SB Nation - Daniel Paille

This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic - Hawks 5, Bruins 4 (SO - Hawks win shirtless slap fight)

McClure — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:09:48 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Hey! Is that a ninja up there?

The biggest United Center crowd of the year got to see the Hawks' most entertaining game of the year, outside of the obvious asterisk that the Calgary comeback ever shall be.

The Hawks' lineup looked quite a bit different on Friday, with Antti Niemi starting in net, Niklas Hjalmarsson sitting out because of feeling under the weather (rumor has it he hurt his knee in the Peterborough game), and Ben Eager sitting out presumably because he's a steakhead. Personally, I would have sat Tomas Kopecky again in favor of Eager, but I'm not the guy with the mustache...YET. Both teams traded chances in the opening minutes of the first, with the Hawks once again moving the puck very well, but only seemed to be able to manufacture shots from the perimeter against Tim Thomas, who appeared to be on in the early going with his Hasek-esque style. In their own zone, however, the Hawks were an adventure. Joel Quenneville very quickly into the game rearranged his defensemen, pairing Jordan Hendry with Brian Campbell in order to keep two pairs consistent in Hammer's absence- a result which paid dividends. It did not prevent David Krejci from opening the scoring, however, as Niemi failed to smother a dump in with his catch glove (which was suspect all evening), and the puck came to Krejci out front to poke home.

Early in the second, Kris Versteeg potted the Hawks' equalizer off of a careless pass from Andrew Ference which VERSTEEG! alertly snapped past Thomas. The ice then began to tilt in the Hawks favor, as Patrick Sharp gave the Hawks the lead banging home a rebound crashing the left post. After having some issues with the referee in the corner at the other end of the ice Brent Sopel (at his Sopel-est tonight), coughed up a turnover that led to Daniel Paille tying the game at two. However, in the waning moments of the second, Troy Brouwer threw a goal line pass from the corner to Jonathan Toews, who harpooned the puck between Thomas' legs to give the Hawks the lead after 40. All three Hawks' goal scorers in the period potted their tenth goals of the year.

The Hawks' assault on Thomas continued into the third, but Boston once again drew even, as Johnny Boychuk slapped a cross ice feed undereath Niemi's right arm. Less than two minutes later, Andrew Ladd received credit for redirecting a Brian Campbell point blast into the net after some fine perimeter puck movement by Campbell, Hendry, and Sharp. It would not be a lead the Hawks would hold onto. With less than three minutes remaining, the Bruins found themselves on a 3-on-2, with both Sharp and Marian Hossa late to return on their backchecks, which let Krejci pot his second of the night to tie the game up. After relatively uneventful OT, the contest needed to be decided with a couple rounds of rochambeau, with Q deciding to let the B's shoot first. Patrice Bergeron ran out of room on Niemi, and Toews made him pay with the now trademark snapper at the other end. Blake Wheeler got Niemi down and out but drew iron, which made Patrick Kane's backhader at the other end hold up as the winner. Hawks win.

Observations

Outside of Sharp and Hossa's lackadaisical backcheck, Niemi's glove, and Sopel being Sopel, I found very little to complain about from anyone else. No passengers for this game whatsoever. Even Tomas Kopecky's general invisibility was not for lack of effort.
I was very impressed with Jordan Hendry's ability to step in and play with Brian Campbell, one of the more difficult defenseman in the league to partner with, arguably the most. Credit to Quenneville as well for realizing very quickly that Cam Barker simply does not have the foot speed to recover in time to be paired with Soup at even strength, and making the change. As Sam said, why screw up two pairs with Hammer out?
The Hawks dominated in shots in the second and third, and give credit to the Bruins for capitalizing on the opportunities they got. This game could have been a case of water finding its own level with Antti Niemi, who did make some very good saves when they counted, but a couple of the B's goals - Krejci's first and Boychuck's - could and should have been stopped.
Apologies for the obtuse headline. I know it's a reach, but please bear with me. See what I did there?
I know the Hawks have two games in hand, but how the fuck are they only two points ahead of goddamn Nashville? That Barry Trotz really is something.
Credit the Hawks for not shying away from the monster that is Zdeno Chara. I witnessed Kane, Toews and VERSTEEG! initiate contact with that pituitary case, with Toews retaliating a bit on Versteeg's behalf at one point near the benches, and at one point Troy Brouwer and Chara came to within a hair on my sack from scrapping. It would have been a fight that Our Boy Troy would have been destroyed in, but the courage is admirable.
All eight goals came at even strength. For the top two PK units in the league, I know that's a shock.
Thanks to you, the reader, who now seems to understand that if there's a game on a weekend evening, it's pretty well implied that the wrap isn't coming until the following morning due to this blog's propensity for getting itself banged up before, during, and after games. The fact that the weekday games are now a coin-flip as well could be cause for concern, however. Knowing us, though, we'd make the inevitable intervention an open invite event at the Whirlaway.

