The Pegula mushroom cloud that was June 16, 2020 in Sabreland

A few days ago on June 16, the owners of the Buffalo Sabres, Terry and Kim Pegula, dropped what would become a bomb on the hockey world beginning with the announcement that general manager Jason Botterill had been fired and an in-house replacement, Senior Vice President of Business Administration, Kevyn Adams would take over the position. We wouldn't know just how big of a bomb they had just dropped on the entire hockey operations department until we witnessed the huge mushroom cloud above Washington St. later that evening.

After a 2 pm Zoom conference call going over the morning events, the Sabres announced that Botterill's right hand men, AGM's Steve Greeley and Randy Sexton, the latter being the general manager of the Rochester Americans also got the boot. Sexton's staff in Rochester were also let go as head coach Chris Taylor plus his assistants Gord Dineen and Toby Peterson were shown the door as well as 14 of the team's 21 scouts, whom we'll name here:

Ryan Jankowski, Director of Amateur Scouting

Jeff Crisp, Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting

Amateur scouts Cory Banika, Steve Cocker, Mark Ferner, Marcus Fingal, Scott Halpenny, Randy Hansch, Tom O'Connor, Ron Pyette, Matt Tiesling and Magnus Weing

Pro Scout John Van Boxmeer

Player Development Coaches Krys Barch and Mike Komisarek

Dennis Miller, Rehab and Development (Performance Dept.)

BOOOOOM!

Frank Servalli, Senior Hockey Reporter for TSN tweeted of the purge, "It's a bloodletting that may be unprecedented in #NHL history - certainly in one day by one franchise."

Sure enough. It's now Friday, the dust has settled and the crater caused by this leaves Adams as a mere speck in the chasm created.

Sabres Pegula should take note of Dr. Fauci's taking lead in Covid-19 pandemic

Far be it for me to equate sports with a life-threatening pandemic that's sweeping the globe, but when looking at the Buffalo Sabres and how the Trump administration responded to the Covid-19 pandemic, and especially with whom in their respective roles as department leaders, there are some parallels.

Prior to the NHL suspending the 2019-20 season, the Buffalo Sabres were on their way to an NHL-long ninth consecutive season outside of the playoffs. Since Terry Pegula bought the team in 2011 they've gone through a short-lived President of Hockey Operations, are on their third team president, third general manager and sixth head coach. The overall choppy results, at best, since he took over are representative of an organization that has neither found the right people nor found the right philosophy to guide the franchise out of this mess.

Domink Kahun could be a boon to the Sabres' middle-six

Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill gave his inconsistent, middling team a shot in the arm when he traded for a skill-forward in Dominik Kahun. The 24 yr. old Kahun is on his third team after being signed by the Chicago Blackhawks, who then traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins last June. Kahun was then traded tot he Sabres at the 2020 trade deadline this past Monday.

Although Kahun played center in Germany he has been on the wing in the NHL and it raises the question of can he play center in the best hockey league in the world? Sabres bench boss Ralph Krueger hasn't ruled it out, but for now Kahun will be riding shotgun somewhere in the middle-six of the lineup.

Should Sabres fans get excited about this recent stretch enough to get our hopes up?

Buffalo Sabres fans have been through this movie before. A team left for dead just past the midway point of the season makes a valiant run for the playoffs only to fall just short. It's nothing new. In fact this trend dates back to at least the Lindy Ruff years from 2007-2013. Ruff's Sabres generally struggled through the first half of the year only to make that run save for the 2009-10 season when they took the Northeast Division crown after being at near the top of the division the entire season. In the other years during that span Buffalo was in the middle to back of the pack and ended up finishing third in the division three times and fourth on one occasion. They closed out that span with a pre-tank fifth-place finish in 2012-13. In those six years they made the playoffs twice getting bounced in the first round both times.

We're now well into the 2020 portion of the season and once again the Sabres are in a position where they'll need to make a near miraculous run to get into the playoffs. Coming into the new year Buffalo found themselves in a tough position being five points out of third place in the Atlantic Division, eight points out of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. A 5-3-0 record prior to their "bye-week" and the All-Star break gave fans hope for the team as they would be coming out of the break with nine of 10 games at home.

