Buffalo Sabres

[Bomm Bastic]

Good for him for sticking around tonight and still talking to the media. He is right though, a trade likely won't change this massive funk. Although.....we could finally see Lindy's reign end.

Some strong frusteration spoken by Miller tonight.


http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-pu...042859708.html

Hey all....I'm back....days are just flying on by. Sorry for my tardiness.

Yes, indeed, hockeyrobot and Shakes, it would seem Ruff's days are numbered. Perhaps? First, my observations...

• The problems are systemic. They include, but are in no way limited to:
• No puck pursuit
• Taken off the puck w/relative ease
• Lack of any coherent plan when they do have control which, in turn, leads to one-shot-and-done type plays.
• Lack of circulation due to hesitation with the puck. By the time a Sabres player makes a decsion with regard to the puck on his stick, it's too late (ie opposition is given too much time to set up or attack)
• They're continually slow outta the gate, only to wake up when it's too late. bad strategy for any team but especially for one with as few goals for as they have.
• Thus, one trade will not cure anything.

Fire Regier. Bribe the shit outta Jim Nill to get him on board, and let him deal w/Ruff as he sees fit.

Seriously.

Listen, I'm all for letting go of Ruff, but Regier won't, and even if he did they both still have to go at some point. So fire Regier now, light a f-in fire under the players thereby boosting the short term trade value of Stafford, Boyes, Hecht and Roy....cuz let's face it ya ain't moving them now for anything of value....once their value is up, SELL, SELL, SELL!!!

Then fire Ruff. It's so easy really.

As far as tonight's game, I have nothing. The team did not partake of their morning practice (no joke) so I really have no updates for ya...sorry.

But they were all seen at Johnny's Ice House on West Madison, taking full advantage of Johnny's group party discount skating lesson w/complimentary hot dog and soda lunch.

So there's that.....

Take it easy on me tonight, Shakedown!!

[Ballsakic]

Please fire Ruff. 6 actually 7 goals and Enroth still in.
Miller probably said I ain't playing.

Please Mr Pagula fire Ruff and trade Miller.

[Bomm Bastic]

Please fire Ruff. 6 actually 7 goals and Enroth still in.
Miller probably said I ain't playing.

Please Mr Pagula fire Ruff and trade Miller.

That was one of the more painful games to watch, with McGuire, Olczyk, Milbury and crew hyper-criticizing every single move a Sabres player made.

Honestly, if that doesn't get Pegula to make a move nothing will. I still think ya fire Regier first, if nothing but for a respect factor. He needs to go regardless, so I don't think forcing him to fire his best bud only to in turn then fire him would be rather insulting...imo.

[Bomm Bastic]

Positively buried at work lately, so sorry...

Lines for tonight

Vanek-Roy-Pominville
Stafford-Boyes-Leino
Ellis-Adam-McCormick
Gerbe-Hecht-Kaleta

lmao....gotta love how Hecht goes from first to fourth line like some cheap ice tart.

Miller should be in net but did get hit by a puck in practice - left early...no further news.

[Ballsakic]

https://twitter.com/#!/BNHarrington/...04578382573568

[Bomm Bastic]

Like virgin, posting for the very first time! Like a virrrrrrrrr-GIN....

Ahhhh...trial prep is a bitch. Not enough time to poop, let alone post. Any way...miss me?

So much has happened since my last post: Giants win Super Bowl as M.I.A. discovers one more use for her middle finger [ahem]; Sabres go on a little 3-1 tear, and reminisce about 3-1 tears of yore; and Ruff blows a rib due to incessant bellowing of line changes.

Ruff will not be behind the bench tonight, Rask will be in net, Miller will be in net, I will be in the stands watching live, and Vanek MIGHT be back by the weekend.

Is this the mini-streak I predicted to occur weeks back? [ok...so I am late, sue me] If they win tonight, I'd be selling Sabres left-and-right/to-and-fro...SALE! SALE! SALE!

Get the point?

Dynasty league I'm keeping Myers, Ennis, McNabb, Kassian (provided I have a farm), Vanek....possibly Miller depending on his trade value and my other goalies.