Player of the Game

While this award could have gone a number of ways, I'll give it to everyone's, including seemingly Q's, favorite $7 million dollar whipping boy. Even with his Swedish security blanket out of the lineup, Brian Campbell managed to be a +1 with an assist during nearly 28:00 minutes of ice time in a back and forth game. Campbell created opportunities in the offensive zone, had an assist on a redirected slap shot, and was solid in his own end.

Game Recap: Bruins vs Islanders

timmorrison23 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:06:10 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

about 1 month ago: Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, right, of Finland, makes a save as New York Islanders center Josh Bailey hits the ice during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Monday, Nov. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Browse more photos »

What began as a pretty solid night for the Bruins certainly did not end that way, as the Bruins suffered a crushing loss to the Islanders 4-1 at the TD Garden. The Bruins and Islanders both played a pretty solid 1st period with both teams getting some solid goal scoring chances. The Islanders took the lead 6 minutes into the period. After a crucial offensive zone turn over by the Bruins Matt Moulson cashed in on a feed by Jack Hillen for the 1-0 lead. The Bruins had a great chance to make their mark on the game early with a 5-3 power play, however as the case has been lately they were only able to manage 5 shots on net during their 2 man advantage. After the 1st period the Islanders led 1-0.

The 2nd period started out strong for the Bruins, as they buzzed and created many solid scoring chances. After Blake Wheeler, Patrice Bergeron, and David Krejci were all turned aside by "The Pride of UMass Lowell" Dwayne Roloson, Daniel Paille was finally able to cash in. With David Krejci working the puck strongly against John Tavares, Paille snuck to the net and tucked in a backhand off a the dish by Krejci. Unfortunately for the Bruins the lead didn't last long. With the 2nd period winding down, Tuukka Rask handled the puck behind the net, he tried to pass it up the boards to Zdeno Chara, however the puck bounced right to RIchard Park, he fed Matt Moulson in front for his 2nd goal of the night and a 2-1 Islander lead.

The 3rd period went much as the 2nd did. Only 2 minutes into the 3rd the Islanders and John Tavares struck again. John Tavares fired the puck on net, as it went towards it deflected off Matt Hunwick to put the Islanders up 3-1. With just under a minute left in the game Trent Hunter would put the exclamation point on the win for the Islanders and make it 4-1.

My 3 Stars of the Night

1)Dwayne Roloson - he was very solid and made big stops when he needed to.

2) Richard Park - he had 3 helpers tonight and was around the puck seemingly all night.

3) David Krejci - looked fantastic tonight, the lone bright spot for the Bruins, was flying all over the ice.

Thomas and Bruins shutout Penguins 3-0

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:08:46 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

about 1 month ago: Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas tries to clear the puck away from Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Chris Bourque (12) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Boston on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Browse more photos »

Tim Thomas turned aside 27 shots to earn his second shutout of the season as the Bruins beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 on home ice.

Matt Hunwick appeared to have put the Bruins up 1-0 1:36 into the second period when he roofed a backhander past Marc-Andre Fleury, however referee Bill McCreary waved the goal off. After close to two minutes of play, the play was reviewed after the first whistle. After a short review, the decision on the ice was overturned and the B's were credited with the goal.

The B's extended their lead to 2-0 at 3:34 of the third period. Daniel Paille broke in all alone and fired a shot from the slot that found the back of the net for his first goal as a Bruin. While Paille got his first goal as a member of the Boston Bruins, Mark Recchi picked up his 900th career assist on the play.

