Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-9-2017
Defenseman Tyler Myers was selected by the Buffalo Sabres 12th-overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. And here's a little side story to how that selection came to be.
The Los Angeles Kings had the 12th pick in the draft that year, the Sabres had the 13th. Both were looking for defensemen and the two best-rated defensemen on the board sat there when it came to the Kings at No.12--Colten Teubert and Myers. Buffalo GM Darcy Regier proposed a trade to Kings GM Dean Lombardi as he and his scouting staff wanted Myers.
Lombardi had his choice as well but in order for him to sign off on the trade so the Sabres wouldn't take his guy, he proposed they write the name of the player they wanted on a napkin at the draft table. When they turned the napkins over, Regier wrote Myers, Lombardi wrote Teubert and the deal was done. Buffalo traded their pick, No.13 overall and a 2009 3rd-round pick to Los Angeles to move up a spot and picked Myers.
After the draft, Myers would spend one more season in junior where he helped lead the Kelowna Rockets to the WHL Championship while winning the WHL Finals Most Valuable Player award . On the way to that championship, the Rockets would defeat the Vancouver Giants in the conference finals who were lead by Evander Kane. The two would eventually be the two primary pieces of a blockbuster deal between Myers' Sabres and Kane's Winnipeg Jets on February 11, 2015.
The blockbuster trade between the Sabres and the Jets for Myers, who won the 2010 Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year, and Kane also involved Buffalo's Drew Stafford, forward prospect Joel Armia (2011, 16th) and Brendan Lemieux (2014, 31st) plus a conditional first round pick (via the St. Louis Blues in the Ryan Miller trade) that turned into Jack Roslovic (2015, 25th.) The Jets sent defenseman Zach Bogosian and goalie prospect Jason Kasdorf to the Sabres.
Kane and Bogosian, Stafford (who's now with the New Jersey Devils) and Armia have already played their former clubs while Myers and Lemieux have not. But that will change for Myers tonight. After missing the first two meetings at Buffalo because of injury, he'll be in the lineup tonight for the first time since that trade went down nearly three years ago.
Meyers won the 2010 Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the year. He played 365 games for the Sabres scoring 45 goals and adding 106 assist for 151 points.
Teubert was traded by the Kings to the Edmonton Oilers in 2011 and played 24 games for them registering one assist. He played one more season in North America with Edmonton's Oklahoma City Barons AHL affiliate before heading overseas.
A little side note on that 2008 draft. While the Sabres and Kings were making a deal and taking their d-men, two picks later, the Ottawa Senators selected two-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson with the 15th-overall selection.
*****
Speaking of defensemen, Buffalo rookie rear-guard Victor Antipin was on the ice for the pregame skate after missing over a week because of a tough bout with the flu. Sabres head coach Phil Housley said yesterday that Antipin had lost a lot of wait and that it would take time for him to regain his strength.
"Sometimes it hits different people different ways, and it seemed to hit him pretty hard," Housley told the gathered media yesterday. "He's just got to work his way back in. He lost a lot of weight. He was ill, and those things don't happen overnight. He's going to take some time to gain some muscle and some strength back."
*****
Antipin's illness created an opening for rookie defenseman Brendan Guhle who, according to Housley, has been playing some "terrific hockey" for the Rochester Americans this season. The 19 yr. old Guhle, who was selected in the second round (51st) at the 2015 NHL Draft has 20 points (7+13) for the Amerks and leads the team in shot with 91.
When asked about Guhle and his shots, something the Sabres have been lacking from their blueliners this season, Housley lit up and smiled. "I think he's just earned his way up," before mentioning Guhle's mobility as well as "his stick detail" on defense.
There have been plenty of opportunities to call Guhle up, but the Sabres opted for other d-men instead allowing him to develop. Housley called this a good opportunity "to see what he brings to practice," but by the looks of it, Guhle will be making his first Sabres appearance of the season tonight.
*****
Robin Lehner took a shot to the neck in Philadelphia. He crumbled to the ice, lay their briefly then got up, shook it off and finished the game. The team listed him as day-to-day and summoned goalie Linus Ullmark to come up so that Lehner could have a maintenance day.
According to reports from the rink this morning, Lehner was on the ice and will probably be in net tonight.
As for Ullmark, he got a good taste of practice with the club and may get sent to Rochester for their game tomorrow night in Bellville against the Senators (OTT.)
*****
Trade rumors have been surrounding Kane for years now. At first it was to move him because of off-ice troubles but now it's due to his impending free agency and status as possibly the top rental player available this season.
Kane has said before that he understands this is a business and ironically is having a career year in Buffalo. After 42 games he's second on the team in scoring, one point behind Jack Eichel. His hot start had him atop the Sabres leaderboard for most of the season, but things have cooled for him lately. He broke a seven-game scoring slump two days ago with a late goal against Minnesota, but he also said that he's been getting the opportunities.
"I think in my last few games I've had some Grade A scoring opportunities," said Kane via John Vogl of The Buffalo News. "I just haven't finished. That unfortunately happens throughout the course of a season but you try and rectify that as soon as possible."
No better time than tonight against his former team. Winnipeg has been on a roll lately with only one regulation loss in their last 10 games (7-2-1) which includes a 4-3 victory over the Sabres four days ago in Winnipeg. Vogl also points out that when the Jets play the same team within a week, they're a perfect 6-0 so far with a 28-5 scoring edge.
Tonight's projected lineup for Buffalo:
Girgensons-Eichel-Okposo
Kane-O'Reilly-Pominville
Wilson-Rodrigues-Reinhart
Larson-Josefson-Nolan
Scandella-Ristolainen
Beaulieu-Bogosian
Guhle-McCabe
Benoit Pouliot is the healthy scratch up front or the second time in three games while Josh Gorges and Justin Falk watch Guhle's season debut from the pressbox.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Frustration Sunday as Bills/Sabres struggle on offense. Guhle, Ullmark recalled
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-8-2017
It was a football game they could have, and probably should have, won yesterday. The Buffalo Bills held the Jacksonville Jaguars to 10 points in the AFC Wild Card game but could only manage a field goal from their offense. It was a game of inept quarterbacks with one of them finding a winning formula by using his feet instead of a shaky arm while the other just couldn't get it done. Again.
The Bills' defense played a helluva game, but for one drive couldn't stop Blake Bortles scrambling. As expected, the Jaguars defense, one of the best in the league, throttled the Bills except for one drive, but in the end, a penalty, some miscues and a total collapse kept Buffalo out of the end zone as they settled for the field goal instead.
For those following the Bills, it wasn't all that surprising to see Buffalo's offense struggle with the defense carrying the team. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor and the Bills offense had one golden opportunity, which may have been just enough in this game, but a series of events left them short of the endzone leaving a fanbase frustrated once again.
Having this edition of the Bills break a 17-year playoff drought was a good thing, but leaving a win on the table like that wasn't very satisfying to many and they have every right to feel that way. However, the Bills can head into next season with the weight of the drought lifted and they should have a clear sense of what's needed to hopefully make the playoffs again.
While the Bills were in the main event for Western New Yorkers, the Buffalo Sabres were in Philadelphia to conclude a lengthy seven-game trip away from KeyBank Center with a matinee against the Flyers. This trip, like the season, had not gone very well and they proceeded to drop this one 4-1.
If it ain't one thing it's another with this team this year. Prior to yesterday's game, the Sabres were having trouble getting out of the gate and found themselves chasing the game. More often than not their comeback would fall short leading to a record of 10-23-9 would indicate. Yesterday, however, was different as they applied great pressure against the Flyers, outshooting them by a 12-5 margin in the first only to leave the period with the game tied at 0-0.
The Sabres came out strong in the second with Ryan O'Reilly scoring on Buffalo's third powerplay at the 1:55 mark of the period. From there things deteriorated. The Flyers scored 2:08 later and added another one at the 7:17 mark to take the lead.
As has happened throughout much of this season under new head coach Phil Housley, his Sabres, for reasons unknown, deviated from the game-plan against the Flyers. "We were staying with it, and then we got away from it and for some reason we wanted to make plays instead of trying to do the right thing and make the right choices," said Housley to the post-game media after.
Perhaps his players were left frustrated by a goalie who made some great saves in the first period, including one remarkable one on Sam Reinhart. As they continued to get stymied it looked like they were trying to do to much, got sloppy and choppy, and wound up getting burned in the process. "We just changed the way we were playing for some reason," said the coach. "A lot of East-West plays, turnovers. Puck management that was uncharacteristic from what we were doing in the first period."
The final two goals were empty-netters to make it 4-1.
This is a continuing problem for Housley and this group and it doesn't seem as if it's going to get ironed out anytime soon.
*****
Two top Sabres prospects playing in Rochester have been recalled. Defenseman Brendan Guhle and goalie Linus Ullmark have gotten the call and took the morning skate with the Sabres. Both have been integral parts of an Amerks turnaround that moved them from 26th in the league last season to second place in the AHL's Eastern Conference this year.
Guhle, who was selected in the second round (51st) of the 2015 NHL Draft, has been playing top-pairing, all-situations minutes in Rochester and is tied for second in scoring by a rookie defenseman with 20 points (7+13.) No word on any injuries right now but Victor Antipin has been out because of illness and didn't make the recent three game road trip to Minnesota, Winnipeg and Philadelphia (0-2-1.)
Ullmark is in his third pro season and has been a workhorse for the Amerks both this season and last. The Amerks 2016-17 Team MVP has continued to progress nicely for the club and is tied for the AHL lead with 17 wins. He also leads all AHL goalies with 26 games and has a .928 save percentage (4th) and a 2.27 goals-against average (6th.)
The 24 yr. old came to North America after helping MODO of Sweden's top league avoid relegation in 2014-15 then was rushed into duty after elective double hip surgery after goalie Robin Lehner went down with a high ankle sprain in the first game of Buffalo's 2015-16 season. He appeared in 20 games for the Sabres that season and had an 8-10-2 record with a 2.60 GAA and .913 sv%. Ullmark also played for the Amerks in his rookie season going 10-16-0 with a 3.41 GAA and .902 sv%.
Lehner, who has been the Sabres best and most consistent player lately, got dinged pretty good in the Philadelphia game as he took a hard shot off what looked like his collarbone in the second period. He would remain in to finish the game.
