Enroth ready for starting roll

Before I get into this blog there are two things I want to make clear. 1, I am in no way bashing or hating on Enroth, I am very happy the way he has helped out the injury depleted Sabres team,  2. I promise my next blog will not be about the Sabres! Alright now that we cleared that up, let's dive right into the matter.

I'm going to come right out and say it, Enroth is clearly not ready to be a day in and day out number one goaltender right now. The situation in Buffalo right now, with Miller being injured, forced Lindy Ruff to throw Enroth to the lions so to speak. Look at it this way; Miller was playing lights out at the very start of the season and tailed off significantly shortly before he was injured, while Enroth as the number "1A" was playing superb hockey. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was perfectly right to sit Miller for awhile and declare Enroth the starter, but he didn't, peculiar isn't it? Now there is no denying how well Enroth has played in the past; He was 6-0 and hadn't lost a game dating back to last November. After 4 games he was posting a nice 1.41 goals-against average and .952 save percentage. But since Miller went down with a concussion Enroth has shown to be human, He's played 7 straight games and the Sabres earned 7 of a possible 14 points. They, just ended a losing streak of 3 straight games, in which Enroth let in 3 goals or more in each game. His stats have dropped, to a .925 save percentage and a 2.29 goals-against average. His last 3 games have everyone jumping off the good ship Enroth in the fantasy leagues, and he has proven to not be ready to be a number one goaltender just yet.

The difference between his play now, and his play at the beginning of the year is the absence of Miller. Though Miller was not playing up to his normal level, all the media and all the pressure was thrown to Miller, Enroth was just suppossed to be a back-up plan, to assist the Sabres when Miller got tired, the media still followed Miller around, wanting to know what the heck was wrong with him, for the most part they left Enroth alone. Then when the rest of the league figured out that Enroth was actually decent, the media came to him. Like I said earlier, he was thrown to lions, now he has to answer, for bad goals, loses, and what not. In the last few games Enroth has been playing just as poorly as Miller was before his injury. This makes me wonder if we were all wrong to be so hard on Miller, after all Enroth isn't getting nearly as much hate as Miller was getting. Since he was called up last season, Enroth has shined as a back-up and a fill in goaltender; he had played stretches of 10 games to provide relief (lst season), but the spotlight wasn't on him. But now the media and fans are trying to throw him into the number one role, and he's not ready; hence the reason Ruff wouldn't designate him as starter, Enroth isn't ready to handle all the pressure that comes with being "the man". Agree or not, Enroth's play in the last 7 games has not been the greatest, he's let in bad goals, and made the D look even worse than they are on goals; just like Miller. Now I know every goalie is bound to let in bad goals, but by that logic, why trash Miller for his weak goals and not Enroth. Maybe you think Enroth's been playing outstanding, you're entitled to your opinion, no matter how wrong you are, but to me he doesn't look ready to be the full number one goalie quite yet. He has to mature and be given a chance to slowly transition into that position, before being eaten alive by the NHL media.

Now before I get a bunch or e-mail/comments that I hate Enroth and am not giving him a chance; I have been extremely happy and proud of the job he has been doing for the Sabres, without him between the pipes, say we still had Patty Lalime, we would not currently be sitting in 7th. We would likely be out of the playoff picture and be having to battle our way back in when Miller returend. Now even though we are currently in 7th, any other year we would be in 5 or 6th with Enroth's help, but this season our conference is extremely tight for some reason, so a couple consecutive loses (3) and we drop like 5 places. Anyway there is no question Enroth has been there for the Sabres and  helped them get some badly needed points, I love the job he has done, and he restored Ruff's confidence. The team plays a little more conservatively in front of Enroth, but at least they are scoring goals. Something that I haven't seen the Sabres do in front of a goalie not named Miller, happened Saturday night, they didn't hold back. They kept attacking the Capitals no matter the score or the situation, proving that they know Enroth will be back there to clean up their mistakes. Now I know goaltending isn't the only troubles this Sabres team is having, with 8 regulars and the number 7 defenseman out of the line-up now, the Sabres are relying heavily on Enroth to hang in tight and deliver this team a chance to get 2 points every night. Thus far Enroth has yet to disappoint winning 8 of his 14 games this season; respectable numbers for a back-up, but the numbers have to improve if he expects to be a number one goalie in the this league. It could just be me, or that Enroth hasn't officially "proven" himself yet, but I still get nervous when we have a 2 goal lead or get called for a penalty, for myself I hold my breath on every breakaway, penalty kill and shootout. But Enroth is starting to win me over, I like his style of play and how he never gives up on a puck, I think he will be a very good, or even great goaltender in this league one day, just not today.