With 3.5 second left in the game Patrice cleared the puck from his own zone. The puck took a few bounces and ended up in the back of the empty net to account for the 3-0 score.

Final - 11.10.2009	1	2	3	Total
Pittsburgh Penguins	0	0	0	0
Boston Bruins	0	1	2	3

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- Sidney Crosby has now gone 5 games without recording a point.

- The Bruins held the Penguins to just 2 shots in the first period.

- Mark Recchi's 900 assists are the most of any active NHL player and 18th most in NHL history. He record his first NHL assist January 20, 1989 against the Winnipeg Jets.

- Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik left the game in the first period with an injury and did not return.

- Chris Bourque saw just 9:03 of ice time tonight for Pittsburgh.

- 2 point nights for Patrice Bergeron (1-1-2), Steve Begin (0-2-2), and Dennis Wideman (0-2-2). Correction: There was a scoring change made this morning. Steve Begin didn't get an assist on Matt Hunwick's goal. The assists on that goal have been credited to Shawn Thornton and Dennis Wideman.

- Bruins won the battle in the face-off circle 34-19 (64%)

- Bruins return to game action Thursday night when they host the Florida Panthers

- For more the game from a Pittsburgh perspective, check out PensBurgh

..Sometimes the Bear eats you. Bruins beat Penguins 3-0

Hooks Orpik — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:45:57 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

about 1 month ago: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jay McKee, left, looks at the puck after it came out of the goal on a score by Boston Bruins' Matt Hunwick (not shown) as Pittsburgh Penguins center Jordan Staal and Boston Bruins left wing Shawn Thornton look on during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Boston Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Browse more photos »

Penguins vs Bruins coverage - Penguins vs Bruins boxscore - Stanley Cup of Chowder

The injury list has piled up for Pittsburgh, but to lose their improvised alternate captain Brooks Orpik to injury early in the first period is just insult to injury. It's difficult enough to play without 3 of arguably your top 4 defensemen, but to be down to just five defensemen for the balance of the game -- one of which making his NHL debut, another who had the flu/minor injury last week is just cruel.

The first goal was in and out so quick the refs couldn't call it. Matt Hunwick lifted a shot top shelf that popped out real quick. Bruins were hugging and celebrating only one problem: no whistle. The Pens kept playing and no one was quite sure what was going on. The play was eventually reviewed and the correct call was made: it was in fact a goal. 1-0 Bruins.

Boston dominated Pittsburgh early, jumping out to a 10-2 shot advantage early in the game that the Pens whittled down to just a 16-15 Boston edge by the beginning of the 3rd period. The Pens had some great territorial time and cycled hard to create chances. Chances aren't goals, but the effort was appreciated.

The second goal of the game happened seconds after it appeared the Penguins might score. The revised top line was about to make a tic-tac-toe play of cross-ice passes for a slam dunk goal for Sidney Crosby. But Matt Cooke couldn't make the play and Patrice Bergeron nudged the puck up to Mark Recchi who found a streaking Daniel Paille for a breakaway. Paille buries it

-Lady luck just hasn't smiled on the Pens lately. On a PK, a Bruins defender trips and the Pens get a 2 on 1. No dice. Then with about 5:45 in the game remaining, the Pens shot a puck in, Thomas went back behind the net to wait for it but it took a weird bounce off the glass and somehow kicked out right to the open net. It crossed the creased and then hit squarely off the far-post and didn't go in. When you don't get the bounces, geez, you really don't get them.

At the end of the game Patrice Bergeron would tack on an empty netter, fittingly getting a fortunate bounce on a puck that was dipping and diving all over the ice. Bergeron earned his luck though, as he got an assist earlier, 2 hits, 2 takeaways and won 73% of his 24 faceoffs.

