Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
It's been a few days since the Buffalo Sabres extended their win streak to three game, but the down-time hasn't gone by without a little intrigue.
On Sunday the team sent goalie Nathan Lieuwen back to Rochester as the injured Michal Neuvirth has progressed quicker than expected. Neuvirth will be backing up Jhonas Enroth on Wednesday when the Sabres take on the visiting Winnipeg Jets at the First Niagara Center.
Neuvirth suffered a bruised knee against San Jose' last Tuesday and as luck would have it, the Sabres only had one other game on the schedule, a Saturday tilt at Washington. Enroth was stellar in net vs. San Jose' in relief and again on Saturday giving up only one goal in each contest while facing a total of 64 shots in five periods of play.
Showing posts with label cody mccormick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cody mccormick. Show all posts
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Building the 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres roster--The 4th Line
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
On the heels of the Sabres two-goal outburst last night in a shutout win over the Carolina Hurricanes, we'll add three fourth-line players to fill out the starting group of forwards.
The running joke with the Buffalo Sabres over the last few years is that they had too many third and fourth-liners on the team and this year is no different. The top seven players on the team--Matt Moulson, Tyler Ennis, Drew Stafford, Brian Gionta, Zemgus Girgensons, Cody Hodgson, and Chris Stewart--are legitimate top-nine players in the least with all but Girgensons being considered legit top-six.
Barring the inclusion of Sam Reinhart, the rest of the Buffalo Sabres forward roster this season will be populated by bottom-six players, fourth-line players and borderline NHL'ers. The dozen or so players battling it out for bottom-six/reserve roles offer an array of sizes, shapes and styles and two of them--Marcus Foligno and Brian Flynn have already been included.
On the heels of the Sabres two-goal outburst last night in a shutout win over the Carolina Hurricanes, we'll add three fourth-line players to fill out the starting group of forwards.
The running joke with the Buffalo Sabres over the last few years is that they had too many third and fourth-liners on the team and this year is no different. The top seven players on the team--Matt Moulson, Tyler Ennis, Drew Stafford, Brian Gionta, Zemgus Girgensons, Cody Hodgson, and Chris Stewart--are legitimate top-nine players in the least with all but Girgensons being considered legit top-six.
Barring the inclusion of Sam Reinhart, the rest of the Buffalo Sabres forward roster this season will be populated by bottom-six players, fourth-line players and borderline NHL'ers. The dozen or so players battling it out for bottom-six/reserve roles offer an array of sizes, shapes and styles and two of them--Marcus Foligno and Brian Flynn have already been included.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Like the Top-Six...
...the Buffalo Sabres Bottom-Six has holes down the middle.
Holes down the middle has been a theme since 2008 when we found out that Derek Roy and Tim Connolly would not adequately fill the skates of the departed Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. And if you can't fill the top-two properly, the bottom-two will be affected as well.
About the only thing we know for sure when it comes to the bottom-two centers is that Paul Gaustad will be one of them.
The masses chortle GM Darcy Regier for giving an essentially #4 center $2.5M/year and they're somewhat right.
The former 7th-round pick (2000) has the size at 6'4", 225lbs and aggressiveness to be a strong physical presence on the ice and is considered a leader on the team wearing the "A" on his sweater.
"Goose" does a lot of the little things on the ice like sticking up for his teammates and is the team's best face off man, yet we always are left wanting something more than his 12-goal seasons. Fact is, he may not be capable of scoring more than that, which puts him in the bottom-six.
The Sabres have a big body in Gaustad who displays strong on-ice leadership and tenacity in the face off circle. As he enters into the final year of his contract, "Goose" is a Buffalo Sabre and probably will remain as one for his career. Not a bad thing, but a little salary adjustment downward for the center would probably be appropriate.
Gaustad as a #4 center would be ideal, but they still have a hole in the #3 slot.
Last season Rob Niedermayer was the #3 and the Sabres showed incredible patience with the veteran, cup-winning centerman as it took him 53 games to score his first goal of the season. In the playoffs, though, Niedermayer showed why the Sabres signed him as he provided a very steadying influence throughout the 7-game series loss vs. Philadelphia.
As mentioned in a previous blog, under the right conditions, bringing "Nieds" back would be a good thing.
