Ryan O'Reilly officially signed a contract extension with the Sabres at 7 years, $52.5 million, the largest in Sabres history at least until Jack Eichel's contract comes up. That doesn't actually kick in until the 2016-17 season. He will actually make $11 million that first season but the thing we focus on is not salary but rather cap hit, which will be $7.5 million. I know it sounds like a lot but it's really not. The fact is the cap is going up because revenues are going up. That is the going rate for a center who is great defensively, at possessing the puck, and on 5-on-5, which is what the game has become.
O'Reilly's cap hit is topped by only elite level players and some players that are better than him, don't cost their team as much against the cap. But they signed their deals within the last couple of years or so and are older than O'Reilly, who is only 24. You have to also take into consideration, this isn't the cap coming out of the 2004-05 lockout, where $7.5 million would have been looked down upon. While his cap number counts 10.5% of the total cap, it would have counted almost double at 19.2% back 10 years ago. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews $10.5 million cap hits count 14.7% of the cap each.
O'Reilly's 5-on-5 numbers are among the best among centers and his points per game over the last four seasons is 19th best among centers (http://www.hockey-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=combined&year_min=2012&year_max=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&rookie=N&age_min=0&age_max=99&birth_country=&franch_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos=C&handed=&is_playoffs=N&c1stat=points_per_game&c1comp=gt&c1val=0.7&c2stat=games_played&c2comp=gt&c2val=250&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&threshhold=5&order_by=points_per_game). The ones ahead of him are all pretty much elite.
He has great 5-on-5 Corsi numbers despite being on one of the worst possession teams in the NHL and with not a lot of skilled talent. Defensively he can shut down any line and has the most takeaways in the NHL the last two years. He also has one of the best even strength points per 60 minutes of any player as well. So yeah, he is not one of the elite number one centers, but he is very good and the going rate will show this will be a bargain in years to come.
The Sabres look to really improve from finishing in last place the last two years with all their additions. Now going from last season's total of 54 points to going into say the low 90s to get into the playoffs seems like a ginormous task. Heck, many think just a 20-point jump is a challenge not 40 points and they'll think that this will be a long rebuild. I am here to tell you that it won't take long even though they were the worst team by miles the last two years.
It wouldn't shock me if they made the playoffs. That's right I think this team can make it because one-year jumps, no matter how bleak it may look, happen on a regular basis in the NHL more than you think. The only way a team does have to go five years or longer to rebuild is because they don't have enough high draft picks and great players. That turns your franchise around quickly, especially in a salary cap era.
It doesn't take much to make the playoffs as if you finish in the top-3 in a division you automatically are locked into a playoff spot. I see the Sabres being better than pretty much every team except Tampa, Montreal (only because they have a great goalie and high point total but that will come down if they don't get better scorers), and Florida I think will be very good but it's only because they've been ahead of the Sabres in the rebuilding department.
It's possible they can finish in the top-3. Detroit is on their way down along with Boston. Ottawa doesn't scare me and Toronto is rebuilding and needs at least one more really great draft. Plus the Sabres were artificially awful as they did everything to ensure they finish 30th for Jack Eichel this past season. If they really tried and got better players by bringing them up or signing them, they could have had 65-70 points, but who wants that? That doesn't get you a potentially elite number one center like Eichel. So don't count last year's point total too much as it was meant to be awful. It wasn't an accident.
I am going to show you non-believers some teams who were awful and turned it around quickly, going from worst to first (or close to first in the division) in just one year thanks to some great high draft picks as well as great free agent and trade pickups.
The San Jose Sharks went from 47 and 62 points in the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons to making the playoffs in 1997-98 with just 78 points, but it was enough. They picked Patrick Marleau second overall in the 1997 draft behind current Shark Joe Thornton.
Since then, the Sharks were one of the better teams in the NHL missing the playoffs only twice since then, one was just this past season, despite never making it to the finals. Point is, they went from a bottom feeder to drafting and acquiring great talent and for nearly 20 years were a contender to win the Cup.
Speaking of Thornton, the Bruins finished dead last in the 1996-97 season with 61 points and won the lottery and drafted Thornton. The following year, they made the playoffs with 91 points, a 30-point jump. The Bruins then had a bad run post 2004-05 lockout posting 74 and 76 points in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons where the Sabres were at the top of the league and running over the Bruins.
Since then, the Bruins had been on the NHL's best teams with additions of former #2 overall pick Zdeno Chara, Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron, and top-5 pick Phil Kessel, who was then spun off for first round draft picks that became Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton.
The Bruins were perennially a 100-point team, winning their first Stanley Cup in 29 years, going to another Stanley Cup Finals, and winning a President's Trophy. Of course the Bruins are stupid trading both Seguin and Hamilton for nothing and they missed the playoffs this past season and are on the decline.
The New York Islanders missed the playoffs seven straight seasons before 2001-02. That year, they hired an unknown Peter Laviolette as their head coach and made some purchases such as Alexi Yashin and Michael Peca among others and went from 52 points the year before to making the playoffs with 96 points (44 point jump).
In recent years, the Islanders missed the playoffs five straight seasons before acquiring some top picks like John Tavares and Kyle Okposo and made the playoffs in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. After missing the playoffs in 2013-14 with just 79 points, the Islanders rebounded this past season after some retooling with 101 points.
The Carolina Hurricanes had 61 and 76 points when Laviolette took over in 2003-04. The next season, he led Carolina to 112 points and the Stanley Cup thanks to a number two overall pick in Eric Staal and other veteran acquisitions.
The Pittsburgh Penguins were awful when they drafted Sidney Crosby 1st overall in 2005. In fact, Crosby's rookie year, they were still the worst team record wise with 58 points. After getting Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal second overall in drafts, the pens went from 58 points to 105 the next season. The year after that, they lost in the Cup finals. The year after that, they won the Cup. They have also been a perennial 100-point team every year since.
The Washington Capitals were really bad before they drafted Alex Ovechkin 1st overall in 2004. They were still bad in Ovechkin's first two years with 70 points each season before adding players like Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green (when he was an offensive machine) to finish with 94 points in 2007-08 and win the Southeast Division. They have made the playoffs all but one season since and even won the President's Trophy in 2009-10.
The Los Angeles Kings missed the playoffs six straight seasons before having a 101-point season in 2009-10. Along the way, the Kings had some high draft picks such as Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar and two other top-5 picks were traded for pieces such as Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, which helped them win two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014.
The Philadelphia Flyers had a season to forget in 2006-07 where they only had 56 points, worst in the NHL and worst in franchise history. That was the same season where they were destroyed by the Sabres 9-1 and Ken Hitchcock and many of the front office staff were fired. I am sure that 56 points was no accident they probably thought they'd win the Cup or something and then realized we need to retool.
They traded a lot of awful pieces, brought in some of their young talented prospects, brought in players such as Danny Briere, Marty Biron, Scott Hartnell, and Kimmo Timonen and drafted James Van Riemsdyk second overall. The flyers jumped from 56 points to 95 in 2007-08 and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals in one year. Two years later, they lost in the Staney Cup Finals.
Ryan O'Reilly's old team the Colorado Avalanche had the second-worst record in 2012-13, they won the draft lottery and drafted Nate MacKinnon to go along with other top-2 draft picks Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog. the very next season saw the Avalanche jump to 112 points and won the division.