Deryk Engelland played like, well, it was his first career NHL game. He was pressed into a tough situation: joining a battered team and then losing a defensive leader like Orpik, so he acquitted himself well. But he made a couple of sloppy plays and was a little out of position at times, but hey let's cut the guy a break. He didn't make any critical errors and generally did what was asked of him.
Not sure what Jay McKee was thinking on the lead up to the Paille breakaway. He got caught moving slow in no-man's zone and let Paille get behind him. Then again he's having a great season and I just sit on a couch so it's easier to point things like that out than it is to do something about it.
No word on what Orpik's injury could be. He got bodychecked cleanly behind the boards while digging out a puck, a routine play. He was instantly hobbled over though and wouldn't return, the team says he'll be re-evaluated tomorrow.
Alex Goligoski would pull marathon duty in Orpik's absence. Good logged a game-high 28:25 and played well, even though he was a -2 (one was the empty netter). Martin Skoula was also pressed into a bigger role, getting a season high of 24:27 of ice-time. Skoula played very well in his increased duty.
Hard to blame Marc-Andre Fleury for anything. He made 26 saves on 28 shots including more than a few excellent ones. He held his team in the game for as long as possible, but with no goal support, hard to imagine any goalie escaping with a win tonight.

No goals for two-and-a-half games right now. It's been tough treading. It's definitely not time for the panic button or to proclaim the sky is falling. A record of 12-6-0 translates to a 109 point pace over an entire season, which would surely bring playoffs, it's more points than the Penguins have had in a while.

This is hardly the end of the world. One gets the sense a lot of fans will be restless, but the truth is Pittsburgh didn't play too poorly tonight, regardless of current circumstances. They weren't good enough to win, but they hardly got laughed out of the rink like in the past couple of games. Hey, you gotta start somewhere. Hopefully now things can stabilize now that the Pens return to Mellon at last.

The Week Ahead: October 26th

Zachary Zielonka — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:15:31 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

about 1 month ago: Tampa Bay Lightning' s Vincent Lecavalier (4) skates off the ice while Buffalo Sabres' Derek Roy (9), Chris Butler, center, and Drew Stafford (21) celebrate Stafford's goal against the Lightning during the third period of their NHL hockey game Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009 in Tampa, Fla. Stafford's goal tied the game and forced it into overtime. Buffalo won 3-2 in a shootout. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Browse more photos »

Coming off a complete sweep on the Florida road trip, the Sabres play three games this week including the pivotal ninth game of the season for Tyler Myers. After Wednesday night's game in New Jersey, the Sabres have to make a decision on whether Myers is going to stay with the team or if the team is going to return him to juniors. Daniel Paille's trade should have been the signal that the team is committed to keeping both Tyler Myers and Tim Kennedy in the lineup but Darcy Regier's comments to the Buffalo News at this point is showing that the team has not made a decision:

"I haven't [made a decision], and we haven't, because we know what the time frame is," the Sabres' general manager said over the weekend. "We know that we've got the games to watch him, and we'll take that time.

"As a group, we really haven't talked about it a lot because we're going to allow it to play out, then we'll make a decision afterward."

The Sabres most likely are just playing a bluff here due to the fact that Myers has played a phenomenal first eight games this season and is starting to get some Calder Trophy consideration this early in the season. Whether his play will drop off as the season will have to be seen but at this point, the Sabres would be in a public relations nightmare if they sent this kid down to juniors just to save a year on his contract.

Buffalo plays three games this week, two on the road and one at home. They will also play another dreaded three games in four nights which will become a staple in the schedule over the next few weeks. We take a look at the games after the jump.

Wednesday @ New Jersey:

The Devils have always been a thorn in the Sabres side as they are 29-21-12 at home against the Sabres. Martin Brodeur is 27-14-5 in his career against the Sabres and will be starting this game as the Devils last game was Saturday. New Jersey is 6-3 this season which puts them third in the Atlantic division, three points behind the Rangers and six points behind the Penguins. Zach Parise is still continuing to impress many in the league as he leads the Devils in goals and in 16 career games against Buffalo, Parise has five goals and four assists.