Just what the Sabres need, another tank season

If you want to pique the interest of Sabreland and assure yourself social media attention and hits to your site, bring up one of two things--Rasmus Ristolainen or tanking. Sure, there are players like Zach Bogosian, Marco Scandella (who's been traded this year,) Zemgus Girgensons, Jake McCabe and/or the many young players under the Free_________ hashtag who tend elicit responses. Trades as well are a good way to get hits and you can argue advanced stats, the Pegulas,, DJ Milk and the game-day experience, who's the best Sabres of all time, etc., but to elicit a guttural response and/or engagement in a circular argument sure to go nowhere but last forever, tap into Ristolainen or tanking.

The new one out there when it comes to Ristolainen, Buffalo's 25 yr. old defenseman, concerns whether or not he should be traded right now not because he stinks, as had been the argument for nearly the entire length of his career, but because he's playing very well, possibly the best hockey of his career. "Strike while the iron's hot" is the mantra and there's some validity to that. The Sabres have had the tendency, unlike many top-notch organizations, to hold on to their players past well past their expiration date assuring the team of a minimal return on investment if they get any at all.

You know what many in WNY will be doing for some seven hours today?

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-21-2019

Getting their fill of the professional sports scene featuring the Sabres and the Bills.

The driving force behind the excitement of a Buffalo doubleheader today really begins with the Buffalo Bills as they head to Foxborough, Massachusetts with the opportunity to tie the New England Patriots in the standings. Buffalo is 10-4 so far this season and has the swagger of a contender ready to knock down the champ and though it might not happen, BillsMafia has no fear as they know the vaunted Patriots era is coming to a close soon and their beloved Bills are on the upswing ready to take their place in the East. 

"21 games to Christmas" comes to a close tonight in Ottawa

Time flies.

It wasn't long ago that the Buffalo Sabres were returning home from Stockholm, Sweden after participating in the 2019 Global Series. Buffalo had just finished a back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Sweden and were struggling after losing both of those games which led to a four-game losing streak in tow. The Sabres had a travel day from Stockholm back to the States, two league-mandated days off then one practice before they hit the ice at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Playing in the Global Series meant a compact schedule both prior to and after those two games and after coming home they were looking at a stretch of 21 games in 39 days which head coach Ralph Krueger labeled, "21 games to Christmas."

"The reality is we have the 21 games 'til Christmas and we're breaking it up into little groups. We've got five games, two-day pause; six games, two-day pause; six games, two-day pause; four games."

The powerplay is killing the Sabres

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-6-2019


Buffalo Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger has a problem on his hands and although it's no time to panic, his team has been losing valuable points the last month or so because of special teams, most notably an incredibly inept powerplay.

After their 1/8 performance with the man advantage last night in their loss to the Calgary Flames, which includes giving up a shorthanded goal in the second period, the Sabres are now 3/47 (6.38%) on the powerplay through November and into the first two games in December. Of those three goals, only Rasmus Ristolainen's was of significance as opened the scoring in an eventual 3-2 loss at the Boston Bruins. Defenseman Henri Jokiharju's third period powerplay tallyl was goal No. 7 in a 7-1 romp over the New Jersey Devils and Jack Eichel's powerplay goal last night came with :48 seconds left in the third period and the goalie pulled to make the final score 4-3 Calgary.

It's time to ride Linus Ullmark, more. Plus...

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-30-2019


Prior to the Buffalo Sabres road trip in Florida, some of what we'd like to see out of this team to help them turn it around centered around little steps. The Sabres had just come off what might have been their best game of the season in Boston but lost to the Bruins 3-2. Both Buffalo goals were scored by defensemen that game and it continued a bad trend that has been haunting the Sabres all month as secondary scoring from forwards through nine November games had almost dried up. Only three Sabres forwards outside the top line had goals (Jeff Skinner, Johan Larsson and Curtis Lazar, all with one each) in that span.

That has slowly begun to change as Zemgus Girgensons (two goals vs. Florida,) Jimmy Vesey (goals in now three consecutive games beginning in Tampa,) and Casey Mittelstadt (first goal in 17 games last night vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs) have joined the usual suspects of Jack Eichel, Skinner, Victor Olofsson and Sam Reinhart in scoring goals. After beating the Leafs last night, the Sabres are 2-1-1 in their last four games and have lit the lamp 15 times, all by the forwards and all at even strength.

