SB Nation - Clarke MacArthur

Game Preview: Buffalo Sabres @ Ottawa Senators

Rafal Ladysz — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:22:51 -0000

More photos » by Paul Chiasson - AP

3 days ago: Buffalo Sabres' Tim Kennedy, center, celebrates his goal against the Montreal Canadiens with teammates Patrick Kaleta, left, and Tyler Myers during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Dec. 14, 2009 in Montreal. The Sabres beat the Canadiens 4-3. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Paul Chiasson)

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Records, statistics and the standings don't matter, at least not for this match-up. Whether the Ottawa Senators are improving or playing poorly, they seem to have the Buffalo Sabres' number winning every season series in the last four years. Buffalo had a 41-26 shot advantage in the first contest of the season yet fell 5-3 to the Senators showing just how snake bitten they are when it comes to their Division foe.

But the Sabres don't look concerned with the past. Winners of four straight including a hard-fought 4-3 final in Montreal where they've struggled as well, the team believes they can beat anyone, anywhere. That's the mindset Buffalo needs and tonight is their best shot to really take it to the Senators which they undoubtedly would relish.

Five thoughts on each team below.

I dug up some numbers to give you an idea of how dominantly Ottawa has handled Buffalo. Since the lock-out, the Senators are 21-6-4 including this year's first clash. Of those 21 victories, 17 have ended by two or more goals and the Sabres have been outscored 126-88 when you count it all up which I did. Ouch.
Ryan Miller and Brian Elliott are the starting netminders. Patrick Lalime surrendered five goals in the November contest. If anyone can put an end to Buffalo's slump with Ottawa, it's Miller who continues to lead the league in every major category for goaltenders with the exception of wins where he is one shy of the lead held by Martin Brodeur and Jonathan Quick.
Clarke MacArthur banged home the game-winner Monday in Montreal via a five-on-three powerplay. The fourth-year winger passed Thomas Vanek in goals with his tenth by doing so. He put in 17 last season and looks to set a new career-high in the mid-20s.
Out with a torn MCL, Jason Spezza will be on the shelf as long as eight weeks possibly. It's a big break for Buffalo because the former Windsor Spitfire has 47 points in 37 career games with the Sabres. Also out of action for Ottawa is Chris Neil and Shean Donovan.
Three goals in two games including Buffalo's only two shorthanded markers have Patrick Kaleta receiving attention everywhere. Tied for sixth in team scoring with this outburst, the energetic checker has done it in style during and after the goal. A shorthanded goal would surely suck the life out of the Senators.
Spezza may be out but Ottawa still has three major threats up front. Daniel Alfredsson is always a thorn in our side, Mike Fisher is having a superb year and Milan Michalek already has 15 goals. And Alex Kovalev, in terms of work-rate, will be there maybe.
Buffalo's powerplay percentage is down to 21st and their penalty-kill has dropped to eighth which is the result of four of the last five goals they've conceded coming on the man-advantage. New York and Montreal both made two count. Ottawa is 12th on the penalty-kill and 21st when they are a man up so they aren't separated by Buffalo very much.
Against their Division, the Sabres are 4-2-2 as are the Senators strangely enough. Buffalo has won eight of ten and the Senators have lost six of ten.
Elliott is 5-0 lifetime versus Buffalo which shouldn't come as a surprise with their inabilities to close out the Senators. On the flip side, Miller is 8-11 against Ottawa but this will be his first crack at shutting them down this season.
A 15-2-2 record after scoring first is again irrelevant for Buffalo because Ottawa is one of the two squads who have won after allowing the opening goal to the Sabres. Boy have they ever had their way with Lindy Ruff's troops.

This is a must-win situation purely because Buffalo must prove it to the coaches, staff, fans and themselves that they have the ability to defeat Ottawa. With Spezza, Neil and Donovan out and a back-up goaltender standing in their way, this is their most timely opportunity. It's now or never.

Game Preview: Buffalo Sabres @ Montreal Canadiens

Rafal Ladysz — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:11:50 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

14 days ago: Buffalo Sabres right winger Patrick Kaleta, left, and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Paul Mara trade blows late in the third period of the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009. Buffalo won 6-2. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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Scoring by committee and extraordinary goaltending create lengthy postseason runs. In essence, the Buffalo Sabres are playing playoff hockey currently or at least preparing for it. Beginning and ending with Ryan Miller, they have been backstopped by his 18 wins, four shutouts, a .939 save percentage and 1.83 goals against average. I'm honestly running out of positive things to say about the 29-year-old.