Another player that might fill the #3 center position would be current UFA Tim Connolly.
Connolly has taken a beating over the past four or five seasons both literally and figuratively as he tried to fill a top-six center role. He may be shot to the point where he'd thrive in a bottom-six role as a defensive-minded, penalty-killing #3. But, coming off of a $4.5M/year contract, as well as a lot of guff from Sabreland, it would be easy for one to think that he'll move on for more money and a fresh start.
Hecht is a utility-man up-front who's best position is wing. As a very smart, very versatile two-way player, Hecht would be welcome on the Sabres in a third-line role. Problem is, the Sabres are very strong on the wings, especially LW, his natural position.
Would the team want to pay $3.5M to a #3 center who's alternated between very good and very poor over the past four seasons? Have injuries caught up with him? Would the Sabres be able to trade him and his salary?
I like Jochen Hecht as a player and wouldn't have much of a problem with him as that third-line center. He has one more year on his contract and with the salary cap expected to climb into the $62-$64M range it wouldn't be that difficult for the team to keep him and still remain within whatever fiscal parameters Terry Pegula decides upon. After this season, the team can look towards filling that #3 slot with a Ron Francis/Rod Brind'Amour-type, cup-winner if need-be.
With that in mind, we'll fill out the wings on the bottom-six:
Would the Sabres use 2011 trade-deadline acquisition Brad Boyes in that slot? That would be $4M there, and if they use Hecht as a third-line center, we're talking $7.5M tied up in two slots on the third line. I cannot see that happening even with Pegula taking off the financial constraints.
Boyes and Hecht are two sides of the same coin--Boyes supposedly the offensive side, Hecht the defensive side--so the team would not be adding anything special for the amount they'd be spending.
One or the other would need to go, and my guess is that it would be Boyes.
As for depth wingers, there will be plenty to choose from in the off-season, Matt Ellis, should he re-sign would be capable of filling in. We'll also probably see Zack Kassian and Marcus Foligno get a taste of the NHL as well.
the buffalosabresnow 2011/12 roster foundation:
Goalie:
Holes down the middle has been a theme since 2008 when we found out that Derek Roy and Tim Connolly would not adequately fill the skates of the departed Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. And if you can't fill the top-two properly, the bottom-two will be affected as well.
About the only thing we know for sure when it comes to the bottom-two centers is that Paul Gaustad will be one of them.
The masses chortle GM Darcy Regier for giving an essentially #4 center $2.5M/year and they're somewhat right.
 |
| "The Goose" lets loose as he tangle with the Flyers Scott Hartnell in Game-2 of the 2011 playoffs. |
"Goose" does a lot of the little things on the ice like sticking up for his teammates and is the team's best face off man, yet we always are left wanting something more than his 12-goal seasons. Fact is, he may not be capable of scoring more than that, which puts him in the bottom-six.
The Sabres have a big body in Gaustad who displays strong on-ice leadership and tenacity in the face off circle. As he enters into the final year of his contract, "Goose" is a Buffalo Sabre and probably will remain as one for his career. Not a bad thing, but a little salary adjustment downward for the center would probably be appropriate.
Gaustad as a #4 center would be ideal, but they still have a hole in the #3 slot.
Last season Rob Niedermayer was the #3 and the Sabres showed incredible patience with the veteran, cup-winning centerman as it took him 53 games to score his first goal of the season. In the playoffs, though, Niedermayer showed why the Sabres signed him as he provided a very steadying influence throughout the 7-game series loss vs. Philadelphia.
As mentioned in a previous blog, under the right conditions, bringing "Nieds" back would be a good thing.
Another player that might fill the #3 center position would be current UFA Tim Connolly.
Connolly has taken a beating over the past four or five seasons both literally and figuratively as he tried to fill a top-six center role. He may be shot to the point where he'd thrive in a bottom-six role as a defensive-minded, penalty-killing #3. But, coming off of a $4.5M/year contract, as well as a lot of guff from Sabreland, it would be easy for one to think that he'll move on for more money and a fresh start.
 |
| Jochen Hecht showing some spunk as he tangles with the Bolts' Vinny Lecavalier. |
Then there's Jochen Hecht.
Would the team want to pay $3.5M to a #3 center who's alternated between very good and very poor over the past four seasons? Have injuries caught up with him? Would the Sabres be able to trade him and his salary?
