Published by hockeybuzz.com, 5-7-2018
Goalie--Chad Johnson
DOB: June 10, 1986 (Age, 31)
Draft: 2006, 5th round (125th-overall) PIT
How acquired: FA
Last contract signed: July 1, 2017, 1yr./$2.5 million
Final year of contract: 2017-18
2017-18 Stats: 36 games played | 10-16-3 record | 3.55 GAA | .891 Sv % | 0 shutouts
Buffalo Career Stats: 81 games | 32-32-7 record | 2.85 GAA | .907 Sv% | 7 shutouts
Showing posts with label Chad Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chad Johnson. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
A win against Toronto is always a good win for Buffalo...and Jack Eichel as well
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-27-2018
It's always good to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs and it's even better when the 'W' comes in Toronto at the Air Canada Center. And what made last night even more fun for those of us in Sabreland was that the Leafs had no answer for Buffalo's Jack Eichel who scored the Sabres first goal and their last to give his team the 3-2 victory.
The Sabres also stopped Toronto's franchise record 13-game home winning streak and prevented them from breaking their franchise record for wins in a season and home wins in a season. And in overcoming 2-1 deficit with two third period goals, the Sabres dropped Toronto's record when leading after two periods to 29-3-2.
Oh, and the win snapped Buffalo's four-game losing streak that saw them get outscored by a combined 16-2 despite outshooting their opponent in every game and by a cumulative 144-108 margin.
To keep it in perspective, unless the Leafs incur a major disaster over their final six games they'll be in the playoffs for the second consecutive season while Buffalo is looking like they'll be finishing last for the third time in five seasons.
But for one night, Sabres fans savored victory over the arch-rival Leafs.
The talent discrepancy was once again definitive last night as Toronto controlled much of the game pumping 41 shots on goalie Chad Johnson and another 26, according to Leafs head coach Mike Babcock, "where we missed the net."
"We've got to hit the net," Babcock told the gathered media post-game.
Johnson has really been making a name for himself as of late. After an atrocious start to the 2017-18 season the 31 yr. old is 8-4-0 in his last 13 appearances which includes six consecutive wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Maple Leafs, the top teams in the Atlantic Division. As a surprise starter after rookie Linus Ullmark suffered an injury at the morning skate, Johnson thwarted Toronto through much of the game coming up with big saves when needed.
"It's not how I want to prepare or how I want to find out, but you just deal with it," Johnson told the media afterward. "It's always nice beating that team regardless of the situation. Is there another little boost to it ending the streak? Yeah, it's always fun to be that team that ends it, especially Leafs and Sabres here."
For as much as Johnson made a difference in the game, Eichel was a beast. And it began early when he stripped fellow superstar Auston Matthews of the puck in the Toronto corner. Buffalo's Zemgus Girgensons won a puck battle and fed a streaking Eichel who deeked the Leafs Freddy Andersen for his 23rd goal of the season.
Eichel had another opportunity as he went in a on a 2-on-1 with Jordan Nolan, but Andersen thwarted Nolan. Sabres fans are still trying to figure out what Nolan was doing out there with Eichel to begin with.
The Leafs had trouble with Eichel's speed and quickness all game and the only one to corral it was 235 lb. veteran defenseman Roman Polack, who got the angle on a streaking Eichel down the left side deep in the Toronto zone.
Eichel was not to be denied as he streaked in once again the same way, beat defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and slid a one-handed backhand past Anderssen for his 24th goal.
For as much trouble as the Sabres have had over the past three seasons, especially this one, and for as much as Eichel has been the forgotten one when it comes to the superstars of the future, namely Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Toronto's Matthews, he and the Sabres have owned head to head matchups.
Eichel lost both of his first meetings against McDavid and Matthews, but since then he and the Sabres are 6-0-0 in those head-to-head meetings. In all the Sabres are 6-1-1 vs. McDavid/Oilers and Matthews/Leafs with the Sabres those two teams by a combined 27-15 margin.
Head to head Eichel has more points in those matchups than McDavid and Matthews combined. In four head-to-head games vs. the Oilers, Eichel has six points (2+4) while McDavid has four (2+2) and in four against Leafs Eichel has eight points (4+4) while Matthews has three (2+1.) Eichel also has a cumulative plus-5 rating in all eight games while McDavid and Matthews are a combined minus-3.
The Sabres are what they are this season, a bottom-feeder destined for a top pick in the draft. There's a lot of work to be done with a roster that needs some serious tweaking. More help is on the way as forward Casey Mittelstadt, who has speed, skill and hockey smarts, just signed his entry-level deal and is expected to make his NHL debut on Thursday.
One never does know what to expect from this team moving forward, but at least we've come to expect good performances against divisional foes like the Lightning, Bruins and Leafs. And beating them, especially the Leafs at Air Canada Center, is a drink of cool water in the depths of a hellish season.
For your viewing pleasure, via the NHL:
It's always good to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs and it's even better when the 'W' comes in Toronto at the Air Canada Center. And what made last night even more fun for those of us in Sabreland was that the Leafs had no answer for Buffalo's Jack Eichel who scored the Sabres first goal and their last to give his team the 3-2 victory.
The Sabres also stopped Toronto's franchise record 13-game home winning streak and prevented them from breaking their franchise record for wins in a season and home wins in a season. And in overcoming 2-1 deficit with two third period goals, the Sabres dropped Toronto's record when leading after two periods to 29-3-2.
Oh, and the win snapped Buffalo's four-game losing streak that saw them get outscored by a combined 16-2 despite outshooting their opponent in every game and by a cumulative 144-108 margin.
To keep it in perspective, unless the Leafs incur a major disaster over their final six games they'll be in the playoffs for the second consecutive season while Buffalo is looking like they'll be finishing last for the third time in five seasons.
But for one night, Sabres fans savored victory over the arch-rival Leafs.
The talent discrepancy was once again definitive last night as Toronto controlled much of the game pumping 41 shots on goalie Chad Johnson and another 26, according to Leafs head coach Mike Babcock, "where we missed the net."
"We've got to hit the net," Babcock told the gathered media post-game.
Johnson has really been making a name for himself as of late. After an atrocious start to the 2017-18 season the 31 yr. old is 8-4-0 in his last 13 appearances which includes six consecutive wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Maple Leafs, the top teams in the Atlantic Division. As a surprise starter after rookie Linus Ullmark suffered an injury at the morning skate, Johnson thwarted Toronto through much of the game coming up with big saves when needed.
"It's not how I want to prepare or how I want to find out, but you just deal with it," Johnson told the media afterward. "It's always nice beating that team regardless of the situation. Is there another little boost to it ending the streak? Yeah, it's always fun to be that team that ends it, especially Leafs and Sabres here."
For as much as Johnson made a difference in the game, Eichel was a beast. And it began early when he stripped fellow superstar Auston Matthews of the puck in the Toronto corner. Buffalo's Zemgus Girgensons won a puck battle and fed a streaking Eichel who deeked the Leafs Freddy Andersen for his 23rd goal of the season.
Eichel had another opportunity as he went in a on a 2-on-1 with Jordan Nolan, but Andersen thwarted Nolan. Sabres fans are still trying to figure out what Nolan was doing out there with Eichel to begin with.
The Leafs had trouble with Eichel's speed and quickness all game and the only one to corral it was 235 lb. veteran defenseman Roman Polack, who got the angle on a streaking Eichel down the left side deep in the Toronto zone.
Eichel was not to be denied as he streaked in once again the same way, beat defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and slid a one-handed backhand past Anderssen for his 24th goal.
For as much trouble as the Sabres have had over the past three seasons, especially this one, and for as much as Eichel has been the forgotten one when it comes to the superstars of the future, namely Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Toronto's Matthews, he and the Sabres have owned head to head matchups.
Eichel lost both of his first meetings against McDavid and Matthews, but since then he and the Sabres are 6-0-0 in those head-to-head meetings. In all the Sabres are 6-1-1 vs. McDavid/Oilers and Matthews/Leafs with the Sabres those two teams by a combined 27-15 margin.
Head to head Eichel has more points in those matchups than McDavid and Matthews combined. In four head-to-head games vs. the Oilers, Eichel has six points (2+4) while McDavid has four (2+2) and in four against Leafs Eichel has eight points (4+4) while Matthews has three (2+1.) Eichel also has a cumulative plus-5 rating in all eight games while McDavid and Matthews are a combined minus-3.
The Sabres are what they are this season, a bottom-feeder destined for a top pick in the draft. There's a lot of work to be done with a roster that needs some serious tweaking. More help is on the way as forward Casey Mittelstadt, who has speed, skill and hockey smarts, just signed his entry-level deal and is expected to make his NHL debut on Thursday.
One never does know what to expect from this team moving forward, but at least we've come to expect good performances against divisional foes like the Lightning, Bruins and Leafs. And beating them, especially the Leafs at Air Canada Center, is a drink of cool water in the depths of a hellish season.
For your viewing pleasure, via the NHL:
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Riding a perfect road win into Edmonton. Plus, Ethan plays Jack on Xbox.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-23-2018
For one game it looked as if Buffalo Sabres coach Phil Housley's message got through to his players. After a thoroughly embarrassing 7-1 loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon, Housley was said to have put his players through a hard skate on Sunday while also drastically changing up his lines in an effort to shake his team out of their malaise. A western Canada swing lie ahead for Buffalo with three games in four nights before the All-Star break.
Housley's lines were as follows:
Zemgus Girgensons-Jack Eichel-Kyle Okposo
Scott Wilson-Ryan O'Reilly-Sam Reinhart
Evander Kane-Johan Larsson-Jason Pominville
Jordan Nolan-Evan Rodrigues-Nicolas Baptiste
The result was a 2-1 overtime win for the Sabres on the road in Calgary while attempting one more shot than the Flames (63-62) and matching them shot for shot on goal (33.)
Scattered about the talent within the top-nine for the Calgary game were three players known to be hard on the puck. Girgensons, Wilson and Larsson's skills lie more in their dogged pursuit of the puck than scoring goals (7 goals in 104 games combined) and each of them seemed quite content getting their noses dirty for the skilled players on their respective lines.
Girgensons and Wilson seemed to up the compete-level on their lines which resulted in Wilson scoring a goal that tied the game only :24 seconds after Calgary took a 1-0 lead. He and his linemates went in on a hard forecheck and when the puck squirted out to him in the high slot, Wilson wasted no time sending it home.
As for Girgensons, he was added to a pairing of Eichel and Okposo, two players that have been clicking as of late. With his role clearly defined as creating havoc in the offensive zone and getting the puck to his linemates, it was a situation that worked out well for all of them. From the get-go Eichel and especially Okposo, were getting loads of scoring chances but were continually stymied by a tough goalie in veteran Mike Smith.
Girgensons continued to do the dirty work for his linemates and with only :32 seconds left in the third period and the score tied 1-1, he drew a holding penalty while battling in front of the net. That powerplay carried into overtime where Eichel sent a blistering slapshot shortside to beat Smith a mere only one second after the man-advantage ended.
Props to Housley for that one as he kept his big guns--Eichel, O'Reilly, Okposo and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen--on the ice for the entire 4-on-3 powerplay in overtime.
The Sabres played a hard, tough game that included plenty of hits and a determined effort to win puck battles and commit to a strong back check.
All would have been for naught, however, had goalie Chad Johnsons not come up with some big saves at crucial moments. Johnson, who's not been very good this season, did his skaters a solid by keeping the score tied until they could win it in overtime. It was only his second win of the season and first one since a 3-1 road win in Anaheim on October 15, a span of 10 starts.
Of course, all the good will that came from last night's team win will prove meaningless unless they can put together another strong effort against another fast team in the Edmonton Oilers.
This will be the second and final regular season meeting between the two clubs. The first one came in Buffalo the day after Thanksgiving with the Sabres in the throes of an 0-5-2 slump. Goalie Robin Lehner lead the charge that night by stopping 29 of 30 Edmonton shots while the Sabres got goals from Jacob Josefson, Eichel and Okposo (empty-net.) In Sabreland, Lehner pulled off the 'Ryan Miller Shutout' by allowing the Oilers only goal with :20 seconds left in the game.
