Inside The Sabres

After a shorter-than-hoped-for walk down Stanley Cup Lane in the 2006-2007 season, The Buffalo Sabres had to endure an even worse experience. During the first few hours of the free agent frenzy, the team suffered through losing Chris Drury to the New York Rangers and Daniel Briere to the Philadelphia Flyers. Also, Dainius Zubrus went to the New Jersey Devils a few days later. A team that had visions of Stanley Cups dancing in their heads was suddenly a shell of itself.

One thing the Sabres still have going for them is the young and very good goaltender, Ryan Miller. Miller wanted to take over as the dressing room leader of the Buffalo Sabres. Though he’s still young at 27, he’s an established veteran. His teammates look to him for guidance on the ice and off it.

“I’m trying to focus more on my game,” Miller said. “Early in the season, I was probably too worried about what everybody else was trying to do, trying to be bigger than my role. I was trying to do too many things at once. I can’t be a captain-type leader and talk to guys at all times. I have to go out and just do my job.”

Helping Miller between the pipes is the "old man" Jocelyn Thibault, picked up during free agency. Only 32 years old, Thibault started playing at 18 with the Quebec Nordiques, and the 13-season veteran has years of experience. As the backup to Ryan Miller, Thibault doesn't see a lot of action, but together they average a 2.61 GAA and a .900 save percentage. Those are pretty good numbers that should keep the Sabres solid in net.

But, after twenty-one games, Buffalo is 10-10-1, ranked 13th in the conference and are fourth in their division behind the surging Bruins of Boston, Montreal, and last year’s Stanley Cup finalist, the Ottawa Senators. The Sabres average 2.90 goals per game while giving up 2.76 goals. They have a 20.2% rating on the power play, ranking them 10th, and they are in the seventh position with an 85% success rate on the penalty kill. All average numbers, and hence the .500 record.

Many players on this team are above average players and just may need some more time to gel. Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Brian Campbell, and Tim Connolly lead the team in point production with modest totals ranging from 17 to 14 points. Pominville may be the Sabres most versatile forward and his abilities are allowing the team flexibility when it comes to its power play combinations. Recently, he moved from his position near the net to the blueline. He's made the switch before and is comfortable with the situation. But more importantly, the team is comfortable putting five forwards on the ice with an opposing player in the penalty box because of Pominville's defensive skills. He's the team's quarterback on a unit that features Maxim Afinogenov, Ales Kotalik, Roy and Vanek and he is the squad’s last line of defense against an odd-man rush.

Something else “odd” about the Sabres is their rotating captaincy. Jochen Hecht was captain for a while and now Toni Lydman is the man wearing the “C”. This creates a lot of leaders and some different competition in the locker room. Each player, it seems, will have an opportunity to be captain based on leadership and play.

The Buffalo Sabres are in a tough division, but with continued growth and leadership, more wins will come. It’s a shame they lost so much during free agency, but seem ready to start again and are headed in the right direction. With a strong core of players, it won’t be long until we here about them fighting for the Cup once again.

So, herd up your friends and draw your weapons! Support your team with a rousing War Room Roll call!

~ ogre1kanobe

Saturday Night Special: Let's Get Wild!

Saturday Night Live was made famous by two wild and crazy guys. Well the Minnesota Wild just drive the state of hockey wild. The team started out 7-3-2...full of promise and looking good but injuries to Niklas Backstrom...and the personal absence/retirement of Wes Walz has seemingly put the brakes on the Wild season. The Wild stand now at 11-9-2...still only a point out of first place in the wacky Northwest Division. Now Backstrom was a main reason for the early success playing incredibly the first two weeks of the season....posting both of his shutouts in that time. Then the injury bug hit....and there wasn't as much rejoicing.

First Backstrom went down....then Gaborik and now Demitra....the Slovakia glass groin syndrome has taken full effect. This undoubtedly has hurt the Wild offense.

They have to rely more on the goaltending and lately even that has taken a hit. In a 3-2 loss to Calgary, Backstrom had to give up one of the most ugly goals I have ever seen....which lead to the Flames win. In yesterday's game, Backstrom had two goals he would most certainly like to have back and a defensive turnover so bad I could have thrown a clock through the television. Who does that in front of their goalie? Don't answer that Devils fans! The Wild had an awesome goal differential of +16 after 12 games....but now has slipped all the way back to a -1.

Now Gaborik and Parrish share the team lead in goals with 7 and Pierre Marc-Bouchard leads the team with assists with 14. A defensive player that has been playing pretty well is Brent Burns...his last two games have been not so great but his 11 points and a +4 are pretty solid for a player with such high expectations placed on him by management, teammates, and even himself. This is a little excerpt from Doug Risebrough's Managing Expectations....very interesting indeed. Burns recently was awarded a four year extension for his hard work...and players can go two ways.....

