Former Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier was pretty much dead on when he was building his team for the "new NHL" prior to the 2004-05 lockout. He came out of that owner-imposed loss of a full season with a team that was poised to become the most exciting group of players in the NHL.
Regier came out of the Dominik Hasek/Michael Peca "hardest working team in hockey" era and began to build more with speed and skill as well as a focus on puck-movers on the blueline. Coming out to the lockout Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, Thomas Vanek, Max Afinogenov, Tim Connolly, Derek Roy were either fast, skilled or a combination of both-up front while the defense had Brian Campbell, Teppo Numminen, Henrik Tallinder and Dmitri Kalinin who were noted for their skating and/or puck-moving and/or offensive abilities.
Having said that, the 2005-06 Buffalo Sabres also had some tenacity baked into the lineup with the likes of Mike Grier, JP Dumont, Jay McKee and Toni Lydman who could hold their place in the lineup while adding a ton of sandpaper to a team that had a lot of skill and finesse. That team was the surprise of the league that season and were it not for a rash of injuries on defense, they very well could have represented the east in the Stanley Cup Finals instead of the Carolina Hurricanes, who beat Buffalo in seven games in the conference finals and went on to win the Cup.
Showing posts with label Daniel Briere. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel Briere. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Ooh, aah, Sabres on the warpath!
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-20-2018
Six games. Six one-goal wins. Two in overtime, two in the shootout.
Just who are these guys?
That's what Saberland is waking up to this morning after another thriller, this one in a 5-4 overtime win in Pittsburgh.
There should be nothing but respect for a Pittsburgh Penguins organization that has won three of the last 10 Stanley Cups and even though they're in a very unusual position at the bottom of the Eastern conference, and played last night's game against the Sabres without superstar Sidney Crosby, they still have firepower and have the heart of champions.
Such was on display last night through the first 25 minutes as Pittsburgh staked their claim to a 4-1 lead over Buffalo with equal parts desperation, ferocity, skating and skill. It was something the Sabres have seen often, especially when playing in Pittsburgh, however, what we haven't seen from Buffalo is the intestinal fortitude to come back from a blitzkrieg like that.
But we're seeing it now.
Three goals down? No problem. Defenseman Zach Bogosian makes it 4-2 mid-way through the second period and with less than two minutes to go in the frame and another defenseman, Casey Nelson, cuts the lead to one goal with his first of the season. Just past the midway point of the third period Casey Mittelstadt wired a wicked wrister top-shelf to tie the score at 4-4. This one's worth another look (via NHL.com):
Then, in overtime, it was time for Captain Jack (via NHL.com):
It was the fifth time during this six-game winning streak that the Sabres overcame a third period deficit to win the game.
For as much as Sabres head coach Phil Housley wants his team to come out of the gate faster, it hasn't happened. Actually, what he's gotten has been just the opposite as Buffalo goalies look like ducks in a shooting gallery through the first two periods. During this six-game stretch Buffalo's opponents have outshot them 85-57 in the first period with four of those teams registering 15 shots or more. Somehow Buffalo has managed to come out even over those six games as both they and their opponents have scored seven goals apiece.
There's a similar shot deficit in the second period (77-54) and their goal differential is worse as they've been outscored 8-4 over that span.
However what is happening, much to the delight of the team and it's fans, is that the Sabres are owning the third period. During this six-game win-streak Buffalo has outshot their opponents by a collective 71-46 margin in the final stanza and have outscored them 7-1. The Sabres haven't given up a third period goal in the last four games and to stretch it a bit further, Buffalo hasn't allowed a goal past the 7:10-mark of the second period in those four games.
Sabres goalie Carter Hutton faced a 40-shot onslaught last night with 31 of them coming in the first two periods. Like he's done throughout this streak, Hutton single-handedly kept Buffalo in the game last night despite giving up four goals. Over his four starts and a third period relief appearance at Montreal, Hutton has faced a total of 140 shots through 17 periods of play and has allowed nine goals for a rather remarkable .936 save-percentage.
Hutton, and to an extent backup Linus Ullmark, have kept the Sabres in games they had no business being in and they've also allowed Buffalo's skaters to make their mistakes while getting into the flow of the game. Both Hutton and Ullmark (who allowed two goals on 29 shots in a win at Minnesota) were rewarded with some remarkable clutch play and goal-scoring by the team in front of them.
It's something we haven't seen in Buffalo since Chris Drury and Daniel Briere co-captained the "Ferrari Sabres" back 2006-07 when they fearlessly pushed the puck up ice while goalie Ryan Miller held the fort stopping odd-man rushes on a nightly basis. That season just happens to be the last time the Sabres had a winning streak over six games. The eventual President's Trophy winning Sabres started out that season with 10-game winning streak which matched a franchise high and also tied an NHL record for most wins in a row to start the season.
Buffalo takes on the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow night at KeyBank Center but until then enjoy some of the sights and sounds from that 2006-07 season mikeak21 on YouTube:
Six games. Six one-goal wins. Two in overtime, two in the shootout.
