Darcy Regier made it official today, center Mikhail Grigorenko will be in the lineup tonight vs. Toronto. With the move, the #12 overall draft pick in the 2012 draft will be playing in his sixth game for the Sabres making him ineligible to return to junior.
Barring any changes, the 18 yr. old Grigorenko will be joining 22 yr. old center Cody Hodgson and C Tyler Ennis, 23, to form one of the, if not the, youngest trios of top-three centers in the league.
It's a changing of the guard down the middle for Buffalo.
Regier's old core, or "the Rochester Guys" as President Ted Black called them, is slowly being dismantled. Only one center, Jochen Hecht (who was not a "Rochester Guy" but considered part of the core none the less,) is in the post-Chris Drury/Daniel Briere line up this season. Tim Connolly was not re-signed in 2011, Paul Gaustad was moved at the trade deadline in 2012 and Derek Roy was traded during the 2012 off season.
TJ Brennan will also be on the ice tonight. The 23 yr. old rookie will be making his first appearance this season. He has 11 NHL games to his credit--all from last year--and the Sabres carried him as an eighth defensman rather than risk loosing him to waivers.
He'll be joined on the ice by defenseman Mike Weber. Weber is far from a youngin, but the 25 yr. old only has a total of 132 games in his four seasons with the big club.
Both will be playing different roles for the team.
Buffalo is in need of scoring and they'll be looking to Brennan to help fill that role, especially on the PP where his wicked shot found the back of the net seven times while with Rochester this season. He'll be taking the place of journeyman Alexander Sulzer (healthy scratch) who has performed admirably, but is not considered an offensive threat.
The big, physical Weber will be replacing the big, physical veteran Robin Regehr who has a "lower body injury." He'll looking to bounce back from a very poor 2011/12 campaign which saw his minutes decline along with his plus/minus rating. He was a team worst -19 last season.
Although the team still has some vets in their prime like Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Ryan Miller, Andrej Sekera, they are getting younger.
The 23-and-under brigade features the aforementioned centers--Ennis, Hodgson and Grigorenko--as well as LW Marcus Foligno (21) while Brennan will be joining fellow defenseman Tyler Myers (22) on the back end.
The changing of the guard is in full swing and the new core rising.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
"D"ecision Day coming tomorrow
Mikhail Grigorenko played his 5th game as a Buffalo Sabre yesterday.
The rookie center had two shots in over 17:00 of ice time and with no points. He remains pointless through five games.
Points would have been nice although the coaching staff and front office are more concerned with what is best for him and the team. He hasn't done anything blatantly wrong, save for some rookie mistakes, and seems to have grown in this short "tryout" period.
Methinks there's no reason for him to be sent back to junior. He's adapted well to the speed of the NHL and seems to be loosening up enough to be able to focus upon his offense a bit more. Yesterday he drove to the net and had himself a beautiful scoring opportunity but was stifled.
Grigorenko is still trying to do a little too much, trying to make plays that worked in junior, but to a man, many of his teammates think that the kid is a well-rounded pro who is growing with each game and doing what's necessary to stick with the team.
Plus he has size--6'3", 200 lbs--and he looks big on the ice.
This team needs two things right now--size and skill. Grigorenko has both.
He should stay.
************
On Saturday, Lindy Ruff was remorseful concerning Grigorenko, pretty much apologizing for "burning" one of the kid's five "tryout" games.
The basis for putting him on the fourth line between fighter John Scott and diminutive Nathan Gerbe was an attempt to keep the Staal brothers, most notably Eric, the elder, in check.
Mike Robitaille was on WGR today saying that he'd rather have Jochen Hecht defend against Staal instead of Grigorenko because Staal would've "ate [the rookie] up." Then he followed up saying it's all about winning the game.
Quick reminder there, Roby, the Sabres lost that game 3-1.
Two things on this thought process.
First off, Eric Staal is 6'4", 205 lbs. Ruff was countering with Cody Hodgson, 6'0", 185; Tyler Ennis, 5'9", 160; Hecht, 6'1", 200.
Once again, Grigorenko is 6'3", 200 lbs. Which Sabre would have a better chance matching up physically against Staal?
Second. How will Grigorenko get better if not playing agianst the best?
Yes, he's a rookie. Yes, he has a lot to learn. And yes, Staal probably would have given him more than he could handle. But fact is, they lost with Ruff's scheming on that one. Youngsters playing against quality veterans offer an opportunity to learn. It also shows a player that the coach does have confidence in him. I'm not saying Grigorenko should've shadowed Staal, but Ruff had the last line change and could have managed the matchup.
*************
Back in 2006 the Sabres rolled three lines playing stop me if you can. Since then Ruff has his team playing more of a defensive game trying to match up with the opposition, just like the aforementioned game vs. Carolina. Except for one season where it worked to a "t" in 2009/10, the results have been wildly inconsistent leaning heavily towards the negative.
A huge dose of talent left the team in 2007 with the departure of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. Ruff, I believe did well in adjusting his game plan more towards the defensive side during the last five seasons. The results were pretty mediocre, but based upon the talent he had to work with, as well as the changing of the league towards a grittier style, they were what they were--not a Cup-contender, but simply a playoff contender.
This team has more skill now than at any point during the last five seasons.
Looking down the middle the Sabres had Derek Roy, the oft-injured Tim Connolly, Jochen Hecht and Paul Gaustad for many years. They were so weak that wingers Brad Boyes and Ville Leino were brought in to play center.
The top-three centers--Ennis, Hodgson, Grigorenko--are, in fact, centers and have the wherewithal to produce. Although very young, this group as a whole, seem to be getting better and have an upside that will surpass the previous groupings.
They seem to be meshing well with their linemates as well, at least on the top-two lines.
Wingers Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville are playing a Sedin's-type two-player game on the top line and at one point were leading the league in points. Hodgson has learned to play off of those two--as opposed to Roy who always had to be the star--and potted three goals in four games before Vanek went down.
The Ennis line, with Marcus Foligno and Drew Stafford, had a miraculous late-season run last year. Although past performance is not indicative of future results, that line slowly seems to be regaining that chemistry as the individual players are beginning to find their games. Ennis is skating much better and Foligno seems to be finding out what made him successful last season. Stafford is still finding his way, but, he knows how to score.
The top-six, as a whole would easily match-up with any of the top-six post-Drury/Briere and with a little more seasoning, will surpass them.
The bottom six from years past featured Hecht, Paul Gaustad, Clarke MacArthur, Patrick Kaleta and a host of aged veterans like Mike Grier and Rob Neidermayer mixed with borderline NHL grinders like Adam Mair and Matt Ellis.
Right now they have Steve Ott who is an easy top-nine/solid top-six winger playing on the third line (until Vanek's injury) and Grigorenko, who has top-six skill. Noted NHL pest Patrick Kaleta can hold his own on the third line as well.
Rounding out the bottom-six are Hecht, the diminutive Nathan Gerbe and Big John Scott.
Waiting in the wings are the skilled Leino and solid fourth-liner Cody McCormick, both of whom are on IR right now.
When Leino returns, forming a Grigorenko/Ott/Leino line, the Sabres would have three scoring lines. When McCormick returns, the fourth line would consist of Hecht, McCormick and Kaleta--all solid--who would form a formidable checking line.
Point being, when this team gets healthy, they have the skill to dictate and force the other teams to play match-up.
With Grigorenko in the lineup, the centers fall into place, the lines fall into place (with the return of Leino and McCormick) and a good dose of size is added to a team that's still small relative to Cup-contenders like Boston, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and the NY Rangers. His skill-level wouldn't hurt either.
That's why he needs to stick.
There are still holes on the Sabres, and there will still be growing pains, but they have a nice collection of skilled forwards.
Pretty sure as a group they'd much rather attack and it would play to their strengths moreso than the defensive match-up scheming.
But, that's for the coach to figure out.
The rookie center had two shots in over 17:00 of ice time and with no points. He remains pointless through five games.
Points would have been nice although the coaching staff and front office are more concerned with what is best for him and the team. He hasn't done anything blatantly wrong, save for some rookie mistakes, and seems to have grown in this short "tryout" period.
Methinks there's no reason for him to be sent back to junior. He's adapted well to the speed of the NHL and seems to be loosening up enough to be able to focus upon his offense a bit more. Yesterday he drove to the net and had himself a beautiful scoring opportunity but was stifled.
Grigorenko is still trying to do a little too much, trying to make plays that worked in junior, but to a man, many of his teammates think that the kid is a well-rounded pro who is growing with each game and doing what's necessary to stick with the team.
Plus he has size--6'3", 200 lbs--and he looks big on the ice.
This team needs two things right now--size and skill. Grigorenko has both.
He should stay.
************
On Saturday, Lindy Ruff was remorseful concerning Grigorenko, pretty much apologizing for "burning" one of the kid's five "tryout" games.
The basis for putting him on the fourth line between fighter John Scott and diminutive Nathan Gerbe was an attempt to keep the Staal brothers, most notably Eric, the elder, in check.
