Reprinted from hockeybuzz.com with permission
Although it wouldn't be a Hollywood-type ending on the level of Ray Bourque in 2001, the hockey world would be right for this blogger if Robyn Regehr was on the last team standing in 2014.
I've always liked Regehr and was thrilled that the Sabres literally went out and got him to accept a trade to Buffalo.
Before joining the Sabres, he had spent nearly his entire career playing out west with Calgary limiting his exposure to those of us in the east. But between 2011 and 2013--just over a hundred games--we Sabres fans got a good taste of what he brought to the table.
Regehr's short stint in Buffalo was somewhat maligned, though, as the subtleties in his play were lost in the downward spiral of the franchise. The 6'3" 225 lb. d-man was never the fastest skater, nor was he a scorer, nor was he an enforcer per se, but he was a strong presence both on and off the ice.
He was overused in expanded roles by the former regime in Buffalo and had he stayed with the Sabres, he may have ended up being a Craig Rivet-like train wreck.
Showing posts with label robyn regehr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label robyn regehr. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Saturday, May 11, 2013
LA taking down St. Louis is great on a couple of levels
I've always been a fan of Robyn Regehr.
It's not that I'd followed the Calgary Flames all that much when he was playing for them for a decade, but when I did catch their games I really liked what he brought to the team.
The Sabres for the past seven years have needed more professionalism, more grit, more leadership. Regehr is that type of player and it's players like him who get the respect of hockey world.
Regehr brought those attributes to the Sabres for the nearly two years, but as his rugged style of play began to wear on him a bit, he wasn't quite as effective with the Sabres as he was with the Flames. He's not washed up by any stretch of the imagination, but the load he had to carry in Buffalo, from a leadership and grit perspective, is too much to ask a 33 yr. old player who's never missed more than 14 games in a full season.
It's too bad Sabres GM Darcy Regier opted to pick Dmitri Kalinin one spot ahead of Regehr in the 1998 draft. We could have seen him on a nightly basis smack-dab in his prime. Who knows, maybe the Carolina series would've turned out differently and/or maybe a pro like Chris Drury would've opted to re-sign with Buffalo.
Methinks the past eight seasons would've turned out quite differently--for the better.
Regehr is out in LA now, headed to the second round of the playoffs with his Kings teammates.
Much respect to the Sabres organization for sending him there (for two 2nd-round picks.) It's probably the best possible situation for him to win the Stanley Cup.
The Kings are filled with leadership, skill, grit and tenacity. They're defending their Stanley Cup crown on a shortened season and seem to be hitting their stride right now.
What's asked of Regehr is simply to play his game. Clear the front of the net. Lay some hard hits on the opposition. Help anchor the PK.
For 21:00/game Regehr is simply asked to be the player he is--a tough defensive defenesman.
After spending an entire career being a true professional in both Calgary and Buffalo, the world would be right if he was on the last team standing.
*************
A very young and talented St. Louis Blues team was eliminated in the first round and it exposed a couple of holes in the line-up.
The Kings knocked out the Blues in six games, winning the last four straight. St. Louis scored six goals on 110 shots in those four losses.
Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post Dispatch called out management for " inexplicably ignoring the obvious need to add a proven finisher to the lineup."
Miklasz wants a "fearless, cold-blooded sniper that won't get the yips and repeatedly miss putting the puck in the net at crucial moments" in the lineup.
The Sabres Thomas Vanek is a sniper. He can score in a variety of ways from any area of the ice and he's proven he can score in the playoffs.
St. Louis bench-boss Ken Hitchcock had that type of player in Brett Hull when the Dallas Stars defeated the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals.
Although Vanek is not Brett Hull, he may be the best winger available this off-season for the Blues to acquire.
In 26 playoff games for the Sabres, Vanek has 15 goals. His average shooting percentage over those four appearances is 18.3%.
As the only real offensive weapon for Buffalo in their last two playoffs in 2010 and 2011, he had seven goals in 10 games and shot at rates of 20% and 25% respectively.
Hmmmm...
Miklasz also points out another flaw in the Blues--goaltending. He says, "[LA Kings goalie] Jonathan Quick outplayed the Blues' Brian Elliott when pressure seeped into this series."
In blog dating back to the trade deadline, it was noted that the Blues allowed the least number of shots per game in the NHL, but their goalies' save percentage was weak.
It's a trend that bit them again in the first round of the playoffs.
Miklasz points out that over the last three Blues losses to the Kings, Elliott had an .871 sv.%. For the series Elliott had a 1.90 gaa and a .919 sv%. Pretty solid numbers on the whole, but when it really counted those last three games--when Elliott needed to steal a game--an .871 sv.% doesn't get the job done.
Elliott is what he is--a real strong back-up who can play like a starter on a number of occasions, but isn't that bonafide #1 goalie.
The Blues have a potential #1 goalie in Jake Allen, but at a very young 22 yrs. old, he still has a lot of growing to do.
The Sabres' Ryan Miller is a bonafide #1 goalie who has proven that he can steal a game or two in the playoffs.
Just look back on the Philadelphia series two years ago when he had two shutouts vs. the Flyers. The Fly-boys had possibly the best group of forwards in the NHL that year. The Sabres countered with one of the worst defenses in the playoffs that year. Of the eight d-men who dressed for that series, only three remain.
Miller is highly regarded throughout the league (outside of Buffalo, of course) and has a way of getting in the opposition's heads. If he doesn't need to worry about his defensemen playing the game properly, he's out high in his crease challenging shooters.
And when he's on, he's real tough to beat.
It wouldn't be surprising to see the Blues and the Sabres hook-up in the off-season. St. Louis needs a sniper like Vanek and could justify bringing in a bonafide #1 goalie like Miller.
The Blues also have a bevy of young talent throughout the organization with, according to Hockey's Future, depth and talent at center and on defense in the pipeline. They have size, skill and grit on the big club. And they have so much youth that moving a 1st-round draft pick this season and/or next will not set the organization back that much.
They need to make a move for some vets to fill the two holes Miklasz points out.
And the Sabres would be the team to call.
It's not that I'd followed the Calgary Flames all that much when he was playing for them for a decade, but when I did catch their games I really liked what he brought to the team.
The Sabres for the past seven years have needed more professionalism, more grit, more leadership. Regehr is that type of player and it's players like him who get the respect of hockey world.
Regehr brought those attributes to the Sabres for the nearly two years, but as his rugged style of play began to wear on him a bit, he wasn't quite as effective with the Sabres as he was with the Flames. He's not washed up by any stretch of the imagination, but the load he had to carry in Buffalo, from a leadership and grit perspective, is too much to ask a 33 yr. old player who's never missed more than 14 games in a full season.
It's too bad Sabres GM Darcy Regier opted to pick Dmitri Kalinin one spot ahead of Regehr in the 1998 draft. We could have seen him on a nightly basis smack-dab in his prime. Who knows, maybe the Carolina series would've turned out differently and/or maybe a pro like Chris Drury would've opted to re-sign with Buffalo.
Methinks the past eight seasons would've turned out quite differently--for the better.
Regehr is out in LA now, headed to the second round of the playoffs with his Kings teammates.
Much respect to the Sabres organization for sending him there (for two 2nd-round picks.) It's probably the best possible situation for him to win the Stanley Cup.
The Kings are filled with leadership, skill, grit and tenacity. They're defending their Stanley Cup crown on a shortened season and seem to be hitting their stride right now.
What's asked of Regehr is simply to play his game. Clear the front of the net. Lay some hard hits on the opposition. Help anchor the PK.
For 21:00/game Regehr is simply asked to be the player he is--a tough defensive defenesman.
After spending an entire career being a true professional in both Calgary and Buffalo, the world would be right if he was on the last team standing.
*************
A very young and talented St. Louis Blues team was eliminated in the first round and it exposed a couple of holes in the line-up.
The Kings knocked out the Blues in six games, winning the last four straight. St. Louis scored six goals on 110 shots in those four losses.
Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post Dispatch called out management for " inexplicably ignoring the obvious need to add a proven finisher to the lineup."
Miklasz wants a "fearless, cold-blooded sniper that won't get the yips and repeatedly miss putting the puck in the net at crucial moments" in the lineup.
The Sabres Thomas Vanek is a sniper. He can score in a variety of ways from any area of the ice and he's proven he can score in the playoffs.
St. Louis bench-boss Ken Hitchcock had that type of player in Brett Hull when the Dallas Stars defeated the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals.
Although Vanek is not Brett Hull, he may be the best winger available this off-season for the Blues to acquire.
In 26 playoff games for the Sabres, Vanek has 15 goals. His average shooting percentage over those four appearances is 18.3%.
As the only real offensive weapon for Buffalo in their last two playoffs in 2010 and 2011, he had seven goals in 10 games and shot at rates of 20% and 25% respectively.
Hmmmm...
Miklasz also points out another flaw in the Blues--goaltending. He says, "[LA Kings goalie] Jonathan Quick outplayed the Blues' Brian Elliott when pressure seeped into this series."
In blog dating back to the trade deadline, it was noted that the Blues allowed the least number of shots per game in the NHL, but their goalies' save percentage was weak.
It's a trend that bit them again in the first round of the playoffs.
Miklasz points out that over the last three Blues losses to the Kings, Elliott had an .871 sv.%. For the series Elliott had a 1.90 gaa and a .919 sv%. Pretty solid numbers on the whole, but when it really counted those last three games--when Elliott needed to steal a game--an .871 sv.% doesn't get the job done.
Elliott is what he is--a real strong back-up who can play like a starter on a number of occasions, but isn't that bonafide #1 goalie.
The Blues have a potential #1 goalie in Jake Allen, but at a very young 22 yrs. old, he still has a lot of growing to do.
The Sabres' Ryan Miller is a bonafide #1 goalie who has proven that he can steal a game or two in the playoffs.