Even though the powerplay has been all but non-existent with only one goal all month (by Rasmus Ristolainen vs. Boston) in 35 opportunities (3.5%,) it is a good sign that the Sabres have been able to tally at even strength these past four games.

Sabres Notes

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-23-2019


There's not a Sabres writer out there who enjoys writing something akin to the following:  The Buffalo Sabres played an excellent game against the Boston Bruins and did everything but win. Buffalo outshot Boston 38-27 at TD Garden on Thursday night including a first period where they pumped 14 shots on goal before the Bruins registered their first shot (to a Bronx cheer from the home crowd) 12:11 into the game. The Sabres boasted a very robust 62.22% CF percentage with no individual player below 50% and totaled 69 shots directed at Boston goalie Tukka Rask (38 on-goal, 17 blocked, 14 missed) compared to the 44 shots (27+11+6) sent Linus Ullmark's way.

This was a game they should have won and would have won except for...Rask. The Boston netminder, and the game's deserved first star, stole one for the Bruins and the Sabres were left with this from defenseman Brandon Montour, "We played a little better," he said to the gathered media post game, "but in the end, it's another loss.

"We have to start winning some hockey games."

True dat.

How to beat the Buffalo Sabres. Plus...

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-21-2019


In practices and meetings heading up to a game against the Buffalo Sabres, it isn't to far-fetched to believe that coaches across the league will have the same talking points on how to play against them. First and foremost attention must be paid to the Jack Eichel and there needs to be a focus on Jeff Skinner.

With Eichel disrupt him in the neutral zone so he can't use his speed and do your best to inhibit his shot. If he's on he'll force the issue and he might not be contained. If he's not feeling it he'll try to set-up team mates, in which case do your best to disrupt his passes. If he's frustrated Eichel will try to do too much and dangle, which is much more easily defended. When it comes to Skinner get on him and try to keep him away from open ice. There should be concern at times for his linemates, as they could heat up and do some damage, but odds are if you shut down Skinner, the entire line is basically shut down.

Those are the two guys who at any given moment can get them rolling and like with most (if not all team,) when they get rolling, confidence builds and it runs through every player. However, if you can stifle them, and get them doubting themselves, it's a breeze.

Special. Teams. Matter.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-15-2019


Yes, we know. A vast majority of an NHL game is typically played 5-on-5. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out. However, when the a powerplay is awarded, it's up to that team to capitalize on it and, conversely, it's imperative that the shorthanded team prevent a goal. Unfortunately for the Buffalo Sabres, they haven't been scoring on the powerplay and they haven't been getting the job done on the penalty kill.

"Specialty teams did decide the result again today," said Buffalo head coach Ralph Krueger as his team dropped a second consecutive game to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019 Global Series. "Definitely out powerplay let us down as did our PK this weekend."

Krueger's Sabres dropped Game-1 vs. Tampa 3-2 and lost 5-3 the next night. Buffalo went 0/2 with the man advantage in each of those games while the Tampa Bay went a combined 3/7 (1/4 in the first game, 2/3 in the second game) on their powerplay opportunities. Fast forward to last night's 5-4 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes and Krueger's words once again rang resoundingly true. The Sabres went 0/3 with the man advantage while the 'Canes scored on two of their three oppoprtunities.

With the loss last night the Sabres are now winless in their last six games (0-4-2) with every game save for the 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals and the two-goal loss to Tampa being one-goal affairs. They lost in the shootout to the Arizona Coyotes and in overtime last night and were shut out by the Islanders 1-0.

Specialty teams are very much situational opportunities to grab or thwart momentum and for the Sabres Krueger has said time and again that the offense feeds off of their powerplay and having it go 1/14 (7.1%) in their last six games (0/10 in their last four) pretty much explains why Buffalo is 0-4-2 during that span scoring a total of 12 goals. The other part of the equation is Buffalo's penalty kill where in those six games, the opposition went allowed six goals on 14 powerplay opportunities, or a 57.1% kill-rate.

For a team that has had trouble scoring a struggling powerplay is problematic and for a team that is in a 0-4-2 slump, preventing as many goals as possible is most definitely in their best interest. Regardless what the analytics community might think or believe, special teams matter. Especially to this Buffalo Sabres team right.