According to reports from the rink, Guhle skated on the second paring with Jake McCabe while Zach Bogosian was moved down to the third pairing with Nathan Beaulieu. Coach Housley mixed up his forward lines as well:
Girgensons-Eichel-Okposo
Kane-O’Reilly-Pominville
Wilson/Pouliot-Rodrigues-Reinhart
Larsson-Josefson-Nolan
Scandella-Ristolainen
Guhle-McCabe
Beaulieu-Bogosian
Gorges-Falk
The Sabres are home for the next two games and play three of the next four at KeyBank Center before heading out for a three-game Western Canada swing. The Winnipeg Jets come to town tomorrow and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
The Rochester Americans play Wednesday and Friday so it will be interesting to see where Guhle ends up this week and how they'll work Ullmark into the mix for Buffalo.
It was a football game they could have, and probably should have, won yesterday. The Buffalo Bills held the Jacksonville Jaguars to 10 points in the AFC Wild Card game but could only manage a field goal from their offense. It was a game of inept quarterbacks with one of them finding a winning formula by using his feet instead of a shaky arm while the other just couldn't get it done. Again.
The Bills' defense played a helluva game, but for one drive couldn't stop Blake Bortles scrambling. As expected, the Jaguars defense, one of the best in the league, throttled the Bills except for one drive, but in the end, a penalty, some miscues and a total collapse kept Buffalo out of the end zone as they settled for the field goal instead.
For those following the Bills, it wasn't all that surprising to see Buffalo's offense struggle with the defense carrying the team. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor and the Bills offense had one golden opportunity, which may have been just enough in this game, but a series of events left them short of the endzone leaving a fanbase frustrated once again.
Having this edition of the Bills break a 17-year playoff drought was a good thing, but leaving a win on the table like that wasn't very satisfying to many and they have every right to feel that way. However, the Bills can head into next season with the weight of the drought lifted and they should have a clear sense of what's needed to hopefully make the playoffs again.
While the Bills were in the main event for Western New Yorkers, the Buffalo Sabres were in Philadelphia to conclude a lengthy seven-game trip away from KeyBank Center with a matinee against the Flyers. This trip, like the season, had not gone very well and they proceeded to drop this one 4-1.
If it ain't one thing it's another with this team this year. Prior to yesterday's game, the Sabres were having trouble getting out of the gate and found themselves chasing the game. More often than not their comeback would fall short leading to a record of 10-23-9 would indicate. Yesterday, however, was different as they applied great pressure against the Flyers, outshooting them by a 12-5 margin in the first only to leave the period with the game tied at 0-0.
The Sabres came out strong in the second with Ryan O'Reilly scoring on Buffalo's third powerplay at the 1:55 mark of the period. From there things deteriorated. The Flyers scored 2:08 later and added another one at the 7:17 mark to take the lead.
As has happened throughout much of this season under new head coach Phil Housley, his Sabres, for reasons unknown, deviated from the game-plan against the Flyers. "We were staying with it, and then we got away from it and for some reason we wanted to make plays instead of trying to do the right thing and make the right choices," said Housley to the post-game media after.
Perhaps his players were left frustrated by a goalie who made some great saves in the first period, including one remarkable one on Sam Reinhart. As they continued to get stymied it looked like they were trying to do to much, got sloppy and choppy, and wound up getting burned in the process. "We just changed the way we were playing for some reason," said the coach. "A lot of East-West plays, turnovers. Puck management that was uncharacteristic from what we were doing in the first period."
The final two goals were empty-netters to make it 4-1.
This is a continuing problem for Housley and this group and it doesn't seem as if it's going to get ironed out anytime soon.
*****
Two top Sabres prospects playing in Rochester have been recalled. Defenseman Brendan Guhle and goalie Linus Ullmark have gotten the call and took the morning skate with the Sabres. Both have been integral parts of an Amerks turnaround that moved them from 26th in the league last season to second place in the AHL's Eastern Conference this year.
Guhle, who was selected in the second round (51st) of the 2015 NHL Draft, has been playing top-pairing, all-situations minutes in Rochester and is tied for second in scoring by a rookie defenseman with 20 points (7+13.) No word on any injuries right now but Victor Antipin has been out because of illness and didn't make the recent three game road trip to Minnesota, Winnipeg and Philadelphia (0-2-1.)
Ullmark is in his third pro season and has been a workhorse for the Amerks both this season and last. The Amerks 2016-17 Team MVP has continued to progress nicely for the club and is tied for the AHL lead with 17 wins. He also leads all AHL goalies with 26 games and has a .928 save percentage (4th) and a 2.27 goals-against average (6th.)
The 24 yr. old came to North America after helping MODO of Sweden's top league avoid relegation in 2014-15 then was rushed into duty after elective double hip surgery after goalie Robin Lehner went down with a high ankle sprain in the first game of Buffalo's 2015-16 season. He appeared in 20 games for the Sabres that season and had an 8-10-2 record with a 2.60 GAA and .913 sv%. Ullmark also played for the Amerks in his rookie season going 10-16-0 with a 3.41 GAA and .902 sv%.
Lehner, who has been the Sabres best and most consistent player lately, got dinged pretty good in the Philadelphia game as he took a hard shot off what looked like his collarbone in the second period. He would remain in to finish the game.
According to reports from the rink, Guhle skated on the second paring with Jake McCabe while Zach Bogosian was moved down to the third pairing with Nathan Beaulieu. Coach Housley mixed up his forward lines as well:
Girgensons-Eichel-Okposo
Kane-O’Reilly-Pominville
Wilson/Pouliot-Rodrigues-Reinhart
Larsson-Josefson-Nolan
Scandella-Ristolainen
Guhle-McCabe
Beaulieu-Bogosian
Gorges-Falk
The Sabres are home for the next two games and play three of the next four at KeyBank Center before heading out for a three-game Western Canada swing. The Winnipeg Jets come to town tomorrow and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
The Rochester Americans play Wednesday and Friday so it will be interesting to see where Guhle ends up this week and how they'll work Ullmark into the mix for Buffalo.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Sabres/Bills: One Buffalo, one day and a 1pm start for both
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-7-2018
The Buffalo Bills' first playoff game in 18 years is the main event for Buffalo sports fans today. Plain and simple. Whether you find yourself in a sports bar or at home, it's full audio with the Bills on the big screen while the Buffalo Sabres relegated to silent minor screens and/or smaller electronic devices. Today is a football event of epic proportions for Western New Yorkers and for the movement known as BillsMafia as their team will be in the playoffs for the first time this century.
Kickoff for the Bills/Jacksonville Jaguars game is at 1pm which happens to be the same time the 30th-place Sabres are finishing up a road trip in Philadelphia with a game against the Flyers.
Since we are on hockeybuzz and not footballbuzz, the Sabres are the focus, but there's always room for a football note or two before we dive into the shallow pool known as the Buffalo Sabres.
There are no other fans in football like Buffalo Bills fans and the BillsMafia has taken fandom to another level. From the shenanigans on Abbot Rd. in Orchard Park, NY to the outpouring of love directed at Andy Dalton and his foundation, it's an all-in approach and devotion that's unparalleled. They have invaded Jacksonville, FL, complete with grills, beer and portable tables, ready for action with a force that's seems to have caught the locals off guard. Chris Ostrander of twointhebox sums it up with this tweet, "Would’ve never guessed Jacksonville has a bigger inferiority complex than Buffalo."
Which is way cool.
So crank it up, Bills fans and enjoy.
The Sabres, meanwhile, are finishing up a stretch of seven games away from KeyBank Center. Normally it would be described as a seven-game road trip but in the middle was the Winter Classic at CitiField in New York City where the Sabres were dubbed the home team despite playing the NY Rangers. Buffalo took that to overtime but lost and then proceeded to drop back-to-back games in regulation for the first time in a month. It's something that sounds good on the surface, but they've piled up five overtime losses over that span and only four wins total.
Buffalo heads into Philadelphia for the last of their three-game series against the Flyers. The two teams met twice in an eight-day span last month with the Sabres holding the Flyboys to two goals each game. However, they dropped the first meeting 2-1 but pulled off a 4-2 win in the next one. Buffalo center Ryan O'Reilly was the lone Sabres player to score in both games and he got the Sabres on the board on both occasions.
Despite Buffalo's struggles over the past few years, they've managed to play the Flyers pretty tough going 5-4-1 in their last 10 games vs. Philadelphia although they're only 2-7-1 on the road. The game today is Buffalo's third in four days and it comes after a full day off for the team, unlike the Flyers who beat the NY Islanders last night by a 6-4 score.
Grab some wings and a frosty adult beverage and settle in for three-and-a-half hours of Buffalo sports as it's been a while since both teams played on the same day in January. The last time this happened was January 8, 2000. The Bills, of course, lost a heartbreaker in Tennessee thanks to the "Music City Miracle" while the Sabres thumped the Ottawa Senators 7-4 on the strength of Miroslav Satan's hat trick and five-point night.
It's been a long-time coming.
The Buffalo Bills' first playoff game in 18 years is the main event for Buffalo sports fans today. Plain and simple. Whether you find yourself in a sports bar or at home, it's full audio with the Bills on the big screen while the Buffalo Sabres relegated to silent minor screens and/or smaller electronic devices. Today is a football event of epic proportions for Western New Yorkers and for the movement known as BillsMafia as their team will be in the playoffs for the first time this century.
Kickoff for the Bills/Jacksonville Jaguars game is at 1pm which happens to be the same time the 30th-place Sabres are finishing up a road trip in Philadelphia with a game against the Flyers.
Since we are on hockeybuzz and not footballbuzz, the Sabres are the focus, but there's always room for a football note or two before we dive into the shallow pool known as the Buffalo Sabres.
There are no other fans in football like Buffalo Bills fans and the BillsMafia has taken fandom to another level. From the shenanigans on Abbot Rd. in Orchard Park, NY to the outpouring of love directed at Andy Dalton and his foundation, it's an all-in approach and devotion that's unparalleled. They have invaded Jacksonville, FL, complete with grills, beer and portable tables, ready for action with a force that's seems to have caught the locals off guard. Chris Ostrander of twointhebox sums it up with this tweet, "Would’ve never guessed Jacksonville has a bigger inferiority complex than Buffalo."