Just look back on the Philadelphia series two years ago when he had two shutouts vs. the Flyers. The Fly-boys had possibly the best group of forwards in the NHL that year. The Sabres countered with one of the worst defenses in the playoffs that year. Of the eight d-men who dressed for that series, only three remain.
Miller is highly regarded throughout the league (outside of Buffalo, of course) and has a way of getting in the opposition's heads. If he doesn't need to worry about his defensemen playing the game properly, he's out high in his crease challenging shooters.
And when he's on, he's real tough to beat.
It wouldn't be surprising to see the Blues and the Sabres hook-up in the off-season. St. Louis needs a sniper like Vanek and could justify bringing in a bonafide #1 goalie like Miller.
The Blues also have a bevy of young talent throughout the organization with, according to Hockey's Future, depth and talent at center and on defense in the pipeline. They have size, skill and grit on the big club. And they have so much youth that moving a 1st-round draft pick this season and/or next will not set the organization back that much.
They need to make a move for some vets to fill the two holes Miklasz points out.
And the Sabres would be the team to call.
Friday, March 15, 2013
News and notes--The Ides of March edition
Is it any wonder that the Sabres are near the bottom of the eastern conference?
Maybe. But a look at how they've fared over the last couple of seasons vs. the east might have given an indication as to what this season would look like.
We'll stretch back to the first post-lockout season with the two Drury/Briere years:
*************
They say that the goalie market is thin this season and that pretty much all of the teams have their goalie situations worked out.
Fair enough. Teams in a playoff spot or within must have a level of competency between the pipes to get where they are.
Trading Ryan Miller, if that is what management wants to do, will certainly be difficult without any takers--or any takers within Miller's limited no trade clause.
But while looking at the list of contenders, something interesting jumped out in St. Louis--they have given up more goals against than any team presently in the playoffs in the western conference.
Their goals against average of 2.89 presently ranks 22nd in the league and 13th in the west.
As a team, they're giving up only 24.1 shots/game. Tops in the league.
Which leads us to their goaltending trio's save percentage:
The Buffalo Sabres have given up the third most shots/game at 33.
With the Blues defense as solid as it is, would it be too far-fetched to think that Miller would be having a Vezina-like season?
A battle-tested Miller with that defense and a team that's 7th in the league in scoring (3.00 goal/game) looks a lot better than below average goaltending from Halak and an untested Allen heading into the playoffs.
A couple other quick numbers.
Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News wrote that, "the Sabres have had scouts at recent games in Los Angeles, Colorado and St. Louis, with the first two clubs getting watched on multiple occasions."
St. Louis being a late entry. Just about the time that reports are coming out about Miller and his future.
*************
In that same article, Harrington connects the dots with Los Angeles and Buffalo:
Perhaps Thomas Vanek or Jason Pominville would be a fit in Colorado, with the latter being more plausible.
Vanek is a top-line left winger. The Avs have a young, franchise winger in Gabriel Landeskog who happens to be the captain.
On the other side they have PA Parenteau who's having a great year on their top-line. But behind him is big, top-nine winger David Jones.
A top-six, two-way winger like Pominville would seem to be a much better fit for them.
Looking towards next year's salary cap, the Avs have $13M in cap-space to sign/re-sign four players.
*************
Looking at Regehr, Miller and Pominville, all of them have no trade clauses. Miller and Pominville have limited NTC's, each choosing eight teams they do not wish to be traded to.
Regehr has a full NTC, a clause that was re-upped when he came over from Calgary, a condition he demanded. And according to WGR's Paul Hamilton, he's not been asked to waive it at this time.
Nor, according to Hamilton, has Regehr asked to be traded to a contender. When asked if he'd be open to the possibility, Regehr told Hamilton, “I’m not sure. I think I’d just have to see the situation and see where we’re at here and what situation I would be going to. There’s a lot of moving parts to that, but there’s a no movement clause that would have to be signed and waived. If it does come up it’s not just my decision too, it’s also a family one as well.”
Family has always been big for Regehr, that's why Sabres owner Terry Pegula and his wife Kim flew to Alberta to meet with Regehr's family during the 2011 off-season.
*************
The NHL and NHLPA have finalized the realignment plan they'd been working on. And Buffalo's division just got stronger with the addition of the Detroit Red Wings. Tampa Bay's no cake-walk either. Florida will also join the division next season.
As for Sabres fans, things just got worse.
Looking at the northeast division as it stands right now, the Sabres sit in last place seemingly headed in the wrong direction.
The Montreal Canadians have stormed to the top of the division with a young team by overtaking the reigning division champs, Boston. The B's are only two years removed from their Stanley Cup and have a good mix of battle-tested players.
Ottawa's in third, another young team with strong goaltending and the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Erik Karlsson. They've been holding their own with Karlsson out for the season and #1 center Jason Spezza on IR as well.
After a fast start Toronto has come back down to earth, falling to fourth in the division. But even so, they're still eight points ahead of Buffalo.
The new format will have the top three teams in each division qualifying for the playoffs. Right now it would be Montreal, Boston and Ottawa. On the other side of the conference it would be Pittsburgh, Carolina and New Jersey.
The next two best teams points-wise in the conference would land the seventh and eighth playoff spots, or wild card spots as they will be called. Under the new format, right now it would be Toronto and Winnipeg.
To give you an idea as to what it would take to make the playoffs in this scenario, Buffalo is seven points behind Winnipeg. The teams between them (using next year's realignment) would be Detroit (29 pts.,) NYR (28,) NYI (27,) Philly (25,) Washington (23,) and Tampa Bay (23.) The addition of Detroit would give the Sabres a total of seven teams to jump to get into the playoffs.
With all due respect to the organization and their belief in the current team, ummm...right.
And with that in mind, is there any better time to blow it up and start all over again?
Maybe. But a look at how they've fared over the last couple of seasons vs. the east might have given an indication as to what this season would look like.
We'll stretch back to the first post-lockout season with the two Drury/Briere years:
- 2005/06: 46-21-5
- 2006/07: 47-19-6
- 2007/08: 35-25-12
- 2008/09: 32-24-8
- 2009/10: 35-22-7
- 2010/11: 33-24-7
- 2011/12: 28-26-10
- 2012/13: 10-14-3
*************
They say that the goalie market is thin this season and that pretty much all of the teams have their goalie situations worked out.
Fair enough. Teams in a playoff spot or within must have a level of competency between the pipes to get where they are.
Trading Ryan Miller, if that is what management wants to do, will certainly be difficult without any takers--or any takers within Miller's limited no trade clause.
But while looking at the list of contenders, something interesting jumped out in St. Louis--they have given up more goals against than any team presently in the playoffs in the western conference.
Their goals against average of 2.89 presently ranks 22nd in the league and 13th in the west.
As a team, they're giving up only 24.1 shots/game. Tops in the league.
Which leads us to their goaltending trio's save percentage:
- Jaroslav Halak: .881 sv%
- Brian Elliot: .851
- Jake Allen: .915
The Buffalo Sabres have given up the third most shots/game at 33.
- Ryan Miller: .914 sv%.
- Johnas Enroth: .896
With the Blues defense as solid as it is, would it be too far-fetched to think that Miller would be having a Vezina-like season?
A battle-tested Miller with that defense and a team that's 7th in the league in scoring (3.00 goal/game) looks a lot better than below average goaltending from Halak and an untested Allen heading into the playoffs.
A couple other quick numbers.
- The Blues are projected to have approximately $33M in cap-space next season to sign/re-sign 11 players.
- Miller makes $2.5M more than Halak and both will be UFA's after next season.
Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News wrote that, "the Sabres have had scouts at recent games in Los Angeles, Colorado and St. Louis, with the first two clubs getting watched on multiple occasions."
St. Louis being a late entry. Just about the time that reports are coming out about Miller and his future.
*************
In that same article, Harrington connects the dots with Los Angeles and Buffalo:
"Defensemen Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell have been out all season with injuries, and the Kings are familiar with [Robyn] Regehr and [Jordan] Leopold from their days with Calgary’s 2004 Cup finalists." He adds, "The Kings would also be intrigued by the addition of Vanek or Pominville as well for their run at another Cup."As of now, the connection with Colorado seems obscure.
Perhaps Thomas Vanek or Jason Pominville would be a fit in Colorado, with the latter being more plausible.
Vanek is a top-line left winger. The Avs have a young, franchise winger in Gabriel Landeskog who happens to be the captain.
On the other side they have PA Parenteau who's having a great year on their top-line. But behind him is big, top-nine winger David Jones.
A top-six, two-way winger like Pominville would seem to be a much better fit for them.
Looking towards next year's salary cap, the Avs have $13M in cap-space to sign/re-sign four players.
*************
Looking at Regehr, Miller and Pominville, all of them have no trade clauses. Miller and Pominville have limited NTC's, each choosing eight teams they do not wish to be traded to.
Regehr has a full NTC, a clause that was re-upped when he came over from Calgary, a condition he demanded. And according to WGR's Paul Hamilton, he's not been asked to waive it at this time.
Nor, according to Hamilton, has Regehr asked to be traded to a contender. When asked if he'd be open to the possibility, Regehr told Hamilton, “I’m not sure. I think I’d just have to see the situation and see where we’re at here and what situation I would be going to. There’s a lot of moving parts to that, but there’s a no movement clause that would have to be signed and waived. If it does come up it’s not just my decision too, it’s also a family one as well.”
Family has always been big for Regehr, that's why Sabres owner Terry Pegula and his wife Kim flew to Alberta to meet with Regehr's family during the 2011 off-season.
*************
The NHL and NHLPA have finalized the realignment plan they'd been working on. And Buffalo's division just got stronger with the addition of the Detroit Red Wings. Tampa Bay's no cake-walk either. Florida will also join the division next season.
As for Sabres fans, things just got worse.
Looking at the northeast division as it stands right now, the Sabres sit in last place seemingly headed in the wrong direction.
The Montreal Canadians have stormed to the top of the division with a young team by overtaking the reigning division champs, Boston. The B's are only two years removed from their Stanley Cup and have a good mix of battle-tested players.