The Montreal Canadiens were the third-worst team and worst in the Eastern Conference with 78 points. They ended up getting a new coach (Michel Therrian) and GM (Marc Bergevin) and a few other things and went from worst to first winning the division in 2012-13. They finished with 100 and 110 points and another division the next two seasons and have been one of the better teams in the East in terms of record. I don't know how exactly, outside of Carey Price and PK Subban they don't have much. They can't score and their forwards aren't that great. They drafted Alex Galchenyuk third overall in 2012 and he's been decent, he hasn't lived up to the hype of his draft status.
The Tampa Bay Lightning look to be the team to beat for years to come thanks to their high draft picks. They had the third-worst record in 2012-13 but rebounded to 101 points the following season. This past season, they had 108 points and lost in the Stanley Cup Finals to Chicago. Thanks to first overall pick Steven Stamkos and second overall pick defenseman Victor Hedman along with gems like second round pick Nikita Kucherov and undrafted free agent turned sensation Tyler Johnson, the Lightning will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. They will be the team that wins Cups and the Sabres will have to fight them to get there. Even 2013 third overall pick Jonathan Drouin hasn't done much. He spent 2013-14 in the juniors and didn't contribute a whole lot this season as he was a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs. When he does live up to his potential, watch out.
The Blackhawks have been the gold standard for the NHL the last 7-8 years, winning three of the last six Stanley Cups and lost in the conference finals two other times. Before that, they were one of the worst teams not only in the NHL but in all professional sports. They missed the playoffs 9 out of 10 seasons and were considered a laughing stock. The fans didn't go to Blackhawk games, instead they went to the AHL Chicago Wolves games. But they drafted Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews and along with two of the best defenseman Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, Marian Hossa, and others they built what is somewhat of a dynasty. In Kane and Toews first season, they went from 71 points to 88, just missing the playoffs but the groundwork for success was laid out.
The Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets are two teams on the rise. The Panthers went from 66 points two seasons ago to 91 this past season. They have had three top-3 picks in recent years; Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, and Aaron Ekblad, who have helped this young team develop and win quickly.
The Blue Jackets don't have a ton of high draft picks except 4th overall pick Ryan Johansen, 3rd overall pick Jack Johnson, who's done well since being traded by the Kings, and 2nd overall pick defenseman Ryan Murray, who has been injured a lot and has not lived up to the hype. But the players they get off of other teams such as Nick Foligno, Scott Hartnell, Johnson, and Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky have helped turn this moribund franchise into a young promising playoff team. They went from a league worst 65 points in 2011-12 to just missing the playoffs by one point in 2012-13. They made the playoffs in 2013-14 with 93 points, but missed the playoffs this season despite having 89 points with over 500 man games lost due to injury.
So as you see, it doesn't take a lot to get your team from the bottom to just making the playoffs the following season. Even at worst, it might take two years but even the year before shows the team just barely misses the playoffs and shows tremendous progress. It's not that hard as long as you rebuild the right way, which i believe the Sabres did.
Showing posts with label Washington Capitals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington Capitals. Show all posts
Friday, July 3, 2015
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Former Sabre Phil Housley along with Nicklas Lidstrom, Sergei Federov and Chris Pronger Headline 2015 Hockey Hall of Fame Class; Lindros, Andreychuk, and Roenick Not in
Former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Phil Housley was announced that he will inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2015. Headlining that class are fellow defensemen Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Pronger along with center Sergei Federov. Four-time U.S. Olympian Angela Ruggeiro became the fourth woman to be elected into the hall and is joined by Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos Jr. and executive Bill Hay.
Housley finally got into the Hockey Hall of Fame 12 years after he retired from the NHL after a stellar 21-year career. Housley was an offensive defenseman if there ever was one. His 1,232 points are the most ever by a U.S.-born defenseman and are the second most points by a U.S. born player behind only Mike Modano. He also played the third most games (1,495) by an American-born player behind only Modano and Chris Chelios. Housley also played the most games by a player who never won the Stanley Cup as he was in the Cup finals with the Washington Captials, where they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings and fellow Hall of Fame inductees Lidstrom and Federov.
Housley was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres with the 6th overall pick in the 1982 NHL Draft. He played right away as an 18-year-old right out of high school and scored 19 goals and 66 points and was the runner-up for the Calder Trophy in 1983 as the league's rookie of the year. His second year, Housley had 31 goals and 77 points in 75 games. He had a stellar eight-year career in Buffalo with 178 goals, 380 assists, and 558 points in 608 games.
He was traded in 1990 along with a first round pick (which turned out to be fellow American great Keith Tkachuk) to the Winnipeg Jets for Dale Hawerchuk and their first round pick which would be Brad May. Hawerchuk had a great career in Buffalo. Housley was spectacular in three seasons in Winnipeg scoring 64 goals, 195 assists, and 259 points in 232 games. His last season in Winnipeg (1992-93) was his best ever with 79 assists and 97 points. He also helped rookie Teemu Selanne score 76 goals that season as well.
Housley would be traded to St. Louis and bounce around with Calgary, New Jersey, Washington, Chicago, and ending his career with one game in Toronto. While he was still productive, he failed to live up to his high-scoring ways in Buffalo and Winnipeg. Housley played for the United States in 10 international events as well. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 2007. Housley coached Team USA to the gold medal in the 2013 World Junior championships and is currently an assistant head coach for the Nashville Predators.
Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Federov were successful teammates when they were drafted together in 1989 and were teammates on the Red Wings from 1991-2003. Both led Detroit to three Stanley Cups in 1996-97, 1997-98, and 2001-02 and three President's Trophies as the Red Wings were the best team in the NHL in the 1990s and 2000s. Federov left Detroit in 2003 to play for Anaheim and then played for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals before heading to the KHL in 2009. Lidstrom stayed in Detroit until he retired in 2012, where he led the Wings to another Cup in 2008 and three more President's Trophies and was the captain for his last six seasons with the team following the retirement of long-time captain Steve Yzerman.
Federov quietly defected to Detroit from Russia in 1990. He was considered one of the best players in the world in the 1990s and early 2000s and considered to be one of the best playoff performers in NHL history. His best individual season came in 1993-94 when he scored 56 goals and 120 points in 82 games to win both the Hart Trophy (league MVP) and the first of his two Selke Trophies (best defensive forward). He won a second Selke in 1996 and was one of the best two-way centers in the league during his prime, breaking a stereotype that Russian and European players are soft and won't play defense. He'd even play as a defenseman at times for Scotty Bowman in Detroit.
Federov played in three Olympics for Team Russia as well. He scored 483 goals and 1,179 points in his 1,248 game career. He's the all-time leading scorer in both goals and points for a Russian player in NHL history. He also had 176 in 183 career playoff games. In 2009, he became the oldest player to score a game-winning Game 7 goal when he led Washington to a first round series victory over the New York Rangers. He currently is the general manager for CSKA Moscow in the KHL.
Lidstrom is considered to be one of the greatest defensemen ever to play in the NHL. He scored 1,142 points in 1,564 games during his 20-year career, all with the Wings. In addition to winning the Cup four times, Lidstrom won seven Norris Trophies as the league's best defenseman, joining Doug Harvey and Bobby Orr (who won eight) to win as many as seven. Lidstrom was a finalist for the Norris Trophy 12 of his last 14 seasons and won it seven of his last ten seasons. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup MVP in 2002, becoming the first European player to win playoff MVP and became the first European captain to win a Stanley Cup in 2008.