I like Jochen Hecht as a player and wouldn't have much of a problem with him as that third-line center. He has one more year on his contract and with the salary cap expected to climb into the $62-$64M range it wouldn't be that difficult for the team to keep him and still remain within whatever fiscal parameters Terry Pegula decides upon. After this season, the team can look towards filling that #3 slot with a Ron Francis/Rod Brind'Amour-type, cup-winner if need-be.
 |
| Nate Gerbe watches his playoff- clinching backhander April 8, 2011. |
- LW Nathan Gerbe really kicked it in gear in the 2011 portion of the season. The light-switch seemed to come on after a sub-par, bordering on brutal, first half of the season. But the kid's a winner and seems to have a penchant for the dramatic as witnessed by his game-winning/playoff-clinching, no-look back-hander from the slot vs. Philadelphia in the second-last game of the regular season. He still has work to do and a move up to the top-six would be a strong possibility were it not for the presence of Thomas Vanek and Tyler Ennis on the left side, but ya gotta love what the kid brings to the table.
- LW Cody McCormick is another FA, only unrestricted. Rumor has it that he's looking for a big (relatively speaking) pay day. As a fourth-liner, I'd like to see the Sabres re-sign him.
- RW Patrick Kaleta is a banger and it looks as if he may be in for a short career. He has four full NHL seasons under his belt and has yet to play more than 55 games. With his style of play, it wouldn't be much of reach to think that he'll have the same problems this season. A fourth-line agitator role would be ideal for the kid, playing 8-10 minutes per game.
Would the Sabres use 2011 trade-deadline acquisition Brad Boyes in that slot? That would be $4M there, and if they use Hecht as a third-line center, we're talking $7.5M tied up in two slots on the third line. I cannot see that happening even with Pegula taking off the financial constraints.
Boyes and Hecht are two sides of the same coin--Boyes supposedly the offensive side, Hecht the defensive side--so the team would not be adding anything special for the amount they'd be spending.
One or the other would need to go, and my guess is that it would be Boyes.
As for depth wingers, there will be plenty to choose from in the off-season, Matt Ellis, should he re-sign would be capable of filling in. We'll also probably see Zack Kassian and Marcus Foligno get a taste of the NHL as well.
the buffalosabresnow 2011/12 roster foundation:
Goalie:
- Ryan Miller
- Jhonas Enroth
- 1st-pairing: Tyler Myers, ?
- 2nd-pairing: Jordan Leopold, Chris Butler
- 3rd-pairing: Mike Weber, Marc-Andre Gragnani
- reserve: ?
- Thomas Vanek, ?, Jason Pomminville
- Tyler Ennis, Derek Roy, Drew Stafford
- Nate Gerbe, Jochen Hecht, ?
- Cody McCormick, Paul Gaustad, Patrick Kaleta
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Which Buffalo Sabres' Unrestricted Free Agents...
...will be a part of the Pegula Rewards Program?
The decisions this season will not be as difficult as, say, 2007 when Daniel Briere and Chris Drury were up for a new contract. Nor will it be on par with last off-season when decisions were made on d-men Hank Tallinder and Toni Lydman.
Still, it's a new regime this 2011 and some UFA decisions will need to be made concerning current Sabres. And GM Darcy Regier is still in charge.
A quick look at Buffalo's UFA's and whether they could/should be a part of the future Blue and Gold:
--Tim Connolly--A classic case of not cutting your losses and, worse, compounding them by doubling down.
Going back to Connolly's 1999 draft-class, take out Daniel (#2 overall) and Henrik (#3) Sendin and you have one of the worst first round drafts in decades.
The #1 overall pick that season was one of the all-time busts--Patrick Stephan. The #4 pick, one pick before the NY Islanders selected Connolly #5, was Pavel Brendl. Other notable first-round picks include: Taylor Pyatt (#8,) Branislav Mezei (#10,) Jeff Jillson (#14,) David Tanabe (#16) and Barret Heisten, who was the Sabres first-rounder (#20.)
Connolly, along with Pyatt, came from the NY Islanders in the Michael Peca deal. The dismantling of "the hardest working team in hockey" was in full swing with that trade, and it seems as if Regier wanted Connolly to be the centerpiece for his team-building philosophy.