Friday vs. Toronto

Toronto is experiencing the worst start in franchise history at 0-7-1, with their only overtime loss coming in the season opener against the Canadiens. The Leafs are going to be hungry for their first win of the season and for the Sabres sake, hopefully it will have already happened before these two teams meet on Friday. Toronto plays two games before they meet the Sabres, one against Anaheim and the other against Dallas. The Maple Leafs major problem is still goaltending with both Vesa Toskala and Jonas Gustavsson are both injured which has left Joey MacDonald in the starting position. Both Gustavsson and Toskala should return to the lineup this week. The one thing that the Maple Leafs do well is fight. In eight games this season, the team has ten fights and Colton Orr has four of those fights. Patrick Kaleta should be prepared to drop the gloves in this game.

Saturday @ New York Islanders

The Islanders looked pretty bad against a Sabres team that struggled on their own in their first meeting on October 16th. The Sabres chased goaltender Dwayne Roloson after he allowed four goals on 12 shots. Backup goaltender Martin Biron looked better allowing only two goals on 22 shots. Expect to see Patrick Lalime in this game as it will be part of a back to back series. The Sabres will see the Islanders again four days later on November 4th.

Around the Division

Boston will play two games this week as they are looking to try and recover from some of the major injuries that key players have suffered. The Canadiens will play four games this week, two on the road and two at home. Toronto will also play four games this week all on the road. Finally, Ottawa will play three Southeast division teams this week as they try and catch the Sabres for the Northeast division lead.

Bruins invite Predators into their home

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:15:11 -0000

The Bruins will be back on The Garden ice tonight when they play host to the Nashville Predators, finishing up the bad hockey market portion of their schedule.

The Bruins have made several roster moves this week, including trading Chuck Kobasew to the Minnesota Wild, trading picks to the Buffalo Sabres for Daniel Paille, placing Milan Lucic on the LTIR, and calling up Brad Marchand and Vladimir Sobotka. The new look Bruins will try to bounce back from a disappointing 4-1 road loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

Nashville will try to snap a 5 game losing streak (0-4-1) and earn their first win since October 8th. The Predators will be without the services of leading goal scorer Jason Arnott, who is nursing an injured left shoulder/elbow. Arnott's 3 goals account for one third of Nashville's seemingly non-existant offense.

Know Your Enemy

Nashville Predators (2-4-1)

Leading Goal Scorers:

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Jason Arnott	3	2	5	1	2

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Patric Hornqvist	2	4	6	3	2

Goaltending:

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Pekka Rinne	4	191	0	3			11	3.46	104	93	.894	0

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Dan Ellis	5	236	2	1			11	2.80	113	102	.903	0

Injury Report:

Boston Bruins Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Dennis Wideman	shoulder	10/18/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Milan Lucic	fingers	10/17/2009

Shawn Thornton is also questionable with an undisclosed injury. Andrew Ference left practice early on Tuesday after taking a puck to the face.

Nashville Predators Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Dan Hamhuis	other-excused	10/18/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jason Arnott	arm	10/18/2009
Jordin Tootoo	hip	10/03/2009

Notes:

- Normally, I give you the projected lines but with all the moves the B's have made this week, I have no idea what the lines will look like.

- Nashville called up former Bruin Dave Scatchard from the Milwaukee Admirals.

- The Predators have scored just 9 goals in their first 7 games (league worst 1.29 goals per game)

- The Predators are a pathetic 1 for 24 on the power play (4.2%)

- Johnny Boychuk skated as a forward in practice on Tuesday, but I would expect to see him back on the blue line tonight.

- Former BU standout Colin Wilson has appeared in 4 games for the Preds and will likely see ice time.

- Money Line: Boston -230 Nashville +190

During two blowout losses last week to Dallas and Edmonton, it looked like pretty much nothing was working right for the Predators. In recent games, however, the goaltending and defense have tightened up. What remains a problem, however, is goal-scoring, and the loss of Jason Arnott is a tremendous blow. Combine that with awful starts by the two highest-paid Preds, David Legwand (0 points) and Martin Erat (1 goal), and Nashville is hoping to scrape and claw for whatever points they can at the present time.

Dirk from On the Forecheck

- For more insight on the Predators, check out On the Forecheck

- Puck drops at 7:00. Stanley Cup of Chowder Public Skate open thread starts at 6:30

Today's Obligatory Embarrassing Predators Fan YouTube Video

I admit his video was not as funny or embarrassing as some of the videos I have posted this season. Don't worry, soon the B's will be back to playing team's with an actual fanbase so I will have more videos to choose from.