Which is way cool.
So crank it up, Bills fans and enjoy.
The Sabres, meanwhile, are finishing up a stretch of seven games away from KeyBank Center. Normally it would be described as a seven-game road trip but in the middle was the Winter Classic at CitiField in New York City where the Sabres were dubbed the home team despite playing the NY Rangers. Buffalo took that to overtime but lost and then proceeded to drop back-to-back games in regulation for the first time in a month. It's something that sounds good on the surface, but they've piled up five overtime losses over that span and only four wins total.
Buffalo heads into Philadelphia for the last of their three-game series against the Flyers. The two teams met twice in an eight-day span last month with the Sabres holding the Flyboys to two goals each game. However, they dropped the first meeting 2-1 but pulled off a 4-2 win in the next one. Buffalo center Ryan O'Reilly was the lone Sabres player to score in both games and he got the Sabres on the board on both occasions.
Despite Buffalo's struggles over the past few years, they've managed to play the Flyers pretty tough going 5-4-1 in their last 10 games vs. Philadelphia although they're only 2-7-1 on the road. The game today is Buffalo's third in four days and it comes after a full day off for the team, unlike the Flyers who beat the NY Islanders last night by a 6-4 score.
Grab some wings and a frosty adult beverage and settle in for three-and-a-half hours of Buffalo sports as it's been a while since both teams played on the same day in January. The last time this happened was January 8, 2000. The Bills, of course, lost a heartbreaker in Tennessee thanks to the "Music City Miracle" while the Sabres thumped the Ottawa Senators 7-4 on the strength of Miroslav Satan's hat trick and five-point night.
It's been a long-time coming.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Life at the half-way point of the 2017-18 season in Sabreland
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-6-2017
10-22-9
Such is the Buffalo Sabres record at the half-way point of th2017-18 season. The 2018 portion of the schedule began with a 3-2 overtime loss in the New Year's Day Winter Classic followed by one of their most atrocious efforts of the season in a 6-2 loss at Minnesota vs. the Wild. Last night in Winnipeg was rather typical as they were chasing at team, the Jets, and wound up on the wrong side of a 4-3 regulation loss.
However, what was atypical last night was who did the scoring in Winnipeg. Defenseman Marco Scandella scored his first goal of the season as did Scott Wilson, both of whom were traded for by GM Jason Botterill--Scandella in June and Wilson in December. Buffalo's other goal scorer was Johan Larsson who lit the lamp for his second goal of the season and first one dating back to October some 34 games ago.
There were times last night where the Sabres looked ready to play but most of the time they struggled, kind of a microcosm of how this season has gone so far. Head coach Phil Housley has gone through a rather chaotic 41 games as a rookie coach and within this game we saw some nice execution with his team playin on it's toes countered with heavy doses of breakdowns and goals by a team playing on their heels.
Through much of December and into the Winter Classic, Housley's Sabres looked like they were getting what he was saying while sticking to his game-plan, but these last two game his words seem to have fallen on deaf ears, especially against the Wild.
It took former head coach Dan Bylsma about 1 1/2 seasons to lose his Sabres team and although we won't go that far just yet, the losing that's been taking place through the first 41 games under Housley is taking it's toll. Expectations were high to begin the year but the pace they're on right now (58 points) rivals that of the 2013-15 tank years.
With the season shot for all intents and purposes and the February 26th trade deadline looming large for some key Sabres players, the trials and tribulations of the 2017-18 Sabres will more than likely continue into April when a welcome end to the season will occur.
As of right now, here's some of what we've been witnessing in Sabreland through 41 games.
Hope
Yup. There's always hope in Buffalo, but for the Sabres it's not so much in the present as once again our sights are locked into the future. There is one Sabres building block in place right now--C, Jack Eichel--and there's another potential building block on the back-end in defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. Both have had their ups and downs, with Eichel having way more ups than Ristolainen, but right now they are two pretty strong blocks to move forward with.
After that we move down to Rochester as the team is battling for supremacy in the AHL's Eastern Conference with a trio of youngins are leading the way. Goalie Linus Ullmark just won his league-leading 16th game last night and looks ready for the NHL right now. Rookie defenseman Brendan Guhle scored the game-winner in overtime and is on the top-pairing playing in all situations. He has 20 points on the season (7+13) placing him third amongst rookie defensemen in scoring. The Amerks also have rookie winger C.J. Smith who's fourth amongst AHL rookies in scoring with 30 points (10+20.)
Free agent Russian defenseman Victor Antipin should be part of the future Sabres, although he may not be a core player moving forward. Antipin has played sporadically during his first season in North America and has acquitted himself well through 24 games. He's had his fair share of rookie mistakes, but his skating and nose for open areas in the offensive zone are not to be mistaken. He seemed to be at his best while skating along side a more defensive-minded partner like Jake McCabe and if Antipin pans out, he'll be a nice addition to the new core moving forward.
Dipping deep into the pipeline is University of Minnesota center Casey Mittelstadt who just finished his first World Junior Championships as the tournament MVP. Mittelstadt and Team USA netted the bronze at the tournament this season as the Americans won a medal for the third consecutive year for the fist time in their history. Rumor has it that should an opening occur on the U.S. Olympic team, he's one of a few who might get the call.
Outside of those players, perhaps the biggest hope for those in Sabreland is a spot in the upper part of the 2018 NHL Draft where some bluechip prospects lie. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (SWE,) right wing Filip Zadina (CZE) and left wing Brady Tkachuk (USA) all played in the medal round and all look to be upper-level prospects. Dahlin and Zadina both were named to the 2018 WJC All-Star team. We shouldn't forget about Russian winger Andrei Svechnikov, who's slated to go second-overall behind Dahlin.
Doubt
Although the Sabres have plenty of role players, the core that former GM Tim Murray built isn't panning out as expected and unfortunately there are some large cap-numbers attached to that group.
Murray's idea was reasonable at the time--bring in young vets to take the pressure off of the youngins and allow them to develop at the NHL-level--but the players Murray brought in, along with the way the NHL changed, has lessened their worth and effectiveness.
Center Ryan O'Reilly was a great get by Murray even though a hefty price was paid. O'Reilly was brought in to hold down the top center spot until Eichel was ready and his work-ethic was said to be impeccable. After a strong first season in Buffalo, O'Reilly has struggled. He's still effective and shows signs of brilliant play on the back of hard work, but his salary/production ratio just isn't there right now. Defenseman Zach Bogosian has been injured through a good chunk of his time in Buffalo and has also shown flashes of great play as well, but when you add those two player's cap hits, $12.6 million is a lot of money for what's ended up being average to above average play.
The best player Murray brought in is Evander Kane, who's tied for the team lead in scoring (Eichel.) Kane had a tumultuous ride in Buffalo through his first two seasons to the point where rumors had him being moved for a bag of pucks in the 2016 off-season. Since December, 2016, when he fully recovered from his broken ribs, Kane has been the most consistent scorer for Buffalo and exactly the type of on-ice player this team needs. Unfortunately he'll be an unrestricted free agent this off season and with the Sabres in 30th place, he'll probably be moved never to return.
Rumor has it that Botterill wants to re-sign Kane, but he'll need to move a contract or two. O'Reilly's signed through 2022/23 as is winger Kyle Okposo who has a $6 million cap-hit. Okposo was signed in the 2016 off season and had a solid first season in Buffalo until medical issues landed him in ICU last April. It seems as if he's yet to fully recover from that and even if he does, he may have lost his effectiveness in the way the faster NHL is being played.
Doubts still surround goalie Robin Lehner, although there shouldn't be with the statistics he's been putting up lately. With a rag-tag defense-corps two years running, Lehner has been able to put up some decent numbers despite his, and the team's, poor record. Yet he still looks like a rookie goalie at times, still has troubles on breakaways and save for a time or two, hasn't been able to dominate a game to save his skaters. Plus, he still hasn't proven he can win a game in the shootout.
That was the core brought in to hold the fort while the young players developed and they as a group have regressed mightily since the 2015-16 season. We can also add to that group, defenseman Josh Gorges ($3.9 AAV) who is in the final year of his contract and will likely be moved and forward Matt Moulson, who's signed through next season at a $5 million cap-hit but was placed on waivers in December. Both had good first season's in Buffalo but have been moved down the depth chart since.
Apathy
Defenseman Marco Scandella and Jason Pominville came to Buffalo in the off season in a trade with Minnesota. Scandella was brought in to solidify the defense while Pominville and his $5.6 million contract was a necessity to get Scandella. So far they've been decent players, but were either traded at the deadline, it's doubtful any tears would be shed.
The first year of Buffalo's tank-job netted second-overall pick Sam Reinhart. The 2014 draft pick was emotional when Murray sent him back to junior for another year and when he came up for the 2015-16 season, Bylsma put him in a position to succeed, which he did. Reinhart had a very good rookie season, but regressed last season and has been invisible for the better part of the team's first 41 games this season. At one point he looked like he could be a core piece moving forward, now it's gotten to the point where he and his play aren't even worth arguing about anymore.
Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu was acquired by Botterill to help bolster the defense. Beaulieu is a fantastic skater who was on Montreal's top-pairing before he tumbled down the depth chart and into the pressbox. Botterill sent a third-round pick to the Canadiens for Beaulieu and we've gotten a good glimpse as to why he ended up in the pressbox in Montreal. In this sad state of a Sabres season, it would neither hurt nor help the team if he was moved.
Young forwards Hudson Fasching, Justin Bailey and Nicolas Baptiste have all had cracks at sticking with the Sabres over the past two years but none have played consistently enough to warrant them staying in Buffalo. All three have made an impact through the first game of two of their call-ups but soon became non-descript. All are still young and may still have some upside, yet any or all may be used to "sweeten the pot" in future trades.
Winger Alexander Nylander is in the same boat Reinhart was last season as his flaws--namely being a soft, perimeter player--have caused discussions as to his worth to the team moving forward. He just completed his third WJC and was decent, but not as dominant as his experience and skill-level should have dictated. As a player who has struggled at the AHL-level with the Amerks last year and through the first half of this season (due in part to injuries,) if Nylander is being noticed, it's mostly been for the wrong reasons. Many had hoped he'd be Eichel's wingman soon, but he may end up being part of a deal and most in Sabreland wouldn't bat an eye at this point.