When Miller started playing poorly, everyone immediately jumped on the Enroth bandwagon claiming he was going to save this team and that he needed to be named the number one, and that we should dump Miller as soon as possible. Ruff went so far to label him the number 1 A goalie. Well those people, and Lindy Ruff were wrong, for the most part they need to shut up! Miller is going through a dry spell, he will bounce back, and like I have repeatedly said if this team wants to go far they need Miller between the pipes. I don't believe Enroth is ready to put this team on his back yet. Despite Enroth's good play, he has shown he isn't perfect (no goalie is) and other teams are getting to know his tendencies the more he play.As of today, Enroth is the number 1 goalie in Buffalo, when Miller gets back he'll return to being the number 2, but one day he will be a regular in the league, but that day is not today. This is still Miller's team.

Enroth ready for starting roll

Before I get into this blog there are two things I want to make clear. 1, I am in no way bashing or hating on Enroth, I am very happy the way he has helped out the injury depleted Sabres team,  2. I promise my next blog will not be about the Sabres! Alright now that we cleared that up, let's dive right into the matter.

I'm going to come right out and say it, Enroth is clearly not ready to be a day in and day out number one goaltender right now. The situation in Buffalo right now, with Miller being injured, forced Lindy Ruff to throw Enroth to the lions so to speak. Look at it this way; Miller was playing lights out at the very start of the season and tailed off significantly shortly before he was injured, while Enroth as the number "1A" was playing superb hockey. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was perfectly right to sit Miller for awhile and declare Enroth the starter, but he didn't, peculiar isn't it? Now there is no denying how well Enroth has played in the past; He was 6-0 and hadn't lost a game dating back to last November. After 4 games he was posting a nice 1.41 goals-against average and .952 save percentage. But since Miller went down with a concussion Enroth has shown to be human, He's played 7 straight games and the Sabres earned 7 of a possible 14 points. They, just ended a losing streak of 3 straight games, in which Enroth let in 3 goals or more in each game. His stats have dropped, to a .925 save percentage and a 2.29 goals-against average. His last 3 games have everyone jumping off the good ship Enroth in the fantasy leagues, and he has proven to not be ready to be a number one goaltender just yet.

The difference between his play now, and his play at the beginning of the year is the absence of Miller. Though Miller was not playing up to his normal level, all the media and all the pressure was thrown to Miller, Enroth was just suppossed to be a back-up plan, to assist the Sabres when Miller got tired, the media still followed Miller around, wanting to know what the heck was wrong with him, for the most part they left Enroth alone. Then when the rest of the league figured out that Enroth was actually decent, the media came to him. Like I said earlier, he was thrown to lions, now he has to answer, for bad goals, loses, and what not. In the last few games Enroth has been playing just as poorly as Miller was before his injury. This makes me wonder if we were all wrong to be so hard on Miller, after all Enroth isn't getting nearly as much hate as Miller was getting. Since he was called up last season, Enroth has shined as a back-up and a fill in goaltender; he had played stretches of 10 games to provide relief (lst season), but the spotlight wasn't on him. But now the media and fans are trying to throw him into the number one role, and he's not ready; hence the reason Ruff wouldn't designate him as starter, Enroth isn't ready to handle all the pressure that comes with being "the man". Agree or not, Enroth's play in the last 7 games has not been the greatest, he's let in bad goals, and made the D look even worse than they are on goals; just like Miller. Now I know every goalie is bound to let in bad goals, but by that logic, why trash Miller for his weak goals and not Enroth. Maybe you think Enroth's been playing outstanding, you're entitled to your opinion, no matter how wrong you are, but to me he doesn't look ready to be the full number one goalie quite yet. He has to mature and be given a chance to slowly transition into that position, before being eaten alive by the NHL media.

