hey Hockeyworld, Happy free-agency eve! I'm just getting around to this now because it's been weird to process all the big moves Murray made for us this past weekend! Darcy never made huge moves like this so it's really amazing to see what Tim Murray has done for us in such a short period of time. For July 1st I think these are some guys we could go after:
Johnny Oduya
...
The old saying stands true; one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure. With the NHL qualifying deadline of June 29th behind us, we as fans of our respective teams can now go and dig thought the trash of unqualified RFAs of other teams. We imagine how they could fit in to our teams, how a fresh start could jump start their careers. Now I know that treasure could...
The Oil once again went into free agency with a lot of talk. Their goal, the same as it has been for many years; grab a top tier defense man and a starting goalie. I know that we aren't aware of the options that the Oilers actually had. Maybe some players just refused higher money to play elsewhere. I think in a few years this will change but for now lets assume the Oi...
1. Valeri Nichushkin: Forward / RW
Nichushkin is going to be a force for the Dallas Stars this upcoming season. He is a power forward with the offensive skills of an elite play maker. He is not going to be on many people's radar seeing as he only played 8 games this past season. In his rookie campaign in 2013-14, he put up 34 points in 79 games. He also managed to m...
Welcome to the GM Mode[code]Today I will be taking a look at the Buffalo Sabres and analyze a series of “hypothetical” moves that the Buffalo Sabres should make.Buffalo Sabres GM; Tim Murray is faced with many decisions since after the NHL Draft of 2015. He may not have had the first overall pick but the second pick (Jack Eichel) is a great starting point for a team t...
ThomasBreen91 writes...
Are the Buffalo Sabres Contenders or Pretenders?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In a strange twist of events these past five months, the last place Buffalo Sabres have made drastic changes to their lineup. The Sabres went from having no true first-line players to having now two in Kane and O’Reilly, with a third and fourth (Reinhart/Eichel) on the way. Add in swift sniper Matt Moulson and speedy work-horse Tyler Ennis to the list and the Sabres have...
We are almost three weeks passed the start of free agency, and there are still some good players just sitting there waiting for a contract. The thing is contract spots are all but used up on most teams and the teams that do have contract spots open don’t have the cap to sign anyone else. For this blog is just going to be a quick reference guide to each team’s contracts...
What do the Bruins do now with their D-Core....
there's a couple options they have, some of them however make us Bruins fans a little nervous.
1. Stay Status Quo: With the number of bodies they have signed the Bruins could leave things status quo and see if the group of young guns can do. that would leave Chara, Seidenberg, Krug, Mcquaid as 4 of the top 6 leaving ...
We all know that Steven Stamkos is going to get paid, the question is by whom? Let me start this by saying that I really do think that the Lighting will resign Stamkos, the thing is how much is that one player worth to his team. The rumors out there are that a new contract for Stammer will be in the 10-12 million dollars per season range for 8 years. This agreement would ...
To see more like this go to my website [url]http://lazarbeams.com/?cat=2[/url]!
This is the first of many players I'll be recommending as potentially very good picks that will often be available in later rounds of fantasy hockey drafts this season. I usually play in leagues that count shots, hits, PIM, PPP and the usual G, A, sometimes +/- and blocks too.
Here's why Ni...
LazarBeam writes...
How many goals will Hoffman score for the Sens this season?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Visit my website [url]http://lazarbeams.com/?p=62[/url] to vote! Current goal scoring pace, 2015-2016 =
0 goals / 0 games =
0 goals per game =
0 goal pace
With his arbitration case finally over, most of the summer there has been talk of how well Mike Hoffman will perform this coming season. With forwards like Stone and Zibanejad getting longer, more lucrative d...
To see more like this go to my website [url]http://lazarbeams.com/?cat=2/[/url]!
This is one of the first of many players I'll be recommending as potentially very good picks that will often be available in later rounds of fantasy hockey drafts this season. I usually play in leagues that count shots, hits, PIM, PPP and the usual G, A, sometimes +/- and blocks too.
Here'...
[img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/nhl/images/upload/2015/02/EVANDER_KANE_672_BUF_PC.jpg[/img]
Check out more like this in the Fantasy talk section of my website! [url]http://lazarbeams.com/?cat=2[/url]
This is one of the first of many players I'll be recommending as potentially very good picks that will often be available in later rounds of fantasy hockey drafts this season. ...
rangerdanger94 writes...
