Tyler Myers Anchors Top-Four On Sabres D

Call him what you will, "The Big Easy," "Big-Tex," "Oil Rig," it doesn't matter.

Tyler Myers will be, once again anchoring the Sabres blue-line in front of Ryan Miller and Jhonas Enroth this season. After making the jump from junior to the Sabres top-pairing in his Calder-winning rookie season, Myers was hit hard by the dreaded "sophomore slump." It lasted half of last season before he regained his composure and became a force for the Sabres once again.

Tyler Myers puts pen to picture.
Let's hope he puts pen
 to (very) long-term contract
this season.

All of the attributes--like smooth skating, a condor's wing span, puck-movement out of the zone, good shot from the point, good pass out of the zone, patience--are there and, as shown in Game Six vs. the Flyers when he decked Chris Pronger for messing around in front of his net, he's bringing a physical aspect to his game.

Only one question remains with him:  Can the Sabres get him to commit to a (very) long-term contract?

Get 'er done, Darcy.

Myers' partner on the top-pairing has been a question mark since Hank Tallinder was allowed to walk last off-season.

The team started with Shaone Morrisonn and that worked well until Morrisonn went down with injury.

Andrej Sekera worked pretty well with the big guy until that pairing fell apart.

Just after new owner Terry Pegula took over, Chris Butler took over as Myers' d-partner and those two were a fixture on the back-end for the lions-share of the regular season and all of the playoff series vs. the Flyers.

Will Myers (L) and Chris Butler be paired
for the 2011/12 season?

Butler has big-minute, top-pairing potential and has shown the capacity to rebound from below-average performances in the past. But word on the street has the Sabres looking for a true shut-down d-man for the top-pairing which would relegate Butler--assuming the RFA re-signs--to the second-pairing along side:

Jordan Leopold.

Leopold along with d-partner Steve Montador were Buffalo's top-pairing after Morrisonn went down and with Myers mired in his slump.



Jordan Leopold was getting props early in the
2010/11 season as he was piling up points.
Can he return to that form this season?

 And they played real well. And then they didn't.


Then they dropped down to second-pairing which is pretty much where Leopold was the second half of the season and into the playoffs.

Leopold brings a good veteran, puck-moving presence to the Sabres, and will have a new d-partner for the 2011/12 season. Who will it be?

It could be Butler, with Leopold moving to the right side, which shouldn't be too much of a problem.

It's all dependent upon what they do in regards to a shutdown d-man. Something that we'll take a look at soon.


For now:

the buffalosabresnow 2011/12 roster foundation:

Goalie--Ryan Miller, Jhonas Enroth

Defense--1st-pairing:  Tyler Myers, ?
               2nd-pairing:  Jordan Leopold, Chris Butler

RFA D-man Chris Butler...

...is one of the question marks on the Sabres back-end.

It's not so much whether or not he'll be a part of the young d-corps, it's where he'll fit in.

Terry Pegula wants to keep "not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."

Sabres D-man, Chris Butler tangles
with the Flyers James van Riemsdyk
in the playoffs.

How about players that get thrown into the fire, get burned, and come back better and stronger?

Much has been made about Butler's play in the the Flyers playoff series, when his turnovers had a penchant for finding the back of Sabres net.

Fans will also point to Game 6 which saw the Flyers tie the game in the third period just seconds after his holding penalty expired then, in overtime, Ville Lieno snuck behind Butler to pot the game-winning goal.

It's been a rocky road for "Buts," one full of successes and failures.

Back in 2008 the Sabres blue-line was thinned with the loss of Teppo Numminen, Toni Lydman and Andrej Sekera so Butler got the call. He played so well that forced the team to keep him up. Head Coach Lindy Ruff called him a "bright spot" in a season that saw the team miss the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Expectations were high as he headed into the 2009/10 season. Unfortunately, for whatever reason--sophomore slump, D-partner Craig Rivet's decline and inconsistency, his desire to add more offense to his simple game--his play took a dive. From a plus-11 the previous year to a minus-15 and a spot on the bench for the playoffs that year.

The thing about Butler, though, is his ability to bounce back. Ruff had seen it in Butler's first season when he mentioned that the kid's "mental make-up is good for the game...he's got the head for it, he's got the work-ethic."

The 2010/11 season was another trying time for the young d-man as he found himself on the bench to open the season. It wasn't until Shaone Morrison went down with an injury that got an opportunity to get on the ice.

Tyler Myers (L) and Chris Butler
were Buffalo's top-pairing in the
2011 playoffs. Will they be
there again?

After bouts of inconsistencies early on, Butler found an opportunity for consistent minutes. Sekera, who had been with Tyler Myers on the top-pairing, was dropped down and Rivet was waived.

During the final playoff stretch in late March and early April, Buts was a fixture on the top-pairing with Myers and the two anchored the d into the playoffs.

Once again, though, he found himself thrown into the fire, logging the second most minutes per game vs. a Flyers team that was loaded up-front. Philly's forwards probably have the most relentless forecheck in the game and have a multitude of players who can finish.