At the half-way point of the season and with the team in 30th place, no one should be spared and that includes the coaching staff.
Whether Botterill should have brought in a rookie coach to help him get out of the mess he was handed will be up for debate this season, but that's what they went with. It was a disastrous move through the first two months of the season and if things don't get better, it could very well shatter the confidence of some supposed key players moving forward.
Botterill's on solid footing for the immediate future and Housley most certainly with get a mulligan for this season despite his team floundering worse than a discombobulated team under Byslma. Housley has had plenty of questionable moves that make him look like he's in way over his head and the thing for him will be to show progress in the second half of the season. Maybe even more importantly for him is not losing the room, although we've seen glimpses of that throughout the season thus far. He and his coaching staff also need to be asked how the league's top powerplay last season has dropped to 30th this year.
Contrary to some beliefs, I'm not of the opinion that this was a stealth tank season by Botterill and Company, although with how ownership has acted in the past with their focus on tanking, I wouldn't be too surprised. This is a team that has talent, and knows how to play the game but has yet to learn how to win, which is the most damning side-effect of a team that's been losing for four-and-a-half years.
As a glass-half-full kinda guy, I'd love to see those in the hope category shine brighter, those with doubts, shed them, and those in the apathy area have an impact, preferably long-lasting. I'd also like a little luck at the draft where two last place finishes didn't yield the top pick in the draft.
But we live in Buffalo where the Bills just broke a 17-year playoff drought. As of this season, the Sabres are on a six-year playoff drought which is second only to the Carolina Hurricane's seven years and right now the 'Canes hold the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. This is a boulder they're trying to move uphill once again.
Perhaps the biggest thing moving forward with the Sabres is turning this negative karma around and it won't happen through another tank. This is a team that needs to learn how to win while overcoming a mountain of adversity that the previous regime left them. Kane, Lehner and probably another player or two will probably be moved before the deadline and it will be up to those remaining to turn this thing around.
Or at the very least, give it everything they've got to try and do so.
10-22-9
Such is the Buffalo Sabres record at the half-way point of th2017-18 season. The 2018 portion of the schedule began with a 3-2 overtime loss in the New Year's Day Winter Classic followed by one of their most atrocious efforts of the season in a 6-2 loss at Minnesota vs. the Wild. Last night in Winnipeg was rather typical as they were chasing at team, the Jets, and wound up on the wrong side of a 4-3 regulation loss.
However, what was atypical last night was who did the scoring in Winnipeg. Defenseman Marco Scandella scored his first goal of the season as did Scott Wilson, both of whom were traded for by GM Jason Botterill--Scandella in June and Wilson in December. Buffalo's other goal scorer was Johan Larsson who lit the lamp for his second goal of the season and first one dating back to October some 34 games ago.
There were times last night where the Sabres looked ready to play but most of the time they struggled, kind of a microcosm of how this season has gone so far. Head coach Phil Housley has gone through a rather chaotic 41 games as a rookie coach and within this game we saw some nice execution with his team playin on it's toes countered with heavy doses of breakdowns and goals by a team playing on their heels.
Through much of December and into the Winter Classic, Housley's Sabres looked like they were getting what he was saying while sticking to his game-plan, but these last two game his words seem to have fallen on deaf ears, especially against the Wild.
It took former head coach Dan Bylsma about 1 1/2 seasons to lose his Sabres team and although we won't go that far just yet, the losing that's been taking place through the first 41 games under Housley is taking it's toll. Expectations were high to begin the year but the pace they're on right now (58 points) rivals that of the 2013-15 tank years.
With the season shot for all intents and purposes and the February 26th trade deadline looming large for some key Sabres players, the trials and tribulations of the 2017-18 Sabres will more than likely continue into April when a welcome end to the season will occur.
As of right now, here's some of what we've been witnessing in Sabreland through 41 games.
Hope
Yup. There's always hope in Buffalo, but for the Sabres it's not so much in the present as once again our sights are locked into the future. There is one Sabres building block in place right now--C, Jack Eichel--and there's another potential building block on the back-end in defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. Both have had their ups and downs, with Eichel having way more ups than Ristolainen, but right now they are two pretty strong blocks to move forward with.
After that we move down to Rochester as the team is battling for supremacy in the AHL's Eastern Conference with a trio of youngins are leading the way. Goalie Linus Ullmark just won his league-leading 16th game last night and looks ready for the NHL right now. Rookie defenseman Brendan Guhle scored the game-winner in overtime and is on the top-pairing playing in all situations. He has 20 points on the season (7+13) placing him third amongst rookie defensemen in scoring. The Amerks also have rookie winger C.J. Smith who's fourth amongst AHL rookies in scoring with 30 points (10+20.)
Free agent Russian defenseman Victor Antipin should be part of the future Sabres, although he may not be a core player moving forward. Antipin has played sporadically during his first season in North America and has acquitted himself well through 24 games. He's had his fair share of rookie mistakes, but his skating and nose for open areas in the offensive zone are not to be mistaken. He seemed to be at his best while skating along side a more defensive-minded partner like Jake McCabe and if Antipin pans out, he'll be a nice addition to the new core moving forward.
Dipping deep into the pipeline is University of Minnesota center Casey Mittelstadt who just finished his first World Junior Championships as the tournament MVP. Mittelstadt and Team USA netted the bronze at the tournament this season as the Americans won a medal for the third consecutive year for the fist time in their history. Rumor has it that should an opening occur on the U.S. Olympic team, he's one of a few who might get the call.
Outside of those players, perhaps the biggest hope for those in Sabreland is a spot in the upper part of the 2018 NHL Draft where some bluechip prospects lie. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (SWE,) right wing Filip Zadina (CZE) and left wing Brady Tkachuk (USA) all played in the medal round and all look to be upper-level prospects. Dahlin and Zadina both were named to the 2018 WJC All-Star team. We shouldn't forget about Russian winger Andrei Svechnikov, who's slated to go second-overall behind Dahlin.
Doubt
Although the Sabres have plenty of role players, the core that former GM Tim Murray built isn't panning out as expected and unfortunately there are some large cap-numbers attached to that group.
Murray's idea was reasonable at the time--bring in young vets to take the pressure off of the youngins and allow them to develop at the NHL-level--but the players Murray brought in, along with the way the NHL changed, has lessened their worth and effectiveness.
Center Ryan O'Reilly was a great get by Murray even though a hefty price was paid. O'Reilly was brought in to hold down the top center spot until Eichel was ready and his work-ethic was said to be impeccable. After a strong first season in Buffalo, O'Reilly has struggled. He's still effective and shows signs of brilliant play on the back of hard work, but his salary/production ratio just isn't there right now. Defenseman Zach Bogosian has been injured through a good chunk of his time in Buffalo and has also shown flashes of great play as well, but when you add those two player's cap hits, $12.6 million is a lot of money for what's ended up being average to above average play.
The best player Murray brought in is Evander Kane, who's tied for the team lead in scoring (Eichel.) Kane had a tumultuous ride in Buffalo through his first two seasons to the point where rumors had him being moved for a bag of pucks in the 2016 off-season. Since December, 2016, when he fully recovered from his broken ribs, Kane has been the most consistent scorer for Buffalo and exactly the type of on-ice player this team needs. Unfortunately he'll be an unrestricted free agent this off season and with the Sabres in 30th place, he'll probably be moved never to return.
Rumor has it that Botterill wants to re-sign Kane, but he'll need to move a contract or two. O'Reilly's signed through 2022/23 as is winger Kyle Okposo who has a $6 million cap-hit. Okposo was signed in the 2016 off season and had a solid first season in Buffalo until medical issues landed him in ICU last April. It seems as if he's yet to fully recover from that and even if he does, he may have lost his effectiveness in the way the faster NHL is being played.
Doubts still surround goalie Robin Lehner, although there shouldn't be with the statistics he's been putting up lately. With a rag-tag defense-corps two years running, Lehner has been able to put up some decent numbers despite his, and the team's, poor record. Yet he still looks like a rookie goalie at times, still has troubles on breakaways and save for a time or two, hasn't been able to dominate a game to save his skaters. Plus, he still hasn't proven he can win a game in the shootout.
That was the core brought in to hold the fort while the young players developed and they as a group have regressed mightily since the 2015-16 season. We can also add to that group, defenseman Josh Gorges ($3.9 AAV) who is in the final year of his contract and will likely be moved and forward Matt Moulson, who's signed through next season at a $5 million cap-hit but was placed on waivers in December. Both had good first season's in Buffalo but have been moved down the depth chart since.
Apathy
Defenseman Marco Scandella and Jason Pominville came to Buffalo in the off season in a trade with Minnesota. Scandella was brought in to solidify the defense while Pominville and his $5.6 million contract was a necessity to get Scandella. So far they've been decent players, but were either traded at the deadline, it's doubtful any tears would be shed.
The first year of Buffalo's tank-job netted second-overall pick Sam Reinhart. The 2014 draft pick was emotional when Murray sent him back to junior for another year and when he came up for the 2015-16 season, Bylsma put him in a position to succeed, which he did. Reinhart had a very good rookie season, but regressed last season and has been invisible for the better part of the team's first 41 games this season. At one point he looked like he could be a core piece moving forward, now it's gotten to the point where he and his play aren't even worth arguing about anymore.
Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu was acquired by Botterill to help bolster the defense. Beaulieu is a fantastic skater who was on Montreal's top-pairing before he tumbled down the depth chart and into the pressbox. Botterill sent a third-round pick to the Canadiens for Beaulieu and we've gotten a good glimpse as to why he ended up in the pressbox in Montreal. In this sad state of a Sabres season, it would neither hurt nor help the team if he was moved.
Young forwards Hudson Fasching, Justin Bailey and Nicolas Baptiste have all had cracks at sticking with the Sabres over the past two years but none have played consistently enough to warrant them staying in Buffalo. All three have made an impact through the first game of two of their call-ups but soon became non-descript. All are still young and may still have some upside, yet any or all may be used to "sweeten the pot" in future trades.
