SB Nation - Jason Pominville

Rangers Recap: Kaleta scores twice, Sabres down Rangers 3-2

Jim Schmiedeberg — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 03:34:09 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Chernin - AP

Patrick Kaleta scored a pair of goals including one while the Sabres were shorthanded as the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Rangers 3-2 at Madison Square Garden Saturday night.

Turnovers in their own zone, and the continued inability to play well in front of their own net did the Rangers in again tonight. On Buffalo's first goal, there were three Rangers in front of the net, but Derek Roy was still able to put the puck in the net.

Ryan Callahan continued to show signs that he is coming out of his slump by picking up his sixth goal of the season in the first period. Callahan now has three goals in his last seven games. The Rangers got back to doing what worked on the power play early in the year, constant movement with the puck, putting the puck on net, and the results showed on the scoreboard, as the Rangers went 2 for 6 with the man advantage.

Marian Gaborik snapped out of his mini-slump with two points on the night, picking up an assist on Callahan's goal, and scoring one his own on a rare 4-on-3 power play.

Chris Drury had himself another tough night, he was on ice for Buffalo's first two goals. On the second one, Drury had two chances to clear the puck, and couldn't do it. He did have one of his better games in the face-off circle, winning 13 of 20. But as we've said before, the Rangers need more than face-off wins from their Captain.

Ales Kotalik is practically begging to be benched with his lackadaisical play. With the Rangers on a power play in the second period, first he was beaten along the boards by Jason Pominville, and then after a pass bounced over his stick and got to Patrick Kaleta on a breakaway; Kotalik barely gave chase as Kaleta scored a shorthanded goal. Mistakes will happen with every player, that is a given, but there is no excuse for laziness. Kotalik put a pretty little bow on his "Period in Hell" by taking a cross-checking penalty late in the second.

Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves in a losing effort.

Notes and Quotes from the Rangers after the jump.......

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES AND QUOTES

December 12, 2009 - New York Rangers 2, Buffalo Sabres 3 (Game #31, Home #15)

Click Here For The Official Game Summary

The Rangers were defeated by the Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, in front of a sold-out crowd (18,200) at Madison Square Garden, and are now 14-15-1 (29 pts.) on the season and 7-8-0 at home.
New York have sold out 171 consecutive regular season games, dating back to Nov. 5, 2005 against New Jersey; the last regular season non-sellout was Oct. 31, 2005 vs. Montreal (17,697); including the playoffs, the Rangers sellout streak is now at 185 games.
The Rangers tallied two power play goals in six opportunities to improve to 27.6% (16-58) at MSG this season.
Marian Gaborik tallied one power play goal and added an assist to record his 13^th multi-point game of the season; he has now registered a point in 25 of 29 games this season.
Ryan Callahan notched one goal, on the power play, and registered four shots in 20:06 of icetime; he has tallied a goal in each meeting with Buffalo this season.
Vinny Prospal collected one assist and won a game-high 15 faceoffs in 26 attempts (58%); he also tied a game-high with four hits in the contest.
Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves in the contest, and has now stopped 132 of 142 shots (.930%) over the last four games.
Ales Kotalik and Michael Del Zotto each recorded one power play assist apiece in the contest.
Chris Drury won 13 of 20 faceoffs (65%) and recorded five shots in 21:28 of icetime; Christopher Higgins registered a game-high seven shots.
The Rangers practice schedule for tomorrow, Dec. 13, is 12:00 p.m. at the MSG Training Center.
The Rangers return to action on Monday, Dec. 14, when they will face-off against the Atlanta Thrashers at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), in the second game of their three-game homestand; the game will be televised live on MSG Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio.

POST-GAME QUOTES

John Tortorella on tonight’s game…

"Well, we just need to make one play, an offensive play. I thought at times we had chances. They defend pretty well. Our last power play, we threw it away a couple of times there and that hurt us a little bit. Again, it is just getting over that hump in making another big offensive play or maybe a goal go in off you, getting a shot through at the point, having it deflect off you."

Henrik Lundqvist on tonight’s game…

"Bottom line, we know we have to win. We are doing a lot of good things and the work ethic is definitely there. We work really hard. We just come up short a lot of nights. I don’t know what else to say. We just have to keep battling and hopefully it will turn around."

Ryan Callahan on tonight’s game…

"Obviously we need to crash the net more, get pucks into the paint, and get an ugly one there late in the period or even in the second (period). I thought we were forechecking well and we had the puck in their end and controlling them. It’s just a matter of getting the pucks to the net, getting a guy there and getting an extra crack at it."

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?

