Feb

18

What was learned this past week? The Sabres have some issues with afternoon games and Sunday night games. Or, maybe it was just the thrill of doing so well that killed them this weekend. Naturally, I was horrified at Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers. Nobody was on for the first 20 minutes, and Buffalo could not recover from such a devastating start to a hockey game. I had a few thoughts about each of the last three games, and since they tie together quite nicely, a little break-down seems appropriate. Break-dancing, on the other hand, is not included.

Wednesday, February 13th: Sabres (1) vs. Maple Leafs (0)

A little bit goes a long way sometimes! Although the scoring was virtually absent from this game, the Sabres were alive in every department. Toronto played a solid game, yet we were there to hold them off and give them a taste of their own medicine. Ryan Miller was the difference throughout the three periods, looking good on every save and coming alive whenever he was needed. As much as I hate to point out the leadership issues with the Buffalo Sabres, the loss of a stable captain has hurt the team. A goaltender is an unlikely candidate for being a leader, but Miller fills those shoes… Or skates. Many offensive rushes are the result of a big save, and he rarely disappoints. Speaking retrospectively, it was shocking to see what happened next in the Sabres’ playing history. Although this win was not the best one, it was still a continuation of a successful burst.

Saturday, February 16th: Sabres (1) vs. Rangers (5)

Numbfully painful. Maybe afternoon games are just not the right thing for the Sabres… What other explanation is there?! The Rangers attacked right off the bat, while the Sabres looked like they were ready for a nap. Ryan Miller surprised me, most of all, by simply being BAD. One easy save turned into a goal, which turned into two, then three, and pretty soon, it was a runaway game. When a goalie is not on par, it obviously upsets the team and brings about a feeling of losing before the game even begins. However, it was possible for the team to turn around and eclipse one bad period with two good ones. Not so, and I doubt I need to re-hash the details of the loss.

Sunday, February 17th: Sabres (1) vs. Penguins (4)

Anyone notice a pattern with these lone Sabres goals? Not enough in most cases! Last night was another fairly downhill game, despite the team looking much better. They could have done a lot better, though. We could blame it on Tim Connoly’s facial hairstyle, just in time for the Old West classics! Good ol’ TC, putting a smile on my face even when the Sabres have absolutely no idea what they are doing. I know I am being harsh about their losses, but it is only because this team is not a losing one. Again and again, people will point out all of the losses the team suffered prior to October. Yet, more focus should be put on the progress of new talent, in the ranks of Mike Ryan, Kaleta, Paille, and MacArthur. Back-to-back weekend losses are never all too wonderful, but this season is far from over. With a little more patience and determination on the part of everyone, Buffalo will be able to go far. A year without any playoff beards (or lack thereof) is simply disastrous!

The Buffalo Sabres will next play on Wedneday, February 20th, at 7:00 PM against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Feb

12

February has been a charm for the Buffalo Sabres, as they have picked up 10 out of a possible 12 points. For anyone aware of how close the Eastern Conference teams are, every point counts for much more than usual. Last night was another spectacular win, played all the way through with all the passion and determination that we have been looking for. Furthermore, Thomas Vanek came alive to be rewarded with his first career hat trick! A lot of controversy has been surrounding him this season, due to the infamous contract of 2007. I have been one to criticize his play and wonder whether or not he would be able to like up to the expectations. It is undeniable that he has struggled, but I am a lot more confident with him on the ice these days. Every Buffalo Sabre has struggled at one point this season, and it is important to recognize the positive aspects. This team is fighting for every play, and playing with a renewed vigor. The playoffs are still some time off, and I prefer to focus on the present, but things are clearly looking up for the Sabres!

The team’s next game is on Wednesday, February 13th, at 7:30 PM against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Keep an eye out: This is another crucial game where Buffalo must make their presence known very early on.

Feb

10

First and foremost, we would like to extend our best wishes to Richard Zednik, who was seriously injured in the third period of tonight’s hockey game. It was an eerie incident to witness, and showed just how real the game can be. NHL.com has listed Zednik in stable condition, and we will continue to keep our readers updated on the situation. The medical staff at HSBC Arena did a wonderful job, and really took control of the situation. As Mike Robitaille and Kevin Sylvester stated in the post-game show on MSG, there are no guarantees, but we hope that all will work out for the best.