There's no denying that Connolly had mad skills to center the top-line for the Sabres, as witnessed by his 11pts (5g, 6a) in eight games of the 2006 playoffs when he was a force. Unfortunately he had zero goals in three playoff appearances since.
Injuries plagued his entire career, but Regier stuck to his player. And the losses mounted after Connolly was felled by a concussion in the 2006 playoffs against Ottawa.
He was never the same after that. Nor was the league, for that matter.
Yet, Regier held firm.
The Connolly timeline after he was knocked out of the 2006 Ottawa series:
I agree, and so is the decade-long Tim Connolly experiment.
--Steve Montador--"Monty" came to Buffalo via FA in 2009 with a rep for playing a tough, physical game. But what really caught my eye as I watched him on a daily basis, was how well the 6', 200lb. d-man moved the puck up-ice. Plus, he could put up a reasonable amount of points. Which was all well and good.
In 2010/11, he was excellent, then dipped, then got better, then got worse.
Basically, this is something you'd expect from a young d-man, not a 30-year old who'd been to a Cup Finals(Calgary, 2003.)
I like the guy as a tough leader, despite his propensity for turnovers and mental errors in his own end. And ya gotta love a guy who will drop the gloves for his teammates despite rarely winning a fight. But the fact is, the Sabres can get that type of play from their youngsters who, unlike Monty, have plenty of up-side.
It comes down to a numbers-game. The Sabres are full of young d-men and they have a back-log in the system.
Thanx for the hard work, Monty, and good luck. Someone will give you a contract worth more than the Sabres offer and some team will get you much more playing time than you'll likely see in the Blue and Gold.
--Mike Grier--The amazing thing about Grier was how many breakaways the 36 yr. old got this season. After losing what little speed he had throughout 12 years as a hard-hitting, hard-playing, hard-charging winger, somehow, someway he was able to get behind the d and go in all alone. Not that he had a scorers touch or anything like that, but he broke free.
When Grier bolted in 2006, it was a big loss for the team, as well as the fan-base. He was a decidedly different player from the core--less talent, more heart--and to have him walk away was like ripping a piece right out of you.
His return was welcomed, but it was painfully obvious that he was near the end of his career.
And his playing career should come to an end. But, a guy like him with his smarts and passion should not be let go again.
How does Assistant GM/Director of Player Development, Mike Grier sound?
--Rob Niedermayer--Another veteran war-horse along the lines of Grier, only with a Stanely Cup on his resume.
But in the playoffs he was everything they'd hoped for--leadership in a checking role while putting up a few points.
As of right now with the team as is, it doesn't look as if there'd be a match. But, if the Sabres were to add those pieces and had the financial wiggle room to play him in a limited role for the regular season then an increased role in the playoffs, I would re-sign him. Even at $1.2m.
I like what he brings to the table.
--Cody McCormick--Became a fan favorite after being called up from the minors during the 2010 playoffs. He endeared himself by going all out every shift and his game, so unlike "the core," was encapsulated in one play that saw him charge hard to the net taking out both goalie and the cage.
All-in-all, he's a solid fourth-line player who's hard work and dogged determination has earned him a spot in the line-up. If, somewhere down the road a better role player comes along, then so be it.
As for now, he's in.
--Matt Ellis--As mentioned above with someone possibly (eventually?) replacing a fourth-liner, so is the case with Ellis.
Quick story on Ellis: Much to the dismay of Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi, Darcy Regier plucked the left-winger off of waivers in October of 2008. That was a mere four months after the draft-day, trade-up by Regier with Lombardi to select Tyler Myers.
Ellis is presently the captain of the Portland Pirates and brings strong leadership to the team.
No reason why he shouldn't remain in that role again.
Lalime's record in two years as back-up for the Sabres--9-21-5.
Thanx, Patty, but Jhonas Enroth will take over from here.
--Mark Mancari--Big right-winger scoring oodles of goals and putting up great numbers in the AHL.
Unfortunately, Mancari was never able to bring those numbers to the big-club.
Some may say that he never got a real shot as he spent most of his time in a bottom-six role.
(shrugs)
It's probably more of a case of Mancari not being able to catch-up with the speed of the NHL. He's pretty slow, and he lacks the grittiness that would befit, what amounts to a fourth-line, energy player.