Mike Robitaille was on WGR today saying that he'd rather have Jochen Hecht defend against Staal instead of Grigorenko because Staal would've "ate [the rookie] up." Then he followed up saying it's all about winning the game.
Quick reminder there, Roby, the Sabres lost that game 3-1.
Two things on this thought process.
First off, Eric Staal is 6'4", 205 lbs. Ruff was countering with Cody Hodgson, 6'0", 185; Tyler Ennis, 5'9", 160; Hecht, 6'1", 200.
Once again, Grigorenko is 6'3", 200 lbs. Which Sabre would have a better chance matching up physically against Staal?
Second. How will Grigorenko get better if not playing agianst the best?
Yes, he's a rookie. Yes, he has a lot to learn. And yes, Staal probably would have given him more than he could handle. But fact is, they lost with Ruff's scheming on that one. Youngsters playing against quality veterans offer an opportunity to learn. It also shows a player that the coach does have confidence in him. I'm not saying Grigorenko should've shadowed Staal, but Ruff had the last line change and could have managed the matchup.
*************
Back in 2006 the Sabres rolled three lines playing stop me if you can. Since then Ruff has his team playing more of a defensive game trying to match up with the opposition, just like the aforementioned game vs. Carolina. Except for one season where it worked to a "t" in 2009/10, the results have been wildly inconsistent leaning heavily towards the negative.
A huge dose of talent left the team in 2007 with the departure of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. Ruff, I believe did well in adjusting his game plan more towards the defensive side during the last five seasons. The results were pretty mediocre, but based upon the talent he had to work with, as well as the changing of the league towards a grittier style, they were what they were--not a Cup-contender, but simply a playoff contender.
This team has more skill now than at any point during the last five seasons.
Looking down the middle the Sabres had Derek Roy, the oft-injured Tim Connolly, Jochen Hecht and Paul Gaustad for many years. They were so weak that wingers Brad Boyes and Ville Leino were brought in to play center.
The top-three centers--Ennis, Hodgson, Grigorenko--are, in fact, centers and have the wherewithal to produce. Although very young, this group as a whole, seem to be getting better and have an upside that will surpass the previous groupings.
They seem to be meshing well with their linemates as well, at least on the top-two lines.
Wingers Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville are playing a Sedin's-type two-player game on the top line and at one point were leading the league in points. Hodgson has learned to play off of those two--as opposed to Roy who always had to be the star--and potted three goals in four games before Vanek went down.
The Ennis line, with Marcus Foligno and Drew Stafford, had a miraculous late-season run last year. Although past performance is not indicative of future results, that line slowly seems to be regaining that chemistry as the individual players are beginning to find their games. Ennis is skating much better and Foligno seems to be finding out what made him successful last season. Stafford is still finding his way, but, he knows how to score.
The top-six, as a whole would easily match-up with any of the top-six post-Drury/Briere and with a little more seasoning, will surpass them.
The bottom six from years past featured Hecht, Paul Gaustad, Clarke MacArthur, Patrick Kaleta and a host of aged veterans like Mike Grier and Rob Neidermayer mixed with borderline NHL grinders like Adam Mair and Matt Ellis.
Right now they have Steve Ott who is an easy top-nine/solid top-six winger playing on the third line (until Vanek's injury) and Grigorenko, who has top-six skill. Noted NHL pest Patrick Kaleta can hold his own on the third line as well.
Rounding out the bottom-six are Hecht, the diminutive Nathan Gerbe and Big John Scott.
Waiting in the wings are the skilled Leino and solid fourth-liner Cody McCormick, both of whom are on IR right now.
When Leino returns, forming a Grigorenko/Ott/Leino line, the Sabres would have three scoring lines. When McCormick returns, the fourth line would consist of Hecht, McCormick and Kaleta--all solid--who would form a formidable checking line.
Point being, when this team gets healthy, they have the skill to dictate and force the other teams to play match-up.
With Grigorenko in the lineup, the centers fall into place, the lines fall into place (with the return of Leino and McCormick) and a good dose of size is added to a team that's still small relative to Cup-contenders like Boston, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and the NY Rangers. His skill-level wouldn't hurt either.
That's why he needs to stick.
There are still holes on the Sabres, and there will still be growing pains, but they have a nice collection of skilled forwards.
Pretty sure as a group they'd much rather attack and it would play to their strengths moreso than the defensive match-up scheming.
But, that's for the coach to figure out.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Thoughts on the Carolina home and home
After a 6-3 shelling at the hands of Carolina on Thursday, it didn't take head coach Lindy Ruff long to get that choking feeling and move veteran center/winger Jochen Hecht up to the third line.
Ruff used this as his excuse/reasoning, "We tried to be a little bit harder on [Eric]Staal. We used [Steve] Ott and [Patrick] Kaleta and Hecht against him," he said. "It was the only reason. I thought we had to try to slow [him down]." Staal had the hat trick vs. the Sabres in Carolina the night before.
Of course, that meant rookie Mikhail Grigorenko, playing in his fourth of possibly five "tryout" games was demoted to the fourth line.
Grigorenko, who had been middle-of-the road, but was showing signs of progressing, turned out to be a casualty of Ruff's reliance on the "tried and true." Hecht is one of Ruff's favorite players, one that he believes he can count on in all situations.
From the moment Hecht was signed to a one year deal, everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before he climbed up the lines into a spot that was beyond his talents (that would be anything above the fourth line.) Sure enough, it was last night.
In years past, Ruff has been seen as stunting the growth of his young players either being too hard on them or putting them in a position to fail. Now, even though Grigorenko has done what's asked of him, he gets demoted to a line with fighter John Scott and little Nathan Gerbe.
At today's skate, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald thinks that Ruff may have some remorse. “It’s like burning a game,” Ruff was quoted as saying.
Sure enough, they only have five games to decide whether the 18 yr. old center sticks or gets sent back to Jr. At 6:48 of ice time, to get a better "match up," Ruff did burn a game. And further burned his reputation of leaning on "his" guys into the brains of every Sabre fan.
Being on the third line getting 10-12 minutes a game is not a bad way to get introduced into the NHL. Doing what the coach tells you to do--focusing upon defense, even though you have mad offensive skills--should get you more ice-time, not less.
Ruff screwed up last night. Everyone in Sabreland knows it (except maybe for Terry Pegula and Darcy Regier) and I would hazard to guess that Grigorenko's a little perplexed at Ruff's decision.
Let's hope "Grigs" has the wherewithal to get past it and move forward.
************
There's a reason I dislike twitter, other than the fact that it's inane. One should never trust an initial reaction while dealing in disappointment.
After last night's loss. I wanted Lindy Ruff to be fired. I also wanted to see WGR's Paul Hamilton and Howard Simon and Chris "Bulldog" Parker canned as well. What the hell, I wanted Jeremy White and Mike Schoppsie fired too, like I always do.
It's an obvious overreaction, which is why twitter is pretty much useless, unless you want to laugh at someone.
But, here are the reasons why the aforementioned should at least be on notice:
Lindy Ruff--Relying on an old stand-by--Jochen Hecht--to get the job done. The Sabres lost 3-1. His "old standbys" have gotten him to the playoffs twice in the last five seasons, never getting the team past the first round.
Howard Simon--What a sore loser. Still. Before the 'Canes home-and-home, Simon had the audacity to belittle the organization with an article entitled 'Canes mediocre since raising the Cup. He is, of course, sure that Buffalo would have won it had they not fallen on hard times vs. Carolina back in 2006. But why bag on an organization that at the very least is not that far below the Sabres? Oh, and no comment section either.
Paul Hamilton--Sabres D-man Tyler Myers is off to a slow start--again. In an interview with Hamilton a couple of days ago, Myers had the "audacity" to laugh at a perceived lack of confidence in himself. A laugh Hamilton described as "condescending." Whoa there, pardner, nobody does that to THE Paul Hamilton. Myers has now got himself an overweight beagle annoyingly barking up a storm. Yesterday the hound almighty opened up his post-game article with, "Since I felt Tyler Myers was playing worse than he does, I figured I'd make him my focus this game." Talk about condescending. Really? Oh, and as usual, no comment section.
Chris "Bulldog" Parker--Bulldog's been really annoying lately, especially when it comes to the Bills and specifically Ryan Fitzpatrick. The season's over, and despite a Syracuse reunion at the top two spots on the coaching staff, and a possibility of a reunion with their QB of the last three seasons, it's back to the old punching bag, Fitzpatrick, and Bulldog's article, Are we done with Fitz? Yes, Bulldog, we know you're done with Fitz as a starter. But your plan, "if [you] were the Bills--pick the best [QB] I can with the 8th pick and hope he's ready to play in September?" Really? I'm glad you're not the GM. Like the Bills don't have holes at linebacker (at least two,) CB and WR. Glad I don't listen to you and that Schoppsie guy anymore.