Just who are these guys?
That's what Saberland is waking up to this morning after another thriller, this one in a 5-4 overtime win in Pittsburgh.
There should be nothing but respect for a Pittsburgh Penguins organization that has won three of the last 10 Stanley Cups and even though they're in a very unusual position at the bottom of the Eastern conference, and played last night's game against the Sabres without superstar Sidney Crosby, they still have firepower and have the heart of champions.
Such was on display last night through the first 25 minutes as Pittsburgh staked their claim to a 4-1 lead over Buffalo with equal parts desperation, ferocity, skating and skill. It was something the Sabres have seen often, especially when playing in Pittsburgh, however, what we haven't seen from Buffalo is the intestinal fortitude to come back from a blitzkrieg like that.
But we're seeing it now.
Three goals down? No problem. Defenseman Zach Bogosian makes it 4-2 mid-way through the second period and with less than two minutes to go in the frame and another defenseman, Casey Nelson, cuts the lead to one goal with his first of the season. Just past the midway point of the third period Casey Mittelstadt wired a wicked wrister top-shelf to tie the score at 4-4. This one's worth another look (via NHL.com):
Then, in overtime, it was time for Captain Jack (via NHL.com):
It was the fifth time during this six-game winning streak that the Sabres overcame a third period deficit to win the game.
For as much as Sabres head coach Phil Housley wants his team to come out of the gate faster, it hasn't happened. Actually, what he's gotten has been just the opposite as Buffalo goalies look like ducks in a shooting gallery through the first two periods. During this six-game stretch Buffalo's opponents have outshot them 85-57 in the first period with four of those teams registering 15 shots or more. Somehow Buffalo has managed to come out even over those six games as both they and their opponents have scored seven goals apiece.
There's a similar shot deficit in the second period (77-54) and their goal differential is worse as they've been outscored 8-4 over that span.
However what is happening, much to the delight of the team and it's fans, is that the Sabres are owning the third period. During this six-game win-streak Buffalo has outshot their opponents by a collective 71-46 margin in the final stanza and have outscored them 7-1. The Sabres haven't given up a third period goal in the last four games and to stretch it a bit further, Buffalo hasn't allowed a goal past the 7:10-mark of the second period in those four games.
Sabres goalie Carter Hutton faced a 40-shot onslaught last night with 31 of them coming in the first two periods. Like he's done throughout this streak, Hutton single-handedly kept Buffalo in the game last night despite giving up four goals. Over his four starts and a third period relief appearance at Montreal, Hutton has faced a total of 140 shots through 17 periods of play and has allowed nine goals for a rather remarkable .936 save-percentage.
Hutton, and to an extent backup Linus Ullmark, have kept the Sabres in games they had no business being in and they've also allowed Buffalo's skaters to make their mistakes while getting into the flow of the game. Both Hutton and Ullmark (who allowed two goals on 29 shots in a win at Minnesota) were rewarded with some remarkable clutch play and goal-scoring by the team in front of them.
It's something we haven't seen in Buffalo since Chris Drury and Daniel Briere co-captained the "Ferrari Sabres" back 2006-07 when they fearlessly pushed the puck up ice while goalie Ryan Miller held the fort stopping odd-man rushes on a nightly basis. That season just happens to be the last time the Sabres had a winning streak over six games. The eventual President's Trophy winning Sabres started out that season with 10-game winning streak which matched a franchise high and also tied an NHL record for most wins in a row to start the season.
Buffalo takes on the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow night at KeyBank Center but until then enjoy some of the sights and sounds from that 2006-07 season mikeak21 on YouTube:
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Sabres win, Briere honored, Miller denies Montreal
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
On a night when former Sabres and Flyers great Daniel Briere was honored for a stellar career in Philadelphia, with nods to his time in Buffalo, it was Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons who left a lasting impression at the Wells Fargo Center.
Girgensons took a chip pass from defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo (who played for Philadelphia last season) and deposited a breakaway goal in overtime to give Buffalo it's third win of the season and first one on the road. It was Girgensons' first goal of the season, and first point of the season and was well deserved. “I’ve got to give a lot of credit to Z,” said forward Jamie McGinn of Girgensons. “I thought he played a great game. He hustled all over the ice, and he did a lot of good things. There were a lot of plays where he turned a 50-50 puck into a scoring chance.”
McGinn himself garnered his first goal of the season while Colaiacovo, Johan Larsson and Brian Gionta all hit the score sheet for the first time this season. “It’s been trouble for all these games, not just for me,” said Girgensons. “It’s nice for the guys to open up a little bit.”
The Sabres were playing without injured top-line winger Evander Kane who will be out 4-6 weeks and as witnessed by nine players hitting the score sheet, it was a total team effort. "It was a great team win," said Larsson who's two assists made him the only multi-point player on the night for Buffalo. “Everyone battled hard. Every line was rolling. We were shooting, going to the net, so I think this was our best game so far."