Ottawa's in third, another young team with strong goaltending and the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Erik Karlsson. They've been holding their own with Karlsson out for the season and #1 center Jason Spezza on IR as well.
After a fast start Toronto has come back down to earth, falling to fourth in the division. But even so, they're still eight points ahead of Buffalo.
The new format will have the top three teams in each division qualifying for the playoffs. Right now it would be Montreal, Boston and Ottawa. On the other side of the conference it would be Pittsburgh, Carolina and New Jersey.
The next two best teams points-wise in the conference would land the seventh and eighth playoff spots, or wild card spots as they will be called. Under the new format, right now it would be Toronto and Winnipeg.
To give you an idea as to what it would take to make the playoffs in this scenario, Buffalo is seven points behind Winnipeg. The teams between them (using next year's realignment) would be Detroit (29 pts.,) NYR (28,) NYI (27,) Philly (25,) Washington (23,) and Tampa Bay (23.) The addition of Detroit would give the Sabres a total of seven teams to jump to get into the playoffs.
With all due respect to the organization and their belief in the current team, ummm...right.
And with that in mind, is there any better time to blow it up and start all over again?
Thursday, November 24, 2011
A Valiant Effort
Gaustad and the team earned back the respect of their fans as well. The 18,690 in attendance and those of us watching loved it, even though they knew the outcome of the Goose/Looch fight. As John Vogl of the Buffalo News put it, "What mattered was their team was back from the land of kittens and custard."
Goose also came in mid-way through the first to pound Brad Marchand into the boards after Marchand nailed Nathan Gerbe with a check. The B's descended upon Goose and Corey Tropp like a pack of wolves with fists flying. Amongst the Bruins on the ice were some pretty tough customers like Adam McQuaid and Johnny Boychuk.
Out of the melee' came Zdeno Chara and Robyn Regehr. Regehr, who's not the greatest fighter took some lumps from the 6'9" Chara, but managed to sneak in a punch or two himself.
Regehr has always been well respected throughout the league, and it's a good thing he was out there.
The Sabres as a team acquitted themselves very well in what turned out to be an old-school, Adams Division-type rumble for a period and a half. The played some pretty inspired hockey and they didn't back down despite the fact that they were clearly outnumbered in the manly-man category.
Gerbe, the shortest player in the ice, had eight hits on the game, which isn't all that surprising considering that's the game he plays, "That's fun to play, I'll tell you that much," said the Sabres forward. "Those games are awesome. It's fun to play. It's fun to compete."
That attitude, along with Gaustad manning up early, got their blood pumping to the point where they lead the game by two goals twice, 2-0 and 3-1, but just couldn't bury the defending Stanley Cup Champions with that third one.
Nor could they protect a one-goal lead in the third. Nor could they score in overtime or the shootout.
But all-in-all they played one of their best games of the season, especially in the first period.
For all the purported skill Darcy Regier was supposed to have stocked the team with, they're still not quite as skilled as he believes them to be.
Thomas Vanek scored on a wicked wrist shot to put the Sabres up 2-0. He's got mad skills, although he'd love to have the shot that Chara blocked back. Maybe put some air under it.
Christian Ehrhoff showed why the Sabres went after him. His game-opening goal was a blast from the point through a thick screen in front of Tim Thomas.
Other than that, lack of finish still seems to haunt this team.
The Bruins are a tough match-up for the Sabres. The B's beat them the first time with intimidation and the second time with just a little more skill and finish.
It's not an egregious mismatch, by any stretch, but a tweak or two may be in order if they want to match up with the champs.
The Sabres should in no way hang their heads after their defeat. They gave it all they had, and now need to find it within themselves to sustain that level of play they showed in the first period and a half throughout an entire game.
There's no better team than the Boston Bruins to emulate now. They had their Lucic/Ryan Miller moment when Marc Savard was nailed by Matt Cooke and there was no response. Eventually they did with Shawn Thorton going after Cooke. And from then on they built themselves into a Stanley Cup Champion.
It's a long way to Tipperary, and these two games with the Bruins showed just how far the Sabres need to go. The team has some really solid pieces, strong goaltending and some skill up-front. They proved last night, as they've proven on more than one occasion before, that they can play a physical game.
They just need a piece or two to be able to come out on top in an Adams Division-type rumble.
Jochen Hecht made his debut last night and showed his savvy. He had Mike Grier-like moments last night where he somehow got in on Thomas only to be denied.
TJ Brennan got thrown into the fire and played a real strong game. He was strong on the puck in his own end and moved the puck out of trouble on a number of occasions. His goal, in his first NHL game, was a combination of savvy and skill as he jumped into an opening and buried his shot from the slot.
From bostonherald.com:
If Lucic-Miller was the big story of the previous Bruins-Sabres meeting in Boston, Brad Marchand’s interactions with Sabres forward Derek Roy was an interesting sub-plot. Throughout that game, Marchand pestered Roy with little shoves and hooks before and after the whistle, and non-stop trash talk.
“He does a good job at it,” said Roy. “There are only a few guys in the league who can do what he does.
“It doesn’t bother me. People have being doing that stuff to me since was a kid. You’re used to it and you just shrug it off. You can’t worry about what he’s doing on the ice, just what you’re trying to do.”
It should be interesting to note that with the Sabres up 3-2 early in the third period, Roy was called for hooking behind the Buffalo net. Zdeno Chara scored on the ensuing powerplay to tie up the game.
Paul Gaustad knew what needed to be done. Or felt that he needed to challenge Milan Lucic. And he did on their first shift. And he took a pretty good beating. Good thing it was real early, Lucic wasn't warmed up yet, “It was my first shift, you know,’’ he said. “It’s kinda tough to get angry.’’
 |
| The girls' reaction in the second row says it all. Everyone knew what Gaustad was in for tangling with Milan Lucic, but it didn't matter. The effort was appreciated througout Buffalo. |
Gaustad earned some respect, though. As did the Sabres even though they eventually dropped a 4-3 decision to Boston in a shootout.
After the game, Lucic was asked about Gaustad and the fight, "It was straight to the point," he said. Teammate Chara gave props to Goose, "You have to give Gaustad credit," Chara said. "He's a stand-up guy and he did a good job for his team. So did Looch."
Gaustad and the team earned back the respect of their fans as well. The 18,690 in attendance and those of us watching loved it, even though they knew the outcome of the Goose/Looch fight. As John Vogl of the Buffalo News put it, "What mattered was their team was back from the land of kittens and custard."
Goose also came in mid-way through the first to pound Brad Marchand into the boards after Marchand nailed Nathan Gerbe with a check. The B's descended upon Goose and Corey Tropp like a pack of wolves with fists flying. Amongst the Bruins on the ice were some pretty tough customers like Adam McQuaid and Johnny Boychuk.
Out of the melee' came Zdeno Chara and Robyn Regehr. Regehr, who's not the greatest fighter took some lumps from the 6'9" Chara, but managed to sneak in a punch or two himself.
Regehr has always been well respected throughout the league, and it's a good thing he was out there.
The Sabres as a team acquitted themselves very well in what turned out to be an old-school, Adams Division-type rumble for a period and a half. The played some pretty inspired hockey and they didn't back down despite the fact that they were clearly outnumbered in the manly-man category.
 |
| For as small as he is, Nathan Gerbe's heart can fill the entire F'N Center. |
That attitude, along with Gaustad manning up early, got their blood pumping to the point where they lead the game by two goals twice, 2-0 and 3-1, but just couldn't bury the defending Stanley Cup Champions with that third one.
Nor could they protect a one-goal lead in the third. Nor could they score in overtime or the shootout.
But all-in-all they played one of their best games of the season, especially in the first period.
For all the purported skill Darcy Regier was supposed to have stocked the team with, they're still not quite as skilled as he believes them to be.
Thomas Vanek scored on a wicked wrist shot to put the Sabres up 2-0. He's got mad skills, although he'd love to have the shot that Chara blocked back. Maybe put some air under it.
Christian Ehrhoff showed why the Sabres went after him. His game-opening goal was a blast from the point through a thick screen in front of Tim Thomas.
Other than that, lack of finish still seems to haunt this team.
The Bruins are a tough match-up for the Sabres. The B's beat them the first time with intimidation and the second time with just a little more skill and finish.
It's not an egregious mismatch, by any stretch, but a tweak or two may be in order if they want to match up with the champs.
The Sabres should in no way hang their heads after their defeat. They gave it all they had, and now need to find it within themselves to sustain that level of play they showed in the first period and a half throughout an entire game.
 |
| Although Brad Marchand got leveled by Thomas Vanek on this play, he got up and scored seconds later. The mark of a champion. |
There's no better team than the Boston Bruins to emulate now. They had their Lucic/Ryan Miller moment when Marc Savard was nailed by Matt Cooke and there was no response. Eventually they did with Shawn Thorton going after Cooke. And from then on they built themselves into a Stanley Cup Champion.
It's a long way to Tipperary, and these two games with the Bruins showed just how far the Sabres need to go. The team has some really solid pieces, strong goaltending and some skill up-front. They proved last night, as they've proven on more than one occasion before, that they can play a physical game.
They just need a piece or two to be able to come out on top in an Adams Division-type rumble.
~~~~~~~~~~
 |
| Sabres d-man TJ Brennan celebrates his first goal in his first NHL game. |
~~~~~~~~~~
From bostonherald.com:
If Lucic-Miller was the big story of the previous Bruins-Sabres meeting in Boston, Brad Marchand’s interactions with Sabres forward Derek Roy was an interesting sub-plot. Throughout that game, Marchand pestered Roy with little shoves and hooks before and after the whistle, and non-stop trash talk.
“He does a good job at it,” said Roy. “There are only a few guys in the league who can do what he does.
“It doesn’t bother me. People have being doing that stuff to me since was a kid. You’re used to it and you just shrug it off. You can’t worry about what he’s doing on the ice, just what you’re trying to do.”