Edmonton's Connor McDavid was held off the scoresheet by Buffalo in the first meeting of the season and finished the game with a minus-2 rating in 22:13 of ice-time. Eichel had the goal and was a plus-2 in 17:10 of ice-time.
Since McDavid and Eichel were taken first and second overall, respectively, in the 2015 NHL Draft, Edmonton and Buffalo have met five times with both McDavid and Eichel missing one game each in the series. The Sabres are 3-1-1 so far against Edmonton in the McEichel-era. McDavid has four points (2+2) in his four games while Eichel has three (2+1) in his four. Edmonton won the first-ever meeting at home 4-2 minus McDavid in 2015 while the Sabres beat the Oilers 6-2 last year in Edmonton minus Eichel.
*****
With Johnson getting the start last night in the first game of a back-to-back, Lehner will probably be in net tonight against Edmonton. Lehner's numbers have been terrible as of late as he's been pulled in three of his last five starts, is 0-4-0, has allowed 19 goals on 114 shots (.833 save percentage) and a 5.50 goals-against average. Although it's not all on him, when he's failed to make a big save at an important time, this team seems to fall apart.
*****
Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu suffered a possible concussion, according to reports, only minutes into last night's game. Beaulieu was clipped by Flames forward Curtis Lazar clipped him behind the Buffalo net. Beaulieu didn't take kindly and dropped the gloves with a very willing Lazar who got a couple quick shots in during the short bout and ended up slamming Beaulieu's head into the ice.
With Beaulieu out tonight and defenseman Josh Gorges suffering an illness, we could see the return of rookie Victor Antipin to the Sabres blueline. Antipin had a long bout with a tough flu that was bookended by healthy scratches that have kept him off the ice since December 19, a span of 13 games.
Buffalo did call up Matt Tennyson from the Rochester Americans today and it's possible that he gets the start over Antipin. Most in Sabreland want to see more of Antipin, especially with the season lost already. Tennyson has played in 14 games for the Sabres this season with zero points and a minus-8 plus/minus rating.
Antipin has played in 24 games with four assists and a minus-3 rating.
*****
Grab yourselves a box of Kleenex when watching this Beyond the Blue and Gold video.
A young hockey-loving Sabres fan named Ethan Georger has had a difficult childhood dealing with a terrible disease that caused him to have two open heart surgeries before he turned seven years old. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ethan, who loves playing X-box hockey, got the opportunity to play the video game against his favorite player--the Sabres' Jack Eichel.
And from there, we'll let the video, courtesy of the Buffalo Sabres, speak for itself:
For one game it looked as if Buffalo Sabres coach Phil Housley's message got through to his players. After a thoroughly embarrassing 7-1 loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon, Housley was said to have put his players through a hard skate on Sunday while also drastically changing up his lines in an effort to shake his team out of their malaise. A western Canada swing lie ahead for Buffalo with three games in four nights before the All-Star break.
Housley's lines were as follows:
Zemgus Girgensons-Jack Eichel-Kyle Okposo
Scott Wilson-Ryan O'Reilly-Sam Reinhart
Evander Kane-Johan Larsson-Jason Pominville
Jordan Nolan-Evan Rodrigues-Nicolas Baptiste
The result was a 2-1 overtime win for the Sabres on the road in Calgary while attempting one more shot than the Flames (63-62) and matching them shot for shot on goal (33.)
Scattered about the talent within the top-nine for the Calgary game were three players known to be hard on the puck. Girgensons, Wilson and Larsson's skills lie more in their dogged pursuit of the puck than scoring goals (7 goals in 104 games combined) and each of them seemed quite content getting their noses dirty for the skilled players on their respective lines.
Girgensons and Wilson seemed to up the compete-level on their lines which resulted in Wilson scoring a goal that tied the game only :24 seconds after Calgary took a 1-0 lead. He and his linemates went in on a hard forecheck and when the puck squirted out to him in the high slot, Wilson wasted no time sending it home.
As for Girgensons, he was added to a pairing of Eichel and Okposo, two players that have been clicking as of late. With his role clearly defined as creating havoc in the offensive zone and getting the puck to his linemates, it was a situation that worked out well for all of them. From the get-go Eichel and especially Okposo, were getting loads of scoring chances but were continually stymied by a tough goalie in veteran Mike Smith.
Girgensons continued to do the dirty work for his linemates and with only :32 seconds left in the third period and the score tied 1-1, he drew a holding penalty while battling in front of the net. That powerplay carried into overtime where Eichel sent a blistering slapshot shortside to beat Smith a mere only one second after the man-advantage ended.
Props to Housley for that one as he kept his big guns--Eichel, O'Reilly, Okposo and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen--on the ice for the entire 4-on-3 powerplay in overtime.
The Sabres played a hard, tough game that included plenty of hits and a determined effort to win puck battles and commit to a strong back check.
All would have been for naught, however, had goalie Chad Johnsons not come up with some big saves at crucial moments. Johnson, who's not been very good this season, did his skaters a solid by keeping the score tied until they could win it in overtime. It was only his second win of the season and first one since a 3-1 road win in Anaheim on October 15, a span of 10 starts.
Of course, all the good will that came from last night's team win will prove meaningless unless they can put together another strong effort against another fast team in the Edmonton Oilers.
This will be the second and final regular season meeting between the two clubs. The first one came in Buffalo the day after Thanksgiving with the Sabres in the throes of an 0-5-2 slump. Goalie Robin Lehner lead the charge that night by stopping 29 of 30 Edmonton shots while the Sabres got goals from Jacob Josefson, Eichel and Okposo (empty-net.) In Sabreland, Lehner pulled off the 'Ryan Miller Shutout' by allowing the Oilers only goal with :20 seconds left in the game.
Edmonton's Connor McDavid was held off the scoresheet by Buffalo in the first meeting of the season and finished the game with a minus-2 rating in 22:13 of ice-time. Eichel had the goal and was a plus-2 in 17:10 of ice-time.
Since McDavid and Eichel were taken first and second overall, respectively, in the 2015 NHL Draft, Edmonton and Buffalo have met five times with both McDavid and Eichel missing one game each in the series. The Sabres are 3-1-1 so far against Edmonton in the McEichel-era. McDavid has four points (2+2) in his four games while Eichel has three (2+1) in his four. Edmonton won the first-ever meeting at home 4-2 minus McDavid in 2015 while the Sabres beat the Oilers 6-2 last year in Edmonton minus Eichel.
*****
With Johnson getting the start last night in the first game of a back-to-back, Lehner will probably be in net tonight against Edmonton. Lehner's numbers have been terrible as of late as he's been pulled in three of his last five starts, is 0-4-0, has allowed 19 goals on 114 shots (.833 save percentage) and a 5.50 goals-against average. Although it's not all on him, when he's failed to make a big save at an important time, this team seems to fall apart.
*****
Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu suffered a possible concussion, according to reports, only minutes into last night's game. Beaulieu was clipped by Flames forward Curtis Lazar clipped him behind the Buffalo net. Beaulieu didn't take kindly and dropped the gloves with a very willing Lazar who got a couple quick shots in during the short bout and ended up slamming Beaulieu's head into the ice.
With Beaulieu out tonight and defenseman Josh Gorges suffering an illness, we could see the return of rookie Victor Antipin to the Sabres blueline. Antipin had a long bout with a tough flu that was bookended by healthy scratches that have kept him off the ice since December 19, a span of 13 games.
Buffalo did call up Matt Tennyson from the Rochester Americans today and it's possible that he gets the start over Antipin. Most in Sabreland want to see more of Antipin, especially with the season lost already. Tennyson has played in 14 games for the Sabres this season with zero points and a minus-8 plus/minus rating.
Antipin has played in 24 games with four assists and a minus-3 rating.
*****
Grab yourselves a box of Kleenex when watching this Beyond the Blue and Gold video.
A young hockey-loving Sabres fan named Ethan Georger has had a difficult childhood dealing with a terrible disease that caused him to have two open heart surgeries before he turned seven years old. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ethan, who loves playing X-box hockey, got the opportunity to play the video game against his favorite player--the Sabres' Jack Eichel.
And from there, we'll let the video, courtesy of the Buffalo Sabres, speak for itself:
Monday, December 25, 2017
Sabres and Amerks on divergent paths at the Christmas break.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-24-2017
Last night was pretty much a microcosm of two teams on two different paths. The Buffalo Sabres, fresh off of a solid 4-2 win at home vs. the Philadelphia Flyers travelled to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes in the second of a back-to-back. Meanwhile, the Rochester Americans were in Laval, Quebec for a back-to-back in their second consecutive game against the Rocket (MON.) The Amerks took the first game in overtime after tying the game late in the third period.
What we saw last night in Carolina was simply one of the uglier games of the season for the Sabres as they dropped a 4-2 decision in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the score might indicate. The avalanche started early as the Hurricanes scored a mere :33 seconds into the game. They controlled the faceoff and the entire play up until Sebastian Aho scored from the slot against an obviously confused and unprepared Sabres team.
It was a harbinger of things to come, beginning with the faceoff win as Carolina would finish the game winning an astounding 75% (45/60) of the draws taken. If Buffalo fans were wondering what Ryan O'Reilly, the league's faceoff leader at 61.9%, was doing, he was on a plane back to Buffalo to witness the birth of his first child, a boy.
Congratulations and best wishes to O'Reilly and his fiancé, Dayna Douros.
While O'Reilly was witnessing the wonders of his first child coming into the world, Buffalo head coach Phil Housley moved fourth-line center Johan Larsson up into O'Reilly's spot between Evander Kane and Kyle Okposo. Larsson lost the opening draw then proceeded to get blown past by Jordan Staal who got the puck into the zone where it wouldn't leave until the referee was ready to drop it at center ice with the' Canes up 1-0.
The Sabres looked grossly undermanned without O'Reilly in the lineup last night. Buffalo has some good complimentary players, like Okposo and Kane, but other than Jack Eichel, O'Reilly's the only one who can take over a game, or at least a good portion of it. That is, when he's on his game, which hasn't been too often this season.
In a situation like that, without one of their top forwards, the Sabres needed some big saves and although Chad Johnson did have a couple, he needed to be much better. However, it looks as if he doesn't have it in him this season. Johnson had won 22 games with the Sabres during the 2015-16 season and 18 games with the Calgary Flames last season and he's presently sitting on one win, which came on October 15 against the Anaheim Ducks.
Regardless of what's in front of him skater-wise, Johnson is just letting in too many goals. He has given up six goals once, five goals three times, the four-goal game last night and three goals twice. The Sabres lost in overtime in two of those five-goal against games. He has a 1-6-3 record with a 3.78 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage.
Heading into the Christmas break, which starts today, the Sabres are in 30th place with a 9-20-7 record, a minus-42 goal differential and have won back-to-back games only once this season.
Conversely, the Rochester Americans pulled off back-to-back wins against the Rocket to go into the break on a four-game win streak. The Amerks have gotten points in 21 of their last 23 games (15-6-2) and with the win last night tied the Toronto Marlies (TOR) for first place in the AHL's Eastern Conference.
Goalie Linus Ullmark is tied for the league-lead in wins (14) while sporting a 2.46 GAA and .924 Sv% while facing the most shots in the league (674) and the Amerks also have the rookie points-leader in C.J. Smith who's seventh overall in the league with 30 points (10+20.)
It's not surprising that the Amerks are doing well. Buffalo GM Jason Botterill began rebuilding Rochester at the July 1 start to free agency and his assistant GM, Randy Sexton continued by adding upper-level AHL vets into the mix. Players like forwards Kevin Porter, Seth Griffith and Sahir Gill along with defensemen Zach Redmond and Stuart Percy are a big part of a veteran leadership group guiding that's won in the past and in the process, younger prospects like Smith, defenseman Brendan Guhle, forward Alexander Nylander and even Ullmark, are learning what it takes to win from players who've been there.
