SB Nation - Jochen Hecht

Tim Kennedy Living the Dream

Rafal Ladysz — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:59:23 -0000

about 1 month ago: Buffalo Sabres' Tim Kennedy, right, reacts after a goal by teammate Tyler Ennis, not shown, against Philadelphia Flyers' Ray Emery, left, in the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Tim Kennedy has had a knack for being in the right place at the right time. First, he was drafted as a sixth-round selection of the Washington Capitals in 2005. Almost immediately, Kennedy was then exported to his hometown of Buffalo to one day dress for the Sabres. Before such a development, he would have to work vigorously and pay his dues similarly as most smaller players must.

The active forward developed through the USHL ranks with the Sioux City Musketeers avoiding OHL offers in order to preserve NCAA eligibility. Two years later, he joined Michigan State of the CCHA where he enjoyed a Championship triumph in 2007. When the time came for an entry-level contract with the Sabres, Kennedy assured himself that the stay in the AHL wouldn't be a long encounter.

While he played in one match for Buffalo last year, the 23-year-old is staring at a full season under Lindy Ruff's tutelage and hasn't let stardom slow him down. Kennedy's first NHL goal didn't arrive until the end of October but it was well worth the wait. Coming out from behind the net, he garnered the puck and beat the goaltender five-hole. That the goalie was Martin Brodeur made it extra special for the youngster.

Four goals and ten points are just a fraction of Kennedy's success. In plus-minus, he is at plus-3 which is in a four-way tie for fifth best on the team. Administering 27 hits, he's seventh on the team in that field and has sent 50 shots on their way to a cage. With just over 13 minutes of ice time typically being his fortuity, Kennedy is making every second count.

Understanding the game very well, his play making is obviously there as is his heart and drive. Kennedy doesn't panic and can be approved as either a center or winger giving Ruff options. Special teams are a promotion he deserves, hopefully sooner rather than later. Taking the hit for the sake of the play, grappling for loose rebounds, moving the feet and creating chances; Kennedy is suitable and capable to come through with every single demand there.

The trio of Thomas Vanek, Mike Grier and Kennedy brings a bit of everything: toughness, speed, courage, passing and goal-scoring. Lately, he's been matched with Patrick Kaleta and Jochen Hecht which has brought encouraging results from all. Is it my imagination or does Kennedy seem to flourish with which ever line-mates are presented to him?

As one of a select few (the others being Tyler Myers, Grier and Steve Montador) who have come to make this a much more balanced squad, he has genuinely earned his spot on the roster.

Here's to hoping Tim Kennedy's last NHL shift replicates his first one: in a Buffalo Sabres uniform.

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

Game Preview: Montreal Canadiens @ Buffalo Sabres

Rafal Ladysz — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:44:08 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

17 days ago: Buffalo Sabres left winger Thomas Vanek, of Austria, celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. Buffalo scored five goals in the third period to defeat Carolina 5-1. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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Revenge is on the agenda tonight as the Buffalo Sabres look to win their fourth straight match and avenge a season opening overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Despite registering more than double the amount of shots as the Habs, 35-17, Montreal ~~earned~~ stole two points in the first meeting. Since then, it's been role reversals with the Sabres sitting one point out of the Division lead with three games in hand on the Boston Bruins and the Canadiens only five points ahead of the bottomed Toronto Maple Leafs.

Montreal has alternated wins and losses for the most part this season failing to reach any consistency. Defeat today spells four in a row in that category. In Buffalo's case, it's a fourth straight successful outing they seek in a stretch where they have connected superb offense (12 goals) with stellar goaltending/defense (three goals allowed). It'll be Ryan Miller and Jaroslav Halak backstopping their respective squads.

Five thoughts on each team below.