Sabres Trade Paille to Bruins

David Oleksy — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:47:35 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

about 1 month ago: FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2008, file photo, Buffalo Sabres' Daniel Paille (20) plays against the Pittsburgh Penguins during an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh. The Sabresave traded underachieving left wing Daniel Paille to the Boston Bruins in exchange for two draft picks, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Browse more photos »

The Buffalo Sabres announced they have traded Daniel Paille to the Boston Bruins for a third round draft pick and a conditional draft pick. The move effectively alleviates the Sabres roster dilemma when Andrej Sekera returns to the lineup.

There are always going to be positives and negatives when you make a trade. The trade means that Tyler Myers and Tim Kennedy should remain with the team for the season and that is good news. It also means the Sabres gave up on a former first round draft pick that was never really given a chance. It also gives a division rival a capable player that might be capable of more than we have ever seen out of him.

Paille was the Sabres first selection in the 2002 draft taken at number 20 overall. He played parts of the 05-06 season and parts of the 06-07 season with the Sabres but spent most of his time playing with the Rochester Americans. He joined the Sabres full time in 2007-2008 when he scored 19 goals and had 35 points. He was rewarded (sarcasm) for his unexpected goal total by playing as a bottom six forward when he was able to crack the lineup.

Despite playing mostly with checking line forwards and grinders, he followed up his 19 goal effort with 12 goals last season, all at even strength. His 12 even strength goals last season were less than only Thomas Vanek (18), Derek Roy (18) and Jason Pominville (13). He was tied with Clarke MacArthur and Tim Connolly who both scored 12 times at even strength last season. He had one more goal at even strength than Drew Stafford did and yet Stafford is looked at as a top six forward and Paille can't get a sniff of the lineup.

Every Buffalo Sabres player that scored double digit goals had at least three power play goals last season with the exception of Daniel Paille. Paille averaged exactly four seconds per game on the power play. Despite proving he had some offensive ability, he was never given a chance to play with a man advantage while players like Paul Gaustad and Jochen Hecht were able to increase their offensive numbers with the power play.

Paille was never a standout player but he did capitalize on some of his opportunities. His biggest issue was consistency and that led him directly into the Lindy Ruff doghouse. I always thought there had to be more than just on ice issues but we will probably never know if there was.

We do know the Lindy Ruff doghouse is not someplace a hockey player wants to be. Ales Kotalik (NY Rangers 9GP-3G-5A-8P) , Maxim Afinogenov (Atlanta 5GP-1G-2A-3P) and now Paille are all examples of what happens when you are in that doghouse. It is working out for Kotalik with the Rangers and Afinogenov is showing signs of improvement for the Thrashers. It will take some time before we see where Paille will fit in with the Bruins but I think they got a fine player that will fit in nicely.

Bruins trade picks to Buffalo for Daniel Paille

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:41:35 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

8 months ago: Buffalo Sabres' Daniel Paille (20) and Carolina Hurricanes' Dennis Seidenberg (4), from Germany, vie for the puck as they lie on the ice during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, April 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Browse more photos »

The Bruins have traded a third round pick in 2010 and a conditional fourth round pick in 2010 to the Buffalo Sabres for left wing Daniel Paille. The 25 year old, 6'0" 197 lb winger has appeared in 2 games this season for the Sabres, recording an assist. Paille finished last season with 12 goals and 15 assists for the Sabres and an even +/-.

Paille seems to be a decent overall player, but doesn't really excel in any one facet of the game. He isn't exactly a pure goal scorer, but he can score some goals here and there. He recorded a career-best 19 goals in '07-'08. Paille was a former first round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2002 (20th overall), so there certainly is some potential there.

Paille is a 3rd line/depth guy, who was brought in to replace Chuck Kobasew. At a cap hit of $1.125 million compared to Kobasew's $2.333 million and very little going the other way in this deal, I think this is a solid move.