Mike Schoppsie--Shoulda been fired long ago. Arrogance and perceived "entertainment." This is the same guy that once had some suggestions to help Ryan Miller get out of his goaltending slump. Schoppsie's suggestions were based on his time as a goalie, in an intramural floor hockey league. This is also the same guy who said faceoffs are not as important as people make them out to be. My suggestion is that you ask the Sabres about Carolina's go-ahead goal last night. Or go ask Edmonton why Nail Yakupov was able to tie the score with 4 seconds left in the third. What a maroon.
Jeremy White--The Jim Rome wannabe shtick is old. Has been old for a while. A waffler who said that he's happy to have the NHL back, yet was willing to boycott NHL players during the lockout. Said that he'd watch AHL players play for the crest. Never went to a Rochester game during the lockout.
Like Mike Trivisonno said one time down here in Cleveland. Fire all the media.
************
Yeah, can fire 'em all, except for WGR's John Murphy.
Would like to say thank your, Mr. Murphy, for your knowledgeable and insightful journalistic approach to the Buffalo sports scene.
Oh, and thanks for letting us know that 2013 unrestricted free agent Logan Coture of San Jose' is a huge Buffalo Sports fan.
************
Back to the Sabres.
Lindy "the tinkerer" Ruff held firm to his top two lines for three games with only the top line scoring. It would seem as if he'll be changing things up a bit for the afternoon game tomorrow at Washington.
Tomorrow's skate will give us more of an insight, but making one simple move may be a good way to approach things--exchange Steve Ott for Marcus Foligno on the second line.
Having Ott replace Foligno will give Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford the same kind of forward Foligno is, only he's more experienced, has played with star players in a top-line/top-six role and he has produced.
Plus, having Ott ready to take faceoffs will allow Ennis to "cheat" a little more knowing that he has an excellent face-off man in waiting should he get tossed. Maybe that's what Ennis was hinting at when he said,
"Maybe another big guy on my line, we could be mutual at it and cheat on draws and have them take some. I have to improve at it."
Ennis is presently 38.6% on draws. Ott is at 61.9.
Rookie Grigorenko is 57.2% on draws.
Foligno dropping down with Grigorenko and Gerbe on the third line would still give that line a power forward presence and it might even help Grigorenko.
Who knows?
Ruff used this as his excuse/reasoning, "We tried to be a little bit harder on [Eric]Staal. We used [Steve] Ott and [Patrick] Kaleta and Hecht against him," he said. "It was the only reason. I thought we had to try to slow [him down]." Staal had the hat trick vs. the Sabres in Carolina the night before.
Of course, that meant rookie Mikhail Grigorenko, playing in his fourth of possibly five "tryout" games was demoted to the fourth line.
Grigorenko, who had been middle-of-the road, but was showing signs of progressing, turned out to be a casualty of Ruff's reliance on the "tried and true." Hecht is one of Ruff's favorite players, one that he believes he can count on in all situations.
From the moment Hecht was signed to a one year deal, everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before he climbed up the lines into a spot that was beyond his talents (that would be anything above the fourth line.) Sure enough, it was last night.
In years past, Ruff has been seen as stunting the growth of his young players either being too hard on them or putting them in a position to fail. Now, even though Grigorenko has done what's asked of him, he gets demoted to a line with fighter John Scott and little Nathan Gerbe.
At today's skate, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald thinks that Ruff may have some remorse. “It’s like burning a game,” Ruff was quoted as saying.
Sure enough, they only have five games to decide whether the 18 yr. old center sticks or gets sent back to Jr. At 6:48 of ice time, to get a better "match up," Ruff did burn a game. And further burned his reputation of leaning on "his" guys into the brains of every Sabre fan.
Being on the third line getting 10-12 minutes a game is not a bad way to get introduced into the NHL. Doing what the coach tells you to do--focusing upon defense, even though you have mad offensive skills--should get you more ice-time, not less.
Ruff screwed up last night. Everyone in Sabreland knows it (except maybe for Terry Pegula and Darcy Regier) and I would hazard to guess that Grigorenko's a little perplexed at Ruff's decision.
Let's hope "Grigs" has the wherewithal to get past it and move forward.
************
There's a reason I dislike twitter, other than the fact that it's inane. One should never trust an initial reaction while dealing in disappointment.
After last night's loss. I wanted Lindy Ruff to be fired. I also wanted to see WGR's Paul Hamilton and Howard Simon and Chris "Bulldog" Parker canned as well. What the hell, I wanted Jeremy White and Mike Schoppsie fired too, like I always do.
It's an obvious overreaction, which is why twitter is pretty much useless, unless you want to laugh at someone.
But, here are the reasons why the aforementioned should at least be on notice:
Lindy Ruff--Relying on an old stand-by--Jochen Hecht--to get the job done. The Sabres lost 3-1. His "old standbys" have gotten him to the playoffs twice in the last five seasons, never getting the team past the first round.
Howard Simon--What a sore loser. Still. Before the 'Canes home-and-home, Simon had the audacity to belittle the organization with an article entitled 'Canes mediocre since raising the Cup. He is, of course, sure that Buffalo would have won it had they not fallen on hard times vs. Carolina back in 2006. But why bag on an organization that at the very least is not that far below the Sabres? Oh, and no comment section either.
Paul Hamilton--Sabres D-man Tyler Myers is off to a slow start--again. In an interview with Hamilton a couple of days ago, Myers had the "audacity" to laugh at a perceived lack of confidence in himself. A laugh Hamilton described as "condescending." Whoa there, pardner, nobody does that to THE Paul Hamilton. Myers has now got himself an overweight beagle annoyingly barking up a storm. Yesterday the hound almighty opened up his post-game article with, "Since I felt Tyler Myers was playing worse than he does, I figured I'd make him my focus this game." Talk about condescending. Really? Oh, and as usual, no comment section.
Chris "Bulldog" Parker--Bulldog's been really annoying lately, especially when it comes to the Bills and specifically Ryan Fitzpatrick. The season's over, and despite a Syracuse reunion at the top two spots on the coaching staff, and a possibility of a reunion with their QB of the last three seasons, it's back to the old punching bag, Fitzpatrick, and Bulldog's article, Are we done with Fitz? Yes, Bulldog, we know you're done with Fitz as a starter. But your plan, "if [you] were the Bills--pick the best [QB] I can with the 8th pick and hope he's ready to play in September?" Really? I'm glad you're not the GM. Like the Bills don't have holes at linebacker (at least two,) CB and WR. Glad I don't listen to you and that Schoppsie guy anymore.
Mike Schoppsie--Shoulda been fired long ago. Arrogance and perceived "entertainment." This is the same guy that once had some suggestions to help Ryan Miller get out of his goaltending slump. Schoppsie's suggestions were based on his time as a goalie, in an intramural floor hockey league. This is also the same guy who said faceoffs are not as important as people make them out to be. My suggestion is that you ask the Sabres about Carolina's go-ahead goal last night. Or go ask Edmonton why Nail Yakupov was able to tie the score with 4 seconds left in the third. What a maroon.
Jeremy White--The Jim Rome wannabe shtick is old. Has been old for a while. A waffler who said that he's happy to have the NHL back, yet was willing to boycott NHL players during the lockout. Said that he'd watch AHL players play for the crest. Never went to a Rochester game during the lockout.
Like Mike Trivisonno said one time down here in Cleveland. Fire all the media.
************
Yeah, can fire 'em all, except for WGR's John Murphy.
Would like to say thank your, Mr. Murphy, for your knowledgeable and insightful journalistic approach to the Buffalo sports scene.
Oh, and thanks for letting us know that 2013 unrestricted free agent Logan Coture of San Jose' is a huge Buffalo Sports fan.
************
Back to the Sabres.
Lindy "the tinkerer" Ruff held firm to his top two lines for three games with only the top line scoring. It would seem as if he'll be changing things up a bit for the afternoon game tomorrow at Washington.
Tomorrow's skate will give us more of an insight, but making one simple move may be a good way to approach things--exchange Steve Ott for Marcus Foligno on the second line.
Having Ott replace Foligno will give Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford the same kind of forward Foligno is, only he's more experienced, has played with star players in a top-line/top-six role and he has produced.
Plus, having Ott ready to take faceoffs will allow Ennis to "cheat" a little more knowing that he has an excellent face-off man in waiting should he get tossed. Maybe that's what Ennis was hinting at when he said,
"Maybe another big guy on my line, we could be mutual at it and cheat on draws and have them take some. I have to improve at it."
Ennis is presently 38.6% on draws. Ott is at 61.9.
Rookie Grigorenko is 57.2% on draws.
Foligno dropping down with Grigorenko and Gerbe on the third line would still give that line a power forward presence and it might even help Grigorenko.
Who knows?
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Grigorenko knows how to stick in the NHL
Although no one within the Sabres organization will say, at this point, just where center Mikhail Grigorenko will end up this season, the team seems to be leaning a certain way.
