SB Nation - Mike Grier

Game Preview: Chicago Blackhawks @ Buffalo Sabres

Rafal Ladysz — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:03:54 -0000

2 days ago: Washington Captials left winger Alex Ovechkin, of Russia, bottom left, misses an open net as Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller is caught out of position during the first period of the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009. Sabres defenseman Steve Montador, right, watches the play. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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You've got to be lucky to be good and good to be lucky. The Buffalo Sabres were a little of both Wednesday becoming the first team in 11 months to shutout the Washington Capitals. While they did an excellent job of keeping Alexander Ovechkin and company outside of the perimeter, Buffalo was fortunate on a few chances that Washington sent wide of an empty net. And Ryan Miller was there to snag the great opportunities that did head on goal.

All in all, it was the type of win that solidifies a squad as a contender with shot blocking, active sticks and back-checking doing the job. Chicago brings their own brand of firepower into HSBC Arena as the schedule hasn't gotten easier. Substitute Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green with Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith.

The Blackhawks defeated Buffalo last year by a 4-1 scoreline but the Sabres have won three of the past four get-togethers. Chicago is 5-0-1 against Eastern Conference oppositions thus far and Buffalo is 5-0 facing the West. This should be an interesting match-up, not to mention very exciting.

Five thoughts on each team below.

Patrick Lalime and Cristobal Huet are your starting netminders. It was assumed Miller would be in for this one giving the back-up tomorrow's showdown in New York. I can see why Lalime is eager to get his first win of the year against his former team but the Sabres will have to play similar to their shutdown format against Washington. Motivation for the goaltender means nothing if he's hung out to dry.
Chicago has really taken it to another level since the return of Toews and introduction of Hossa. They are 11-2-1 with their captain back in the line-up and the Slovakian has seven points in as many games. By the way, Toews also has 13 points in 14 matches.
Paul Gaustad has begun skating with the team showing progression but there's no timetable for his return. Regardless, this is a great sign as the Sabres have struggled in the face-off circle without Goose. Mike Grier is expected back possibly Saturday after visiting his mother. In practice yesterday, Tim Connolly felt hip pain and wasn't able to withstand the whole session. Lindy Ruff suspects it's nothing serious and that the center should play. Who knows with Connolly though?
Overpaid defenseman Brian Campbell is back for the first time in a different jersey. Last year's contest between these franchises was in Chicago so it'll be his only visit since abandoning Buffalo. Expect tons of boo-birds for Campbell and I'm sure Blackhawks fans aren't happy either with the dollars-to-points ratio.
A goal and an assist were earned by Nathan Gerbe in his first call-up from the AHL. It was only a matter of time before someone got the go-ahead from Portland. As he was instructed to, Gerbe crashed the net despite his lack of size and threw the puck on it from down low for his first career NHL goal. We'll see what he has up his sleeve this time.
Cristobal Huet owns a 14-6-2 record with a .907 save percentage and 2.18 GAA. Known as somewhat of an enigma, Buffalo would be wise to get pucks at him from various angles and positions. Put the puck on net and good things will happen. The Sabres can't waste time attempting pretty plays and cute ideas.
In response to a third period benching Monday, Derek Roy sprung a pair of assists and tenacious two-way efforts against Washington. Leading the team in points, the 26-year-old needs to bring that intensity and skill routinely.
Buffalo native Patrick Kane has his sights on a career campaign with 28 points already in 29 games. He's played the Sabres twice registering one goal. Kane said he expects to get booed in reference to the cab driver incident from the summer.
Ranked third and sixth in penalty killing, it'll be intriguing to see if either can break through with the man-advantage. Thomas Vanek has four powerplay goals while Toews is up to five. Today would be a good time for Vanek to end his scoring slump. Please?
Yet to win with Miller on the bench, Buffalo is in for a fight with these Blackhawks who can beat a goaltender in bunches. I hope Lalime is ready because it could be a long evening if he's even a little rusty and the Sabres play the first frame laid back.

Normally, you'd hope to get a lighter match after taking on the Washington Capitals. However, this is a huge opening for the Buffalo Sabres. What better way to prove themselves as a threat than beating both Washington and Chicago in succession?

Game Preview: Washington Capitals @ Buffalo Sabres

Rafal Ladysz — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:29:06 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

8 days ago: Buffalo Sabres center Derek Roy, right, celebrates his goal as Sabres defenseman Henrik Tallinder, of Sweden, skates over during the first period of the NHL hockey game against the Montreal Canadiens in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009. Buffalo won 6-2. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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There's good and bad news for this Wednesday clash. The good is that Buffalo has twice bounced back from shutout defeats and are surely upset about this previous predicament coming on home ice. Lindy Ruff referred to it as an embarassment. The bad news is they're taking on the Washington Capitals, one of the teams that have blanked the Sabres, boosted by the return of Alexander Ovechkin but that's not the lone concern.

Forget about Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green for a minute because their abilities are well noted. Washington's offense is on the verge of prominence leading the league in goals (111) and in the standings with a 19-5-6 record. While much of that is purely because of two Russians, a Swede and a Canadian, there are others adding their names into the conversation.

Brooks Laich hacks and whacks at rebounds unconcerned with the abuse he's going to take. After a difficult season split between Anaheim and Dallas, Brenden Morrison found a solution by joining the Capitals. Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr are both on track for career years. Despite Mike Knuble's injury, that's eight individuals the Sabres will have to shadow which is a lot to demand.