A couple players in the last couple years have discussed, in telling ways, the pressure of a long-term, high-paying deal. I won't name the players. But here is what they said.

Player A: "For the first time in my career, I came to the rink as an underachiever. It really ate me up."

Player B: "I got an opportunity early in my career to fly under the radar and live with my and my teammates' expectations. It's something I'm getting used to. It's more responsibility."


This really makes you think. Burns is going to be the anchor of this defense. Sean Hill is a nice veteran presence and a good mentor to have but the Wild's fortunes on the backend ride on the youngster. The defense and goaltending are a staple of any Jacques Lemaire coached team. It doesn't hurt that the forwards, as a group, are one of the best backchecking groups in the league. The Wild have strayed away a bit from that...and their 4-6 record in the last ten games indicates it more than the injuries. Injuries are just an excuse and the Wild have to fight through it. Also, Backstrom has to right the ship a bit on his own end.

It will take a team effort from the coach down to the players to get the Wild back on board but if any team can pull back the reins and rise back up the standings in the Western Conference...it is the Wild. They have the system in place....they just have to execute it. Do you believe the Wild will bounce back? Voice your opinion and GO WILD!

~ stevens8204

Motor City Set On Cruise Control

Realistically, reviewing the Detroit Red Wings during the past 5-10years could be simple. You write a riveting piece about theirdomination of the Western Conference, and proclaim their ability tocontrol the game with their stymy defense, and then republish the samearticle year after year.

They have become one of the most consistent teams of the 21st century,and have been an utter surprise post lockout considering the dumpingof so much salary. They now boast one of the best and mostcomfortable teams, with plenty of cap room to spare. They have savvyveterans like Niklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios to lead theirdefensive core, and one of the most prolific and obscure goaltendersof all time in Dominic Hasek, although he has struggled early tomaintain the necessary health to be a starting goalie.

No matter, as Chris Osgood has once again proved to the Wingsorganization to be a quality backup for as long as they need him, andwith the kind of defense the Red Wings play, he should really onlyhave to prepare himself for around 20 shots a game. Pending thehealth of Hasek, the Wings can segue into young prospect Howard to betheir next star in the crease. Another fantastic pick by the Detroitscouting, Howard will likely be the go to guy within three years.

Up front, the top three (Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Holmstrom) have comeout of the gate firing. Gaining the reputation of one of the NHLsmost potent offensive lines, they are probably only out classed byOttawa's ASH line. Zetterberg is well on his way to setting careerbests in basically all categories, and his offensive prowess has beenan incredible asset to the Wings, who have been outscoring andoutplaying every team thus far.

In terms of additional help, it was suggested that Detroit was seekingthe services of Peter Forsberg, pending he is capable of returningfrom a potential career ending surgery on his ankle. After quitting apractice with the Swedish National team, Forsberg has suggested thatthis latest embarrassment could in fact end his career pending adoctor's review, and this could change the plans in the Detroit frontoffice. There is no question a healthy Forsberg would produce an evenstronger offense, but with guys like Chelios, Hasek, and Lidstrom, whoare all playing close to or well over their career expectancies,Forsberg would only add to the fragile nature of the team.

The bottom line here is that Detroit doesn't need help with veterans.They boast one of the most knowledgeable defenses in the league, witha strong core of offensive threats. What they need to do is continueto build for the future of the franchise after the older playersretire or move on.

~ srotaneS

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If you happen to follow the Detroit Red Wings, be sure to announce yourself in our Red Wing Roll Call.

Canadiens Roll Call

One, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16, 18, 19, and 29.

Those numbers are very familiar to any Montreal Canadiens' fan. They all hang from the rafters at the Bell Centre where they play their home games. The Canadiens have a long and wonderful past to look back on. The names of great players, coaches and general managers are far too long to mention. It is this history that changes a player when they put on the sweater with those famous colors on it.

That is why when the 2006-2007 season ended and this team didn’t make the playoffs, it was like the world came to an end. Finishing seventh the previous year, hopes were for a longer playoff run, but the team finished tenth and sat at home watching instead of skating. Some players had off seasons as well. After scoring only 18 goals all season last year, the AK-27, Alex Kovalev, is back on track eager to forget last year.