You name it, Ryan Miller's on top or close by. In reference to save percentage, goals against average and shutouts, the 29-year-old is setting the bar leading all netminders. His 15 wins are bested by Evgeni Nabokov and and Marc-Andre Fleury. Matt Stajan and Ron Wilson applauded his efforts in Monday's 3-0 result in Toronto.
As I said, Halak is in and he's actually won both career starts when facing Buffalo but was beaten six times in the process. Montreal's hopes rely heavily on him for the sake of a decent result because of injuries and the fact that the Sabres have their A-game going.
Henrik Tallinder notched his first goal in over a year three days ago creating a 2-0 lead and taking the life out of Toronto. Ready for another frightening fact? The last time the Swede scored twice in as many contests was May of 2006 during the playoffs. Go get em Henrik.
Mike Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec have been the noticeable offensive producers. Besides them, nobody has 14 points although Brian Gionta likely would were he not hurt. They'll have to make their chances count because Buffalo usually out-shoots Montreal and Miller is seeing everything.
Jason Pominville, Derek Roy and Jochen Hecht are riding two-game point streaks. While they aren't large streaks by any means, it seems like a new person is stepping up daily to shoulder the load. Who will it be tonight?
Former Sabre blue-liner Jaroslav Spacek has struggled with nine points on the year. I guess someone forgot to tell Bob Gainey that last season's 45 points came in a contract year.
Energetic forward Tim Kennedy is still looking for that first goal at HSBC Arena. The local 23-year-old beat Martin Brodeur for goal No.1 and the other came in Toronto. With each coming against a historic goaltender or franchise, it would be worthy of breaking that funk through Montreal.
Good news for Andrei Markov who is expected to now return at some point in January rather than February. While it won't affect the outcome of this match, the sooner the Canadiens can activate their most valuable performer, the better.
Craig Rivet may return to the line-up tonight after missing two games confirming that he's healed up. The final decision will be on Lindy Ruff whether to allow him right in or wait given how well the defense has played recently.
I still can't believe Montreal pursued Scott Gomez and his ridiculous contract. This guy has 11 points to reward Gainey for $8 million dollars worth of salary. Chalk another stupid choice up to the general manager.

Four of the last seven battles have gone to overtime so expect a tight match-up if history is any indication. By the way, Toronto shutout Montreal 3-0 the day after Buffalo did the same to the Maple Leafs. Is it our turn to be closed down completely or am I just superstitious?

Sabres 3 Leafs 0: Miller Inspires Team to Shutout Victory

David Oleksy — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:40:39 -0000

More photos » by CHRIS YOUNG - AP

15 days ago: Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Millar blocks a shot against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Monday, Nov. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Chris Young)

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No need to hurry home on a Sabres game night. As long as you make it in time for the third period, you won't miss any action. For the second consecutive game, the Sabres waited until the third period to start playing inspired hockey. Against Carolina the Sabres had no energy after two periods and trailed 1-0 as a result; tonight they played better in the first 40 minutes but they only led 1-0 and they were being outshot 28-20.

Of course we all know about the third period explosion of offense on Saturday that led to the Sabres 5-1 victory over the Canes. They weren't able to generate as much offense against the Leafs but Henrik Tallinder scored his first of the season only 20 seconds into the third to give the Sabres a 2-0 lead. Jochen Hecht beat Johan Gustafsson with a wrist shot later in the third period and the Sabres continued on to a 3-0 victory.

This was another game that everyone believed the Sabres would win and exactly the kind of game they would lose last season. There are some that believe this team is different than previous years and others that believe they are the same bunch of guys and they haven't learned their lesson. Count me as one of the people that believe in this team.

The last two games were admittedly against inferior opponents but there was no panic in the third period. How often did we see this team either get a lead or have a lead in the third period and blow it? The last two games they got the lead and they poured it on thick. No panic, no worry, just high energy, responsible hockey that leads to a few offensive chances.

Final - 11.30.2009	1	2	3	Total
Buffalo Sabres	0	1	2	3
Toronto Maple Leafs	0	0	0	0

Complete Coverage >

"We Are Not Worthy"

Those were the words of Rick Jeanneret on Saturday night after Ryan Miller robbed Rod Brind'amour with a glove save in the second period. Of course words don't do the save justice, you have to actually see it to believe it. Those words are equally relevant whenever you get an opportunity to watch Ryan Miller play.

He amazes me more and more every single night. The most important part of his game might be the confidence he gives his teammates. Maybe there is no panic because they know how good Miller is. The team is allowed to play a wide open style because of his heroics so far this season.

