Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
How ironic.
The iconic Detroit Red Wings, a franchise that hasn't had a draft pick in the top-10 since 1991 yet will be making their 24 consecutive playoff appearance next month, may have played a crucial role in helping to determine the winner of the so called "McEichel Derby" in 2015. They dropped a 5-4 OT decision to the 29th place Arizona Coyotes last night at home.
With their surprising overtime victory over the Wings, the 'Yotes moved five points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres in the standings.
Fans in Buffalo breathed a bit easier with the news. A collective cheer was felt throughout Sabreland after Arizona's Mark Arcobello tinkled the twine with 1:52 left in overtime while Peace Bridge Security nodded to the heavens in thanks. Legions of Sabres fans have been feeling pressure as the Coyotes began barreling towards the bottom of the standings in an effort to disrupt the Buffalo's best laid plans while doctor's offices throughout Western New York were said to have seen a sharp rise in scripts for Prozac and Xanax as the race tightened.
The Sabres and Coyotes still have two head-to-head meetings in five days beginning tomorrow night in Buffalo with those two games likely deciding who will finish last this year to "earn" the right to draft one of two future franchise centerpieces: Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. As it stands right now the Sabres could win both games and still be one point behind in the standings, in essence two points as the Coyotes hold the tie-breaker.
But that would only heighten tensions.
While fans and the media are free to argue the merits of "tanking," players and coaches in Buffalo are pushing forward with their belief that you play the game to win. “We’ve been dealing with that for quite some time,” said coach Ted Nolan after the Sabres lost to Dallas on Monday. “It seems everybody has their focus on a draft choice but our focus is trying to get these guys to compete and try to win a game. That’s where our focus will be.”
“Guys here really dig deep and try to do whatever they can,” said the losing goalie in that game, Anders Lindback. “It’s honorable. It’s fun playing behind these guys because they work so hard, try so hard. A night like this is even more disappointing.”
Lindback, who's playing for an NHL contract next season has been playing exceptional hockey since taking over the reigns after the Sabres traded goalie Michal Neuvirth at the trade deadline. In his nine appearances he has a 2.67 gaa and a .926 sv%. Good numbers but not great until you take into consideration that he's face 309 shots in those games or a whopping 34 shots/game. Yet he's managed to lead the team to six points in his last six starts.
It's something that had "Tank Nation" on edge while leading one newspaper columnist to write a column with the headline Lindback courts many fans' displeasure.
"Anders Lindback is a super guy," wrote Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News. "It’s a shame, then, that he’s on his way to becoming one of the most reviled Sabres ever. The second-best stretch of Lindback’s career has Buffalo hockey fans cursing him in the name of Connor McDavid. The goalie stole three points this week that never should have been in Buffalo’s bank.
At any other time in Sabres history, Lindback would be a triumphant feel-good story. Instead, he’ll enter the crease with Blue and Gold backers begging for him to fail."
The general schizophrenia that has enveloped the city and it's hockey fans is maddening. However, it's to be expected when you have a team president and advisor who were in Pittsburgh during their rebuild in the early 2000's and a GM who purged nearly every ounce of talent from the team over the course of the last year, juxtaposed by coaching staff and group of players who have a compete-level that's in direct contrast to tanking.
“This is all weirder from the outside perspectives," said Sabres leading scorer Tyler Ennis. "For us we try to win every game. If we didn’t, I don’t think we’d have a very frustrated group in here right now. We take every game the same. We want to win.”
There's been an enormous burden placed upon the shoulders of the coaches and players as their natural instincts are being tugged in every direction. They're not stupid, they know what's at stake. It's not very often when a franchise player is available in the draft and it's a Haley's Comet moment when two are available at the same draft. Making matters even more pressing, this will be the last year where the 30th place team will move no more than one spot lower after the lottery results.
"The outside distractions are always going to be there. It teaches you a little more resolve on how to keep those outside distractions outside," said Nolan. "This city knows what it’s like to work. It’s a city full of workers, and I don’t know anybody in this town who’d go to work and not give their best. That’s what we’re trying to do as a hockey team. I’m sure the fans will get behind that."
We'll see tomorrow night as a weird sentiment may envelope the First Niagara Center. The Sabres fan base is and always has been die-hard and strong. They've rooted for the team through thick and thin. But they also know that opportunity knocks and that things have come this far. A cheer will probably rise with each Arizona goal while groans may be heard if the home team lights the lamp. It sounds crazy but the fanaticism and rational are mutually exclusive.
For all involved the hope is that the Sabres finish the job as soon as possible, preferably next Monday, a full nine points behind the Coyotes in the standings. With that it would be great to see this team play out the remainder of the season with the weight removed.
The coaching staff and players deserve it.
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