Hockeybuzz Fanstove: Who will win the Eastern Conference?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Welcome to the first edition of the Hockeybuzz Fanstove.
This series, inspired by the successful Hockeybuzz Hotstove, will share the views of regular posters.
For our first question, we will tackle the Hotstove’s most recent question: who will win the Eastern Conference?
[b]mdw7413[/b]
I think it will be a toss-up between the Rangers, Bolts and Penguins if th...
We're 6-12. Nope this isn't 2014..or 2013..and this isn't a joke that will end in some sort of comedic cymbal bash. This is reality. The Edmonton Oilers have stumbled out of the gate, and despite "visually" (insert throw up here) looking better they still can't seem to obtain results that matter.
With this morbidly depressing thought in mind, I wanted to start a featur...
The LA Kings roster needs little tampering--their management, little explanation. The Kings’ roster, and the threat they convey to every other team in the league, has been consistent since Darryl Sutter took the reins in December of 2011. Amidst the Voynov and Richards contracts, Dean Lombardi has authored a master class for the craft of GM'ing.
Anze Kopitar is one ...
Many hockey fans, including myself, had written off the Canes playoff chances a while back and had started to put our attention elsewhere, looking at possible moves the Canes could make at the trade deadline and possibilities for the upcoming 2016 draft.
Was highly sought after Eric Staal going or staying? Was Cam Ward a good choice for play-off bound teams seeking goa...
Those of us who follow the Carolina Hurricanes closely continue to be pleasantly surprised by the consistent, high quality play of the Canes defence grouping. We keep waiting for the shoe to drop, but guess what? Not going to happen. Outsiders look at a “D” group of Faulk, Hainsey, Liles, Hanifin, Pesce, and Slavin and say “who?”, dismissing them as light weight an...
Back in the summer of 2014, the Oilers traded Sam Gagner for Teddy Purcell. It was a move that had fans confused to say the least. While Gagner had his flaws, he, at that time anyway, was a capable scorer and one of two players the Oilers had capable of playing the position in the top 6. Trading him for a guy who not only didn't play centre, but didn't really fix any holes...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 49- Buffalo Sabers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The last game of the home stand is tonight for Columbus as they take on a young and struggling Buffalo Sabres club. With the trade deadline being 10 days away, both teams have similar approaches at the deadline as both teams are sellers; however, the difference is how each team will deal the players they wish to rid themselves of.
These two teams last played in early O...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets were blanked by the Buffalo Sabres by a final score of 4-0.
Buffalo got goals from Jamie McGinn (2), David Legwand, and Sam Reinhart. Other players with points include Jack Eichel (2), Evander Kane, Zemgus Girgensons, and Rasmus Ristalonen. Robin Lehner stopped all 38 shots faced.
The Jackets were just off their game, but they ...
The knock on the current Sabres from the fanbase has been happening due to the team's record. In prior posts in the Sabres thread, it was brought up how much better they're doing than last season, just to show a year-over-year improvement. I decided to break down the team's record in comparison to not only last year, but also the last time the Sabres were "good
The ra...
Eastern Conference:
Washington X-Factor - Kuznetsov, Why Ovechkin alone cannot carry a team, hes great always showed character in the playoffs and wants that cup, he needs the other Russian to prove that Russia can dominate in the playoffs and rise to the occasion for Washinton. Two .9 + pts per game over the playoffs is always better than 1.
Florida - Jagr - He is the...
Travis Yost posted an article on TSN's webpage trying to answer a question many of us have... What is the value of a top pick these days?
For those that missed it is here:
[url]http://www.tsn.ca/examining-the-true-value-of-toronto-s-first-overall-pick-1.491169[/url]
The article is by Travis Yost and he is not as bad as many when it comes to these things. I thi...
We are less than four weeks away from the 2016 NHL Entry Draft...and the rumours are starting to fly!
There is a refreshing air of mystery around what Tim Murray and the Buffalo Sabres are going to do at this year's draft. The past two seasons saw the team, despite back-to-back last place finishes, drop to the number 2 spot. Last season, the Sabres surprised no one ...
The job Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray has done since taking over the reins has, in my opinion, been largely underappreciated. Rebuilds aren’t easy. They often times can take a long time, with many wrong turns…ill-advised attempts to short-cut the process.
But just two years in…Murray’s got the Sabres flying back into contention. The roster is young, fast, a...
