Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
N-ole' for you, Les Habitants. And thanks for doing your little part in allowing the Buffalo Sabres a reprieve from a franchise low-point.
For posterity's sake, the Sabres were on a 14-game losing streak, obliterating the previous losing streak of eight games set in the 2002-03 season as they hit Bell Centre Ice in Montreal. On the road they'd lost 10 in a row before the win last night and were winless in 14 road games (0-13-1.) Their last road victory occurred on November 29, 2014 when they beat the Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout.
One final note on that bout with futility, the 3-2 win in Montreal was their first regulation win since a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames at the First Niagara Center on December 11, 2014. A span of 21 games.
Showing posts with label drew stafford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drew stafford. Show all posts
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Let's play--Name the Captains
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
On Thursday, the Buffalo Sabres start their 2014-15 season with a home opener vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets and despite head coach Ted Nolan's proclamations that he'd name a captain earlier, it hasn't happened yet.
That will probably happen today as the team took the weekend off an will begin preparations for Thursday's game with a practice today. It should be a busy day as the team needs to make some moves to get to the final 23-man roster tomorrow.
One of the decisions will involve 18 yr. old Sam Reinhart, their 2014 2nd-round pick and whether or not they'll give him a look of up to nine games before he heads back to junior. Personally, others deserve the spot more than him, most notably, Mikhail Grigorenko.
"Grigo" is a 2012 first-rounder who came into camp ready to prove he wasn't a prima donna. Mission accomplished. Although he really needs to spend the entire year in Rochester, Grigorenko should be rewarded for his work with a few games while the Sabres get healthier upfront.
Another tough decision is who will land a spot on defense while Mark Pysyk recovers from his upper-body injury. Rookie Jake McCabe is going to be a stud and really looks as if he's ready to make the jump to the NHL as a soon to be 21-yr. old.
It's either McCabe or Tyson Strachan, a journeyman 29 yr. old defenseman with 138 games of NHL experience including 18 games last season with Washington. Originally when Strachan was signed on July 3 to a one-year contract, it was thought to be a depth-move. But he really impressed at camp and in preseason games. He's also someone who should get rewarded for his work. He'll be down in Rochester soon enough, should he clear waivers.
On Thursday, the Buffalo Sabres start their 2014-15 season with a home opener vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets and despite head coach Ted Nolan's proclamations that he'd name a captain earlier, it hasn't happened yet.
That will probably happen today as the team took the weekend off an will begin preparations for Thursday's game with a practice today. It should be a busy day as the team needs to make some moves to get to the final 23-man roster tomorrow.
One of the decisions will involve 18 yr. old Sam Reinhart, their 2014 2nd-round pick and whether or not they'll give him a look of up to nine games before he heads back to junior. Personally, others deserve the spot more than him, most notably, Mikhail Grigorenko.
"Grigo" is a 2012 first-rounder who came into camp ready to prove he wasn't a prima donna. Mission accomplished. Although he really needs to spend the entire year in Rochester, Grigorenko should be rewarded for his work with a few games while the Sabres get healthier upfront.
Another tough decision is who will land a spot on defense while Mark Pysyk recovers from his upper-body injury. Rookie Jake McCabe is going to be a stud and really looks as if he's ready to make the jump to the NHL as a soon to be 21-yr. old.
It's either McCabe or Tyson Strachan, a journeyman 29 yr. old defenseman with 138 games of NHL experience including 18 games last season with Washington. Originally when Strachan was signed on July 3 to a one-year contract, it was thought to be a depth-move. But he really impressed at camp and in preseason games. He's also someone who should get rewarded for his work. He'll be down in Rochester soon enough, should he clear waivers.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Building the Buffalo Sabres' 2014-15 roster--RW, Drew Stafford
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Quick.
Name the longest-tenured, homegrown Buffalo Sabre on the roster.
Drew Stafford signed his first NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres on May 6, 2006 after foregoing his senior season at the University of South Dakota. Both he and Patrick Kaleta were taken in the 2004 draft and both signed that May, with Kaleta putting ink to the paper on May 31.
The 6'2" 212 lb power forward made his NHL debut on November 5, 2006 against the NY Rangers and registered an assist on co-captain Daniel Briere's goal. He would get his first goal less than a week later against Philadelphia.
He would finish his rookie campaign with 13 goals and 27 points in 41 games for the President's Trophy-winning Sabres. And in the playoffs that year, Stafford had two goals and two assists in 10 game.
Quick.
Name the longest-tenured, homegrown Buffalo Sabre on the roster.
Drew Stafford signed his first NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres on May 6, 2006 after foregoing his senior season at the University of South Dakota. Both he and Patrick Kaleta were taken in the 2004 draft and both signed that May, with Kaleta putting ink to the paper on May 31.
The 6'2" 212 lb power forward made his NHL debut on November 5, 2006 against the NY Rangers and registered an assist on co-captain Daniel Briere's goal. He would get his first goal less than a week later against Philadelphia.
He would finish his rookie campaign with 13 goals and 27 points in 41 games for the President's Trophy-winning Sabres. And in the playoffs that year, Stafford had two goals and two assists in 10 game.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Buffalo wins 6th game of the season
Unfortunately (or fortunately if you're looking for a top-2 pick in the 2014 draft) it has taken the team nearly two months and 27 games to achieve that feat.
And two of those wins have come against arch rival Toronto, including the 3-2 OT decision last night.
Although he didn't hit the scoresheet he was a plus-1 in 15:39 of ice-time and made a key play with less than a minute to go in the third period.
With the game tied at two and the Sabres on the powerplay, D'Agostini hauled ass on the back-check and flung himself at James van Riemsdyk who was going in all alone on Ryan Miller.
D'Agostini took out van Riemsdyk on the play but the ref who was right on the play ruled that D'Agostini had touched the puck first nullifying any penalty.
After seeing many questionable calls against the team the past few games (at least) Miller was pretty happy that the team finally got a (non) call go their way, "It came around," said Miller. "[D'Agostini] got back hard and he [forced] the ref to make a decision. The ref decided he got the puck."
Miller said that this game may have been the best game the team has played all season. And he's probably right.
After a somewhat slow first period, the Sabres skated like a real hockey team, took checks, dished out checks and maintained composure throughout the game.