Sabres owner Terry Pegula made a surprise appearance on WGR yesterday. Apparently he was taking his dog, Sidney, for his "daily drive" and decided to call in.
Host Kevin Sylvester, although somewhat taken aback, handled everything well.
Among the things Sylvester got the Sabres owner to talk about were the contributions of Steve Ott, whom Pegula called "#9 out there," (a refreshing change from the other #9) and Jochen Hecht whom he called a "Steady Eddie."
Of course, ultimately Buffalo fans are dying to know about the status of Grigorenko, who has three more "tryout" games before the Sabres need to make a decision on his status.
Sylvester noted that a shortened season could come into play--a notion he says was dismissed by GM Darcy Regier--burning a year of Grigorenko's entry-level contract. Pegula effectively shot down that notion saying, "A lot of people talked about the shortened season, if that's a reason to send him back to junior," he hesitates, "boy, something's wrong."
The real factor involves Grigorenko's play.
On WGR's Howard Simon Show Lindy Ruff seemed to be giving the kid plenty of slack.
The "kinder, gentler" Ruff called Grigorenko's play "good" saying that he's "handled [his first two games] well."
He also wants to alleviate any pressure on the kid, "I'm not asking for anything special," he said, "I'm just asking him to play his game, to do his thing." The only thing Ruff asks, as he does of all his centermen, is a responsibility in their own end, and in Ruff's eyes, "[Grigoreko] has been."
The "mystery" of just where the 18 yr. old will end up after five games remains. But hints that he'll be with the Sabres for the rest of the season are out there.
Quebec Remparts coach, Patrick Roy, while speaking with lapresse.ca, had this to say (via kuklaskorner,) "I begin to think that there is a strong possibility that Mikhail does not return with us. Yesterday (Monday), he played 13 minutes in his second game in two nights. He is doing well with the Sabres. And he behaves well defensively."
Pegula also points to that theme of "defensive responsibility"--echoing Mike Robitaille--in assesing where Grigorenko presently stands. "he is a gifted player, passer, shooter, playmaker. What's been a surprise is his defensive responsibility. It's been the thing that sticks out."
Grigorenko deserves a lot of credit. He has some mad skills, yet is doing what's asked of him which includes playing on the third line with Ott and Hecht. It's not a glamor role, but he's doing what's asked of him at this point, and doing it well.
That's how he's going to stick in the NHL this season.
Thx to Kris Baker at sabresprospects.com for the lead on Patrick Roy's thoughts
Baker also notes that the Remparts are 4-8 in Grigorenko's absence since mid December
Sabres owner Terry Pegula made a surprise appearance on WGR yesterday. Apparently he was taking his dog, Sidney, for his "daily drive" and decided to call in.
Host Kevin Sylvester, although somewhat taken aback, handled everything well.
Among the things Sylvester got the Sabres owner to talk about were the contributions of Steve Ott, whom Pegula called "#9 out there," (a refreshing change from the other #9) and Jochen Hecht whom he called a "Steady Eddie."
Of course, ultimately Buffalo fans are dying to know about the status of Grigorenko, who has three more "tryout" games before the Sabres need to make a decision on his status.
Sylvester noted that a shortened season could come into play--a notion he says was dismissed by GM Darcy Regier--burning a year of Grigorenko's entry-level contract. Pegula effectively shot down that notion saying, "A lot of people talked about the shortened season, if that's a reason to send him back to junior," he hesitates, "boy, something's wrong."
The real factor involves Grigorenko's play.
On WGR's Howard Simon Show Lindy Ruff seemed to be giving the kid plenty of slack.
The "kinder, gentler" Ruff called Grigorenko's play "good" saying that he's "handled [his first two games] well."
He also wants to alleviate any pressure on the kid, "I'm not asking for anything special," he said, "I'm just asking him to play his game, to do his thing." The only thing Ruff asks, as he does of all his centermen, is a responsibility in their own end, and in Ruff's eyes, "[Grigoreko] has been."
The "mystery" of just where the 18 yr. old will end up after five games remains. But hints that he'll be with the Sabres for the rest of the season are out there.
Quebec Remparts coach, Patrick Roy, while speaking with lapresse.ca, had this to say (via kuklaskorner,) "I begin to think that there is a strong possibility that Mikhail does not return with us. Yesterday (Monday), he played 13 minutes in his second game in two nights. He is doing well with the Sabres. And he behaves well defensively."
Pegula also points to that theme of "defensive responsibility"--echoing Mike Robitaille--in assesing where Grigorenko presently stands. "he is a gifted player, passer, shooter, playmaker. What's been a surprise is his defensive responsibility. It's been the thing that sticks out."
Grigorenko deserves a lot of credit. He has some mad skills, yet is doing what's asked of him which includes playing on the third line with Ott and Hecht. It's not a glamor role, but he's doing what's asked of him at this point, and doing it well.
That's how he's going to stick in the NHL this season.
Thx to Kris Baker at sabresprospects.com for the lead on Patrick Roy's thoughts
Baker also notes that the Remparts are 4-8 in Grigorenko's absence since mid December
Monday, January 21, 2013
Darcy Regier had himself a pretty good weekend
On Saturday, Terry Pegula announced that the Sabres and GM Darcy Regier had reached an agreement on a contract extension.
According to Pegula they'd "had this agreement for quite some time."
Nothing could rile the fan base more than the timing of it. It was announced during a presser on Saturday the day before the season opener as the team apologized for its part in the lockout.
Most look at the Sabres as a failure under Regier.They're are coming off of a non-playoff season, their third in the last five years and sixth in the last ten, while not getting out of the first round since 2007.
Some troubling aspects of the last five seasons under Regier include a lack of identity for the team, lack of intestinal fortitude and a group of players who've been considered easy to play against.
Probably the most troubling issue for many fans is Regier being joined at the hip with Head Coach Lindy Ruff. He has said time and again that as long as he's the GM of the team, his coach will be Ruff.
So why would Pegula want to keep his GM?
One would think it was because of Regier's performance in the roughly two years since Pegula took the reigns of the team.
During that time the Sabres have made the playoff once and missed once. Not bad. They lost in the first round to the Flyers in seven games after a mad dash to the playoffs in 2010/11 and made an ill-fated run last year last year after going through a troubling year.
But most importantly, Regier seems to be getting the job done in fashioning a team that the Pegula and Co. seem to want.
Regier has pulled off a series of trades that, it would seem, ultimately convinced Pegula that he is his guy.
He traded for defenseman Robyn Regehr at the 2011 draft and traded for the rights to Christian Ehrhoff that same off-season. Both, especially Ehrhoff, were players coveted by the organization.
Regier also traded for C, Cody Hodgson in a move that bolstered their roster for the 2012 season yet did not mortgage the future. At the same trade deadline he was somehow able to land a first round pick for fourth-line center, Paul Gaustad.
He also traded much-maligned, "core" player Derek Roy for gritty Steve Ott and depth defenseman, Adam Pardy last off-season.
With four picks in the 2012 draft (the additional second-rounder coming in the Regehr trade) the team was able to draft two highly touted prospects--C, Mikhail Grigorenko and C, Zemgus Girgensons.
In a very shrewd move, the Sabres used their own second-round pick in the draft coupled with the pick they received in the Gaustad trade (#21-overall, Nashville) to move up to #14 (Calgary's pick) and draft Girgensons. Post-draft reviews of the 2012 draft for the Sabres had many looking at Grigorenko and Girgensons as eventually their top-two centers for years to come. In addition, that same draft produced the captain of the gold medal-winning US Junior squad this year--D, Jake McCabe (#44 overall)
In Pegula's eyes, based upon the work done since he took over the team, Regier is someone who is indeed "talented."
During the presser, Pegula said that he approached Regier concerning the extension. He seems to like working with Regier, saying that "we have great communication in the hockey department, no egos, everyone's pulling in the same direction and it's a very good situation." He also mentioned "the creativity, looking for players--drafting, free agents or whatever" in addressing what goes on "behind the curtains."
The "painting" that Pegula says he and his hockey department are working on was on display Sunday in the 2013 season opener. Two of Regier's acquisitions contributed to their 5-2 win over Philly as both Ott and Hodgson scored for the team and both were named stars of the game--Ott #2, an Hodgson #3.
In addition, 2012 first-round draft pick Grigorenko was on the team in his first NHL game. The 18 yr. old is said to be on a five-game tryout, but there's a chance he sticks with the club.
Regier, like every other GM, is at the beck and call of his owner. It's his job to craft a team in the image of his owner. He did that under former boss Tom Golisano's philosophies and he's doing it again.
The Sabres, and the work that Regier did during the previous regimes, does not exist in the eyes of Pegula. Regier's tenure as his GM for him began February 22, 2011 when Pegula took over the team.
It's still too early to tell what will transpire over the course of this season, but Regier couldn't ask for a better weekend to kick off the 2013 season.