Mike Robitaille was on WGR after the series talking about Butler and his game. While the masses of fans were ready to string the kid up, Roby, though admitting to Butler's shortcomings, took a long-term view. He basically said that the kid had never faced a force like that before, and that he'll take that experience with him into the 2011/12 season and grow from it, just like he'd done from previous lackluster performances.

Even though he's no a shooting-star, Butler should be a part of the Blue and Gold and should get himself a contract that lasts a few years. Just where he is on the learning-curve is yet to be determined, but his progress seems to be of the steady, under-the-radar variety, the type that coaches and team mates will see and appreciate more than the fan.

As the Sabres head into the off-season, there seems to be a call to bring in a legitimate top-pairing shut-down d-man. The cost for this type of player in dollars will be high and with Tyler Myers coming off of his entry-level contract at the end of the year, a pairing like that would probably cost upwards of $12-14M.

I don't think Buts has plateaued just yet. He has the smarts, mobility and bounce-back ability to continue a steady climb to a consistent, shut-down d-man. Although he showed some physicality in the Philly series, adding some bulk this off-season would help in that department. Conditioning this off-season will play a big part as well. The playoffs are grueling and will wear a player down when he's playing over 22 mins/game.

This is a big off-season for Buts. He has the smarts and he has the work-ethic. We'll see how far it takes him this season.


The Pegula Rewards Program buffalosabresnow list:


GM, Darcy Regier--No
Head Coach Lindy Ruff--Yes
Director of Amateur Scouting Kevin Devine--Yes



UFA Players:

Tim Connolly--No
Steve Montador--No
Mike Grier--Yes, in a front office role
Rob Niedermayer--Yes, if the Sabres are contenders
Cody McCormick--Yes
Matt Ellis--Yes, in two-way contract
Patrick Lalime--No
Mark Mancari--No


RFA Players:

Drew Stafford--Yes
Andrej Sekera--No
Mike Weber--Yes
Marc-Andre Gragnani--Yes
Chris Butler--Yes

Sabres Play Near-Perfect Road Game In 1-0 Shutout

Ya gotta love playoff hockey.

And ya gotta love what the Sabres pulled off last night. The Flyers applied all kinds of pressure for nearly the entire game and the Sabres held their ground.

Philadelphia had five powerplays (Buffalo had one) including a five-on-three for :38 and the Sabres held their ground.

The Sabres blocked 16 shots including one by Paul Gaustad, who was without his stick on the penalty kill, on a shot from the point.

Buffalo played a near-perfect road game last night. They took care of their own end, they clogged the shooting lanes and the forwards didn't cheat up-ice.

Not to say that it was a flawless game. The Sabres did turn the puck over, were hemmed in their own zone often and they also had a bit of luck as an early James van Riemsdyk shot beat Ryan Miller five-hole only to glance off of the post. They couldn't generate much of a forecheck either as their offensive zone presence was minimal.

But that's to be expected, especially in the playoffs.

Shoutouts:

• Chris Butler--"Buts" was rock-solid all night logging a game-high 26:04 of ice-time including all of the :38 five-on-three against. The 24 yr. old d-man seems to have passed through a thresh-hold and has taken his Nik Lidstrom-type game to another level.
• Marc-Andre Gragnani--"Grags" was basically thrown into the fire and he looked like a vet out there. You may of forgotten but Grags was making a strong pitch to be on the roster out of camp before an injury scuttled that.

• Pat Kaleta- Kaleta was shutout by the Philly media on the Three Stars Of the Game ballots, but drove to the net to pounce on a big Sergei Bobrovsky rebound for the game's only goal. He also played a disciplined, hard-checking game including leveling Flyers forward Ville Lieno at the Flyers blueline.
• Paul Gaustad--Honk for the "Goose!" He did it all including getting the puck to a wide-open Grags in garnering the secondary assist on the only goal of the game.

• Ryan Miller--He set the tone early by face-washing Philly's captain, Mike Richards early on. He was challenging shooters all night, his positioning was stellar and he, unlike Bobrovsky, did not give up the big rebound.

Special shoutout to Tim Connolly. Much maligned all season for his less than stellar offensive play, the Sabres center was a monster--yes, monster--in his own zone. He (along with other Sabres forwards) was helping out his young defenseman (as well as the two vets who were playing like rookies) all night. Connolly was out there with Buts and Tyler Myers for the entire :38 of five-on-three against as well. And, he was 11 of 18 (61%) on the face-off dot.

Sabres Head Coach Lindy Ruff
post-game after his team's 1-0 game one victory.

The Sabres have now beaten the Flyers for three consecutive games beginning with a come-from-behind 5-3 victory on March 5th when the Sabres were in the middle of a seven-game road-trip and battling to get into the playoff picture.

Buffalo is also on a five-game winning streak, it's longest of the season.

Finally, I love this picture. It was taken as the Sabres were headed into the Wells Fargo Center for the opening game of the series. A picture is worth a thousand words, and you look at the players, their clothing and demeanor and it says a lot about the four players. 