And with that, I yield back my remaining time.

Sabres and Bills both need to make a move

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-29-2019


Prior to Sunday the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills had a combined 14-3-1 record and both were in great spots moving forward--the Sabres were atop the NHL and the Bills were second in their division, squarely in a wild card spot. After this last night both were still in solid spots but a little shine taken off of their armor. The Sabres went 1-1-1 over a three-game stint from Thursday to Monday while the Bills ran into a road grader in the form of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday who beat them 31-13 in Buffalo.

The Bills couldn't handle an Eagles team that was embarrassed the week before in Dallas. Philadelphia came to Buffalo with their backs against the wall in a fight for their playoff life and used an NFC East-style running game led by a big and mean offensive line to plow their way to 218 rushing yards and three touchdowns. After the game, Eagles running back Jordan Howard was quoted by the as saying, "We were able to wear their defense down. You could tell at the end of the game that they really didn't want to tackle us."

Having said that, you couldn't place the blame fully on the Bills defense as the offense sputtered. Once Buffalo fell behind they were throwing the ball more, getting nowhere in the process, and eventually the Eagles just ground them down as evidenced by a very lopsided 35:57 to 24:03 time of possession in favor of Philadelphia.

Sabres looking for a 10-win October

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-28-2019


The longest winning streak in Buffalo Sabres franchise history came in the month October as that 2006-07 team won their first 10 games of the season. That record was matched last season as the team won 10 in a row in November. What followed those two streaks couldn't be more extreme. The '06/'07 Sabres went on to win the President's Trophy for most points in the NHL that year while the '18/19 Sabres missed the playoffs and finished 27th in the league.

With a win tonight Buffalo will become the first team to 10 wins this season and they would also tie that '06/'07 Sabres team for most points in October, albeit having played two more games. They're also off to a 5-0-0 start at home which is the first time a Buffalo team has done that since 1984-85 and a with win tonight they will tie a franchise record set in 1975-76 for best start at home.

That winning feeling

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-26-2019

Back in 2006/07 when the Buffalo Sabres were the surprise of the National Hockey League with a team that embodied "the new NHL," Buffalo captain Chris Drury said their goal was to not lose two games in a row. The team came out on fire winning their first 10 games of the season before dropping one in the shootout and would go 11-0-1 before their first regulation loss. That Sabres team wouldn't lose two games in a row until mid-December and went on to win the President's Trophy with a 53-22-7 record. They finished the season with consecutive losses a total of five times (thrice in January.)

Although it's still a very young 2019-20 season, this edition of the Buffalo Sabres has yet to suffer back-to-back losses. Of the 12 games they've played thus far, three of them have not gone well but they managed to follow those up with some solid performances. The Sabres lost in overtime at Columbus but followed it up with a 5-4 overtime win at home against the Montreal Canadiens, they got manhandled for the final 40 minutes in 5-2 a loss at Anaheim then shut out the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 the following night, and last night they shut out the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 after losing 5-2 the previous night at New York against the Rangers.

A quick qualifier:  Montreal, Los Angeles and Detroit are a combined 11-18-2 thus far on the season.

A long distance home-and-home begins tonight with the Sabres in San Jose

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-19-2019


Amongst the interesting notes heading into tonight's Buffalo Sabres/San Jose matchup at the Shark tank in Norther California is that the Sharks will travel to Buffalo, NY for a game on Tuesday that will constitute a very long, 2,700 mile home-and-home series wit
h the Sabres. As Buffalo ends their three-game California road-trip tonight and travels back home, the Sharks begin a five-game, East Coast trip in the Queen City and though it's not a life-altering schedule notation, it is fairly interesting in that it doesn't seem as if it's typical NHL scheduling.

That said, all Sabre-eyes are on the Sharks tonight as Buffalo hits the Sharktank trying to make it two in a row after suffering their first regulation loss of the season at Anaheim. Buffalo followed up that 5-2 loss to the Ducks with a solid 3-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings the following night. The Ducks and Kings, as well as the Sharks, epitomize Western Conference style hockey in that they play a heavy game that makes it hard on the opposition. Anaheim threw the Sabres off of their game with physical play after being in down 2-0 late in the first period and they pushed that strategy to five unanswered goals in the victory.