It should be interesting to note that with the Sabres up 3-2 early in the third period, Roy was called for hooking behind the Buffalo net. Zdeno Chara scored on the ensuing powerplay to tie up the game.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Hype-Machine Is Starting To Get Cranked Up
The 2011 version of the Big Bad Boston Bruins comes rolling into the F'N Center tonight.
The spoked B's are red-hot having won nine in a row and they're looking to make it 10 vs. a team that they smoked less than two weeks ago.
We all remember the game, we all remember the Milan Lucic hit on Ryan Miller. We also remember how the Sabres reacted, or more precisely, failed to react. Every team in the NHL knows that the Sabres can be thrown off of their game. They know that they can get inside of Miller's head, and the collective Sabres head, with some old-school intimidation.
In defense of Lindy Ruffs club, they're not total pantie-waists. They've managed, on a few occasions, to stand up for themselves to various degrees. But the epic fail in the first Bruins/Sabres meeting furthers the point that the Sabres are merely a soft-but-skilled team lacking the proper amount of testosterone to be anything more than a pretender.
So how do the Sabres approach this game?
Quite the quandary for Ruff. He does not have the tools with which to pull off a UFC-style grudge match. The closest thing he has to an enforcer would be Cody McCormick, and he's out with an injury as is another no-nonsense guy, Mike Weber.
There's mention of Paul Gaustad. He, like the team, shows up on occasion to drop the gloves and basically take one for the team. He was disappointed with his own reaction to the events that occurred previously and surely would like to show that he actually has a set.
With all due respect to "Goose," I'm not sure that he has enough internal fury to look at Lucic with shear hatred and embark on a "knock-down-drag 'em-out" with one of the toughest customers in the league. Being infuriated and fighting Lucic would probably mean a sound ass-kicking for Gaustad, but fans would give him props for the effort.
Patrick Kaleta might engage. But, Lucic would like nothing more than to put a severe beating on a player like Kaleta who's universally hated outside of Buffalo for his style of play.
Let's face it, the Sabres can't even come close to matching what Lucic, Shawn Thorton, Adam McQuaid and even Zdeno Chara bring to the cage-match.
So if you can't beat them down, what's the next approach?
How about trying to play your game? How about going for the two points playing an up-tempo game in attack-mode?
That could work. But the Sabres would need to show that they can beat a hot goalie. And Tim Thomas is red-hot with three shutouts in his last five starts.
Even so. Let's say the Sabres do manage to pot a few goals early. There's always the original premise of the Lucic hit: the Sabres can be thrown off of their game with some brute physicality.
To say the Bruins are a tough team would be putting it mildly. And not only that, they are the king of the hill, the defending Stanley Cup Champions. They have all the tools to repeat and the confidence that goes along with being champion.
The Sabres, on the other hand, have 13 playoff games to their resume' in the last four years.
It's a daunting task in front of the Sabres, so maybe it would be best if they forget the hype, forget about the token fight to start the game, and just lay the body on the B's when the opportunity arises.
Physicality has a way of bringing out a fire within that normally lays dormant in passive play. It also has a way of getting the adrenaline pumping which is a good thing on both ends of the ice.
A player that has gotten little print in this whole thing, Robyn Regehr, put it this way, "There's certain things that happen spontaneously and so be it. It happens when you're playing a good hard physical aggressive game. I don't think there's going to be any sort of premeditated stuff."
Regehr is not a fighter, per se, but he's never backed down from fisticuffs. And although he doesn't have a letter stitched to his jersey in Buffalo, he is a leader and will do what's necessary for the team.
Even though the hype-machine will be cranking, and the call will be for Buffalo to go old-school and show their manhood, in the end the Sabres need to score one more goal than the Bruins.
After all, that's what it comes down to. It's a four-point game for the division lead tonight, and a victory against a red-hot division rival can only be a good thing.
Eventually, the opportunity for redemption will reveal itself. Whether it's tonight or in any of the remaining games between the clubs the rest of the season.
One can only hope that when the opportunity arises, the team will show it has the courage to stand up for themselves and their teammates. They're not going to wipe the collective smirk off of the Bruins face tonight, but a hard-fought win will at least garner them some respect and give a boost to their confidence.
The spoked B's are red-hot having won nine in a row and they're looking to make it 10 vs. a team that they smoked less than two weeks ago.
We all remember the game, we all remember the Milan Lucic hit on Ryan Miller. We also remember how the Sabres reacted, or more precisely, failed to react. Every team in the NHL knows that the Sabres can be thrown off of their game. They know that they can get inside of Miller's head, and the collective Sabres head, with some old-school intimidation.
In defense of Lindy Ruffs club, they're not total pantie-waists. They've managed, on a few occasions, to stand up for themselves to various degrees. But the epic fail in the first Bruins/Sabres meeting furthers the point that the Sabres are merely a soft-but-skilled team lacking the proper amount of testosterone to be anything more than a pretender.
So how do the Sabres approach this game?
Quite the quandary for Ruff. He does not have the tools with which to pull off a UFC-style grudge match. The closest thing he has to an enforcer would be Cody McCormick, and he's out with an injury as is another no-nonsense guy, Mike Weber.
There's mention of Paul Gaustad. He, like the team, shows up on occasion to drop the gloves and basically take one for the team. He was disappointed with his own reaction to the events that occurred previously and surely would like to show that he actually has a set.
With all due respect to "Goose," I'm not sure that he has enough internal fury to look at Lucic with shear hatred and embark on a "knock-down-drag 'em-out" with one of the toughest customers in the league. Being infuriated and fighting Lucic would probably mean a sound ass-kicking for Gaustad, but fans would give him props for the effort.
Patrick Kaleta might engage. But, Lucic would like nothing more than to put a severe beating on a player like Kaleta who's universally hated outside of Buffalo for his style of play.
Let's face it, the Sabres can't even come close to matching what Lucic, Shawn Thorton, Adam McQuaid and even Zdeno Chara bring to the cage-match.
So if you can't beat them down, what's the next approach?
How about trying to play your game? How about going for the two points playing an up-tempo game in attack-mode?
That could work. But the Sabres would need to show that they can beat a hot goalie. And Tim Thomas is red-hot with three shutouts in his last five starts.
Even so. Let's say the Sabres do manage to pot a few goals early. There's always the original premise of the Lucic hit: the Sabres can be thrown off of their game with some brute physicality.
To say the Bruins are a tough team would be putting it mildly. And not only that, they are the king of the hill, the defending Stanley Cup Champions. They have all the tools to repeat and the confidence that goes along with being champion.
The Sabres, on the other hand, have 13 playoff games to their resume' in the last four years.
It's a daunting task in front of the Sabres, so maybe it would be best if they forget the hype, forget about the token fight to start the game, and just lay the body on the B's when the opportunity arises.
Physicality has a way of bringing out a fire within that normally lays dormant in passive play. It also has a way of getting the adrenaline pumping which is a good thing on both ends of the ice.
A player that has gotten little print in this whole thing, Robyn Regehr, put it this way, "There's certain things that happen spontaneously and so be it. It happens when you're playing a good hard physical aggressive game. I don't think there's going to be any sort of premeditated stuff."
Regehr is not a fighter, per se, but he's never backed down from fisticuffs. And although he doesn't have a letter stitched to his jersey in Buffalo, he is a leader and will do what's necessary for the team.
Even though the hype-machine will be cranking, and the call will be for Buffalo to go old-school and show their manhood, in the end the Sabres need to score one more goal than the Bruins.
After all, that's what it comes down to. It's a four-point game for the division lead tonight, and a victory against a red-hot division rival can only be a good thing.
Eventually, the opportunity for redemption will reveal itself. Whether it's tonight or in any of the remaining games between the clubs the rest of the season.
One can only hope that when the opportunity arises, the team will show it has the courage to stand up for themselves and their teammates. They're not going to wipe the collective smirk off of the Bruins face tonight, but a hard-fought win will at least garner them some respect and give a boost to their confidence.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Notes From the Sabres Opening Game Victory
Although the Anaheim Ducks are not the Stanley Cup team they were back in 2007, they are still a tough team to beat. They're big, mobile and skilled. And even though soon to be Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Niedermayer is retired and soon to be retired, future Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne is 41, the team is still mentioned as a contender coming out of the Western Conference.
For their part, the Buffalo Sabres are considered improved to the point where nearly all of the "experts" picked them to be a #3-#6 seed for the playoffs this season. Some picked them to go as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, which doesn't seem to be that far of a reach at all.
Yesterday in their opener versus Anaheim in Helsinki, Finland, the Sabres kicked in the after-burners for a good portion of two periods en route to a 4-1 win.
The team jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than halfway through the first period, answered a Ducks goal in the second with a goal of their own :73 later, grabbed a three-goal lead with a little less than half the second period left and then went into a defensive mode for the remainder of the game. In fact the Sabres did not register a shot in the final period.
It's pretty impressive when a team can go full throttle for the better part of two periods, then switch to shutdown mode for the remainder of the game. Usually the latter will get a team into trouble, but Ryan Miller, his defense and a back-checking group of collapsing forwards did not yield a goal during that stretch.
For their part, the Buffalo Sabres are considered improved to the point where nearly all of the "experts" picked them to be a #3-#6 seed for the playoffs this season. Some picked them to go as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, which doesn't seem to be that far of a reach at all.
Yesterday in their opener versus Anaheim in Helsinki, Finland, the Sabres kicked in the after-burners for a good portion of two periods en route to a 4-1 win.
The team jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than halfway through the first period, answered a Ducks goal in the second with a goal of their own :73 later, grabbed a three-goal lead with a little less than half the second period left and then went into a defensive mode for the remainder of the game. In fact the Sabres did not register a shot in the final period.
It's pretty impressive when a team can go full throttle for the better part of two periods, then switch to shutdown mode for the remainder of the game. Usually the latter will get a team into trouble, but Ryan Miller, his defense and a back-checking group of collapsing forwards did not yield a goal during that stretch.