In the last three games, Steve Montador, Clarke MacArthur and Patrick Kaleta have each registered a game-winning goal. Darcy Regier wanted to build this squad from within giving them time to bond and grow together. We're beginning to see why. They have 11 different players with at least one game-deciding tally and Kaleta was the latest showing perhaps the finest display of his career in New York. When someone is down in terms of their level, a teammate has stepped up to the table.

Montreal surely has this match circled on their schedule after the Sabres demolished them 6-2 kicking off December on a high note. Less than ten minutes in, Buffalo put three quickly by Jaroslav Halak en route to a completely one-sided affair.

Five thoughts on each team below.

Carey Price will be dressed barring any last minute setbacks. He has two wins in five starts but can be the x-factor matching the Oct.1 Montreal victory where the Canadiens were outshot 35-17. His last performance in Atlanta was sparkling as he made a few breathtaking saves in a losing cause. They were outshot 34-19 by the Thrashers. More on that in a minute. Update: Halak is the starter looking to redeem himself.
Mike Grier's anticipated return to the line-up is occurring today. While this is good news, Grier has experienced a loss in the family and may not be as focused as he usually would be which is understandable. Lindy Ruff said he hopes to bring him ten to 12 minutes in ice time.
I spoke about the Canadiens getting outplayed by the Thrashers and it's a trait they haven't been able to avoid. Of the 33 games Montreal has completed, their opponent has registered more shots in 19 of them and they have only done so 12 times. In the last three matches, they have been outshot 121-66. ~~Price~~ Halak is going to have his work cut out for him tonight.
Catching fire, Derek Roy is becoming a point per game performer registering three goals and five assists in eight contests. His career statistics versus the Canadiens are re-assuring and Roy looks to keep it that way.
The hot stick in Montreal belongs to Andrei Kostitsyn who has four goals and five points in a four-game stretch. A talented stick-handler, the Belarussian packs a wicked shot and the Sabres would we wise to take away any space from a forward who has been flying since the middle of November.
Kaleta and Paul Mara have a bit of history dating back well over a year ago. It started with a check that injured the defenseman while he was representing the New York Rangers and the two have had it in for each other since. Mara is questionable for tonight but if he plays, expect quick fireworks.
Chris Butler and Nathan Gerbe are day-to-day both nursing lower body injuries. Marc-Andre Bergeron experienced a face laceration in Atlanta after being hit in the face by the puck. If he sits, that would be a massive loss for Montreal as he's provided necessary scoring from the back line.
Buffalo is allowing 2.17 goals against per game trailing New Jersey and Chicago barely. However, the Sabres are ahead of just Carolina and Tampa Bay in goals for in the Eastern Conference and could stand to use a little extra support.
Andrei Markov is meeting with doctors today to evaluate his status and could return at some point this week. Originally, he was expected to be out until February due to severed tendons in his right leg but has quickly recovered with intense work. One of the game's best defensemen, Markov will help the Canadiens in every way imaginable.
Tim Connolly has been quiet since a four-point evening in Philadelphia. The hip pain he's living with could have everything to do with it after last year's surgery. Connolly seems to be fine for the most part but you have to wonder if the busy schedule will take it's toll on him.

Having heavily outworked the Canadiens in two meetings, Buffalo is the favorite. Montreal does have two things going for them: a goaltender who can and probably will have to sneak out two points and a passionate fan base that will make themselves be heard. They'll need both from the opening face-off.

Martin Brodeur Earns 103rd Career Shutout as New Jersey Devils Beat Buffalo Sabres, 3-0

John Fischer — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:13:44 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

Martin Brodeur earned his 103rd career shutout. Here is one of the 22 saves he made. This puck went on to be picked up by a Devil and then pushed up ice on a breakout. (AP Photo/ David Duprey)

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Sing with me now!

There's only one Martin Brodeur! There's only one Martin Brodeur! There's only one Maaaaaar-tin Brodeur!

Martin Brodeur didn't have to make many big saves or pull out any highlight-reel worthy moves to stop the Buffalo Sabres. He did his job, he did it well, he was solid with his stick, and he controlled all the rebounds to places where his teammates can clean it up. Martin Brodeur earned his 103rd career shutout, tying him with the all-time leader, the legendary Terry Sawchuk. If 4 Vezinas, 3 Cups, and well over 552 career wins weren't enough to convince you of his greatness, then this should clue you in. If not, I have no words for you. Congratulations to Martin Brodeur.

