Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
The Buffalo Sabres iced a large group of players who will be ticketed for Rochester, at least to start this season. Of the twenty players in the line-up, only three are sure to be on the Sabres--Cody Hodgson, Andrej Meszaros and Chris Stewart--while two other, defensemen Mike Weber and Rasmus Ristolainen will probably be with the team when they open the season October 9th vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Amerks open camp today, and many of those who played in last nights 3-2 SO loss at Toronto will be headed east to Rochester. The Sabres have only two more preseason games--Wednesday vs. the Capitals and Friday at Carolina--to get ready for the opener.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
The 2014-15 Sabres Training Camp "Also-rans"
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Also-rans might be a little tough, but the Sabres still need to do some serious trimming down of a roster that began with 59 players to open camp.
The next wave has been sent down. On Friday night before their game vs. Toronto, the Sabres sent 11 players to Rochester. Forward Luke Adam is the only one of the group that will need to clear waivers, the rest are: forwards William Carrier, Dan Catenacci, Colin Jacobs, Justin Kea, Jordan Samuels-Thomas, Kevin Sundher and Phil Varone plus defensemen Brady Austin, Jerome Leduc and Chad Ruhwedel.
The team also returned two forwards to their junior clubs, Justin Bailey (Kitchener) and Brendan Lemieux (Barrie).
There are still plenty to go. Here's a list of players, some more notable than others still with Buffalo who might eventually be considered an "also-ran" this season as they head back to their respective clubs :
Also-rans might be a little tough, but the Sabres still need to do some serious trimming down of a roster that began with 59 players to open camp.
The next wave has been sent down. On Friday night before their game vs. Toronto, the Sabres sent 11 players to Rochester. Forward Luke Adam is the only one of the group that will need to clear waivers, the rest are: forwards William Carrier, Dan Catenacci, Colin Jacobs, Justin Kea, Jordan Samuels-Thomas, Kevin Sundher and Phil Varone plus defensemen Brady Austin, Jerome Leduc and Chad Ruhwedel.
The team also returned two forwards to their junior clubs, Justin Bailey (Kitchener) and Brendan Lemieux (Barrie).
There are still plenty to go. Here's a list of players, some more notable than others still with Buffalo who might eventually be considered an "also-ran" this season as they head back to their respective clubs :
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Building the 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres roster--The Reserves
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz,com
Before we finish up with the roster, some quick notes, via Bill Hoppe of buffalohockeybeat.com:
--The Sabres sent winger Justin Bailey to his junior team, the Kitchener Rangers.
--Former Sabres' defenseman Henrik Tallinder is slated to hit the ice with Toronto this evening as he is on a tryout basis with the Leafs
--Sabres forward Tim Schaller, who was profiled here, will make his Sabres debut tonight. 'This is a dream come true,' Schaller said, 'I’ll bring my A game, that’s for sure.'
--Schaller, according to Hoppe, skated between Brian Flynn and Cody McCormick on one line
--The other lines were: Tyler Ennis/Matt Moulson/Drew Stafford; Cody Hodgson/Sam Reinhart/Brian Gionta; Marcus Foligno/Torrey Mitchell/Chris Stewart.
--The defensemen are: Jake McCabe, Andrej Meszaros, Tyler Myers, Rasmus Ristolainen, Mike Weber, Nikita Zadorov.
Thank you, Mr. Hoppe.
And onward we go.
Before we finish up with the roster, some quick notes, via Bill Hoppe of buffalohockeybeat.com:
--The Sabres sent winger Justin Bailey to his junior team, the Kitchener Rangers.
--Former Sabres' defenseman Henrik Tallinder is slated to hit the ice with Toronto this evening as he is on a tryout basis with the Leafs
--Sabres forward Tim Schaller, who was profiled here, will make his Sabres debut tonight. 'This is a dream come true,' Schaller said, 'I’ll bring my A game, that’s for sure.'