The following night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Buffalo faced a similar situation as they went up 2-0 in the first period, but managed to get their third goal early in the second before the Kings got on their forecheck and laid the body on the Sabres. However, Buffalo withstood a furious second period where they were outshot 17-10 with Los Angeles missing on 12 shot attempts and a lopsided third where Los Angeles outshot Buffalo 19-7. The end result is all that matters as goalie Carter Hutton posted his second consecutive shutout after stopping 47 shots.

Rehashing an "off night" in Anaheim with a look ahead to the Los Angeles Kings game

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-17-2019

You know the old adage, the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts and the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres are no different. 

Everyone knew the flaws this team had coming into the season but they'd been able to overcome those through the first six games of the season. The Sabres left Western New York on Monday riding a 5-0-1 record into California for a three game road-trip in The Golden State. They got to that point by playing a fast, 200' game with support in every zone buoyed by a deadly powerplay that kept teams at bay in style and/or on the scoreboard.

After downing the Pittsburgh Penguins and steamrolling the New Jersey Devils to start the season, the new look, positive-thinking Sabres hit Columbus and found themselves in a heavyweight bout with a desperate team. Buffalo overcame two deficits in that game against the Blue Jackets and rode the powerplay (2/4) to get it to overtime before losing 4-3. They followed that up with three consecutive wins--one in overtime, one in the shootout and a 4-0 blowout of the Dallas Stars before heading west. 

Sabres begin a three-game California road trip tonight in Anaheim

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-16-2019


Buoyed by 5-0-1 start and a new lease on hockey life thanks to positive vibrations emanating from bench boss Ralph Krueger, the Buffalo Sabres are in California for a three-game swing through The Golden State beginning tonight. The first game on the docket has the surprising Sabres in Anaheim to take one the equally surprising Ducks at the Honda Center.

Anaheim is off to a strong start with a Pacific Division-leading 4-2-0 record born of a strong defense backed by firm goaltending. The Ducks have a league best 1.67 goals-against average (T-BOS) with the goaltending duo of John Gibson and former Sabre Ryan Miller sporting a rather staunch .944 save percentage (10 goals on 179 shots against.)

That strong goals-against average, however, is unfortunately countered by a fourth-worst 2.17 goals/game (tied with two other teams) which includes a powerplay that is anything but. Anaheim heads into tonight's game as one of three teams (NJD, OTT) without a powerplay goal. Going six games without makes it an issue with Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins telling the local media yesterday, "We'll try anything right now."

Looking legit

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-15-2019


Are the Buffalo Sabres surprising? Maybe the most surprising team in the league this year?

You betcha.

Are they legit?

Um...It's looking that way.

At 5-0-1 the Sabres are off to their best start since the 2008-09 season. They defeated four of five Eastern Conference opponents, lost another one in overtime and after last night's win now find themselves atop the National Hockey League standings with 11 points. They've scored 25 goals (24+1 for the shootout) and have allowed 13 for a league-leading +12 goal differential. Sure, we can revert back to last season when they went on a franchise-tying 10-game winning streak in November only to fold and finish 27th in the league as a comparison, but...

more on that later.

Dallas visits Buffalo for a matinee today, plus a five-game Sabres recap

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-14-2019

The Buffalo Sabers have a 3 p.m. matinee game against the Dallas Stars at KeyBank Center today. It will be the final game of a three-game homestand before they head out west for three games in four nights against the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. The Sabres just finished a stretch where they played five games in nine nights and are coming off of a full day away from the rink with head coach Ralph Krueger saying that his charges should look refreshed for the game against the Stars. 

Krueger spoke to the gathered media after practice yesterday and said, "Today (at practice) you're trying to get the intensity and focus you need to play our hockey and they gave it to us in practice. But that freshness and the energy we'll have we expect to show up against Dallas."

Buffalo is off to a 4-0-1 start under their new head coach who's working a lineup that's very similar to what was iced last season. Three new faces were added up-front--Victor Olofsson, Marcus Johansson and Jimmy Vesey while the back-end has welcomed Colin Miller and Henri Jokiharju who were acquired in separate trades. The goaltending duo of Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark are once again patrolling the crease.