Looking to the game, the Sabres played very well, despite letting the Panthers score first. The second period was, in all honesty, an explosion of goals! Patrick Kaleta scored his first NHL goal, only to be followed by Pominville and Roy. For the first time in many games, the power play unit looked very good! There is no question that Buffalo has a good deal of talent within their ranks: It just seems to take its time coming to the surface. I was also very impressed with Kaleta’s style of play, and what he represents. There are many young guys still working their way up in the minor leagues, and they all have a lot to offer this hockey club. We might struggle offensively here and there, yet Buffalo’s ability to use three or four lines effectively is quite the achievement. The third period was te determinant of the winner, although there were more factors at play than simple hockey. The final 10 minutes were played solemnly on both sides, understandably. Although it was difficult to go celebration crazy at a solid Sabres win, this puts the team in a much better position within the Eastern Conference. Two points mean everything these days.

The Buffalo Sabres will next play on Tuesday, February 12th, at 7:30 PM against the Ottawa Senators. This proves to be a somewhat difficult game, but one that our Sabres are very capable of winning. With the drive to finish off every play, we should be all set to crash the net. Make sure to tune in to MSG for the game!

Feb

8

The easy answer to tonight? A hockey game requires much more than 40 minutes of work condensed into about 5 minutes. Spacek scored with about 4 seconds remaining in the first period: Exciting and a good way to break a scoreless tie. It seemed like deja vu in the second period, when Vanek scored at 19:22. Perhaps this was an exercise to work on those last minute goals that Buffalo was notorious for last year? Not quite the positive team-building experience it might have been! Sure enough, the Boston Bruins scored their own pair of goals in the third period. To be honest, I was very impressed with how the Sabres began the game. The physical play was there, the offense was able to figure out how to get to Auld, and our own defense looked decent. It seemed to be the formula for a win, yet the team fell apart during the third period. There is no better way to describe what happened than to say that they lost their way and all the energy built up during the first two periods.

 Oh my. Any game that goes into overtime gets me worried, simply because they often result in shootouts. Minus the miraculous shootout win on Wednesday, one-on-one attempts seem to spell disaster. The one thing I should mention, however, is how good Ryan Miller is, and always has been. He has wavered here and there, but this team would be muddling about at the very bottom of the league without him. Fortunately, one point is much better than nothing. Did anyone realistically expect much more from a shootout?! Nope, sorry.

Where will the Sabres end up this year? No one really knows. However, the Sabres will next play on Sunday, February 10th, against the Florida Panthers (25-26-5). This is a team also hovering around the same area in the Eastern Conference. This game is quite important in the standings, for many reasons. Buffalo also needs a good win: They have their signature confidence every now and then, but nothing will give them that extra boost more than a notch in the win column. Go Sabres!

Feb

6

The Buffalo team looks like it is finally coming back to life after quite some time of living in the darkness. Slowly but steadily, the Sabres are coming into their own and showing us all what we knew all along: They can win! Not only is the talent limited to the one or two elusive guys some people pegged as the reasons for the problems. Both the offense and defense have been responsible for some very nice goals lately: Daniel Paille and Toni Lydman both stick out in my mind as two very useful players. Keep in mind that neither has been headlined as the go-to-guy. It is good to see all (or most) members of the Buffalo Sabres doing well, at long last! The team spirit really was not there during January, but is clearly starting to show.

The Sabres will play tonight, February 6th, at 7:00 PM against the New Jersey Devils. This is one of the more difficult teams to beat for the Sabres, but their last two games have shown a lot of promise. Tune in to MSG to see what happens!

Feb

1

It is amazing to see how a few intermissions can change a hockey team. I actually missed the first period of tonight’s game, thanks to a trip down memory lane with some old-school Playstation! I suppose it was a good choice: The Sabres played a way too relaxed game, resulting in 2 goals from Atlanta. The second period started off with a strange waved-off goal. The referee CLEARLY signaled a goal, and then waved it off a few seconds later. It was enough to send any Sabres fan into a frenzy. Of course, it did the same for the team. For the remainder of the period, Spacek, Pominville, and Paille each notched a goal. Aside from the offensive production, the Buffalo Sabres looked a lot more alive, and I decided it was going to be a good game.

The third period was not all too spectacular, especially with people dropping every now and then from injury. Adam Mair took a high stick to the forehead, and had to head off to the locker room for a fixer-upper. Equally as worse, Ryan Miller was taken down on a random check. The replays didn’t look all too bad, but he did not return for the third period. Sadly. Why? Because Thibault fell asleep for a minute, along with the defense. Kalinin made things better with a power play goal… But a few too many penalties made it certain that the game would go to overtime. The shootout made me nervous. How many has this team lost? About a million, or so it feels. But I had hope, as I always do! Thibault did pretty well, but THE BUFFALO SABRES CAN NOT SCORE A GOAL IN A SHOOTOUT. Who is their go-to guy? Kotalik, when he doesn’t deke and has some accuracy? Vanek? Not really. I love these guys, but somebody needs to step up in these shootouts. Our record is embarassing, to say the very least. Unless we want to go the route of saying how we haven’t lost in regulation time that much!