That said, the 3-0 victory was also an excellent team win. While the first 15 minutes or so weren't great, the New Jersey Devils went on to apply - get this - consistent offensive pressure and just out-worked the Sabres for much of the game. The Devils had sequences where shift after shift just kept going after the Sabres. Most of the second period was an exercise of this domination, and even late in the game the Devils made a point of it to get the puck forward and put shots on Ryan Miller. It was what I wanted to see, it was what I think the team needed to do after two lackluster performances on offense, and it was glorious. NHL.com has their recap up of the Devils' victory, complete with links to the boxscore and other stats.

For the Buffalo perspective, read on at Die by the Blade later on for their recap. I would expect frustration to be the theme, but that's just me. The Buffalo faithful really let their displeasure known in the second and third periods and honestly, I don't blame them for booing. Their team just fell flat after the first period and deserves criticism for it. Read on for my further thoughts on tonight's win.

As the schedule turned out, this would be the only Devils road game between the beginning of the month and December 19 (where they travel to Atlanta). I figured the opposition would be tough and at first, it was a close game. I felt Buffalo were a bit better in the run of play for most of the first period. The Devils didn't look as sharp with their passes, they were a bit too passive on defense, and didn't get much sustained pressure going.

Fortunately, late in the period, they didn't need to do that as Brian Rolston and later Travis Zajac scored off the rush. They were well set up plays, truth be told. Vladimir Zharkov cut outside, fed it down low to Patrik Elias, who put it right on Brian Rolston's stick for the far-post shot that slid in. Well done. Shortly thereafter, the Devils hit back on a long breakout created by Colin White, Zach Parise dished it off to Zajac who ripped one through Ryan Miller. The Devils didn't look all that great, yet led after the period 2-0.

Then the domination began. When you're down 2-0, don't take a holding call to start a period! Apparently, Clarke MacArthur forgot that and he regretted his infraction. Nicklas Bergfors used Parise well on a screen to beat Miller and put the Devils up 3-0. And then the pressure came. The forechecks surprised Buffalo's defense. The neutral zone play was solid. And in the rare chance that Buffalo actually had the puck in a position to do something on offense, the defense either negated it, the Sabres either lost it while trying to set up a "good shot," or Martin Brodeur made an easy save. Only once did the Sabres get the puck in close on Brodeur, literally in the dying seconds of the second period - and the goaltender made sure he smothered it.

I cannot praise the offensive pressure enough, the Devils didn't hold onto their lead and they were really unfortunate (largely thanks to Ryan Miller) to not blow the game completely wide open. I wanted to see an aggressive offense from New Jersey's forwards and I saw it tonight and it was great. The second period was just fantastic hockey by the Devils. On this note, enjoy tonight's highlights from the game with this embedded video from NHL.com.

Jacques Lemaire rolled four lines, all of whom were effective, throughout the second and even all the way into the third period. As the forwards pushed forward, this gave less opportunity for Buffalo to attack. And when they did, the defense and backcheckers did a great job making it difficult with 20 blocked shots and only 22 allowed on net. Excellent work at both ends, in my view. When you see the fourth line of Rod Pelley-Dean McAmmond-Ilkka Pikkarainen out for a shift late in the third period - like with 100 seconds to go - that's a sign that the entire team has played very well that night.

Praise is definitely deserved for Brodeur. But nearly everyone had a good game tonight! Zach Parise roared with 7 shots on goal and an assist. Nicklas Bergfors had 6 shots and a power play goal. Travis Zajac (seriously, that line was cooking) had 4 shots, a goal, and went 7 for 11 on faceoffs. Brian Rolston had 4 shots and a goal. Patrik Elias had 3 shots and went 4 for 8 (good for him at least). Vladimir Zharkov didn't get a shot on net, but he did set up a goal, so that's definitely good - 3 assists in his last 3 games. Rob Niedermayer was solid on the penalty kill, leading that effort on special teams. Even the fourth line had a presence, Dean McAmmond stood out the most as he hit the post in the second, and got his two shots in the third: first by taking a long shot and his second was his own rebound. (Buffalo defense, you got burned by Dean McAmmond). The team as a whole blocked 20 Buffalo shots while only allowing 22 to go at Brodeur. Bryce Salvador and Mark Fraser each had 4, and Jay Pandolfo was close behind with 3. Johnny Oduya skated his socks off with a 26:13 effort; Andy Greene and Colin White rarely made a wrong move; and even Matt Corrente looked good in limited minutes (9:03, only one to play less than 10 minutes). Mike Mottau has played well for New Jersey, but he really wasn't needed all that much. I honestly can't say that any Devil had a bad game. Lemaire got the team fired up after a mediocre first period (despite scoring 2 goals at the end) and it clearly showed on the ice.