Interim coach Ted Nolan had been ticked at the number of penalties the team has had over the course of his short tenure and has been imploring his team to play more disciplined.
The result this game was only one penalty to Henrik Tallinder for a stupid high-stick early in the third period. The Leaves got only one shot on goal during the ensuing power play.
No parade to the box allowed the team to roll their lines and they looked good.
D'Agostini was on a line with Steve Ott and Ville Leino. That line was very strong and it may have been Leino's best game yet.
Zemgus Girgensons was with Tyler Ennis and Luke Adam. That line provided a strong forecheck and ample opportunities for Adam who finally got a goal. He was the recipient of a fortuitous bounce that left him with a gaping net. He blasted it home.
Enforcer John Scott may have finally found himself a home. No, not in the penalty box tending to his knuckles but in front of the net in the offensive zone. And he looked ecstatic.
As soon as the puck was secured in the zone by his teammates, Scott would head to the front of the net. And with some better shots from the point, they may have scored. It looked as if he may have even tipped a shot.
Scott played a real strong game (relatively speaking.) The guy plays hard and he really wants to play. He knows his skill level is what it is and kudos to Nolan for getting the most out of that very limited skill set.
The top-line of Cody Hodgson centering Matt Moulson and Drew Stafford took the brunt of the Leaves checking unit. They worked hard. In fact, for the second game in a row Stafford has been a bull. We've seen him use his body in the past, sporadically, but it would seem as if Nolan's got him finally playing the game the way he can--as a power forward.
Staff logged 22 minutes of ice-time last night and most of it was quality.
As for Moulson, he now has goals in two straight games after going 11 without. As has been mentioned here before, the guy can finish. The Sabres should seriously entertain re-signing him long-term even at an inflated salary.
And finally, Ted Nolan has been doing an outstanding job thus far.
His coaching hasn't translated into wins yet because the team is devoid of depth and talent, as evidenced by scoring no more than one goal in the previous four losses.
The more he gets a feel for individual players, the more he's finding ways to put them in a position to succeed.
The team is getting better and it seems as if they're starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.
Sure, it took them 27 games to win six, but if they keep playing the way they did last night, that win total will increase significantly in less games.
**********
One of areas that Nolan and Director of Hockey Ops, Pat LaFontaine need to direct their attention to is upgrading personnel. And although they might not be able to add sheer talent from outside the organization at this point, they can add players who play a certain style.
D'Agostini appealed to Nolan and LaFontaine because of certain attributes like speed and defensive awareness, both of which were on display last night. And he seems to think the game very well.
After D'Agostini made that defensive play to eliminate van Riemsdyk's opportunity late, he provided the screen that allowed Christian Ehrhoff to win the game off a shot from the point in OT.
In somewhat of a shot at the previous regime, Nolan was asked if it surprised him that D'Agostini made those plays, "You know," he said, "players that come from the St. Louis' and Pittsburgh's (both teams that D'Agostini played for, most recently Pittsburgh) know how to play the game right."
Little by little, one by one, the Sabres are starting to "play the game right."
And two of those wins have come against arch rival Toronto, including the 3-2 OT decision last night.
 |
| Matt D'Agostini in his first game as a Buffalo Sabre. (photo Bill Wippert, Getty Images) |
The Sabres welcomed waiver pickup Matt D'Agostini to the lineup last night and he played a real strong game.
With the game tied at two and the Sabres on the powerplay, D'Agostini hauled ass on the back-check and flung himself at James van Riemsdyk who was going in all alone on Ryan Miller.
D'Agostini took out van Riemsdyk on the play but the ref who was right on the play ruled that D'Agostini had touched the puck first nullifying any penalty.
After seeing many questionable calls against the team the past few games (at least) Miller was pretty happy that the team finally got a (non) call go their way, "It came around," said Miller. "[D'Agostini] got back hard and he [forced] the ref to make a decision. The ref decided he got the puck."
Miller said that this game may have been the best game the team has played all season. And he's probably right.
After a somewhat slow first period, the Sabres skated like a real hockey team, took checks, dished out checks and maintained composure throughout the game.
Interim coach Ted Nolan had been ticked at the number of penalties the team has had over the course of his short tenure and has been imploring his team to play more disciplined.
The result this game was only one penalty to Henrik Tallinder for a stupid high-stick early in the third period. The Leaves got only one shot on goal during the ensuing power play.
No parade to the box allowed the team to roll their lines and they looked good.
D'Agostini was on a line with Steve Ott and Ville Leino. That line was very strong and it may have been Leino's best game yet.
Zemgus Girgensons was with Tyler Ennis and Luke Adam. That line provided a strong forecheck and ample opportunities for Adam who finally got a goal. He was the recipient of a fortuitous bounce that left him with a gaping net. He blasted it home.
Enforcer John Scott may have finally found himself a home. No, not in the penalty box tending to his knuckles but in front of the net in the offensive zone. And he looked ecstatic.
As soon as the puck was secured in the zone by his teammates, Scott would head to the front of the net. And with some better shots from the point, they may have scored. It looked as if he may have even tipped a shot.
Scott played a real strong game (relatively speaking.) The guy plays hard and he really wants to play. He knows his skill level is what it is and kudos to Nolan for getting the most out of that very limited skill set.
The top-line of Cody Hodgson centering Matt Moulson and Drew Stafford took the brunt of the Leaves checking unit. They worked hard. In fact, for the second game in a row Stafford has been a bull. We've seen him use his body in the past, sporadically, but it would seem as if Nolan's got him finally playing the game the way he can--as a power forward.
Staff logged 22 minutes of ice-time last night and most of it was quality.
As for Moulson, he now has goals in two straight games after going 11 without. As has been mentioned here before, the guy can finish. The Sabres should seriously entertain re-signing him long-term even at an inflated salary.
And finally, Ted Nolan has been doing an outstanding job thus far.
His coaching hasn't translated into wins yet because the team is devoid of depth and talent, as evidenced by scoring no more than one goal in the previous four losses.
The more he gets a feel for individual players, the more he's finding ways to put them in a position to succeed.
The team is getting better and it seems as if they're starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.