The Sabres next play on Tuesday, February 5th, at 7:00 PM against the Boston Bruins. Continue that unbeaten streak!

Jan

22

Might as well make a bad situation look good, right? Another losing streak seems to have begun, after a loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs over the weekend. Yesterday afternoon’s game was not all too memorable, either. There was no fire, no passion to win. Harry Neale and Kevin Sylvester had it right: The Sabres played a very easy game. Paul Gaustad and Drew Stafford scored some very nice goals, but it was not enough. Reminds me of the worst space in the Chutes and Ladders game near the end. How do I know? Because board games are a way of life for me when the Sabres are not playing. It was a difficult game for Jocelyn Thibault, since he really is better than the scoresheet tells. That first Phoenix goal was sickening, and he never seemed to recover. Come on! To go from a 10-goal game to two low-scoring matches is disgusting, in that way that almost makes you sick, but really only hovers about.

Buffalo next plays on Thursday, January 24th, at 8:30 PM against the Dallas Stars. This is a pivotal game, since a two-game losing streak means nothing until it turns into a three-game losing streak. For all those keeping track of stats, the Sabres are still winless on the road. Turn the tide!

Also, for those wondering where Rick Jeanneret has disappeared to, he is apparently taking a family vacation in Florida, according to The Buffalo News. We wish him all the best, and hope he enjoys his time off!

Jan

18

Getting that first win of 2008 sure was memorable for the Buffalo Sabres! They did not settle for simply squeaking by with a one goal margin. Rather, it seemed like everyone on the team had a hand in a goal. Drew Stafford had a hat trick, and Derek Roy found a way to be welcomed back with open arms! This is exactly what the team needed, and it was a very nicely played game… Finally! The offense had it together, the defense was a lively force, and Ryan Miller stood tall in the net. I think we all have been anticipating a game like this. A 10 game winless streak has to be broken at some point, and what better way to do it than by burying the Atlanta Thrashers?! Time for a horrible pun: Those Thrashers sure got thrashed around! Another factor that led to the win was the color-coded outift of Lindy Ruff. Any coach who adorns a blue jacket, gold dress shirt, and peach-colored tie means business!

The Sabres will next play on Saturday, January 19th, at 7:00 PM against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Perhaps this will be somewhat more of a challenge than tonight, yet the momentum we saw should carry the Buffalo Sabres to another good hockey game. It is interesting to see how these offensive bursts come every now and then: A little more consistency might be warranted, but how else could we enjoy these adrenaline-filled attacks?!

Jan

17

Does anyone not know about how the Sabres are currently struggling? A few local news stories seem to make the 10 game winless streak something that no one knows about. WE KNOW. All of the negative news coverage can make any optimist a pessimist, and I think this feeling has been passed on to the players. They know that they are in a slump, and every team struggles at one point or another during the season. Perhaps it is time to focus on the positive aspects, or at least shine a little light in another area.

Last night, Jason Pominville scored a goal on a successful offensive rush. The goals and rushes are few and far between, but to see a fully capitalized play was a treat, indeed! The physical style of play has also picked up, and there have been some fancy-dancy plays. Which, in my mind, means some good hockey! Besides, Rick Jeanneret is still going strong, and all of the excitement is still alive and well in Buffalo.

The Sabres will next play on Friday, January 18th, at 7:30 PM against the Atlanta Thrashers. Go Sabres!

Jan

6

2008 has not been a pretty sight for the Sabres so far. It has been painful to watch them at times, and I seem to only get frustrated by what they attempt to do. The crisp passing and offensive attacks seem to have found their way to every place but Buffalo. Not only are we, the fans, suffering from this slump, but the players are, too. There does not seem to be much confidence in anyone. Even Ryan Miller has struggled at times. Is there someone to blame? Nope. There is just a cloud over the Buffalo Sabres that does not want to go away. Add to that the mounting injuries, and it is difficult to see how this team will be able to pull themselves together. Perhaps it is the rotating captaincy, which has only served to create confusion for the team. Jaroslav Spacek is the newest captain, and I do not doubt his abilities. It just seems like the team really needs one person to stand up as the leader. Face it: There is little to no leadership at this point in time. Not one line meshes together, and the offensive slowdown is just one symptom of the major problem.

The Sabres next play on Tuesday, January 8th, against the New Jersey Devils. They do not have an easy schedule ahead of them, and I am a little nervous about seeing what they will do. Still, something good will come out of the next few weeks! Just wait and see.

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