He'll get a shot somewhere else next season.
The Pegula Rewards Program buffalosabresnow list:
The decisions this season will not be as difficult as, say, 2007 when Daniel Briere and Chris Drury were up for a new contract. Nor will it be on par with last off-season when decisions were made on d-men Hank Tallinder and Toni Lydman.
Still, it's a new regime this 2011 and some UFA decisions will need to be made concerning current Sabres. And GM Darcy Regier is still in charge.
A quick look at Buffalo's UFA's and whether they could/should be a part of the future Blue and Gold:
--Tim Connolly--A classic case of not cutting your losses and, worse, compounding them by doubling down.
Going back to Connolly's 1999 draft-class, take out Daniel (#2 overall) and Henrik (#3) Sendin and you have one of the worst first round drafts in decades.
 |
| Tim Connolly |
The #1 overall pick that season was one of the all-time busts--Patrick Stephan. The #4 pick, one pick before the NY Islanders selected Connolly #5, was Pavel Brendl. Other notable first-round picks include: Taylor Pyatt (#8,) Branislav Mezei (#10,) Jeff Jillson (#14,) David Tanabe (#16) and Barret Heisten, who was the Sabres first-rounder (#20.)
Connolly, along with Pyatt, came from the NY Islanders in the Michael Peca deal. The dismantling of "the hardest working team in hockey" was in full swing with that trade, and it seems as if Regier wanted Connolly to be the centerpiece for his team-building philosophy.
There's no denying that Connolly had mad skills to center the top-line for the Sabres, as witnessed by his 11pts (5g, 6a) in eight games of the 2006 playoffs when he was a force. Unfortunately he had zero goals in three playoff appearances since.
Injuries plagued his entire career, but Regier stuck to his player. And the losses mounted after Connolly was felled by a concussion in the 2006 playoffs against Ottawa.
He was never the same after that. Nor was the league, for that matter.
Yet, Regier held firm.
The Connolly timeline after he was knocked out of the 2006 Ottawa series:
- re-signed by Regier in the 2006 off-season to a three-year contract extension while recovering from a concussion.
- because of that concussion, played only the final two regular season games of the 2006/07 season, but played 16 games in the playoffs producing nine points (all assists) that playoff year.
- played 48 games in the 2007/08 season, the team missed the playoffs
- played a total of 48 games in the 2008/09 season. Was re-signed to a two-year extension with a 50% bump in salary at the 2009 trade-deadline. Regier's logic? That Connolly's return from injury and subsequent re-signing was like bringing in a top-two center without giving up anything in return. The team missed the playoffs
- Connolly plays in the most games (73) since the 2002/03 season and scores a career-high in points (65,) but misses the final nine regular season games with a foot injury. The team finishes 3rd in the Eastern Conference in the 2009/10 season.
- Connolly and fellow top-two centerman Derek Roy, do not score a goal in a six-game loss to the underdog Bruins in the 2010 playoffs. Regier called Connolly a "top-20 center in the league" at the 2010 end of season press conference based upon Connolly's career best, regular season production.
- His production falls noticeably in the 2010/11 season and his plus/minus plummets from a plus-10 the previous year (his fifth year in a row on the plus-side) to a minus-10, the Sabres enter the playoffs as a #7-seed.
- Connolly is felled by a Mike Richards boarding penalty in game six of the 2011 playoffs. His ineffectiveness on offense relegated the center to a big-minute checking/penalty-kill forward. He had no goals in the playoffs again.
I agree, and so is the decade-long Tim Connolly experiment.
 |
| Veteran d-man Steve Montador may have some thinking about where he wants to go next season. |
I doubt that anyone slated him for a top-four d-man role, yet that's where he found himself earlier this season along side Jordan Leopold. And he played pretty well, leading the team in plus-minus. But, as was the case throughout his two years in Buffalo, he was inconsistent.
In 2009/10 he played well, then was benched, then was probably the best d-man in the six-game loss to Boston in the playoffs.
In 2010/11, he was excellent, then dipped, then got better, then got worse.
Basically, this is something you'd expect from a young d-man, not a 30-year old who'd been to a Cup Finals(Calgary, 2003.)