Sure, it took them 27 games to win six, but if they keep playing the way they did last night, that win total will increase significantly in less games.
**********
One of areas that Nolan and Director of Hockey Ops, Pat LaFontaine need to direct their attention to is upgrading personnel. And although they might not be able to add sheer talent from outside the organization at this point, they can add players who play a certain style.
D'Agostini appealed to Nolan and LaFontaine because of certain attributes like speed and defensive awareness, both of which were on display last night. And he seems to think the game very well.
After D'Agostini made that defensive play to eliminate van Riemsdyk's opportunity late, he provided the screen that allowed Christian Ehrhoff to win the game off a shot from the point in OT.
In somewhat of a shot at the previous regime, Nolan was asked if it surprised him that D'Agostini made those plays, "You know," he said, "players that come from the St. Louis' and Pittsburgh's (both teams that D'Agostini played for, most recently Pittsburgh) know how to play the game right."
Little by little, one by one, the Sabres are starting to "play the game right."
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
2013 Trade deadline day
The trade deadline is upon us. Time for some thoughts and speculation as to what the Buffalo Sabres might do today.
Sabres GM Darcy Regier already has begun making moves. It's unusual for him. Normally he's the type of GM that waits until today, even late into the day, to make his moves.
But, this past Saturday he traded defenseman Jordan Leopold to St. Louis for a 2013 second-rounder and a conditional 5th (could be a 4th if the Blues advance one round in the playoffs.)
On Monday Regier traded defenseman Robyn Regehr to the LA Kings for second-rounders in 2014 and 2015.
I can't help but think that sub-consciously, Regier's on some kind of karmic mission to come full-circle. He traded away second-round picks three consecutive years: Dominic Moore, 2009; Raffi Torres, 2010; Brad Boyes, 2011.
Of note, Leopold and Regehr joined the previously traded TJ Brennan (FLA, 5th round pick) as three of the Sabres top-eight d-men have already been traded. And there's one more that has the potential as well.
Defenseman Adam Pardy, like Leopold and Regehr, will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end and he might be on the block as well.
Considering that veteran defensemen are a hot commodity at this time of year, it wouldn't be surprising if he's the fourth of Buffalo's original top-eight defenseman to be moved.
And it wouldn't be too surprising if the stay-at-home, mid-bottom pairing d-man fetches a second rounder as well.
The Sabres also have two more pending UFA's in forwards Jochen Hecht and John Scott.
Regier may convince a contender looking for depth that Hecht has value. If he could get anything higher than a 7th-rounder in 2022 it would be a semi-miracle.
As for Scott, he's an enforcer whom I happen to like and hope the Sabres re-sign. Not sure there's a market for him.
Then there's the Sabres "Big-3": Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville.
All carry pretty hefty cap-hits, all are considered to be upper-level players and all will be UFA's at the end of next season. But two of them, Miller and Pominville, have limited no-trade clauses where they name eight teams they do not wish to be traded to.
Breaking it down, the most likely to be moved is Pominville.
A solid top-six winger who plays in all situations, Pominville is known for his consistency and smart play.
He's been in a slump lately and for this writer, it could be the beginning of his plateauing (maybe even decline.)
Any number of teams in the playoff hunt, in a playoff spot or with Cup-aspirations could use a player like him.
Andrew Peters mentioned the New Jersey Devils as a perfect fit. I concur.
The market for goalies is thin, but it's being said that there are at least three on the market: Roberto Louongo (VAN,) Mikka Kiprusoff (CGY) and Miller.
In regards to Miller, two teams that would most definitely be in the market are Toronto and Winnipeg. Methinks, though, that both of those teams would be on Miller's no-trade list.
The best fit for Miller, as I've mentioned a couple of times already, would be St. Louis. Their goaltending tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott have come back to earth. They have a young up and coming goalie in Jake Allen who has mad potetntial.
Having Allen behind Miller for the next season and change would be a solid tandem that could carry a well-rounded, solid defensive team deep into the playoffs.
It might not happen today, but could happen at the draft.
As for Vanek.
He does not have a NTC and there would be a number of teams interested in his services. Because of that teams like Columbus, Winnipeg and Edmonton could all be destinations with a strong return coming back.
Of all the "Big-3," Regier has the most flexibility with Vanek and it would make him the most tradeable.
But Vanek is the only true top-line player on the team. They might wait until next year's deadline to see where the team is and find out what Vanek's thinking.
Another Sabres player that's getting a lot of attention is power forward Drew Stafford.
Stafford is having a very poor year, but is young, big and has scored 30+ goals in a year.
It's been reported that a number of teams are interested in Staff this morning and if the price is right, he'll be gone.
Columbus, who has three first-rounders at the draft this year, would make the most sense. They've already said that the LA first-rounder is in play. Is Stafford worth a first round pick?
Was Paul Gaustad last season?
So.
Because everyone's into predictions here's mine for the Sabres:
--Adam Pardy to any number of teams for a 2013 second round pick
--Jochen Hecht: goin' nowhere
--John Scott: goin' nowhere
--Jason Pominville and a mid-low level prospect (Luke Adam?) to New Jersey for a first-rounder, a future second and a fourth or fifth.
--Ryan Miller to St. Louis, either today or at the draft, for Jaroslav Halak, a prospect and a future first-rounder.
--Thomas Vanek: goin' nowhere
--Drew Stafford and a lower pick (maybe even Hecht?) to Columbus for LA's 2013 first-rounder
Optimistic?
Why not?
Sabres GM Darcy Regier already has begun making moves. It's unusual for him. Normally he's the type of GM that waits until today, even late into the day, to make his moves.
But, this past Saturday he traded defenseman Jordan Leopold to St. Louis for a 2013 second-rounder and a conditional 5th (could be a 4th if the Blues advance one round in the playoffs.)
On Monday Regier traded defenseman Robyn Regehr to the LA Kings for second-rounders in 2014 and 2015.
I can't help but think that sub-consciously, Regier's on some kind of karmic mission to come full-circle. He traded away second-round picks three consecutive years: Dominic Moore, 2009; Raffi Torres, 2010; Brad Boyes, 2011.
Of note, Leopold and Regehr joined the previously traded TJ Brennan (FLA, 5th round pick) as three of the Sabres top-eight d-men have already been traded. And there's one more that has the potential as well.