--Schaller, according to Hoppe, skated between Brian Flynn and Cody McCormick on one line
--The other lines were: Tyler Ennis/Matt Moulson/Drew Stafford; Cody Hodgson/Sam Reinhart/Brian Gionta; Marcus Foligno/Torrey Mitchell/Chris Stewart.
--The defensemen are: Jake McCabe, Andrej Meszaros, Tyler Myers, Rasmus Ristolainen, Mike Weber, Nikita Zadorov.
Thank you, Mr. Hoppe.
And onward we go.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Building the 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres roster--The goalies
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Sabres goaltender Jhonas Enroth made sure he let the coaching staff know that he's ready for the challenge that lies before him. Enroth shut out the Carolina Hurricanes in his first preseason action. He tracked the puck well, moved well and had the puck sticking to him throughout the night. It should also serve notice to Michal Neuvirth, the Sabres other goalie, that he better bring his A-game.
Enroth is a 2006 draft pick, chosen in the second round with the 46th pick overall. He and Mike Weber (57th) are the only two players to make it from that Buffalo draft class.
It's been a long road for Enroth to get to this point. After getting drafted he spent two more years in his native Sweden then began his North American pro career with the Portland Pirates, who were then the AHL affiliate of Buffalo. In 58 games that season he went 26-23-6 with a 2.75 gaa and a .910 sv%. The Pirates made it into the playoffs that year but were bounced in the first round.
The following year he would get better lowering his goals against average to 2.37 and upping his save percentage to .919 while finishing 20-17-2. The Pirates would make the Calder Cup playoffs once again and, once again, get bounced in the first round.
Sabres goaltender Jhonas Enroth made sure he let the coaching staff know that he's ready for the challenge that lies before him. Enroth shut out the Carolina Hurricanes in his first preseason action. He tracked the puck well, moved well and had the puck sticking to him throughout the night. It should also serve notice to Michal Neuvirth, the Sabres other goalie, that he better bring his A-game.
Enroth is a 2006 draft pick, chosen in the second round with the 46th pick overall. He and Mike Weber (57th) are the only two players to make it from that Buffalo draft class.
It's been a long road for Enroth to get to this point. After getting drafted he spent two more years in his native Sweden then began his North American pro career with the Portland Pirates, who were then the AHL affiliate of Buffalo. In 58 games that season he went 26-23-6 with a 2.75 gaa and a .910 sv%. The Pirates made it into the playoffs that year but were bounced in the first round.
The following year he would get better lowering his goals against average to 2.37 and upping his save percentage to .919 while finishing 20-17-2. The Pirates would make the Calder Cup playoffs once again and, once again, get bounced in the first round.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Building the 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres roster--The 4th Line
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
On the heels of the Sabres two-goal outburst last night in a shutout win over the Carolina Hurricanes, we'll add three fourth-line players to fill out the starting group of forwards.
The running joke with the Buffalo Sabres over the last few years is that they had too many third and fourth-liners on the team and this year is no different. The top seven players on the team--Matt Moulson, Tyler Ennis, Drew Stafford, Brian Gionta, Zemgus Girgensons, Cody Hodgson, and Chris Stewart--are legitimate top-nine players in the least with all but Girgensons being considered legit top-six.
Barring the inclusion of Sam Reinhart, the rest of the Buffalo Sabres forward roster this season will be populated by bottom-six players, fourth-line players and borderline NHL'ers. The dozen or so players battling it out for bottom-six/reserve roles offer an array of sizes, shapes and styles and two of them--Marcus Foligno and Brian Flynn have already been included.
On the heels of the Sabres two-goal outburst last night in a shutout win over the Carolina Hurricanes, we'll add three fourth-line players to fill out the starting group of forwards.
The running joke with the Buffalo Sabres over the last few years is that they had too many third and fourth-liners on the team and this year is no different. The top seven players on the team--Matt Moulson, Tyler Ennis, Drew Stafford, Brian Gionta, Zemgus Girgensons, Cody Hodgson, and Chris Stewart--are legitimate top-nine players in the least with all but Girgensons being considered legit top-six.