Without the services of Paul Gaustad and possibly Mike Grier, those assignments will be tremendously difficult to handle.

Five things to consider about both Washington and Buffalo:

Washington has lit the lamp 38 more times than Buffalo but the Sabres have allowed 20 goals fewer. It will be a matter of finding out which style stands out stronger: the desperate defense or the potent offense. The Capitals have picked up the slack on the back-end though conceding just six goals in the past four games. I get the feeling Ryan Miller's going to have to be exquisite again.
Derek Roy and Tim Connolly are averaging 0.77 points per game. Six Washington skaters have a better ratio so let's count them off: Backstrom (1.1), Ovechkin (1.45), Green (1.03), Semin (1.19), Laich (0.83) and Fleischmann (0.89). Morrison (0.76) and Fehr (0.75) aren't trailing far behind themselves. Knuble was at 0.78 before being sidelined. May the panicking ensue.
Back-to-back regulation losses aren't ordinary with Ryan Miller but Buffalo has one goal in two games. If that wasn't too negative, they didn't out-shoot New Jersey which is a positive we have taken from losses. No, they were out-hustled, out-gunned and out-worked by the Devils' 37-22 shot advantage. On a separate note: congratulations goes to Martin Brodeur for tying Terry Sawchuk's shutout record of 103.
Want more proof that Fleischmann and Fehr aren't in over their heads with these performances? The Czech native returned from a frightening blood clot which was in his leg to go on a nine-game point streak and now has five points in three games. Meanwhile, Fehr is on a seven-game run courtesy of five goals and five assists. Seems like the potential of these two early draft choices is being fulfilled.
Buffalo's richest salary owner, Thomas Vanek, has a goal in seven games or two in ten matches or three goals in the last 11 games. Half of his scoring came during the opening five contests in October. Any way you look at it, stability is unaccounted for in the Austrian. The 25-year-old had 20 goals at this checkpoint last season. Eight won't cut it whatsoever.
Ovechkin enjoys the city of Buffalo whether it be because of his constant success against them or executing cheap-shots into the boards. And Washington went on to win both instances after he was thrown out of the game. So much for taking hits for the team working out. Am I right Patrick Kaleta? What do you say Daniel Briere?
A sinking ship, the Sabres' powerplay has plummeted to 21st in the league. Penalty killing is excellent and it'll need to continue that way to protect Miller from the No.1 powerplay unit. The options they have are incredible and this is a moment where 60 minutes of non-stop work will be the only way out with two points.
Travis Zajac beat Miller with a shot that went through the netminder Monday night. There's a phrase we haven't been able to mention ~~weekly~~ monthly. As far as the pre-game rituals go, Miller is extremely focused and ready for showtime. With some of the game's finest stars coming his way, he'll have his hands full; not that it bothers him.
Indecisive recently, Buffalo's defense can't second-guess themselves because a glimmer of hesitation is the bread and butter of Washington's forwards. Turn-overs and odd-man rushes result in goals to this Capitals bunch unless Miller dives in. Tampa Bay played the puck, not the body on Monday and fell 3-0 to their Division rivals. Buffalo mustn't do the same.
Expected to start in goal for Washington is Jose Theodore but nothing has been confirmed.The former Canadien has stopped 72 of 76 shots in winning his last two. If Semyon Varlamov goes, he'll bring his 12-1-2 record and set his sights on shutting out Buffalo for the second time in two weeks. Note: Varlamov's first career NHL defeat came at the hands of the Sabres last April in a 5-4 overtime decision.

Buffalo must find their positional sense to fend off the Southeast giants. The saying goes "A-B-C, it's easy as 1-2-3." For the Buffalo Sabres, it's easy as stopping one (Ovechkin), two (Semin), three (Backstrom), four (Green), five (Laich), six (Fleischmann), seven (Fehr), eight (Morrison) and nine (Theodore/Varlamov). No room for blunders in this, a tall order.

Devils 3 Sabres 0: Sabres Embarrassed at Home as Brodeur Ties Record

David Oleksy — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:42:37 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

4 days ago: Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller reaches for the puck under pressure from New Jersey Devils' Zach Parise (9) during the second period of the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Monday, Dec. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/ David Duprey)

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On a night when the sporting options were plentiful, I hope you had the sense to change the channel and watch something that was more entertaining. Unfortunately I didn't and I watched until the bitter end of the disgusting effort put forth by the Sabres. There are losses like Saturday night against the Rangers and the loss to Washington before Thanksgiving when the team played well and things didn't go their way, tonight was not one of those games. Tonight was a night when the Sabres looked like they were the Niagara Purple Eagles NCAA hockey team instead of a NHL team.

The Devils deserve a lot of credit for their outstanding play tonight. They outplayed Buffalo in every aspect of the game because they outworked them. They were willing to dig in the corners and to go in front of the net, while the Sabres were content to play the game on the perimeter and wait for the perfect opportunity.

I thought the Sabres had some jump in their game for the first 10 minutes but when they failed to get any scoring chances the Devils took over. It was a Toni Lydman hooking penalty that seemed to be the turning point. The Devils started to put some pressure on the Sabres during the man advantage and it snowballed from their.

Still the Sabres remained in the game until the Devils scored two late first period goals, the first coming on a deflection off of Henrik Tallinder and the second on a long shot that Ryan Miller stops more often than not.