Defenseman Adam Pardy, like Leopold and Regehr, will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end and he might be on the block as well.
Considering that veteran defensemen are a hot commodity at this time of year, it wouldn't be surprising if he's the fourth of Buffalo's original top-eight defenseman to be moved.
And it wouldn't be too surprising if the stay-at-home, mid-bottom pairing d-man fetches a second rounder as well.
The Sabres also have two more pending UFA's in forwards Jochen Hecht and John Scott.
Regier may convince a contender looking for depth that Hecht has value. If he could get anything higher than a 7th-rounder in 2022 it would be a semi-miracle.
As for Scott, he's an enforcer whom I happen to like and hope the Sabres re-sign. Not sure there's a market for him.
Then there's the Sabres "Big-3": Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville.
All carry pretty hefty cap-hits, all are considered to be upper-level players and all will be UFA's at the end of next season. But two of them, Miller and Pominville, have limited no-trade clauses where they name eight teams they do not wish to be traded to.
Breaking it down, the most likely to be moved is Pominville.
A solid top-six winger who plays in all situations, Pominville is known for his consistency and smart play.
He's been in a slump lately and for this writer, it could be the beginning of his plateauing (maybe even decline.)
Any number of teams in the playoff hunt, in a playoff spot or with Cup-aspirations could use a player like him.
Andrew Peters mentioned the New Jersey Devils as a perfect fit. I concur.
The market for goalies is thin, but it's being said that there are at least three on the market: Roberto Louongo (VAN,) Mikka Kiprusoff (CGY) and Miller.
In regards to Miller, two teams that would most definitely be in the market are Toronto and Winnipeg. Methinks, though, that both of those teams would be on Miller's no-trade list.
The best fit for Miller, as I've mentioned a couple of times already, would be St. Louis. Their goaltending tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott have come back to earth. They have a young up and coming goalie in Jake Allen who has mad potetntial.
Having Allen behind Miller for the next season and change would be a solid tandem that could carry a well-rounded, solid defensive team deep into the playoffs.
It might not happen today, but could happen at the draft.
As for Vanek.
He does not have a NTC and there would be a number of teams interested in his services. Because of that teams like Columbus, Winnipeg and Edmonton could all be destinations with a strong return coming back.
Of all the "Big-3," Regier has the most flexibility with Vanek and it would make him the most tradeable.
But Vanek is the only true top-line player on the team. They might wait until next year's deadline to see where the team is and find out what Vanek's thinking.
Another Sabres player that's getting a lot of attention is power forward Drew Stafford.
Stafford is having a very poor year, but is young, big and has scored 30+ goals in a year.
It's been reported that a number of teams are interested in Staff this morning and if the price is right, he'll be gone.
Columbus, who has three first-rounders at the draft this year, would make the most sense. They've already said that the LA first-rounder is in play. Is Stafford worth a first round pick?
Was Paul Gaustad last season?
So.
Because everyone's into predictions here's mine for the Sabres:
--Adam Pardy to any number of teams for a 2013 second round pick
--Jochen Hecht: goin' nowhere
--John Scott: goin' nowhere
--Jason Pominville and a mid-low level prospect (Luke Adam?) to New Jersey for a first-rounder, a future second and a fourth or fifth.
--Ryan Miller to St. Louis, either today or at the draft, for Jaroslav Halak, a prospect and a future first-rounder.
--Thomas Vanek: goin' nowhere
--Drew Stafford and a lower pick (maybe even Hecht?) to Columbus for LA's 2013 first-rounder
Optimistic?
Why not?
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Flashback: "The Core" as prospects in 2005
Hockey'sfuture is a good read for info on prospects, and it's a site worth visiting for those interested in delving into NHL organizations and their talent pools.
I happened across and interesting read that goes back to October 12, 2005--The Buffalo Sabres Top-20 prospects ranking from Ken McKenna of Hockey'sfuture.
The NHL, as we all should know, was coming out of the lockout and the "new-NHL" emerging.
The Sabres had all of their top prospects playing in Rochester in the 2004/05 season with the Amerks falling short of the Calder Cup. But the Sabres came out of the lockout with a group of players that had a full year playing together in the AHL.
Out of this group emerged "the core," or as Sabres President Ted Black called them recently, "the Rochester Guys." It included present members Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, and Drew Stafford as well as Paul Gaustad who was traded to the Nashville Predators at the 2012 trade deadline.
Also included in the top-20 were former Sabres forwards Daniel Paille and Clarke MacArthur, among others.
As we head towards the draft, free agency and the upcoming season, I found it interesting to look back at what was being said about "the core" at that time. (For the entire page and player analyses, click on the link above.)
(#1 prospect) Thomas Vanek--"Vanek has displayed the scoring touch that most expect from him, but he has also shown excellent passing skills that have come as a surprise to some observers. The bottom line is that Vanek is the package of offensive skill that the Sabres have lacked for many a year, a fact that should cheer Sabres fans that have suffered through some mediocre hockey since their last appearance in the playoffs in 2001."
#3 Derek Roy--"...his performance in camp was not quite good enough to help him secure that roster spot. Roy’s mediocre preseason performance, combined with his sometimes lackadaisical play in Rochester during the 2004-05 season no doubt has the Sabres concerned that the talented center is resting on past laurels."
#5 Drew Stafford--"While possessing some offensive ability, Stafford’s main attributes are his skating and consistent effort from game to game."
#6 Jason Pominville--"It would seem that Pominville has NHL ability, but it remains to be seen if his road to the NHL will run through Buffalo. There may simply be too much quality in front of him, as well as a few up-and-comers behind him, for Pominville to make his mark in this organization."
#8 Paul Gaustad--"Gaustad also has improved his skating to the point where he is now a bona fide NHL player who could eventually be a solid checking-line center. The Fargo, North Dakota native will never be an offensive star, but he could develop into one of the better role players in the NHL."
The others:
#4 Daniel Paille--" Paille did manage to impress some observers with his speed and effort, but his overall game is not yet to a point where he could push for a NHL job."
#7 Clarke MacArthur--"The Lloydminster, Alberta native is a good skater with a deft scoring touch, but his overall game needs refining before he is ready for the next level."