Winger Alexander Nylander is in the same boat Reinhart was last season as his flaws--namely being a soft, perimeter player--have caused discussions as to his worth to the team moving forward. He just completed his third WJC and was decent, but not as dominant as his experience and skill-level should have dictated. As a player who has struggled at the AHL-level with the Amerks last year and through the first half of this season (due in part to injuries,) if Nylander is being noticed, it's mostly been for the wrong reasons. Many had hoped he'd be Eichel's wingman soon, but he may end up being part of a deal and most in Sabreland wouldn't bat an eye at this point.
At the half-way point of the season and with the team in 30th place, no one should be spared and that includes the coaching staff.
Whether Botterill should have brought in a rookie coach to help him get out of the mess he was handed will be up for debate this season, but that's what they went with. It was a disastrous move through the first two months of the season and if things don't get better, it could very well shatter the confidence of some supposed key players moving forward.
Botterill's on solid footing for the immediate future and Housley most certainly with get a mulligan for this season despite his team floundering worse than a discombobulated team under Byslma. Housley has had plenty of questionable moves that make him look like he's in way over his head and the thing for him will be to show progress in the second half of the season. Maybe even more importantly for him is not losing the room, although we've seen glimpses of that throughout the season thus far. He and his coaching staff also need to be asked how the league's top powerplay last season has dropped to 30th this year.
Contrary to some beliefs, I'm not of the opinion that this was a stealth tank season by Botterill and Company, although with how ownership has acted in the past with their focus on tanking, I wouldn't be too surprised. This is a team that has talent, and knows how to play the game but has yet to learn how to win, which is the most damning side-effect of a team that's been losing for four-and-a-half years.
As a glass-half-full kinda guy, I'd love to see those in the hope category shine brighter, those with doubts, shed them, and those in the apathy area have an impact, preferably long-lasting. I'd also like a little luck at the draft where two last place finishes didn't yield the top pick in the draft.
But we live in Buffalo where the Bills just broke a 17-year playoff drought. As of this season, the Sabres are on a six-year playoff drought which is second only to the Carolina Hurricane's seven years and right now the 'Canes hold the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. This is a boulder they're trying to move uphill once again.
Perhaps the biggest thing moving forward with the Sabres is turning this negative karma around and it won't happen through another tank. This is a team that needs to learn how to win while overcoming a mountain of adversity that the previous regime left them. Kane, Lehner and probably another player or two will probably be moved before the deadline and it will be up to those remaining to turn this thing around.
Or at the very least, give it everything they've got to try and do so.
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Luckily, there isn't much time for last night's dual-debacles to fester
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-5-2017
For Team USA and Buffalo Sabres fans, it was about as bad as it gets yesterday as the Americans got swamped 4-2 in their IIHF World Junior Championships semi-final game versus Team Sweden, and in the main bought, the Sabres got smoked by the Minnesota Wild 6-2. And in both instances it wasn't as close as the score indicated.
After a lackluster performance by both teams in the first period Team Sweden seemed to find their legs with a powerplay goal with 6:30 left in the second. It was one of four penalties Team USA took through the first two periods. The Swedes would add to their lead early in the third then had to kill a penalty less than a minute later.
No worries, Team USA would pull of a perfect imitation of an early season Sabres game (at the NY Islanders) and proceed to give up two shorthanded goals on the same powerplay. At 4-0 with just over 11 minutes to play in the third period, the game was over.
The U.S. had a golden opportunity to tie the game late in the first period after Sweden got caught on a poor line change. Casey Mittelstadt lead a 3-on-0 break with less than a minute to play in the period but was stifled by Swedish goalie Filip Gustavsson, a second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins (2016, 55th-overall.) And to add insult to injury, USA's Kieffer Bellows (2016, 9th, NYI) was called for goalie interference.
Mittelstadt, who's tied for the tournament lead with 10 points (4+6) told the gathered media post-game, "To be honest I didn't even really know it was a 3-on-0. Someone was yelling 'Go' so I just kind of went and I didn't finish there and that's what it comes down to."
Gustavsson said he was focused solely on Mittelstadt the whole time. "It was more like calling his bluff there that he wasn't going to pass or give it to someone else," he said.
Team USA takes on Team Czech today at 4pm in the bronze medal game. As the defending champs, the Americans could be setup for another let down playing in the consolation game, but if they want to medal, they'll need to be on their game.
Although the Czechs got bombed 7-2 to Team Canada, they're hell-bent on bringing home a medal. Winger Filip Zadina, who scored both Czech goals last night and considered a top-five prospect in this year's draft, had this to say via ESPN's Chris Peters twitter feed, "I was glad to play well, but I’m so sad because we lost. My goals mean nothing. We will do anything tomorrow, we will die on the ice to bring a medal back to Czech Republic."
Zadina's seven goals is tied for the tournament lead with Bellows and Canada's Drake Batherson (2017, 121st, OTT,) who had the hat trick for Canada last night.
*****
All is not lost for Sabres fans as Team Sweden has two Buffalo prospects going for gold today.
Forward Marcus Davidsson (2017, 37th) has been solid in his fourth-line support role for Sweden and continued last night breaking up an American rush at the blueline and feeding his team mate for Sweden's fourth goal. Davidsson has a goal and two assists and is a plus-1 for the tournament.
Buffalo's first round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Alexander Nylander (8th-overall,) continued to put up points with the primary assist on Sweden's first goal of the game last night. With Sweden on the powerplay, Nylander grabbed the puck on the right half-wall and sent a sharp, cross-ice pass to Elias Pettersson (2017, 5th, VAN) who ripped it home.
Nylander is tied for 10th in the tournament in scoring with seven points on one goal and six assists.
Lest we forget him, Buffalo d-prospect Vojtech Budik (2016, 130th) is also on the Czech team fighting Team USA for the bronze medal. Although he and his fellow countrymen were run over by a dominant Canadian team, the 6'1" 193 lb. Budik enters today's final matchup with five assists and a plus-3 rating. Despite the route, Budik had an assist an even rating in 16:17 of ice-time against Team Canada last night.
*****
If you thought a 4-0 deficit was a bummer last night, the Buffalo Sabres were down 6-0 at the Minnesota Wild before they scored two meaningless goals in the third period.
To say it was ugly would be an understatement. Minnesota jumped on the Sabres early with two goals in the first 2:15 of play. They added another goal on a five-minute powerplay in the first period then added three more in the second period. Sam Reinhart scored early in the third period and Evander Kane scored with 1:01 left for the 6-2 final score.
For all the talk that there would be no post-Winter Classic hangover, it's exactly what happened. to put it in perspective, if Team USA was a half-step behind Team Sweden at the WJC, the Sabres were a full step behind the Wild. They couldn't fight out of a wet paper bag early on last night and if there was any hope of a comeback after quickly falling behind 2-0, the five-minute major and game-misconduct handed out to Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen at the 10:16 mark of the first period pretty much shattered any hopes of that.
Ristolainen got his shoulder high on a check to Miko Koivu at the Sabres blueline. Initially the refs called a two-minute interference penalty but after a conference, and maybe because Koivu was bleeding rather profusely around his mouth, the major and game-misconduct was assessed.
Sabres bench-boss Phil Housley did his best to distribute the minutes amongst his rear-guard but when Zach Bogosian is over 25 minutes of ice-time, Nathan Beaulieu's over 20 minutes and Justin Falk is logging 19:55, it doesn't make for the best of situations.
No word yet on any further disciplinary action against Ristolainen, so it looks like he'll be in the lineup tonight.
The Sabres head into Winnipeg to face the Jets tonight for their 41st game, or the halfway point of the season. Buffalo's 10 wins are tied with Arizona for the fewest in the league and their 29 points is only four more than the last place Coyotes. An abysmal October and November lead to a December of hope where they played much better but could only win one of five overtime games leading to a 4-5-4 record for the month.
Buffalo continued on with that theme on January 1, 2018 as the lost in overtime to the NY Rangers in the Winter Classic, but last night's debacle sent them back to their woes of earlier in the season. The Sabres haven't been trounced this bad since back-to-back games against the Pittsburgh Penguins December 1 and 2. They had a dog of a game against the Carolina Hurricanes just prior to the Christmas break, but at worst trailed by three goals en route to a 4-2 defeat.
The Sabres beat Winnipeg last season in both meetings, 3-1 in Winnipeg on October 30 and 4-3 at home last January 7 and are on a four-game win streak vs. the Jets. However, according to Sabres PR, Buffalo is only 5-5-0 in their last 10 vs. Winnipeg, 3-6-1 on the road and they're facing a Jets team that has only one regulation loss in their last eight games (5-2-1) and are 14-3-1 on the season.
A couple of quick notes, Reinhart's goal vs. the Wild was his second in as many games while Kane' goal was his first in five games and tied him with Jack Eichel atop the Sabres leaderboard with 35 points (16+19)
Also of note, defenseman Taylor Fedun is healthy again and was sent to Rochester. Fedun began the season in Rochester and played seven games in Buffalo before being felled by a lower-body injury. He returns to an Amerks team that's only two points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Marlies.
For Team USA and Buffalo Sabres fans, it was about as bad as it gets yesterday as the Americans got swamped 4-2 in their IIHF World Junior Championships semi-final game versus Team Sweden, and in the main bought, the Sabres got smoked by the Minnesota Wild 6-2. And in both instances it wasn't as close as the score indicated.
After a lackluster performance by both teams in the first period Team Sweden seemed to find their legs with a powerplay goal with 6:30 left in the second. It was one of four penalties Team USA took through the first two periods. The Swedes would add to their lead early in the third then had to kill a penalty less than a minute later.
No worries, Team USA would pull of a perfect imitation of an early season Sabres game (at the NY Islanders) and proceed to give up two shorthanded goals on the same powerplay. At 4-0 with just over 11 minutes to play in the third period, the game was over.
The U.S. had a golden opportunity to tie the game late in the first period after Sweden got caught on a poor line change. Casey Mittelstadt lead a 3-on-0 break with less than a minute to play in the period but was stifled by Swedish goalie Filip Gustavsson, a second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins (2016, 55th-overall.) And to add insult to injury, USA's Kieffer Bellows (2016, 9th, NYI) was called for goalie interference.
Mittelstadt, who's tied for the tournament lead with 10 points (4+6) told the gathered media post-game, "To be honest I didn't even really know it was a 3-on-0. Someone was yelling 'Go' so I just kind of went and I didn't finish there and that's what it comes down to."