On a night when former Sabres and Flyers great Daniel Briere was honored for a stellar career in Philadelphia, with nods to his time in Buffalo, it was Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons who left a lasting impression at the Wells Fargo Center.
Girgensons took a chip pass from defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo (who played for Philadelphia last season) and deposited a breakaway goal in overtime to give Buffalo it's third win of the season and first one on the road. It was Girgensons' first goal of the season, and first point of the season and was well deserved. “I’ve got to give a lot of credit to Z,” said forward Jamie McGinn of Girgensons. “I thought he played a great game. He hustled all over the ice, and he did a lot of good things. There were a lot of plays where he turned a 50-50 puck into a scoring chance.”
McGinn himself garnered his first goal of the season while Colaiacovo, Johan Larsson and Brian Gionta all hit the score sheet for the first time this season. “It’s been trouble for all these games, not just for me,” said Girgensons. “It’s nice for the guys to open up a little bit.”
The Sabres were playing without injured top-line winger Evander Kane who will be out 4-6 weeks and as witnessed by nine players hitting the score sheet, it was a total team effort. "It was a great team win," said Larsson who's two assists made him the only multi-point player on the night for Buffalo. “Everyone battled hard. Every line was rolling. We were shooting, going to the net, so I think this was our best game so far."
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Sabres game-day preview before Briere night in Philly
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
It took seven years, an ownership change, and a complete demolition of the 2007-2013 Sabres known as "the core," for Sabreland to finally get over the summer of 2007. But with a new owner and the likes of Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen and host of other players, it would seem as if we can finally put that to rest as one of the driving forces behind the success of the 2005-07 Buffalo Sabres teams will be honored in a retirement ceremony tonight at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Daniel Briere was former GM Darcy Regier's greatest acquisition. At the trade deadline in 2003, Regier traded big center Chris Gratton and a 2004 fourth-round pick to the Phoenix Coyotes for Briere and a 2004 third round pick (Andrej Sekera.) Briere, worked his way through the final stages of that poor Buffalo season by scoring 12 points (7+5) in 14 games.
In his first full season for the Sabres he got things rolling with 65 points (28+37) in 82 games. Although it was unfortunate that the 2004-05 lockout hit, a positive is that the "new-NHL" allowed for a freer-flowing game to which suited Briere and his freer-flowing style perfectly.
It took seven years, an ownership change, and a complete demolition of the 2007-2013 Sabres known as "the core," for Sabreland to finally get over the summer of 2007. But with a new owner and the likes of Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen and host of other players, it would seem as if we can finally put that to rest as one of the driving forces behind the success of the 2005-07 Buffalo Sabres teams will be honored in a retirement ceremony tonight at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Daniel Briere was former GM Darcy Regier's greatest acquisition. At the trade deadline in 2003, Regier traded big center Chris Gratton and a 2004 fourth-round pick to the Phoenix Coyotes for Briere and a 2004 third round pick (Andrej Sekera.) Briere, worked his way through the final stages of that poor Buffalo season by scoring 12 points (7+5) in 14 games.
In his first full season for the Sabres he got things rolling with 65 points (28+37) in 82 games. Although it was unfortunate that the 2004-05 lockout hit, a positive is that the "new-NHL" allowed for a freer-flowing game to which suited Briere and his freer-flowing style perfectly.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Hitting the cap-floor may not be as difficult as many thought
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
With Sabres GM Tim Murray announcing that defenseman Christian Ehrhoff will be bought out, the team finds itself even farther away from the salary cap floor of roughly $51M than most expected.
Ehrhoff was the second compliance buyout used buy Buffalo this off season, the first was Ville Leino and his $4.5M cap hit.
According to capgeek.com, the Sabres have 14 players on the roster for next season with a total cap hit of roughly $31M.
That gap equals about $20M under the cap floor leaving some work to do for Murray and Co.
Of note: F, Patrick Kaleta spent last season in Rochester. He has one more year remaining on his contract that pays $1.25M and, according to Murray, he'll be a Buffalo Sabre when training camp opens.
Free agency begins on Tuesday and money will be flowing once the bell rings at noon.
With Sabres GM Tim Murray announcing that defenseman Christian Ehrhoff will be bought out, the team finds itself even farther away from the salary cap floor of roughly $51M than most expected.
Ehrhoff was the second compliance buyout used buy Buffalo this off season, the first was Ville Leino and his $4.5M cap hit.
According to capgeek.com, the Sabres have 14 players on the roster for next season with a total cap hit of roughly $31M.
That gap equals about $20M under the cap floor leaving some work to do for Murray and Co.
Of note: F, Patrick Kaleta spent last season in Rochester. He has one more year remaining on his contract that pays $1.25M and, according to Murray, he'll be a Buffalo Sabre when training camp opens.
Free agency begins on Tuesday and money will be flowing once the bell rings at noon.
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