*************
Some notes on the game yesterday:
--I've never heard, nor ever plan on hearing again, the words "Thomas Vanek" and "burst of speed" in the same sentence. After Vanek hit the blueline for a semi-breakaway, one of the commentators used that phrase. Maybe it was because the whole leauge isn't up to speed and the Flyers were on a back-to-back but a "burst of speed" from Vanek?
--The Sabres "toughness" still looks eerily familiar to past seasons. Flyer Scott Hartnell ran Jason Pominville from behind and, once again, no one on the ice came to his defense. One shouldn't expect Vanek or Hodgson to come to the defense of a teammate, but Tyler Myers was on the ice and he wussed out. Didn't he say he wanted to be tougher this season?
--Steve Ott skated with a purpose every second of every shift--bent over, legs pumping, always moving forward. Tyler Ennis skates that way. So does Marcus Foligno. The rest? They could should take some notes.
--Jason Pominville is the best all-around player on the team.
--Jochen Hecht will be extremely useful in his fourth-line center role, and, except as a temporary fill-in on a higher line, he needs to stay right there.
--When Drew Stafford dropped the gloves with Hartnell in defense of his teammate, it wasn't the first time he's done that. Ottawa punk Chris Neil elbowed Chris Drury with a cheap shot back in 2007 and Stafford immediately came to his defense. Staff isn't the greatest pugilist, but he can fight--he bloodied Ole-Kristian Tollefsen a few years back in a preseason game vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets. And in his fight with Hartnell, he showed he could take a punch and remain on his skates. His locker, by the way, is next to noted NHL heavyweight, John Scott.
--Defenseman Robyn Regehr had a rough game. He got called for a couple of tripping penalties and got turned around once. But he also had a couple of good breakups on Philly scoring chances. The jury's still out on whether the veteran defenseman has lost a step, may be in serious decline or is simply an old heavy-Chevy that will take a little while to warm up.
--Mikhail Grigorenko got his first taste of NHL action and played a simple game. He looked real good in his own end, positioning himself very well on most occasions. On offense his highlight was drawing a penalty on a drive to the net. Tonight's game vs. Toronto should give everyone a better idea as to whether his stay will be longer than five games.
--The Tyler Ennis, Marcus Foligno, Staffod line looked rusty, yet you could see it's only a matter time before they start clicking.
--None of the defensmen on the Sabres really stood out in a positive way. They all looked shaky, which makes it even more amazing that the team came out with a 5-2 win.
According to Pegula they'd "had this agreement for quite some time."
Nothing could rile the fan base more than the timing of it. It was announced during a presser on Saturday the day before the season opener as the team apologized for its part in the lockout.
Most look at the Sabres as a failure under Regier.They're are coming off of a non-playoff season, their third in the last five years and sixth in the last ten, while not getting out of the first round since 2007.
Some troubling aspects of the last five seasons under Regier include a lack of identity for the team, lack of intestinal fortitude and a group of players who've been considered easy to play against.
Probably the most troubling issue for many fans is Regier being joined at the hip with Head Coach Lindy Ruff. He has said time and again that as long as he's the GM of the team, his coach will be Ruff.
So why would Pegula want to keep his GM?
One would think it was because of Regier's performance in the roughly two years since Pegula took the reigns of the team.
During that time the Sabres have made the playoff once and missed once. Not bad. They lost in the first round to the Flyers in seven games after a mad dash to the playoffs in 2010/11 and made an ill-fated run last year last year after going through a troubling year.
But most importantly, Regier seems to be getting the job done in fashioning a team that the Pegula and Co. seem to want.
Regier has pulled off a series of trades that, it would seem, ultimately convinced Pegula that he is his guy.
He traded for defenseman Robyn Regehr at the 2011 draft and traded for the rights to Christian Ehrhoff that same off-season. Both, especially Ehrhoff, were players coveted by the organization.
Regier also traded for C, Cody Hodgson in a move that bolstered their roster for the 2012 season yet did not mortgage the future. At the same trade deadline he was somehow able to land a first round pick for fourth-line center, Paul Gaustad.
He also traded much-maligned, "core" player Derek Roy for gritty Steve Ott and depth defenseman, Adam Pardy last off-season.
With four picks in the 2012 draft (the additional second-rounder coming in the Regehr trade) the team was able to draft two highly touted prospects--C, Mikhail Grigorenko and C, Zemgus Girgensons.
In a very shrewd move, the Sabres used their own second-round pick in the draft coupled with the pick they received in the Gaustad trade (#21-overall, Nashville) to move up to #14 (Calgary's pick) and draft Girgensons. Post-draft reviews of the 2012 draft for the Sabres had many looking at Grigorenko and Girgensons as eventually their top-two centers for years to come. In addition, that same draft produced the captain of the gold medal-winning US Junior squad this year--D, Jake McCabe (#44 overall)
In Pegula's eyes, based upon the work done since he took over the team, Regier is someone who is indeed "talented."
During the presser, Pegula said that he approached Regier concerning the extension. He seems to like working with Regier, saying that "we have great communication in the hockey department, no egos, everyone's pulling in the same direction and it's a very good situation." He also mentioned "the creativity, looking for players--drafting, free agents or whatever" in addressing what goes on "behind the curtains."
The "painting" that Pegula says he and his hockey department are working on was on display Sunday in the 2013 season opener. Two of Regier's acquisitions contributed to their 5-2 win over Philly as both Ott and Hodgson scored for the team and both were named stars of the game--Ott #2, an Hodgson #3.
In addition, 2012 first-round draft pick Grigorenko was on the team in his first NHL game. The 18 yr. old is said to be on a five-game tryout, but there's a chance he sticks with the club.
Regier, like every other GM, is at the beck and call of his owner. It's his job to craft a team in the image of his owner. He did that under former boss Tom Golisano's philosophies and he's doing it again.
The Sabres, and the work that Regier did during the previous regimes, does not exist in the eyes of Pegula. Regier's tenure as his GM for him began February 22, 2011 when Pegula took over the team.
It's still too early to tell what will transpire over the course of this season, but Regier couldn't ask for a better weekend to kick off the 2013 season.
*************
Some notes on the game yesterday:
--I've never heard, nor ever plan on hearing again, the words "Thomas Vanek" and "burst of speed" in the same sentence. After Vanek hit the blueline for a semi-breakaway, one of the commentators used that phrase. Maybe it was because the whole leauge isn't up to speed and the Flyers were on a back-to-back but a "burst of speed" from Vanek?
--The Sabres "toughness" still looks eerily familiar to past seasons. Flyer Scott Hartnell ran Jason Pominville from behind and, once again, no one on the ice came to his defense. One shouldn't expect Vanek or Hodgson to come to the defense of a teammate, but Tyler Myers was on the ice and he wussed out. Didn't he say he wanted to be tougher this season?
--Steve Ott skated with a purpose every second of every shift--bent over, legs pumping, always moving forward. Tyler Ennis skates that way. So does Marcus Foligno. The rest? They could should take some notes.
--Jason Pominville is the best all-around player on the team.
--Jochen Hecht will be extremely useful in his fourth-line center role, and, except as a temporary fill-in on a higher line, he needs to stay right there.
 |
| Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (l) caught a punch for the Sabres Drew Stafford in a 2008 preseason game at Columbus |
--Defenseman Robyn Regehr had a rough game. He got called for a couple of tripping penalties and got turned around once. But he also had a couple of good breakups on Philly scoring chances. The jury's still out on whether the veteran defenseman has lost a step, may be in serious decline or is simply an old heavy-Chevy that will take a little while to warm up.
--Mikhail Grigorenko got his first taste of NHL action and played a simple game. He looked real good in his own end, positioning himself very well on most occasions. On offense his highlight was drawing a penalty on a drive to the net. Tonight's game vs. Toronto should give everyone a better idea as to whether his stay will be longer than five games.
--The Tyler Ennis, Marcus Foligno, Staffod line looked rusty, yet you could see it's only a matter time before they start clicking.
--None of the defensmen on the Sabres really stood out in a positive way. They all looked shaky, which makes it even more amazing that the team came out with a 5-2 win.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Let's roll
The long wait for hockey fans was over yesterday as the 2013 season got underway. Twenty-six teams went at it while fans in Buffalo chomped at the bit, waiting for their own opener which is today. Today at 12:30 on NBC--the lone game on national television vs. Philly who lost their opener yesterday afternoon.
The theme for this season seems to be leaning towards few things: the transition from "the core" of old to "the new core," a tougher Sabres team to play against, and where they'll find more scoring.
Tyler Ennis, Cody Hodgson, Tyler Myers, Marcus Foligno and, now, Mikhail Grigorenko all represent pieces of "the new core" and will be expected to fill their roles competently. Unlike GM Darcy Regier's "core" from the 2007/08 season, this group will not only have a ton of veteran leadership around them, but they will also have true top-line/top-six talent surrounding them. Plus they'll have more grit and toughness on the team, more than any since the late-90's "hardest working team in hockey."