There is obviously disappointment and frustration after watching a game of this nature. If you are interested in reading what the winners have to say, visit In Lou We Trust for full analysis. (I am not a Devils fan but In Lou We Trust is my favorite non-Sabres blog on the internet).

Final - 12.7.2009	1	2	3	Total
New Jersey Devils	2	1	0	3
Buffalo Sabres	0	0	0	0

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Miller Was Not Miller

I did not see the post game comments by the players or coaches but I'm sure that Ryan Miller would be the first to tell you that he was not very good tonight. The first goal was questionable as to whether it should have been stopped but the last two were shots that Miller normally stops.

There is no way the loss can be blamed on Miller who allowed three goals on 37 shots on goal. Miller would like to have a couple of those goals back but his defense was not very good in front of him. Steve Montador had his worst game since joining the Sabres as a free agent in the summer. Toni Lydman had a couple of his typical giveaways as well.

Playing Without Grier

There were plenty of comments about how this is a different team without Mike Grier. Grier has missed a total of six games this season and the Sabres record is now 2-3-1 in those games. The Sabres won the first two games they played without Grier but they have earned only one point in the last four games played without him.

Now that we established the team does not fare well when he is out of the lineup we need to figure out why. Is Mike Grier that valuable to the team? I came up with two reasons why the team struggles when Grier is not in the lineup. He is a guy that is not afraid to get dirty in the corners and he leads by example. He is not going to fight too often but his presence in the lineup makes the Sabres a tougher team.

The biggest issue when Grier is not laying is the lineup without him. Patrick Kaleta was forced to play on the third line and he is not a good enough player to play the third line role. In addition to Kaleta moving up a line, they are forced to play Nathan Paetsch on the fourth line and he is useless in that position. They are going to have to raid the Portland Pirates roster to bring in reinforcements when Grier is out of the lineup.

Sending a Message

Lindy Ruff was clearly sending a message to his top scorers by sitting them on the bench in the third period. Derek Roy played less than any other forward in the third period and Drew Stafford was right in the same area. Here is a look at the Ice Time for the forwards in the third period.

Tim Kennedy - 7:33
Jochen Hecht - 6:58
Jason Pominville - 6:44
Thomas Vanek - 6:02
Adam Mair - 5:46
Tim Connolly - 5:43
Clarke MacArthur - 4:22
Matt Ellis - 4:07
Patrick Kaleta - 3:56
Drew Stafford - 3:12
Nathan Paetsch - 2:46
Derek Roy - 1:53

Think back to when the Sabres were dominating the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this season or last week against the Montreal Canadiens. When those teams tried to make a run at a comeback, it was their best players on the ice trying to make the comeback. Lindy Ruff has a habit of growing impatient with his top players when they were not playing well. I live by the motto of fighting to the finish...Adam Mair getting more ice time than most of the forwards is not putting up a fight.

Up Next

There is good news as the Sabres get ready to put this game behind them and move on to the next. They are 2-0 in games following a shutout and they went on a four game winning streak after getting shutout by Washington a couple of weeks ago.

Next Game

Washington Capitals
@ Buffalo Sabres

Wednesday, Dec 9, 2009, 7:00 PM EST
HSBC Arena

Complete Coverage >

Rangers GameDay: News and Notes, Scouting the Sabres

Jim Schmiedeberg — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:50:43 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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Here is the latest as the Rangers get ready to take on the Buffalo Sabres tonight.

Stephen Valiquette got shellacked in his first Hartford start last night, gave up 5 goals on 31 shots, and was pulled in the first period. He was sent back in after Matt Zaba was equally ineffective. Thanks to Adam Rotter at SNY for the update.

Andrew Gross from Ranger Rants says the Rangers may have even more trouble scoring tonight:

First off, the Rangers may have tremendous problems scoring goals tonight. Not only have they notched only two or fewer goals in 11 of their last 15 games, but Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller is leading the NHL in both goals-against (1.84) and save percentage (.936). Plus, the Sabres’ penalty kill has killed off 39 of their opponents’ last 42 man-advantage opportunities.

Also, from NorthJersey.com, Gross talks about Ales Kotalik hoping to snap his slump:

"It has nothing to do with the coach," said Kotalik, who has six goals and 12 assists after signing a three-year, $9 million deal with the Rangers, but has gone nine games without a goal. "I’m going through some tough times, like everybody. Hopefully, I come back to Buffalo, or anywhere else, and feel good and get back to my game."

This one is a couple of days old, but Corey Locke was named the AHL Player of the Month for November. His reward is another month in Hartford.

Jim Cerny at Rangers.com looks at the refreshed and (again) reconfigured Rangers.

Ok, more on tonight's game and the Sabres after the jump.......

Buffalo Sabres (16-7-2, 1st Place, Northeast Division)

Head Coach: Lindy Ruff

Leading Scorer:

Derek Roy

#9 / Center / Buffalo Sabres

Height: 5-9

Weight: 188

Born: May 04, 1983

	STATS
27	GP	25
13	W	16
13	L	7
1	OT	2
27	P	34
0.500	P%	0.680
2.89	G/G	2.80
3.11	GA/G	2.28
21.4	PP%	19.5
83.9	PK%	85.4
29.0	S/G	32.4
29.6	SA/G	29.3
47.3	FO%	50.5

Game Notes:

Tonight's game will be televised on MSG. You can also catch the radio broadcast on 1050 ESPN New York and on satellite radio at XM 205.