The Devils went on to outshoot the Sabres 37-22 (led after 2 periods 25-11, mind you), win more faceoffs (23-16 NJ), and nearly had 3 more goals. Dean McAmmond went high on a low Ryan Miller and only got post in the second period, Travis Zajac's shot while streaking to the net hit the far post on a feed from Parise, and Parise had a goal waived off when the video replay saw a kicking motion on the puck late in the game.

The only faults I could think of the team's performance had to do with discipline and special teams. During a power play, Brian Rolston, rushing back to prevent a shorthanded scoring chance, tripped up a Sabre - which wiped out the Devils' man advantage. In terms of straight-up minors, Bergfors took a late hooking call in the second and Fraser hit a Sabre with a high stick in front of the crease in the third period. Sure, the Devils (with some help with the Sabres) killed these penalties; but they could have been avoided altogether. On the flip side, the Devils' power play wasn't so great. Out of 4 opportunities (well, 3 minus Rolston wiping out the Devils' second power play of the second period), the Devils managed to only get 5 shots on net. They didn't do anything on the first power play of the game or the one they had in the third period. Of course, they did score a power play goal and for the Devils, that's perfectly fine.

And really, those faults are really small blips in comparison to the excellence of the (eventual) overall team effort, the coaching adjustments, Martin Brodeur, the effectiveness of the defense, and the play from all 12 forwards. If this is what the Devils look like now, just wait until the Devils get Paul Martin, Dainius Zubrus, and David Clarkson back from injury.

This was a great win for the Devils and I hope this inspires them to continue what they did in Buffalo tonight at the Rock. Once again, congratulations to the New Jersey Devils for a quality win and congratulations to Martin Brodeur for his 103rd career shutout.

Thanks to all who have commented and/or read the GameThread, thanks to Steve for making the GameThread, and thanks to you for reading this. Please leave all your thoughts about tonight's game in the comments.

Sabres 6 Habs 2: Fast Start Propels Sabres to Home Win

David Oleksy — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:26:05 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

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After watching the Sabres wait until the third period to start playing the last two games, I wasn't sure what to expect from them tonight. They quickly put my fears to rest with a fast start to the game. Clarke MacArthur scored only twice in November but started December with a goal just 2:28 after the opening faceoff. That was just the beginning of an impressive 6-2 victory against the Montreal Canadiens.

The first 40 minutes looked like the Sabres were playing against an AHL team as opposed to an actual NHL team. The Sabres led 4-0 just 25 minutes into the game and only allowed a late second period goal by Scott Gomex in the first 40 minutes. Making the domination even more aparent was the Sabres 29-8 advantage in shots on goal.

The Habs made it interesting in the third period by outworking the Sabres and getting some power play opportunities. Josh Gorges scored the Habs second goal and pulled them within 4-2 with over eight minutes left in the game. The Habs continued to put on pressure but Ryan Millerdid what he does best and made a couple of saves. Andrej Sekera scored his first goal of the game a couple of minutes later to seal the victory for the Sabres.

Final - 12.3.2009	1	2	3	Total
Montreal Canadiens	0	1	1	2
Buffalo Sabres	3	1	2	6

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Miller Continues to be Miller

Ryan Miller was not tested too much in the first two periods with only eight shots on goal. He did not let the lack of work affect him. He was outstanding in the third period, stopping 14-of-15 Montreal shots and many of them were difficult stops. While the rest of the team took a bit of a breather it was Miller that kept the team ahead in the late going.

Miller has been the Sabres rock this season. He has played in every Sabres win this season and he figures to play again on Saturday against the Rangers.

Kennedy Gets Hometown Goal

It was just the other day we were talking about how exciting it would be when Tim Kennedy scored his first home goal and he did just that tonight. I'm sure he would have liked it to be a more important goal but I would guess that he will be getting quite a few more now that the elusive first goal is out of the way.

Kennedy has bee a solid player for the team all season and he had plenty of chances that he didn't finish. This should give Kennedy the confidence to start scoring more regularly. Kennedy has alos started to get some time with Thomas Vanek on his wing and that should help him wth some offense as well.

Streaking Sabres

Jochen Hecht had his two game goal streak snapped but he had an assist to extend his point streak to three games. Jason Pominville and Derek Roy also extended their point streaks to three games. Pominville had Roy both had a goal and an assist in the victory. Thomas Vanek had three assists as well for the Sabres.