Limited keepers...deep leagues...I'm selling off to contenders for draft picks. My exceptions being Myers, and....and...well, Myers. Ok, again, perhaps Miller depending on league depth.

One year leagues....not much ya can do probably. Pommer, Vanek, Miller??? You'd probably want to move 'em were you on the cusp of making the playoffs and wanted to get a more reliable player. I dunno....ceiling may not be too high but they are pretty reliable.

Tonight's game I like Ennis for offense - lots of TOI as of late and this game should have the penalties to provide him w/ample PP time.

McCormick for PIMs - I suspect he won't be a healthy scratch in this one and he may very well go at it. I think he's pissed he wasn't able to take on Lucic when Gaustad did.

Myers should be good for hits and shots in this one, w/a sprinkle of PIMs.

That's all for now. Great to be back in the groove......let ya know if I hear anything re lines.

[Bomm Bastic]

Sell! Sell! Sell!

[Bomm Bastic]

File Under: Miller's Got His Groove Back

Ryan Miller (last five games): 4-0-1; .95 GAA; .97 SV%

...and that, my dear dobberite misfits is indeed why the Sabres are winning.

Not to take anything away from the team as a whole, and their well earned wins (of late). Yes, last night vs The Kingdom of Evil (a/k/a Boston Bruins) they played a good game relatively speaking, and showed some moxie. I have continually stated that Boston's only glaring weakness is being easily goaded into penalties, so full props to the Sabres for getting under the Bruins skin and taking full advantage of every scoring opportunity. They were willing to pay the price physically (and they did, believe me) and it paid off.

That said...but for Miller finding his all-world form, stone walling and frustrating Bruins shooters, and covering for a few defensive blunders that game could have easily gone the other way - the psych side of the game being what it is.

Look...the Sabres still spent way too much time in their own end, and often look disjointed with their up-ice rush. Too many instances of one-shot-and-done. Hard to discern from looking at the final score (I know) but this oft repeated theme was ever present within this matchup. The primary difference between this game from games prior? Miller.
When he's rolling the A-game he masks the brain farts of the squad in front of him AND instills a sense of confidence in his 'mates, as well. Consequently, they play with a bravado not necessarily innate.

By the way, as an aside, there was delegation from Mannheim, Germany at the game last night (for Hecht, maybe??), and let me just say, those crazy m-fers know how to have fun. I told my wife that I wanted to go over and sit with them. The whole game clapping, chanting, singing non-stop...totally put the rest of the crowd to shame. No riots either so that was nice...thanks.

Secondarily, they took advantage of a Bruins team that oft appeared flat footed (skated?). Throwing pucks on net when they ordinarily would not, all while linemates converged on the rebound. Not consistently throughout the contest, mind you, but more often then games prior. Great to see.

You pay a physical price, playing the Boston Bruins win or lose. So better to lay it out there for a win and hold your head high after the contest has concluded. The Sabres did that last and they should act accordingly; they earned the right.

Make no mistake...Miller is back.

[wendelclark17]

nice to see you back around these parts Bomm, missed your wit big fella..... oh and nice heads up on Ennis last night !!

[Bomm Bastic]

nice to see you back around these parts Bomm, missed your wit big fella..... oh and nice heads up on Ennis last night !!

Thanks, WC, good to be back. Man ya miss a few weeks around here and it feels like an eternity. We were prepping for two trials simultaneously. One is bad enough, two is...well...painful.

Check my review of last night' game? I was typing it up when you posted. Hope you enjoy...

[Bomm Bastic]

Fresh off a Wednesday night win against the Evil Empire, the Sabres now host the Dallas Stars!!

...[crickets]....

I said, the DALLAS STARS!!!

Yahhhhh-Woo-HOOOOOO GO SABRES YOU ROCK!!!!

That's more like it...[ahem]...