All Time – Rangers vs. Sabres
Overall: 54-67-25-4
At MSG: 32-25-15-2
At Buffalo: 22-42-10-2

2008-09 Series Recap
New York went 1-2-1 against Buffalo in 2008-09, including an 0-1-1 mark at HSBC Arena. Ryan Callahan tied for the team lead with two goals and three points in the season series.

Sabres right wing Mike Grier has four points in five games since returning from an upper-leg injury. More importantly, they are 4-1 since his return after going 2-3 without him. The first line of Jochen Hecht, Derek Roy and Jason Pominville has 14 points in the past three games. Roy and Pominville have five points and Hecht has four. Thomas Vanek also has five points in three games. Rookie defenseman Tyler Myers has five assists in four games. Swingman Andrej Sekera has four points in three games since a benching.

Before we anoint a forward as the rookie of the year, look at what Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto and Buffalo's Myers are doing.

Among rookie defensemen, Del Zotto, the 20th pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, leads with 17 points and is tied for first with 12 assists. He's also tops with three power-play goals and is one of three rookie defensemen with a game-winning goal. He's fourth with 18:45 minutes of average ice time.

Myers, the 12th overall pick of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, is tied for lead at plus-6; is second with 21:55 minutes of ice time a night; is second with 14 points and third with 11 assists.

Sabres Penalty Killers on a hot streak (Buffalo News)

Sekera proving to be a tough out (Buffalo News)

For more on the Buffalo Sabres, check out our SBNation affiliate for the Sabres: Die By The Blade

The NHL's top defensive forwards

James Mirtle — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:49:06 -0000

More photos » by David Banks - AP

Montreal Canadiens' Tomas Plekanec and Chicago Blackhawks' John Madden.

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We're about far enough into the season that we can start to look at some individual stats and have enough of a sample size to draw some conclusions. This list is the same one I've been churning out for a couple years now, and ranks players defensively based on (a) quality of competition at even strength, (b) goals against per minute played at even strength and (c) goals against per minute played on the penalty kill.

Players also have to have played at least 15 games and fill a significant role on their team's shorthanded unit. Credit, as always, to Behind The Net for the data.

Here are the top 25 at the quarter-way mark:

	NAME	TEAM	GP	QCMP	EVGA/60	SHGA/60
1	BRANDON CROMBEEN	STL	21	0.12	1.44	1.33
2	KRIS VERSTEEG	CHI	22	0.13	1.49	5.25
3	JAY MCCLEMENT	STL	21	0.13	1.75	6.27
4	VERNON FIDDLER	PHX	25	0.03	1.86	3.61
5	JOHN MADDEN	CHI	23	0.12	2.17	5.61
6	DAVID LEGWAND	NSH	23	0.09	2.28	4.43
7	TRAVIS ZAJAC	N.J	22	0.16	0.73	9.20
8	MILAN MICHALEK	OTT	22	0.22	2.57	5.27
9	JAMIE LANGENBRUNNER	N.J	22	0.09	1.69	7.47
10	DANIEL WINNIK	PHX	25	-0.05	1.59	1.54
11	SAKU KOIVU	ANA	17	0.12	1.62	8.64
12	RYAN MALONE	T.B	21	0.18	2.20	7.49
13	MIKE FISHER	OTT	21	0.08	2.32	5.41
14	JOCHEN HECHT	BUF	20	-0.04	1.64	4.10
15	MIKE GRIER	BUF	15	-0.05	1.60	3.53
16	COLIN FRASER	CHI	23	0.04	2.33	4.39
17	JAMES WRIGHT	T.B	21	0.07	1.29	8.13
18	STEVE BEGIN	BOS	24	0.03	1.96	5.34
19	DANIEL ALFREDSSON	OTT	22	0.25	3.02	5.25
20	TOMAS PLEKANEC	MTL	24	-0.01	1.94	5.06
21	DAVID BACKES	STL	21	0.01	2.03	5.19
22	BRANDON DUBINSKY	NYR	18	0.06	2.20	5.72
23	JEFF HALPERN	T.B	21	0.06	2.34	5.54
24	SCOTT NICHOL	S.J	26	-0.07	1.89	2.35
25	JOEL WARD	NSH	21	0.14	2.10	8.81

There are a lot of different names so far than what we saw last season, and I don't know if that's due to the small sample size or if we're simply seeing new players step into these roles and excel. Players on the list who have gotten recognition as top defensive forwards in the past include Versteeg, McClement, Madden, Fisher, Grier, Alfredsson and Ward.

Without a lot of high profile names in there so far (i.e. Datsyuk, Zetterberg) it'll be interesting to see what the Selke candidates look like this season. I don't think you could go wrong giving it to Alfredsson, who always does a nice job on the Sens' PK.

Players who scored on the low end among those that qualified include Wayne Primeau, Craig Adams, Lee Stempniak, Greg Campbell and Rod Brind'Amour.

I'll look at the top defensive defencemen in the near future.

Re-Living a Classic Buffalo Sabres Match

Rafal Ladysz — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:29:46 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

about 1 month ago: Buffalo Sabres center Derek Roy (9), defenseman Tyler Myers (57), and defenseman Henrik Tallinder (10), of Sweden, celebrate after Myers scored a goal in the first period against the Florida Panthers during an NHL hockey game in Sunrise, Fla. Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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About a week ago, I read a post by Puck Daddy highlighting the ten finest NHL games of the last decade. Intensity could be found in a particular contest while another was recognized for its historic moment or unpredictability. My only complaint is the unmentioned match that I can recall like it was yesterday. Whether it involved the Buffalo Sabres or not, I'd label it my favorite hockey game in recent memory.