Learning to win is something that the Sabres haven't been able to grasp yet, as indicated by their record, but Botterill seems intent upon laying the groundwork for future success by making Rochester a winning environment, seemingly at the expense of the parent club. One highly doubts that he foresaw his NHL club as being this bad, for a number of reasons, but he's resisted the temptation to graduate players like Smith, Guhle and Ullmark until they have the proper seasoning in Rochester.
The Sabres will be off until Wednesday, as mandated by the collective bargaining agreement, when they touch down in Brooklyn to take on the NY Islanders that night. After that they head to New Jersey to take on the Devils before playing in the 10th annual Winter Classic at Citi Field in Queens, NY to kick off the 2018 calendar year.
Rochester also returns to action on December 27 to face the Laval Rocket once again, this time in the friendly confines of Blue Cross Arena. After that it's a back-to-back beginning Friday at Toronto of Friday and another home date with the Rocket on Saturday.
Last night was pretty much a microcosm of two teams on two different paths. The Buffalo Sabres, fresh off of a solid 4-2 win at home vs. the Philadelphia Flyers travelled to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes in the second of a back-to-back. Meanwhile, the Rochester Americans were in Laval, Quebec for a back-to-back in their second consecutive game against the Rocket (MON.) The Amerks took the first game in overtime after tying the game late in the third period.
What we saw last night in Carolina was simply one of the uglier games of the season for the Sabres as they dropped a 4-2 decision in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the score might indicate. The avalanche started early as the Hurricanes scored a mere :33 seconds into the game. They controlled the faceoff and the entire play up until Sebastian Aho scored from the slot against an obviously confused and unprepared Sabres team.
It was a harbinger of things to come, beginning with the faceoff win as Carolina would finish the game winning an astounding 75% (45/60) of the draws taken. If Buffalo fans were wondering what Ryan O'Reilly, the league's faceoff leader at 61.9%, was doing, he was on a plane back to Buffalo to witness the birth of his first child, a boy.
Congratulations and best wishes to O'Reilly and his fiancé, Dayna Douros.
While O'Reilly was witnessing the wonders of his first child coming into the world, Buffalo head coach Phil Housley moved fourth-line center Johan Larsson up into O'Reilly's spot between Evander Kane and Kyle Okposo. Larsson lost the opening draw then proceeded to get blown past by Jordan Staal who got the puck into the zone where it wouldn't leave until the referee was ready to drop it at center ice with the' Canes up 1-0.
The Sabres looked grossly undermanned without O'Reilly in the lineup last night. Buffalo has some good complimentary players, like Okposo and Kane, but other than Jack Eichel, O'Reilly's the only one who can take over a game, or at least a good portion of it. That is, when he's on his game, which hasn't been too often this season.
In a situation like that, without one of their top forwards, the Sabres needed some big saves and although Chad Johnson did have a couple, he needed to be much better. However, it looks as if he doesn't have it in him this season. Johnson had won 22 games with the Sabres during the 2015-16 season and 18 games with the Calgary Flames last season and he's presently sitting on one win, which came on October 15 against the Anaheim Ducks.
Regardless of what's in front of him skater-wise, Johnson is just letting in too many goals. He has given up six goals once, five goals three times, the four-goal game last night and three goals twice. The Sabres lost in overtime in two of those five-goal against games. He has a 1-6-3 record with a 3.78 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage.
Heading into the Christmas break, which starts today, the Sabres are in 30th place with a 9-20-7 record, a minus-42 goal differential and have won back-to-back games only once this season.
Conversely, the Rochester Americans pulled off back-to-back wins against the Rocket to go into the break on a four-game win streak. The Amerks have gotten points in 21 of their last 23 games (15-6-2) and with the win last night tied the Toronto Marlies (TOR) for first place in the AHL's Eastern Conference.
Goalie Linus Ullmark is tied for the league-lead in wins (14) while sporting a 2.46 GAA and .924 Sv% while facing the most shots in the league (674) and the Amerks also have the rookie points-leader in C.J. Smith who's seventh overall in the league with 30 points (10+20.)
It's not surprising that the Amerks are doing well. Buffalo GM Jason Botterill began rebuilding Rochester at the July 1 start to free agency and his assistant GM, Randy Sexton continued by adding upper-level AHL vets into the mix. Players like forwards Kevin Porter, Seth Griffith and Sahir Gill along with defensemen Zach Redmond and Stuart Percy are a big part of a veteran leadership group guiding that's won in the past and in the process, younger prospects like Smith, defenseman Brendan Guhle, forward Alexander Nylander and even Ullmark, are learning what it takes to win from players who've been there.
Learning to win is something that the Sabres haven't been able to grasp yet, as indicated by their record, but Botterill seems intent upon laying the groundwork for future success by making Rochester a winning environment, seemingly at the expense of the parent club. One highly doubts that he foresaw his NHL club as being this bad, for a number of reasons, but he's resisted the temptation to graduate players like Smith, Guhle and Ullmark until they have the proper seasoning in Rochester.
The Sabres will be off until Wednesday, as mandated by the collective bargaining agreement, when they touch down in Brooklyn to take on the NY Islanders that night. After that they head to New Jersey to take on the Devils before playing in the 10th annual Winter Classic at Citi Field in Queens, NY to kick off the 2018 calendar year.
Rochester also returns to action on December 27 to face the Laval Rocket once again, this time in the friendly confines of Blue Cross Arena. After that it's a back-to-back beginning Friday at Toronto of Friday and another home date with the Rocket on Saturday.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
A collective sigh of relief in Sabreland as Buffalo gets first win
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-16-17
The Buffalo Sabres got their first win of the season last night in Anaheim against a Ducks team that was depleted but still feisty. Buffalo's Phil Housley finally got his first win as an NHL head coach after five unsuccessful tries. "It feels great," said Housley to the gathered media post-game before "tipping his hat" to his players.
Buffalo gutted this one out as Anaheim, even without the likes of Ryan Kesler, Ryan Getzlaf, Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen, just would not surrender after falling behind in the first period. The Ducks came at Buffalo hard in the second period and did so in the third as well. The Sabres, however, weathered those storms allowing only one goal.
Sabres goalie Chad Johnson was rock solid in net making some great saves, most notably in the second period, which included flashing the leather on a couple of occasions. One in particular came early in the second as Anaheim had a great opportunity on a 3-on-2 break with the Sabres up 1-0. Johnson did have a scary moment a bit later as he fell to the ice behind the net with the puck heading to the slot. Defenseman Marco Scandella bailed him out as he got a piece of Nick Ritchie's shot.
In addition to Housley's first career win and Johnsons' first win of the season, there were plent of positives from last night. Justin Bailey, who'd just been called up from Rochester got his first goal of the season only 1:26 into the game. Some hard work by a forechecking Zemgus Girgensons and a pinching Nathan Beaulieu, who recorded his first point as a Buffalo Sabre, set the wheels in motion on that one.
Forward Sam Reinhart may have played his best game of the season and was originally credited with the Sabres second goal before the NHL changed it. Benoit Pouliot got credit instead and notched his first goal of the season as well as his first as a Sabre. Johan Larsson notched his first point of the season (on the Bailey goal) and added an empty-netter for his first goal of the season.
Buffalo's Jack Eichel was named the games first star and he didn't even hit the scoresheet. Those watching Eichel was strong on the backcheck and seemed to be all over the defensive zone.
And as a team, the Sabres held firm on four penalty kills while continuing the Ducks misery on the powerplay as Anaheim has yet to score with the man advantage (0 for 21.)
Amidst the joy of Housley and his team's first win of the season plus the other first's that occurred, there were some blemishes.
Forward Evander Kane is tied for the team lead in points and goals but also leads them in minor penalties with six, which is tied for tops in the league. He had a critical tripping penalty very late in the game against the LA Kings on Saturday night which lead to a game-winning powerplay goal by the Kings' Drew Doughty. Last night he took three minor penalties, two for slashing under the new NHL crackdown.
The Sabres also allowed another shorthanded goal as Anaheim's Chris Wagner went in on a breakaway after Buffalo fumbled the puck at the Ducks blueline. It's the fifth shortie given up by the Sabres this season which leads the league. With the Wagner goal against, the Sabres surpassed last year's total of four shorties given up for the entire season.
Buffalo heads to Las Vegas with the monkey finally off of their back. In Anaheim not only did they find their first win, but they also found secondary scoring and some individual players are starting to come to life. In addition to Reinhart, Sabres center Ryan O'Reilly seems to have found his legs.
Right wing Kyle Okposo, who was downed by an illness for two of the three games on this road trip should be back in the lineup against the Golden Knights. However, fourth-line center Jacob Josefson was felled by a hit from behind in the second period and did not return. The journeyman forward had been playing very well as of late but may have suffered an ankle injury from the hit.
The Sabres have the bodies to replace Josefson, especially if Okposo returns as is expected, but Matt Moulson and Seth Griffith have only one point between them (a Griffith assist) and are a combined minus-6 in nine total games. Buffalo flew in Bailey for the Anaheim game and a player like Rochester's Kevin Porter might be appealing since the Amerks are off until Friday.
Despite the joy of that first win, the Sabres need to follow it up with another against an injury-riddled Vegas expansion team that lost starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Malcom Subban, whom Vegas claimed off of waivers from the Boston Bruins less than two weeks ago, got the call yesterday and proceeded to beat his former team. But even with the one goal allowed against the Bruins, Subban still has a 3.45 GAA and .841 Sv% in three NHL starts.
This is a no-brainer. If the Sabres really want to start moving forward with this season, it begins with a win in Las Vegas against the expansion Golden Knights.
The Buffalo Sabres got their first win of the season last night in Anaheim against a Ducks team that was depleted but still feisty. Buffalo's Phil Housley finally got his first win as an NHL head coach after five unsuccessful tries. "It feels great," said Housley to the gathered media post-game before "tipping his hat" to his players.
Buffalo gutted this one out as Anaheim, even without the likes of Ryan Kesler, Ryan Getzlaf, Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen, just would not surrender after falling behind in the first period. The Ducks came at Buffalo hard in the second period and did so in the third as well. The Sabres, however, weathered those storms allowing only one goal.
Sabres goalie Chad Johnson was rock solid in net making some great saves, most notably in the second period, which included flashing the leather on a couple of occasions. One in particular came early in the second as Anaheim had a great opportunity on a 3-on-2 break with the Sabres up 1-0. Johnson did have a scary moment a bit later as he fell to the ice behind the net with the puck heading to the slot. Defenseman Marco Scandella bailed him out as he got a piece of Nick Ritchie's shot.
In addition to Housley's first career win and Johnsons' first win of the season, there were plent of positives from last night. Justin Bailey, who'd just been called up from Rochester got his first goal of the season only 1:26 into the game. Some hard work by a forechecking Zemgus Girgensons and a pinching Nathan Beaulieu, who recorded his first point as a Buffalo Sabre, set the wheels in motion on that one.
Forward Sam Reinhart may have played his best game of the season and was originally credited with the Sabres second goal before the NHL changed it. Benoit Pouliot got credit instead and notched his first goal of the season as well as his first as a Sabre. Johan Larsson notched his first point of the season (on the Bailey goal) and added an empty-netter for his first goal of the season.
Buffalo's Jack Eichel was named the games first star and he didn't even hit the scoresheet. Those watching Eichel was strong on the backcheck and seemed to be all over the defensive zone.
And as a team, the Sabres held firm on four penalty kills while continuing the Ducks misery on the powerplay as Anaheim has yet to score with the man advantage (0 for 21.)
Amidst the joy of Housley and his team's first win of the season plus the other first's that occurred, there were some blemishes.