The Offense and the Afterburners
The forwards on Buffalo are highly reminiscent of the 2006/07 team which Jaromir Jagr, at the time, called a "Ferrari." When they are in attack mode, they swarm the opposition with speed and quickness.
Ville Leino got his first goal as a Sabre due to a swarming forcheck, a pinching d-man and some pretty impressive hand-eye coordination (see video below.)
 |
| The Sabres 1st-unit power play got off on the right foot scoring two goals on four pp opportunities. Vanek, Pominville, Stafford, Gragnani and Ehrhoff |
Christian Ehrhoff was brought in to, among other things, help with the power play. Marc-Andre Gragnani was inserted into the line-up to, among other things, help with the power play. With those two on the point, Jason Pominville is now working down low. That group, along with Drew Stafford working the wall and Thomas Vanek in front of the net, scored two power play goals as the team went 2/4 with the man advantage.
The New Captain, Pominville, Nets One For "The Core"
Over the last four seasons, there have been a core group of Sabres that management and the coaching staff have put a lot of faith in to win. When Terry Pegula took over he had the opportunity to dismantle, or even tweak, that group. But, just like his retaining both Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff, he did not.
In fact, Pegula, upper management and the coaches went the in the opposite direction, they gave "the core" even more responsibility by awarding them letters.
Pominville, who has worn a letter for years, including the rotating "C" in 2007/08, had that letter permanently sewn to his jersey. Derek Roy, who has also worn a letter for four years, continues as an alternate captain.
Two seasons ago, Paul Gaustad got the "A," and during that time the team made the playoffs. He's back in that role.
 |
| New Sabres Alternate Captain, Drew Stafford, and his "Stafford-Scowl." |
Vanek was awarded an "A" last season when Roy was lost for the season, he retained that. And Drew Stafford, coming of of a career year and a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract extension, was chosen to be the final alternate.
Of the core as captains, Ruff said, "We talked with, obviously Darcy and management and even Terry was involved, we felt it was the right move for this group that has grown up together (see this from the Rochester Americans website We kept it to that same core, that it's their time."
Pominville, the captain, answered the Ducks lone goal with the third for the Sabres cycling in the circle down low with Vanek providing a screen. He also had a wicked shot stopped the Ducks' Jonas Hiller low, glove-side. "Pommer" continued to do what he's always done--a solid, if unspectacular game through and through. Both he and Vanek flanked rookie Luke Adam, who did not look out of place.
Robyn Regehr Does His Thing
Much will be made about the toughness Regehr brings to the table, and he showed it versus Anaheim by roughing it up with the league's toughest tough-guy, George Parros.
Regehr also did some pounding in the corners as well, which is typical of his game. For the Sabres, they haven't had Western Conference toughness in a top-pairing role and I'm sure that Miller and the rest of the team really appreciate Regehr having their backs.
But one play that really sets the tone for the season on the back-end, one that was mentioned by the media post-game, was Regehr breaking up a two-on-one by the Ducks. It was fundamental, Defense-101 as Regehr played the pass and Miller squared up to the shooter. Such a little thing like that was missing on most occasions last season, and frustrated Miller to the point that he couldn't figure out what he should do. The eventual lack of trust in his young d-men contributed to his less than stellar performance in goal.
Simple plays like that, and with Regehr leading the defense back to basics in their own zone, should contribute to a lower goals against average for the team and allow Miller to challenge more, which is something seen repeatedly, when he's on his game.
What the Opposition Media Said After the Game
 |
| Fellow Finn and Ducks Legend Teemu Selanne may have the mural, but new Sabres forward and Finland native, Ville Leino, netted a goal and his Sabres' team got the win. |
From Lisa Dillman of the L.A. Times, this headline: Ducks Buffaloed in Helsinki as teams put their best Finns forward. Not much to the article and not surprising considering the game's outcome. She did lead off with this, "The celebratory homecoming for one Finn could not have gone better or more smoothly." The Finn she was referring to was the one without a mural on the wall of the Helsinki arena but of a Finn who happened to play for the Buffalo Sabres--Ville Leino.
From the Orange County Register, writer Jeff Miller lead off an after-game notes article talking about the Ducks' big line of Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf getting big minutes yet getting shut out. He had this quote from Coach Randy Carlyle, "I think our big line dominated the puck control down low for good stretches but didn't score, obviously" Carlyle said. "I think the frustration level built in that group."
It's an excellent start to the season for the Buffalo Sabres, but as Ruff has said on many occasions, it's a marathon not a sprint. Except on the ice where the Sabres will be going full-throttle.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
The Sabres Upgrade In Talent Is Evident Vs. Montreal
The qualifier for this piece is that it's only preseason.
But the game last night vs. Montreal at the Bell Center certainly gave us glimpses as to why the Sabres went after the players they did in the off season.
Robyn Regehr, Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino were all brought in to bolster a Sabres line-up that had just lost a hard fought seven game series to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Leino was playing in his second preseason game, Regehr and Ehrhoff, their first as the Sabres downed a prospect-laden Habs team 3-1.
So how did these three do?
Lets start with Leino.
For the second straight game, Ville Leino was centering a line with Tyler Ennis on his left and Drew Stafford on his right. The line, in a way, mimics his line in Philadelphia with Ennis as a quick Daniel Briere-type and Stafford as a semblance of Scott Hartnell.
The line apparently worked well in practice and Lindy Ruff decided to give them two full games together to see if it translates well into a game situation. Ruff knows that the two situations can be mutually exclusive and as of right now, that's the way it seems.
Last night, Leino's line was virtually non-existent. Not much pressure on the forecheck, not much cycling, not much of anything really. That's two games running and Ruff will probably re-evaluate the workings of that line in relation to the rest of the team as he works out the kinks this preseason.
In his defense, though, to expect Leino to go through what he did this summer--different city, different position, different linemates, different expectations--and come out smoking would be a lot to ask. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it took him four or five months to get acclimated and adjusted to the point where he feels comfortable and can let his natural abilities come forward.
Robyn Regehr
The complexities of offense are not a problem when it comes to Regehr as he plays a simple, stay-at-home defensive game predicated upon snarl. And last night we got ourselves a glimpse as to what he is all about.
The Sabres haven't had a d-man like him since Jay McKee bolted for St. Louis back in 2006. Quite possibly, the Sabres may never have had a d-man who brings to the table what he does.
Regehr has a presence about him that affects the entire team. A couple of his hits were earth-shattering, as expected, and he was rock-solid in his own zone.
What a great addition to the team in general, for the young defensemen in the system, and for young-stud, Tyler Myers, in particular.
As a pairing for the first time, it would seem as if Regehr said to Myers, "Have at it, I've got your back," and that's what the kid did. He was all over the ice in the offensive zone for the first 30-40 minutes looking more like a fourth forward than a d-man.
The Regehr-effect upon Myers also showed on the back end. We all know that the kid can skate, and we all know that he's pretty solid in his own zone. What we saw last night, and it's something that's a continuation of last years Flyers series, is his willingness to get physical as he plastered a couple of Canadians to the boards.
Regehr's presence will affect the team on many levels, especially when it comes to the defense. Perhaps Ryan Miller put it best when he said (from NHL.com,) "I'm excited for Regehr. Great guy off the ice, but on the ice, I think most people agree he's not such a nice guy. I think that it's a good attitude to set up our (defense) corps with. The other team is going to know they have to go through guys with that attitude."
Christian Ehrhoff
The first of two eye-brow raising free agent contracts this off season went to Ehrhoff. The clamor and derision heaped upon Sabres management for this contract was relentless throughout the summer.
But the team felt as if the former Vancouver Canucks d-man would be a strong, veteran addition to the team.
All summer, Ruff was adamant in saying that Ehrhoff would fit right into how the team wanted their defense to be active in the offensive zone. And last night, we saw first-hand what he was talking about.
Ehrhoff, the game's first star with a goal and an assist, jumped into the offensive zone last night finding open ice, especially on the powerplay. And when he buried a wicked, quick wrister in the upper-corner, we found out why Ruff had also emphasized that Ehrhoff is a shooter.
Before that, though, Ehrhoff showed his puck-moving ability as he took a Derek Roy faceoff win, drove deep into the Montreal corner and fed Jason Pomminville through a maze of players for an easy tap-in.
The Sabres did not have anything close to him last season in that department, and if it's any indication, a team that was in the top-five in defenseman scoring last year will be even better this season.
Once again, it's only preseason, and the Sabres iced a veteran group vs. a prospect-laden Montreal Canadians team. But what we saw last night, at least from Regehr and Ehrhoff, gives a glimpse as to why the Sabres brought in the players they did, cost be damned.
But the game last night vs. Montreal at the Bell Center certainly gave us glimpses as to why the Sabres went after the players they did in the off season.
Robyn Regehr, Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino were all brought in to bolster a Sabres line-up that had just lost a hard fought seven game series to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Leino was playing in his second preseason game, Regehr and Ehrhoff, their first as the Sabres downed a prospect-laden Habs team 3-1.
So how did these three do?
Lets start with Leino.
For the second straight game, Ville Leino was centering a line with Tyler Ennis on his left and Drew Stafford on his right. The line, in a way, mimics his line in Philadelphia with Ennis as a quick Daniel Briere-type and Stafford as a semblance of Scott Hartnell.
The line apparently worked well in practice and Lindy Ruff decided to give them two full games together to see if it translates well into a game situation. Ruff knows that the two situations can be mutually exclusive and as of right now, that's the way it seems.
Last night, Leino's line was virtually non-existent. Not much pressure on the forecheck, not much cycling, not much of anything really. That's two games running and Ruff will probably re-evaluate the workings of that line in relation to the rest of the team as he works out the kinks this preseason.
In his defense, though, to expect Leino to go through what he did this summer--different city, different position, different linemates, different expectations--and come out smoking would be a lot to ask. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it took him four or five months to get acclimated and adjusted to the point where he feels comfortable and can let his natural abilities come forward.