With the draft and free agency soon approaching, Peter Chiarelli has made it clear that the team is looking to improve its back end. More specifically the team is looking for a right shot defenceman. Should Eric Gryba or Mark Fayne be the top 6 guy on the right side next season?
Eric Gryba (28) was acquired from the Ottawa Senators at last years entry level draft in exc...
It`s been an interesting year for RFA`s. There are a few curious names that did not receive a qualifying offer.
On the Edmonton side it`s not too surprising who is being released. Gazdic, Cracknell, Lundstrum, and Kessy were not part of the future. I am sad to see Jumanji (Gazdic, because he looks exactly like Robin Williams in Jumanji) go. I heard he was a very positi...
Two highly sought after free agents want to sign in Edmonton? Music! Dealing with the cap issues that will follow? Bad music... like country or something. If the Oilers bring in both Lucic and Demers here is what the team looks like without any other changes. In brackets I've included each players cap hit.
Hall (6) - RNH (6) - Eberle (6)
Lucic (6) - McDavid (3.775) - Y...
After collectively catching their breath (or exhaling a sigh of relief, depending on the perspective) Leafs Nation prepares for life after Stamkos. (Steven, we hardly knew ye, but it was fun to dream for the last year or two!) Now, the hard-hitting fact that the Shannaplan will go on as scheduled is inevitably sinking in.
The Bay St. Brain-Trust will ...
Kris Russell, the probably number 2 UFA (Because Stamkos Re-Signed), [i]Still[/i] hasn't signed. why? probably number 1 (Okposo) has, but why not Russell?
Who Knows?
Well now that the Vesey sweepstakes are over and the B's didn't land the much sought after college free agent a lot of Bruins fans are wondering "what now?"
They lost Loui Eriksson to Vancouver, they didn't directly address the need on right wing by signing someone like Kyle Okposo. They brought in Backes but is he going to play center or right wing?
The good news ...
09/02/2016
Hockey, Hockey, Hockey. I waste a lot of my life reading hockey articles, following hockey writers and researching hockey players. I’m at the point where I’ve decided to put my thoughts down on paper, even if they are just for me. I have always enjoyed writing, but could very well find out in a hurry that I am quite lousy at this blogging thing. Turnin...
09/04/2016
Once in a while we will be fortunate enough to witness a goalkeeper such as Matt Murray arrive in the NHL at a very young age and make an incredible impact, circumstances can instantly create hockey heroes.
All players start to hit their stride at different points in their career; a good poolie watches closely to recognize indicators. I have been intere...
Keegan4401 writes...
Are the Chicago Blackhawks days numbered as contenders?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The short answer is no, but the Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of new faces this year such as Nick Schmaltz, Tyler Motte etc. Chicago still does have Johnny Toews and Patrick Kane which still makes a dangerous combination against any team in the NHL, plus you have Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin who are amazing offensive players in their own right. The Chicago Blackhawks ...
PEEEE- EWWWWW!!!! OMG! the stentch ! what's that NASTY skanky smell?
I'll tell you what it is, it's the Tonto Mable Leaves and their crappy pants fans after Robyn Lehner made save after save even fooling the goal judge who got fired.
I don't care if you made the playoffs, this is about tonights game in Buffalo. Your leaves stunk up the ice like an unbathed Tonto hooker...
With just two games to go until the Buffalo Sabres officially hit the halfway mark of the 2017-18 season...they find themselves in familiar territory. Competing with the Arizona Coyotes for the rights to highest odds in this springs NHL Draft Lottery.
And while it seems like the same old story (something I wrote about earlier), it also feels slightly different. Yes,...
“The Buffalo Sabres are a dumpster fire! How can you cheer for that team?” Says the guy who is currently a “die-hard” Tampa Bay Lightning fan…fresh off his two-year run as hardcore Penguins backer. We all know those guys. And while they are seemingly basking in championship glory year-after-year. Johnny Bandwagon will never get to experience the highs and th...
Seems to be a popular title around the web. It seems rather obvious but many people go near the correct answer. It is three steps much easier said than done. I will go hardest to easiest.
1. Dump the players Chiarelli has signed as UFA's
2. Grab key UFA's
3. Dump Chiarelli (McLellan should go to if they want a cup but he can get them to the playoffs)
The first o...
Before the Oilers draft 9th overall on June 22nd, before they make any UFA signings on July 1st the team needs to take care of signing the RFA players.
This is all the RFA players the Oilers have that currently have NHL contracts for the purpose of this blog I will not be discussing AHL level deals. Whether the Oilers choose to resign Kyle Platzer or Ben Betker will hav...