Miller made 38 saves tonight to earn his third shutout of the season and his best play wasn't even a save. During the third period, Miller tried clearing the puck off the glass but instead it went through the camera hole in the glass and hit a camera man in the face. Miller skated over to make sure the gentleman was okay before he would get back in his crease. When the game ended, Miller skated over and gave the injured man his goalie stick. Miller is not only a great goalie but a wonderful human being as well.

Kennedy on the Scoresheet

Tim Kennedy is still looking for his first goal in Buffalo but tonight he scored his second goal on the road. It has to be a dream come true to play for your hometown team and that first goal in Buffalo will be special. With that being said, he has to be happy with his first two NHL goals. The first came against Martin Broduer, arguably the best goalie ever and the second came against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are like the Yankees to hockey fans, you either love them or you hate them and that makes goals against them special.

Penalty Killing: Another Solid Performance

Ryan Miller gets all the headlines because of the great saves he makes. The penalty killers need some love too. The Leafs were 0-for-4 on the power play tonight and they were held to perimeter shots during much of their time with the man advantage. The penalty killing units have been really good over the past week or so and need to finally be recognized for helping Miller look good on a nightly basis.

Up Next

Next Game

Montreal Canadiens
@ Buffalo Sabres

Thursday, Dec 3, 2009, 7:00 PM EST
HSBC Arena

Complete Coverage >

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.

DD or JDD? Doppelgänger Dilemma

Bruce McCurdy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:34:36 -0000

More photos » by Jeff McIntosh - AP

Devan Dubnyk

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Lowetide asked me an interesting question the other day: if I were building an expansion team, which one of Edmonton's young goalies might I pick: Deslauriers or Dubnyk? Let's rephrase it slightly to put an Oilers spin on the query: if there were an imaginary expansion draft, which one should we protect?

While there's hopefully no expansion to worry about, the Oilers will essentially face such a choice next summer/fall, or pay a premium to put it off. For now there is no hard overlap between the two, but that day is coming fast. Dubnyk is two years younger than Deslauriers and pretty much Exactly two years behind him on the career curve. In fact the two have a whole lot in common:

Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers (JDD) was born on May 15, 1984, the day of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals (Oilers 7, Islanders 2 :)). A long stringbean at 6'4, 200, he was drafted 31st overall in 2002, the first pick of the second round, acquired in the Jochen Hecht trade. (Pick #36, Jarret Stoll, also came courtesy of what turned out to be a pretty good trade.) He was the fourth goalie of his draft class to be chosen. The top 5 were #2 Kari Lehtonen, #25 Cam Ward, #29 Hannu Toivunen, #31 JDD, #34 Tobias Stephen. JDD appears to be a solid third in this group, behind Ward and the injury-plagued Lehtonen but ahead of the other two who fired and fell back.

Devan Dubnyk (DD) was born on May 4, 1986, when the hockey world was still trying to come to grips with Steve Smith's own goal. A longer stringbean at 6''5, 194, he was drafted 14th overall in 2004. He was the second goalie of his draft class to be chosen. The top 5 were #6 Al Montoya, #14 DD, #17 Marek Schwarz, #26 Cory Schneider, #37 David Shantz. A much less proven fivesome, befitting their younger age. Dubnyk is the fourth to get a cup o' coffee, but none have played as many as 500 minutes in the show. DD clearly ranks ahead of Schwarz and Shantz, and it's a toss-up among the others, with Schneider having the best hype. That said, today DD is the only one of the five in the NHL.

At a glance DD and JDD are mirror images of each other with Dubnyk being the longer, stringbeanier, right-handed one with the slightly higher draft pedigree and the slightly less-bumpy career curve.

Both broke into major junior in 2001-02 so let's start there after the jump:

	JDD				DD
Season	League	GP	Sv%	Season	League	GP	Sv%
2001-02	QMJHL	51	0.900	2001-02	WHL	3	0.838
2002-03	QMJHL	49	0.888	2002-03	WHL	26	0.907
2003-04	QMJHL	50	0.916	2003-04	WHL	44	0.917
2004-05	AHL	22	0.888	2004-05	WHL	65	0.912
	ECHL	11	0.940
2005-06	AHL	13	0.897	2005-06	WHL	54	0.912
	ECHL	6	0.899
2006-07	AHL	40	0.908	2006-07	ECHL	43	0.921
					AHL	4	0.855
2007-08	AHL	57	0.912	2007-08	AHL	33	0.904
2008-09	NHL	10	0.901	2008-09	AHL	62	0.906
2008-09	AHL	5	0.906
2009-10	NHL	6	0.920	2009-10	AHL	18	0.924

Dubnyk was the hotter shot, played in the Dub as a call-up at age 15 and a backup at 16. By 17, however, both were starters (44+ GP) in Major Junior. So let's reorganize our data there, recognize that Dubnyk is two years (less 11 days) younger, and match up their seasons by hockey age.