Forward Evander Kane is tied for the team lead in points and goals but also leads them in minor penalties with six, which is tied for tops in the league. He had a critical tripping penalty very late in the game against the LA Kings on Saturday night which lead to a game-winning powerplay goal by the Kings' Drew Doughty. Last night he took three minor penalties, two for slashing under the new NHL crackdown.
The Sabres also allowed another shorthanded goal as Anaheim's Chris Wagner went in on a breakaway after Buffalo fumbled the puck at the Ducks blueline. It's the fifth shortie given up by the Sabres this season which leads the league. With the Wagner goal against, the Sabres surpassed last year's total of four shorties given up for the entire season.
Buffalo heads to Las Vegas with the monkey finally off of their back. In Anaheim not only did they find their first win, but they also found secondary scoring and some individual players are starting to come to life. In addition to Reinhart, Sabres center Ryan O'Reilly seems to have found his legs.
Right wing Kyle Okposo, who was downed by an illness for two of the three games on this road trip should be back in the lineup against the Golden Knights. However, fourth-line center Jacob Josefson was felled by a hit from behind in the second period and did not return. The journeyman forward had been playing very well as of late but may have suffered an ankle injury from the hit.
The Sabres have the bodies to replace Josefson, especially if Okposo returns as is expected, but Matt Moulson and Seth Griffith have only one point between them (a Griffith assist) and are a combined minus-6 in nine total games. Buffalo flew in Bailey for the Anaheim game and a player like Rochester's Kevin Porter might be appealing since the Amerks are off until Friday.
Despite the joy of that first win, the Sabres need to follow it up with another against an injury-riddled Vegas expansion team that lost starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Malcom Subban, whom Vegas claimed off of waivers from the Boston Bruins less than two weeks ago, got the call yesterday and proceeded to beat his former team. But even with the one goal allowed against the Bruins, Subban still has a 3.45 GAA and .841 Sv% in three NHL starts.
This is a no-brainer. If the Sabres really want to start moving forward with this season, it begins with a win in Las Vegas against the expansion Golden Knights.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster--G, Chad Johnson
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-20-2017
Chad Johnson
31 yrs. old
6'3" 196 lbs.
2006, 5th round (125th overall, PIT)
2017 Free Agent
Career stats: 137 games | 68-45-12 record | 2.44 GAA | .915 Sv% | 7 shutouts
I’m not sure the Sabres could ask for a better backup goaltender right now. When GM Jason Botterill signed Chad Johnson on July 1, he got himself a very capable backup who’s proven to be competent no matter how many games he’s called on to play.
Case in point.
In the very first game of the 2015-16 season withBuffalo
Johnson appeared in a career high 45 games for the Sabres that season establishing another career-high in wins. He finished the season with a 22-16-4 record, a 2.36 GAA and .920 Sv% which were 15th and 13th in the league, respectively, for goalies appearing in 40 or more games. At the end of the season he signed a one-year deal with his hometown Calgary Flames, who at the time had no incumbent starter.
The Flames signed Johnson to back up Brian Elliott, whom they acquired from St. Louis in a 2016 draft day deal. Elliott would flame-out early in the season giving Johnson an opportunity to take the No. 1 spot in Calgary. By mid-December Johnson was in complete control of the job sporting a 13-4-1 record with a .932 Sv%. However that would fall apart as Elliott regained his form and took his starters role back from Johnson.
On July 1, the very first thing new GM Botterill did in free agency was to sign Johnson to a rather large $2.5 million for one season. Among the things the signing did was provide insurance move as Lehner was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights who still had only on full season as a starter while also allowing third-year pro, Linus Ullmark, one more full season of development in Rochester.
"We wanted to, instead of having a situation where some things beyond our control happen and it becomes a point of weakness, we wanted to have it as a position of strength," Botterill said at the end of a busy start to free agency. "And I think if you look at our one-two-three right now, it's a strength of our organization."
It should be remembered that Botterill was thrown right into the fire upon his May 11th hiring. He left his associate GM position with the Pittsburgh Penguins and immediately had to find a new head coach, tackle the upcoming NHL Entry Draft and the Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft while also getting primed for free agency which included getting up to speed on his new roster as well as looking to fill holes, most notably on defense. It's really not all that surprising that after bringing in three new defensemen, the first thing he did was land a capable back-up right off the bat.
For his part, Johnson was thrilled to be back with the Sabres. “I see the organization going in the right direction," he said on a conference call July 1. "They’re committed to winning." There also was a familiarity having been only one year removed from the club. And he said he's got some "unfinished business."
“I won a lot of games and had good numbers so I think being able to come back and be a part of the organization again and to have that drive to win and get back in the playoffs is special for me. I always felt like there was unfinished business."
There is a strong sense in Buffalo and around the league that the Sabres are in the upswing again and although the playoffs might be out of reach, any hope of making a post season push will depend upon every player not only carrying their weight, but going above and beyond the call of duty.
It's something Johnson is well prepared for and something he's proven to be capable of.
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Benoit Pouliot / C, Ryan O'Reilly / RW, Kyle Okposo
LW, Evan Rodrigues / C, Johan Larsson / RW, Jason Pominville
D, Marco Scandella / D, Rasmus Ristolainen
D, Jake McCabe / D, Zach Bogosian
D, Nathan Beaulieu / D, Victor Antipin
G, Robin Lehner
Chad Johnson
31 yrs. old
6'3" 196 lbs.
2006, 5th round (125th overall, PIT)
2017 Free Agent
Career stats: 137 games | 68-45-12 record | 2.44 GAA | .915 Sv% | 7 shutouts
I’m not sure the Sabres could ask for a better backup goaltender right now. When GM Jason Botterill signed Chad Johnson on July 1, he got himself a very capable backup who’s proven to be competent no matter how many games he’s called on to play.
Case in point.
In the very first game of the 2015-16 season with
Johnson appeared in a career high 45 games for the Sabres that season establishing another career-high in wins. He finished the season with a 22-16-4 record, a 2.36 GAA and .920 Sv% which were 15th and 13th in the league, respectively, for goalies appearing in 40 or more games. At the end of the season he signed a one-year deal with his hometown Calgary Flames, who at the time had no incumbent starter.
The Flames signed Johnson to back up Brian Elliott, whom they acquired from St. Louis in a 2016 draft day deal. Elliott would flame-out early in the season giving Johnson an opportunity to take the No. 1 spot in Calgary. By mid-December Johnson was in complete control of the job sporting a 13-4-1 record with a .932 Sv%. However that would fall apart as Elliott regained his form and took his starters role back from Johnson.
On July 1, the very first thing new GM Botterill did in free agency was to sign Johnson to a rather large $2.5 million for one season. Among the things the signing did was provide insurance move as Lehner was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights who still had only on full season as a starter while also allowing third-year pro, Linus Ullmark, one more full season of development in Rochester.
"We wanted to, instead of having a situation where some things beyond our control happen and it becomes a point of weakness, we wanted to have it as a position of strength," Botterill said at the end of a busy start to free agency. "And I think if you look at our one-two-three right now, it's a strength of our organization."
It should be remembered that Botterill was thrown right into the fire upon his May 11th hiring. He left his associate GM position with the Pittsburgh Penguins and immediately had to find a new head coach, tackle the upcoming NHL Entry Draft and the Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft while also getting primed for free agency which included getting up to speed on his new roster as well as looking to fill holes, most notably on defense. It's really not all that surprising that after bringing in three new defensemen, the first thing he did was land a capable back-up right off the bat.
For his part, Johnson was thrilled to be back with the Sabres. “I see the organization going in the right direction," he said on a conference call July 1. "They’re committed to winning." There also was a familiarity having been only one year removed from the club. And he said he's got some "unfinished business."
“I won a lot of games and had good numbers so I think being able to come back and be a part of the organization again and to have that drive to win and get back in the playoffs is special for me. I always felt like there was unfinished business."
There is a strong sense in Buffalo and around the league that the Sabres are in the upswing again and although the playoffs might be out of reach, any hope of making a post season push will depend upon every player not only carrying their weight, but going above and beyond the call of duty.
It's something Johnson is well prepared for and something he's proven to be capable of.
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Benoit Pouliot / C, Ryan O'Reilly / RW, Kyle Okposo
LW, Evan Rodrigues / C, Johan Larsson / RW, Jason Pominville
D, Marco Scandella / D, Rasmus Ristolainen
D, Nathan Beaulieu / D, Victor Antipin
G, Robin Lehner
Sunday, July 2, 2017
Goalie Chad Johnson back in Buffalo
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-1-2017
A well-travelled Chad Johnson has been chasing opportunity for a number of years and has done so while playing for six different teams stretching from the NY to Phoenix to Boston, back to NY with the Islanders, cross state to Buffalo and back to his hometown of Calgary Alberta. On June 17 his hometown Flames traded him to Arizona in the Mike Smith deal and now he's back in Buffalo with the Sabres.
Johnson said today that the move from his first stint in Buffalo to Alberta "was nice and an opportunity to be in my hometown of Calgary" but the move was also precipitated by an opportunity to play a big role for the Flames as well.
Throughout his five NHL seasons prior to being traded to Buffalo, Johnson was working his way up the ranks and served as a backup to Tuuka Rask in Boston and to Jaroslav Halak on Long Island. He was traded to the Sabres by the Islanders in the Michal Neuvirth deal at the 2015 NHL Trade deadline and even then he never dressed for a game in Buffalo. Johnson took a shot to the ankle prior to his first scheduled start for the Sabres (March 6) and was sidelined for the rest of the season.
He entered the 2015-16 season as a backup to Robin Lehner and as luck would have it, Johnson would play the role of Buffalo's No. 1 goalie for most of the season. He played in an NHL career-high 45 games for Buffalo won a career-best 22 games while posting a second-best GAA (2.36,) and Sv% (.920.) Johnson said he felt he had a really good second half to that season and "wanted to continue that" if given the opportunity.
"When I left," said Johnson, "I always felt that I had unfinished business [in Buffalo]."
Johnson was never given that opportunity under the previous regime, but now that the Sabres have a new coach and a new GM, he felt that Buffalo was a good fit for him. "Anytime there's change, there's always opportunity for new people coming into an organization," he said. "For me, seeing changes [in Buffalo] was a positive."
The GM and head coach may have changed, but other things haven't as a lot of familiar faces still with the club. "There are a lot of players that are still there that I know and have a lot of trust in and respect for," he said, which influenced his decision. "Looking at the roster and breaking different teams down," he said of the process, "it made sense for me to be able to come back. I have a good relationship with Robin and to be able to come back and compete with him and push this team into being a playoff team.
"I see this organization going in the right direction, [they are] committed to winning, that's what I want to be a part of."
There's a familiar face in new GM Jason Botterill, for Johnson as Botterill was in the organization when the goalie was at the University of Alaska--Fairbanks. And in coming back to the Sabres, Johnson will presumably be working with his goalie coach from 2015-16 in Andrew Allen. "Having a relationship with Andrew was important in my decision when breaking down the teams in the process.
"He understands my game and really took my game to the next level."
Fit and opportunity brought Johnson back to Buffalo and although he looks to be in a back up role for the Sabres, we know from experience that if anything happened along the way where Lehner wasn't the starter, Johnson is more than capable to handle that role.
A well-travelled Chad Johnson has been chasing opportunity for a number of years and has done so while playing for six different teams stretching from the NY to Phoenix to Boston, back to NY with the Islanders, cross state to Buffalo and back to his hometown of Calgary Alberta. On June 17 his hometown Flames traded him to Arizona in the Mike Smith deal and now he's back in Buffalo with the Sabres.
Johnson said today that the move from his first stint in Buffalo to Alberta "was nice and an opportunity to be in my hometown of Calgary" but the move was also precipitated by an opportunity to play a big role for the Flames as well.
Throughout his five NHL seasons prior to being traded to Buffalo, Johnson was working his way up the ranks and served as a backup to Tuuka Rask in Boston and to Jaroslav Halak on Long Island. He was traded to the Sabres by the Islanders in the Michal Neuvirth deal at the 2015 NHL Trade deadline and even then he never dressed for a game in Buffalo. Johnson took a shot to the ankle prior to his first scheduled start for the Sabres (March 6) and was sidelined for the rest of the season.