And finally:
#2 Marek Zagrapan--"Although the Sabres had an obvious need for a top flight defenseman going into the 2005 NHL Draft, they instead chose to select skilled center Marek Zagrapan with their first pick...Zagrapan showed flashes of his ability during his time in camp, but he clearly requires more time to develop in the junior ranks."
For more info on the "Rochester Guys" and their careers with the Amerks, click here.
I happened across and interesting read that goes back to October 12, 2005--The Buffalo Sabres Top-20 prospects ranking from Ken McKenna of Hockey'sfuture.
The NHL, as we all should know, was coming out of the lockout and the "new-NHL" emerging.
The Sabres had all of their top prospects playing in Rochester in the 2004/05 season with the Amerks falling short of the Calder Cup. But the Sabres came out of the lockout with a group of players that had a full year playing together in the AHL.
Out of this group emerged "the core," or as Sabres President Ted Black called them recently, "the Rochester Guys." It included present members Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, and Drew Stafford as well as Paul Gaustad who was traded to the Nashville Predators at the 2012 trade deadline.
Also included in the top-20 were former Sabres forwards Daniel Paille and Clarke MacArthur, among others.
As we head towards the draft, free agency and the upcoming season, I found it interesting to look back at what was being said about "the core" at that time. (For the entire page and player analyses, click on the link above.)
(#1 prospect) Thomas Vanek--"Vanek has displayed the scoring touch that most expect from him, but he has also shown excellent passing skills that have come as a surprise to some observers. The bottom line is that Vanek is the package of offensive skill that the Sabres have lacked for many a year, a fact that should cheer Sabres fans that have suffered through some mediocre hockey since their last appearance in the playoffs in 2001."
#3 Derek Roy--"...his performance in camp was not quite good enough to help him secure that roster spot. Roy’s mediocre preseason performance, combined with his sometimes lackadaisical play in Rochester during the 2004-05 season no doubt has the Sabres concerned that the talented center is resting on past laurels."
#5 Drew Stafford--"While possessing some offensive ability, Stafford’s main attributes are his skating and consistent effort from game to game."
#6 Jason Pominville--"It would seem that Pominville has NHL ability, but it remains to be seen if his road to the NHL will run through Buffalo. There may simply be too much quality in front of him, as well as a few up-and-comers behind him, for Pominville to make his mark in this organization."
#8 Paul Gaustad--"Gaustad also has improved his skating to the point where he is now a bona fide NHL player who could eventually be a solid checking-line center. The Fargo, North Dakota native will never be an offensive star, but he could develop into one of the better role players in the NHL."
The others:
#4 Daniel Paille--" Paille did manage to impress some observers with his speed and effort, but his overall game is not yet to a point where he could push for a NHL job."
#7 Clarke MacArthur--"The Lloydminster, Alberta native is a good skater with a deft scoring touch, but his overall game needs refining before he is ready for the next level."
And finally:
#2 Marek Zagrapan--"Although the Sabres had an obvious need for a top flight defenseman going into the 2005 NHL Draft, they instead chose to select skilled center Marek Zagrapan with their first pick...Zagrapan showed flashes of his ability during his time in camp, but he clearly requires more time to develop in the junior ranks."
For more info on the "Rochester Guys" and their careers with the Amerks, click here.
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Buffalo Sabres Restricted Free Agents Line Up Behind...
 |
| Drew Stafford always had the size and skill, has he finally grasped the mental aspect of the game? |
...RW, Drew Stafford.
"Staff" heads the list simply because he is the player that's expecting, and is expected to, fetch the largest RFA-contract this off-season for the Sabres.
Maybe that's why Regier brought in RW Brad Boyes at the trade-deadline this past season. Boyes, who seems to be same player as Staff, is still under contract for one more season. That addition loaded up the team at RW with Staff, Boyes, and Jason Pomminville vying for top-six minutes. Not to mention that Thomas Vanek, a right-hander, played very well at RW earlier this season.
With that in mind, what should the Sabres do with Drew Stafford?
The first thing we'll keep in mind--as we will with all the Sabres roster players and potential additions--is go to a quote from Sabres Owner Terry Pegula taken from his February 22, 2011 press conference: "I wanna keep not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."
Does Staff fit the bill? Will he be a part of the Pegula Rewards Program?
The North Dakota Fighting Sioux product began the 2006/07 season with the Rochester Americans and found himself shuffling back and forth between the Amerks and the Sabres throughout the year before joining the big club permanently in February of '07.
As indicated by his 22 goals and 22 assists in 34 games with Rochester, the big winger could play at the professional level, dominating the AHL. But, could he bring that scoring prowess to the NHL?
He has all the tools, always did. He's got the size, is hard to move off the puck, has sniper-like skills and does play with an edge at times. But, with him, it seemed to be the mental aspect that contributed to his inconsistencies in the three years prior to the 2010/11 season.
That could be directly related not only to the lack of AHL seasoning, but also to the 2007 off-season which saw two Sabres leaders bolt for free agency--Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. And of the two, it would seem as if the loss of Drury had the greatest impact upon Stafford.
On February 22, 2007 (ironically enough) the Ottawa Senator's Chris Neil leveled Drury with a dirty head-shot that left the captain on the ice woozy and bleeding. And the Sabres player that stood up to Neil? Drew Stafford.
Although it wasn't much of a fight, as a rookie, Stafford showed that he knew what it meant to be a teammate.
Staff would finish that season with very respectable rookie numbers for the Sabres: 13 goals, 14 assists in 47 regular season games, 2 goals and 2 assists in 10 playoff games.
For the next three seasons he would put up decent numbers and always seemed to be knocking on the door of that breakout season.
And that was his problem, he was merely knocking at the door waiting for an answer (maybe playing a little guitar-hero as well?) No one on the Sabres roster had enough of an influence upon him for those three years to tell him that he had to kick the door down if he wanted to reach his potential. During those post-Drury seasons his numbers and style of play relegated him to elevated Ales Kotalik-status. Kotalik was a big forward with oodles of scoring potential, but a laissez-faire attitude.
This was Drew Stafford.