Lidstrom appeared in 263 Stanley Cup Playoff games, second most all-time only to former teammate Chris Chelios' 266. Lidstrom shares a record with Larry Robinson for playing in 20 consecutive playoff appearances. Lidstrom was incredibly durable as he was usually among the leaders in ice time per game and never missed more than 12 games in a single season (which occurred in his final season). Lidstrom led Team Sweden to the gold medal in 2006 Olympics when he scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game, giving him a Stanley Cup, a gold medal in the World Championships, and a gold medal in the Olympics.
Chris Pronger saw his Hall of Fame career come to an abrupt end in 2011 when he suffered post-concussion syndrome and an eye injury due to three separate incidents shortly after being named captain of the Philadelphia Flyers. Pronger currently works for the NHL in their department of player safety and is in the hall despite being under contract with the Arizona Coyotes. He was traded to the Coyotes last week by the Philadelphia Flyers, who were unloading his contract. The Coyotes took on his salary to help them get to the cap floor.
Pronger was drafted second overall in the 1993 NHL Draft by the Hartford Whalers, before playing for the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Anahiem Ducks, and Flyers from 1993-2011. He was also the captain of both the Blues and Ducks in addition to being captain of the Flyers. Pronger is one of the most fierce and physically imposing defensemen of his era. He also added some offense to his physical game with 698 points in 1,167 career games.
Pronger won the Cup in 2007 with the Ducks and helped lead the Oilers in 2006 and the Flyers in 2010 to the Cup Finals, where they lost. He has been in the playoffs in every year except his first two in Hartford. His best years where in St. Louis, where he was a five-time All-Star and helped lead them to the President's Trophy in 1999-2000. That same season he also won the Norris Trophy and became the first defenseman to win the Hart Trophy since Bobby Orr in 1972. No defenseman has won it since.
Current Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos Jr. made it to the Hockey Hall of Fame. His contributions are that he created the Detroit Compuware youth hockey program in the 1970s, which produced 235 Division I hockey players and 14 NHL first-round picks. He owned several OHL franchises before he purchased the Hartford Whalers in 1994. He moved them to Raleigh, North Carolina a few years later and they became the Carolina Hurricanes (boo!!).
Housley finally got into the Hockey Hall of Fame 12 years after he retired from the NHL after a stellar 21-year career. Housley was an offensive defenseman if there ever was one. His 1,232 points are the most ever by a U.S.-born defenseman and are the second most points by a U.S. born player behind only Mike Modano. He also played the third most games (1,495) by an American-born player behind only Modano and Chris Chelios. Housley also played the most games by a player who never won the Stanley Cup as he was in the Cup finals with the Washington Captials, where they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings and fellow Hall of Fame inductees Lidstrom and Federov.
Housley was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres with the 6th overall pick in the 1982 NHL Draft. He played right away as an 18-year-old right out of high school and scored 19 goals and 66 points and was the runner-up for the Calder Trophy in 1983 as the league's rookie of the year. His second year, Housley had 31 goals and 77 points in 75 games. He had a stellar eight-year career in Buffalo with 178 goals, 380 assists, and 558 points in 608 games.
He was traded in 1990 along with a first round pick (which turned out to be fellow American great Keith Tkachuk) to the Winnipeg Jets for Dale Hawerchuk and their first round pick which would be Brad May. Hawerchuk had a great career in Buffalo. Housley was spectacular in three seasons in Winnipeg scoring 64 goals, 195 assists, and 259 points in 232 games. His last season in Winnipeg (1992-93) was his best ever with 79 assists and 97 points. He also helped rookie Teemu Selanne score 76 goals that season as well.
Housley would be traded to St. Louis and bounce around with Calgary, New Jersey, Washington, Chicago, and ending his career with one game in Toronto. While he was still productive, he failed to live up to his high-scoring ways in Buffalo and Winnipeg. Housley played for the United States in 10 international events as well. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 2007. Housley coached Team USA to the gold medal in the 2013 World Junior championships and is currently an assistant head coach for the Nashville Predators.
Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Federov were successful teammates when they were drafted together in 1989 and were teammates on the Red Wings from 1991-2003. Both led Detroit to three Stanley Cups in 1996-97, 1997-98, and 2001-02 and three President's Trophies as the Red Wings were the best team in the NHL in the 1990s and 2000s. Federov left Detroit in 2003 to play for Anaheim and then played for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals before heading to the KHL in 2009. Lidstrom stayed in Detroit until he retired in 2012, where he led the Wings to another Cup in 2008 and three more President's Trophies and was the captain for his last six seasons with the team following the retirement of long-time captain Steve Yzerman.
Federov quietly defected to Detroit from Russia in 1990. He was considered one of the best players in the world in the 1990s and early 2000s and considered to be one of the best playoff performers in NHL history. His best individual season came in 1993-94 when he scored 56 goals and 120 points in 82 games to win both the Hart Trophy (league MVP) and the first of his two Selke Trophies (best defensive forward). He won a second Selke in 1996 and was one of the best two-way centers in the league during his prime, breaking a stereotype that Russian and European players are soft and won't play defense. He'd even play as a defenseman at times for Scotty Bowman in Detroit.
Federov played in three Olympics for Team Russia as well. He scored 483 goals and 1,179 points in his 1,248 game career. He's the all-time leading scorer in both goals and points for a Russian player in NHL history. He also had 176 in 183 career playoff games. In 2009, he became the oldest player to score a game-winning Game 7 goal when he led Washington to a first round series victory over the New York Rangers. He currently is the general manager for CSKA Moscow in the KHL.
Lidstrom is considered to be one of the greatest defensemen ever to play in the NHL. He scored 1,142 points in 1,564 games during his 20-year career, all with the Wings. In addition to winning the Cup four times, Lidstrom won seven Norris Trophies as the league's best defenseman, joining Doug Harvey and Bobby Orr (who won eight) to win as many as seven. Lidstrom was a finalist for the Norris Trophy 12 of his last 14 seasons and won it seven of his last ten seasons. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup MVP in 2002, becoming the first European player to win playoff MVP and became the first European captain to win a Stanley Cup in 2008.
Lidstrom appeared in 263 Stanley Cup Playoff games, second most all-time only to former teammate Chris Chelios' 266. Lidstrom shares a record with Larry Robinson for playing in 20 consecutive playoff appearances. Lidstrom was incredibly durable as he was usually among the leaders in ice time per game and never missed more than 12 games in a single season (which occurred in his final season). Lidstrom led Team Sweden to the gold medal in 2006 Olympics when he scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game, giving him a Stanley Cup, a gold medal in the World Championships, and a gold medal in the Olympics.
Chris Pronger saw his Hall of Fame career come to an abrupt end in 2011 when he suffered post-concussion syndrome and an eye injury due to three separate incidents shortly after being named captain of the Philadelphia Flyers. Pronger currently works for the NHL in their department of player safety and is in the hall despite being under contract with the Arizona Coyotes. He was traded to the Coyotes last week by the Philadelphia Flyers, who were unloading his contract. The Coyotes took on his salary to help them get to the cap floor.
Pronger was drafted second overall in the 1993 NHL Draft by the Hartford Whalers, before playing for the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Anahiem Ducks, and Flyers from 1993-2011. He was also the captain of both the Blues and Ducks in addition to being captain of the Flyers. Pronger is one of the most fierce and physically imposing defensemen of his era. He also added some offense to his physical game with 698 points in 1,167 career games.