He entered the 2015-16 season as a backup to Robin Lehner and as luck would have it, Johnson would play the role of Buffalo's No. 1 goalie for most of the season. He played in an NHL career-high 45 games for Buffalo won a career-best 22 games while posting a second-best GAA (2.36,) and Sv% (.920.) Johnson said he felt he had a really good second half to that season and "wanted to continue that" if given the opportunity.
"When I left," said Johnson, "I always felt that I had unfinished business [in Buffalo]."
Johnson was never given that opportunity under the previous regime, but now that the Sabres have a new coach and a new GM, he felt that Buffalo was a good fit for him. "Anytime there's change, there's always opportunity for new people coming into an organization," he said. "For me, seeing changes [in Buffalo] was a positive."
The GM and head coach may have changed, but other things haven't as a lot of familiar faces still with the club. "There are a lot of players that are still there that I know and have a lot of trust in and respect for," he said, which influenced his decision. "Looking at the roster and breaking different teams down," he said of the process, "it made sense for me to be able to come back. I have a good relationship with Robin and to be able to come back and compete with him and push this team into being a playoff team.
"I see this organization going in the right direction, [they are] committed to winning, that's what I want to be a part of."
There's a familiar face in new GM Jason Botterill, for Johnson as Botterill was in the organization when the goalie was at the University of Alaska--Fairbanks. And in coming back to the Sabres, Johnson will presumably be working with his goalie coach from 2015-16 in Andrew Allen. "Having a relationship with Andrew was important in my decision when breaking down the teams in the process.
"He understands my game and really took my game to the next level."
Fit and opportunity brought Johnson back to Buffalo and although he looks to be in a back up role for the Sabres, we know from experience that if anything happened along the way where Lehner wasn't the starter, Johnson is more than capable to handle that role.
Friday, June 30, 2017
Defense. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. Plus, lookin' for another top-six LW
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-29-2017
From Edmonton to Buffalo moves altering the course of the Buffalo Sabres upcoming season, but the big move new GM Jason Botterill needs to make to really get things rolling probably won't happen this off season.
Defense, defense, defense.
The Sabres don't exactly have a top-five defense-corps in the league which leaves them looking to upgrade, especially filling a top-pairing need next to RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen. Botterill was able to fortify his lower pairings a bit with the signings of Victor Antipin, the trade for Nathan Beaulieu and the re-signing of Taylor Fedun. That trio adds plenty of depth from for new head coach Phil Housley to work with, but a top-four of Ristolainen, Beaulieu, Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe isn't close to what he worked with in Nashville last season.
It will take time. And for those who are looking for a jolt this July 1, you can pretty much fuggedaboutit. The top two free agent d-men on the market are Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner both of whom will collect huge paychecks on long-term deals despite flaws in their games. Buffalo could be in the running if Botterill was willing to go above and beyond an expected overpayment for both, but despite plenty of room under the cap this year, it wouldn't seem as if it's in his blood to reach like that.
So the Sabres look to be headed into the off season, and possibly into training camp as well, with a defense corps as is. One possible addition, as mentioned here a couple of weeks ago, is that of soon to be free agent defenseman Will Butcher who's opting to go to free agency August 15 instead of signing with the team that drafted him. In a quick blurb I mentioned that having an opportunity in Buffalo to play under a coach like Housley who values puck-movers might pique his interest. Even if the Sabres were to land him, his impact, if any, wouldn't be felt for a few years as Butcher will probably need a couple years of seasoning for his development.
*****
Speaking of development, Botterill released player development coach Randy Cunneyworth two days ago.
After leaving the Rochester Americans in 2008 to pursue an NHL coaching career, Cunneyworth was brought back in 2015 as player development coach. He spent the 2015-16 season coaching in Rochester before going back to his previous position.
From 2015 to 2017 the Amerks were near the bottom of the league although the players that were brought up to Buffalo seemed to be well prepared for the NHL game. Unfortunately none were able to have an impact for the Sabres.
Botterill also released pro scout Jon Christiano. The Buffalo native had been with the Sabres since 1997 and spent three years as Director of Pro Scouting under GM Darcy Regier.
Also dismissed was amateur scout Kevin Prendergast who came on board in 2013.
Owner Terry Pegula and Botterill have slowly been purging the hockey department to start anew. Cunneyworth, Christiano and Prendergast join scouting director Rob Murphy, director of amateur scouting Greg Royce, pro scout Jim Kovachik and amateur scouts Keith Hendrickson and Brandon Jay as those on the outs since Pegula fired GM Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma.
*****
The hockey world just got a major jolt yesterday when word got out that Edmonton Oilers phenom Connor McDavid is looking at a contract extension that will have a cap-hit over $13 million. McDavid is entering the final year of his entry-level deal and the Oilers aren't messing around.
And they shouldn't.
McDavid just finished his sophomore season as the only 100-point player in the league and captained his Oilers team to Game-7 of the Western Conference Finals. He also backed up the truck at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas last week. He took home the Art Ross Trophy (leading scorer,) Hart Trophy (league MVP,) and the Ted Lindsay Award as the leagues top player voted by his peers.
The shockwaves rattled rinks all the way to Buffalo as the Sabres and Jack Eichel are said to be talking about a contract extension. Eichel was taken second-overall behind McDavid in the 2015 NHL Draft and although he's had two real good seasons on a team that was in the 'build' stage of rebuild, his 113 points (48+65) in 142 games aren't on the same level as McDavid's 148 (46+102) in 127 games. However, there's still plenty of untapped upside for Eichel which is why his next contract could be in the $8-9 million/season range.
They're two different players with enormous talents who came into the leagued in two different situations. Both will forever be tied to the whole 2015 "McEichel" Draft and will be compared from a points, salary and impact perspective.
The Sabres are lucky to have Eichel and it might be in everyone's best interest to get him signed long-term. They could fool around with a three-year bridge contract that could possibly extend his stay in Buffalo to 11 years if they went max contract thereafter. Or they could just come together on an eight-year deal and save everyone the worry.
*****
Word on the street is that the Sabres are losing a goalie prospect but gaining a veteran backup in net.
To no one's surprise, Sabres prospect Cal Petersen (2013, 129th-overall) is not signing in Buffalo but instead will be headed to Los Angeles. Although nothing can be announced until Saturday, July 1, reports have Petersen and the Kings agreeing to a contract.
Petersen opted to forgo his senior season at Notre Dame to turn pro and the Sabres had nearly all of June to sign him but he elected to become a free agent.
The loss of Petersen effectively jumbled the goalie depth-chart as Buffalo was missing a piece. The two givens were that Robin Lehner is the Sabres starter and Jonas Johansson will be starting his first full North American pro season in Rochester. Linus Ullmark, whom Botterill effectively kept from Las Vegas in the expansion draft, could have been Lehner's backup had Petersen signed with Buffalo.
But our very own Buffalo 39 mentioned a couple days ago that the Sabres and former goalie Chad Johnson were in talks and word on the street is that Johnson will be back in Buffalo next season. Having him behind Lehner means that Ullmark goes back to Rochester as their starter for the second consecutive season.
Which is a good thing.
Goalies need reps and Ullmark will get a lot of them with the Amerks. The move also bodes well for Johansson who can get eased into the North American pro game.
Losing Petersen is a downer as he has legit No. 1 potential, but the Sabres will need to make lemonade.
*****
The Sabres, as mentioned above, could use a top-pairing defenseman but the could also use help on the wing in the top-six. And, as luck would have it, this isn't a particularly strong free agent class at LW.
The list at left wing is topped by veteran forward Patrick Marleau. However reports have him not wanting to leave San Jose and if he does, he wants to stay on the West Coast as to not disrupt his family.
After that the Sabres could, and should, have of some interest in Thomas Vanek.
Since being traded by Buffalo in October, 2013, Vanek has been wandering around the league. Vanek was traded by the NY Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens that same season then signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent. He signed a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Detroit Red Wings last off season and was traded to Florida at the trade deadline March 1.
During this sojourn, word came out that Vanek's name appeared on a list in a Rochester, NY gambling sting and he apparently lost millions of dollars. With Pegula touting virtues like character and his Murray-firing presser, Vanek might not fit into what he wants moving forward. Yet you can't deny that Vanek still has the chops. Last season he scored 17 goals and added 31 assists in 68 games for Detroit and Florida. Those 48 points would have placed him third on the Sabres in scoring behind only Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly. He also lead the league in the shootout going a perfect 5 for 5.
Speaking of gambling, the Sabres could also look into signing former first-overall pick Nail Yakupov to a "show me" contract. Yakupov has been set adrift after four years with the Oilers and one season in St. Louis. It would be a low-risk/high-reward scenario for the Sabres but most feel that the upside just isn't there as there's a disconnect with him and the NHL game.
Finally, maybe we should keep an eye on winger Beau Bennett who was the 20th-overall pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010 when Botterill was in the front office.
The 6'2" 207 lb. Bennett is listed as a right-winger but can play either side.
Of course if Buffalo's own Tyler Ennis could return to form, it would eliminate the need for a top-six left-winger. Ennis' last two seasons have been dismal as he's had injury problems and just could never get into the flow of things. The Edmonton, Alberta native has only eight goals and 16 assist while playing in only 84 games the last two seasons.
As of right now the Sabres have only one legit top-six left wing in Evander Kane. He'll be entering the final year of his contract with questions as to whether or not there will be an extension for him this off season. There's been speculation that the Sabres would be trading him, but Pierre LeBrun told the WGR afternoon guys yesterday that Botterill is listening but not actively shopping Kane.
From Edmonton to Buffalo moves altering the course of the Buffalo Sabres upcoming season, but the big move new GM Jason Botterill needs to make to really get things rolling probably won't happen this off season.
Defense, defense, defense.
The Sabres don't exactly have a top-five defense-corps in the league which leaves them looking to upgrade, especially filling a top-pairing need next to RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen. Botterill was able to fortify his lower pairings a bit with the signings of Victor Antipin, the trade for Nathan Beaulieu and the re-signing of Taylor Fedun. That trio adds plenty of depth from for new head coach Phil Housley to work with, but a top-four of Ristolainen, Beaulieu, Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe isn't close to what he worked with in Nashville last season.
It will take time. And for those who are looking for a jolt this July 1, you can pretty much fuggedaboutit. The top two free agent d-men on the market are Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner both of whom will collect huge paychecks on long-term deals despite flaws in their games. Buffalo could be in the running if Botterill was willing to go above and beyond an expected overpayment for both, but despite plenty of room under the cap this year, it wouldn't seem as if it's in his blood to reach like that.
So the Sabres look to be headed into the off season, and possibly into training camp as well, with a defense corps as is. One possible addition, as mentioned here a couple of weeks ago, is that of soon to be free agent defenseman Will Butcher who's opting to go to free agency August 15 instead of signing with the team that drafted him. In a quick blurb I mentioned that having an opportunity in Buffalo to play under a coach like Housley who values puck-movers might pique his interest. Even if the Sabres were to land him, his impact, if any, wouldn't be felt for a few years as Butcher will probably need a couple years of seasoning for his development.
*****
Speaking of development, Botterill released player development coach Randy Cunneyworth two days ago.
After leaving the Rochester Americans in 2008 to pursue an NHL coaching career, Cunneyworth was brought back in 2015 as player development coach. He spent the 2015-16 season coaching in Rochester before going back to his previous position.
From 2015 to 2017 the Amerks were near the bottom of the league although the players that were brought up to Buffalo seemed to be well prepared for the NHL game. Unfortunately none were able to have an impact for the Sabres.
Botterill also released pro scout Jon Christiano. The Buffalo native had been with the Sabres since 1997 and spent three years as Director of Pro Scouting under GM Darcy Regier.