Now before I get a bunch or e-mail/comments that I hate Enroth and am not giving him a chance; I have been extremely happy and proud of the job he has been doing for the Sabres, without him between the pipes, say we still had Patty Lalime, we would not currently be sitting in 7th. We would likely be out of the playoff picture and be having to battle our way back in when Miller returend. Now even though we are currently in 7th, any other year we would be in 5 or 6th with Enroth's help, but this season our conference is extremely tight for some reason, so a couple consecutive loses (3) and we drop like 5 places. Anyway there is no question Enroth has been there for the Sabres and  helped them get some badly needed points, I love the job he has done, and he restored Ruff's confidence. The team plays a little more conservatively in front of Enroth, but at least they are scoring goals. Something that I haven't seen the Sabres do in front of a goalie not named Miller, happened Saturday night, they didn't hold back. They kept attacking the Capitals no matter the score or the situation, proving that they know Enroth will be back there to clean up their mistakes. Now I know goaltending isn't the only troubles this Sabres team is having, with 8 regulars and the number 7 defenseman out of the line-up now, the Sabres are relying heavily on Enroth to hang in tight and deliver this team a chance to get 2 points every night. Thus far Enroth has yet to disappoint winning 8 of his 14 games this season; respectable numbers for a back-up, but the numbers have to improve if he expects to be a number one goalie in the this league. It could just be me, or that Enroth hasn't officially "proven" himself yet, but I still get nervous when we have a 2 goal lead or get called for a penalty, for myself I hold my breath on every breakaway, penalty kill and shootout. But Enroth is starting to win me over, I like his style of play and how he never gives up on a puck, I think he will be a very good, or even great goaltender in this league one day, just not today.

When Miller started playing poorly, everyone immediately jumped on the Enroth bandwagon claiming he was going to save this team and that he needed to be named the number one, and that we should dump Miller as soon as possible. Ruff went so far to label him the number 1 A goalie. Well those people, and Lindy Ruff were wrong, for the most part they need to shut up! Miller is going through a dry spell, he will bounce back, and like I have repeatedly said if this team wants to go far they need Miller between the pipes. I don't believe Enroth is ready to put this team on his back yet. Despite Enroth's good play, he has shown he isn't perfect (no goalie is) and other teams are getting to know his tendencies the more he play.As of today, Enroth is the number 1 goalie in Buffalo, when Miller gets back he'll return to being the number 2, but one day he will be a regular in the league, but that day is not today. This is still Miller's team.

A Chance For Revenge

Hey folks, by now all of the Sabres and Bruins fans know, our two teams faced off against each other, last night. It was quite a spirited and fun to game to watch. Now normally I don't blog about a single game, just big news. But since I kicked my parents out of the house so that I could watch this game, I thought I should make a blog about this game. So Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends, readers and family.

Alright, so the game between the Bruins and the Sabres last night was a chance at redemption for the Sabres. In the last meeting between these two teams, Milan Lucic, took a good run at Ryan Miller, and sent him flying, the result; Miller out with a concussion, and Lucic smiling about it while talking to the media. But even worse than Lucic not getting suspended, was the lack of response, from the Sabres after Lucic had run their number one goaltender. The Sabres did nothing no fights, no hits, no goals. It was a sad moment for the Sabres team and their fans, many fans said they had never been more disappointed or ashamed to be a Sabres fan. Yes I agree it was sad, and not the right response, but after Lindy Ruff chewed out his players the next day, and every single one of them apologized to Miller, the players and fans turned their attention to the next game between the Bruins and Sabres. It was the rematch, an opportunity for the Sabres to send a message, that they are not a "soft" team, and that you can't just run over our star players. The game could have gotten ugly, it could have gotten out of hand, and there could have been multiple suspensions and fines handed down from NHL disciplinarian Branden Shanahan, who warned both teams before the game. But in my humble opinion, it was a good hard fought game, although I didn't always agree with some of the calls, who does!