Pronger won the Cup in 2007 with the Ducks and helped lead the Oilers in 2006 and the Flyers in 2010 to the Cup Finals, where they lost. He has been in the playoffs in every year except his first two in Hartford. His best years where in St. Louis, where he was a five-time All-Star and helped lead them to the President's Trophy in 1999-2000. That same season he also won the Norris Trophy and became the first defenseman to win the Hart Trophy since Bobby Orr in 1972. No defenseman has won it since.
Current Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos Jr. made it to the Hockey Hall of Fame. His contributions are that he created the Detroit Compuware youth hockey program in the 1970s, which produced 235 Division I hockey players and 14 NHL first-round picks. He owned several OHL franchises before he purchased the Hartford Whalers in 1994. He moved them to Raleigh, North Carolina a few years later and they became the Carolina Hurricanes (boo!!).
Karmanos interestingly has some involvement with some of the fellow Hall of Famers in this class. He signed Federov to an offer sheet in 1998 worth $38 million after Federov was holding out in a bitter contract dispute with the Red Wings, who decided to match the offer sheet, bringing Federov back to Detroit. His Hurricanes lost in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2002 to both Federov and Lidstrom. He did however beat Pronger's Oilers in 2006 to win the Stanley Cup (which I vomitted in my mouth at that). He did trade Pronger to St. Louis in 1995 when he owned the Whalers.
Bill Hay was the first NCAA graduate to play in the NHL, where he played for the Chicago Blackhawks for eight seasons, winning a Stanley Cup in 1961. Hay was the President and CEO of the Calgary Flames before becoming the Chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Angela Ruggeiro won a gold and two silver medals in the Olympics as well as four world championships in her 13-year career. She also became the first woman non-goalie to play in a professional hockey regular season game when she played for the Tulsa Oilers of the Continental Hockey League on January 28, 2005.
Those missing were Eric Lindros, Dave Andreychuk, and Jeremy Roenick as only six can be voted on one ballot each year which I think is ridiculous. There should be 10 if there are 10 guys eligible just like if there are only one or two eligible that's how many should be in. I never agreed with someone is not a first ballot hall of famer but can make it several years later. If your a hall of famer, you're a hall of famer enough said and you should go in whenever you are eligible.
Lindros missed the hall of fame for the fifth year in a row, which is getting ridiculous. How is he not a hall of famer? His 1.138 points per game rank 19th all time. He was the 1995 Hart Trophy winner and is one of a few Hart Trophy winners who are not active to not be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. I know because of injuries (concussions) keeping him out of many games and not winning the Stanley Cup have kept him from being in the Hall of Fame. But the guy made a huge impact and was one of the best players in the 1990s and early 2000s. Watching him play and his presence on the ice makes you think hall of famer. He was also one of the best junior players of all time, which is why many thought he'd be the next Wayne Gretzky. Just because he wasn't Gretzky doesn't mean he's not an elite player.
Our old buddy Andreychuk should be in as he scored the most power play goals in NHL history and his 640 goals were the most of anyone who's not active who is not in the Hall of Fame. He had a stellar 11-year career with the Sabres and was spectacular with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Andreychuk also finally won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2003-04. Roenick scored 513 goals and is up there with Phil Housley and Mike Modano as one of the best U.S. born players in NHL history.
Those missing were Eric Lindros, Dave Andreychuk, and Jeremy Roenick as only six can be voted on one ballot each year which I think is ridiculous. There should be 10 if there are 10 guys eligible just like if there are only one or two eligible that's how many should be in. I never agreed with someone is not a first ballot hall of famer but can make it several years later. If your a hall of famer, you're a hall of famer enough said and you should go in whenever you are eligible.
Lindros missed the hall of fame for the fifth year in a row, which is getting ridiculous. How is he not a hall of famer? His 1.138 points per game rank 19th all time. He was the 1995 Hart Trophy winner and is one of a few Hart Trophy winners who are not active to not be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. I know because of injuries (concussions) keeping him out of many games and not winning the Stanley Cup have kept him from being in the Hall of Fame. But the guy made a huge impact and was one of the best players in the 1990s and early 2000s. Watching him play and his presence on the ice makes you think hall of famer. He was also one of the best junior players of all time, which is why many thought he'd be the next Wayne Gretzky. Just because he wasn't Gretzky doesn't mean he's not an elite player.
Our old buddy Andreychuk should be in as he scored the most power play goals in NHL history and his 640 goals were the most of anyone who's not active who is not in the Hall of Fame. He had a stellar 11-year career with the Sabres and was spectacular with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Andreychuk also finally won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2003-04. Roenick scored 513 goals and is up there with Phil Housley and Mike Modano as one of the best U.S. born players in NHL history.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Sabres-Leafs Post Game Reactions
What a game last night as the Sabres overcame a 3-0 1st period deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 in overtime to keep their playoff hopes alive. There were so many emotions running through my head like "these guys are bums," "they are ready to go golfing," "way to not show up," to "holy cow they are going to win" and "they are going to make the playoffs." Yea it was a very bi-polar game, but those are the most exciting games when you are disappointed and then you are super excited because you won. It's only good when you pull out a win. I was thinking "I did not want to be eliminated from the playoffs by the Maple Leafs and Ben Scrivens because they are terrible." I figured once the Sabres tied it up, they were going to win and I think they will make the playoffs.
The star of the game was without a doubt Marcus Foligno. He was all over the ice hitting players, finishing his checks, and even getting into a fight. He and fellow rookie Brayden McNabb were the only Sabres doing anything in the 1st period of a must-win game. The veterans were doing nothing while these two youngsters were setting the tone. Foligno's play of the game, which was the play of the game, came when they were trailing 5-4 with less than two minutes to go. He and Mike Komisarek were jawing at each other on the faceoff which led to Komisarek taking him down and punching him while Foligno was done and Foligno just took the punishment while there was a gigantic scrum in front of the net for the loose puck. Every Sabres on the ice minus Foligno and Miller were in front of the net poking and prodding until Jordan Leopold banged it home to tie the game up. Credit to the officials who were able to see the puck still in play. Generally those plays are blown dead once they lose control of where the puck is. Leaf fans were probably pissed and so would we if it happened to us, but it was the right call. Foligno created that goal by getting in Komisarek's head with the jawing and the play behind the net which led to Komisarek losing his control and focus and eventually the game. There's never been a time I can remember when someone who didn't score a goal, had more to do with it than the person who scored like what happened last night.
Foligno's hitting and physical play has been awesome, but his physical play creates chances and goals and he scores goals. Hopefully he can our Milan Lucic or even his father Mike, who was one of the most popular Sabres ever with his scoring and physical play. If Marcus keeps this up, he will join the ranks of his father in terms of popularity in Sabres history. The not being physical or tough enough point is a bit overrated because when the Sabres win because of their offense, no body mentions physical play. When they lose, it's easy to say "they're not physical or tough enough and they lack effort." I know, I'm guilty of that to at times, I'm calling myself out here. But reality sets in and I know the truth, they are a scoring team that can be physical, but they are trying to score first and foremost. Their record this season when they score 3 or more goals is 31-6-4. Of course last night, the more they scored, the more physical it seemed they were. When our team is scoring and winning, it makes everything look better. They look like they are trying harder and are more physical. They are more fun to watch when they are winning and scoring. Conversely, when they lose and not scoring, it makes them look like they are not physical and not trying. They also look dull and boring. Since being called up no March 10, the Sabres have been 8-2-2 in 12 games with Foligno in the lineup. He's scored 6 goals and 13 points and is a +9 with a shooting percentage of a whopping 30.0. Foligno is also averaging over 15 1/2 minutes of ice time a game. There's no doubt his physical play and scoring have brought such a needed spark to this team. He is what we wanted Zack Kassian to be, a big physical forward who hits, finishes off his checks, fights, and most importantly scores.