May 5, 2006: Buffalo had just dispensed the Philadelphia Flyers from the opening round of the postseason in a series that finished with a 7-1 wipe-out. Next, they would take on the Ottawa Senators and it wasn't a predicament many expected the Sabres to survive.

Ottawa finished first in the Eastern Conference with 52 wins and outlasted Buffalo in five of eight season meetings. I'll be honest, I was a bit worried because here was a team that handled the Sabres for the most part rather easily and had 13 players who registered at least 30 points.

But I didn't doubt Buffalo's abilities for a second. As the fourth seed, they weren't pushovers and when others underestimated or took them for granted, Lindy Ruff's troops only fed off it. And the first game of this series would foreshadow the conclusion which was Jason Pominville scoring a shorthanded overtime winner in game five to knock off the Senators.

If you're a fan of stellar goaltending, avert your eyes.

First Period

0:35: A puck chipped along the boards finds Derek Roy's stick and with Wade Redden the sole remaining defenseman, he locates Mike Grier all alone at the side of the net for a tap-in. The crowd is stunned at Scotiabank Place less than a minute into the contest and they continued to be as the night progressed.

3:05: To their credit, the Senators didn't waste any time in responding. Dany Heatley enters the zone on the left side and sends a perfect pass to Jason Spezza who was by himself much like Grier on the first goal.

3:20: Anton Volchenkov fires a shot towards the goal which Ryan Miller stops. But Bryan Smolinski see's a rebound before anyone else and tucks it between the legs of the goaltender. Just fifteen seconds following the equalizer, Ottawa appears ready to blow-out Buffalo like they'd done before.

6:56: Roy feeds Teppo Numminen at the blue line and the Finn unloads a one-timer by Ray Emery for a powerplay marker. For the remainder of the frame, the scoring ceased and it was a 2-2 draw heading into the second.

Second Period

1:47: Christoph Schubert utilizes the two-line pass availability and sends Martin Havlat on a partial break-away. With a slick shift to the backhand, he makes it count propelling Ottawa into another early lead.

3:29: Shorthanded, Tim Connolly dekes Daniel Alfredsson to the ice creating a two-on-one. As Redden attempts to poke the puck off his stick, he drags it underneath and finds a hole between Emery and the post. You have to see this to believe it because it may be Connolly's finest goal.

4:15: On the same man-advantage, Zdeno Chara and Heatley each had a few cracks from in close before the latter finally buried it.

19:30: Henrik Tallinder jumps into the play, grabs a dish from Grier and backhands a lovely pass to Roy who put it into the back of the net instantly. Four goals in the first, four more in the second and nothing is decided yet.

Third Period

0:16: Havlat's shot attempt is blocked and deflected directly to Mike Fisher who has a gift with Miller in no position to make a stop. Actually, the next 18 minutes or so were quiet but it felt like more excitement was in store.

18:23: Andrej Meszaros pinches in on the power play and misses. As a result, Connolly collects the disc on another two-on-one and this time he waits for Redden to commit to the shooter before feathering a delicate pass over to Roy for a late equalizer. Little did we imagine, it was still far from over.

18:47: Again, Ottawa takes advantage of the power play after allowing a shorthanded tally. Alfredsson with a great presence of mind, finds the open man rather than shooting himself. Smolinski capitalizes flashing a big grin on his face in the process. However, he who laughs last laughs loudest.

19:49: Behind the net, Daniel Briere centers the puck and Emery can't get a handle on the puck as it escapes from the mob for Connolly to backhand top shelf. With 11 seconds left on the clock, these two teams were deadlocked and overtime would settle it.

Overtime

0:18: Mistakes were made constantly in this match and jumped on each occasion. Goals came in amazing time frames and you didn't expect sudden death to take long. Volchenkov over-skates the puck after fanning on a pass and it introduced an immediate chance. Grier corralled the puck, and fed Chris Drury who was held off the scoresheet in regulation. But his contribution was the ultimate difference as he let go a wrist shot past Emery's blocker to win the game. By the bench, Drury is swarmed by his teammates in celebration.

Notes

13 goals were scored on 56 combined shots. Ryan Miller faced 33 while Ray Emery was challenged with 23 shots.
Derek Roy notched five points (two goals, three assists).
Tim Connolly showcased his talent with two goals and an assist.
Ten different players scored and 21 registered at least a point.
Unfortunately, Connolly was injured for the rest of the playoffs after taking an open-ice hit in game two.
Every game in the series was decided by one goal with three going into overtime. Buffalo prevailed in each of those matches.

What a game and what a postseason for the Buffalo Sabres. Although they fell short in the Conference Finals to Carolina with numerous injuries throughout the line-up, their spirit and competitive nature could not be denied. It's games like this that give fans hope for the future. And hope is never lost among true supporters.

Sabres Limp to Quarter Pole

David Oleksy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:15:46 -0000

More photos » by FRED CHARTRAND - AP

20 days ago: Buffalo Sabres' Tim Connolly, left, Jason Pominville, (29), and Paul Gaustad celebrate Thomas Vanek's goal against the Ottawa Senators during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Fred Chartrand)

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The Month of November is not quite over yet but the Buffalo Sabres have finally reached the quarter point of the season. Most of the teams in the league reached the quarter pole last week but the Sabres were one of the last teams to do it on Saturday night. The results have been favorable for the Sabres through 20 games but the current three game losing streak is an obvious concern for the team.