Robyn Regehr
The complexities of offense are not a problem when it comes to Regehr as he plays a simple, stay-at-home defensive game predicated upon snarl. And last night we got ourselves a glimpse as to what he is all about.
The Sabres haven't had a d-man like him since Jay McKee bolted for St. Louis back in 2006. Quite possibly, the Sabres may never have had a d-man who brings to the table what he does.
Regehr has a presence about him that affects the entire team. A couple of his hits were earth-shattering, as expected, and he was rock-solid in his own zone.
What a great addition to the team in general, for the young defensemen in the system, and for young-stud, Tyler Myers, in particular.
As a pairing for the first time, it would seem as if Regehr said to Myers, "Have at it, I've got your back," and that's what the kid did. He was all over the ice in the offensive zone for the first 30-40 minutes looking more like a fourth forward than a d-man.
The Regehr-effect upon Myers also showed on the back end. We all know that the kid can skate, and we all know that he's pretty solid in his own zone. What we saw last night, and it's something that's a continuation of last years Flyers series, is his willingness to get physical as he plastered a couple of Canadians to the boards.
Regehr's presence will affect the team on many levels, especially when it comes to the defense. Perhaps Ryan Miller put it best when he said (from NHL.com,) "I'm excited for Regehr. Great guy off the ice, but on the ice, I think most people agree he's not such a nice guy. I think that it's a good attitude to set up our (defense) corps with. The other team is going to know they have to go through guys with that attitude."
Christian Ehrhoff
 |
| Christian Ehrhoff (center) had a strong debut in the Sabres 3-1 preseason win over Montreal. |
But the team felt as if the former Vancouver Canucks d-man would be a strong, veteran addition to the team.
All summer, Ruff was adamant in saying that Ehrhoff would fit right into how the team wanted their defense to be active in the offensive zone. And last night, we saw first-hand what he was talking about.
Ehrhoff, the game's first star with a goal and an assist, jumped into the offensive zone last night finding open ice, especially on the powerplay. And when he buried a wicked, quick wrister in the upper-corner, we found out why Ruff had also emphasized that Ehrhoff is a shooter.
Before that, though, Ehrhoff showed his puck-moving ability as he took a Derek Roy faceoff win, drove deep into the Montreal corner and fed Jason Pomminville through a maze of players for an easy tap-in.
The Sabres did not have anything close to him last season in that department, and if it's any indication, a team that was in the top-five in defenseman scoring last year will be even better this season.
Once again, it's only preseason, and the Sabres iced a veteran group vs. a prospect-laden Montreal Canadians team. But what we saw last night, at least from Regehr and Ehrhoff, gives a glimpse as to why the Sabres brought in the players they did, cost be damned.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Who Will Wear Letters On Their Sabres' Sweaters?
In 2008, two days before their October 10 season opener vs. the Montreal Canadians, Head Coach Lindy Ruff announced that recently acquired d-man Craig Rivet would be named team captain.
It was a somewhat surprising move considering the fact that he'd been acquired a mere three months earlier in a trade with San Jose', with the operative word being "somewhat."
Ruff had used the rotating captain thing for the 2007/08 season--the first season without departed co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere--trying to find out which player had what it takes to lead the team. Although there may have been a player in his eyes which could take the reigns, none, it seemed, felt themselves worthy, and it ended up with the team voting Rivet captain.
“The players showed a lot of instant respect for him and what he’s done,” Ruff said as he introduced the new Sabres captain. “Was I a little bit surprised? Yeah. I’ve liked, and loved actually, what he’s done in practice and games. But to come in and garner that much respect and trust from his teammates in a short period of time… it says a lot.”
 |
| And now, "Deep Thoughts," by Lindy Ruff. "Who Will Be My Captain This Season?" |
Three years later, the Sabres are once again looking for a captain as Rivet was off to Columbus on re-entry waivers late last season.
The Core Is Older, But Have They Matured?
"The Core" consists of these players who were brought up in the Sabres system and were/are looked to for leadership: Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, Paul Gaustad and to an extent Drew Stafford. One other player, although not drafted by the Sabres yet has been with the team for eight years and may be considered a core player, is Jochen Hecht.
All have worn the "A" (save for Stafford,) two--Pominville and Hecht--wore the "C" during the 2007/08 captain's rotation season and all (save for Hecht) are entering various stages of their primes.
With four years under their belts since the departure of co-captains Drury and Briere, and with varying degrees of success both individually and team-wise, the jury's still out as to whether or not one of the group has emerged as captain material.
 |
| Is it deja vu all over again for the Sabres and incoming d-man/leader, Robyn Regehr? |
In a bit of deja vu, recently acquired d-man, Robyn Regehr, like Rivet, has leadership attributes and may end up wearing the "C" in Buffalo. It would be easy for the team to vote him captain considering he wore an "A" in Calgary.
And the same quote Ruff used to describe Rivet can be used to make a case for Regehr, “I’ve said all along first of all [a captain has] to be the guy you want to follow on the ice,” Ruff said. “[his] actions on the ice dictate more than what he can say in the room... He’s got good character. He’s going to be right there for his teammates.”
This time around, unlike 2008 when "the core" players were mired in youthful insecurities and shunned the responsibility of the captaincy, there may be players on the team this year who feel as if they are ready to lead.
Leadership Qualities That Teammates Follow
 |
| 2007 NHL Hall Of Fame Inductees: Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, Ron Francis and Al MacInnis |
"The guy you want to follow," pretty much sums up a hockey captain. Some have it when they come into the league, are named captain real early and are successful (Sidney Crosby.) Some adapt after the initial shock of the weight (Ron Francis.) For some it's a process that's either short-term (Joe Sakic,) mid-range (Mark Messier) or long-term (Dave Andreychuk.) And then there's some, as we come to find out later, who never had it to begin with (Alexei Yashin.)
But for the majority, it's the mid-range process, where they enter their prime after hundreds of games on the ice, much like where this current crop of core players are right now in their careers.
In a November, 2007 piece, Paul Grant of espn.com interviewed four 2007 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees who were all captains in the NHL, and who had all hoisted the Stanley Cup, about what it takes to lead.
The "Captain's Captain," Mark Messier along with NJ Devils' Cup-winning captain Scott Stevens, Calgary Flames Cup-winner and St. Louis Blues captain, Al MacInnis and Hartford Whalers captain/Pittsburgh Penguins Cup-winner, Ron Francis all chimed in on what it means to be the guy that you'd want to follow.
Comfortable In Your Own Skin
Ron Francis played 23 years in the NHL, scored at a point/game pace for over 1700 games, won the Lady Byng Trophy three times, and was captain of the Hartford Whalers--the team that drafted him 4th overall in 1981--for six of his ten seasons with the team. He won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992.
He was one of the 2007 Hall of Famers interviewed by Grant, and although he didn't win the Cup as captain of the team, he does provide an important jump-off point.
Francis was named team captain at a very young age and it was a difficult transition. One point that really jumped out as he talked about what it takes to be a captain was this, "It's about being comfortable in your own skin," he said.
It's a factor that pretty much eliminates the younger Sabres' players still trying to find their niche in the NHL. That includes Stafford, who had a breakout season last year yet is still trying to find consistency. Although young defensive stud Tyler Myers seems to exude leadership qualities and has garnered plenty of respect in his two NHL seasons, he not only has youth against him right now, but must also master the intricacies of his position.
Other Sabres like Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe could be future leaders and seem comfortable in their game, but like Myers, are still very young and, like Stafford, will need to show consistently over the long haul.
Lead by Example
Former NJ Devils captain Scott Stevens and former St. Louis Blues captain Al MacInnis were both big defensemen who won the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Stevens, a stay-at-home d-man, was noted for his intimidating presence and vicious hits. MacInnis was best-known for his blistering slap-shot and offensive acumen recording 1274 points in 1416 NHL games.
Both stressed "lead by example" first and foremost when talking about being a captain.
"Lead by example," said Stevens, "that's the biggest thing. It's more about work ethic, coming to play every night, working hard in practice, showing up for practice, showing up for games, and what you do off the ice, how you carry yourself, because everyone is watching you. All the players are watching you."
Said MacInnis, "You want to lead by example. If your teammates see the work ethic that you put in, the consistency that you put in, not only games but in practices, I think your teammates will follow."
None of the Sabres' core in the mix have the intimidating presence of Stevens, yet all have the some of offensive acumen of MacInnis.
But, do any of them lead by example both on and off the ice? Does Lindy Ruff have, in his words, "that guy you want to follow" amongst his core players?
Trust
Trust
 |
| The NY Rangers, lead by Mark Messier, hoisted the Cup for the first time in 54 years. |
For the past three decades the benchmark for leadership has been "The Captain's Captain," Mark Messier. After leading the Edmonton Oilers to five Stanley Cups in the 80's, Messier headed to Broadway to a team that hadn't won the cup in 50 years.
In the '94 playoffs, with the Rangers down three games to two vs. the NJ Devils, Messier guaranteed a victory in Game 6 and backed it up with a hat trick in their victory.
The Rangers downed the Devils in seven games and went on to win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years as Messier scored the game winner in Game 7 versus the Vancouver Canucks.
Messier's career is legendary. and when looking at what it takes to lead, he said, "I think the biggest thing, if you had to pick just one, would be trust." He continued, "Your players have to trust you. They have to be able to look at you and know that you're consistent in your approach and your philosophy and what you believe in. Establishing a relationship where they can trust you is very important."
Who Will Ruff Be Looking To This Season?
Back in 2008, it would seem as if none of the core players had the trust of their teammates. It could probably be said that none felt comfortable enough in their own skin to take on the reigns of leadership as well.
With training camp underway , and the season set to begin in less than a month, Ruff, a former captain himself, will be looking at his options--he could go with the alternating captain thing (which is highly unlikely,) he could continue using four alternates and no captain (which would be a good possibility) or he could look at his group and name one captain with two home alternates and two away alternates.