Also dismissed was amateur scout Kevin Prendergast who came on board in 2013.
Owner Terry Pegula and Botterill have slowly been purging the hockey department to start anew. Cunneyworth, Christiano and Prendergast join scouting director Rob Murphy, director of amateur scouting Greg Royce, pro scout Jim Kovachik and amateur scouts Keith Hendrickson and Brandon Jay as those on the outs since Pegula fired GM Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma.
*****
The hockey world just got a major jolt yesterday when word got out that Edmonton Oilers phenom Connor McDavid is looking at a contract extension that will have a cap-hit over $13 million. McDavid is entering the final year of his entry-level deal and the Oilers aren't messing around.
And they shouldn't.
McDavid just finished his sophomore season as the only 100-point player in the league and captained his Oilers team to Game-7 of the Western Conference Finals. He also backed up the truck at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas last week. He took home the Art Ross Trophy (leading scorer,) Hart Trophy (league MVP,) and the Ted Lindsay Award as the leagues top player voted by his peers.
The shockwaves rattled rinks all the way to Buffalo as the Sabres and Jack Eichel are said to be talking about a contract extension. Eichel was taken second-overall behind McDavid in the 2015 NHL Draft and although he's had two real good seasons on a team that was in the 'build' stage of rebuild, his 113 points (48+65) in 142 games aren't on the same level as McDavid's 148 (46+102) in 127 games. However, there's still plenty of untapped upside for Eichel which is why his next contract could be in the $8-9 million/season range.
They're two different players with enormous talents who came into the leagued in two different situations. Both will forever be tied to the whole 2015 "McEichel" Draft and will be compared from a points, salary and impact perspective.
The Sabres are lucky to have Eichel and it might be in everyone's best interest to get him signed long-term. They could fool around with a three-year bridge contract that could possibly extend his stay in Buffalo to 11 years if they went max contract thereafter. Or they could just come together on an eight-year deal and save everyone the worry.
*****
Word on the street is that the Sabres are losing a goalie prospect but gaining a veteran backup in net.
To no one's surprise, Sabres prospect Cal Petersen (2013, 129th-overall) is not signing in Buffalo but instead will be headed to Los Angeles. Although nothing can be announced until Saturday, July 1, reports have Petersen and the Kings agreeing to a contract.
Petersen opted to forgo his senior season at Notre Dame to turn pro and the Sabres had nearly all of June to sign him but he elected to become a free agent.
The loss of Petersen effectively jumbled the goalie depth-chart as Buffalo was missing a piece. The two givens were that Robin Lehner is the Sabres starter and Jonas Johansson will be starting his first full North American pro season in Rochester. Linus Ullmark, whom Botterill effectively kept from Las Vegas in the expansion draft, could have been Lehner's backup had Petersen signed with Buffalo.
But our very own Buffalo 39 mentioned a couple days ago that the Sabres and former goalie Chad Johnson were in talks and word on the street is that Johnson will be back in Buffalo next season. Having him behind Lehner means that Ullmark goes back to Rochester as their starter for the second consecutive season.
Which is a good thing.
Goalies need reps and Ullmark will get a lot of them with the Amerks. The move also bodes well for Johansson who can get eased into the North American pro game.
Losing Petersen is a downer as he has legit No. 1 potential, but the Sabres will need to make lemonade.
*****
The Sabres, as mentioned above, could use a top-pairing defenseman but the could also use help on the wing in the top-six. And, as luck would have it, this isn't a particularly strong free agent class at LW.
The list at left wing is topped by veteran forward Patrick Marleau. However reports have him not wanting to leave San Jose and if he does, he wants to stay on the West Coast as to not disrupt his family.
After that the Sabres could, and should, have of some interest in Thomas Vanek.
Since being traded by Buffalo in October, 2013, Vanek has been wandering around the league. Vanek was traded by the NY Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens that same season then signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent. He signed a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Detroit Red Wings last off season and was traded to Florida at the trade deadline March 1.
During this sojourn, word came out that Vanek's name appeared on a list in a Rochester, NY gambling sting and he apparently lost millions of dollars. With Pegula touting virtues like character and his Murray-firing presser, Vanek might not fit into what he wants moving forward. Yet you can't deny that Vanek still has the chops. Last season he scored 17 goals and added 31 assists in 68 games for Detroit and Florida. Those 48 points would have placed him third on the Sabres in scoring behind only Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly. He also lead the league in the shootout going a perfect 5 for 5.
Speaking of gambling, the Sabres could also look into signing former first-overall pick Nail Yakupov to a "show me" contract. Yakupov has been set adrift after four years with the Oilers and one season in St. Louis. It would be a low-risk/high-reward scenario for the Sabres but most feel that the upside just isn't there as there's a disconnect with him and the NHL game.
Finally, maybe we should keep an eye on winger Beau Bennett who was the 20th-overall pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010 when Botterill was in the front office.
The 6'2" 207 lb. Bennett is listed as a right-winger but can play either side.
Of course if Buffalo's own Tyler Ennis could return to form, it would eliminate the need for a top-six left-winger. Ennis' last two seasons have been dismal as he's had injury problems and just could never get into the flow of things. The Edmonton, Alberta native has only eight goals and 16 assist while playing in only 84 games the last two seasons.
As of right now the Sabres have only one legit top-six left wing in Evander Kane. He'll be entering the final year of his contract with questions as to whether or not there will be an extension for him this off season. There's been speculation that the Sabres would be trading him, but Pierre LeBrun told the WGR afternoon guys yesterday that Botterill is listening but not actively shopping Kane.
Friday, June 10, 2016
Buffalo's free agent list. Re-sign or not re-sign? If so, how much?
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
The Buffalo Sabres re-signed forward Johan Larsson to a one-year, $950K contract extension on April 29th. Larsson hit career-highs in goals (10) and points (17) and centered the Sabres most consistent line in the latter half of last season.
Sabres GM Tim Murray and AGM Mark Jakubowski have their work cut out for them as they have 24 free agents to make decisions on, 23 if you discount goalie Andrey Makarov, who's back home in Mother Russia and was none too happy with what he perceived as grossly unfair treatment by the Sabres organization.
With that said here's the list of free agents, their current cap-hit, an opinion as to whether or not Buffalo should re-sign said player and a gander as to how much they might be re-signed for if all sides put ink to paper.
Today we begin with unrestricted free agents.
The Buffalo Sabres re-signed forward Johan Larsson to a one-year, $950K contract extension on April 29th. Larsson hit career-highs in goals (10) and points (17) and centered the Sabres most consistent line in the latter half of last season.
Sabres GM Tim Murray and AGM Mark Jakubowski have their work cut out for them as they have 24 free agents to make decisions on, 23 if you discount goalie Andrey Makarov, who's back home in Mother Russia and was none too happy with what he perceived as grossly unfair treatment by the Sabres organization.
With that said here's the list of free agents, their current cap-hit, an opinion as to whether or not Buffalo should re-sign said player and a gander as to how much they might be re-signed for if all sides put ink to paper.
Today we begin with unrestricted free agents.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Impressions of, and questions concerning--G, Chad Johnson
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Goaltender--Chad Johnson
DOB: June 10, 1986 (age, 29)
Draft: 2006, 5th round (125th overall)
How acquired: Trade with NY Islanders, March 2, 2015
Last contract signed: 2014--2 yr. $2.6M
Final year of contract: 2015-16
2015-16 Stats: 45 games, 22-16-4 record, 2.36 goals-against average, .920 save percentage, 1 shutout
What we wrote preseason: Johnson's all that's left of the 16 men in the crease for the Sabres over the last two grueling seasons and he entered training camp as back-up to No. 1 goalie Robin Lehner. Johnson has the ability as shown during his 2013-14 season in Boston [but] Long Island was a far cry from Boston, however, as Johnson was a brutal in a backup role to starter, Jaroslav Halak.
At the time of the deadline day trade to Buffalo, Jonathan Willis of the Edmonton Journal called Johnson's season in New York a "nightmare" and explained that the team was even worse with him in net than the numbers indicated. At 29 yrs. old with and NHL five seasons under his belt as a backup, Johnson knows the drill [in Buffalo]. “I’m just coming in and trying to take care of what I can,” Johnson said [last off season]. “If I play 30 games 40, 60, whatever it is, that’s to be determined with my play. They bring in a great goalie like Lehner who has played well in the past. We’re trying to push each other and that will help the team be better.”
What we wrote mid-season: "simply put, has been outstanding. Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma loves Johnson's calm demeanor in net. 'Johnny' has gained the confidence of coaches and players and seems to be getting better and stronger in net. Coughing up juicy rebounds has been a major roadblock to No. 1 goalie status for him but as of late he's been getting a handle on those. Not sure when the last time his confidence-level was this high, if ever. When Robin Lehner comes back from injury, it will be interesting to see how each react to the other as Johnson's making a case to remain the starter."
Impressions on his play this year: When Lehner did come back, Johnson went back to his role as back-up until Lehner went down again in mid-March and the team shut him down for surgery on March 30th. Throughout the season, Johnson was the consummate professional and took whatever role he was in to heart. He appeared in a career-high 45 games and won a career high 22 of them while posting GAA and SV% numbers that were second only to his time in Boston behind a staunch Bruins defense.
As mentioned mid-season, rebound control seemed to be a major stumbling block to Johnson earning bona fide No. 1 goalie status. He gained a lot of confidence in Buffalo and timed a career year very well as he'll be a free agent during this off season. With all the travel, work and progress he's made during his six-year NHL career it's not surprising that he wants to become a starter and he started his search for that opportunity at the end of the season. "There’s four teams that need goaltenders or starting goaltenders or don’t have guys that have done well," he said to the media at locker cleanout.
Questions moving forward: If Johnson's hell-bent upon becoming a starter, which team other than Buffalo will afford him that opportunity?
Goaltender--Chad Johnson
DOB: June 10, 1986 (age, 29)
Draft: 2006, 5th round (125th overall)
How acquired: Trade with NY Islanders, March 2, 2015
Last contract signed: 2014--2 yr. $2.6M
Final year of contract: 2015-16
2015-16 Stats: 45 games, 22-16-4 record, 2.36 goals-against average, .920 save percentage, 1 shutout
What we wrote preseason: Johnson's all that's left of the 16 men in the crease for the Sabres over the last two grueling seasons and he entered training camp as back-up to No. 1 goalie Robin Lehner. Johnson has the ability as shown during his 2013-14 season in Boston [but] Long Island was a far cry from Boston, however, as Johnson was a brutal in a backup role to starter, Jaroslav Halak.
At the time of the deadline day trade to Buffalo, Jonathan Willis of the Edmonton Journal called Johnson's season in New York a "nightmare" and explained that the team was even worse with him in net than the numbers indicated. At 29 yrs. old with and NHL five seasons under his belt as a backup, Johnson knows the drill [in Buffalo]. “I’m just coming in and trying to take care of what I can,” Johnson said [last off season]. “If I play 30 games 40, 60, whatever it is, that’s to be determined with my play. They bring in a great goalie like Lehner who has played well in the past. We’re trying to push each other and that will help the team be better.”
What we wrote mid-season: "simply put, has been outstanding. Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma loves Johnson's calm demeanor in net. 'Johnny' has gained the confidence of coaches and players and seems to be getting better and stronger in net. Coughing up juicy rebounds has been a major roadblock to No. 1 goalie status for him but as of late he's been getting a handle on those. Not sure when the last time his confidence-level was this high, if ever. When Robin Lehner comes back from injury, it will be interesting to see how each react to the other as Johnson's making a case to remain the starter."
Impressions on his play this year: When Lehner did come back, Johnson went back to his role as back-up until Lehner went down again in mid-March and the team shut him down for surgery on March 30th. Throughout the season, Johnson was the consummate professional and took whatever role he was in to heart. He appeared in a career-high 45 games and won a career high 22 of them while posting GAA and SV% numbers that were second only to his time in Boston behind a staunch Bruins defense.