On paper, it wasn't hard to get caught up in the potential of the Sabres the last two seasons as new owner Terry Pegula took the reigns and cut the financial chains.
That lead to the 2011/12 season as one of heightened expectations. Unfortunately it ended up in disappointment. Ready-made excuses were built in to the failure of last year, mainly injuries and lack of center depth, not to mention the Milan Lucic/Miller incident, but it was a failure regardless.
In this shortened 2013 NHL season, the Eastern Conference looks to be wide open outside the typical heavyweights like Pittsburgh, Boston and the NY Rangers. Yet, any team can get off to a slow start to the season or go into a funk at some point, leaving them vulnerable to a hot rival.
Even in the Northeast Division, Boston is the prohibitive favorite, but they have a backup goalie taking over the reigns as full time starter, which is a difficult transition. Goaltending woes--whether a slump or injury to the #1 and/or a less than adequate back-up--could send a favorite down the conference battling for a playoff spot. So, a division crown isn't a lock for the B's this season, although it's clearly theirs to loose.
Still, with so many questions at the foot of Washington St. heading into the season, it would be hard to predict the Sabres finishing atop the Northeast.
Those questions include: Will there be a definitive impact on the grit and toughness side of the equation from Steve Ott and John Scott? Will last year's hottest line of Ennis, Foligno and Drew Stafford continue to produce? How will 18 yr. old rookie Mikhail Grigorenko pan out? Will goalie Ryan Miller be able to focus completely through a 48 game season? Will back-up Jhonas Enroth be able to hold the fort while Miller gets a day off? Can defensemen Myers and Christian Ehrhoff stay healthy and up their poor-to-average production from last season? How will Lindy Ruff coach the team? Will he find chemistry throughout the line-up? Will the trade of Derek Roy be a positive (team chemistry, more heart) or a negative (lost scoring.) And so on.
Puckdaddy's Greg Wyshinski predicts that the second place finisher in the division will make the playoffs, and I concur. He also picks Buffalo to finish ahead of Ottawa and make the playoffs and I concur, once again.
Methinks the Sabres followed a similar path this season to what Ottawa did last year by adding more grit and toughness and they should be, like Wychynski said, "a pain to play against."
The Sabres, although flawed and incredibly young down the middle, should have enough firepower to at least match their offensive ranking last season (18th.) They have a legitimate top-line winger in Thomas Vanek and a legitimate top-six two-way player in Jason Pominville. They have a possible top-six winger in Ott who will be on the third line.
They have a solid enough defense to keep the opposition in check and they have a former Vezina-winner in goal with Ryan Miller--who may not need to be elite, only strong--to help carry the team into the post-season.
Add in some veteran leadership up and down the lineup and you have a team that should be able to hold its own in any contest this season.
Plus, most on the team have been playing under Ruff for a number of years. That continuity may be critical in this sprint of a season.
About the only thing that may hold this team back is over-coaching by Ruff. Nearly all of his players know "the system" and it will be up to him and his coaching staff to offer tweaks instead of drastic changes .
This team could realistically finish anywhere from 6th to 10th in the conference this season, so we'll split down the middle and predict they finish 8th.
A look at some players and the affect they may have upon team success this season.
W/C, Steve Ott and W/D, John Scott--Ott was brought in for his gritty play and his ability to skate a regular, top-nine shift. Scott was brought in to protect his teammates. Both are on the team to make the Sabres tougher to play against as well as make the skill players fell a bit more comfortable. The Northeast Division is rough, and the Eastern Conference is getting bigger and tougher. Ottawa trotted out four tough, gritty players last season and ended up making the playoffs. Will it work in Buffalo this season?
D, Tyler Myers--At one point, during his Calder-winning rookie season, Myers was looked at as a perennial Norris candidate. Since then his production, has taken a precipitous drop. The tall, lanky defenseman worked hard over the summer to add a little bulk and spent some time with Nashville Predators defensman Shea Weber over the summer hoping to add a definitive edge to his game. He will be looked at to add more production and to stay healthy.
D, Christian Ehrhoff--Ehrhoff is another d-man whose production was off from the previous year, going from consecutive 14-goal seasons with Vancouver down to five with Buffalo. He also had some injury problems last season and the team went 2-7-2 with him out of the lineup in January. The powerplay may be the key to upping his goals.
Note: The team lost Myers and Ehrhoff back to back in a stretch that went from Nov. 23 when Myers went down through Jan. 21 Ehrhoff's last game on the sideline--a span of 28 games. Buffalo went 7-16-5. Both were in the back in the lineup after that and the Sabres finished the season on a 20-8-6 run.
C, Tyler Ennis and C, Cody Hodgson--Both are young and are getting a crack at full-time, top-six center minutes as well as prominent powerplay time. While Ennis will be starting out between Foligno and Stafford, a young line, Hodgson will be with two veteran, proven goal scorers in Vanek and Pominville. Both lines need to hold their own and solidify the top-six.
LW, Marcus Foligno--Foligno had a stellar stretch-run with the team last season scoring six goals and adding seven assists in only 13 games. He would be hard-pressed to score at that pace, but significant contributions on the scoresheet will gladly be accepted.
C, Mikhail Grigorenko--The wild card. The big, highly skilled center is only 18 yrs. old and no player under Ruff has made the jump to the NHL at that age. He had a great camp and earned a spot on the roster. If he can stick as a third-line center between veterans Ott and Ville Leino, Hecht will be able drop down to an appropriate #4-center slot and the Sabres will be set down the middle. Rolling three lines is how Ruff wants to approach this season. Having his centers fall into place like that will go a long way towards making that strategy a reality.
F, Ville Leino--Leino gets a mulligan for mitigating circumstances contributing to his woeful first season with the Sabres. As previously mentioned, he really needs to focus upon his play and just quit whining. He needs to significantly increase his .35 points/game production from last season. And should the team make the playoffs, we'll be able to see if he's the money player he was touted as when he came to Buffalo. If not, a compliance buy-out may be in the cards for him.
G, Ryan Miller--Focus. Too many times over the last few seasons, Miller was caught in la-la land for whatever reason. The moniker of "Mr. Softee" grew out of his lack of focus at times which inevitably lead to soft goals. When he's on, he incredibly tough to beat. When he's average, the Sabres usually come out on the wrong end of the score.
RW, Drew Stafford--The opportunity for a true breakout season is looking him right in the eye. Everything is in his hands, but entering his fifth full-time season with the Sabres, the question with him remains, is that a hockey stick in his hands or a guitar?
The theme for this season seems to be leaning towards few things: the transition from "the core" of old to "the new core," a tougher Sabres team to play against, and where they'll find more scoring.
Tyler Ennis, Cody Hodgson, Tyler Myers, Marcus Foligno and, now, Mikhail Grigorenko all represent pieces of "the new core" and will be expected to fill their roles competently. Unlike GM Darcy Regier's "core" from the 2007/08 season, this group will not only have a ton of veteran leadership around them, but they will also have true top-line/top-six talent surrounding them. Plus they'll have more grit and toughness on the team, more than any since the late-90's "hardest working team in hockey."
On paper, it wasn't hard to get caught up in the potential of the Sabres the last two seasons as new owner Terry Pegula took the reigns and cut the financial chains.
That lead to the 2011/12 season as one of heightened expectations. Unfortunately it ended up in disappointment. Ready-made excuses were built in to the failure of last year, mainly injuries and lack of center depth, not to mention the Milan Lucic/Miller incident, but it was a failure regardless.
In this shortened 2013 NHL season, the Eastern Conference looks to be wide open outside the typical heavyweights like Pittsburgh, Boston and the NY Rangers. Yet, any team can get off to a slow start to the season or go into a funk at some point, leaving them vulnerable to a hot rival.
Even in the Northeast Division, Boston is the prohibitive favorite, but they have a backup goalie taking over the reigns as full time starter, which is a difficult transition. Goaltending woes--whether a slump or injury to the #1 and/or a less than adequate back-up--could send a favorite down the conference battling for a playoff spot. So, a division crown isn't a lock for the B's this season, although it's clearly theirs to loose.
Still, with so many questions at the foot of Washington St. heading into the season, it would be hard to predict the Sabres finishing atop the Northeast.
Those questions include: Will there be a definitive impact on the grit and toughness side of the equation from Steve Ott and John Scott? Will last year's hottest line of Ennis, Foligno and Drew Stafford continue to produce? How will 18 yr. old rookie Mikhail Grigorenko pan out? Will goalie Ryan Miller be able to focus completely through a 48 game season? Will back-up Jhonas Enroth be able to hold the fort while Miller gets a day off? Can defensemen Myers and Christian Ehrhoff stay healthy and up their poor-to-average production from last season? How will Lindy Ruff coach the team? Will he find chemistry throughout the line-up? Will the trade of Derek Roy be a positive (team chemistry, more heart) or a negative (lost scoring.) And so on.
Puckdaddy's Greg Wyshinski predicts that the second place finisher in the division will make the playoffs, and I concur. He also picks Buffalo to finish ahead of Ottawa and make the playoffs and I concur, once again.