Ryan Miller continues to struggle without Tyler Myers or Christian Ehrhoff in the lineup in front of him. He obviously trusts them because they don't get out of position much and have the talent to break up plays before they even start. Most of the other defensemen on this team like Weber and Sekera can't do the things like Myers or Ehrhoff and have to sit back. Miller has to gamble more and overcompensate without them in the lineup and it leads to many more opportunities for the other team to score. Miller is really cool, calm, and collective with Myers and Ehrhoff in the lineup. Myers and Ehrhoff bring the goals allowed by over one full goal per game when they are in the lineup. Miller struggles too, but the other defense, although Regehr and Jordan Leopold do a pretty good job most of the time, is not as good without those two in the lineup. I need Miller to be better without them in the lineup as Ehrhoff will be out for the rest of the regular season and Myers may or may not be back this week. This is the 3rd straight game Miller and the Sabres allowed 4 or more goals a game. I need Miller to be better, but I also need Myers and Ehrhoff to be healthy and hope they can be healthy next year and beyond. One of the many reasons the Sabres as well as Miller turned their season around in the middle of the season was because Myers and Ehrhoff and Myers were back and healthy and playing well. They really control the game on both sides of the ice. We really need one or two more of those guys on this team.
Alex Sulzer had a great game as well as a big mistake that nearly cost them the game. He was beat by former Sabre Clarke MacArthur in the front of the net to make the score 4-2 as he was on the ice for three of the Leafs' 5 goals. But Sulzer more than made up for it by scoring a beautiful goal thru both former Sabre Tim Connolly and Ben Scrivens to make it 3-2. He also set up Tyler Ennis for the Sabres' first goal after being down 3-0. Sulzer did not stop there as he once again picked up a loose puck in front of the net to score his 2nd of the game to make it 5-4. Sulzer came over from Vancouver in the Cody Hodgson deal and it figured he'd be just another body. But he has played much better than expected. He's scored 3 goals and 8 points as well as averaging nearly 20 minutes in ice time and has played better than expected defense.
Now how about the man who scored the game-winner? The unlikely hero of the game: Derek Roy. Roy scored a power play goal to cut the lead to 4-3 in the 3rd. Then after the Sabres tied it and sent it to overtime, Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf was called for a delay of game penalty for clearing the puck over the glass. Roy slipped a loose puck past Scrivens for an improbably 6-5 overtime win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Roy became the unsung hero as many, including myself, dogged him throughout the game especially in the 1st period. Roy has been having his worst season since he was a rookie. His 43 points and 0.55 points per game is his lowest in a full season. He had 35 points last season in 43 fewer games. His -9 and 9.8 shooting % are the worst of his career. Many fans, even myself, wanted him traded at the trade deadline and even this off season. Roy was apparently on the trading block last off season, but either no one wanted him or the deal was not good enough. Roy has definitely been the poster child for the team's lack of success by many of the fans, especially since Connolly left. Last season, the Sabres were 10 points out of a playoff spot going into the 1st of the year and had one of the best records in the league after he was done for the year with a hip injury. Before last night's game, Roy had been pointless in five consecutive games and seven of the previous games. It's been truly a disappointing year but he made up some of it with his performance last night and if they get in, then we can thank Roy. And then trade him LOL.
Last night's game was a microcosm of the season so far. There was great expectations going into the game just like going into the season. Then they go down 3-0, which resembles the way they played from mid-November when Miller was hit by Lucic to late-January when they were in last place in the Eastern Conference. We mostly gave up on them, I know I did. Last night I thought it was over. Then they come back to make it 4-3 and make a run like they did from Jan. 24 to last weekend as they played so much better. Then Toronto scored a goal in which the skater went right through the defense to make it 5-3. That was symbolic of how the Sabres were this past weekend against Pittsburgh and Toronto. Then the Sabres rally to tie it to keep their hopes alive in both the game and playoffs. Sabres win it in overtime to overcome a 3-0 and 5-3 deficit. If this trend continues, then the overtime goal symbolizes the Sabres in the playoffs.
Sabres need to win their last two games against Philadelphia and Boston. They also need either Florida to win tomorrow night against Washington in either regulation or even overtime or shootout, this allows the Sabres to control their own destiny by winning out. The Caps cannot gain more than 3 points or else they're in. Or the Sabres need Florida to not get a single point over the final two games. Of course the Sabres need to win out for this to be a reality. If either one of those scenarios happen, the Sabres are in the playoffs. I will be glued to my TV tomorrow watching the Sabres and keep a close eye on the Washington-Florida game. Here we go again!! Go Sabres!!
The star of the game was without a doubt Marcus Foligno. He was all over the ice hitting players, finishing his checks, and even getting into a fight. He and fellow rookie Brayden McNabb were the only Sabres doing anything in the 1st period of a must-win game. The veterans were doing nothing while these two youngsters were setting the tone. Foligno's play of the game, which was the play of the game, came when they were trailing 5-4 with less than two minutes to go. He and Mike Komisarek were jawing at each other on the faceoff which led to Komisarek taking him down and punching him while Foligno was done and Foligno just took the punishment while there was a gigantic scrum in front of the net for the loose puck. Every Sabres on the ice minus Foligno and Miller were in front of the net poking and prodding until Jordan Leopold banged it home to tie the game up. Credit to the officials who were able to see the puck still in play. Generally those plays are blown dead once they lose control of where the puck is. Leaf fans were probably pissed and so would we if it happened to us, but it was the right call. Foligno created that goal by getting in Komisarek's head with the jawing and the play behind the net which led to Komisarek losing his control and focus and eventually the game. There's never been a time I can remember when someone who didn't score a goal, had more to do with it than the person who scored like what happened last night.
Foligno's hitting and physical play has been awesome, but his physical play creates chances and goals and he scores goals. Hopefully he can our Milan Lucic or even his father Mike, who was one of the most popular Sabres ever with his scoring and physical play. If Marcus keeps this up, he will join the ranks of his father in terms of popularity in Sabres history. The not being physical or tough enough point is a bit overrated because when the Sabres win because of their offense, no body mentions physical play. When they lose, it's easy to say "they're not physical or tough enough and they lack effort." I know, I'm guilty of that to at times, I'm calling myself out here. But reality sets in and I know the truth, they are a scoring team that can be physical, but they are trying to score first and foremost. Their record this season when they score 3 or more goals is 31-6-4. Of course last night, the more they scored, the more physical it seemed they were. When our team is scoring and winning, it makes everything look better. They look like they are trying harder and are more physical. They are more fun to watch when they are winning and scoring. Conversely, when they lose and not scoring, it makes them look like they are not physical and not trying. They also look dull and boring. Since being called up no March 10, the Sabres have been 8-2-2 in 12 games with Foligno in the lineup. He's scored 6 goals and 13 points and is a +9 with a shooting percentage of a whopping 30.0. Foligno is also averaging over 15 1/2 minutes of ice time a game. There's no doubt his physical play and scoring have brought such a needed spark to this team. He is what we wanted Zack Kassian to be, a big physical forward who hits, finishes off his checks, fights, and most importantly scores.