I like the guy as a tough leader, despite his propensity for turnovers and mental errors in his own end. And ya gotta love a guy who will drop the gloves for his teammates despite rarely winning a fight. But the fact is, the Sabres can get that type of play from their youngsters who, unlike Monty, have plenty of up-side.
It comes down to a numbers-game. The Sabres are full of young d-men and they have a back-log in the system.
Thanx for the hard work, Monty, and good luck. Someone will give you a contract worth more than the Sabres offer and some team will get you much more playing time than you'll likely see in the Blue and Gold.
 |
| Sabres winger Mike Grier may be ready to hang up the skates. Let's hope he remains with the team in some front office capacity. |
His return was welcomed, but it was painfully obvious that he was near the end of his career.
And his playing career should come to an end. But, a guy like him with his smarts and passion should not be let go again.
How does Assistant GM/Director of Player Development, Mike Grier sound?
 |
| Rock solid veteran Rob Niedermayer |
"Nieds" did what he was brought in for--provide leadership in the playoffs. Of course, there was a time when the Sabres were a long-shot to make the playoffs, and he certainly wasn't helping much. He didn't score his first goal of the season until the 53rd game.
Would the Sabres want him back at $1.2m?
I don't think so, nor would it be fair to offer him less to stay. Nieds is very close to retiring and the Sabres are at least two big pieces away from contending.
As of right now with the team as is, it doesn't look as if there'd be a match. But, if the Sabres were to add those pieces and had the financial wiggle room to play him in a limited role for the regular season then an increased role in the playoffs, I would re-sign him. Even at $1.2m.
I like what he brings to the table.
 |
| Willing pugilist, Cody McCormick |
McCormick's a fourth-line/energy player. A dime-a-dozen-type of player, he can play LW and center and gives you his all in a limited role. He's a tough customer and willing pugilist.
All-in-all, he's a solid fourth-line player who's hard work and dogged determination has earned him a spot in the line-up. If, somewhere down the road a better role player comes along, then so be it.
As for now, he's in.
 |
| Yeah, I'm Matt "Friggen" Ellis. Gotta problem with that? |
He was a hard-working energy guy for the Sabres and was in the line-up until he was, essentially, replaced by McCormick.
Quick story on Ellis: Much to the dismay of Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi, Darcy Regier plucked the left-winger off of waivers in October of 2008. That was a mere four months after the draft-day, trade-up by Regier with Lombardi to select Tyler Myers.
Ellis is presently the captain of the Portland Pirates and brings strong leadership to the team.
No reason why he shouldn't remain in that role again.
 |
| Patty Lalime (left) and buddy Ryan Miller. |
--Patrick Lalime--The consummate team player. But, unfortunately the Sabres needed much more than that, they needed a back-up goalie who could actually win games.
Thanx, Patty, but Jhonas Enroth will take over from here.
 |
| Mark Mancari shouldn't hold his breath waiting for the Sabres to offer him a one-way deal. |
Some may say that he never got a real shot as he spent most of his time in a bottom-six role.
(shrugs)
It's probably more of a case of Mancari not being able to catch-up with the speed of the NHL. He's pretty slow, and he lacks the grittiness that would befit, what amounts to a fourth-line, energy player.
He'll get a shot somewhere else next season.
The Pegula Rewards Program buffalosabresnow list:
- GM, Darcy Regier--No
- Head Coach Lindy Ruff--Yes
- Director of Amateur Scouting Kevin Devine--Yes
- 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
Monday, April 4, 2011
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:
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:
Friday, March 11, 2011
good things come in small packages
 |
| 5'5" nathan gerbe has heart and desire to equal that of 6'8" zdneo chara |
the buffalo sabres are in 7th place in the eastern conference after a win at boston last night...the gutty road perfomance--game six of seven on this road trip--saw the sabres come back from a 2-0 deficit and a 3-2 deficit to win the game in overtime...
the two smallest sabres on the team, tyler ennis and nathan gerbe were instrumental in the win--ennis with a deft touch on his goal and gerbe, who also was mixing it up physically with the edgy bruins, with an overtime, overdrive assist on brad boyes' game winner...