With the departures of top-line players in the 2007 off-season, many young players--including recently-inked, multi-million-dollar offer-sheet recipient Thomas Vanek, center Derek Roy, winger Jason Pomminville and a very young Stafford--were all asked to move up the depth chart. These kids were not far removed from the AHL.
Roy and Pomminville had banner 2007/08 seasons points-wise. Vanek had his numbers drop, most significantly in overall points and prohibitively in +/- (from a plus-47 to a minus-5.)
As for Stafford, his numbers were relatively the same with the addition of 23 more games played. But his on-ice inconsistencies and general loafing away from the puck got him in Lindy Ruff's doghouse for stretches and earned him the internet moniker of "stifford."
The 2008/09 season marked the final year of Staffords entry-level contract and he did very little to deviate from his norm. He once again upped his goals (finally reaching the 20-goal level) and assists (25,) but that was achieved in an additional 15 games.
All-in-all Stafford's points per game remained around the .60 mark. Which was great for Regier. He was able to sign him for two years--which kept him in RFA-status at the end of the contract--at a very affordable $3.8m.
The 2009/10 season, the first of his new contract saw Stafford's numbers decline and it was looking as if the contract was just right for his production and inconsistencies. His regular season came to a close with two games off due to a concussion which carried over into the first two games of the Boston playoff series. The next three games saw him get shut out in Games 3, 4, 5 and benched in the deciding Game 6.
Such was the Drew Stafford we'd come to expect.
 |
| Thomas Vanek seems to have taken over Chris Drury's role of mentor to RFA Drew Stafford. |
Although his numbers remained the same production-wise early in the season--four goals, four assists in 14 games (.57 points/game,) Ruff had stated that he was playing excellent hockey...at times.
Those 14 games represented the best start to the year he'd ever had. Unfortunately his start was derailed by injuries which saw him miss 15 of the next 16 games. His only appearance being a 1st-star performance vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 3 in which he had a goal and an assist in his return.
After an "upper body" injury kept him out for the next four games, Staff returned with a vengeance vs. the Boston Bruins. In a harbinger of things to come, he got the hat-trick, including the game-winner. It would be the first of four hat-tricks on the year.
Take out the stat-line from the first 14 games and you have the following: 27 goals and 17 assists--41 points-- in 48 games.
As much as Staffords average/inconsistent play help Regier in the previous contract, Staff's eye-popping second-half certainly raised his stature in present negotiations.
But, does Staff deserve to be a part of the Pegula Rewards Program with a multi-year contract?
Using Pegula's own words concerning retaining players--"I wanna keep not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."--it's pretty obvious that the stats are there with question marks surrounding the other two aspects.
Without Stafford contributing, it's safe to say that the Sabres would be hard-pressed to make the playoffs.
And what exactly does "gritty" mean in the eyes of Pegula (or anyone else, for that matter?)
Stafford is not John LeClaire. He's not Ryan Getzlaf. Nor is he Milan Lucic. And that's not a bad thing.
He can be himself--being gritty by absorbing hits along the boards to keep the puck and/or taking a hit in the slot to get off a premium shot as well as drop the gloves on rare occasion. And, as shown by Ruff's faith in his defensive work, Stafford can show his grit--as well as defensive-determination--by continuing to excel on the penalty kill, a new aspect to his game which was showcased in the seven-game loss to Philly in the playoffs.
There should be no problem with wanting and keeping a player like Staff. He seems to have gone from inconsistent to streaky goal-scorer. He's only 25, about to reach his prime, and we've seen two sides of him.
 |
| Did Drew Stafford fight his way into The Pegula Awards Program? |
(shrugs)
Right now there seems to be a window of opportunity for the Sabres to mold him into that big, 30+ goal-scoring power-winger by adding veteran leadership to the forward ranks.
Darcy Regier has a real good one on his hands with this Stafford contract, and I highly doubt that his superiors--Ted Black and Terry Pegula, as well as Senior Advisor, Ken Sawyer--would want this to go to arbitration.
With Stafford showing signs of motivation, concentration and work-ethic, a deal should get done with him. Would four years sound about right (with the contract ending the year after Vanek's and Pomminville's?)
And, at that length, would a cap-hit in the $4M range--give or take $250K--be out of the realm of possibility?
But, to answer the big question first: Despite his maddening inconsistencies, and with a bit of trepidation, the Sabres will need to take a slight gamble and make Drew Stafford a part of the Pegula Rewards Program. The one caveat being; they can hedge their bet (in addition to making the team stronger) by making sure that they have strong, professional leaders up-front to keep him working.
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
Monday, March 7, 2011
sabres reach 8th in the eastern conference
indulged in brooklyn local 2 last night while watching the sabres continue to ramble on this road trip...the twoadore thing?...ummm...the joker and i got a good laugh, is all...
clocking in at 9%, local 2 is a big belgian strong ale...w00t!...thoroughly enjoyable, as were the sabres last night...
btw, sabres players, don't forget to tip your doorman...patty lalime is one of the best in the history of the nhl...of course, please do it surreptitiously...
take thomas vanek's overtime goal vs. washington--where he found something extra at the end of his shift--and combine that with jason pomminville's short-handed overtime winner vs. the sens in the '06 playoffs, and you have a reasonable composite of drew stafford's overtime game-winner last night...
 |
| "twoadore" |
indulged in brooklyn local 2 last night while watching the sabres continue to ramble on this road trip...the twoadore thing?...ummm...the joker and i got a good laugh, is all...
clocking in at 9%, local 2 is a big belgian strong ale...w00t!...thoroughly enjoyable, as were the sabres last night...
btw, sabres players, don't forget to tip your doorman...patty lalime is one of the best in the history of the nhl...of course, please do it surreptitiously...
take thomas vanek's overtime goal vs. washington--where he found something extra at the end of his shift--and combine that with jason pomminville's short-handed overtime winner vs. the sens in the '06 playoffs, and you have a reasonable composite of drew stafford's overtime game-winner last night...