The Sabres improved their win streak to four games with te win and they scored four or more goals in three of those wins. They have outscored their opponents 17-5 during the current four game winning streak.

Up Next

Next Game

New York Rangers
@ Buffalo Sabres

Saturday, Dec 5, 2009, 7:00 PM EST
HSBC Arena

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What Do We Know About These Buffalo Sabres?

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

More photos » by FRED CHARTRAND - AP

26 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.

Flames Game Day: Era of Good Feeling

Robert Cleave — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:30:34 -0000

More photos » by Graham Hughes - AP

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Calgary Flames vs. Buffalo Sabres

HSBC Arena

5:30 PM MT

Opposition: Die By The Blade

TV: Sportsnet West

Last year, at right about the same time of the season, the Flames had a couple of days off on the schedule after a game in San Jose. The plans for those days, and what happened to them after the team was thrashed by the Sharks, are now part of last season's folklore. "No wine tour for you stiffs" was the message from the brass, and the team did go on a tear for the best part of four months afterward, so I suppose it can be argued that in psychological terms, the ploy had its intended effect.

We've already heard tale of a couple of practices this fall where the iron fist has allegedly been deployed, so maybe it was only fair that a good effort bought the boys a couple of free days in Montreal. For those of you that haven't been, there are worse places to kick back for a night or two than Crescent Street. Hard on the liver, and maybe your personal relationships, but still, pretty good all around.

There was, apparently, still an opportunity for practice. The Flames spent a little time working on the PP, which has fallen off after an unsustainable start. Special teams as a collective have still been a strong part of the Flames' success this year, with the slackening PP being picked up by a rapidly improving PK.

As I mentioned on Wednesday, the game Tuesday night was really what I expect to see more of as the year progresses. Cory Sarich had a couple of fairly notable mis-plays, but beyond that the attention to detail in the defensive zone was improved. That sort of work will put the team in a much better position as the year continues, because it has the chance to be a repeatable occurrence. More repeatable than hoping to shoot 11.6% at EV for the season, certainly.

The line-up appears to be as is, so Fredrik Sjostrom gets another twirl with Joker-Iggy. The shift that Iginla scored on was one that actually looked like a top-line shift. As I mentioned in comments, I hardly knew what to say after it occurred, except to note that it was very good. The next step is for that sort of work to become a regular feature of that line's game. That might require Jokinen to find his shooting touch, and maybe his puck-handling touch as well, because right now he looks really uncomfortable when he's leading the play.

"Usually our line plays against the other team's top lines, or the No.-1 set of defencemen, so it's not anything extra," Bourque said.

That's also from the Sun story I linked. That matches my observation as well, and suggests that the coaching staff has seen what most of us have. That is, the Langkow-Bourque-Dawes line is the best on the team, and will get the P v P match-ups to go with it. The QComp numbers have tightened up since the early part of the year, which makes me wonder if we won't see a redux of 07/08, where a non-Iginla line took on the heavies. The flaw that season was a poor bottom part of the roster, which isn't really much of an issue anymore, so this may not be the worst thing.

The men on the blue have stabilized, with Lindy Ruff taking notice. If the forwards are merely decent in their own end, the defence should be good enough to keep the Flames in a fairly lofty spot. The Phaneuf-Regehr paring has been very good in particular, with the discomfort of past attempts to match them seemingly shed. They're still seeing second level comp most nights, but the QComp numbers on D are tightening as well, so the point where the Flames throw two pairs at the the other team's best without a lot of manipulation might be near. That's a hell of luxury for any team to have. The Flames are obviously paying full price for it, but that's still a very nice thing to have in your pocket.

Kipper's been good. McE might get a spin in T. O., but with two days off before and after this B2B, I could see the temptation to give Kiprusoff both starts being quite strong.

The Sabres survived a pretty inspired effort by the Edmonton Falcons on Wednesday, winning 3-1 despite being out-shot 29-26. They also fought off a long PP at the end of the game resulting from Clarke MacArthur's boarding penalty. Note to Curtis Glencross: to avoid suspension, run a guy from behind, show some contrition, and hope he gets up fairly promptly. And hope he isn't Chris Drury.

The Buffaslugs have had a good start, with quality work from Ryan Miller between the pipes and a general out-shooting performance at the heart of it all. The Sabres are breaking in the highly touted Tyler Myers on the blueline, but it's Butler and Rivet that have handled the heavy going thus far, with Pominville and MacArthur doing the same up front. The team as a whole is pretty quick, so I'd expect them to test the Flames on the counter.