to the video:
tyler ennis shows his poise and touch to pull the sabres to within one
just :27 after the bruins take a 2-0 lead
nathan gerbe flicks a snapshot at tim thomas and barrels after it
sending the rebound to a wide-open brad boyes for the game winner
nathan gerbe shows some spunk and cody mccormick,
despite being dead tired at the end of a shift,
takes on boston's milan lucic
with the win the sabres are now 4-1-1 on their roadie and have come back to win versus two of the top teams in the eastern conference--the east-leading flyers on saturday and boston last night...
the sabres head to toronto tomorrow night for the final game of this roadie sitting in 7th place in the eastern conference, one game below the actual .500-mark for the season...
this from a team that started the season 3-9-2 and at one point were last in the league
Friday, January 21, 2011
confidence
the sabres are beating on a door that opens to the playoffs...as a team, they've pushed it open a good bit, but will need to finish the month of january strong...
cody mccormick, nate gerbe and thomas vanek all showed something we've rarely seen this season, burying an opportunity with authority last night vs. the boston bruins...no goals off of deflections (save jason pomminville's, which was a by-product of driving to the net, a pre-cursor to scoring with authority)...no goals off of one knee, genuflecting to the hockey gods in hopes that it'll find the back of the net...no wimpy re-directs or weak shots to an open net...just solid wood on the puck when the opportunity presented itself...
mccormick is staking his claim as a fan-favorite by continuing to play the way he started back in the playoffs last season--balls-to-the-wall, hard-nosed, anti-core hockey...he knows his role, knows his talents and knows that less than 100% effort is not an option...being a bottom-six forward, he also knows that his ice-time is limited and opportunities sparse...last night he lifted the team by burying his own rebound that caromed off the post right back to him...if luck is a by-product of hard work, than there's nobody on this team more worthy of some good luck than mccormick...and he didn't mess it up, he unconscioulsy rifled the rebound into the net with authority....confidence...
gerbe has been much maligned, and rightfully so...he's been a little bulldog out on the ice all season, but has fanned on numerous opportunities, as witnessed by his three goals in 29 games and a paltry 4.3 shooting percentage...he's on the big club to score goals like he did in college and with portland...last night he took that pass from tyler myers and just plain buried it...with authority...confidence
the one player on the sabres who has the skill to blast a shot that says, "i will not be denied" is vanek...vanek really seems to be hitting his stride...last night he and tim connolly, along with a trailing tyler myers, backed boston goalie tuukka rask into the crease...after considering his options, which is captured beautifully in the highlights, vanek snapped a rocket far-side past a defenseless rask...confidence...
as mentioned earlier this month, the schedule is favorable for the sabres...it gives them the opportunity to gain some ground on boston and montreal who both have tougher schedules and who are both ahead of them in the norhteast division...it also gives them the opportunity to create some separation between them and fourth place ottawa...
an update on this will come this weekend, but a by-product of chasing the northeast leaders and winning games is that they're slowly gaining ground on the six-through-eight in the eastern conference...
more importantly, though, the team seems to be playing with confidence...
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
mike weber vs. george parros, plus
when i was a kid, i had this plastic train radio...when the games were not on tv, which was fairly often, i'd listen to rick jeannerete call the game, and many times i'd fall asleep listening...
those who did the radio play-by-play did a fantastic job of bringing the action into your home, calling it so that you were there...they were your eyes and the cool part about it was that you used your imagination to fill in...it was exciting...
a throwback last night as versus ruled the airwaves with their nj vs. wash game as tv was blacked out for all games below the u.s.-canadian border...anaheim visited buffalo in a radio-only broadcast...as nostalgic as i can be, i still prefer tv if i can't make it to the game...if i can't get tv, there are a few websites that stream the game, much to the dismay of the nhl...
for those who could not see the game, we're left with the highlights...
here's mike weber taking on nhl-heavyweight george parros...a daunting task to say the least and weber acquits himself well:
the sabres potted five goals vs. a road-weary ducks team with nathan gerbe and craig rivet netting their first of the season, drew stafford snagging one and tyler ennis doing some great work on his two goals, especially the second one where he roofs a wrister short-side with very little room...also, cody mccormick takes on the ducks ryan getzlaf to open the second period with the sabres up 3-0...good stuff here at nhl.com:
of note...weber, mccormick and paul gaustad all got into fights last night...this is the second time this month that a western conference team came to buffalo throwing their weight around and both times the sabres responded admirably...columbus came at buffalo in the sabres first game of december with patrick kaleta pounded derek dorsett for being an idiot...