We talked a couple of weeks ago about breaking the season into 10 game segments and the second segment was not a good one for the Sabres. They went 4-5-1 and it could have been worse if not for a tree game winning streak in the middle. The team suffered through some key injuries to Mike Grier and Drew Stafford but injuries are part of the game and good teams overcome their injuries. With that being said, you decrease your odds of winning when you lose a top six forward and replace him in the lineup with a defenseman.

Scoring has been the biggest concern for the Sabres in recent weeks. The team started the season by scoring just enough goals to win but now they are allowing more goals and the offensive deficiencies have become noticeable. Nobody on the team is averaging a point per game and Thomas Vanek has only seven goals to lead the team. At some point they will need their offensive players to step up if they want to be a playoff team.

	5-on-5	5-on-4	5-on-3	4-on-4	4-on-3	3-on-3	3-on-4	3-on-5	4-on-5	EN	PS	Total
For	30	16	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	52
Against	28	3	0	4	0	0	0	1	12	2	0	50

Despite the recent struggles, the team has put themselves in a good position to be a playoff team. We talked about the key being 12 points in every 10 game segment. They failed that goal with only nine points in the last 10 game segment but the 17 points coming out of the gate was more than enough.

2009-2010
Games	Record	Points Earned	+/- points	Total Points
1-10	8-1-1	17	5	17
11-20	4-5-1	9	-3	26
21-30				26
31-40				26
41-50				26
51-60				26
61-70				26
71-80				26
81-82				26

The best thing the Sabres can do at this point is move on. They need to forget about the first 20 games and start looking ahead to the next 10 games. They find themselves trailing the Senators for the division lead, due in large part to their loss on Saturday night.

Northeast Standings

	GP	W	L	OTL	PT
Ottawa	21	12	6	3	27
Buffalo	20	12	6	2	26
Boston	23	11	8	4	26
Montreal	24	12	11	1	25
Toronto	22	4	11	7	15

(updated 11.25.2009 at 8:23 AM EST)

The Sabres have a couple games in hand with the other teams in the division and will have to use them to their advantage to get back the division lead. The Upcoming schedule is not easy for the Sabres in their next 10 games. They played the month of November with a unique Wednesday-Friday-Saturday schedule but the schedule intensifies now that we head into December. There are many weeks when the Sabres will be playing four games a week and even 4-in-6 many times.

Sabres Schedule

Next 5 Games

@ Washington	Wed 11/25	7:00 PM EST
@ Philadelphia	Fri 11/27	1:00 PM EST
Carolina	Sat 11/28	7:00 PM EST
@ Toronto	Mon 11/30	7:00 PM EST
Montreal	Thu 12/03	7:00 PM EST

NY Rangers	Sat 12/5	7:00 PM EST
New Jersey	Mon 12/7	7:00 PM EST
Washington	Wed 12/9	7:00 PM EST
Chicago	Fri 12/11	7:30 PM EST
@ NY Rangers	Sat 12/12	7:00 PM EST

What Do We Know About These Buffalo Sabres?

Rafal Ladysz — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:35:32 -0000

More photos » by FRED CHARTRAND - AP

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Out-shooting an opponent 17-5 in the first period and coming away with a mere 1-0 lead from of it isn't the best of signs. Overall, Buffalo held a 41-26 advantage in shots Saturday when it was all said and done but Ottawa pulled out a 5-3 win in a match-up that's become theirs to win and the Sabres' to lose. The thought of Patrick Lalime getting the start was unsettling however, I refuse to put the blame on him.

Had they buried more of their chances and given him a larger lead, a point if not two could have been grabbed. The powerplay was again discomforting going 1-for-8 and late man-advantages went wandering when Buffalo pulled back within two goals and had a few chances to force overtime. Ottawa's win was nothing but blind luck.

A 12-6-2 record through 20 games is excellent yet there remains a sense of worriment in the long haul. A hot October (8-2-1) is being accompanied by a mediocre November (4-4-1). Sound familiar? It should because this script was enacted in 2009 in an identical form.

But this isn't the same Sabres squad as last year. Ryan Miller's presence and skill haven't been seen in this city since the days of Dominik Hasek. Everyday he's given the nod improves the likelihood of a victory. Mike Grier, Paul Gaustad, Patrick Kaleta and Steve Montador provide toughness and grit while Tim Kennedy is a non-stop bundle of energy.

The offense is available through Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Tim Connolly and maturing forwards Drew Stafford and Clarke MacArthur. Defensively, they are still a work in progress but it's hard not to be convinced with Tyler Myers' play. Do we really want our most dependable defender being a rookie on the other hand?

While they've clicked admirably when facing the likes of New Jersey or Detroit, it's the weaker New York Islanders, Atlanta Thrashers and Ottawa Senators that cost them points. That's why the NHL is the finest league in the world with the fierce competition and unpredictability of outcomes.

Consider this: in the six regulation losses on their record, they actually outshot their opponents 209-93 combined obviously indicating there is no lack of effort. The level wasn't the same in each match but the Sabres are doing the logical things like getting shots on net, pouring on the offense and responding to bad periods.