The new owner wants to change the team culture and is off to a running start in firing former GM Ron Francis. Bill Peters is gone to Calgary and Rod Brind'Amore and Don Waddell have been installed as the new coach and GM. Although as a hockey fan, I feel Francis did a great job building a solid foundation of defensive prospects, ie: Fleury, Bean, Hanifin and offensive pros...
With one single flip of a card...seven years of disappointment and ineptitude were seemingly washed away.
Now...less than two months later. Common sense has also seemingly been washed away.
With the anticipated addition of super-prospect, Rasmus Dahlin, the Sabres appear to have a bona-fide #1 defenseman on the horizon. For many, it seems as though the Stanley Cu...
The easy predictions are as follows:
1) Buffalo Sabres- Ramus Dahlin
2) Carolina Hurricanes- Andrei Svechnikov
3) Montreal Canadiens- Flip Zadina
4) Ottawa Senators - Brady Tkachuk
5) Arizona Coyotes- Noah Dobson
The less than likely draft predictions:
1) Carolina trades either Jeff Skinner, Justin Faulk, Victor Rask, or Scott Darling
for either a ...
With the news that players like Anthony Duclair and Tobias Rieder are heading toward UFA status, I've figured now would be as good a time as any to layout my idea of a reasonable offseason plan for the Oilers to (not) follow.
The primary focuses for the Oilers should be as follows:
[b]1.) Secure significant RFAs (Nurse, Strome and Benning)
2.) Pursue cheap skill
3....
29 August, 2018
Hello Hockeyverse. I know it has been so long since I have last blogged, but now I have come back, with more rest and focus on getting the best work to you guys possible.
However, I am looking this year to continue my work with more than just the Blue Jackets, focusing on the entire league, and the other minor and developmental leagues.
Today, I will...
Training camps for all 31 teams have opened up, with tryouts signed; players dealt; extensions handed out; and new faces coming aboard across
the entire league. For the Blue Jackets. The Jackets have one of the youngest rosters in the entire league, with plenty of open spots.
One big spot to look up front is third/fourth line center. The Jackets have three centers figh...
Tonight is the first contest of the preseason for the Blue Jackets, and tonight they take on the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo is coming into this season as a younger and stronger team. They made a lot of moves throughout the offseason. They dealt center Ryan O'Reilly to the St. Louis Blues in a blockbuster deal for wingers Patrik Berglund; Vladimir Sobotaka; center Tage Thompso...
Wh Keep Panarin is a Bad Idea
It was announced earlier today by TSN's Darren Dreger that the Blue Jackets have no interest in trading winger Artemi Panarin. Dreger added they were working to continue convincing him to stay with the team for the long haul. Panarin is a pending free agent, and is making $6 million dollars this season, and will seek a bigger raise on a new...
It's been a breath of fresh air to have a team to cheer for again.
Our Habs this year have come flying out of the gate. They have had some hiccups along the way so far, but overall its been a fast and exciting team which has been night and day from last years roll over and die edition.
Early returns suggest that we won the Galchenyuk and Pacioretty trades hands down...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 45
Philly Disaster and Bye Bye Berglund$
The Philadelphia Flyers are not in the Christmas spirit as they fire head coach Dave Hakstol. The team is in disarray and Brad Burud and Blake Frairs have their opinions, and they are not very nice. It seems like Philadelphia forgets how to be professional sometimes. Then Patrik Berg...
Peter Chiarelli left the Oilers in terrible shape when he was fired as GM however the team is not far off of a playoff spot this year. I don't like the Oilers odds of making the playoffs but they are still competing with really only 3 good players and some filler. Still we know this and I will get to the point. The future might not be as dark as it looks for the Oilers ...
Rookiefan writes...
Why Jacob Trouba is the Only RFA that NJD Should Offer Sheet
Posted Monday | Comments 0
New Jersey Devils (NJD) did not make it to the playoffs this season (2018-2019). Since then both Taylor Hall and Ray Shero have stated that NJD needs more talent. This prompted a lot of fans to look toward the UFA and the RFA class of 2019 in order to fill in the roster spots.
This article only looks at those few RFA players that the fan base wants to offer sheet. Ther...
The draft can not get here soon enough. Mostly as it should be the start of Holland fixing the Oilers. I can say this with certainty because they can't get anymore broken. Also the draft's arrival will stop sites like TSN.ca claiming that Kakko is "closing the gap" on Hughes. There is no actual gap. NJ is picking one player and that is going to be Hughes. Are they lo...