	JDD				DD
Age	Leagues	GP	Sv%	Age	Leagues	GP	Sv%
17	QMJHL	51	0.900	17	WHL	44	0.917
18	QMJHL	49	0.888	18	WHL	65	0.912
19	QMJHL	50	0.916	19	WHL	54	0.912
20	AHL/ECHL	33	0.911	20	ECHL/AHL	47	0.918
21	AHL/ECHL	19	0.898	21	AHL	33	0.904
22	AHL	40	0.908	22	AHL	62	0.906
23	AHL	57	0.912	23	AHL	18	0.924
24	NHL/AHL	15	0.902
25	NHL	6	0.920

There are a lot more similarities than differences on those career curves. Thanks to the Oilers' inexplicable decision to suspend AHL operations for two seasons, JDD's development was more retarded -- using the word carefully -- than was DD's. Deslauriers was on the outside looking in especially in his 21-year-old season, whereas Dubnyk was still in junior that 2005-06 season, then got an everyday gig in the ECHL the next year which didn't hurt him a bit. By his own 21-year-old season he was backing up JDD in Springfield, and getting a reasonable split (37%) of the ice time, over which the Oilers had finally regained control. As a result DD has substantially more games in the lower league, all in one season, whereas JDD spent parts of two seasons in the ECHL and spent a little more time on the bench at whatever level. Thus even though Dubnyk has just begun his 23-year-old season, his pro experience is already a little greater than JDD's was at the end of his equivalent season. To summarize:

	JDD				DD
Age	Leagues	GP	Sv%	Age	Leagues	GP	Sv%
17-19	Major Jr.	150	0.908	17-19	Major Jr.	163	0.914
20-23	Minor Pro	149	0.909	20-23	Minor Pro	160	0.911

So Dubnyk appears to have a slight edge, with a little more experience at both levels and a slightly greater Sv%. While far from perfect, Sv% is the best single measure we have of goaltender performance. It seems probable that quality of team will affect that Sv%. The two only played on the same team for one full season (2007-08 in Springfield) and little pieces of a couple of others. JDD has the better Pts% ("winning percentage") of the two, .511 to .475 in their last 3 years of junior, .507 to .447 in their first 4 years of pro. Some would argue that JDD is therefore more of a winner; others would counter that DD played on worse teams and if anything that makes his superior Sv% that much more impressive.

Beyond that are the non-save effects, the "soft skills" which are so difficult to measure. I’m talking about game management skills, rebound control, puck retrieval and distribution. At the NHL level I estimate these skills or lack thereof might be the equivalent of a bump in a goalie’s Sv% by as much as ± .005. I’ve seen enough of JDD to lump him in the group I call "chaos goalies"; he better be a good stopper, cuz a sweeper he is not. We know less about this aspect of DD's game; what do the scouting reports say? If he’s a "control goalie" that’s another arrow in his quiver; if on the other hand he’s much worse than JDD, he won’t be able to play in this league.

For now Dubnyk faces two realities. He may be a little further than Deslauriers at the same point in his career, but in real time he’s two years behind. JDD has the 16 games of NHL experience, and the 90 games on the bench and all that accrues to that; he’s the NHLer. DD is where JDD was two years ago, called up for a cup of coffee but not guaranteed to even get a game. Last night we saw the two together in the NHL line-up for the first time, but come game time JDD responded to the challenge in a big way, posting a 36-save shutout. He wants to keep Dubnyk on the bench. (That said, if Khabibulin needs a few more days I personally would like to see the two split the upcoming back-to-back games.)