Slumps are unavoidable no matter how talented a team is and Buffalo is finding that out right now. Consistency, stronger starts and increased scoring are what they need a better handle on. It's too early to get excited with their record or throw in the towel because of the latest results.

We still have 62 games and mistakes are the source of learning experiences.

Calgary Flames @ Buffalo Sabres: Keys to the Game

Rafal Ladysz — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:22:49 -0000

by Don Heupel - AP

about 1 month ago: Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller shoots the puck away from the Edmonton Oilers during the third period of the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. Buffalo won 3-1.(AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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It's the second of consecutive matches for Buffalo hosting Alberta squads and as my colleague David Oleksy already pointed out, this will be a massive challenge in comparison to Edmonton. Calgary has taken two out of three in this series during the past four years but the home team has been successful each occasion.

As far as injuries go, both clubs are relatively healthy maintaining the majority of their players. But a big concern of mine is whether Mike Grier is able to suit up or not because he's one of our stronger guys, has played plenty of hockey against Western Conference teams and does plenty of duties which don't appear on the score sheet. Let's hope the groin doesn't bother him and he's good to go tonight.

Similarly, the Flames are much like Buffalo driven by exquisite goaltending, a great all-around team work and may roll all four lines naturally. The big difference is defense where Calgary holds the obvious advantage. While their offense from the blue line is noted, their shutdown ability is quite impressive as well led by Robyn Regehr and Jay Bouwmeester.

Here are your keys to the game.

Buffalo

I said it Wednesday and I'll say it again: get first blood. Buffalo appears live and enthusiastic if they strike first whereas it's the opposite when they concede first. They'll have to come from behind to win games eventually but that's what lower ranked teams are for. Best not to try it with a squad like Calgary.
Stay out of the penalty box (easier said than done if the officiating at all resembles Wednesday's circus). Calgary's power play has taken a downward spiral to 12th in the league at 21.8 per cent but they can get it going again quickly.
Physical, physical and more physical. Finish your checks and make sure nobody gets too close to Ryan Miller because the Flames aren't going to hesitate to do the same. This will be a grueling affair in which Patrick Kaleta will show his value and hopefully draw some retaliations.
Secondary scoring must be available. Buffalo's 43 goals for are tenth in the East alone, however they maintain the finest goals against average thanks largely to Miller's terrific poise. Drew Stafford, Clarke MacArthur and especially Thomas Vanek have to wake up.
Play the full sixty minutes. It may seem like silly and obvious advice but the Flames have scored big goals late in the final frame previously to either take the lead or tie the game. Don't take the foot off the pedal for an instant.

Calgary

Feed off of Miikka Kiprusoff who has won three straight starts allowing two goals in the process. It'll be a great battle between two of our game's better net minders and Calgary as the visitor will require it.
Intimidate the Sabres; they aren't exactly the scrappiest bunch out there. Get inside their heads, force turn-overs and don't give them breathing space. Do that, and you'll send the message loud and clear that they'll have to fight for the win.
Screen Miller because everything he has seen up to this point in the year has been stopped for the most part. Philadelphia did it last week by sending shots through mazes and hoping for deflections. It was ugly but it worked.
Pressure the defense into making difficult decisions. Our puck-movement from the blue line continues to grow gaining confidence so try to create odd-man rushes at their expense.
Finally, make the powerplays count. That's what Edmonton failed to do and it contributed heavily to their downfall. Again though, Calgary is more dangerous and healthy than the Oilers were.

A Peak at the Streaks

Tim Connolly

#19 / Center / Buffalo Sabres

Height: 6-1

Weight: 191

Born: May 07, 1981

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Tim Connolly	4	11	15	0	2

Just like he's capable of, Connolly has been Buffalo's best forward and has five assists during a four-game point streak.

Jarome Iginla

#12 / Right Wing / Calgary Flames

Height: 6-1

Weight: 207

Born: Jul 01, 1977

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Jarome Iginla	9	6	15	2	20

Finding his scoring touch, the always lethal Iginla has produced five goals and six points in the last four contests.

Sabres Month in Review: October

David Oleksy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:00:42 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Chernin - AP

about 1 month ago: New York Islanders' Frans Nielsen (51) gets checked off his skates in front of the net by Buffalo Sabres' Henrik Tallinder (10) in the second period during an NHL hockey game Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

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The month of October is officially complete and the Buffalo Sabres are once again off to a fast start. They are 8-2-1 after their first 11 games due in large part to outstanding goaltending. Last season they started their first 11 games with a 7-2-2 record and it was the power play that made them so good.

We keep hearing people say "this feels different" or some other variation of that phrase. I'm not exactly sure that it feels any different but if it does, the stats might help us decide why. The biggest difference between the 2008 and 2009 Sabres is their even strength play. Last season the Sabres struggled to get any goal production at even strength but this season they have been really good.

Goal Scoring

	5-on-5	5-on-4	5-on-3	4-on-4	4-on-3	3-on-3	3-on-4	3-on-5	4-on-5	EN	PS
Goals For	22	7	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1
Goals Against	13	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	8	0	0

You can see the big difference in goals for and against while playing 5-on-5. This was an area that haunted the Sabres all last season. It is production from the entire fourth line and Mike Grier on the third line that has helped the Sabres until this point.

	Home	Away
Games	6	5
Goals For	20	12
Goals Against	14	10
PP Goals	7	2
PP Goals Against	5	3
SH Goals	0	0
SH Goals Against	2	0

There is nothing that jumps off the page in the home versus road breakdown. It is typical for a team to score more goals at home and play a more defensive style on the road and the numbers show that to be true for Buffalo. The road numbers would be even better if the Islanders had not put five goals on the board on Saturday night.