Gustavsson said he was focused solely on Mittelstadt the whole time. "It was more like calling his bluff there that he wasn't going to pass or give it to someone else," he said.
Team USA takes on Team Czech today at 4pm in the bronze medal game. As the defending champs, the Americans could be setup for another let down playing in the consolation game, but if they want to medal, they'll need to be on their game.
Although the Czechs got bombed 7-2 to Team Canada, they're hell-bent on bringing home a medal. Winger Filip Zadina, who scored both Czech goals last night and considered a top-five prospect in this year's draft, had this to say via ESPN's Chris Peters twitter feed, "I was glad to play well, but I’m so sad because we lost. My goals mean nothing. We will do anything tomorrow, we will die on the ice to bring a medal back to Czech Republic."
Zadina's seven goals is tied for the tournament lead with Bellows and Canada's Drake Batherson (2017, 121st, OTT,) who had the hat trick for Canada last night.
*****
All is not lost for Sabres fans as Team Sweden has two Buffalo prospects going for gold today.
Forward Marcus Davidsson (2017, 37th) has been solid in his fourth-line support role for Sweden and continued last night breaking up an American rush at the blueline and feeding his team mate for Sweden's fourth goal. Davidsson has a goal and two assists and is a plus-1 for the tournament.
Buffalo's first round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Alexander Nylander (8th-overall,) continued to put up points with the primary assist on Sweden's first goal of the game last night. With Sweden on the powerplay, Nylander grabbed the puck on the right half-wall and sent a sharp, cross-ice pass to Elias Pettersson (2017, 5th, VAN) who ripped it home.
Nylander is tied for 10th in the tournament in scoring with seven points on one goal and six assists.
Lest we forget him, Buffalo d-prospect Vojtech Budik (2016, 130th) is also on the Czech team fighting Team USA for the bronze medal. Although he and his fellow countrymen were run over by a dominant Canadian team, the 6'1" 193 lb. Budik enters today's final matchup with five assists and a plus-3 rating. Despite the route, Budik had an assist an even rating in 16:17 of ice-time against Team Canada last night.
*****
If you thought a 4-0 deficit was a bummer last night, the Buffalo Sabres were down 6-0 at the Minnesota Wild before they scored two meaningless goals in the third period.
To say it was ugly would be an understatement. Minnesota jumped on the Sabres early with two goals in the first 2:15 of play. They added another goal on a five-minute powerplay in the first period then added three more in the second period. Sam Reinhart scored early in the third period and Evander Kane scored with 1:01 left for the 6-2 final score.
For all the talk that there would be no post-Winter Classic hangover, it's exactly what happened. to put it in perspective, if Team USA was a half-step behind Team Sweden at the WJC, the Sabres were a full step behind the Wild. They couldn't fight out of a wet paper bag early on last night and if there was any hope of a comeback after quickly falling behind 2-0, the five-minute major and game-misconduct handed out to Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen at the 10:16 mark of the first period pretty much shattered any hopes of that.
Ristolainen got his shoulder high on a check to Miko Koivu at the Sabres blueline. Initially the refs called a two-minute interference penalty but after a conference, and maybe because Koivu was bleeding rather profusely around his mouth, the major and game-misconduct was assessed.
Sabres bench-boss Phil Housley did his best to distribute the minutes amongst his rear-guard but when Zach Bogosian is over 25 minutes of ice-time, Nathan Beaulieu's over 20 minutes and Justin Falk is logging 19:55, it doesn't make for the best of situations.
No word yet on any further disciplinary action against Ristolainen, so it looks like he'll be in the lineup tonight.
The Sabres head into Winnipeg to face the Jets tonight for their 41st game, or the halfway point of the season. Buffalo's 10 wins are tied with Arizona for the fewest in the league and their 29 points is only four more than the last place Coyotes. An abysmal October and November lead to a December of hope where they played much better but could only win one of five overtime games leading to a 4-5-4 record for the month.
Buffalo continued on with that theme on January 1, 2018 as the lost in overtime to the NY Rangers in the Winter Classic, but last night's debacle sent them back to their woes of earlier in the season. The Sabres haven't been trounced this bad since back-to-back games against the Pittsburgh Penguins December 1 and 2. They had a dog of a game against the Carolina Hurricanes just prior to the Christmas break, but at worst trailed by three goals en route to a 4-2 defeat.
The Sabres beat Winnipeg last season in both meetings, 3-1 in Winnipeg on October 30 and 4-3 at home last January 7 and are on a four-game win streak vs. the Jets. However, according to Sabres PR, Buffalo is only 5-5-0 in their last 10 vs. Winnipeg, 3-6-1 on the road and they're facing a Jets team that has only one regulation loss in their last eight games (5-2-1) and are 14-3-1 on the season.
A couple of quick notes, Reinhart's goal vs. the Wild was his second in as many games while Kane' goal was his first in five games and tied him with Jack Eichel atop the Sabres leaderboard with 35 points (16+19)
Also of note, defenseman Taylor Fedun is healthy again and was sent to Rochester. Fedun began the season in Rochester and played seven games in Buffalo before being felled by a lower-body injury. He returns to an Amerks team that's only two points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Marlies.
Friday, January 5, 2018
Mittelstadt/USA vs. Dahlin/Sweden at WJC. Sabres in Minnesota tonight
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-4-2017
The last time the IIHF World Junior Championships were held in Buffalo, NY, Russia defeated Canada for the gold medal and the U.S. defeated Sweden 4-2 for the bronze. Since then the Americans and Swedes have met twice in the medal rounds--in 2013 the U.S. beat Sweden for the gold medal in Ufa, Russia and in 2016 Team USA once again came out on top as they took home the bronze by thumping Team Sweden 8-3.
It's 2018, we're back in Buffalo and once again there is a U.S./Sweden matchup, this time for the opportunity to play in the gold-medal game.
Team Sweden, a favorite heading into the tournament, is the only remaining team to go undefeated in the preliminary round (3 wins and a shootout win vs. Russia) and is the top seed. Team USA has only one blemish on their record, a 3-2 loss vs. Slovakia the night before they were to play Team Canada in the tournament's first-ever outdoor game.
Today's matchup between the U.S. and Sweden at 4 pm is a faceoff between two strong teams and two of the tournaments top players--Casey Mittelstadt (USA) and Rasmus Dahlin (Sweden.)
Mittelstadt is very familiar to Buffalo Sabres fans as he was the team's first round pick (8th-overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft. The 6'0" 203 lb. center, who plays for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in NCAA D-I men's hockey, is leading the tournament in scoring with 10 points (4+6) in five games. He's also responsible for the goal of the tournament thus far (at the 1:18 mark of this USA Hockey video):
Sabres fans have been thrilled with Mittelstadt's play thus far. Not only has he scored the points, but many of them have been meaningful. The goal above tied the score at 2-2 with just over three minutes to play in the third period and in the game vs. Canada the next afternoon, Mittelstadt made two beautiful setups to help the Americans come back from a 3-1 deficit and eventually defeat Canada 4-3 in the shootout (he was inches away from a shootout goal that would have won the game.)
On the other side, defenseman Dahlin is the consensus first overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft--defenseman. The smooth-skating, extremely poised 6'2" 183 lb. Dahlin has looked like a man amongst boys out there in the U-20 tournament, and he should be as he's spent the last two seasons in Sweden's top hockey league playing and succeeding against men.
With the Buffalo Sabres presently in 30th place in the league, many in Sabreland have visions of Dahlin in the Blue and Gold with some lottery luck.
Forgotten in the largeness of those two players are two other Sabres prospects playing for Sweden--forwards Alexander Nylander (2016, 8th) and Marcus Davidsson (2017, 37th.)
There hasn't been much fanfare with Davidsson as he was taken in the second round and very little is known about him as he plays a game far from the limelight. In is 2017 Sabres draft review, Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/Sabres.com called him "hard-working, two-way forward who is excellent in the corners and in front of the net."
After yesterday's games, Baker had this to say about the 6'1" 198 lb. forward at Sabres.com, "The role Davidsson is playing for Sweden in this tournament is exactly the role he'll be expected to play when he arrives in North America. He's committed to the work in front of him on every shift, and in that regard he has proven himself quite well leading up to the semifinal round."
Nylander has been a bit of a different story. Like Ken Campbell of The Hockey News writes, "It’s far too early to write off Alex Nylander. But right about now might be a good time to start wondering a little about him."
Buffalo's first pick in the 2016 draft is on loan from the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League in part because of his struggles making the transition to the pro game. Last year the 6'0" 176 lb. winger had a difficult time for the Amerks as he scored 10 goals and added 18 assists in 65 games while charting a minus-24 plus/minus rating for a 26th place team. He suffered a groin injury early in the off season that kept him of the ice until mid-November and started the season in Rochester.
It's safe to say that it took a while for him to get up to speed after being off the ice for so long, but he had some difficulties leading up to the decision to let him play in the WJC scoring in only one of his last eight games (1+1.) The thought process that may have been involved in the loan was for him to regain his form against his peers but to date, it hasn't panned out as expected. Campbell points out that Nylander was "very, very quite" in Sweden's 3-2 quarterfinal win over Slovakia and quoted him as saying post-game, "I had a really bad game, which is unacceptable. I have to step it up a lot more next game. I’ve got to play a lot better. I wasn’t moving my feet and create more plays and use the stuff I’m good at, trying to get shots at the net and working hard. I’ve got to work harder.”
To those who scouted Nylander, it's not too much of a surprise. There were quite a few who called him the most skilled player in the draft but as Kyle Woodlief of the Redline Report wrote post-draft, "[he] spends too much time on the perimeter and if he's not scoring, he's not helping."
This isn't the only game featuring Sabres prospects. In the nightcap, Sabres d-prospect Vojtech Budik and the Czech's will face off against Team Canada at 8pm. Baker said of Budik's game against Finland in the quarterfinals "[he] did a nice job throughout the contest using his size and long reach to break up plays and chip pucks off the boards" and "proved to be a calming influence in his 26:09 of action to help the Czechs reach the semifinals for the first time since 2005."
*****
The Buffalo Sabres will be in action tonight against the Minnesota Wild for the first time since dropping the 10th annual Winter Classic in overtime on New Year's Day. Coach Phil Housley said yesterday that, based upon the way his team practiced, he didn't think they'd suffer from a post Winter Classic hangover. And they better be sharp as the Wild have been hot at home. As Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News pointed out, Minnesota is 10-1-1 in their last 12 starts at XCel Energy Center and are 13-4-2 overall.