Relentless Flyers Forecheck Will Test Sabres Young Blueline



 One thing the Sabres can count on tonight and throughout the length of this series vs. the Philadelphia Flyers is a relentless forecheck from the Fly-boys forwards. It's something of a hallmark that goes back to the Broadstreet Bully days with the likes of Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Reg Leach, Rick Macleish, etc.

The 2010/11 edition of the Flyers is no different with Mike Richards, Daniel Briere, Scott Hartnell, and James Van Riemsdyk carrying that banner into the playoffs.

Beginning tonight the heat will be on the Sabres back-end.

Ryan Miller, obviously, will need to come up with some big saves for the Sabres to have a chance in the series. The onus on the defense will be to keep glorious opportunities to a minimum.

The quandary for Lindy Ruff on the back-end is d-pairings. Injuries, especially to Jordan Leopold, and lately, Andrej Sekera, have caused Ruff to do some juggling on the back-end. Veteran d-man Shaone Morrisonn's poor play hasn't helped either as rookie Marc-Andre Gragnani has been forced into action because of it.

Put it all together and you have a very young, group of d-men facing a tenacious Flyers forecheck--quite possibly the best in the league.

The only constant as of late is the pairing of sophomore, Tyler Myers and Chris Butler. Myers has six playoff games under his belt, Butler has none. The duo has logged big minutes and in the last six games of the regular season they have only one game in the minus column--the OT loss to the Washington Capitals.

As pointed out by WGR's Paul Hamilton, Butler has been playing extremely well lately (only one minus-game in the last 26.) From what I've seen his stick-work has been nothing short of impressive and his positioning in the d-zone has been exceptional. He's always had a good head on his shoulders and it seems as if he's fought his way through poor play to reach a level of confidence and consistency.

Hamilton seems to give credit to Myers for the uptick in Butler's play, and I'd agree, somewhat. But, it actually may more of a case of Butler covering for Myers' inconsistencies in the defensive zone. Regardless of who makes who better, that duo will be key to holding the fort under immense pressure.

The other pairings may fluctuate, but if Sekera is ready to go, you may see him paired with Mike Weber. That duo played well two seasons ago in a failed playoff push and were paired late in the season before Sekera went down with an injury.

Steve Montador, the veteran of the d-corp, should take his spot on the third-pairing with either Morrisonn or Gragnani. In either case, keeping this pairing to a minimum five-on-five would seem to be the best scenario with Montador and Morrisonn logging minutes on the PK and Gragnani getting extra time on the PP.

Of course, it matters little what pairing is on the ice if the Sabres forwards don't take care of their own end. That means no cheating by the wingers on the half-wall and big help from the centers (whoever they are) on the back-check.

The Flyers love to punish defensemen and cycle in the offensive zone. Their forecheck forces plenty of turnovers for easy goals and they're not afraid to wreak havoc in front of the net either.

Put it all together and you have a huge challenge for the Sabres very young defense. If they can keep the turnovers to a minimum and have Miller bail them out as many times as humanly possible, frustration will set in, and the Flyers will end up off of their game. That, in turn, should help lead to victory.

Two Plays From Last Nights Big Win

Jhonas Enroth came up big once again for the Sabres in last night's 2-1 OT win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

At one point, Enroth was troubled by his mask to the point where he just threw it off so he could see. The right-pad save he made on the Hurricanes, Jussi Joikinen, was solid as he held his ground.  With Jokinen pounding at the pad in comes Sabres forward Cody McCormick to just level the 'Cane's forward. McCormick blasted him so hard he was driven right into Hurricanes defenseman, Joni Pitkanen, who also went down on the play. (Rick Jeannerete's call on the play is priceless)


 


That was one of many big saves by Enroth, and it came at a point with the Sabres up 1-0.  The player who scored the goal for the Sabres was much maligned defenseman, Chris Butler. 

The goal actually began with him taking a big hit into the boards from Jokinen. He bounces back into the play after that, even giving a pretty stiff cross-check to Hurricanes Captain, Eric Staal who was at the side of the crease, then joins the rush.

With the three Canes forwards caught deep, Butler fills the right wing and positions himself for a pass. Drew Stafford whips it cross-ice, a little behind Butler and he corrals it sending a wicked wrister that just blew by goalie, Cam Ward and blasted the water bottle:

no if's, and's or...

but's...

sabres d-man chris butler

since february 23, the first game after terry pegula took over the franchise, chris butler has mostly been paired with tyler myers when in the line-up logging under 18:35 seconds once (16:04 vs. philly)...

the sabres went 6-1-2 during that stretch...

with butler out of the line-up?...0-2...

cut it anyway you want it, dissect it all you want...the fact is, with butler and myers paired together, the buffalo sabres have corraled 14 out of a possible 18 points, and before their 1-0 loss to carolina (butler did not play,) the sabes had gone from 9th place, eight points behind the rangers to jumping the same team into 7th...

individually, buts has zero goals, one assist and was a plus-3 in those nine games...

tyler myers, who many believe has ditched the "sophomore slump" from earlier in the season (myself included,) has two goals, three assists and was a plus-three during that stretch...

nothing earth-shattering offensively, but with those two together, you have the making of a solid defensive pairing for the sabres as they battle to get into the playoffs...