The other reality is that the club has committed to Nikolai Khabibulin who theoretically will be the starting goalie for the next 2.7 ± 1 years. If the idea – or should I say the ideal – is to gradually grow a youngster into the starting role à la Warren Moon and Tom Wilkinson, the timing may actually work in Dubnyk’s favour. JDD will enter his UFA years in 2011; Dubnyk is eligible to do so in 2013, just as Khabibulin’s hefty pact expires. If Dubnyk blossoms, the Oilers will be in position to pay him then.

Still, there’s precious little to choose between the two long stringbeans. By next fall Dubnyk will be in the exact same position that JDD was last year, out of options and needing to clear waivers. In JDD’s case we saw the undesirable result: a three-headed monster in the crease and a lack of roster flexibility elsewhere. As things shape up now, Oilers will face the exact same situation next fall.

In a perfect world, the organization will reach a decision over the summer or by the end of training camp. In a perfect world, they will deal one of the youngsters for an asset that will help the club elsewhere. And in a perfect world, they will make the right choice of which one to keep. My distant early guess is that will be Devan Dubnyk.

Buffalo Sabres 2010 Olympic Preview

David Oleksy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:27 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

27 days ago: Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller makes a pad save on the Florida Panthers during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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The Winter Olympics are quickly approaching and many of the greatest hockey players in the world will step on the ice to represent their country. There are many Sabres players that are hoping to be part of the elite group that will take part in the games.

The powers that be at SB Nation decided it would be fun have every team take a look at the players on the team they cover and decide what players have a chance at making the list. Here is my attempt at sounding semi-intelligent regarding the talent level of the Sabres squad. {Note: This post will be deleted before the actual teams are announced so nobody can use this against me at a later date}.

Pack Your Bags

Pack your bags, book your flight, reserve your room...these are the players that are a lock to represent their country in the Olympics.

I'm not breaking any news by announcing that Ryan Miller will be selected to play for the USA at the Olympics. Miller will not only make the team but he is a near lock to start for the USA. Tim Thomas will also get a look for the United States but any fool can see what Miller has done this season. Millsie, as his teammates call him, is off to the best start of his entire career and although the season is only half over, has been mentioned as a Vezina candidate in some circles.

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Ryan Miller	17	1003	12	3			33	1.97	477	444	.931	2

There is no way to confuse the season MIller is having with the season Jochen Hecht is having but both are a lock to play in the Olympics. Hecht is a sure bet to represent Germany at the Olympics because they are still growing the sport of hockey in Germany. There are plenty of good players that hail from Germany, including German Coach and ex-Sabres defenseman Uwe Krupp, but they don't have enough depth to consider leaving a player like Hecht off the squad.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Jochen Hecht	20	2	2	4	-2	13	0	0	1	0	57	3.5

Nearly a Lock

Andrej Sekera has been the sixth or seventh defenseman on the Buffalo Sabres but like Hecht, he will probably be playing in the Olympics because of the lack of depth for Slovakia. Many Slovakian players will be players that are currently playing in the KHL and Sekera will likely join that group in Vancouver. There are positives and negatives to players playing in the Olympics but this is great news for the Sabres. Sekera will get experience against the best players in the world while he is struggling to get ice time with the Sabres.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Andrej Sekera	12	0	1	1	-3	4	0	0	0	0	15	0.0

In a Battle

A couple of Portland Pirates players are currently battling for positions on the German team. Uwe Krupp was in Portland to see both players play this week and they both seem to be on top of their game. They are both relatively unknown to us Sabres fans and this would give us an opportunity to see them play on the world stage. I'm sure I'm not the only one cheering for these two guys to make the German squad.

Phillip Gogulla

#47 / Left Wing / Buffalo Sabres

Height: 6-2

Weight: 176

Born: Jul 31, 1987

Felix Schutz

#15 / Center / Buffalo Sabres

Height: 5-11

Weight: 187

Born: Nov 03, 1987

Toni Lydman could be a fairly safe bet for the Finns but he has been out of the lineup with a groin injury. If he proves that he is back to form, he will be a lock for Finland at the games. Lydman is a veteran of Olympic hockey and was a fixture at the blueline in 2006.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Toni Lydman	6	0	0	0	-2	4	0	0	0	0	8	0.0

Work To Do

This is an opportunity to talk about two American players that will probably have a two week vacation instead of playing in the Olympics. Jason Pominville and Drew Stafford at least deserve to have their name mentioned but when push comes to shove, they will be left off the roster. They still have a little over a month to prove to Brian Burke they deserve an opportunity.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Jason Pominville	20	5	8	13	-2	4	2	0	0	0	53	9.4

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Drew Stafford	18	6	3	9	-1	4	3	0	0	0	50	12.0

Moving Up

This is an interesting category because it could mean a lot of things. Although I list it further down the page, I consider these players to have a better chance than the players that have work to do. Tim Connolly is an all world talent with a history of injuries.