For their part, the Sabres are coming off of their most successful month of the season. However, as their 4-3-5 December record might indicate, it hasn't been that great of a season so far. Some have called it a stealth tank while others attribute their 30th place standing to an abysmal start complete with injuries and the look of a team finding out about themselves individually and finding their way around the way the NHL is being played these days as a team.
The Sabres have been playing their best hockey of the season lately and as mentioned after the 3-2 overtime loss to the NY Rangers in the Winter Classic, for maybe the first time this year they're looking like a group that's actually playing like a team.
Should they continue to progress like they have as of late, they could end up a bit higher in the overall standings and have a much less chance of winning the draft lottery and selecting Dahlin or even in the top-three. And for those entertaining playoff thoughts, the Sabres are presently 15 points out of a playoff spot with eight teams to jump. Although not impossible, it is highly improbable that they make a run like that.
Some of the focus tonight includes the return of defenseman Marco Scandella and forward Jason Pominville to Minnesota, the team that traded them to the Buffalo Sabres in the off season. Outside of that, it's a Buffalo team that looks as if it's turned the corner and is on an upward swing (however slow it may be) and a Minnesota team that's one point away from the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
The Sabres lost to the Wild 5-4 back in November dropping them to 3-6-1 in their last 10 vs. Minnesota. In a weird quirk, Buffalo is 7-3-0 in their last 10 on the road in the series.
Housley seems to have found some good combinations for his top-nine up front and his top-four on defense and according to yesterday's practice he'll continue that formula with these projected lines and d-pairings:
Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart
Kane-O'Reilly-Okposo
Pouliot-Rodrigues-Pominville
Larsson-Josefson-Nolan
Scandella-Ristolainen
McCabe-Bogosian
Falk-Beaulieu
Robin Lehner will probably get the nod in net.
Of note: Housley was the head coach in 2013 when Team USA defeated Team Sweden in the WJC gold medal game and Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe was the captain of that team.
*****
The Rochester Americans are off until tomorrow night when they begin a back-to-back home set vs. the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI) and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI) on Saturday.
The last time the IIHF World Junior Championships were held in Buffalo, NY, Russia defeated Canada for the gold medal and the U.S. defeated Sweden 4-2 for the bronze. Since then the Americans and Swedes have met twice in the medal rounds--in 2013 the U.S. beat Sweden for the gold medal in Ufa, Russia and in 2016 Team USA once again came out on top as they took home the bronze by thumping Team Sweden 8-3.
It's 2018, we're back in Buffalo and once again there is a U.S./Sweden matchup, this time for the opportunity to play in the gold-medal game.
Team Sweden, a favorite heading into the tournament, is the only remaining team to go undefeated in the preliminary round (3 wins and a shootout win vs. Russia) and is the top seed. Team USA has only one blemish on their record, a 3-2 loss vs. Slovakia the night before they were to play Team Canada in the tournament's first-ever outdoor game.
Today's matchup between the U.S. and Sweden at 4 pm is a faceoff between two strong teams and two of the tournaments top players--Casey Mittelstadt (USA) and Rasmus Dahlin (Sweden.)
Mittelstadt is very familiar to Buffalo Sabres fans as he was the team's first round pick (8th-overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft. The 6'0" 203 lb. center, who plays for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in NCAA D-I men's hockey, is leading the tournament in scoring with 10 points (4+6) in five games. He's also responsible for the goal of the tournament thus far (at the 1:18 mark of this USA Hockey video):
Sabres fans have been thrilled with Mittelstadt's play thus far. Not only has he scored the points, but many of them have been meaningful. The goal above tied the score at 2-2 with just over three minutes to play in the third period and in the game vs. Canada the next afternoon, Mittelstadt made two beautiful setups to help the Americans come back from a 3-1 deficit and eventually defeat Canada 4-3 in the shootout (he was inches away from a shootout goal that would have won the game.)
On the other side, defenseman Dahlin is the consensus first overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft--defenseman. The smooth-skating, extremely poised 6'2" 183 lb. Dahlin has looked like a man amongst boys out there in the U-20 tournament, and he should be as he's spent the last two seasons in Sweden's top hockey league playing and succeeding against men.
With the Buffalo Sabres presently in 30th place in the league, many in Sabreland have visions of Dahlin in the Blue and Gold with some lottery luck.
Forgotten in the largeness of those two players are two other Sabres prospects playing for Sweden--forwards Alexander Nylander (2016, 8th) and Marcus Davidsson (2017, 37th.)
There hasn't been much fanfare with Davidsson as he was taken in the second round and very little is known about him as he plays a game far from the limelight. In is 2017 Sabres draft review, Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/Sabres.com called him "hard-working, two-way forward who is excellent in the corners and in front of the net."
After yesterday's games, Baker had this to say about the 6'1" 198 lb. forward at Sabres.com, "The role Davidsson is playing for Sweden in this tournament is exactly the role he'll be expected to play when he arrives in North America. He's committed to the work in front of him on every shift, and in that regard he has proven himself quite well leading up to the semifinal round."
Nylander has been a bit of a different story. Like Ken Campbell of The Hockey News writes, "It’s far too early to write off Alex Nylander. But right about now might be a good time to start wondering a little about him."
Buffalo's first pick in the 2016 draft is on loan from the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League in part because of his struggles making the transition to the pro game. Last year the 6'0" 176 lb. winger had a difficult time for the Amerks as he scored 10 goals and added 18 assists in 65 games while charting a minus-24 plus/minus rating for a 26th place team. He suffered a groin injury early in the off season that kept him of the ice until mid-November and started the season in Rochester.
It's safe to say that it took a while for him to get up to speed after being off the ice for so long, but he had some difficulties leading up to the decision to let him play in the WJC scoring in only one of his last eight games (1+1.) The thought process that may have been involved in the loan was for him to regain his form against his peers but to date, it hasn't panned out as expected. Campbell points out that Nylander was "very, very quite" in Sweden's 3-2 quarterfinal win over Slovakia and quoted him as saying post-game, "I had a really bad game, which is unacceptable. I have to step it up a lot more next game. I’ve got to play a lot better. I wasn’t moving my feet and create more plays and use the stuff I’m good at, trying to get shots at the net and working hard. I’ve got to work harder.”
To those who scouted Nylander, it's not too much of a surprise. There were quite a few who called him the most skilled player in the draft but as Kyle Woodlief of the Redline Report wrote post-draft, "[he] spends too much time on the perimeter and if he's not scoring, he's not helping."
This isn't the only game featuring Sabres prospects. In the nightcap, Sabres d-prospect Vojtech Budik and the Czech's will face off against Team Canada at 8pm. Baker said of Budik's game against Finland in the quarterfinals "[he] did a nice job throughout the contest using his size and long reach to break up plays and chip pucks off the boards" and "proved to be a calming influence in his 26:09 of action to help the Czechs reach the semifinals for the first time since 2005."
*****
The Buffalo Sabres will be in action tonight against the Minnesota Wild for the first time since dropping the 10th annual Winter Classic in overtime on New Year's Day. Coach Phil Housley said yesterday that, based upon the way his team practiced, he didn't think they'd suffer from a post Winter Classic hangover. And they better be sharp as the Wild have been hot at home. As Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News pointed out, Minnesota is 10-1-1 in their last 12 starts at XCel Energy Center and are 13-4-2 overall.
For their part, the Sabres are coming off of their most successful month of the season. However, as their 4-3-5 December record might indicate, it hasn't been that great of a season so far. Some have called it a stealth tank while others attribute their 30th place standing to an abysmal start complete with injuries and the look of a team finding out about themselves individually and finding their way around the way the NHL is being played these days as a team.
The Sabres have been playing their best hockey of the season lately and as mentioned after the 3-2 overtime loss to the NY Rangers in the Winter Classic, for maybe the first time this year they're looking like a group that's actually playing like a team.
Should they continue to progress like they have as of late, they could end up a bit higher in the overall standings and have a much less chance of winning the draft lottery and selecting Dahlin or even in the top-three. And for those entertaining playoff thoughts, the Sabres are presently 15 points out of a playoff spot with eight teams to jump. Although not impossible, it is highly improbable that they make a run like that.
Some of the focus tonight includes the return of defenseman Marco Scandella and forward Jason Pominville to Minnesota, the team that traded them to the Buffalo Sabres in the off season. Outside of that, it's a Buffalo team that looks as if it's turned the corner and is on an upward swing (however slow it may be) and a Minnesota team that's one point away from the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
The Sabres lost to the Wild 5-4 back in November dropping them to 3-6-1 in their last 10 vs. Minnesota. In a weird quirk, Buffalo is 7-3-0 in their last 10 on the road in the series.
Housley seems to have found some good combinations for his top-nine up front and his top-four on defense and according to yesterday's practice he'll continue that formula with these projected lines and d-pairings:
Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart
Kane-O'Reilly-Okposo
Pouliot-Rodrigues-Pominville
Larsson-Josefson-Nolan
Scandella-Ristolainen
McCabe-Bogosian
Falk-Beaulieu
Robin Lehner will probably get the nod in net.
Of note: Housley was the head coach in 2013 when Team USA defeated Team Sweden in the WJC gold medal game and Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe was the captain of that team.
*****
The Rochester Americans are off until tomorrow night when they begin a back-to-back home set vs. the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI) and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI) on Saturday.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Highlights and notes from a busy weekend for Western New Yorker sports fans.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-2-2018
Is there anything better than Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams having his moment in the sun?
The 12 yr. Bills vet had been a beacon of professionalism throughout Buffalo's long, 17-year playoff drought which finally ended on New Years Eve with a Buffalo win and a Cincinnati Bengals upset of the Baltimore Ravens. In a game the Bills had to win on the final day of the 2017 NFL season, Williams was given the ball on a first and goal at the one, scored his first career touchdown then proceeded to lead one of the best touchdown celebrations we've seen all season:
(video from Highlight Haven)
After the Bills beat the Miami Dolphins to finish the regular season 9-7, it was off to the locker room for some scoreboard watching and this reaction (plus some additional cheering from Bills fans) after Bengals scored the game-winning touchdown on a fourth and 12 with :44 seconds left in the fourth quarter:
We're two days removed from that glorious finish but it's still goosebumps-worthy video to watch.