Now I know all Bruins fans were laughing at the Sabres for waiting a week to respond to the hit; but how long did it take the Bruins to respond to Matt Cooke's hit, that may have ultimately ended Marc Savard's career? There are times, in a game, where teams or players don't respond to dirty hits, both these two teams have screwed up in that regard, but most importantly to me, is how you rebound from the initial game. Yes I know the Sabres lost all the fights, that they were in Last night, but that's not the important thing, we stood up for ourselves and sent a message, that were not a pushover team. There was a lot of drama drummed up over this rematch game, most stirred up by the media, but the Sabres made sure not to disappoint a sell-out crowd at the First Niagara Center. Just 83 seconds into the game Paul Gaustad challenged Milan Lucic to a fight, "It was straight to the point," Lucic said. "You don't really know what to expect. You go into every game prepared for anything. It was actually probably good on both ends just to get it out of the way right off the start." The fight lasted for 21 punches and ended with Gaustad on the ice, but that didn't matter to the crowd, they were just happy their team was back from playing with barbie dolls. "It was a hard-fought game, and it's unfortunate about the outcome," Gaustad said. "Everybody stuck together. It was something we talked about in the locker room after the Boston game. I'm proud of the way the guys played." But the fights didn't stop with the Gaustad-Lucic melee, 11.5 minutes through the first period Brad Marchand threw a punishing check, that sent Nathan Gerbe flying into the boards, moments later Marchand and Gerbe were joined by the rest of their teammates in a full on Battle Royal. All 10 of the skaters on the ice were throwing wild punches, the only thing that could have made it better, would have been a goalie fight between Enroth and Thomas. A few minutes later, after two separate cross checks from both teams, another scrum broke lose; McQuaid and Marchand started up with Gaustad as the three players were all throwing punches, but then Zdeno Chara and Robyn Regehr veered off for the main event. Although Chara easily won that fight as well, the crowd still didn't care, they were on their feet loud and proud for their team and the fights that were taking place. Toughness and fearlessness replaced the embarrassment from last week's affair; but lost in all the fights and hits and punches, was the fact that a hockey game still had to be played and one team would come away victorious. "We're not going to turn this into a street fight," Gerbe said. "We want to win a game. That's our goal. Goose stepped up and did a good job, went toe-to-toe with their tough guy and did really well. Robyn, same thing." From that moment on, cooler heads prevailed and it turned into a hockey game; a physical hockey game, that featured lots of special teams, and some horrible officiating, but a hockey game non the less. By the end of the first period Sabres fans were feeling pretty good about their team, as they left the ice up 2-0 on goals by Vanek and Ehrhoff.

But in the second period every time a Sabres player touched a Bruin, a penalty was called, many of the calls were weak, but you can't fight the men in the stripes. The Sabres were penalized 7 times in the final 40 minutes, compared to the Bruins 2, both Bruins penalties resulted in 4 on 4 play though. With the horrible officiating the door was open for the Bruins to climb right back into the game, and that they did; Tyler Seguin scored the first Bruin goal that cut the lead to 2-1, then a special moment as T.J. Brennan scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game, to give the Sabres a 3-1 lead, but with more penalty trouble on the horizon, it was all for naught; Goals by Marchand and Chara, tied the game up. Thus the game went to overtime and then a shootout. But in the Shootout it was a battle of the goalies, Thomas maked a save, only to see Enroth top it with a save of his own. It went back and forth till the 5th round, when Enroth got sniped top corner. And that was all she wrote. "I was happy with how we played," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "There were a lot of good things. You play like that, you're going to win a lot of games."

Despite the loss I was very happy with the game and the way we stood up for ourselves and fought back, we didn't do anything stupid, we played good hard hockey, we banged with the big tough Bruins, that's a hard task in itself. We got a point, and a point in this very tight Eastern conference is something to be happy with. Through the 20 game mark we have 25 points and are in the playoff picture in 7th, plus were only 1 point behind the Leafs and Bruins and 3 points behind the Flyers for top spot. I don't know about you but I'll take that compared to our start last season. To be honest Tim Thomas stole the game for the Bruins like he so often has in the past, we had 8 or 9 great chances, that would have been in the net if we were up against any other tender. Thomas bounced back from a shaky start and won the game, it happens. But I like the toughness we showed, standing up for ourselves after being absolutely embarrassed. It's a good way to draw the team together, players show that they care and want to fight hard for their teammates, it's great for team unity. I think the Sabres are going to be a stronger, tougher and a better team all around after this game, and it is a learning point for our team. Right now the Sabres are in a tough spot, we're missing 7 players who were available for the opening win in Europe. I hate to say it, but I believe Enroth is showing he can't handle the pressure of being the pure number one goaltender right now. Anyways, I'm glad we stood up for ourselves out there and showed people were not pushovers, it's good for out team and our reputation around the league. We got another game to play on Friday so hopefully we can build from our tough play and come out on top with 2 points and jump ahead of the big bad Bruins again.