patrick kaleta got nailed by a cheapshot from the ducks jason blake...nate gerbe displays his spunk and character by immediately jumping on blake:
those who did the radio play-by-play did a fantastic job of bringing the action into your home, calling it so that you were there...they were your eyes and the cool part about it was that you used your imagination to fill in...it was exciting...
a throwback last night as versus ruled the airwaves with their nj vs. wash game as tv was blacked out for all games below the u.s.-canadian border...anaheim visited buffalo in a radio-only broadcast...as nostalgic as i can be, i still prefer tv if i can't make it to the game...if i can't get tv, there are a few websites that stream the game, much to the dismay of the nhl...
for those who could not see the game, we're left with the highlights...
here's mike weber taking on nhl-heavyweight george parros...a daunting task to say the least and weber acquits himself well:
the sabres potted five goals vs. a road-weary ducks team with nathan gerbe and craig rivet netting their first of the season, drew stafford snagging one and tyler ennis doing some great work on his two goals, especially the second one where he roofs a wrister short-side with very little room...also, cody mccormick takes on the ducks ryan getzlaf to open the second period with the sabres up 3-0...good stuff here at nhl.com:
of note...weber, mccormick and paul gaustad all got into fights last night...this is the second time this month that a western conference team came to buffalo throwing their weight around and both times the sabres responded admirably...columbus came at buffalo in the sabres first game of december with patrick kaleta pounded derek dorsett for being an idiot...
patrick kaleta got nailed by a cheapshot from the ducks jason blake...nate gerbe displays his spunk and character by immediately jumping on blake:
Thursday, October 21, 2010
a little practice time, and le' thrash equal a "w"
some random thoughts after the sabres 4-1 win over atlanta last night:
- it's true, after six games in nine nights, the sabres finally had a chance to work on some things during a couple of practice sessions...the first thing lindy ruff did was emphasize that being spent after a grueling workout is a good thing...they were dog-tired...but it was a good tired...next practice, d-pairings were allowed to get a feel for each other as well--tyler myers/jordan leopold, steve montador/chris butler, craig rivet/andrej sekera...new lines got a chance to work with each other and they had some time to work on the pp as well...
- jason pomminville is still recovering from his concussion, tim connolly is playing like he has a concussion and drew stafford is back to his old self...a definitive quandry for ruff when constructing lines...enter cody mccormick...having connolly center jochen hecht and mccormick was a very "interesting" move and drew the wrath of many sabres faithful...maybe ruff was thinking that mccormick could "teach" connolly how the game is to be played and that hard work every shift will produce results...connolly had his best game of the season last night (not saying much, but it's a step in the right direction)...personally, i think connolly's reached the point of no return, but for one night it worked...
- the other line that was "very interesting" was rob niedermayer centering mike grier and tyler ennis...once again, the sabres faithful were shaking their collective heads with some spewing vile hatred for ruff because of this...the trouble that ruff will have this season if no changes are made and the personell produce like they did last season, is where to put ennis...sure, ennis is way too fast for grier, too fast for niedermayer and he's a top-six player relegated to a checking line...yet, he scored a goal on a break and had another golden opportunity mere seconds later...this combination will not last...for now, though, you've got two savvy vets imparting their knowledge on an extremely talented kid who's willing to learn...would you rather have one of the core like connolly, derek roy or drew stafford teaching this kid?...i wouldn't...as part of "the new core" ennis needs to stay away from "the (present) core" as much as possible..
- both of those line combinations were a "stroke of genius" for one night, at least, and it helped that they were playing le' thrash, who were "enjoying" their first game back from a road trip...they're not the defending champion chicago blackhawks who can win on sheer chutzpah while playing a mediocre game...
- thomas vanek has a wicked slapshot...unfortunately he's rarely able to uncork it...last night he scored on a laser...he's done this before, and on nearly every occasion, it comes from the right side where the right-handed vanek is opponent-free when he winds up...why he's not on the right side more often is beyond me...maybe they should forget about finding a #1 rw and just move vanek there, thus opening a slot for ennis in the top-six on the left side...(knock, knock, knock)...darcy, are you there?
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