Ryan Miller continues to struggle without Tyler Myers or Christian Ehrhoff in the lineup in front of him. He obviously trusts them because they don't get out of position much and have the talent to break up plays before they even start. Most of the other defensemen on this team like Weber and Sekera can't do the things like Myers or Ehrhoff and have to sit back. Miller has to gamble more and overcompensate without them in the lineup and it leads to many more opportunities for the other team to score. Miller is really cool, calm, and collective with Myers and Ehrhoff in the lineup. Myers and Ehrhoff bring the goals allowed by over one full goal per game when they are in the lineup. Miller struggles too, but the other defense, although Regehr and Jordan Leopold do a pretty good job most of the time, is not as good without those two in the lineup. I need Miller to be better without them in the lineup as Ehrhoff will be out for the rest of the regular season and Myers may or may not be back this week. This is the 3rd straight game Miller and the Sabres allowed 4 or more goals a game. I need Miller to be better, but I also need Myers and Ehrhoff to be healthy and hope they can be healthy next year and beyond. One of the many reasons the Sabres as well as Miller turned their season around in the middle of the season was because Myers and Ehrhoff and Myers were back and healthy and playing well. They really control the game on both sides of the ice. We really need one or two more of those guys on this team.
Alex Sulzer had a great game as well as a big mistake that nearly cost them the game. He was beat by former Sabre Clarke MacArthur in the front of the net to make the score 4-2 as he was on the ice for three of the Leafs' 5 goals. But Sulzer more than made up for it by scoring a beautiful goal thru both former Sabre Tim Connolly and Ben Scrivens to make it 3-2. He also set up Tyler Ennis for the Sabres' first goal after being down 3-0. Sulzer did not stop there as he once again picked up a loose puck in front of the net to score his 2nd of the game to make it 5-4. Sulzer came over from Vancouver in the Cody Hodgson deal and it figured he'd be just another body. But he has played much better than expected. He's scored 3 goals and 8 points as well as averaging nearly 20 minutes in ice time and has played better than expected defense.
Now how about the man who scored the game-winner? The unlikely hero of the game: Derek Roy. Roy scored a power play goal to cut the lead to 4-3 in the 3rd. Then after the Sabres tied it and sent it to overtime, Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf was called for a delay of game penalty for clearing the puck over the glass. Roy slipped a loose puck past Scrivens for an improbably 6-5 overtime win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Roy became the unsung hero as many, including myself, dogged him throughout the game especially in the 1st period. Roy has been having his worst season since he was a rookie. His 43 points and 0.55 points per game is his lowest in a full season. He had 35 points last season in 43 fewer games. His -9 and 9.8 shooting % are the worst of his career. Many fans, even myself, wanted him traded at the trade deadline and even this off season. Roy was apparently on the trading block last off season, but either no one wanted him or the deal was not good enough. Roy has definitely been the poster child for the team's lack of success by many of the fans, especially since Connolly left. Last season, the Sabres were 10 points out of a playoff spot going into the 1st of the year and had one of the best records in the league after he was done for the year with a hip injury. Before last night's game, Roy had been pointless in five consecutive games and seven of the previous games. It's been truly a disappointing year but he made up some of it with his performance last night and if they get in, then we can thank Roy. And then trade him LOL.
Last night's game was a microcosm of the season so far. There was great expectations going into the game just like going into the season. Then they go down 3-0, which resembles the way they played from mid-November when Miller was hit by Lucic to late-January when they were in last place in the Eastern Conference. We mostly gave up on them, I know I did. Last night I thought it was over. Then they come back to make it 4-3 and make a run like they did from Jan. 24 to last weekend as they played so much better. Then Toronto scored a goal in which the skater went right through the defense to make it 5-3. That was symbolic of how the Sabres were this past weekend against Pittsburgh and Toronto. Then the Sabres rally to tie it to keep their hopes alive in both the game and playoffs. Sabres win it in overtime to overcome a 3-0 and 5-3 deficit. If this trend continues, then the overtime goal symbolizes the Sabres in the playoffs.
Sabres need to win their last two games against Philadelphia and Boston. They also need either Florida to win tomorrow night against Washington in either regulation or even overtime or shootout, this allows the Sabres to control their own destiny by winning out. The Caps cannot gain more than 3 points or else they're in. Or the Sabres need Florida to not get a single point over the final two games. Of course the Sabres need to win out for this to be a reality. If either one of those scenarios happen, the Sabres are in the playoffs. I will be glued to my TV tomorrow watching the Sabres and keep a close eye on the Washington-Florida game. Here we go again!! Go Sabres!!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Stick A Fork In Them, They Are Done?
The Buffalo Sabres were on such a high going into Friday night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins especially after trashing the Washington Capitals, the team they are chasing, on the road 5-1 to pull ahead of the Caps by two points with five games. I thought they were in good shape and looked like they would make the playoffs. I also thought the Caps were going to crash because it looked like they quit in that game. Of course the one downfall from that game was the injury to Christian Ehrhoff. But the high of winning that game was greater than Ehrhoff's injury. Of course I was concerned because Ehrhoff was injured during the season and along with Tyler Myers' injury, Ryan Miller struggled in goal and the Sabres struggled overall. Then coincidentally, both Myers and Ehrhoff were healthy and Miller has been on a tear since January 24, going 19-3-5 heading into Friday night's game. As a result, the Sabres have gone from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to in a playoff spot going into Friday night's game against the Penguins.
I must admit, I felt good Friday even though they had Crosby, Malkin, and Staal but the Penguins lost three of four games going into that game and the Sabres also beat the Penguins two out of three games during the season. Plus it was home for Fan Appreciation Night, plus Fleury was not in goal and Brent Johnson was, whom the Sabres have ripped apart throughout his career including 3 goals in a 6-2 win over the Pens earlier this year. But there was a little concern just because of Malkin and Crosby but again, the Sabres shut out Ovechkin last Tuesday. Malkin and Crosby don't quit like Ovechkin either. So we had our work cut out for us. Malkin got a goal and so did Crosby in the 1st. Malkin's was a good goal and Miller should have made the save, but obviously Crosby should not been left alone. Crosby had a goal and three assists and Malkin got his 48th goal of the season and an assist, further adding to his league-leading point total. James Neal, who's having a fantastic year, netted his 38th goal of the season. Miller was not great allowing 4 goals but was not awful and the blame should not be on him. Not having Ehrhoff and later losing Myers did not help. But the Sabres lost 5-3 in regulation and earning no points. 3 goals scored was not enough. I felt they had plenty of chances on Brent Johnson and should have cashed in on it. They were tied for 8th after Friday night with the Caps after they beat Boston in a shootout Thursday night and were technically out of the playoffs because the Caps own the tie-breaker because of more regulation and overtime wins. I was not too mad about that loss because they were outplayed by Crosby and Malkin and that's what great players tend to do.