This is a team breakdown for what strategy I'd take as every team.
I'm going to skip over the Devils and the Rangers at 1 and 2 since it's fairly obvious the Devils will take Hughes and the Rangers Kakko. I'm also going no farther than 16 because after that, the possibilities are endless and these combine interviews and scouts could have come up with anything.
Chi...
Mitch Marner is awesome. He plays very well in space, creates space, and finds open players at an elite level. He competes hard on the back-check, is a good penalty killer, and has a very high IQ for the game. I really like Mitch Marner. I could just end my blog here with a rant about how we should keep him at all costs and Dubas needs to break the bank to sign him. B...
It has been a short while friends, so let us recap on the pre-season that was, the first couple of games of the regular season, and previewing tonight's upcoming matchup against the Buffalo Sabres at the Nationwide Arena, back at home.
Let's look in the rearview before we do the preview.
Pre-Season: Final Cuts; Dubi Disappearance
The roster dwindled down to two ...
Nine years.
If you think where you were nine years ago...how much your life has changed...and how much you know now, that you didn’t know then...it really brings into question the [i]actual[/i] sanity of those who have called themselves a fan of the Buffalo Sabres since before that time.
- 691 games
- 431 ending in defeat
- 7 different coaches
- 4 different ...
Dale Hawerchuk a legend who deservedly walks among the greats from his era, Gretzky, Savard, Yzerman, Bossy, Lemieux, etc...
He was pivotal in Canada winning the Canada Cup in the 80s. He was the guy who setup the goal Gretzky to Lemieux.
Beloved in two cities Winnipeg and Buffalo. Went to the finals with Philadelphia. Came close to winning it all. Calder trophy wi...
When the 2021 Sabres team finally hits the ice mid-January, at minimum, 310 days will have passed since the last time they stepped off as 3-2 SO winners over the Washington Capitals.
That team was just trying to get to the finish line of yet another playoff-less campaign. Eichel had done all he could to try and drag them into relevancy...but he would again come up short...
Tanking for the first-overall pick has cursed the Buffalo Sabres, which landed them with second-overall. Sabres fans have seen great talent come and go because of Buffalo's player system, draft, destroy, tank. Players like; Nikita Zadorov, Brendan Lemieux, Tyler Myers, Ryan O'Reilly, Robin Lehner, Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, have found themselves in the Sabres organizatio...
This morning, it was announced by the Buffalo Sabres that Jack Eichel will not be available due to an upper-body injury. With this injury possibly being longer than originally expected, the media is now all over the possibility of Eichel being traded. There is no clarification at this time whether or not Eichel might've played his last game in a Sabres jersey, although I h...
Under normal circumstances, a long-term injury to captain and franchise centre Jack Eichel would be disastrous for the Buffalo Sabres – especially heading down the stretch run to the playoffs. Unlike the Edmonton Oilers (who have Leon Draisaitl to fall back on if Connor McDavid winds up on the injured reserve) or the Toronto Maple Leafs (who can turn to Mitch Marner, Joh...
No love or attention to some interesting teams, players and events these days. So here they are:
1) THE PANTHERS
Apparently Florida is only known for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Disney land. There is no such team named after the state. I really don't know what needs to be done for people to talk about them. They are off to their best start historically. Barkov and Hu...
It’s time to be realistic and focus on the present. The Blue Jackets are in another dilemma with another star with another expansion draft looming ahead.
The Blue Jackets retained the fifth overall selection for the upcoming draft, with two other first round picks to follow later this summer.
Patrick Laine is on an expiring deal with little update on the contract f...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 Draftkings Preview
Puck drops Monday night at 8pm eastern for game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the Lightning look to repeat as champions against the team nobody thought would be here and trying to complete a dream playoff run with their first cup in 28 years, the Montreal Canadiens. This is basically hockey’s version of Rocky 1, the Lightnin...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 2 Draftkings Preview
Game 1 is over, the Lightning won 5-1 and the guys who were supposed to handle their business, handled their business. Nikita Kucherov had 2 goals and 1 assist, Brayden Point had 3 assists and Adrei Vasilevski only allowed 1 goal on 19 shots. Meanwhile Carey Price had his worst outing of the post season allowing 5 goals on 27...