As mentioned mid-season, rebound control seemed to be a major stumbling block to Johnson earning bona fide No. 1 goalie status. He gained a lot of confidence in Buffalo and timed a career year very well as he'll be a free agent during this off season. With all the travel, work and progress he's made during his six-year NHL career it's not surprising that he wants to become a starter and he started his search for that opportunity at the end of the season. "There’s four teams that need goaltenders or starting goaltenders or don’t have guys that have done well," he said to the media at locker cleanout.
Questions moving forward: If Johnson's hell-bent upon becoming a starter, which team other than Buffalo will afford him that opportunity?
Monday, April 11, 2016
A very revealing Sunday for a crowded goaltending situation
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Yesterday was locker cleanout day for the 2015-16 edition of the Buffalo Sabres and a time where the media can get some final thoughts from the players for one last time this season.
While the media was getting their final interviews with the likes of Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly, Sam Reinhart and Robin Lehner, among others, the Rochester Americans were in Cleveland finishing off a three-games-in-three-nights weekend. This was the second game of a home and home with the Lake Erie Monsters and the last meeting between the two clubs this season.
Prior to the game, three players who'd played for Buffalo in the season finale on Saturday were reassigned to Rochester--forwards Cole Schneider and Evan Rodrigues as well as rookie goaltender Linus Ullmark. Schneider and Rodrigues both played while Ullmark, who started the final game of Buffalo's season, did not dress.
Yesterday was locker cleanout day for the 2015-16 edition of the Buffalo Sabres and a time where the media can get some final thoughts from the players for one last time this season.
While the media was getting their final interviews with the likes of Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly, Sam Reinhart and Robin Lehner, among others, the Rochester Americans were in Cleveland finishing off a three-games-in-three-nights weekend. This was the second game of a home and home with the Lake Erie Monsters and the last meeting between the two clubs this season.
Prior to the game, three players who'd played for Buffalo in the season finale on Saturday were reassigned to Rochester--forwards Cole Schneider and Evan Rodrigues as well as rookie goaltender Linus Ullmark. Schneider and Rodrigues both played while Ullmark, who started the final game of Buffalo's season, did not dress.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
2015-16 Individual Stats--March
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
In going over individual Buffalo Sabre stats for a rather successful month of March, aside from the usual suspects hitting the top three in most scoring categories, there are some notables that made their presence known.
Sam Reinhart has been consistently hitting the scoresheet all season long and joins the ranks of "usual suspects" like Ryan O'Reilly, fellow rookie Jack Eichel and Evander Kane after yet another strong month. Reinhart was his usual quite self while amassing a total of 12 points in 15 games for the Sabres in March. He scored four goals and added eight assists (five of them primary) with only one goal and one assist coming on the powerplay. In the past two months Reinhart has double his production and now has 40 points on the season.
O'Reilly still leads the team in points (58) even though he only played eight games in March because of an injury. He augmented his team-leading assist total (38) by adding six of them last month and chipped in his first goal in 24 games as well. Eichel, who leads the team in goals (23) and is second in points (51) had another strong month registering 10 points last month on the power of six goals and four assists. And before his injury, Kane continued his late-season push with three goals and six assists in 13 games. He's been shelved for the rest of the season.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who has cooled off considerably since the first part of the year, remained in the top-five in scoring despite a sub-par month. O'Reilly, Eichel, Ristolainen, Reinhart and Kane lead the team in points so far this season.
In going over individual Buffalo Sabre stats for a rather successful month of March, aside from the usual suspects hitting the top three in most scoring categories, there are some notables that made their presence known.
Sam Reinhart has been consistently hitting the scoresheet all season long and joins the ranks of "usual suspects" like Ryan O'Reilly, fellow rookie Jack Eichel and Evander Kane after yet another strong month. Reinhart was his usual quite self while amassing a total of 12 points in 15 games for the Sabres in March. He scored four goals and added eight assists (five of them primary) with only one goal and one assist coming on the powerplay. In the past two months Reinhart has double his production and now has 40 points on the season.
O'Reilly still leads the team in points (58) even though he only played eight games in March because of an injury. He augmented his team-leading assist total (38) by adding six of them last month and chipped in his first goal in 24 games as well. Eichel, who leads the team in goals (23) and is second in points (51) had another strong month registering 10 points last month on the power of six goals and four assists. And before his injury, Kane continued his late-season push with three goals and six assists in 13 games. He's been shelved for the rest of the season.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who has cooled off considerably since the first part of the year, remained in the top-five in scoring despite a sub-par month. O'Reilly, Eichel, Ristolainen, Reinhart and Kane lead the team in points so far this season.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Chad Johnson looks great in San Jose trade deadline showcase
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
With the NHL trade deadline inching closer a potential suitor for Buffalo back up goalie Chad Johnson leaning in a different direction, all eyes were at the Shark Tank last night as the Sabres visited San Jose to take on the Sharks.
Goalies in general aren't really a prime area of focus for most teams looking to bolster their lineup at this time of year, but every trade deadline there are a couple that garner interest. Said goalie is usually a back up and a pending free agent who would be considered an upgrade. This year, possible suitors for Johnson's services is very limited and looked as if it was coming down to two teams--the Sharks and the St. Louis Blues.
The Blues had a stellar duo in net featuring veteran Brian Elliott and upstart rookie, Jake Allen before Elliott went down with a lower body injury this week against, oddly enough, the San Jose Sharks. The 30 yr. old veteran of eight NHL seasons with three different teams hit injured reserve with a 17-7-6 record, 2.14 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
Allen has been equally strong going 18-12-3 with a 2.17 GAA and a .923 SV%, but with the Blues in a heated battle for Central Division supremacy (three points separate them from first place,) every point counts and relying upon 22 yr. old Jordan Binnington in a backup role is making them kinda jittery.
So they were said to be in the market for a backup goaltender, which they indeed addressed by landing Oilers backup Anders Nilsson for a 5th round pick earlier today.
With the NHL trade deadline inching closer a potential suitor for Buffalo back up goalie Chad Johnson leaning in a different direction, all eyes were at the Shark Tank last night as the Sabres visited San Jose to take on the Sharks.
Goalies in general aren't really a prime area of focus for most teams looking to bolster their lineup at this time of year, but every trade deadline there are a couple that garner interest. Said goalie is usually a back up and a pending free agent who would be considered an upgrade. This year, possible suitors for Johnson's services is very limited and looked as if it was coming down to two teams--the Sharks and the St. Louis Blues.
The Blues had a stellar duo in net featuring veteran Brian Elliott and upstart rookie, Jake Allen before Elliott went down with a lower body injury this week against, oddly enough, the San Jose Sharks. The 30 yr. old veteran of eight NHL seasons with three different teams hit injured reserve with a 17-7-6 record, 2.14 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
Allen has been equally strong going 18-12-3 with a 2.17 GAA and a .923 SV%, but with the Blues in a heated battle for Central Division supremacy (three points separate them from first place,) every point counts and relying upon 22 yr. old Jordan Binnington in a backup role is making them kinda jittery.
So they were said to be in the market for a backup goaltender, which they indeed addressed by landing Oilers backup Anders Nilsson for a 5th round pick earlier today.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Dominoes, Sharks and Amerks and Monsters--NHL trade deadline coming
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
For the Buffalo Sabres, and forward Jamie McGinn in particular, the trade of Winnipeg LW, Andrew Ladd to the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday was pretty big.
When it came to rental forwards this year, Ladd was at the top of the list with possibly Eric Staal being the only other pending UFA to supersede him. Staal, who has a no-trade clause, would surely fetch a hefty return should they find the proper destination, but in terms of significance for the Sabres at the trade deadline, all eyes were pretty much on Ladd and the dominoes leading to McGinn.
Following Ladd closely on the domino depth-chart is Boston Bruins winger Loui Eriksson who's in contract-extension negotiations with GM Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins. Sweeney's in a bit of a pickle as the Bruins would like to keep Eriksson, but according to various sources, they're at an impasse as to the length of the contract. Eriksson's having strong year in Boston already surpassing his point total from the previous season while his 23 goals and 48 points in 61 games has him on pace for a 30-goal/63-point season.
For the Buffalo Sabres, and forward Jamie McGinn in particular, the trade of Winnipeg LW, Andrew Ladd to the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday was pretty big.
When it came to rental forwards this year, Ladd was at the top of the list with possibly Eric Staal being the only other pending UFA to supersede him. Staal, who has a no-trade clause, would surely fetch a hefty return should they find the proper destination, but in terms of significance for the Sabres at the trade deadline, all eyes were pretty much on Ladd and the dominoes leading to McGinn.
Following Ladd closely on the domino depth-chart is Boston Bruins winger Loui Eriksson who's in contract-extension negotiations with GM Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins. Sweeney's in a bit of a pickle as the Bruins would like to keep Eriksson, but according to various sources, they're at an impasse as to the length of the contract. Eriksson's having strong year in Boston already surpassing his point total from the previous season while his 23 goals and 48 points in 61 games has him on pace for a 30-goal/63-point season.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Rookie scoring race recap plus, Leafs trade and trade partners for Buffalo
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
With Chicago's Artemi Panarin scoring his first career hat trick this week while adding another goal and assist, his 57 point total and 16 point lead may make this a race for second place in overall points. Buffalo's Jack Eichel and Max Domi are tied for second in overall points with 41 after Eichel added three assists this week while Domi lit it up with four goals and two assists in three games for the Arizona Coyotes. Detroit's Dylan Larkin had a rough week with only one goal added to his resume. Larkin is in fourth with 39 points.
Philadelphia defenseman Shane Gostisbehere continues to marvel in the point production department as the 22 yr. old third round pick (2012) extended his record for points in consecutive games by a defenseman to 15 games. Gostisbehere added a point in all three games played this past week (2g +1a) and extended his streak in style with the overtime winner at Toronto on Saturday night.
According to NHL.com, Gostisbehere has the longest points-streak by a defenseman since 1995 when Chris Chelios had a 15-game streak beginning on October 26. He also now has the third longest streak behind any rookie since 1987-88. Paul Stastny (Feb. 3 to March 17, 2007) holds the longest streak during that period with 20 games while Teemu Selanne had a 17-game streak beginning March 9, 1993.
Gostisbehere also held on to the fourth spot in rookie assists with a total of 22. Panarin leads that category with 35, Eichel and Domi are tied for second with 24 while Larkin is in fifth with 20.
With Chicago's Artemi Panarin scoring his first career hat trick this week while adding another goal and assist, his 57 point total and 16 point lead may make this a race for second place in overall points. Buffalo's Jack Eichel and Max Domi are tied for second in overall points with 41 after Eichel added three assists this week while Domi lit it up with four goals and two assists in three games for the Arizona Coyotes. Detroit's Dylan Larkin had a rough week with only one goal added to his resume. Larkin is in fourth with 39 points.
Philadelphia defenseman Shane Gostisbehere continues to marvel in the point production department as the 22 yr. old third round pick (2012) extended his record for points in consecutive games by a defenseman to 15 games. Gostisbehere added a point in all three games played this past week (2g +1a) and extended his streak in style with the overtime winner at Toronto on Saturday night.
According to NHL.com, Gostisbehere has the longest points-streak by a defenseman since 1995 when Chris Chelios had a 15-game streak beginning on October 26. He also now has the third longest streak behind any rookie since 1987-88. Paul Stastny (Feb. 3 to March 17, 2007) holds the longest streak during that period with 20 games while Teemu Selanne had a 17-game streak beginning March 9, 1993.
Gostisbehere also held on to the fourth spot in rookie assists with a total of 22. Panarin leads that category with 35, Eichel and Domi are tied for second with 24 while Larkin is in fifth with 20.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Sabres hit Arizona having won three of four
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
It was a good stretch for the Buffalo Sabres dating back to the Sunday before last. The Sabres headed to the frozen outpost of Winnipeg Manitoba on a six-game losing streak before their tilt with the Jets which included lots of familiar faces skating for both sides. Five of eight pieces from the February 11, 2015 blockbuster trade between the Sabres and the Jets were on the ice.