Then came Saturday night when the Sabres traveled to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto to take on the struggling Leafs. The loss to Pittsburgh hurt but it's understandable. A loss to Toronto is just unacceptable. The Leafs have completely fallen apart after their good start as they won just five games since February 6th, got their coach fired, and were on an 11-game losing streak at home going into Sat. night's contest, which included a 7-1 beat down courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers. In that game, Leafs fans were chanting for the Toronto Blue Jays, the same Blue Jays team that hasn't made the playoffs since 1993 and are probably going to finish in 4th place out of 5 teams in the AL East. There was no way the Sabres could lose to the Leafs, was there? The tone was set early in the game when Joey Crabb (I know, who?) got a breakaway after a horrible turnover by Andrej Sekera and beat Miller on a shorthanded goal for a 1-0 lead. It was a tough save to make, but Miller needed to make it especially when the playoffs are on the line. Then down 2-1, John-Michael Liles scored a goal with a second left in the 2nd period to make it 3-1 when everyone crashed the net. The back breaker was when Matt Frattin scored on a 3-on-2 to make it 4-2 as the Leafs held on to beat the Sabres 4-3. It was such a horrible game. The Sabres were never ahead and scored 3 goals on rookie goalie Ben Scrivens (again, who?). To make matters worse, the Caps won Saturday night to take a two-point lead over the Sabres in the playoffs. Offense wasn't the problem for the Sabres as they scored 3 goals in each of the two games. Before this weekend, the Sabres were 30-4-4 when they scored 3 or more goals in a game. But the Sabres couldn't put their chances in the net enough against Toronto and their rookie no-name goalie. Unfortunately, Miller wasn't outplayed but obviously did not steal a game they needed him to. Scoring three or more goals for Miller is usually enough as he will put the game away.
Not this weekend though as he gave up 4 in each game. During his 19-3-5 run, he gave up 4 goals twice. Miller had no help as bad turnovers and poor play in front of him led to chances and goals. Miller obviously missed Ehrhoff and Myers and when both men had been out of the lineup this year, the Sabres struggled as did Miller. With them in the lineup, Miller and the team are worlds better. The Sabres are 30-21-4 with Myers in the lineup and 8-10-6 without him. They are 36-22-8 with Ehrhoff and 2-9-2 without him. So they make a huge impact. Miller had a GAA over 3.00 without them and its under 2.00 with them. So no big surprise there. Injuries matter. But I thought they could still beat a reeling Leafs team without those guys. This was a Leafs team that couldn't win at home and had their fans turn on them. So Myers and Ehrhoff are very valuable no shock there. They are more valuable to Miller. But why can't Miller win or steal a game without one or the other or both? Pittsburgh was a lot to ask for but not against Toronto. I like Miller and I think he's great. But I question his overall value as it appears he doesn't do well without his top-two defensmen in front of him. I don't want him to be traded, all I know is that with great talent in front, he or Enroth or whoever can be great. If not, then they struggle. I question the overall importance of goal tending or giving a guy $6-7 million if he can't win without everyone who matters in the lineup. Obviously I understand you cannot win without your best players in the lineup on a consistent basis. If you put Enroth or whoever in net with Myers and Ehrhoff in front of him, then he could be about as successful as Miller for a fraction of the price. That's for another discussion another day. Of course all I really want is for Myers and Ehrhoff to stay healthy.
Bottom line: the Sabres are two points behind the Caps with three games left and have to finish ahead of the Caps and cannot tie because the Caps own the tie-breaker. If the Caps collect four points in the final three games, the Sabres will be eliminated even if they win their final three games.I guess if Florida loses out they can get knocked out of the playoffs. It can be done, but it doesn't look good at this point. The Caps play the Lightning tonight so go Lightning (I'll be wearing my Steve Stamkos "shir-sey"). If the Caps win tonight and the Sabres lose in regulation tomorrow against the Leafs at home, then the Sabres will be officially eliminated from the playoffs.
I must admit, I felt good Friday even though they had Crosby, Malkin, and Staal but the Penguins lost three of four games going into that game and the Sabres also beat the Penguins two out of three games during the season. Plus it was home for Fan Appreciation Night, plus Fleury was not in goal and Brent Johnson was, whom the Sabres have ripped apart throughout his career including 3 goals in a 6-2 win over the Pens earlier this year. But there was a little concern just because of Malkin and Crosby but again, the Sabres shut out Ovechkin last Tuesday. Malkin and Crosby don't quit like Ovechkin either. So we had our work cut out for us. Malkin got a goal and so did Crosby in the 1st. Malkin's was a good goal and Miller should have made the save, but obviously Crosby should not been left alone. Crosby had a goal and three assists and Malkin got his 48th goal of the season and an assist, further adding to his league-leading point total. James Neal, who's having a fantastic year, netted his 38th goal of the season. Miller was not great allowing 4 goals but was not awful and the blame should not be on him. Not having Ehrhoff and later losing Myers did not help. But the Sabres lost 5-3 in regulation and earning no points. 3 goals scored was not enough. I felt they had plenty of chances on Brent Johnson and should have cashed in on it. They were tied for 8th after Friday night with the Caps after they beat Boston in a shootout Thursday night and were technically out of the playoffs because the Caps own the tie-breaker because of more regulation and overtime wins. I was not too mad about that loss because they were outplayed by Crosby and Malkin and that's what great players tend to do.
Then came Saturday night when the Sabres traveled to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto to take on the struggling Leafs. The loss to Pittsburgh hurt but it's understandable. A loss to Toronto is just unacceptable. The Leafs have completely fallen apart after their good start as they won just five games since February 6th, got their coach fired, and were on an 11-game losing streak at home going into Sat. night's contest, which included a 7-1 beat down courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers. In that game, Leafs fans were chanting for the Toronto Blue Jays, the same Blue Jays team that hasn't made the playoffs since 1993 and are probably going to finish in 4th place out of 5 teams in the AL East. There was no way the Sabres could lose to the Leafs, was there? The tone was set early in the game when Joey Crabb (I know, who?) got a breakaway after a horrible turnover by Andrej Sekera and beat Miller on a shorthanded goal for a 1-0 lead. It was a tough save to make, but Miller needed to make it especially when the playoffs are on the line. Then down 2-1, John-Michael Liles scored a goal with a second left in the 2nd period to make it 3-1 when everyone crashed the net. The back breaker was when Matt Frattin scored on a 3-on-2 to make it 4-2 as the Leafs held on to beat the Sabres 4-3. It was such a horrible game. The Sabres were never ahead and scored 3 goals on rookie goalie Ben Scrivens (again, who?). To make matters worse, the Caps won Saturday night to take a two-point lead over the Sabres in the playoffs. Offense wasn't the problem for the Sabres as they scored 3 goals in each of the two games. Before this weekend, the Sabres were 30-4-4 when they scored 3 or more goals in a game. But the Sabres couldn't put their chances in the net enough against Toronto and their rookie no-name goalie. Unfortunately, Miller wasn't outplayed but obviously did not steal a game they needed him to. Scoring three or more goals for Miller is usually enough as he will put the game away.
Not this weekend though as he gave up 4 in each game. During his 19-3-5 run, he gave up 4 goals twice. Miller had no help as bad turnovers and poor play in front of him led to chances and goals. Miller obviously missed Ehrhoff and Myers and when both men had been out of the lineup this year, the Sabres struggled as did Miller. With them in the lineup, Miller and the team are worlds better. The Sabres are 30-21-4 with Myers in the lineup and 8-10-6 without him. They are 36-22-8 with Ehrhoff and 2-9-2 without him. So they make a huge impact. Miller had a GAA over 3.00 without them and its under 2.00 with them. So no big surprise there. Injuries matter. But I thought they could still beat a reeling Leafs team without those guys. This was a Leafs team that couldn't win at home and had their fans turn on them. So Myers and Ehrhoff are very valuable no shock there. They are more valuable to Miller. But why can't Miller win or steal a game without one or the other or both? Pittsburgh was a lot to ask for but not against Toronto. I like Miller and I think he's great. But I question his overall value as it appears he doesn't do well without his top-two defensmen in front of him. I don't want him to be traded, all I know is that with great talent in front, he or Enroth or whoever can be great. If not, then they struggle. I question the overall importance of goal tending or giving a guy $6-7 million if he can't win without everyone who matters in the lineup. Obviously I understand you cannot win without your best players in the lineup on a consistent basis. If you put Enroth or whoever in net with Myers and Ehrhoff in front of him, then he could be about as successful as Miller for a fraction of the price. That's for another discussion another day. Of course all I really want is for Myers and Ehrhoff to stay healthy.