But who would be the guy that the team would "want to follow?" Who amongst the core is comfortable in themselves, leads by example, and would be a player that the team would trust?
Ruff's Core Options
Jason Pominville
Pommer is the type of player who's game is as consistent as the sun rising. He's a smooth skater who plays a smart game with no fanfare or flair and Ruff counts on him to play in all situations on the ice.
People tend to get caught up in numbers and point to his statistical decline in production, which isn't to the point where it's alarming. And they also yearn for him to play a game that's not his style--they expect a more rugged game, more hits, more aggression.
But, that's not Pominville. He is comfortable in his game and it's easy to forget that when Drury and Briere left, he had his best statistical season in 2007/08 while taking on the mantle of leadership that season.
The subtlety with which Pominville plays the game is usually lost upon the casual fan, but a look at the penalty kill in his absence shows just how important he is to the team. And, although he will never show the bravado of Messier, and probably will never have the "Captain Clutch" moniker of Drury, he will be on the ice at every crucial point and the team will count on him to do what he's always done--take care of the task at hand.
As a player who's been in a leadership role for the last four seasons and as a veteran that the youngin's can look to for guidance, he would make a solid, if unspectacular, captain.
Derek Roy
We all know what Roy brings to the table, and over the past four years, he's consistently put up offensive numbers. Unfortunately, many times it's been at the expense of the "team-first" philosophy, as evidenced by more than a few sit-downs with Ruff.
His on-ice demeanor, at 28 yrs. old and in the midst of his prime, still leans towards immature. An example came early last season. WGR's Paul Hamilton pointed out, after a drubbing by the NY Rangers, that while Ennis was on the break streaking up ice and looking for a trailer, Roy was trailing, albeit far behind. He was busy complaining to a ref about a non-call.
His issues with diving and complaining to the refs are well documented and known throughout the league. And although they've abated over the past year or so, you're left to wonder whether he has it within himself to shuck those tendencies. Can a leopard ch...(well, you know the rest.)
Roy seemed to be turning the corner on maturity last season, but he ended up injured and missing the entire back-half of the season. During his season-ending injury, the Sabres got on a roll and went from 11th in the conference to 7th, and on many occasions it was said that "team-play" lead to the surge.
Roy is a valuable point-producer for the team and he plays in all situations, but he doesn't seem as if his teammates will follow his lead anymore, especially when his team missed the playoffs two straight seasons and were bounced in the first round with him in a leadership role. Nor does it seem as if the team will look to him as the one to guide them out of dire straights.
As the team transitions to the "new core," should Roy be looked upon as a leader? Or should he be left to focus upon his game?
 |
| Thomas Vanek wore the "A" last season. Is he ready to take the next step? |
Thomas Vanek
Vanek is an interesting case study in the maturation process of a highly skilled player thrust into extreme circumstances.
His incredible sophomore campaign made him multi-million dollar, poachable commodity and his transition from third line player on an offensively deep team to a top-line player on a team devoid of top-line talent made for a difficult on-ice transition.
The departure of Drury and Briere also left Vanek to his own devices when handling both on and off-ice pressures. He, basically, had to figure things out on his own, and because of all this, his maturation process was slowed.
But Vanek has shown continual progress the last few years, and he seems to have quietly passed through numerous thresholds to reach the point where he's become a complete player.
And last season he really came into his own as a leader on the team. Early in the season with the team in a deep funk, he was pivotal in overtime wins--scoring an overtime goal vs. Washington and harassing Vancouver Canucks defenseman Dan Hamuis into a turnover that lead to a Myers overtime goal.
When Roy went down for the season and with Rivet in no man's land, Vanek seemed to willingly take the reigns of leadership and the Sabres went on a run that got them into the playoffs.
It took a while, but Vanek finally seems comfortable with who he is and what he's capable of.
Throughout last season WGR's Paul Hamilton looked at Vanek as a captain via extremes saying he would either be great or it would be a failure.
As of now, it could be said that the former would apply more so than the latter. He seems to have the internal drive to continue to grow, mature and bust through doors that are blocking his path.
And it showed last season that he really wanted to take on the mantle of leadership.
Paul Gaustad
Throughout his seven seasons in Buffalo, the big forward has taken on responsibilities thrown his way while playing a sound game for the Sabres. "Goose" is solid in his own end and is more than capable on the faceoff dot.
He has the respect of his teammates in the locker room and has a presence about him to where his teammates will follow his lead.
Unfortunately his lack of offensive acumen has limited him to third-line minutes which is determent to his being named captain. But you can bet that, even though he may "only" wear an "A" on his sweater, every teammate will look to him for leadership at one point or another.
Still In Transition, But In Much Better Shape Than 2007
Four seasons after the departures of Drury and Briere, the Sabres are still in a period of transition when it comes to naming a captain. But the team as a whole has matured and is in much better shape after four seasons of various successes and failures.
That being said, the results for this core without the departed co-captains are two seasons outside of the playoffs and two seasons of getting bounced in the first round. Granted, there are a myriad of reasons for the teams' lack of success, but the bottom line is that they didn't get it done.
The closest they came to a breakthrough year was last season with Roy out and Pominville sidelined by, and/or recovering from, injury. With Rivet on the bench as well, the leadership void seemed to be filled quite competently by Vanek.
It was still a very young team, especially on defense, and it seemed as if they played well over their heads during their playoff push.
With that being said, there are really only two choices for captain this season: Robyn Regehr or Thomas Vanek.
Either would be a good choice.
Were Regehr to be named captain, it would seem as if the team continues in it's transitionary mode and is looking to allow Tyler Myers to develop as the future captain of the team two or three years down the road.
Of the core mentioned above, Vanek seems to be the only one who's separated himself from the others and should he be named captain, it would be yet another threshold for him to breakthrough and conquer.
The choice for letters this upcoming season:
"C"--Thomas Vanek. Another step for Vanek and I think he's ready for it as he turns into the complete package. He's proven his mettle over the last two seasons and is the only Sabre to bust his way meaningfully on the score sheet in the playoffs. His willingness to play through pain and do what's necessary for team success is a strong foundation to continue to build trust in himself and of his team mates. Of Hamilton's previously mentioned extremes, I'll take the former and say that it will be a success.
"A" (home)--Jason Pominville. The team always had a tendency to get fancy at home, but Pommer helps the team dump that.
"A" (home)--Robyn Regehr. Regehr will be in charge of making sure it's F'N difficult for the opposition at The Center.
"A" (away)--Paul Gaustad. "Goose" brings it on the road to help guide the team in enemy territory.
"A" (away)--Tyler Myers. Myers will have the chance to develop into the Norris candidate that's within him. Regehr as his mentor will help with that and guide the kid as to what leadership is all about.
Oops!
I forgot about Vanek's dream. It could change everything.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Pegula's 10-Day Sabres Makeover
OK. So it's not anything close to Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren blowing up the Flyers roster, but in Sabreland, the additions of defensemen Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehrhoff (via trade and trade-and-sign, respectively) as well as free agent signee, Ville Leino, were significant moves on many levels.
Although the Sabres didn't blow up the team, they totally blew up their approach to players and cost while completely shattering their image as a curmudgeonly tight-wad organization.
Plus they got themselves some pretty good players to fill some holes they had.
On June 25, the Sabres finalized a deal with the Calgary Flames: Regehr and former Sabre Ales Kotalik plus a 2012 2nd-round draft pick for Chris Butler and Paul Byron. The deal actually began on June 22nd with Flames GM Jay Feaster proposing a trade with Darcy Regier to alleviate cap-pressure. It took a few days for Robyn Regehr to approve of the trade because of his no-movement clause.
The Regehr trade, as mentioned previously, was huge for the Buffalo Sabres. A quick recap:
With the draft over and the Regehr deal done, the Sabres turned their attention to the up-coming free-agent market.
This year, they did not wait for a late Day-1 or Day-2, reasonably priced, third-tier player to sign. No Jocylen Thibault, Patrick Lalime, Mike Grier or Rob Neidermayer this time. In fact they didn't even wait for July 1 to jump into the fray.
With the Sabres emboldened by the Robyn Regehr trade, Darcy Regier did something unheard of in Buffalo: traded for the rights to negotiate with an unrestricted free-agent before July 1.
Vancouver d-man Christian Ehrhoff's rights were traded to the NY Islanders on June 28th for a 4th-round pick. When it was clear the the two sides would not come together (the Isles reportedly offering $33M over six years), the Isles traded his rights to Buffalo, for a 4th-round pick.
The Sabres then signed Ehrhoff before he hit free agency to the tune of 10 years, $40M.
All-in-all, the Sabres organization blasted away the past with this move:
Such was the desire for the Sabres to have the services of Ehrhoff.
Although the Sabres didn't blow up the team, they totally blew up their approach to players and cost while completely shattering their image as a curmudgeonly tight-wad organization.
Plus they got themselves some pretty good players to fill some holes they had.
Robyn Regehr, Let the Off-season Begin
On June 25, the Sabres finalized a deal with the Calgary Flames: Regehr and former Sabre Ales Kotalik plus a 2012 2nd-round draft pick for Chris Butler and Paul Byron. The deal actually began on June 22nd with Flames GM Jay Feaster proposing a trade with Darcy Regier to alleviate cap-pressure. It took a few days for Robyn Regehr to approve of the trade because of his no-movement clause.
The Regehr trade, as mentioned previously, was huge for the Buffalo Sabres. A quick recap:
- The Sabres had a player with a no-movement clause waive it to go to Buffalo
- Ales Kotalik, who's set to make $3M next season, was part of the trade, yet he and his salary might be off the books via a demotion to Rochester. A Flyers/Rangers-type of move to alleviate cap-pressure.
- Sabres owner Terry Pegula would not be denied and was a big part of convincing Regehr to wave his nmc
- Pegula, his wife Kim and Head Coach Lindy Ruff flew to Saskatchewan to help allay any family fears the Regehr's may have had with the move to Buffalo. This was done during Day-2 of the NHL Draft.