Hobbled Flyers drop another to Sabres 4-2

Travis Hughes — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:27:05 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

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[TSN Recap] - [Boxscore] - [Buffalo Reaction]

Final - 11.27.2009	1	2	3	Total
Buffalo Sabres	1	1	2	4
Philadelphia Flyers	2	0	0	2

Complete Coverage >

It's become tradition to have a home game on Black Friday each season. But looking for relief from the crowds at the mall, fans have frequently found disappointment inside the halls of Wachovia Center, as the Flyers have lost on the day after Thanksgiving each year since 2006. Nothing changed today as the injury-riddled Flyers fell to the Buffalo Sabres 4-2. It's the second time in just under two weeks that the Sabres have come into Philadelphia and wrestled a win away from the home team.

After taking an early lead on a Drew Stafford first period goal, the orange and black fought back late in the period. Mike Richards tied the score at one late on a beautiful pass by James van Riemsdyk, and then with about 30 seconds left, a point shot from Braydon Coburn deflected off a Buffalo player and past goaltender Ryan Miller. The momentum was completely changed in the Flyers favor.

So, naturally, as the second period opened, Buffalo captain Craig Rivet decided to try to change that. He took on Dan Carcillo in a pretty evenly matched bout, but the Flyer tough guy was pretty heated afterward. It takes a lot to keep Carcillo down, so it was no surprise that the next time he and Rivet were united on the ice, a fight broke out. Carcillo beat him down this time, but a late strike by Rivet after the linesman had already jumped in ticked him off even more. He went off on the official for allowing it, a move that quickly earned him a 10 minute misconduct. He was asked to head to the dressing room for the remainder of the second period after jawing at Rivet from the penalty box.

Paul Gaustad tied the game in the second period, and it was the Tim Connolly show in the third as he added two goals to give the Sabres the victory.

Some more thoughts on this one...

Ian Laperriere is an absolute warrior. He took a Jason Pominville shot to the face in the second period and left the game to reportedly receive around 50 stitches in his upper lip. I've been hit with a puck in the lip and I needed eight stitches, and let me tell you -- that hurt. To return to the game after 50 stitches and a cut that looked like it completely severed his upper lip in two is unfathomable. But Lappy did it, taking three shifts in the third period with a cage on his helmet.
Jared Ross was slammed into the boards by Patrick Kaleta in the first period. He had already passed the puck away when Kaleta leaped and drilled his head into the boards. He didn't return, but neither did Kaleta. He was handed a boarding major and a game misconduct, and you can fully expect the NHL to come down on him for this one. The good news: Ross will travel with the team to Atlanta.
With Ross and Laperriere out and the Flyers bench slim at the forward position, Carcillo's 10 minute misconduct didn't help things. He was right in his argument to the official that led to the penalty, though, so it's hard to be too mad with him. I have a feeling Carcillo won't have a short memory about this one.
The power play laid an egg today, going 0 for 5 in 9:14 with the man advantage. Not allowed.
Mike Richards was an animal in the final few minutes. He had about six shots on goal with Ray Emery pulled from the Flyers net as the orange and black tried to tie the game. It was a futile effort, however, since Ryan Miller had an answer for everything the Flyers threw his way in the third.
Despite the loss, Philadelphia's fourth in five games, the same problems that plagued the Flyers during their West Coast road trip did not lead to the loss today. Instead, today was a lot more similar to the Flyers last loss to the Sabres in that they didn't get much luck and that they just couldn't finish their chances. Miller didn't help the equation, either.

After the jump, questions with answers and the comment of the day.

Questions With Answers

How much ice time does Riley Cote get today? Despite the Flyers short bench, Cote didn't see much ice, only played 5:38.
The Flyers are better than the Sabres at even-strength play, on the penalty kill, and the power play. Can they show that's true today? I thought the teams matched up pretty evenly at even strength, but the Flyers couldn't get anything going on the PP.
Do the Flyers show up today, or are they stuck between lazy off day and travel day? They certainly showed up. It just wasn't enough today. It happens.
Does Ray Emery rebound from a bad road trip with a strong game today? He allowed four goals on 25 shots, but he didn't have a terrible game. Then again, he needed to outduel Ryan Miller to win this one, and that didn't happen.

Comment Of The Day

My Goodness, HE IS MY F’ING HERO!

>> flyrsfrk05, on Lappy's return

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.

What Do We Know About These Buffalo Sabres?

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

More photos » by FRED CHARTRAND - AP

24 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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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.