Bottom line: the Sabres are two points behind the Caps with three games left and have to finish ahead of the Caps and cannot tie because the Caps own the tie-breaker. If the Caps collect four points in the final three games, the Sabres will be eliminated even if they win their final three games.I guess if Florida loses out they can get knocked out of the playoffs. It can be done, but it doesn't look good at this point. The Caps play the Lightning tonight so go Lightning (I'll be wearing my Steve Stamkos "shir-sey"). If the Caps win tonight and the Sabres lose in regulation tomorrow against the Leafs at home, then the Sabres will be officially eliminated from the playoffs.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Ennis-Stafford-Foligno
This blog focuses on the number one line of Tyler Ennis, Drew Stafford, and Marcus Foligno. This is definitely the number one line on the Sabres, it's the first time since early this season with Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, and Luke Adam the Sabres had a legitimate number one line and this one blew away that one. Adam has long since been demoted to Rochester, where he has been struggling and who knows his future, and Vanek, whose played better as of late, has struggled since the New Year. Once again, the Ennis-Stafford-Foligno line was the best line the other night in the Sabres' big win (huge understatement) against Washington. Stafford had two goals while Ennis assisted on both goals, including a beautiful play in which he deked the sprawling Caps defender and made a beautiful pass to Stafford, who banged it home for his second goal of the game to make 5-1. Foligno did not score but he was impactful nonetheless. He had plenty of chances plus his play along the boards and in front of the net remains a huge strength and has continued to since he was called up from Rochester.
One of the biggest keys to the Sabres turnarounds has been Tyler Ennis being the number one center. Ennis struggled at the beginning of the season and then was injured as he missed a total of 34 games. Since coming back on January 31, Ennis has 9 goals and 22 points in 27 games, including 5 goals and 14 points and is a +12 in the last nine games. He has been red hot. This team needed a center badly and for whatever reason, the Sabres did not try him out at center even though he has experience until later in the season. It has been truly a revelation for Ennis and the Sabres. Then adding Cody Hodgson at the trade deadline gave the Sabres a lethal 1-2 punch at center with Derek Roy as number 3. Ennis' speed and playmaking ability is a natural fit at center. Stafford has been red hot as well as he has 6 goals and 14 points in the last 8 games. Stafford is up to 17 goals and has a chance at 20 in a season in which was his career-worst. At one point I thought he would have trouble getting to 10. But since playing with Ennis and even Hodgson for a bit and getting taken off the roy line, Stafford has looked so much the player who scored 31 goals in 62 games last season and got a new $4 million a year deal in the offseason. He was a huge disappointment but with a true center he has flourished. What can be said about Foligno? Since being called up earlier this month, Foligno has had 6 goals and 10 points in 8 games. Foligno has been a force along the boards and in front of the net and has banged home his opportunities whenever he's had the chance. He's also been a physical presence. Had Zack Kassian done what Foligno has done, he would still be up here. But instead, he was shipped off to Vancouver in exchange for Cody Hodgson and Alex Sulzer. I'd say that's worked out.
Speaking of Hodgson, he has finally been scoring. But even when he wasn't, he still created a lot of chances and handled and possessed the puck very well and brought a new life to this once struggling offense. Vanek has played well playing on his line. Hodgson ripped a shot which Vanek rebounded for the third goal. The play of the game no doubt was when Sabres captain Jason Pominville stripped the puck from Alex Ovechkin and scored short-handed to put the Sabres up 4-1 which effectively gave the Sabres the win and the 8th spot all by themselves. Ryan Miller has continued his recent hot streak as he made 44 saves and improved to 14-1-3 in his last 18 games. The Sabres had their biggest win in quite sometime. If the Sabres make it, this is the game that without a doubt puts them in. If they somehow win a playoff series, I will point to this game as the one that really gave this team the confidence to win. Maybe the Rangers 4-1 win last week would be the real game as they beat the 1st place Rangers. But this Caps win on the road has been real special as they were never really threatened at all. Ovechkin was once again not a factor against the Sabres. If the Sabres have success in the playoffs, I'll look to the Ennis-Stafford-Foligno line as the line that sparked this amazing run.
One of the biggest keys to the Sabres turnarounds has been Tyler Ennis being the number one center. Ennis struggled at the beginning of the season and then was injured as he missed a total of 34 games. Since coming back on January 31, Ennis has 9 goals and 22 points in 27 games, including 5 goals and 14 points and is a +12 in the last nine games. He has been red hot. This team needed a center badly and for whatever reason, the Sabres did not try him out at center even though he has experience until later in the season. It has been truly a revelation for Ennis and the Sabres. Then adding Cody Hodgson at the trade deadline gave the Sabres a lethal 1-2 punch at center with Derek Roy as number 3. Ennis' speed and playmaking ability is a natural fit at center. Stafford has been red hot as well as he has 6 goals and 14 points in the last 8 games. Stafford is up to 17 goals and has a chance at 20 in a season in which was his career-worst. At one point I thought he would have trouble getting to 10. But since playing with Ennis and even Hodgson for a bit and getting taken off the roy line, Stafford has looked so much the player who scored 31 goals in 62 games last season and got a new $4 million a year deal in the offseason. He was a huge disappointment but with a true center he has flourished. What can be said about Foligno? Since being called up earlier this month, Foligno has had 6 goals and 10 points in 8 games. Foligno has been a force along the boards and in front of the net and has banged home his opportunities whenever he's had the chance. He's also been a physical presence. Had Zack Kassian done what Foligno has done, he would still be up here. But instead, he was shipped off to Vancouver in exchange for Cody Hodgson and Alex Sulzer. I'd say that's worked out.
Speaking of Hodgson, he has finally been scoring. But even when he wasn't, he still created a lot of chances and handled and possessed the puck very well and brought a new life to this once struggling offense. Vanek has played well playing on his line. Hodgson ripped a shot which Vanek rebounded for the third goal. The play of the game no doubt was when Sabres captain Jason Pominville stripped the puck from Alex Ovechkin and scored short-handed to put the Sabres up 4-1 which effectively gave the Sabres the win and the 8th spot all by themselves. Ryan Miller has continued his recent hot streak as he made 44 saves and improved to 14-1-3 in his last 18 games. The Sabres had their biggest win in quite sometime. If the Sabres make it, this is the game that without a doubt puts them in. If they somehow win a playoff series, I will point to this game as the one that really gave this team the confidence to win. Maybe the Rangers 4-1 win last week would be the real game as they beat the 1st place Rangers. But this Caps win on the road has been real special as they were never really threatened at all. Ovechkin was once again not a factor against the Sabres. If the Sabres have success in the playoffs, I'll look to the Ennis-Stafford-Foligno line as the line that sparked this amazing run.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)