Anywho, some thought's generally:

• Miller is in net, and you should continue to ride him while he's hot (ummm....yeah). He's been a friggin fortress of recent, and I see no reason why to expect different tonight.
• Not to mention the Stars are 0-8-1 in the second game in back-to-backs.
• Vanek will be back, and more likely than not will play on the LW of Ennis. So yeah they both are definite plays for tonights game too
• Speaking of Ennis...LOVE HIM!! Especially at center where he has been slotted that last batch o'games. And, more importantly, he loves the position! Says it's good spot for him cuz the position allows for him to always be moving his skates. Kid is just damn fun to watch, like a shifty little water bug splitting defenders. Continue to play him.
• So you say you are in dire straits with injuries decimating your team, and you're at a loss? Got some Sabres? Insert at will (ummmm...I really need to wacth my terminology). Unless your name is Derek Roy, Sabres secondary scoring has been booming recently so if ya have a Gerbe, Leino, Sekera, Ehroff and need to fill spots use 'em while they are hot.
• I hate Lindy Ruff
• Adam a healthy scratch. Explain to me how this is helping this kid's development. Send him down and let him skate while reacquiring his mojo with Kassian & Crew. This healthy scratch shit is not helping him.
• Tyler Myers. Big fan and advocate here. I talk up his potential constanly, but now I'm scratching my head. I know he's still developing/young but his stats from the Boston game are very underwhelming. How exactly does a player of Myers' size and purported strength register zero hits, zero PIMs, and one shot that Boston game??? Yes, he had an assist, but that was THE very type of game we need him to display his nastieness. If Gerbe can sacrifice his body, Myers better wake the eff up real quick. I will be very much focused on that part of his game now.

So that's all for now, but I will be around all day/night. Hope this helped.

[ridinryan44]

Agreed in Ennis. This kid should be a center. He's magic with the puck and is probably buffalos craftiest player. I think Ennis should stick as a center, you want the puck in his stick as muh as possible.

What are your thoughts on kassian being full time next year? I need to find a pim guy in my keeper but don't wanna pay or one if I can wait for kassian next year. I know buffalo needs the grit an size he brings but it's crowded in town. Thoughts?

[Bomm Bastic]

Agreed in Ennis. This kid should be a center. He's magic with the puck and is probably buffalos craftiest player. I think Ennis should stick as a center, you want the puck in his stick as muh as possible.

What are your thoughts on kassian being full time next year? I need to find a pim guy in my keeper but don't wanna pay or one if I can wait for kassian next year. I know buffalo needs the grit an size he brings but it's crowded in town. Thoughts?

Hey Ryan, good question, however, not an easy one to answer. Sabres need help. That we can all agree on. Point being, I could see Kassian being used as trade bait just as easily as I can see him earning a permanent roster spot next year.

With Hecht, Boyes, Gaustad, Stuart, Morrisonn, and Kotalik all UFA's after this season, not to mention Gragnani being allowed to walk as an RFA (my guess) there will be a lot of $$$ taken off the spreadsheet. Now they will (again my guess) need to re-sign Ennis, Kaleta and TJ Brennan, but the Sabres will have both the cap and roster space to keep him up.

Barring a trade, the roster spot is really his to lose.

[ridinryan44]

Hey Ryan, good question, however, not an easy one to answer. Sabres need help. That we can all agree on. Point being, I could see Kassian being used as trade bait just as easily as I can see him earning a permanent roster spot next year.

With Hecht, Boyes, Gaustad, Stuart, Morrisonn, and Kotalik all UFA's after this season, not to mention Gragnani being allowed to walk as an RFA (my guess) there will be a lot of $$$ taken off the spreadsheet. Now they will (again my guess) need to re-sign Ennis, Kaleta and TJ Brennan, but the Sabres will have both the cap and roster space to keep him up.

Barring a trade, the roster spot is really his to lose.

Awesome. Thx for the quick response!

[Bomm Bastic]

A few nice quotes from Ruff this morning on local radio (paraphrase)...

With regard to Ennis at center: I think we have found a new home for him there. We need to do everything to get him the puck because good things happen when he has it.

With regard to Kassian: The strongest player on the puck, at his age, that I have seen. Needs to become more emotionally invested [seemed to imply that his age and development level is causing him to play more timid - perhaps out of fear of making mistake or confidence....my words not his]

What the Sabres need: Got the size in Kassian, McNabb, Foligno et al. But need a creative player/difference maker, and those players are hard to get.