The centerpiece of the trade for Buffalo was Evander Kane. The malcontent of Manitoba was at the center of a media circus because of his exploits. He hit the ice, literally, as he fell out of the gates during warmups much to the satisfaction of the crowd who jeered him at every turn. A raucous Winnipeg hockey community dubbed the game, Track-suit Night, in honor of an infamous incident, but Kane and the Sabres would get the last laugh.
It was a good stretch for the Buffalo Sabres dating back to the Sunday before last. The Sabres headed to the frozen outpost of Winnipeg Manitoba on a six-game losing streak before their tilt with the Jets which included lots of familiar faces skating for both sides. Five of eight pieces from the February 11, 2015 blockbuster trade between the Sabres and the Jets were on the ice.
The centerpiece of the trade for Buffalo was Evander Kane. The malcontent of Manitoba was at the center of a media circus because of his exploits. He hit the ice, literally, as he fell out of the gates during warmups much to the satisfaction of the crowd who jeered him at every turn. A raucous Winnipeg hockey community dubbed the game, Track-suit Night, in honor of an infamous incident, but Kane and the Sabres would get the last laugh.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Hawks present opportunity while Eichel can learn a lot from Toews
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
When the Buffalo Sabres hit the ice today for their matinee vs. the visiting Chicago Blackhawks they'll have played 34 games before the Christmas break. To say the NHL schedule maker has made it easy on the second youngest team would elicit a hearty chuckle. Then again, coming off of back-to-back last place finishes would indicate that "easy" is a word that should never enter into the equation in the first place.
Buffalo stands 14-16-3 so far this season which is one win better than they were in 2014-15, seven more than in 2013-14. That said, the Sabres have already finished their season series with the defending Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay Lightning (1-3-0,) the Western Conference-leading Dallas Stars (0-2,) the WC third-seed St. Louis Blues (0-1-1) and the WC sixth-seed Nashville Predators (1-1). Throw in a game vs. the WC seventh-seed San Jose Sharks (0-0-1) and their first West Coast road trip (0-3-0) and you have a pretty formidable schedule.
Of the team's 14 wins some stand out for various reasons like their first road win, a 4-3 OT thriller in Philadelphia, and their come-from-behind 2-1 win in Detroit on Monday night, but they've yet to get that signature win.
Today's game vs. the Chicago Blackhawks will provide that opportunity.
The Hawks seem to be getting their grove on as they've won five of their last seven after starting the month 0-1-0. They have the league's leading scorer in Buffalo-native, Patrick Kane (19g, 28a) who's scored in 27 of his last 28 games, and a powerplay unit that ranks 3rd in the league. They're young, fast and highly skilled and are lead by one of the best captains in the game, Jonathan Toews.
Oh, and did I mention that they have won three of the last five Stanley Cups?
When the Buffalo Sabres hit the ice today for their matinee vs. the visiting Chicago Blackhawks they'll have played 34 games before the Christmas break. To say the NHL schedule maker has made it easy on the second youngest team would elicit a hearty chuckle. Then again, coming off of back-to-back last place finishes would indicate that "easy" is a word that should never enter into the equation in the first place.
Buffalo stands 14-16-3 so far this season which is one win better than they were in 2014-15, seven more than in 2013-14. That said, the Sabres have already finished their season series with the defending Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay Lightning (1-3-0,) the Western Conference-leading Dallas Stars (0-2,) the WC third-seed St. Louis Blues (0-1-1) and the WC sixth-seed Nashville Predators (1-1). Throw in a game vs. the WC seventh-seed San Jose Sharks (0-0-1) and their first West Coast road trip (0-3-0) and you have a pretty formidable schedule.
Of the team's 14 wins some stand out for various reasons like their first road win, a 4-3 OT thriller in Philadelphia, and their come-from-behind 2-1 win in Detroit on Monday night, but they've yet to get that signature win.
Today's game vs. the Chicago Blackhawks will provide that opportunity.
The Hawks seem to be getting their grove on as they've won five of their last seven after starting the month 0-1-0. They have the league's leading scorer in Buffalo-native, Patrick Kane (19g, 28a) who's scored in 27 of his last 28 games, and a powerplay unit that ranks 3rd in the league. They're young, fast and highly skilled and are lead by one of the best captains in the game, Jonathan Toews.
Oh, and did I mention that they have won three of the last five Stanley Cups?
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Nice to be on the good side of a meltdown in the 3rd
Check out these quotes:
"We've got to work on closing out games."
"It's always tough loss when you are up with five minutes left in a game and they score two. That shouldn't happen."
"We've got to find a way to score the next goal."
Those were the sounds of Brad Richards, Petr Mrazek and Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill, respectively, lamenting one that got away. It was a familiar refrain to Sabres fans as quotes like those were often found emanating from the Sabres locker room over the course of the last two-plus seasons.
After Richards put the Detroit up 1-0 on a set-up from puck-wizard Pavel Datsyuk the Wings had the opportunity to take a 2-0 lead. Mike Weber slashed Tomas Jurco who was going in all alone on Sabres goalie Chad Johnson and the ref awarded Jurco a penalty shot. It was a good thing for Buffalo as Jurco's been struggling. A healthy scratch for 14 games this season, Jurco went in on Johnson and offered up a cupcake which the goalie gloved.
A light chorus of boos rang through "The Joe" as Jurco's weak offering had many fans shaking their heads. "That's weak sauce," said one fan.
Buffalo hung in there and battled into the third and managed to stifle a Wings powerplay six minutes in as Ryan O'Reilly went off for slashing. The call was on a backcheck as Detroit had a 2-on-1 because of a poor pass at the Wings blue line, one of many passes from Buffalo players that was in their skates.
The Buffalo penalty kill has been strong as of late allowing only three goals on 25 opportunities or an 88% kill rate. Detroit was never able to establish constant pressure and Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma was able to work in three sets of forwards into the first minute of the PK. Killing that off and keeping the score 1-0 opened the door for some O'Reilly heroics as Buffalo finally broke through.
"We've got to work on closing out games."
"It's always tough loss when you are up with five minutes left in a game and they score two. That shouldn't happen."
"We've got to find a way to score the next goal."
Those were the sounds of Brad Richards, Petr Mrazek and Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill, respectively, lamenting one that got away. It was a familiar refrain to Sabres fans as quotes like those were often found emanating from the Sabres locker room over the course of the last two-plus seasons.
After Richards put the Detroit up 1-0 on a set-up from puck-wizard Pavel Datsyuk the Wings had the opportunity to take a 2-0 lead. Mike Weber slashed Tomas Jurco who was going in all alone on Sabres goalie Chad Johnson and the ref awarded Jurco a penalty shot. It was a good thing for Buffalo as Jurco's been struggling. A healthy scratch for 14 games this season, Jurco went in on Johnson and offered up a cupcake which the goalie gloved.
A light chorus of boos rang through "The Joe" as Jurco's weak offering had many fans shaking their heads. "That's weak sauce," said one fan.
Buffalo hung in there and battled into the third and managed to stifle a Wings powerplay six minutes in as Ryan O'Reilly went off for slashing. The call was on a backcheck as Detroit had a 2-on-1 because of a poor pass at the Wings blue line, one of many passes from Buffalo players that was in their skates.
The Buffalo penalty kill has been strong as of late allowing only three goals on 25 opportunities or an 88% kill rate. Detroit was never able to establish constant pressure and Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma was able to work in three sets of forwards into the first minute of the PK. Killing that off and keeping the score 1-0 opened the door for some O'Reilly heroics as Buffalo finally broke through.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Chad Johnson holds the fort as special teams seize the moment
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Buffalo Sabres goalie Chad Johnson has been on the winning end of identical 4-1 scores two consecutive nights. On Friday the Sabres snapped a six-game winless streak as Johnson stopped 27 of 28 shots in a home win vs. the Carolina Hurricanes. Last night the Sabres took their show to Music City where Johnson stopped 28 of 29 as they defeated the Nashville Predators.
"Johnny," as he's known in the locker room, held the fort in both games and the offense finally came through for him. It's something he's done throughout an excellent month of November. In seven appearances (two in relief of Linus Ullmark) he went 3-1-1, and gave up only eight goals on 174 shots for a .954 save percentage. After last night's game he told the gathered media that the team is beginning to come together. Johnson noted that he felt good from the beginning of the season but that the team was struggling with rust and to gel as a team. "You don't get the results when maybe you should," he told the gathered media. "I'm getting the results the team deserves, and I think I deserve."
Buffalo has seized the moment the last two games on specific turning points in the game and they both happened because of special teams.
Buffalo Sabres goalie Chad Johnson has been on the winning end of identical 4-1 scores two consecutive nights. On Friday the Sabres snapped a six-game winless streak as Johnson stopped 27 of 28 shots in a home win vs. the Carolina Hurricanes. Last night the Sabres took their show to Music City where Johnson stopped 28 of 29 as they defeated the Nashville Predators.
"Johnny," as he's known in the locker room, held the fort in both games and the offense finally came through for him. It's something he's done throughout an excellent month of November. In seven appearances (two in relief of Linus Ullmark) he went 3-1-1, and gave up only eight goals on 174 shots for a .954 save percentage. After last night's game he told the gathered media that the team is beginning to come together. Johnson noted that he felt good from the beginning of the season but that the team was struggling with rust and to gel as a team. "You don't get the results when maybe you should," he told the gathered media. "I'm getting the results the team deserves, and I think I deserve."
Buffalo has seized the moment the last two games on specific turning points in the game and they both happened because of special teams.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Big win for Buffalo as they avoid the series sweep.
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Buffalo's win last night over the Tampa Bay Lightning was pretty big. The Sabres headed into Amalie Arena last night having lost all three games against Tampa this season and hadn't beaten them since December 3, 2014, a 2-1 shootout win at home. Since that win the Sabres went 0-7 vs. the Lightning and were outscored 25-5 over that span while never scoring over one goal in any single game.
So taking down the defending eastern conference champions 4-1 last night on the road was a major up-tick for a team that's been trending upward over the last few weeks. Since getting blown out by the Montreal Canadiens on October 23, Buffalo has gone 5-3 and has played very well even in the losses. And after scoring only 12 goals in their first seven games (which includes Montreal) they scored 23 over their last eight games.
At 7-8 the Sabres are inching towards that .500-mark, a place they hadn't been all season. Granted, it's only November and there are always plenty of teams looking like contenders, but taken in context--with the back-drop of two 30th place finishes and the team missing their top LW in Evander Kane, a No.2/3 defenseman in Zach Bogosian as well as Robin Lehner, their starting goalie for he year--there's a lot to be excited about.
And it really starts with rookie Jack Eichel.
Buffalo's win last night over the Tampa Bay Lightning was pretty big. The Sabres headed into Amalie Arena last night having lost all three games against Tampa this season and hadn't beaten them since December 3, 2014, a 2-1 shootout win at home. Since that win the Sabres went 0-7 vs. the Lightning and were outscored 25-5 over that span while never scoring over one goal in any single game.
So taking down the defending eastern conference champions 4-1 last night on the road was a major up-tick for a team that's been trending upward over the last few weeks. Since getting blown out by the Montreal Canadiens on October 23, Buffalo has gone 5-3 and has played very well even in the losses. And after scoring only 12 goals in their first seven games (which includes Montreal) they scored 23 over their last eight games.
At 7-8 the Sabres are inching towards that .500-mark, a place they hadn't been all season. Granted, it's only November and there are always plenty of teams looking like contenders, but taken in context--with the back-drop of two 30th place finishes and the team missing their top LW in Evander Kane, a No.2/3 defenseman in Zach Bogosian as well as Robin Lehner, their starting goalie for he year--there's a lot to be excited about.
And it really starts with rookie Jack Eichel.
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