Senators kill late penalties to win 5-3 over Sabres

PeterR — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:13:56 -0000

More photos » by FRED CHARTRAND - AP

24 days ago: Buffalo Sabres' Paul Gaustad, ( 28), attempts to pry the puck loose from under the pads of Ottawa Senators goaltender Pascal Leclaire 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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Solid play from the Ottawa Senators was book-ended by Buffalo Sabres dominance, but Ottawa took advantage of their chances and ended up winning the game by a 5-3 score. The Sabres outshot Ottawa 17-8 in the first period and spent six of the last eight minutes of the game on the powerplay, but didn't get the results they needed. When the Senators had the momentum through the second period and the first half of the third, they put five past Sabres goaltender Patrick Lalime.

The first period was... forgettable for the Senators. It was ugly, especially an early-game powerplay where they had no shots on goal. But thanks to some strong play by Pascal Leclaire, they escaped with only a one goal deficit. A couple goals in a dominant second period, and a goal-filled third period followed. Then it got interesting, when Patrick Kaleta and Jason Pominville scored back-to-back 93 seconds apart, and the Sens played a well-known penalty-ridden tune. Matt Carkner was sent off for boarding, and Chris Neil took the dumbest penalty of the season (which doubled the minor he'd already been assessed to earn him... umm... a double-minor). Strong short-handed goaltending by Brian Elliott, penalty-killing pressure from Daniel Alfredsson and Mike Fisher, and some great defence from Filip Kuba got Ottawa through it, though.

In fact, Kuba looked like Ottawa's best defenceman for the first time this season in the game against the Sabres. Obviously, four points--including his first goal of the season on the powerplay and three assists--goes a long way, but he added more than that, especially on the defensive side of the puck. He spent more time on special teams than at even strength, including 7:43 while shorthanded, and was a huge reason the Senators held the Sabres to 1-for-7 on the powerplay tonight.

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On offence, Milan Michalek was killing it tonight. I was a little sceptical of seeing him in front of the net on the powerplay at first, but he's a big body, and his presence there makes things happen offensively. That's where he was for his goal (after a slick pass from Kuba), which turned out to be the game-winner, and he got most of his six shots of the night from within feet of the Buffalo crease.

Just as impressive, though, was Alfredsson. Unlike some Senators, he brought his intensity from that start of the game, and kept it up for the whole thing. He had two goals, an assist, and fours shots on net--plus he shot about a thousand wide while the Senators were on the powerplay in the second period.

Mid-way through the second, a Sabre was knocked overtop of Leclaire, knocking his head to his knee and his helmet off. He was down for a while, but finished out the period--and then was replaced by Elliott for the third period. It's unclear what the extent of the injury is right now, although according to Twitter, coach Cory Clouston said he was going to be fine. Given his history, I hope he will be.

Although he only had one assist on the night, Fisher deserves a ton of credit, too. He was, obviously, instrumental to the team's penalty-killing success, and had more penalty-killing ice time (6:20) than any other forward. Most impressive was his dominance in the faceoff circle, where he went 15-for-22 (68 percent) against some of the NHL's strongest drawmen, including some very important wins while the Sens were on the powerplay.

Oh, and be honest: Were you more surprised when you thought Carkner scored, or when you found out that Chris Kelly had tipped it in?

Despite a bit of a scare late in the third, the Senators have won three in a row, outscoring their opponents 14-7 in the process, and have jumped up to second in the Northeast Division. Good place to be, but there's still a long road ahead.

Sabres Endure First Three Game Losing Streak Of The Year

Zachary Zielonka — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:32:58 -0000

More photos » by FRED CHARTRAND - AP

24 days ago: Buffalo Sabres' Tim Kennedy flies over Ottawa Senators' Chris Kelly during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa Saturday Nov. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Fred Chartrand)

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The Sabres struggle again with a 5-3 loss Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators. Patrick Lalime takes his second loss of the season in his second start of the season while the team comes back from a four goal deficit to bring the game within two goals. Lalime made 21 saves on 26 shots but again played behind a team that appeared listless for large stretches of the game. The Sabres ended up outshooting the Senators 41-26 and also outhit the Senators 29-24 but could not find the back of the net. Pascal Leclaire played well for the first two periods of the game before leaving the game during the second intermission. Brian Elliott filled in during the third period and ended up earning the win.

Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson scored two goals on the night while Milan Michalek, Filip Kuba, and Chris Kelly scored the other three goals. For the Sabres, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, and Patrick Kaleta all found the back of the net. The Sabres also had their fair share of missed opportunities in this game with 18 missed shots and 22 blocked shots.

