Apr

3

With only two games remaining, the Buffalo Sabres have a lot of pressure to hang on for dear life. There is no guarantee that they will make it to the playoffs, even if their hardest efforts are rewarded. What has become much clearer is the heart and soul of a team that many deemed shattered at the beginning of the season. Did anyone expect another record-breaking season? No. At least, I knew that the last two seasons were important enough to stand on their own. Whatever may happen over the next few days for the Sabres is vitally important, yet it only represents two games. This season has been somewhat disappointing at times, but we all knew that there was something to look forward to. Buffalo is not a team that gives up in an instant: They fought, and are still fighting.

Tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens could equate to the end of the season, or the continuation of the chance to earn a playoff spot. Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington could help us out by falling apart at this point… Which could happen, judging by the recent scores. There is always a chance for something good to happen: Especially with the Sabres! I might tear them apart every now and then, but only because we all know what they are capable of. And if all else fails, an all-out brawl would just as easily make my day.

7:30 PM. Tonight on MSG. It WILL be good.

Mar

14

March is arguably one of the most important times of the year for every hockey team. The race for the President’s Trophy tightens, playoff spots begin to be set in stone, and the struggling teams continue to be left further and further behind. Enter the Buffalo Sabres, who are in a drastically different situation than they were 365 days ago. Defensive injuries have sidelined the core blue liners that provide support and a good deal of goals. While I am happy to see some new guys temporarily stepping in, it seems like every opponent knows just how to take advantage of them. In an odd way, the goaltender is no longer the one in need of the most support: The defense is.

Coming down the stretch, the Sabres look worn out and lost. It is so frustrating to see them struggling from injuries and mistakes! We all know what they are capable of, and how many goals they can put up in a few minutes. The final playoff spot is inching further and further away, while other teams (Washington, Florida, and Toronto) are creeping up. When every game needs to be a win, I can just imagine the pressure that the players are under. I doubt there is a simple solution, or Lindy Ruff would have figured it out. As good ol’ Bastian from The Neverending Story points out, “Be confident!” Nobody is perfect, and a lot of these mistakes seems to stem from a panicked state of mind. Buffalo just needs to acknowledge their talents, work together, and figure out a way to have a little fun. The somberness and seriousness of every game is enough to spell disaster from the beginning. We do not need to see a bunch of goofy smiles out there, though: Just some energy and simplistic hockey.

The Sabres will try their luck tonight at 7:30 PM against the Carolina Hurricanes. Somewhere around half of the regular defensemen are expected to be out, paving the way for some rookies, such as Sekera and Funk, to take their places. I have often been saying, “Sekera, don’t make an erra!” (Pronounced with a Jersey accent, of course) and think that might very well be said for the whole team. The Sabres are not at the end of their season, and could be quite far from it. Keep hockey alive and well in Buffalo!

Mar

4

Tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers is about as crucial as a hockey game can be. I have been absolutely thrilled with the Sabres’ last two games… If you can call low scoring losses thrilling. The frustrating part of the matter is that this team is not in character to be struggling! February 27th saw the Sabres win with eight goals. Since then, they have scored two goals per game and lost to the Canadiens and Red Wings. Why?! Personally, the returns of Afinogenov and Stafford brightened my days and made me excited to see some offensive talent return. The problem is that the lines were mixed up, and all of that good chemistry disappeared. That is not to say that change is necessarily bad, but what else is there to conclude at this point? Buffalo is on the verge of just making the playoffs… Or just missing them. Rather than looking at the short-term, it really is time to look ahead to that uncertain future. I would rather go three or four months without Sabres hockey, rather than four or five. This is a do or die situation, no matter how early it may be.

Make sure to tune in to Versus tonight to see the Sabres and the Flyers go at it at 7:00 PM. Expect some sparks to fly, as these two teams have never been all too friendly, and both are grasping at the bottom rung of the playoff ladder. Go Sabres!

Jan

29

After the Buffalo Sabres beat the Dallas Stars last Thursday, it now seems like they can do anything! This inconsistency is frustrating, simply because this team has it in them to win against good teams. I am a little skeptical about the team being able to completely dig themselves out of the hole they dug. However, I still stand by my team. The main goal is to generate some offensive chances, score a bit, and play a complete 60 minutes. If the Sabres can do that, even without the win, I will be a lot happier than I have been!

The Sabres play tonight, January 29th, at 7:00 PM against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is also a struggling team, so it should be a good chance to see who took advantage of the All-Star break and really wants to win this season!

Nov

16

So the last two, or ten, games have been pretty depressing for Sabres fans. It is easy to focus on the negative aspects of gameplay, which pretty much equate to very few goals, horrible defense, and half-hearted hockey. Then again, putting these things in the back of our minds just hides the obvious. I think the worst part is our expectations of the Sabres to win, which has nearly become a guarantee over the past two years. Right out of the NHL lockout, Buffalo took the hockey world by storm and put themselves in a successful position. Last season, that success continued and we came to expect wins almost every night. The fact that we lost a huge portion of the team over the summer was not thought to be something that would negatively affect the team. I was one of “those people” who believed that the team would triumph over the obstacles and show everyone that they could come together. So far, I have been sorely disappointed with the season, but that disappointment stems from who the Buffalo Sabres were. Who they are now is very different, and I find that it is difficult to accept such a change.