Methinks the Sabres followed a similar path this season to what Ottawa did last year by adding more grit and toughness and they should be, like Wychynski said, "a pain to play against."
The Sabres, although flawed and incredibly young down the middle, should have enough firepower to at least match their offensive ranking last season (18th.) They have a legitimate top-line winger in Thomas Vanek and a legitimate top-six two-way player in Jason Pominville. They have a possible top-six winger in Ott who will be on the third line.
They have a solid enough defense to keep the opposition in check and they have a former Vezina-winner in goal with Ryan Miller--who may not need to be elite, only strong--to help carry the team into the post-season.
Add in some veteran leadership up and down the lineup and you have a team that should be able to hold its own in any contest this season.
Plus, most on the team have been playing under Ruff for a number of years. That continuity may be critical in this sprint of a season.
About the only thing that may hold this team back is over-coaching by Ruff. Nearly all of his players know "the system" and it will be up to him and his coaching staff to offer tweaks instead of drastic changes .
This team could realistically finish anywhere from 6th to 10th in the conference this season, so we'll split down the middle and predict they finish 8th.
A look at some players and the affect they may have upon team success this season.
W/C, Steve Ott and W/D, John Scott--Ott was brought in for his gritty play and his ability to skate a regular, top-nine shift. Scott was brought in to protect his teammates. Both are on the team to make the Sabres tougher to play against as well as make the skill players fell a bit more comfortable. The Northeast Division is rough, and the Eastern Conference is getting bigger and tougher. Ottawa trotted out four tough, gritty players last season and ended up making the playoffs. Will it work in Buffalo this season?
D, Tyler Myers--At one point, during his Calder-winning rookie season, Myers was looked at as a perennial Norris candidate. Since then his production, has taken a precipitous drop. The tall, lanky defenseman worked hard over the summer to add a little bulk and spent some time with Nashville Predators defensman Shea Weber over the summer hoping to add a definitive edge to his game. He will be looked at to add more production and to stay healthy.
D, Christian Ehrhoff--Ehrhoff is another d-man whose production was off from the previous year, going from consecutive 14-goal seasons with Vancouver down to five with Buffalo. He also had some injury problems last season and the team went 2-7-2 with him out of the lineup in January. The powerplay may be the key to upping his goals.
Note: The team lost Myers and Ehrhoff back to back in a stretch that went from Nov. 23 when Myers went down through Jan. 21 Ehrhoff's last game on the sideline--a span of 28 games. Buffalo went 7-16-5. Both were in the back in the lineup after that and the Sabres finished the season on a 20-8-6 run.
C, Tyler Ennis and C, Cody Hodgson--Both are young and are getting a crack at full-time, top-six center minutes as well as prominent powerplay time. While Ennis will be starting out between Foligno and Stafford, a young line, Hodgson will be with two veteran, proven goal scorers in Vanek and Pominville. Both lines need to hold their own and solidify the top-six.
LW, Marcus Foligno--Foligno had a stellar stretch-run with the team last season scoring six goals and adding seven assists in only 13 games. He would be hard-pressed to score at that pace, but significant contributions on the scoresheet will gladly be accepted.
C, Mikhail Grigorenko--The wild card. The big, highly skilled center is only 18 yrs. old and no player under Ruff has made the jump to the NHL at that age. He had a great camp and earned a spot on the roster. If he can stick as a third-line center between veterans Ott and Ville Leino, Hecht will be able drop down to an appropriate #4-center slot and the Sabres will be set down the middle. Rolling three lines is how Ruff wants to approach this season. Having his centers fall into place like that will go a long way towards making that strategy a reality.
F, Ville Leino--Leino gets a mulligan for mitigating circumstances contributing to his woeful first season with the Sabres. As previously mentioned, he really needs to focus upon his play and just quit whining. He needs to significantly increase his .35 points/game production from last season. And should the team make the playoffs, we'll be able to see if he's the money player he was touted as when he came to Buffalo. If not, a compliance buy-out may be in the cards for him.
G, Ryan Miller--Focus. Too many times over the last few seasons, Miller was caught in la-la land for whatever reason. The moniker of "Mr. Softee" grew out of his lack of focus at times which inevitably lead to soft goals. When he's on, he incredibly tough to beat. When he's average, the Sabres usually come out on the wrong end of the score.
RW, Drew Stafford--The opportunity for a true breakout season is looking him right in the eye. Everything is in his hands, but entering his fifth full-time season with the Sabres, the question with him remains, is that a hockey stick in his hands or a guitar?
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Lindy Ruff and his coaches are really the keys to this shortened season
Unlike last season, when some of the prognosticators had the Sabres finishing atop the Northeast Division and nearly all had them in the playoffs based upon their off-season acquisitions, this year any "exuberance" has been tempered.
The Sabres made a big splash in the 2011 off-season with the trade for D Robyn Regehr, the trade for and contract extension of D Christian Ehrhoff and the signing of F Ville Leino. Unfortunately the team finished right where they'd been for three of the previous four seasons--in the playoff bubble mix.
This season most predict the Sabres to finish right in the playoff bubble mix again and nearly all of them point to having the stars align for the team to actually get in. They'll need a positive impact from new Sabres Steve Ott and John Scott, they'll need their young centers Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson to effectively fill their top-six center roles and they'll need to replace the scoring that left when Derek Roy was traded to Dallas.
All are valid points, but probably the most pressing issue with the team will be how Lindy Ruff and his coaching staff handle the team.
There's very little room for error in a shortened 48-game season. There's no getting out of the gate slowly and making a late season rally for the playoffs. Nor can any team, especially Buffalo, afford to go in a prolonged slump. With the Sabres, they can't look to the Western Conference for points (11-6-1 last season,) as all games will be vs. the East (28-26-10) and the powerhouses within (6-11-3 vs. the Atlantic Division.)
Ruff, it would seem, has been micro-managing this team ever since Chris Drury and Daniel Briere left in 2007, either by necessity or design, and the results have been pretty mediocre--two playoff appearances (booted in the first round both times) and three years on the outside looking in.
In defense of his record, the talent drop-off from the 2006/07 season was significant, especially down the middle where at one point last season his centers were Roy, Luke Adam/ Ville Leino/Jochen Hecht, Paul Gaustad, and Cody McCormick/Paul "Chewy" Szczechura/Matt Ellis. That was before Ennis landed in the middle and before Hodgson was traded for.
But some of that was of his own design as well. He kept Ennis on the wing, despite the kid's need for more ice, until necessity dictated his move to center. His insistence that Roy be between Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville was a reliance upon (way) past success. He consistently placed Hecht in a top-six role and frequently gave fourth line centers extended minutes on the top line.
Ruff has no choice but to play his young guns at center this season as three of his four centers from two years ago are no longer with the team. But still, a dependency upon the "old tried and true" will have a chance to come to the fore as Hecht was re-signed and could find himself playing in the top-six for a period should one of the youngsters stumble.
Chemistry will be of the utmost importance this season as dictated by a compact schedule. That Ruff is a "tinkerer" with line combos is a given--to a negative extreme--and an abbreviated season will give him ample opportunity to further rationalize his tinkering
On many occasions the coach has had his lines on a short leash--save for his "tried and true" line combos from years past. The line of Ennis with Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno was a revelation late last season, but will he keep this line together should they stumble? Is Hodgson looking over his shoulder at Hecht if Vanek and Pominville get into a funk?
Past results are not necessarily indicative of what's to come, but "old dog" Lindy may feel the pressure to juggle lines like he's always done. The end result of that juggling is inconsistency and weird combos featuring fourth-liners like Adam Mair or Ellis playing extended in-game minutes on the top line. Once again, his team has failed to make the playoffs in three of the last five seasons.
Another area of concern this year will be how he handles his goalies, one of Ruff's weakest areas.
Ryan Miller is a scrawny goalie who tires under a heavy workload. You can see it in his slow glove and lack of focus when he's played too much.
Ruff has never been able to find the proper rhythm to his goalie rotation, save for 2009/10 when Miller was dead-on in his Vezina-winning season. He'll talk about a rotation, then go on intuition and when that fails he'll start talking about a rotation again.
He's already stated that he expects to use Miller in 36-38 games this season, which really shouldn't be that much of a problem for the 30 yr. old netminder. Finding the right time to get back up Jhonas Enroth in the mix, though, will be key to the success of the team.
Enroth himself will be crucial to that success as he'll be looked upon to provide work similar to a stellar 2010/11 (9-2-2) as opposed to his inconsistent 2011/12 season (8-11-4.) He has a clearly defined role as back-up after flirting with dreams of starting last season when Miller went down. He was not ready to be a #1 then and barring injury he'll not get that opportunity this year. But in the 10-12 games he'll be slated to play in, he'll need to get as many points as possible.
The coaching staff joining Ruff behind the bench should also be on notice.