October Stats

#	Player	Pos	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	Corsi	Corsi/Game
4	Steve Montador	D	11	0	3	3	1	15	0	0	33	3.00
5	Toni Lydman	D	4	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	16	4.00
9	Derek Roy	C	11	0	8	8	2	8	0	0	13	1.18
10	Henrik Tallinder	D	11	0	3	3	9	12	0	0	5	0.45
13	Tim Kennedy	C	11	1	3	4	1	10	0	0	32	2.91
19	Tim Connolly	C	11	4	6	10	-1	2	3	0	-12	-1.09
20	Daniel Paille	LW	2	0	1	1	0	2	0	0	-3	-1.50
21	Drew Stafford	RW	11	4	2	6	1	2	3	0	39	3.55
22	Adam Mair	C	3	0	0	0	-1	0	0	0	0	0.00
25	Mike Grier	RW	11	3	0	3	0	4	0	0	13	1.18
26	Thomas Vanek	LW	9	4	1	5	4	4	1	0	12	1.33
28	Paul Gaustad	C	9	2	2	4	6	15	0	0	24	2.67
29	Jason Pominville	RW	11	3	6	9	2	4	2	0	-1	-0.09
34	Chris Butler	D	11	0	4	4	-3	2	0	0	-6	-0.55
36	Patrick Kaleta	RW	10	2	2	4	5	15	0	0	20	2.00
37	Matt Ellis	LW	10	1	3	4	4	0	0	0	19	1.90
38	Nathan Paetsch	D	4	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	18	4.50
41	Clarke MacArthur	LW	11	5	2	7	0	14	0	0	0	0.00
44	Andrej Sekera	D	4	0	0	0	-3	2	0	0	8	2.00
52	Craig Rivet	D	11	0	4	4	-1	23	0	0	3	0.27
55	Jochen Hecht	LW	11	1	2	3	-2	0	0	0	2	0.18
57	Tyler Myers	D	11	2	3	5	7	6	0	0	5	0.45

The Good

A lot needs to go right in order to have an 8-2-1 record through the first 11 games. A lot has gone right for the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres have won games by scoring and they have won games with defense. If you are Lindy Ruff, you are just happy to see them winning.

We all know about Ryan Miller and how good he has been but there are other players that have looked good to start the season. It is nice to see Jochen Hecht and Jason Pominville bounce back from their disappointing seasons. Neither player is setting the world on fire but their contributions have been a dramatic increase from their production last season.

Tyler Myers has been outstanding on the Sabres blue line and he has set himself up to be a fixture in the NHL and hopefully with the Sabres for a long time. Everyone hoped that Myers would play well enough to make the team but nobody expected him to have two goals, five points and a plus-7 rating.

Tim Connolly has played in every game thus far and that in itself is good news for the Sabres. It's even better that he is starting to produce. He leads the team with four goals and 10 points after what I would consider a slow start by him. His presence in the lineup will help the Sabres this season and will go a long way to prove our "It feels different" theory.

Clarke MacArthur has scored five goals, Mike Grier has added veteran leadership and has three goals. Things are going the Sabres way and much of it has to do with a total team effort and doing the little things.

The Disappointments

Outside of the Sabres 5-0 loss on Saturday to the New York Islanders, there isn't much to talk about. It's difficult to say a player that has eight points in 11 games is a disappointment but Derek Roy has not scored a goal yet this season. Roy has scored at least 20 goals in each of his last three seasons but after 11 games e hasn't been able to find the back of the net. Roy has always been a streaky goal scorer, making this less of an issue but eventually it will start weighing on him. The team has been winning hockey games and that helps ease the burden but if there are more games like last Saturday it might become a bigger issue.

Andrej Sekera is a player that many Sabres fans feel can be a good one. Unfortunately, it feels like he has regressed over the last two seasons. He has only played in four games this season because of injury and he hasn't looked good when he has been on the ice. He is a minus-3 in four games which ties him with Chris Butler for the worst plus/minus rating on the team.

We have talked at length about the struggles of Patrick Lalime last season. In his brief appearances this season, it has been more of the same. It's frustrating to see him struggle so much because he has shown us he can be a good player in the league. Lalime will have to get more appearances before we can make a true judgment on how he will affect the team but for now he is a disappointment.

The Surprises

Because we had no idea what to expect from the Sabres this season, we could argue the whole season has been a surprise. However, when I think of a surprise this season, I think of the entire fourth line. There has been some mixing and matching because of injury but it has been mainly Patrick Kaleta, Paul Gaustad and Matt Ellis that have been playing fourth line minutes for the Sabres.

Kaleta, Gaustad and Ellis all have four points on the season with Kaleta and Gaustad scoring a pair of goals and Ellis adding one. Gaustad leads all forwards on the team with a plus-six rating and Kaleta follows him with a plus-5 rating. All three players are also among the team leaders in Corsi rating because they have done a great job with puck possesion. This is the line the Sabres turn to if they need a momentum change.

Player of the Month

Ryan Miller

#30 / Goalie / Buffalo Sabres

Height: 6-2

Weight: 175

Born: Jul 17, 1980

Monthly Stats: 10GP, 8-1-1 1.86GAA .936sv.% 1SO