In a way, the team also has to accept a new identity that they are not comfortable with. Frankly, the leadership is not there because no one has been put in that position for an extended period of time over the past. We continue to compare the Sabres to the Sabres of 2005 and 2006, yet there is no basis for comparison. Sharing the same name does not necessarily mean that the two are the same! The main problem is that the post-lockout Sabres built up their identity for two years. This season represents a drastic, horrible change that is not easily swallowed. My feeling is that Buffalo is simply not comfortable with who they are, and that discomfort is translated into each and every game. The solution? Play the game, and realize that there is no reason to live in the past.

Tonight should be interesting, as the Sabres take on the Montreal Canadiens at 7:30 PM. I will be looking for more elements of teamwork and actual playing, rather than expecting a win. And of course, there will be some metaphorical “deaths” if need be! Go Sabres!

Nov

10

Last night’s 3-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs was more than enough to define the breaking point for many Buffalo fans. Not only was this a home game, but the Sabres were supposed to carry on their recent success. What happened? The team has slowly been turning into those half-invisible people from the TheraFlu commercials. Only two or three players decide to show up and give 100% of their abilities each and every night. I may sound horribly pessimistic and negative towards the team, but they need to open up their eyes and see the obvious. Perhaps some players are going through individual slumps, which continue to compound and make the Sabres appear weaker than they really are. The fact of the matter still remains: All four lines are having trouble scoring, making the team look more like a hodge-podge of different people thrown together.

Tonight, the Sabres will take on the Boston Bruins at 7:00 PM. This team has brought us into overtime during both meetings, yet they have also shown that they can be better than the Sabres. As I have said before, the Sabres must be more aggressive if they are to generate a solid win. Scoring one or two goals is not my idea of a safe way to expect to beat another team. Harry Neale pointed out in last night’s broadcast that over the first 15 games of the season, Buffalo has scored 43 goals (MSG Broadcast). Breaking that down, the team averages under 3 goals per game. What happened to the 4, 5, and 6 goal games of last season? This team has to get it together if the bulk of the season is to be played well. There are some guys stepping up to the challenge, such as Paul Gaustad and Clarke MacArthur, so there is no reason to give up hope. We just need our semi-invisible guys to do two things: 1. Realize that it is not possible to skate through opponents, no matter how invisible you think you are; and 2. PLAY SABRES HOCKEY!

Oct

5

In around 2 hours, the hockey season will again begin for the Buffalo Sabres! This is the moment that every fan has been looking forward to since May 19th. It would be ridiculous to continue focusing on the obvious, but the fact remains that a lot of key players from the past two seasons are no longer Sabres. Fortunately, Jochen Hecht was named captain for at least the month of October. His somewhat soft-spoken appearance during interviews channels into the qualities of a great leader on the ice, and he can easily fill the role that he has been given. Everyone seems to be looking forward to this season, although expecting another record-breaking one is a little ambitious. Cautious optimism is probably the best route to go, although most of us will be simply crazy tonight!

There are a lot of well-thought previews posted around the internet, which have provided a touch of realism. Meaning the Sabres pretty much kill their opponents during season openers at home. The Islanders did make some off-season changes that might shake up Buffalo a bit, but judging by the Sabres’ preseason games, tonight should continue to feed off that energy. NHL.com has an Islanders-Sabres preview with many facts and figures about tonight’s matchup. Ales Kotalik is expected to miss tonight with an injured knee, but Lindy Ruff assured the press that this is not a long-term injury, and he will most likely return this weekend or early next week. Many of the younger players are looking forward to starting up another season, which brings us to tonight’s keys to winning.

* Power Play Unit: The Sabres saw a lot of opportunities generated by special teams during the preseason, and they showed a lot of talent. The power play has struggled during the last few seasons, and starting off on the right foot is exactly how to begin a new season. Just hope at least one defenseman is out there to cover up for the almost guaranteed mistakes.

* Offensive Opportunities: Playing defense has taken up too much time during some games, and may have cost the Sabres a win in one or two preseason games. Along with those opportunities comes the actual object of the game: Scoring. Rick Jeanneret had better be going nuts tonight, or something is wrong!

* Useless Penalties: Roughing up a Crosby-type guy is one thing. Cross-checking a burly defenseman to the nth degree is quite another. Dumb penalties lead to dumb goals, and a lot of the players have been able to keep themselves under control a lot better during the last two or three preseason games. Will that continue tonight? Hopefully so, or we will surely see a party in the penalty box.

Tonight should be another exciting start to the season! Make sure to catch all the action at 7:30 PM on MSG (HD). Just a note that if you are not in the Buffalo area of Time Warner Cable, MSG (HD) is not available, but the game will be broadcast on the normal MSG channel. Now to convince the company that there are Sabres fans outside of Buffalo!

LetsGoSabres Game Preview
NHL/Sabres Game Preview