Brian Burke probably thought he was a non-factor because of his injury issues. Now that he has stayed healthy and has played relatively well, he has people wondering if he should be on the roster. I will boldly state right now...if I was GM of the team, he would be on the team in a heartbeat. There is no player that could make that team that has the playmaking skills of Connolly.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Tim Connolly	20	4	13	17	-6	2	3	0	1	0	50	8.0

Henrik Tallinder struggled the last two seasons which forced him down the Swedish depth chart. He has turned things around in the first quarter of this season and is now rising back up the charts. He will be given strong consideration to make the team and I would not be surprised if he is there. This is another player that could benefit from the experience.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Henrik Tallinder	20	0	6	6	7	14	0	0	0	0	11	0.0

Moving Down

If you are a regular here you know and if you are new, I'll tell you...I am a Derek Roy fan. I think Derek Roy is a very talented player and he has a very affordable contract for the Sabres. He is a player that the Sabres should build their franchise around. With all that being said, he does not make the Canadian Olympic squad. There are too many great Canadian players to even consider Roy.

Roy had to be mentioned in this post because he was invited to the Canadian orientation camp but that is the only reason he is mentioned in this post. Roy has talent but putting it all together consistently has been an issue for him. He would be more valuable if the tournament was being played on European ice instead of taking place in Vancouver.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Derek Roy	20	4	12	16	-4	14	3	0	1	0	52	7.7

Poll

How Many Players will the Sabres have playing in the Olympics?

0

8 votes

1

31 votes

2

72 votes

3

96 votes

4

94 votes

5

87 votes

6

42 votes

7

13 votes

8

7 votes

9

5 votes

10

22 votes

477 votes | Poll has closed

Another Fast Start Propels Sabres to Third Straight Road Victory

David Oleksy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:46:56 -0000

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

about 1 month ago: Buffalo Sabres' Clarke MacArthur (41) scores past New Jersey Devils' goalie Martin Brodeur (30) during the first period of an NHL hockey game at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

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It's been the recipe for victory all season so why change. The Sabres started fast and used good goalie play to win another road game. Ryan Miller stopped 31 shots and allowed only a power play goal in the Sabres 4-1 victory for Buffalo. Clarke MacArthur, Tim Kennedy and Paul Gaustad scored even strength goals and Jason Pominville scored on the power play for Buffalo.

It was another quick start for the Sabres. Clarke MacArthur scored his fifth goal of the season after picking up a rebound on a Craig Rivet shot. MacArthur slid across the crease and waited for Broduer to be out of position before he slid it into the open net. Tim Kennedy scored the first of his career just minutes later to put the Sabres ahead 2-0. Kennedy received a pass from Jochen Hecht and just wheeled around a blindly fired a shot that beat Broduer through his legs.

After dominating New Jersey in the first period, the Sabres let their foot off the gas. The Devisl started to take control and eventually pulled within one on a power play goal. Paul Gaustad was in the box for Buffalo after a questionable hooking call was made. Andy Greene scored the goal by skating in from the point and a deflected shot found its way to his stick. Miller tried to slide across and get into position but Greene buried the wrist shot into the back of the net. New Jersey had chances to tie the game but Ryan Miller played like himself and turned everything away.

The Devils came out flying again in the third period but Ryan Miller played like a future Vezina winner. He was once again outstanding and after he made a couple of really nice saves, his team added some insurance. Matt Ellis made a nice pass from the corner that made it through three Devils players before it went on the stick of Paul Gaustad who was all alone in front. Gaustad easily buried it in the far side to give Buffalo a comfortable 3-1 lead. Pominville scored his power play goal in the closing minutes but it came after the Sabres killed off two Devils power play opportunities.