The Sabres main problems have started to blossom in the past three games. The Sabres are missing a backup goaltender that instills confidence in the team. In my personal opinion, many of those goals Lalime really did not have a chance on, but the team does not play with the same intensity and with the same passion that they do when Ryan Miller is in net. If the Sabres are going to have a chance to make the playoffs, they need to find a goaltender that gives the team the confidence that they can win the game which Lalime nor Enroth do. Buffalo has a few days off until they play again on Wednesday night.

Olympics Watch: Americans off to hot starts

James Mirtle — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:57:07 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

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Following up on a look at the hottest Canadian players in the NHL so far this season, here's a look at which American players may be impressing the Team USA brass so far:

Goal

	Player	Team	GP	GS	W	L	OT	GAA	Sv%
1	Ryan Miller	BUF	10	10	8	1	1	1.86	0.936
2	C. Anderson	COL	15	15	10	3	2	2.11	0.936
3	Ty Conklin	STL	5	4	2	2	0	2.34	0.921
4	Tim Thomas	BOS	9	9	4	5	0	2.66	0.910
5	Jon Quick	LAK	13	13	8	3	2	2.59	0.905
6	J. Howard	DET	5	3	1	2	1	3.42	0.879

Thomas may be the reigning Vezina winner, but it's hard to argue with Miller and Anderson making the team based on their starts. The Americans have the NHL's two hottest netminders so far.

Defence

	Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-
1	Alex Goligoski	PIT	14	5	7	12	12
2	Matt Carle	PHI	11	2	10	12	9
3	James Wisniewski	ANA	9	0	9	9	6
4	Ryan Whitney	ANA	12	1	6	7	3
5	Erik Johnson	STL	12	0	7	7	3
6	Ryan Suter	NSH	13	2	5	7	2
7	Jordan Leopold	FLA	12	1	5	6	2
8	Brian Rafalski	DET	12	1	5	6	-1
9	Zach Bogosian	ATL	10	5	1	6	-2
10	Keith Yandle	PHX	13	1	4	5	-2
11	Matt Niskanen	DAL	12	0	5	5	-3
12	John-Michael Liles	COL	8	2	3	5	-4

There will definitely be some interesting decisions to make on the Americans back end, with some of the less-heralded names playing th best to this point. Whitney, Suter, Rafalski and Johnson were the only ones invited to the team's summer camp.

Forward

	Player	Team	Pos	GP	G	A	Pts	PPG	+/-
1	Zach Parise	NJD	L	12	6	8	14	1.17	7
2	J. van Riemsdyk	PHI	L	9	2	8	10	1.11	4
3	Ryan Malone	TBL	L	11	8	3	11	1.00	2
4	Dustin Brown	LAK	L	14	4	9	13	0.93	0
5	Patrick Kane	CHI	R	13	4	8	12	0.92	4
6	Tim Connolly	BUF	C	11	4	6	10	0.91	-1
7	Ryan Kesler	VAN	C	15	5	8	13	0.87	0
8	Jason Pominville	BUF	R	11	3	6	9	0.82	2
9	Kyle Okposo	NYI	R	13	3	7	10	0.77	0
10	Keith Tkachuk	STL	C	12	3	6	9	0.75	1
11	R.J. Umberger	CBJ	C	13	4	5	9	0.69	-3
12	J. Langenbrunner	NJD	R	12	2	6	8	0.67	6
13	Mike Knuble	WSH	R	14	3	6	9	0.64	7
14	Bill Guerin	PIT	R	14	3	6	9	0.64	5
15	Scott Gomez	MTL	C	14	2	7	9	0.64	0
16	Brandon Dubinsky	NYR	C	15	3	6	9	0.60	6

More tough calls here, probably, especially with players young and old like Van Riemsdyk and Tkachuk. Connolly and Pominville were not at the orientation camp but could play their way onto the roster in the next month or so.

Buffalo Sabres Defeat an Out-of-Sync New Jersey Devils Squad 4-1

John Fischer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:08:44 -0000

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

The New Jersey Devils played an inconsistent and thoroughly poor hockey game, stumbling to a 4-1 loss to Buffalo and 1-4 home record. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

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The New Jersey Devils didn't show up for the first period, they showed up for the second, and then the common sense on defense and special teams didn't show up in the third period. NHL.com has their recap up, Tom Gulitti already has some quick words after the game (including a Jacques Lemaire quote worth your while), and Die by the Blade has their recap already up. They all start off with the truism that the Buffalo Sabres got off to a quick start and that was essentially it.

This is true, but I don't think it adequately sums up the game. Tonight was a thoroughly poor game at both ends of the rink for the New Jersey Devils. What makes it frustrating was that the game was winnable when it was 2-1 in the second period. Did the Devils build on it? While the Devils earned scoring chances more frequently on Ryan Miller, Miller rose to the task in every case. Yet, despite out-shooting the Sabres, the Sabres capitalized on their scoring chances with relative ease in the third period. So the answer to that is a big, fat no.