*****
How do you top that?
The Buffalo Sabres had an opportunity to at least keep the celebration rolling with a New Year's Day outdoor clash against the NY Rangers in the 10th annual NHL Winter Classic, but unfortunately they came up just short in a 3-2 overtime loss.
Whether it was the 20 degree temperature at game-time, the gusty wind, a military flyover or the overall enormity of the lone NHL game of the day being played at Citi Field in The Big Apple before 41,000+ fans the Sabres found themselves in a hole. After falling behind 2-0 in the first period the Sabres clawed their way back with goals early in the second and third periods to take the game to overtime. But it ended when they allowed a powerplay goal to the Rangers in overtime.
Some notes on that game:
--We've heard plenty about the outdoor game losing it's luster, but for a fan whose team is actually playing, it doesn't. It was a helluva event and an extremely well played game that could've went either way.
--The Winter Classic sweaters designed by Adidas were outstanding for both the Sabres and the Rangers.
--"Doc" Emerick is considered to be one of the best announcers in the game. And rightfully so. His knowledge of the game and the players playing is top-notch and he can roll with the game as good as anybody. However, with all due respect to him, his play-by-play does not allow the game to breathe. Emerick is a wordsmith who's constant barrage of words and phrases describing nearly every name and nearly every moment. At times it comes off as if he's more interested in displaying his knowledge than calling the game. His calls are great for radio, but seemingly smothers the television audience.
--I was finally left with the impression that this group of Sabres players is finally looking like a team. Too bad it tool 38 1/2 games for it to be so. The holes are still there in the lineup, and they still have plenty to learn, but these players are finally developing some chemistry amongst themselves, which is great moving forward. Unfortunately, that might not last long as the next big NHL moment is the trade deadline and it's expected that some Sabres will be on the move.
--The "Ref-cam" was very cool in this game getting us as close to the action as possible. But where was it when Buffalo's Evander Kane got whacked in the face by an rough high stick? Kane tumbled to the ice and lay there while gathering his faculties. Oddly enough there was no gathering of officials which sometimes happens in the NHL. After he go up you could see blood pouring from the bridge of hid nose and when they showed a profile shot there was a huge lump forming. It was an egregious non-call and you have to wonder: did the ref not see it, or did they just bury the tape from the "Ref-cam?
--Rasmus Ristolainen has goals in consecutive games and has been looking strong in the process. He played 26:00 yesterday had a goal and an assist and was a plus-1. In a curious move, Ristolainen was on the ice for only one shift (:33) in overtime last night.
--That was one of a few head-scratchers from Sabres head coach Phil Housley with the big one being, why was fourth-line center Jacob Josefson on the ice in overtime? Not sure what Housley was thinking on that one, but Josefson wouldn't you want to play your best players as much as possible in the five-minute overtime session?
--Kyle Okposo assisted on both Buffalo goals yesterday and was hard on the puck all game. It looks as if he's recovered from his off-season health issues. He would have been a better pick than Josefson. Benoit Pouliot has the speed to play in overtime. He would have been better. For as much as the players get hammered for their poor start to the season, Housley's been making rookie mistakes all season long.
--Housley also had Marco Scandella on the ice with the Rangers on the powerplay in overtime. Ristolainen had plenty of time to rest and is the team's best defenseman. Why was he not on the ice?
--The powerplay looked better, but on the whole, it still isn't anywhere close to where it should be.
The Sabres have a back-to-back on the road at Minnesota on Thursday and Winnipeg on Friday.
*****
Western New York hockey fans can still see action as the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championships are being held downtown.
The elimination games begin today and five Sabres prospects will be playing:
12pm--G, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Finland take on D, Vojtech Budik and the Czechs
6pm--Forwards Alexander Nylander and Marcus Davidson lead Team Sweden against Slovakia
8pm--C, Casey Mittelstadt and Team USA are up against Russia
Mittelstadt and the Americans got this weekend rolling with a tough come-from-behind win over Canada on Friday in the first outdoor game in WJC history. On a cold, blustery evening at New Era Field, home of the Buffalo Bills, Mittelstadt set up two US third period goals to tie the score at 3-3 with Team USA eventually winning in the shootout.
Mittelstadt has been the unquestioned star pf the event thus far while leading the tournament in scoring with nine points (4+5) in four games.
*****
That win on Friday was the first of four big wins for WNY sports fans over the weekend.
On Saturday the Sabres beat the Metropolitan Division leading New Jersey Devils in overtime on Ristolainen's first goal of the season and the surging Rochester Americans took over first place in the AHL's Eastern Conference with a 2-0 shutout win in Toronto against the Marlies. And, of course, the Bills finally ended their 17-year playoff drought on Sunday.
Is there anything better than Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams having his moment in the sun?
The 12 yr. Bills vet had been a beacon of professionalism throughout Buffalo's long, 17-year playoff drought which finally ended on New Years Eve with a Buffalo win and a Cincinnati Bengals upset of the Baltimore Ravens. In a game the Bills had to win on the final day of the 2017 NFL season, Williams was given the ball on a first and goal at the one, scored his first career touchdown then proceeded to lead one of the best touchdown celebrations we've seen all season:
(video from Highlight Haven)
After the Bills beat the Miami Dolphins to finish the regular season 9-7, it was off to the locker room for some scoreboard watching and this reaction (plus some additional cheering from Bills fans) after Bengals scored the game-winning touchdown on a fourth and 12 with :44 seconds left in the fourth quarter:
We're two days removed from that glorious finish but it's still goosebumps-worthy video to watch.
*****
How do you top that?
The Buffalo Sabres had an opportunity to at least keep the celebration rolling with a New Year's Day outdoor clash against the NY Rangers in the 10th annual NHL Winter Classic, but unfortunately they came up just short in a 3-2 overtime loss.
Whether it was the 20 degree temperature at game-time, the gusty wind, a military flyover or the overall enormity of the lone NHL game of the day being played at Citi Field in The Big Apple before 41,000+ fans the Sabres found themselves in a hole. After falling behind 2-0 in the first period the Sabres clawed their way back with goals early in the second and third periods to take the game to overtime. But it ended when they allowed a powerplay goal to the Rangers in overtime.
Some notes on that game:
--We've heard plenty about the outdoor game losing it's luster, but for a fan whose team is actually playing, it doesn't. It was a helluva event and an extremely well played game that could've went either way.
--The Winter Classic sweaters designed by Adidas were outstanding for both the Sabres and the Rangers.
--"Doc" Emerick is considered to be one of the best announcers in the game. And rightfully so. His knowledge of the game and the players playing is top-notch and he can roll with the game as good as anybody. However, with all due respect to him, his play-by-play does not allow the game to breathe. Emerick is a wordsmith who's constant barrage of words and phrases describing nearly every name and nearly every moment. At times it comes off as if he's more interested in displaying his knowledge than calling the game. His calls are great for radio, but seemingly smothers the television audience.
--I was finally left with the impression that this group of Sabres players is finally looking like a team. Too bad it tool 38 1/2 games for it to be so. The holes are still there in the lineup, and they still have plenty to learn, but these players are finally developing some chemistry amongst themselves, which is great moving forward. Unfortunately, that might not last long as the next big NHL moment is the trade deadline and it's expected that some Sabres will be on the move.
--The "Ref-cam" was very cool in this game getting us as close to the action as possible. But where was it when Buffalo's Evander Kane got whacked in the face by an rough high stick? Kane tumbled to the ice and lay there while gathering his faculties. Oddly enough there was no gathering of officials which sometimes happens in the NHL. After he go up you could see blood pouring from the bridge of hid nose and when they showed a profile shot there was a huge lump forming. It was an egregious non-call and you have to wonder: did the ref not see it, or did they just bury the tape from the "Ref-cam?
--Rasmus Ristolainen has goals in consecutive games and has been looking strong in the process. He played 26:00 yesterday had a goal and an assist and was a plus-1. In a curious move, Ristolainen was on the ice for only one shift (:33) in overtime last night.
--That was one of a few head-scratchers from Sabres head coach Phil Housley with the big one being, why was fourth-line center Jacob Josefson on the ice in overtime? Not sure what Housley was thinking on that one, but Josefson wouldn't you want to play your best players as much as possible in the five-minute overtime session?
--Kyle Okposo assisted on both Buffalo goals yesterday and was hard on the puck all game. It looks as if he's recovered from his off-season health issues. He would have been a better pick than Josefson. Benoit Pouliot has the speed to play in overtime. He would have been better. For as much as the players get hammered for their poor start to the season, Housley's been making rookie mistakes all season long.
--Housley also had Marco Scandella on the ice with the Rangers on the powerplay in overtime. Ristolainen had plenty of time to rest and is the team's best defenseman. Why was he not on the ice?
--The powerplay looked better, but on the whole, it still isn't anywhere close to where it should be.
The Sabres have a back-to-back on the road at Minnesota on Thursday and Winnipeg on Friday.
*****
Western New York hockey fans can still see action as the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championships are being held downtown.
The elimination games begin today and five Sabres prospects will be playing:
12pm--G, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Finland take on D, Vojtech Budik and the Czechs
6pm--Forwards Alexander Nylander and Marcus Davidson lead Team Sweden against Slovakia
8pm--C, Casey Mittelstadt and Team USA are up against Russia
Mittelstadt and the Americans got this weekend rolling with a tough come-from-behind win over Canada on Friday in the first outdoor game in WJC history. On a cold, blustery evening at New Era Field, home of the Buffalo Bills, Mittelstadt set up two US third period goals to tie the score at 3-3 with Team USA eventually winning in the shootout.
Mittelstadt has been the unquestioned star pf the event thus far while leading the tournament in scoring with nine points (4+5) in four games.
*****
That win on Friday was the first of four big wins for WNY sports fans over the weekend.
On Saturday the Sabres beat the Metropolitan Division leading New Jersey Devils in overtime on Ristolainen's first goal of the season and the surging Rochester Americans took over first place in the AHL's Eastern Conference with a 2-0 shutout win in Toronto against the Marlies. And, of course, the Bills finally ended their 17-year playoff drought on Sunday.
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