MacArthur Earning Keep

There was plenty of discussion regarding Clarke MacArthur and his pending arbitration hearing this summer. It was eventually settled and he signed a one-year contract with the Sabres. He is well on his way to an even bigger raise next season. C-Mac scored the first goal of the game tonight and it was his team leading fifth goal of the season. I don't think he will finish the season with 40 goals but he will if he continues to play like he has been. The funny thing is, he just gets himself in position. He is just a natural goal scorer and his not necessarily a dominate player.

Was that Another Goal by the Fourth Line?

The fourth line of Gaustad-Kaleta-Ellis continues to impress me. They have been extremely productive this season and they scored another big goal tonight. There are no words to describe how this unit has been playing. The biggest key was when Lindy moved Gaustad to that line. I have mantioned time and time again that Gaustad is perfect for the fourth line because it makes that line dangerous. He can play the style of a fourth line player but he has talent that most fourth liners don't have.

Congrats Tim Kennedy

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that South Buffalo native Tim Kennedy scored his first goal tonight. It was nice to see the kid finally find the back of the net on a very nice play but I would have liked to have seen it happen in Buffalo. The way he has played, he will score plenty of goals in Buffalo but their is a special feeling about the first one.

It's D-Day for Sabres Brass

The Buffalo Sabres are now forced with a difficult decision regarding the future of Tyler Myers. He has to be sent back to Kelowna or his contract will kick in this season. He made some key mistakes tonight which could justify the Sabres sending him down as a learning experience. Oh, who am I kidding? The kid isn't going anywhere and if he does it will be a PR nightmare.

Harry Neale Quote of the Game

This feature has been absent for quite sometime now and it is basically absent again. I didn't get the Sabres feed of the game so I was stuck listening to the Devils crew. "Doc" Emmrick did come through and supply us with a quote tonight.

"Donald Trump is a very nice guy but his hair doesn't belong on a hockey jersey" - Doc Emmrick

Comment of the Game

This has also been absent but there were some quality comenst tonight. Noen was more funny than actioncuse posting an easy button in te first six minutes when the Sabres went ahead 2-0.

Up Next

The Sabres will return home for one game against their hated border rival, the Toronto Male Leafs. There was concern that the Sabres would have to face the winless Leafs but that threat was eliminated when the Leafs beat the Ducks on Monday night.

Crunching Numbers: Sabres Limit Predators Opportunities

David Oleksy — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:00:28 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

2 months ago: Buffalo Sabres right wing Mike Grier (25) is congratulated by Henrik Tallinder, of Sweden, right, after Grier scored against the Nashville Predators in the third period of an NHL hockey game in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Grier's goal gave the Sabres a 1-0 win. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

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The Sabres shutout the Nashville Predators 1-0 and they held them to only 25 shots on goal. The Sabres did a good job of getting in the shooting lanes and blocked some shots. They also forced the Predators to fire many shots wide of the net.

You would figure the Corsi numbers for the Sabres would be really good in a game when they outshot their opponet by a 42-25 margin. The numbers don't reflect the shot total accurately because many of the Predators shots were blocked or fired wide.

After watching the game, it is no surprise that Tim Kennedy and Jochen Hecht stand out as the Sabres best players in the game. There were a couple of players that had good numbers but the Sabres best players need to be better.

Follow the jump to see the full list of stats from the victory on Saturday night.