Barring the inclusion of Sam Reinhart, the rest of the Buffalo Sabres forward roster this season will be populated by bottom-six players, fourth-line players and borderline NHL'ers. The dozen or so players battling it out for bottom-six/reserve roles offer an array of sizes, shapes and styles and two of them--Marcus Foligno and Brian Flynn have already been included.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Sabres coach Ted Nolan throws some cold water on analytics
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Ted Nolan reminds me of my father.
As a student in college my father and I would often get into philosophical battles over current events and politics. I'd throw a salvo his way replete with "scholarly" theoretic and he'd counter with a simple, down-to-earth retort that would smack me down.
Although I never gave up, oft-times his life experience would trump my book knowledge.
I'm not sure who asked Nolan about analytics, but the Sabres' old-school bench boss was probably the last one to ask about that subject. Corsi and Fenwick might as well be a millennial-generation comedy team in Nolan's eyes.
Nolan kept it simple when broached with the subject, “If you have a Crosby on your team, they’re going to have a little bit more zone time. If you have a Kopitar on your team, they’re going to have a little bit more zone time," he said yesterday. "You look at all the teams that make the playoffs, they make it for a reason, they’re better teams. What we want to do is become a better team and you do that you get better players and it hasn’t changed since the 50’s and 60’s, you get better players, you have a better chance of winning.”
Ted Nolan reminds me of my father.
As a student in college my father and I would often get into philosophical battles over current events and politics. I'd throw a salvo his way replete with "scholarly" theoretic and he'd counter with a simple, down-to-earth retort that would smack me down.
Although I never gave up, oft-times his life experience would trump my book knowledge.
I'm not sure who asked Nolan about analytics, but the Sabres' old-school bench boss was probably the last one to ask about that subject. Corsi and Fenwick might as well be a millennial-generation comedy team in Nolan's eyes.
Nolan kept it simple when broached with the subject, “If you have a Crosby on your team, they’re going to have a little bit more zone time. If you have a Kopitar on your team, they’re going to have a little bit more zone time," he said yesterday. "You look at all the teams that make the playoffs, they make it for a reason, they’re better teams. What we want to do is become a better team and you do that you get better players and it hasn’t changed since the 50’s and 60’s, you get better players, you have a better chance of winning.”
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Building the 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres roster--RHD, Mark Pysyk
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Before we get to Mark Pysyk, a few notes on last nights preseason game at Washington.
--The Capitals beat the Sabres 1-0, but the most interesting thing about the game was the fact that superstar Alex Ovechkin played. Not sure why they would have him in vs. a team full of rookies, prospects and borderline NHL'ers, but new Washington bench-boss Barry Trotz must have had a reason. Ovechkin played over 17 minutes and was called for a slash on the Sabres Torrey Mitchell on a breakaway. Not sure I've ever seen Ovechkin hustle on a back-check before. Maybe he just didn't know what to do in a situation like that.
--Rookie center Sam Reinhart's stat-line looks like this: 16:53 of ice-time, zero points, minus-1. To put it in perspective, he's an 18 yr. old playing against men for the first time and he put on a middle of the road performance. No need to jump off a bridge.
--Everyone talks about the textbook hipcheck Washington's Nathan Walker laid on Buffalo's Vaclav Karabacek, and it was a doozy. But Sabres d-man Nikita Zadorov also had a nice one as he sent Caps forward Michael Latta end-over-end at the Buffalo blueline.
--Despite getting sent flying, Karabacek played a real solid game. He's fast and aggressive, goes north/south and plays the game bigger than his 6'0" 190 lb. frame. Definitely someone to keep an eye on.
--Zadorov had a good game. It seemed as if he was locked in. Which is good because over the course of the last year or so he's tended to lose focus making him look like the raw rookie he is. At times it was fatigue, as with the London Knights last season when he was logging 30 minutes a game. At other times he just looks as if his head's somewhere else, like versus Dallas at Traverse City. When he's locked in he'll play within himself and look as if he's ready for the NHL. Looks like he'll need another year or two to work on his consistency.