Daniel Paille

#20 / Left Wing / Buffalo Sabres

Height: 6-0

Weight: 200

Born: Apr 15, 1984

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Daniel Paille	0	1	1	1	0

The Week Ahead: October 19th

Zachary Zielonka — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:50:39 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

2 months ago: Buffalo Sabres right winger Patrick Kaleta, right, congratulates Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller after defeating the New York Islanders in the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. Buffalo won 6-3. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

Browse more photos »

The Sabres are coming off of their first regulation loss of the season and head out on the first of two Florida road trips this week:

Games: Wednesday @ Florida, Saturday @ Tampa Bay

While the Sabres still cannot seem to beat the Atlanta Thrashers, their record last season against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning is a little more respectable. They were 3-1 against the Panthers with the only loss coming on the road and they were 2-2 against the Lightning splitting the home and road series.

The Panthers haven't changed much but did trade Jay Bouwmeester before the free agent period started. Stephen Weiss and Micheal Frolik are the leading scorers on the team with 4 points apiece. Starting goalie Tomas Vokoun has struggled this season, going 1-4 in his first five starts. He has a 3.80 GAA and .903 SV% while backup Scott Clemmensen has looked good in his only appearance stopping 25 of 27 in his only start.

The Lightning are struggling out of the gate as well going 2-3-2 in their first seven games. Martin St. Louis is leading the team with 11 points and 8 assists while second year player Steven Stamkos is off to a much better start than his rookie campaign with four goals and four assists in the first seven games. Starting goaltender Mike Smith has yet to win in his first four starts, going 0-2-2 with a 4.08 GAA and .864 SV% while backup Antero Nittimaki has fared much better going 2-1 with a 2.70 GAA and .913 SV%.

Storylines For The Week

1. Will Thomas Vanek return from injury this week? Vanek left Tuesday's game with an upper body injury and missed both games over the weekend. He is supposed to return for the game against the Panthers and is a key component to this offense. The next question is what happens with the roster when Vanek returns. The Sabres will not have to make any cuts yet due to the Sekera injury but both Adam Mair and Daniel Paille played their first games of the season and are most likely going to both sit when Vanek comes back.

2. Can Tyler Myers continue to impress the Sabres and media? Besides last night's miscues, Tyler Myers has impressed pretty much everyone with his play in the first six games this season. He should have already convinced Sabres management to keep him around after his nine games ends. He is also going to struggle in games like he did against the Thrashers, it is part of the learning process. That being said, there is no reason to send him to back to juniors.

Predictions For The Week

The Sabres should be able to take at least two points this week against both Florida teams. Vanek will also return to the lineup with a bang and score three goals in the two games.

Sabres Double Up Islanders, Escape With Ugly Win

David Oleksy — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:18:21 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

2 months ago: New York Islanders goalie Dwayne Roloson, left, allows a penalty-shot goal by Buffalo Sabres left winger Clarke MacArthur during the first period of the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

Browse more photos »

It's a good thing the Buffalo Sabres have found their offense because their excellent team defense was no where to be seen tonight. The Sabres scored six goals for the second consecutive game and escaped with a 6-3 victory against the New York Islanders.

It looked like it might be a good night for the Sabres when Tyler Myers scored his first NHL goal just 2:47 into the game. The Myers goal was the direct result of great hustle from Daniel Paille who was playing for the first time this season. Paille won a race for the puck to negate an icing call ad the puck ended up in front of the net on the stick of Myers who backhanded a shot by ex-Sabres goalie Dwayne Roloson.

The Sabres took a 2-0 lead on a penalty shot goal by Clarke MacArthur. MacArthur was hauled down on a breakaway after getting behind the Islanders defenseman. MacArthur put a sweet move on Roloson and he easily slid the puck under him and into the net.

The teams traded goals in the second period but it was the Islanders that had most of the chances. The Islanders outshot the Sabres 19-7 in the second period but they came away from the second period still trailing by two. The Sabres received a power play goal from Tim Connolly and Jochen Hecht scored his first goal of the season with a bullet slapshot. Dwayne Roloson was replaced by another ex-Sabres goalie Martin Biron after the Hecht goal.