With 10 goals already through 19 games this season, Kovalev has reached the mark faster than any Canadiens player in over a decade. Not since Martin Rucinsky scored his 10th goal in game No. 20 back in 1996-97, has a Habs player scored so many so fast. The Russian winger will crack the 40-goal mark for the second time in his 16-year NHL career, if he were to continue at this pace. The last time he did was in 2000-01 with the Penguins when he exploded for 44 goals on his way to his first All-Star Game appearance. He is sixth in the league with 6 power play goals on a team that is ranked number one with 30% power play efficiency. He, Saku Koivu, and Andrei Markov all have 17 points in this early season.


The team is also fourth in goals scored per game with 3.16 Goals/Game and only a small handful have a plus/minus ratings in the red zone. But it is not all about offense in Montreal. They rank ninth in goals allowed per game with a stingy 2.53 goals. This, in part, is due to their goaltending tandem of Cristobal Huet and rookie sensation Carey Price. Huet has a 6-4-2 record with a 2.23 GAA and a Sv% of .925, while his younger counterpart enjoys a 5-1-1 record with a 2.66 GAA and a .0914 Sv%. Price is making the departure of David Aebischer a faint memory.

The Canadiens lost a few big names over the summer, Sheldon Souray, Radek Bonk, and Janne Niinimaa to name a few. But they also picked up some with marquee talent; Roman Hamrlik, Bryan Smolinski and Patrice Brisebois for coach Guy Carbonneau to insert into his lineups. Carbonneau took over the coaching reins on May 5, 2006 after having played 13 seasons with the Canadiens, including five as the team’s captain, and was the winner of the Frank Selke Trophy three times.

Carbonneau’s second season behind the bench figures to be a much better one than his first. You see he’s one of those great Montreal Canadiens players of the past. And he won’t let this team fail.

So, stand up and help Guy Carbonneau push this team to the playoffs and beyond. Be a proud member of the team and shout your support in the Montreal Canadiens' Roll Call!!

~ ogre1kanobe

Colorado; The Rocky Road

I think it's safe to say that the one team most people expected a vast improvement from this season, would have to be the Colorado Avalanche. With their incredible playoff push late last season, which inevitably fell short, only the New York Rangers managed to put up a better 2nd half.

In the offseason, Colorado GM Francois Giguere managed to add two more pieces to his quickly rebuilding project in the likes of free agents Ryan Smyth and Scott Hannan. Further allowing his fans to come into the 07-08 season with much to anticipate. And now that we've nearly reached the quarter pole of the season, we can take a deeper look into the Avs now vs. then.

Today the Avalanche sit in 2nd spot in the Northwest Division, just 1 point behind the Wild. Although with 1 game in hand. Their 23 points in 19 games also puts them tied for 4th in their Conference. And again, with games in hand. An obvious improvement you say? But of course, "obvious" is not what I've come here to talk about.

Right now, the Avalanche are on pace for a 99 point season. A mere 2 wins better than the season that saw them on the outside looking in, on a very rare occasion. 2 more wins would have made all the difference in the world, allowing them to surpass the 8th seeded Flames. But it still wouldn't have been enough to earn home ice advantage no matter who they faced or how many rounds they survived.

Why do I bring up home ice advantage, you ask? Well for one, the Calgary Flames who barely backed their way into a playoff round, knew full well about home versus the road. They were known as the Jeckyll and Hyde. A term that has now made it's way to the Rockies. Let's try and put this into better perspective...

Had the Colorado Avalanche played just .500 on the road this season, their current overall record would be 13 - 5 - 1. Good enough for 27 points, second only to the Detroit Red Wings. And yes, you guessed it... with a game in hand. Prorating that into an 82 game season, the Avs would end up with 116 points. A feat nobody in the league could accomplish last season, earning them the hypothetical Presidents Trophy.

And before someone suggests that I am putting forth a 'perfect scenario' here, please keep in mind that I said merely a .500 record on the road. Hardly an earth shaking expectancy.

So in retrospect, yes the Avs are moderately improved as a team, which was to be expected. But they are far from the team they should be, right now.

~ LeaferSutherland

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I invite all Avalanche fans to drop by and put your own two cents worth on your team.

Strange Brew In Beantown

The Bruins were a team many had picked near or at the bottom in most hockey circles. I had remembered The Hockey News actually picking them 29th or 30th. Well thanks to some stingy goaltending and semi reliable scoring....they are actually 9-6-2 with a little over 20% of the hockey season complete. Boston was thought to be a walkover for most of the Northeast Division but they are finding out very quickly that this team indeed has some talent. They always have really but the question has been and always will be...how long can they keep it together?