In terms of expectations, this should be a good game to see if the improved play on Tuesday is a one-off. Buffalo is a solid group, with the sort of speed that gives most teams some trouble. They're very well coached, IMO, and I wouldn't expect them Flames to get many easy goals on Miller, so any sort of good result tonight will have to be on the merits. The Sabre special teams have been middling thus far, so that extra PP work might have been wise. Hopefully, Brent Sutter still feels like he can rest easy after the game as well.

Game time is 5:30 MT, with coverage on Sportsnet West.

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.

Spinning the NHL Wheel of Justice: Clarke MacArthur

Zachary Zielonka — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:57 -0000

by Don Heupel - AP

about 1 month ago: Buffalo Sabres left winger Clarke MacArthur, right, checks on Edmonton Oilers left winger Liam Reddox after checking him hard into the boards during the third period of the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. Sabres' MacArthur was given a five-minute boarding penalty and a game misconduct for the hit. Buffalo won 3-1.(AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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The Clarke MacArthur hit is the major debate here in Buffalo as well as in Edmonton. Over at Copper and Blue, they are calling for a minimum ten game suspension which makes sense because it was an Edmonton player who was injured. Here, most of our readers believe that MacArthur should not have been given the five minute major but rather two or less. The question is what will the league think about the hit?

For those that haven't seen the video, here it is:

The two coaches have differing opinions on the severity of the hit:

"It's really just a hockey play," Ruff said. "Clarke's leaning on him, trying to get position, and his legs got tangled up. It's a tough call. I understand why they called it because of how [Reddox] went [into the boards], but there's no intent."

Said Quinn: "He knew exactly what he was doing. He puts his elbow right on his head as he's falling. But the league? Who knows?"

Obviously these two coaches are going to have differing opinions. The thing that bothers me with Quinn's statement is that if he watched the tape again, he would notice that MacArthur's elbow was on Reddox's back as compared to his head.

What you should notice when watching the video is that obviously the hit is very awkward. Both players are fighting for the puck and both are starting to go down as they approach the boards and while MacArthur does shove Reddox both players are losing their balance which cause both players heading toward the boards.

There was no intent to the play and that can be shown by the reaction afterwards. MacArthur doesn't get up and skate away but instead attempts to make sure that Reddox is alright. If there was blatent intent on the play, we would not have seen a reaction like that.

The five minute major and game misconduct were warranted though. MacArthur should have attempted to slow up just due to the fact that Reddox had his back to the play. The major and misconduct suggests that the league will look into suspending MacArthur for the hit and with the inconsistency in NHL suspensions we cannot specifically determine how long it is going to be for. Most likely, MacArthur will receive a game and at most two due to the fact that Reddox was injured on the play, MacArthur is not a repeat offender and that there did not appear to be intent on the play.

Buffalo - Springfield Post-Game. That Was Springfield, Right?

Benjamin Massey — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:31:42 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

Buffalo Sabres right winger Drew Stafford tries to hit the puck past Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, top, during the first period of the NHL game in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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You know what? I used to like Buffalo Springfield.

Would-be Falcons were certainly making an impact on the night. Whether it was Ryan Potulny's limp-wristed feebleness leading to the first goal or Liam Reddox getting nerve stapled by Clarke MacArthur on a play that should be a ten-game suspension and will be a firmly shaken finger from Colin Campbell saying not to do it again, it was all about the guys from the Falcons. And the guys who maybe should be on the Falcons (O HAI JASON STRUDWICK).

So when you think about it, were we really all that bad?

The fact that the Oilers lost without distinction is obvious. They've had a few all right games in a row on this road trip and I wouldn't have picked them to get two points on the entire tour, so it's easy to take a loss to the Sabres as a moral victory, in context. They played like a team which had just gutted out a shootout loss against a superior team in Ottawa, which they were. They had every reason in the world to lose this game, and they did. The end.

Well, the end until news of MacArthur's non-suspension comes down, at which point I can dope up on rageahol like it was meant to be.

Most of the Oilers weren't dreadful individually. Patrick O'Sullivan made some classic Patrick O'Sullivan passes to nobody, sure, but he also scored a lovely goal and was a quarter-inch from a hat trick. Nikolai Khabibulin takes the rap for the second goal, which fluttered through his five hole like a butterfly into the eye of a hurricane, but he also made some nice saves. Perhaps his rebound control on the first goal wasn't the best either, but any NHL goalie will let his share of pucks out when he's down like that.