- And, the cool part? GM Darcy Regier got a second-round pick ta-boot.
Onward Towards July 1, the Start of Free Agency
With the draft over and the Regehr deal done, the Sabres turned their attention to the up-coming free-agent market.
This year, they did not wait for a late Day-1 or Day-2, reasonably priced, third-tier player to sign. No Jocylen Thibault, Patrick Lalime, Mike Grier or Rob Neidermayer this time. In fact they didn't even wait for July 1 to jump into the fray.
With the Sabres emboldened by the Robyn Regehr trade, Darcy Regier did something unheard of in Buffalo: traded for the rights to negotiate with an unrestricted free-agent before July 1.
Vancouver d-man Christian Ehrhoff's rights were traded to the NY Islanders on June 28th for a 4th-round pick. When it was clear the the two sides would not come together (the Isles reportedly offering $33M over six years), the Isles traded his rights to Buffalo, for a 4th-round pick.
The Sabres then signed Ehrhoff before he hit free agency to the tune of 10 years, $40M.
All-in-all, the Sabres organization blasted away the past with this move:
- They traded a draft-pick, once considered precious--the life-blood of the organization--just for the right to negotiate with a pending unrestricted free agent.
- That they out in front of almost every organization was a very peculiar phenomenon.
- That they succeeded in reeling in what many considered the second-best pending-unrestricted free agent.
- A ten-year contract, unprecedented in Sabres history.
- The contract being front-loaded with $18M coming in the first two years via bonuses.
- An Ilya Kovalchuk-type finish to the contract where the Sabres spend $1M/year over the final three years of the contract when Ehrhoff will be in his mid-to-latter 30's.
- The fact that they worked the long-term deal to the point where they have a $4M cap-hit.
- An NHL "investigation" into the legitimacy of the 10-year contract.
- Drawing the ire of clubs throughout the league for "circumventing the cap."
- Doing everything within the bounds laid out by the NHL and the NHL Players Association, yet stretching it to its limits.
Such was the desire for the Sabres to have the services of Ehrhoff.
The Sabres Are Players For Brad Richards
A Sabres offer to free agent Brad Richards would be "welcomed with open arms" by the Richards' camp. Or at least it seemed so.
The team, fresh off of upgrading their defense while having an owner with deep pockets and a desire to get things done up-front, set their sights on the "crown-jewel" of the 2011 Free Agent market.
Pegula and Co. were ready to duke it out with the leagues financial heavyweights like Toronto and the NY Rangers,to snag the only superstar-quality player on the market in Richards. Not only had he put up the numbers the last two seasons, but he also has a Cup-ring and Conn Smythe Trophy on his resume'.
Oh, and Richards is a true #1 center, the only one on the market, and one of only a handful in the National Hockey League.
Richards and his agent were holed up in their Mississauga, Ontario offices--Brinks truck by the back-door--waiting for his suitors ala Lebron James last summer.
When it came to the Sabres, Pegula and Regier had a significant offer ready, but the Richards' camp pushed them near the back of the line.
The Sabres did not take kindly to it and bowed out to focus solely on former Philadelphia Flyer, Ville Lieno.
Of note in the Richards episode is the fact that:
- Sabres fans were not accustomed to a legitimate shot (albeit, long-shot) at the NHL's top free agent.
- The team did not feel out of place going after Richards.
- They were willing to go to Mississauga to present their case and offer their deal.
- The Richards camp took the Sabres seriously.
Ville Leino, the "Consolation Prize"
With the writing on the wall concerning Richards, the Sabres bailed, allowing themselves enough time to go after Flyers winger, Ville Leino.
You read that right, Flyers winger.
Another winger when the team really needed a top-two center?
Another winger to join the ranks of Thomas Vanek, Jason Pomminville, recently re-signed Drew Stafford, youngster Tyler Ennis, and trade-deadline acquisition Brad Boyes?
Another winger who's salary would add to the $21.2M combined cap-hit for the aforementioned?
Where's the center?
Turns out that Leino prefers to play center having played wing for two teams--Detroit and Philadelphia--who were deep down the middle.
OK, so it's somewhat of a gamble. Maybe more of a gamble in that he's played all of 149 games scoring a grand total of 30 goals, 19 of them last season.
Actually, it's a huge gamble considering that the Sabres signed him to a 6-year, $27M contract.
Some people around the league are looking at this even more quizzically than the Ehrhoff re-signing, some laughing at the signing, some miffed at the price-tag.
$27M for a winger for a team that was thin at center? $27M for a player with such a limited body of work? $27M for potential?
Twenty-seven Million Dollars?
Sure. Why not? He was the guy they targeted.
But, what the Sabres did by signing Leino was:
- Initiate Plan-B immediately once they decided to bow out of the Richards sweepstakes.
- They brought in what some would consider a top three-to-five free agent this off-season.
- They continued to show that they were hell-bent on bringing in high-quality players to help the team immediately, regardless of the cost.
- Although they may have (probably) overpaid, it mattered not. They wanted him, they went out and got him.
- What they also did with the Leino-signing was put the onus completely on Regier and his scouting staff as well as the coaching ability of Lindy Ruff to make this move work.
This Is Not Your Father's Buffalo Sabres
Fact is, we're not accustomed to having a top-notch player waive his no-movement clause to accept a trade to Buffalo.
Nor are we accustomed to the team pushing the limits of the collective bargaining agreement to sign a player.
Neither are we accustomed to having the highest payroll of any NHL club at one point.
June 22nd thru July 1st will be 10 days to remember in Sabreland.
Although delusions of Stanley Cup grandeur have been held in check for this season, the desire for Pegula and Co. to do what's necessary is a definitive split from the past that should make the Buffalo Sabres a perennial playoff team with the potential to get to the promised land in the future.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Robyn Regehr To Buffalo Is Huge For the Sabres...
...not just in terms of the on ice product, where I thought it would be a rock solid (albeit far-fetched) acquisition for the learning process of young stud Tyler Myers, but also for the perception of the team and the direction they're headed.
Calgary Flames GM Jay Feaster and Darcy Regier had a deal in place on Wednesday and the only impediment was Regehr, an 11 year NHL vet who earned the no movement clause in his contract.
From there the shock of being traded to Buffalo took it's toll on the big blueliner as he wavered upon whether or not to accept. "It's a huge, important decision. I just wanted to make sure I explore as many options as possible," Regehr told the Calgary Sun. "Darcy Regier [the Sabres' general manager] has been fantastic. ... It sounds like Buffalo is great ... but until we see what's all out there, we can't make a real good informed decision that we're comfortable with."
Regardless of what Regier and new Sabres Terry Pegula had to say, the stigma of the last four years lingered. Guaranteed if it was Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Boston (a place he waived his nmc for) or even San Jose' and possibly Vancouver or Anaheim, the rugged d-man would not have had that big of a decision to make.
But, it was Buffalo. And it wasn't until well into the evening on the west coast that Regehr changed his mind and made the decision to go to Western New York.
The Sabres have been championing Buffalo as "hockey heaven" and have been making all the right moves cosmetically whether it was connecting with past greatness in bringing the French Connection back together on-ice or flying in over 80 alumni for the last home game of the regular season.
Terry Pegula has taken off the financial constraints of the previous regime and is backing it up beginning with this trade. With Calgary needing to dump salary, not only was Regehr's $4M salary involved, but the excess millions tied up in former Sabre Ales Kotalik will also be coming to Buffalo. It's assumed that Kotalik will head to Rochester or be bought out.
All-in-all a pretty impressive deal by Darcy Regier. And a great selling job by Terry Pegula and the whole Sabres organization.
Right now, having Regehr next to Myers in front of Ryan Miller has given me a taste of "hockey heaven."
One just needs to look at how this trade all played out to show just what the team is up against when trying to lure players to the city.
 |
| "You're trading me where? Buffalo" I think I'll need some time to cool off, Jay." |
Regardless of what Regier and new Sabres Terry Pegula had to say, the stigma of the last four years lingered. Guaranteed if it was Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Boston (a place he waived his nmc for) or even San Jose' and possibly Vancouver or Anaheim, the rugged d-man would not have had that big of a decision to make.
But, it was Buffalo. And it wasn't until well into the evening on the west coast that Regehr changed his mind and made the decision to go to Western New York.
 |
| Former Sabre Rhett Warrener played with Robyn Regehr in Calgary. |
Darcy Regier did some hard selling and Regehr talked to many players, including former Sabre Rhett Warrener who texted Regehr in April while at the alumni gathering the last game of the regular season and told Regehr that "he'd be a perfect fit for Buffalo." Regehr talked to others about the city and the team as well coming away saying “I couldn’t find anyone to say anything bad about Buffalo. Everyone enjoyed the people, the city. Nobody said anything negative about the city." Even with all of that input from GM to ex-players, one would assume that Terry Pegula did most of the heavy lifting.
 |
| On February 23, 2011, Terry Pegula's first game as owner of the Buffalo Sabres, "The French Connection." skated together and the Sabres became whole again. |
Pegula has the desire and deep pockets to make his dream of Buffalo winning the Stanley Cup come true. He just needs to convince any player willing to listen that he's gonna get the job done.
 |
| Former Sabres d-man Jay McKee was one of over 80 alumni flown in by Terry Pegula for Fan Appreciation Day at the Sabres last home game in April. |
But, there comes a point where they needed to put their money where their mouth is.
Terry Pegula has taken off the financial constraints of the previous regime and is backing it up beginning with this trade. With Calgary needing to dump salary, not only was Regehr's $4M salary involved, but the excess millions tied up in former Sabre Ales Kotalik will also be coming to Buffalo. It's assumed that Kotalik will head to Rochester or be bought out.
All-in-all a pretty impressive deal by Darcy Regier. And a great selling job by Terry Pegula and the whole Sabres organization.
Right now, having Regehr next to Myers in front of Ryan Miller has given me a taste of "hockey heaven."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)