Mar
14
Turnovers, Icing, and More: Not Quite a Delicious Hockey Meal
March 14, 2008 |
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)Â 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!