Liam Reddox was actually one of the best Oilers out there because he played like he wanted something from the game. He was tenacious and always hard on the puck, gave the Sabres hassle whenever they were near him - he was, in short, the usual Liam Reddox. Not that skilled but certainly more useful than guys like me usually gave him credit for. Steve Staios was also a highlight - and I want you to know how difficult it is for me to say that. Though his one mistake in the third period was a heinous giveaway leading to a penalty and only Khabibulin's right pad saved him from an embarrassing minus, Steady Steve actually earned his nickname.

When a team suffers as many injuries and as much fatigue as the Oilers have, the role players like Reddox and Staios have to step up. Unfortunately the stars weren't keeping pace. Dustin Penner had his worst game in some time, with a number of stick-cracking slashes by the Sabres going uncalled but the big genius largely ineffective even when he did have all his equipment. Ales Hemsky, rushed back into the lineup to replace Ryan O'Marra, was simply dreadful. Andrew Cogliano was a non-entity, carried by the stronger play of Ethan Moreau and Zack Stortini on his line. Sam Gagner was possibly not on the ice at all.

The injuries, though. We hope Reddox is all right; playing in his next game has nothing to do with it. We know Grebeshkov is going home after a dirty knee-on-knee play that got no call; one suspects that Bryan Young is sitting excitedly near the phone. We still have Bryan Young, right?

It was a game to forget, except for Clarke MacArthur. The Oilers and Sabres don't play that often, but when they do I hope the Oilers have long memories.

The Copper & Blue Reverse Three Stars, Unfair Though Selecting Players from the Minor Leagues May Be:

18th Star: F Ryan Potulny. Scored a goal last night against the ~~Senators~~ Avalanche, and fair play to him! But I didn't see the game ~~last night against Ottawa~~ against Colorado, I saw the goal tonight against Buffalo. And against Buffalo, oh boy did he ever look like an American leaguer.

I pin the first goal on him, as we discussed. With the Sabres moving the puck around our zone, Potulny was skating to and fro awkwardly as if desperately afraid to be caught doing nothing but equally afraid to be caught out of position and therefore being stuck between various extremes of uselessness. The puck went into the corner and Potulny threw his stick out awkwardly, subscribing to the Red Green school of defending and keeping his stick on the ice. The puck clattered off his feeble grip and deflected out in front, whereupon the Sabres ended up banging it in.

The Steve Smith who wrote the Red Green show? Not that Steve Smith. Ryan Potulny would do well to remember that.

Apart from that, he did very little. He generally handled the puck like it were radioactive and was thrown out on the last, desperate shift of the game because who the hell else were you going to put out there? Potulny has lovely soft hands and I like him, but the reason he's not playing in the NHL is because of his skating and because his puck sense isn't the greatest. Boy Jesus, he proved that.

19th Star: F Ales Hemsky. Has Ales Hemsky ever played well hurt? I don't think Hemsky is a stereotypical European sissy by any means. He can fight in the corners and he'll use his muscle when he can. We've all seen him block shots or take heavy blows in the corner that he knew were coming and keep going. He's not afraid and he's not going to shy away. But sometimes he gets hurt, and when he does it gets ugly. He's willing to play almost every time and we all wind up wishing he hadn't.

He plays a very difficult style of play. Even aside from his famous Euro Dangles he twists and turns when he's skating, tries to do everything at speed, and will try to play his way through gaps smaller than most players would attempt. If part of him really isn't feeling right, it may just completely throw him off. Well, he looked completely thrown off tonight. Towards the end of the game when he got into an unprovoked tussle with Patrick Kaleta, he looked utterly miserable, like he was about to throw up on Kaleta's face but was concerned he might be suspended for it.

20th Star: D Jason Strudwick. He's like Mark Messier at this stage. A constant danger, a reliable threat, and somebody who you never, ever can take your eye off for any reason. The only difference is that Messier did it helping his team.

Running out of hyperbole now. Stop sucking so much, Jason.

Season-to-Date Standings:

21 points: Jason Strudwick

14 points: Ethan Moreau

11 points: Mike Comrie, Nikolai Khabibulin

8 points: Denis Grebeshkov

6 points: Jean-Francois Jacques

5 points: Patrick O'Sullivan

4 points: Ales Hemsky, Theo Peckham

3 points: Sam Gagner, Shawn Horcoff, Patrick O'Sullivan, Ryan Stone

1 point: Andrew Cogliano, Tom Gilbert, Ryan Potulny

Connolly and Miller Lead Sabres to Ugly Win

David Oleksy — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:57:25 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

about 1 month ago: Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller makes a save on the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period of the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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When April comes we may be thanking our lucky stars the Sabres earned two points on a Friday night at home against the Leafs in October. We may be, but for tonight we have to talk about how ugly it was. We will get the excuses out of the way early and talk about the bad ice and the flu bug that has plagued the team. These are definitely real issues but it doesn't excuse the way they played tonight.