I have been thinking a lot about the likely inevitable trade of Jack Eichel (Jack) out of Buffalo. So having invested that time, This was initially written last week and posted only on Facebook (with a couple different versions) but I felt like telling someone whom might care about the proposed deal that I came up with after investing so much time coming up with it. Why no...
Bank Roll Management
Part 1 of my Daily Fantasy Sports Strategy Series
Starting in August I’m going to be putting out articles touching on some strategies to use while playing daily fantasy sports (DFS). We’ll cover bank roll management, contest selection, correlation techniques and how to approach chalk plays and contrarian plays. This first part will address ba...
Part 2 Contest Selection
This is part two of my series of daily fantasy sports strategies for an entire season. Earlier we covered bank roll management, establishing a budget and high percentage plays to build your bank roll. This week we’re going over contest selections. We’ll discuss the differences between contests, Mass Multi Entry (MME) vs Single Entry and Thre...
The NHL season starts tonight with the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the back to back defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning followed by the Seattle Kraken making their NHL debut against a team who’s early success they’d love to replicate the Vegas Golden Knights. Throughout the season I’ll use this space to highlight the best games on the slate for fanta...
Night two of this NHL season brings us five games on the slate and plenty of questions. Alexander Ovechkin is a game-time decision, Nathan MacKinnon is in the COVID-19 protocol and Nicklas Backstrom is opening the season on long term injured reserve, Austin Mathews isn’t ready to return, so there’s going to be plenty of opportunities for other players to step up. We’...
Last night was a good example of our thought process of chasing volume and opportunities being correct but not delivering the desired results. We targeted the Montreal, Toronto game and the Vancouver, Edmonton game, despite the lackluster scores for both of those games I still believe they were the correct games to target. The Oilers and Canucks combined for 73 shots on th...
Last night’s slate was an absolute eruption in offensive game play, every game on the slate totaled at least five goals and five teams scored six or more goals on their own. For myself specifically it was a tale of two games, The New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes game probably couldn’t have gone any better. The four players I highlighted here in the breakdown ...
I wanted to start doing a second daily post to hold myself accountable, this one is just to run down what I said in my breakdown posts and see how things played out. Today I covered the game environments of all three games on the slate and highlighted some of the players I liked in each game.
Chicago Blackhawks @ New Jersey Devils
Players highlighted:
Jane Koukkan...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Tonight’s main slate featured 12 games, in my breakdown I highlighted the games I thought would be most conducive to fantasy scoring and some players I thought would be good plays. In the After Action Review I go back over the games and players I highlighted to hold myself accountable and see what adjustments I can make going forward.
Calgary Flames @ Edmonton Oilers
...
NHL Single Game Slate 1 Breakdown
There’s only one game on the slate tonight so that means it’s a single game breakdown. Now with single game slates individual plays are what we focus on as well as correlation of line mates and power play partners and what we believe the game script will be. Also with captains/MVPs scoring at the elevated point rate makes them the m...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
The After Action Review is my way of holding myself accountable and identifying adjustments going forward. Tonight’s slate only had four games and I picked out two that I believed would deliver potent fantasy environments.
New York Rangers @ Toronto Maple Leafs
Players Highlighted:
Nick Ritchie ($3,400 DK, $4,200 FD)
All Ritchie managed to do was record a shot ...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
After every slate I hold myself accountable and take a look at how my Breakdown takes panned out over the course of the slate. With 11 games on this slate I chose 3 games that I believed would set themselves apart and deliver fantasy ecstasy.
Dallas Stars @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Players Highlighted:
Evan Rodrigues ($3,500 DK, $4,600 FD)
I had high hopes for Rodrigu...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
If there is one thing that adds some excitement to the NHL season, it would be fantasy hockey. Going head to head against friends, colleagues, family and random hockey minds across the globe is certainly something that brings me joy. It always helps to add to the excitement by being successful and taking care of business week in, week out and eventually claiming the top ...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
The Crease Report finds the best goaltending values on a given slate by looking at a goalie’s own metrics and the quality of team defense played in front of them. Team shot maps, shots against (SA), scoring chances against (SCA) and high danger chances against (HDA) are all weighed and considered to determine the best matchups. In addition to the individual goaltenders a...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
In the Shot Attempts-Thru Percentage Model we’ll examine players that are getting a higher amount of shot attempts (SA) and their thru percentage (Thru%) to identify those players getting shot attempts to the net but aren’t scoring goals at a level consistent with with the number of attempts they’re taking. Shooting percentage (Shoot%) and shots on goal (S) will also...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...