So I learned two things from this game; 1, we are the worst team ever at keeping two goal leads. We were up 2-0, then 3-1, yet we still lose 4-3. So we need to learn how to finish a hockey game. 2, we need Miller back, I don't care what anyone says or thinks about him, we need him back. If this team wants to go deep in the playoffs and perhaps take it all, we need him in net stealing games for us, like he has done season after season. I'm not jumping ship on Miller after what 6 bad games? I say once he's healthy (and if Enroth keeps playing like this) we throw Miller back in and ride him till he starts to lose. I think with Miller around it helps Enroth, it gives him confidence, and keeps some attention away from him. Oh yeah, I also learned that I still hate shootouts; like I said on twitter "there is a reason, we don't use shootouts in the playoffs". I think they're stupid, they may be exciting, but it comes down to pure luck and fluke. So thank you Sabres for playing some good hard hockey for once, and thank you Bruins, for bringing the Sabres out of their shells, and allowing them to have their best first period all season.

A Chance For Revenge

Hey folks, by now all of the Sabres and Bruins fans know, our two teams faced off against each other, last night. It was quite a spirited and fun to game to watch. Now normally I don't blog about a single game, just big news. But since I kicked my parents out of the house so that I could watch this game, I thought I should make a blog about this game. So Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends, readers and family.

Alright, so the game between the Bruins and the Sabres last night was a chance at redemption for the Sabres. In the last meeting between these two teams, Milan Lucic, took a good run at Ryan Miller, and sent him flying, the result; Miller out with a concussion, and Lucic smiling about it while talking to the media. But even worse than Lucic not getting suspended, was the lack of response, from the Sabres after Lucic had run their number one goaltender. The Sabres did nothing no fights, no hits, no goals. It was a sad moment for the Sabres team and their fans, many fans said they had never been more disappointed or ashamed to be a Sabres fan. Yes I agree it was sad, and not the right response, but after Lindy Ruff chewed out his players the next day, and every single one of them apologized to Miller, the players and fans turned their attention to the next game between the Bruins and Sabres. It was the rematch, an opportunity for the Sabres to send a message, that they are not a "soft" team, and that you can't just run over our star players. The game could have gotten ugly, it could have gotten out of hand, and there could have been multiple suspensions and fines handed down from NHL disciplinarian Branden Shanahan, who warned both teams before the game. But in my humble opinion, it was a good hard fought game, although I didn't always agree with some of the calls, who does!