~~~~~~~~~~
jhonas enroth got the win last night...have the sabres unwittingly found a transitioning formula for young goalies?
they've got enroth getting plenty of experience in portland, fly him in for his one game, then it's back to portland...it's the second time with this scenario...they did it last back in february after miller's debacle vs. the islanders (7-6 ot loss)...miller got completely away from the game, enroth got the shootout win and lalime took his usual spot on the bench opening and closing the door...
miller came back and did not allow more than three goals during a 10-game stretch and the team went 5-3-2...enroth did his part once again and we'll see what happens this time 'round...
a quick note on enroth...paul hamilton asked him how he prepared for the game, if he watched tape of the team he was about to face...enroth said he didn't watch any tape, he just went in and took the game as it came...
~~~~~~~~~~
seven of eight points on this road-trip...wins vs. philadelphia on saturday and minnesota yesterday, without thier designated #1 center, derek roy...they're without a true #2 as tim connolly seems shot and is more a bottom-six...their #1 utility-man, jochen hecht, was out with an injury...recently acquired forward, brad boyes, has been shifted from wing to center....
~~~~~~~~~~
ROB "FRIGGEN" NIEDERMAYER!!!
how does it feel?...choose a cliche', but the fact is, after 53 games without a goal, he finally broke through...can you see the relief in his face?...
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
a welcome return?
 |
| drew stafford looks as if he'll dress for tomorrow's game vs. the bruins |
 |
| oft-injured, much-maligned sabres center tim connolly should be available this weekend, maybe sooner |
two
sabres
could
return
as
early
as
wednesday
vs.
the bruins
the sabres sit in 11th place in the eastern conference, behind carolina and ottawa for 9th place in the standings, a full eight points out of a playoff spot...
on november 24th, both #2 center, tim connolly, and #3 center, rob neidermayer joined winger drew stafford (nov. 5th) on the injured list, and it looks as if at least one, maybe two of the three should be back for the game tomorrow night vs. the bruins...
head coach lindy ruff has given every indication that drew stafford, who has played one game (dec. 3rd, clb) in the last 16 since going down with a shoulder injury, is ready to come back and, although connolly said he's ready, ruff is leaving his options open by remaining non-commital...
 |
| "just the stats, man" |
since connolly joined stafford on the injured list, the sabres have gone 3-3-1 with stafford returning for a win (not included) on dec. 3rd vs. clb...the team scored 14 goals in those seven games with six of them coming against san jose...they were shut out twice in regulation--a loss (vs. pitt) and a shoot out win (at ottawa)...
in their absence, the sabres called up colin stuart (3 games) and mark mancari (3 games) to replace stafford...they combined for 0 goals, 1 assist and a cumulative minus-1...some juggling occurred to replace connolly, with rookie luke adam being moved into the #2 slot and jochen hecht being moved to the #3 slot (replacing the injured neidermayer)...in seven games they combined for 1 goal and 2 assists with a cumulative minus-4
as much as fans like to bag on connolly, he's fifth on the team in scoring (13) and tied for fifth on the team (stafford) in goals (5)...and he's missed eight games...stafford has played only 15 games...
pretty sure the numbers speak for themselves...as much as sabres fans yearn for the day that connolly's no longer in the blue and gold, right now he's needed...
and as much as sabres fans loathe stafford's inconsistency and throw him into trade scenarios (myself included,) there's really no one in the pipeline to replace him...
and that's the precarious state of the buffalo sabres up-front right now..
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
up from the ashes
a heckuva run thus-far for the buffalo sabres...five games in a row decided after regulation, four of them ending up in wins for the good guys...
some thanx need to go out...
to fate... for having drew stafford go down to injury and captain craig rivet go down to illness...in wishing no ill will towards any player (including anyone from the ottawa senators, toronto maple leafs and philadelphia flyers) the down-time for these two players seemed to help the team in two areas...
firstly, "la core" of top-six forwards was shaken up for more than just a shift, period or game...as has been mentioned before, the top-six were all of the same ilk--generally speaking, soft-but-skilled and lacking heart...stafford was the embodiment of that...you just can't have two-thirds of your top-six (stafford and tim connolly) wussing out and failing to put it on the line...in addition, thomas vanek was flustered in his attempt to bust through a wall this season, his frustration leading to bouts of coasting, and that's half of your top-six...
stafford going down allowed for young-gun tyler ennis to reclaim a spot next to derek roy on the top-line with vanek taking the other wing...ennis, who has danny gare-like qualities, had been plying his trade in the bottom-six because there was no room at the top...how did ennis respond?...by schooling jean-sebastian giguere for the game-winning/sabres winless streak ending goal:
since that line has been together, the sabres have gone 4-0-1, all games going past regulation moving the team from the bottom of the eastern conference to 10th place...ennis (3 goals, +4,) roy (2 goals, 6 assists +7) and vanek (2 goals, 4 assists +5) combined for 7 goals and 10 assists and are a whopping +16...they also came through in the clutch...ennis vs. toronto (see above,) roy got the game-winning shoot-out goal vs. new jersey and thomas vanek gave the "how-do-you-do" to the capitals in ot on the espn #1 highlight:
then followed it up by harassing vancouver canucks defenseman dan hamhuis into a giveaway that leads to tyler myers' game-winner in overtime:
on the back end, the embattled, oft-injured, recently benched and food poisoned/flu-bit craig rivet has been out of the line-up since the toronto game...kind of a good thing too...
this is nothing against him and his style of play, but with both him and shaone morrison in the line-up, that's two heavy-chevy's in an increasingly faster nhl...his abscence wouldn't be that prevalent vs. the nj devils or the ny rangers (one win and one ot loss,) but the washington capitals and vancouver canucks represented porsche's in the nhl...the defense for the sabres became much more mobile and as a result the team was able to skate with both teams...the result?...the sabres get their first home win of the season vs. the caps in overtime and follow that up with an end-to-end speed-rush-duel victory in overtime vs. the canucks...
other factors in the alignment of the stars for the sabres:
all-in-all, the sabres are out of the cellar, next stop, .500 hockey...
some thanx need to go out...
to fate... for having drew stafford go down to injury and captain craig rivet go down to illness...in wishing no ill will towards any player (including anyone from the ottawa senators, toronto maple leafs and philadelphia flyers) the down-time for these two players seemed to help the team in two areas...