The Sabres escaped a horrible second period, maintaining their two goal lead heading into the third. Buffalo bounced back and played a good third period and added goals by Patrick Kaleta and Jason Pominville. It was the second goal of the season for Kaleta who managed only four goals all of last season. It was a milestone goal for Pominville who had been sitting at 99 career goals since the start of the season.

Final - 10.16.2009 1 2 3 Total

New York Islanders 0 2 1 3

Buffalo Sabres 2 2 2 6

Complete Coverage >

Final - 10.16.2009	1	2	3	Total
New York Islanders	0	2	1	3
Buffalo Sabres	2	2	2	6

Defensive Struggles

This was by far the worst game the Sabres have played as a team. They lacked the cohesiveness we have seen through the first four games and the Islanders had them on their heels all night. The Islanders piled up 39 shots on a team that was allowing 22.8 shots per game before Friday night. The Sabres had a 3-0 lead cut to 4-2 by the end of the second period after the Islanders dominated the period, outshooting Buffalo 19-7 in the period.

This game was slighly disconcerting but all-in-all it is just one game and we'll give the Islanders some credit. The Islanders have some really talented young players and they never quit through the entire game. They through some new things at the Sabres and had them chasing them around the ice all night.

The Kaleta!

I have said all along that Patrick Kaleta played a key role on this team. I just didn't know his role was to be an offensive force. Kaleta scored his second goal of the season on a rebound of a Daniel Paille shot and now has two goals and an assist for three points in five games. He has as many goals as Tim Connolly and trails only Clarke MacArthur and Thomas Vanek on the team. Oh yeah...he is hitting everything in sight too, but we expected that.

Myers a Huge Presence

Tyler Myers has a huge frame and we found out very quickly that he is a good player too. Myers scored his first NHL goal in the first period tonight and he added an assist for good measure. At this point Myers has a goal and three assists to go along with a plus-6 rating through five games. He is also playing over 20 minutes a game as a 19 year-old rookie on the blue line.

Roll Call

The game thread is becoming bigger and bigger and is also more and more fun every game. Thanks to all that joined us tonight and we hope to see you again tomorrow.

Roll Call: dfderie, clownfat, David Oleksy, Afino, qdloser, actioncuse, J2, Sean McG, twoeightnine, Andy Boron, kooldude, bluecollarbuffalo, davinci7584, boutros23, TEMSON, Joan O., cmat
Total Users: 17
Total Posts: 178
Total Threads: 1

Name	# of Posts
David Oleksy	45
Afino	41
dfderie	18
actioncuse	17
TEMSON	10
Andy Boron	10
twoeightnine	10
J2	6
Sean McG	5
davinci7584	4
boutros23	3
Joan O.	2
clownfat	2
bluecollarbuffalo	2
cmat	1
qdloser	1
kooldude	1

SPG Game

qdloser and zaniac75 led the way tonight with two points each. There were many people with one point tonight. You can view the game stats here.

Up Next

The Sabres get a chance to rebound from their lackluster defensive effort on Saturday night as the Atlanta Thrashers come to town. I will be in attendance at the game but I plan on being in the game thread.

SB Nation - Daniel Paille

This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic - Hawks 5, Bruins 4 (SO - Hawks win shirtless slap fight)

Game Recap: Bruins vs Islanders

Thomas and Bruins shutout Penguins 3-0

..Sometimes the Bear eats you. Bruins beat Penguins 3-0

The Week Ahead: October 26th

Bruins invite Predators into their home

Boston Bruins Injuries

Questionable

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Nashville Predators Injuries

Questionable

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Sabres Trade Paille to Bruins

Bruins trade picks to Buffalo for Daniel Paille

Daniel Paille

#20 / Left Wing / Buffalo Sabres

The Week Ahead: October 19th

Sabres Double Up Islanders, Escape With Ugly Win

Final - 10.16.2009 1 2 3 Total New York Islanders 0 2 1 3 Buffalo Sabres 2 2 2 6 Complete Coverage >

Defensive Struggles

The Kaleta!

Myers a Huge Presence

Roll Call

SPG Game

Up Next

Final - 10.16.2009 1 2 3 Total

New York Islanders 0 2 1 3

Buffalo Sabres 2 2 2 6

Complete Coverage >