I would have liked to have seen the Devils at least grind out a point, to make a statement that the team as-is is formidable without Paul Martin or Jay Pandolfo. Yet, even if those two were perfectly healthy, would that have changed the outcome of the game? I think not.

The defense was making all kinds of poor decisions with the puck. The Buffalo forecheck was quite successful in applying pressure, and I have to say that they must have rattled the Devils defense. Why else would Bryce Salvador be attempting touch passes or drop passes in his own zone? Why else would Mike Mottau play so stand-offish - most notably in not clearing the giant screen in front of Brodeur which helped Jason Pominville score the team's sole power play goal of the game? Why else would Johnny Oduya be so tentative with his positioning and reactions - most notably, not doing anything to Clarke MacArthur as he scored the game's first goal)? Why else would the forwards be inconsistent with their backchecking - most notably on no forward picking up Paul Gaustad wide expletiving open in the crease for the easy tap in the third?

In my opinion, Paul Martin or a backchecking Jay Pandolfo doesn't prevent Oduya, Salvador, Mottau, et al from having such poor nights. Honestly, the only defenseman I'd say was good was Andy Greene and that's really because he got the game's sole goal for New Jersey.

The offense was no better. True, the Devils out-shot Buffalo; but the Sabres defense did a good job cleaning up all those deflected shots that went wide and they generally won the battles along the board. In each case, Buffalo often made the easy clearance. True, the power play got a goal. Good job Andy Greene. But the breakouts were poor at best, and that drop pass at the first blue line didn't fool any of the Buffalo penalty killers. This was exposed on later power plays in the game, cutting short the number of chances for the Devils to set-up in each case. Well, with the exception of the TOO MANY MEN ON THE ICE CALL DURING A POWER PLAY - which killed that PP moreso than the Devils own puck movement. Even when the Devils did get the puck in Buffalo's zone and had an opportunity, Ryan Miller was massive.

In terms of players, I felt Brian Rolston had a good night (6 shots). Zach Parise may have got 7 shots on net, but I felt he was inconsistent with his passing, especially on the power play. But at least he was there. David Clarkson had a poor night with 0 shots and not much vigor on the ice. Nicklas Bergfors also had a quiet night. Overall, the play from the forwards was inconsistent and when you're down by 2 goals early, that's a tall order that the Devils didn't meet tonight.

To summarize, this was charity night for the Devils in that the Devils defense gave plenty of pucks for Buffalo's offense to take and the Devils' offense gave plenty of pucks for Buffalo's defense to clear. Especially in that first period. Forget the soft goal that Martin Brodeur gave up to Tim Kennedy (who Johnny Oduya just watched peel out with the puck behind the net and get into the circle for his shot, by the way), Brodeur had no real chance on the other three goals and he didn't get the goal support necessary to pull out the win.

But the game was winnable at 2-1. The Devils could have played with more confidence after getting one back in the second period (and on a power play, no less). Momentum could have been built. Pressure could have been placed on the Sabres. Instead, they just quelled Buffalo, took two penalties (and killed them nicely) instead of trying to take over the game. Once the third began, Buffalo put away the high quality scoring chance, played with less aggression and with more intelligence (though I'm sure Lindy Ruff isn't happy with 4 minor penalties by his team), and that was that.

It wasn't that the Devils slept through the game, they were really out of sync in terms of passing, in terms of coverage on defense, in terms of clearing the puck, and in terms of overall play. The Sabres, on the other hand, were very much in sync and took advantage whenever they could.

Yes, the Sabres got off to a quick start, but Jacques Lemaire said it best with respect to level of effort (via Gulitti):

"I know the games we played here were [against] good teams, but still I’m looking at the effort overall. The effort overall has got to be better. We said all along that there’s parity in the league and if you’re not playing 60 minutes, you’re in trouble. You look at Buffalo, they played pretty much 60 minutes. They didn’t look as good when we were at our best, but they just kept playing."

Whereas the Devils had all the answers on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, they really didn't have too many for Buffalo. Credit Buffalo for the win, they are a deep team with an effective forecheck and an excellent goaltender. They didn't win on the fast start, they won thanks to their consistent effort as Lemaire noted. Against Pittsburgh, the Devils' effort was there for 60 minutes; for tonight, it was for 15-20 and as we see from the score, that leads to a loss. It's unfortunate that the Devils now have to get it together in short order as they play in Boston tomorrow night.