Ryan Miller was once again the story for the Buffalo Sabres. He stopped just about everything that was thrown in his direction, including 15 stops in the third period. There is no question that Ryan Miler has been the best goalie in the entire NHL so far, with an honorable mention to Ilya Bryzgalov, and tonight was more of the same. He may have made his best stop in the second period when the Leas managed to get a shorthanded breakaway that Miller made look easy.

The game started like a heavyweight fight, with both teams trading jabs and neither team willing to go for a haymaker. That changed when the penalties started to add up. The Leafs had the first power play chance and the outcome of this game might have been different if they Sabres didn't kill it off. They did kill it off and the Leafs started a parade to the penalty box. Toronto took three penalties in less than three minutes and the Sabres capitalized on the first two-man advantage. Drew Stafford put a rebound by Jonas Gustafsson to give the Sabres the 1-0 lead. Toronto answered back just minutes later with a goal by Ian White.

The action really picked up in the second period and both goalies had opportunities to shine and they did. We already talked about Miller but Gustafsson was equally as good if not better. "The Monster" stopped Mike Grier and Clarke MacArthur on breakaways before Tim Connolly finally beat him with a bullet shot on a breakaway. Connolly scored the only goal of the second period and the Sabres held a one goal lead after 40 minutes.

The third period was all Leafs but Ryan Miller was the best player on the ice. He played a game of anything you can do, I can do better with the Leafs players and they were left shaking their head. The Sabres seemed well on their way to victory when Matt Stajan took a dumb interference penalty with 54 seconds left to play. Just 16 seconds later Mikhail Grabovski tipped a Tomas Kaberle shot by Miller and the Leafs had tied the game. That penalty eventually haunted the Leafs when Tim Connolly netted his second of the game with a blast from the point just two seconds before the Stajan penalty expired.

Final - 10.30.2009	1	2	3	OT	Total
Toronto Maple Leafs	1	0	1	0	2
Buffalo Sabres	1	1	0	1	3

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Miller Leads the Way

I'm not sure what is more impressive about Ryan Miller, the way he is playing on the ice or the way he is handling the media. He knew the team didn't play well tonight but he deflected blame from his teammates in pots game presser and instead was blaming the ice and the lack of a few calls. I love the confidence he has in is game right now. In the past I have been critical of his leadership abilities and he is making me out to be a fool.

It was just another day at the office for Miller, he made 33 saves and allowed only two goals. Amazingly enough, he will probably see his goals against average increase because he allowed two goals tonight. Lindy Ruff said it best wen he said "Ryan knew he had to carry the team tonight because they didn't have it, and he did". I think that basically says it all.

Connolly Plays Role of Hero

Lindy Ruff talked about Connolly being a playmaker but stated, he wanted him to shoot more. He shot more tonight and he was rewarded. Connolly put the Sabres ahead in the second period with a breakaway goal and he won the game with a perfect shot in the overtime. The overtime winner was the Sabres second power play goal of the night and the second that Connolly banked in off the post.

Dealing With Flu

The flu bug has struck the Buffalo Sabres recently. Clarke MacArthur had it last week but didn't miss any time and Paul Gaustad is suffering now. Adam Mair was inserted into the lineup with Gaustad out but he didn't play very much. Ruff hinted after the game that some other players are suffering from flu symptoms as well and Mair might be one of those guys.

Expect the Sabres to have more lineup changes tomorrow night against the Islanders as some players won't be making the trip. Andrej Sekera is expected back in the lineup tomorrow and Nathan Paetsch will play the role of a fourth line winger.

Harry Neale Quote of the Game

The quote tonight was actually a combination of Harry Neale and Rob Ray after a scrum in front of the Leafs goalie that involved Tim Kennedy.

Harry - "Rayzor would you say that was a light weight or a feather weight bout?

Ray - "At this point, because I like to see it, I don't care"

Up Next

The Sabres head back on the road ass they head to Long Island to take on the New York Islanders. The Islanders are coming off of a 4-3 overtime win against the Washington Capitals on Friday night. The Sabres beat the Islanders 6-3 in the first meeting at HSBC Arena.