firstly, "la core" of top-six forwards was shaken up for more than just a shift, period or game...as has been mentioned before, the top-six were all of the same ilk--generally speaking, soft-but-skilled and lacking heart...stafford was the embodiment of that...you just can't have two-thirds of your top-six (stafford and tim connolly) wussing out and failing to put it on the line...in addition, thomas vanek was flustered in his attempt to bust through a wall this season, his frustration leading to bouts of coasting, and that's half of your top-six...
stafford going down allowed for young-gun tyler ennis to reclaim a spot next to derek roy on the top-line with vanek taking the other wing...ennis, who has danny gare-like qualities, had been plying his trade in the bottom-six because there was no room at the top...how did ennis respond?...by schooling jean-sebastian giguere for the game-winning/sabres winless streak ending goal:
since that line has been together, the sabres have gone 4-0-1, all games going past regulation moving the team from the bottom of the eastern conference to 10th place...ennis (3 goals, +4,) roy (2 goals, 6 assists +7) and vanek (2 goals, 4 assists +5) combined for 7 goals and 10 assists and are a whopping +16...they also came through in the clutch...ennis vs. toronto (see above,) roy got the game-winning shoot-out goal vs. new jersey and thomas vanek gave the "how-do-you-do" to the capitals in ot on the espn #1 highlight:
then followed it up by harassing vancouver canucks defenseman dan hamhuis into a giveaway that leads to tyler myers' game-winner in overtime:
on the back end, the embattled, oft-injured, recently benched and food poisoned/flu-bit craig rivet has been out of the line-up since the toronto game...kind of a good thing too...
this is nothing against him and his style of play, but with both him and shaone morrison in the line-up, that's two heavy-chevy's in an increasingly faster nhl...his abscence wouldn't be that prevalent vs. the nj devils or the ny rangers (one win and one ot loss,) but the washington capitals and vancouver canucks represented porsche's in the nhl...the defense for the sabres became much more mobile and as a result the team was able to skate with both teams...the result?...the sabres get their first home win of the season vs. the caps in overtime and follow that up with an end-to-end speed-rush-duel victory in overtime vs. the canucks...
other factors in the alignment of the stars for the sabres:
- jason pomminville getting back into game-shape after his bout with a concussion and stabalized an inept pk
- jhonas enroth holding the fort while ryan miller went down, especially vs. toronto in the shoot-out (see above)...his numbers weren't anything to speak of, but the team seemed to "find it's legs" while playing in front of the rookie net-minder and he came up big when it was necessary...
- matt ellis gets the call from portland to add some size and grit on the fourth line and plays really well
all-in-all, the sabres are out of the cellar, next stop, .500 hockey...
Monday, October 11, 2010
what to do if stafford rides the pine
we're two games into the 2010/11 season and already head coach lindy ruff pulled two wingers aside for a little talk...one of them was thomas vanek who's a league-worst minus-5 thus-far and has no points much less goals...
the other?
drew stafford...wgr's paul hamilton put it best during the home-opener debacle vs. the ny rangers, "Drew Stafford had a great first period in Ottawa and has been back to being Drew Stafford since. It just makes you wonder if he had a Trent Edwards preseason. It's only five periods into the season, but it does make you wonder." http://www.wgr550.com/Rangers-Double-Up-Sabres-6-3/8321078
should stafford continue to falter and get removed from the line-up (which will become more of a probability with every passing period) what should ruff do with the lines?
unless they bring up a right winger (kassian?) or trade for one (highly unlikely) some line juggling will need to be done...a possible solution would be this:
sure, that joche hecht, rob niedermayer, mike grier line is one helluva shut-down line and, yes, you may believe that hecht should be a bottom-six left wing (i don't,) but the fact of the matter is, the hecht/tim connolly/jason pomminville line was the best and most consistent line on the team last season...until hecht got hurt...look what that did to connolly...that line should be reunited...
who takes hecht's place on the "third-line?"...would have to be nathan gerbe...actually, not a bad scenario for him or the team...he gets to play with two defensive-minded, savvy vets, and the team adds some scoring potential on the third line...
the fourth line would remain the same--cody mccormick, paul gaustad, pat kaleta
so what about the other "top-line?...for that i ask this question, why can't vanek play right wing?...he's right-handed and there's no reason that the switch from left wing would be a detriment, because he had an off-year last season and is off to a piss-poor start this year...if tyler ennis and derek roy could work their magic with the likes of stafford one that line, having vanek would be even better...in fact, that may even open things up further for him...
ennis, roy, vanek
hecht, connolly, pomminville
gerbe, niedermayer, grier
mccormick, goose, kaleta
(shrugs)
just a thought
the other?
drew stafford...wgr's paul hamilton put it best during the home-opener debacle vs. the ny rangers, "Drew Stafford had a great first period in Ottawa and has been back to being Drew Stafford since. It just makes you wonder if he had a Trent Edwards preseason. It's only five periods into the season, but it does make you wonder." http://www.wgr550.com/Rangers-Double-Up-Sabres-6-3/8321078
should stafford continue to falter and get removed from the line-up (which will become more of a probability with every passing period) what should ruff do with the lines?
unless they bring up a right winger (kassian?) or trade for one (highly unlikely) some line juggling will need to be done...a possible solution would be this:
sure, that joche hecht, rob niedermayer, mike grier line is one helluva shut-down line and, yes, you may believe that hecht should be a bottom-six left wing (i don't,) but the fact of the matter is, the hecht/tim connolly/jason pomminville line was the best and most consistent line on the team last season...until hecht got hurt...look what that did to connolly...that line should be reunited...
who takes hecht's place on the "third-line?"...would have to be nathan gerbe...actually, not a bad scenario for him or the team...he gets to play with two defensive-minded, savvy vets, and the team adds some scoring potential on the third line...
the fourth line would remain the same--cody mccormick, paul gaustad, pat kaleta
so what about the other "top-line?...for that i ask this question, why can't vanek play right wing?...he's right-handed and there's no reason that the switch from left wing would be a detriment, because he had an off-year last season and is off to a piss-poor start this year...if tyler ennis and derek roy could work their magic with the likes of stafford one that line, having vanek would be even better...in fact, that may even open things up further for him...
ennis, roy, vanek
hecht, connolly, pomminville
gerbe, niedermayer, grier
mccormick, goose, kaleta
(shrugs)
just a thought
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