--It took a while for Joel Armia to get going, but once he did he was battling quite well.
--Nathan Lieuwen had a strong game. He allowed one goal to the Caps Andre Burakovsky on a wicked wrister from the slot that went top-shelf, glove side. It was a sniper's goal as Burakovsky found an opening in the slot and got the shot off quick.
--Newcomer Andre Benoit wore the "A" as did fellow defenseman, Mike Weber.
--Finally, for those keeping track, the Sabres scored 1, 1, 3, and 1 goals at Traverse City and have a goose egg to start out the preseason.
**********
Mark Pysyk is the type of player that doesn't want or need to be noticed. And that's a good thing for a defensive defenseman.
The 6' 1", 193 lb. Pysyk plays an understated game, one that's heady and steady. He's not flashy, won't go on an end-to-end rush won't dazzle you with a spin-o-rama or a bone-crunching hit. What Pysyk will do is move the puck to the proper place anywhere on the ice, in any situation, consistently. It's a product of his innate sense for the game and the way he's climbed through the hockey ranks without any shortcuts.
Before we get to Mark Pysyk, a few notes on last nights preseason game at Washington.
--The Capitals beat the Sabres 1-0, but the most interesting thing about the game was the fact that superstar Alex Ovechkin played. Not sure why they would have him in vs. a team full of rookies, prospects and borderline NHL'ers, but new Washington bench-boss Barry Trotz must have had a reason. Ovechkin played over 17 minutes and was called for a slash on the Sabres Torrey Mitchell on a breakaway. Not sure I've ever seen Ovechkin hustle on a back-check before. Maybe he just didn't know what to do in a situation like that.
--Rookie center Sam Reinhart's stat-line looks like this: 16:53 of ice-time, zero points, minus-1. To put it in perspective, he's an 18 yr. old playing against men for the first time and he put on a middle of the road performance. No need to jump off a bridge.
--Everyone talks about the textbook hipcheck Washington's Nathan Walker laid on Buffalo's Vaclav Karabacek, and it was a doozy. But Sabres d-man Nikita Zadorov also had a nice one as he sent Caps forward Michael Latta end-over-end at the Buffalo blueline.
--Despite getting sent flying, Karabacek played a real solid game. He's fast and aggressive, goes north/south and plays the game bigger than his 6'0" 190 lb. frame. Definitely someone to keep an eye on.
--Zadorov had a good game. It seemed as if he was locked in. Which is good because over the course of the last year or so he's tended to lose focus making him look like the raw rookie he is. At times it was fatigue, as with the London Knights last season when he was logging 30 minutes a game. At other times he just looks as if his head's somewhere else, like versus Dallas at Traverse City. When he's locked in he'll play within himself and look as if he's ready for the NHL. Looks like he'll need another year or two to work on his consistency.
--It took a while for Joel Armia to get going, but once he did he was battling quite well.
--Nathan Lieuwen had a strong game. He allowed one goal to the Caps Andre Burakovsky on a wicked wrister from the slot that went top-shelf, glove side. It was a sniper's goal as Burakovsky found an opening in the slot and got the shot off quick.
--Newcomer Andre Benoit wore the "A" as did fellow defenseman, Mike Weber.
--Finally, for those keeping track, the Sabres scored 1, 1, 3, and 1 goals at Traverse City and have a goose egg to start out the preseason.
**********
Mark Pysyk is the type of player that doesn't want or need to be noticed. And that's a good thing for a defensive defenseman.
The 6' 1", 193 lb. Pysyk plays an understated game, one that's heady and steady. He's not flashy, won't go on an end-to-end rush won't dazzle you with a spin-o-rama or a bone-crunching hit. What Pysyk will do is move the puck to the proper place anywhere on the ice, in any situation, consistently. It's a product of his innate sense for the game and the way he's climbed through the hockey ranks without any shortcuts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)