The Sabres defensemen under James Patrick, have not looked solid since 2009/10 when the team took the Northeast Division. They've been very inconsistent despite having plenty of veteran presence on the back-end.
Amongst the problems that have plagued his defensemen: they still haven't learned when it's appropriate to join the rush for the offense Ruff covets, and come crunch-time, at times they lacked the poise to lock down a late one-goal lead. Patrick has eight NHL defensemen to work with this season, many of them veterans. Can he guide them in their roles? Or will they continue their inconsistent play?
On offense, the power play under first year coach, Kevyn Adams, finished 16th last season. Adams will be integrating some new players into the powerplay units, due to Roy's departure, but in a "some things never change" move, Ruff and Adams look to be leaning towards Pominville on the point of the first powerplay unit. It's something that really hasn't worked in the past, yet it looks as if they'll continue to go to that muddy well.
And in another of Ruff's "tried and true" leanings, the first powerplay unit will probably feature Ehrhoff joining Pominville on the point with Leino and Vanek working the half-walls. They will be joined by Hodgson who will be Roy's replacement. The second unit will have youngsters Ennis, Stafford and Foligno down low with Myers and Leopold at the point.
Ruff has also mentioned that he's toying with the idea of using defenseman TJ Brennan in a "specialist" role on the powerplay. Whether or not that innovation comes to fruition is to be determined, but they needed to find a spot for Brennan. The fourth-year AHL d-man was second in defenseman scoring in the league and proficient on the powerplay for the Amerks. Exposing him to waivers would most certainly mean losing him.
Sabres owner Terry Pegula famously stated, "Ruff ain't goin' nowhere," at his first press conference so the longest tenured coach in Sabres history obviously has the full backing of his owner. Yet Ruff really seems to be too holding tightly to the reigns and it would seem as if that spills over to his players. On offense, how many times has he pointed out that x-player was "gripping the stick too tight" on a missed opportunity? And on defense, how many Keystone Cops incidents have we witnessed late in games?
With Pegula clearly on his side, and a GM who's said time and again that as long as he's in Buffalo, Ruff will be his coach, there's really no reason for him to feel pressure coaching. He has a veteran group of players punctuated by some pretty talented youngsters. He has an above average to elite goalie and a solid backup manning the net.
Ruff has the personnel to challenge for the Northeast Division crown, or at least a playoff spot, but micro-managing may be holding them back. If ever there was a time to "release the hounds," it's this season. Hockey is a game, let them go out and play.
But, is that within him?
The Sabres made a big splash in the 2011 off-season with the trade for D Robyn Regehr, the trade for and contract extension of D Christian Ehrhoff and the signing of F Ville Leino. Unfortunately the team finished right where they'd been for three of the previous four seasons--in the playoff bubble mix.
This season most predict the Sabres to finish right in the playoff bubble mix again and nearly all of them point to having the stars align for the team to actually get in. They'll need a positive impact from new Sabres Steve Ott and John Scott, they'll need their young centers Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson to effectively fill their top-six center roles and they'll need to replace the scoring that left when Derek Roy was traded to Dallas.
All are valid points, but probably the most pressing issue with the team will be how Lindy Ruff and his coaching staff handle the team.
There's very little room for error in a shortened 48-game season. There's no getting out of the gate slowly and making a late season rally for the playoffs. Nor can any team, especially Buffalo, afford to go in a prolonged slump. With the Sabres, they can't look to the Western Conference for points (11-6-1 last season,) as all games will be vs. the East (28-26-10) and the powerhouses within (6-11-3 vs. the Atlantic Division.)
Ruff, it would seem, has been micro-managing this team ever since Chris Drury and Daniel Briere left in 2007, either by necessity or design, and the results have been pretty mediocre--two playoff appearances (booted in the first round both times) and three years on the outside looking in.
In defense of his record, the talent drop-off from the 2006/07 season was significant, especially down the middle where at one point last season his centers were Roy, Luke Adam/ Ville Leino/Jochen Hecht, Paul Gaustad, and Cody McCormick/Paul "Chewy" Szczechura/Matt Ellis. That was before Ennis landed in the middle and before Hodgson was traded for.
But some of that was of his own design as well. He kept Ennis on the wing, despite the kid's need for more ice, until necessity dictated his move to center. His insistence that Roy be between Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville was a reliance upon (way) past success. He consistently placed Hecht in a top-six role and frequently gave fourth line centers extended minutes on the top line.
Ruff has no choice but to play his young guns at center this season as three of his four centers from two years ago are no longer with the team. But still, a dependency upon the "old tried and true" will have a chance to come to the fore as Hecht was re-signed and could find himself playing in the top-six for a period should one of the youngsters stumble.
Chemistry will be of the utmost importance this season as dictated by a compact schedule. That Ruff is a "tinkerer" with line combos is a given--to a negative extreme--and an abbreviated season will give him ample opportunity to further rationalize his tinkering
On many occasions the coach has had his lines on a short leash--save for his "tried and true" line combos from years past. The line of Ennis with Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno was a revelation late last season, but will he keep this line together should they stumble? Is Hodgson looking over his shoulder at Hecht if Vanek and Pominville get into a funk?
Past results are not necessarily indicative of what's to come, but "old dog" Lindy may feel the pressure to juggle lines like he's always done. The end result of that juggling is inconsistency and weird combos featuring fourth-liners like Adam Mair or Ellis playing extended in-game minutes on the top line. Once again, his team has failed to make the playoffs in three of the last five seasons.
Another area of concern this year will be how he handles his goalies, one of Ruff's weakest areas.
Ryan Miller is a scrawny goalie who tires under a heavy workload. You can see it in his slow glove and lack of focus when he's played too much.
Ruff has never been able to find the proper rhythm to his goalie rotation, save for 2009/10 when Miller was dead-on in his Vezina-winning season. He'll talk about a rotation, then go on intuition and when that fails he'll start talking about a rotation again.
He's already stated that he expects to use Miller in 36-38 games this season, which really shouldn't be that much of a problem for the 30 yr. old netminder. Finding the right time to get back up Jhonas Enroth in the mix, though, will be key to the success of the team.
Enroth himself will be crucial to that success as he'll be looked upon to provide work similar to a stellar 2010/11 (9-2-2) as opposed to his inconsistent 2011/12 season (8-11-4.) He has a clearly defined role as back-up after flirting with dreams of starting last season when Miller went down. He was not ready to be a #1 then and barring injury he'll not get that opportunity this year. But in the 10-12 games he'll be slated to play in, he'll need to get as many points as possible.
The coaching staff joining Ruff behind the bench should also be on notice.
The Sabres defensemen under James Patrick, have not looked solid since 2009/10 when the team took the Northeast Division. They've been very inconsistent despite having plenty of veteran presence on the back-end.
Amongst the problems that have plagued his defensemen: they still haven't learned when it's appropriate to join the rush for the offense Ruff covets, and come crunch-time, at times they lacked the poise to lock down a late one-goal lead. Patrick has eight NHL defensemen to work with this season, many of them veterans. Can he guide them in their roles? Or will they continue their inconsistent play?
On offense, the power play under first year coach, Kevyn Adams, finished 16th last season. Adams will be integrating some new players into the powerplay units, due to Roy's departure, but in a "some things never change" move, Ruff and Adams look to be leaning towards Pominville on the point of the first powerplay unit. It's something that really hasn't worked in the past, yet it looks as if they'll continue to go to that muddy well.
And in another of Ruff's "tried and true" leanings, the first powerplay unit will probably feature Ehrhoff joining Pominville on the point with Leino and Vanek working the half-walls. They will be joined by Hodgson who will be Roy's replacement. The second unit will have youngsters Ennis, Stafford and Foligno down low with Myers and Leopold at the point.
Ruff has also mentioned that he's toying with the idea of using defenseman TJ Brennan in a "specialist" role on the powerplay. Whether or not that innovation comes to fruition is to be determined, but they needed to find a spot for Brennan. The fourth-year AHL d-man was second in defenseman scoring in the league and proficient on the powerplay for the Amerks. Exposing him to waivers would most certainly mean losing him.
Sabres owner Terry Pegula famously stated, "Ruff ain't goin' nowhere," at his first press conference so the longest tenured coach in Sabres history obviously has the full backing of his owner. Yet Ruff really seems to be too holding tightly to the reigns and it would seem as if that spills over to his players. On offense, how many times has he pointed out that x-player was "gripping the stick too tight" on a missed opportunity? And on defense, how many Keystone Cops incidents have we witnessed late in games?
With Pegula clearly on his side, and a GM who's said time and again that as long as he's in Buffalo, Ruff will be his coach, there's really no reason for him to feel pressure coaching. He has a veteran group of players punctuated by some pretty talented youngsters. He has an above average to elite goalie and a solid backup manning the net.
Ruff has the personnel to challenge for the Northeast Division crown, or at least a playoff spot, but micro-managing may be holding them back. If ever there was a time to "release the hounds," it's this season. Hockey is a game, let them go out and play.
But, is that within him?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)