The season started off with a five game West Coast Trip...which the first game was a 4-1 disaster where nothing went right and it looked like Dallas was on a roll (funny how things change, right?). The B's then managed to come back and defeat Phoenix 3-1 the next night before losing 2-1 a few nights later to the defending champion Ducks. In what has become a bit of a curious pattern so far...the Bruins occasionally put up a crooked number after weeks of scoring so little. That was quite evident in their 8-6 survival of LA. Manny Fernandez was in net for this one too and eventually would go down with a knee injury...he still hasn't really since much if any ice time since. Phil Kessel's hat trick carried the way as the B's won again 2-1 against the Sharks completing the road trip at 3-2...not too shabby.

After wins against Tampa and the Rangers (Boston's lone shutout came via the shootout)....faceoffs or the lack of winning them came to a head again in an ugly 6-1 loss that many thought may spell doom for the Bruins. It definitely looked bad that 4 of the 6 goals given up came directly off defensive zone faceoffs....something that would make any coach unhappy, particularly Dave Lewis. Yet the turning point would come in a Saturday afternoon tilt against the Philly Flyers. In a 2-1 loss, Patrice Bergeron was going for a puck in his zone and Randy Jones came from behind and checked him into the boards. Bergeron was motionless on the ice for minutes as the crowd gasped in horror. Jones would later receive a 2 game suspension and Bergeron may not play again this season after suffering some fractures and a Grade 3 concussion. It seemed to give them a jump as they defeated Buffalo 4-3..but then the low scoring blues set in again.

For the next 2 weeks...it seemed Boston could find the net but not be able to put enough behind the goalie and into said net. Scoring 7 goals in a 5 game span is not going to get you many wins (1-2-2 in that span). This led to many questions if the Bruins were going to trade Glen Murray among others who had not really produced and so far the answer is a resounding no. I am sure that may change but right now it seems the Bruins are sailing the ship with what they got. Sure enough when Toronto came to town last night....the B's put another crooked number on the scoreboard.....winning 5-2 to raise their record to the current 9-6-2. Tim Thomas made 34 saves and Peter Schaefer had 2 goals and 1 assist (both goals coming in the third). The four days off and watching tons of video on Toronto proved to be the difference. Players knew where to be....everything clicked at least for one night.

Team MVP: Tim Thomas. No doubt many thought Fernandez would be the starter but Thomas just finds a way to well worm himself into the picture. In 13 games, he has produced a 1.68 GAA...a stellar .950 save percentage and more importantly 7 wins. He has kept the team in games most nights they should have no business being in. He is the reason Boston is above .500 but his durability may also become a concern later. Right now Boston is just trying to find ways to win games...to score just enough. Oddly enough, the goaltending and defense are there for the most part but the offense isn't....something you wouldn't normally associate with the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins are a team in flux right now....they spent their money and now they are stuck with it. The cap issues have hurt this team as far as being able to go out and get some scoring depth. Also, there aren't many takers for an aging scorer like Glen Murray who hasn't been the same since Joe Thornton was traded.....ahhh that T word. The Bruins as a franchise have been definitely hampered since that trade. Goaltending prospects haven't quite worked out...free agents haven't either and not being able to string some games together with some decent goal scoring output may come back to haunt this team later in the season but right now they are making due with what they got...and so far that is good enough.

So do you think Boston is just a mediocre team or are they a couple players away from making the playoffs and maybe winning a round...give us your thoughts and don't mince them...right on The NHL Arena.

~ stevens8204

Blue Streak

Blue Streak can mean one of two things when one talks about the St. Louis Blues these days. It could reference the streaky play of the team itself or quite literally mean the "Blue Streak" coming out of Blue fans on some of the nights to come.

The Blues stormed out to a 4-1 record to start the season back in October and if I remember right they outscored their opponents very handily in doing so. Since that fast start the Blues have gone on to lose 6 of their last 9 and have had issues scoring during that time. The two wily vets leading the charge for the team are long time incumbent Keith Tkachuk and the new UFA from the off season Paul Karyia. They each have 15 and 16 points respectively, those stats lead the team in offense. The picture isn't all bleak by no means for the St. Louis Blues. Many Legace has been solid in net, posting a record of 7-5 with a SV% over .910% and GAA of 2.33. Maybe the most positive thing about the Blues is that they are young. Real young. With an average age of 27 they are only going to get better. 25 year old Brad Boyes is third in team scoring and first in team goals with 9. Lee Stempniak, age 24, is coming off a 27 goal, 52 point, season from last year and has a tone of upside and a bright future. The blue-chip stud on the blueline is Eric Johnson and he is a plus player in his first year so far in the NHL at age 19.

The short and the skinny is that the Blues have 8 wins and 7 loses so far in this NHL season based on little production from their youth movement. Their future is their kids and when the kids start to carry their weight the Blues will start winning hockey games and it should be real fun to watch.

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

~ damned

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If you happen to be a fan of the St Louis Blues, we want to hear it!