		Game Stats						Even Strength Individual Stats						Even Strength On-Ice Totals
#	Player	Pos	TOI	+/-	FO%	Hits	BS	EV TOI	G	A	Shots	S A/B	S Miss	SOGF	SOGA	SOG Diff	Tot SF	Tot SA	Tot Diff
4	Steve Montador	D	16:31	E	-	0	2	15:51	0	0	2	0	1	4	9	-5	12	14	-2
9	Derek Roy	C	19:20	E	57%	0	1	14:57	0	0	1	0	1	9	6	3	21	15	6
10	Henrik Tallinder	D	21:27	E	-	3	1	20:28	0	0	1	1	0	18	8	10	26	18	8
13	Tim Kennedy	C	13:30	1	10%	1	2	12:55	0	1	5	0	1	16	3	13	22	9	13
19	Tim Connolly	C	17:45	E	27%	0	0	13:26	0	0	2	1	0	6	5	1	7	12	-5
21	Drew Stafford	RW	16:29	E	100%	1	0	14:24	0	0	2	2	3	8	6	2	18	14	4
25	Mike Grier	RW	14:22	1	-	1	1	13:22	1	0	6	1	1	16	5	11	22	13	9
26	Thomas Vanek	LW	18:59	E	-	1	0	14:48	0	0	3	1	1	8	7	1	17	15	2
28	Paul Gaustad	C	12:35	E	60%	2	1	10:13	0	0	1	0	0	7	5	2	9	11	-2
29	Jason Pominville	RW	16:42	E	-	0	0	11:33	0	0	0	0	0	4	5	-1	6	10	-4
34	Chris Butler	D	21:49	1	-	0	3	17:28	0	1	1	0	0	16	7	9	20	15	5
36	Patrick Kaleta	RW	9:03	E	-	1	0	8:40	0	0	2	0	0	6	3	3	7	6	1
37	Matt Ellis	C	8:05	E	-	0	0	8:05	0	0	2	0	0	5	3	2	6	7	-1
41	Clarke MacArthur	LW	16:36	E	0%	1	0	12:20	1	0	2	2	0	5	4	1	8	8	0
44	Andrej Sekera	D	13:30	E	-	0	1	12:03	0	0	0	1	0	2	4	-2	10	11	-1
52	Craig Rivet	D	18:40	1	-	0	0	13:52	0	0	2	1	1	15	3	12	19	11	8
55	Jochen Hecht	LW	15:42	1	20%	0	0	13:18	0	0	4	1	0	16	5	11	23	10	13
57	Tyler Myers	D	0:56	E	-	2	0	20:18	0	1	0	0	1	17	7	10	25	19	6
TOI = Total Time on Ice						FO% = Faceoff percentage								SOG Diff = Shot difference
EV TOI = Even Strength time on ice						BS = Blocked Shots								Tot SF = Total shot attempts on ice
S A/B = shots attempted and blocked						SOGF = Shots for while on ice								Tot SA = Total shot attempt ag. While on ice
S Miss = Shots missed the net						SOGA = Shots against while on ice								Tot Diff = difference in total shots

We are always quick to point out when Henrik Tallinder has a bad game but the stats show that he had a really good game on Saturday night. Tallinder led all Sabres in even strength ice time and finished as a plus-10 in shots-on-goal while he was on the ice. Tyler Myers played a good portion of the night with Tallinder as his defensive partner and he had equally good numbers.

Lindy Ruff juggled his offensive lines and the line of Hecht-Kennedy-Grier responded with an outstanding game. It was by far the best game Kennedy has had all season and him and Grier connected on the only goal of the game.

Training Camp Profile: Jochen Hecht

Zachary Zielonka — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

8 months ago: Buffalo Sabres center Paul Gaustad, right, congratulates Sabres center Jochen Hecht on his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Buffalo, N.Y. on Friday, March 27, 2009. Buffalo won 5-3. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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From now until the season starts on October 3rd, we will take a look at the players making the squad and try to answer the main question that is going to be asked about them this season. For now, we look at center Jochen Hecht.

Jochen Hecht last year was a player that was often criticized for his uninspiring play. This season, he looks to make up for his career worst all-around season last year. With a new attitude about this season and the reacquisition of Mike Grier, Hecht may be able to resurrect his game again.

Mike Grier was a key member of the 2005-06 Sabres and the line combination of Drury-Grier-Hecht was a fairly productive line over that season. Putting Grier and Hecht back together again will work for the Sabres because these two have that chemistry established and will play well together. Hecht struggled many times last season and a fresh start and new teammates will snap Hecht out of his funk. What Jochen needs is a quick start to erase last season out of his mind and out of the minds of Sabres fans.

The Sabres need Hecht to have a good season this season due to the lack of production at times that the Sabres faced last season. With a condensed schedule and the schedule that progressively gets harder as the season progresses, the Sabres need to figure out a way to gain all of the points they can early and often. Hecht can be a key part of that because of the way that the projected lines look, Hecht's third line of Grier, Hecht and Gaustad will create some opportunities and they need to be able to capitalize on those opportunities.