Now I know all Bruins fans were laughing at the Sabres for waiting a week to respond to the hit; but how long did it take the Bruins to respond to Matt Cooke's hit, that may have ultimately ended Marc Savard's career? There are times, in a game, where teams or players don't respond to dirty hits, both these two teams have screwed up in that regard, but most importantly to me, is how you rebound from the initial game. Yes I know the Sabres lost all the fights, that they were in Last night, but that's not the important thing, we stood up for ourselves and sent a message, that were not a pushover team. There was a lot of drama drummed up over this rematch game, most stirred up by the media, but the Sabres made sure not to disappoint a sell-out crowd at the First Niagara Center. Just 83 seconds into the game Paul Gaustad challenged Milan Lucic to a fight, "It was straight to the point," Lucic said. "You don't really know what to expect. You go into every game prepared for anything. It was actually probably good on both ends just to get it out of the way right off the start." The fight lasted for 21 punches and ended with Gaustad on the ice, but that didn't matter to the crowd, they were just happy their team was back from playing with barbie dolls. "It was a hard-fought game, and it's unfortunate about the outcome," Gaustad said. "Everybody stuck together. It was something we talked about in the locker room after the Boston game. I'm proud of the way the guys played." But the fights didn't stop with the Gaustad-Lucic melee, 11.5 minutes through the first period Brad Marchand threw a punishing check, that sent Nathan Gerbe flying into the boards, moments later Marchand and Gerbe were joined by the rest of their teammates in a full on Battle Royal. All 10 of the skaters on the ice were throwing wild punches, the only thing that could have made it better, would have been a goalie fight between Enroth and Thomas. A few minutes later, after two separate cross checks from both teams, another scrum broke lose; McQuaid and Marchand started up with Gaustad as the three players were all throwing punches, but then Zdeno Chara and Robyn Regehr veered off for the main event. Although Chara easily won that fight as well, the crowd still didn't care, they were on their feet loud and proud for their team and the fights that were taking place. Toughness and fearlessness replaced the embarrassment from last week's affair; but lost in all the fights and hits and punches, was the fact that a hockey game still had to be played and one team would come away victorious. "We're not going to turn this into a street fight," Gerbe said. "We want to win a game. That's our goal. Goose stepped up and did a good job, went toe-to-toe with their tough guy and did really well. Robyn, same thing." From that moment on, cooler heads prevailed and it turned into a hockey game; a physical hockey game, that featured lots of special teams, and some horrible officiating, but a hockey game non the less. By the end of the first period Sabres fans were feeling pretty good about their team, as they left the ice up 2-0 on goals by Vanek and Ehrhoff.

But in the second period every time a Sabres player touched a Bruin, a penalty was called, many of the calls were weak, but you can't fight the men in the stripes. The Sabres were penalized 7 times in the final 40 minutes, compared to the Bruins 2, both Bruins penalties resulted in 4 on 4 play though. With the horrible officiating the door was open for the Bruins to climb right back into the game, and that they did; Tyler Seguin scored the first Bruin goal that cut the lead to 2-1, then a special moment as T.J. Brennan scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game, to give the Sabres a 3-1 lead, but with more penalty trouble on the horizon, it was all for naught; Goals by Marchand and Chara, tied the game up. Thus the game went to overtime and then a shootout. But in the Shootout it was a battle of the goalies, Thomas maked a save, only to see Enroth top it with a save of his own. It went back and forth till the 5th round, when Enroth got sniped top corner. And that was all she wrote. "I was happy with how we played," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "There were a lot of good things. You play like that, you're going to win a lot of games."

Despite the loss I was very happy with the game and the way we stood up for ourselves and fought back, we didn't do anything stupid, we played good hard hockey, we banged with the big tough Bruins, that's a hard task in itself. We got a point, and a point in this very tight Eastern conference is something to be happy with. Through the 20 game mark we have 25 points and are in the playoff picture in 7th, plus were only 1 point behind the Leafs and Bruins and 3 points behind the Flyers for top spot. I don't know about you but I'll take that compared to our start last season. To be honest Tim Thomas stole the game for the Bruins like he so often has in the past, we had 8 or 9 great chances, that would have been in the net if we were up against any other tender. Thomas bounced back from a shaky start and won the game, it happens. But I like the toughness we showed, standing up for ourselves after being absolutely embarrassed. It's a good way to draw the team together, players show that they care and want to fight hard for their teammates, it's great for team unity. I think the Sabres are going to be a stronger, tougher and a better team all around after this game, and it is a learning point for our team. Right now the Sabres are in a tough spot, we're missing 7 players who were available for the opening win in Europe. I hate to say it, but I believe Enroth is showing he can't handle the pressure of being the pure number one goaltender right now. Anyways, I'm glad we stood up for ourselves out there and showed people were not pushovers, it's good for out team and our reputation around the league. We got another game to play on Friday so hopefully we can build from our tough play and come out on top with 2 points and jump ahead of the big bad Bruins again.

So I learned two things from this game; 1, we are the worst team ever at keeping two goal leads. We were up 2-0, then 3-1, yet we still lose 4-3. So we need to learn how to finish a hockey game. 2, we need Miller back, I don't care what anyone says or thinks about him, we need him back. If this team wants to go deep in the playoffs and perhaps take it all, we need him in net stealing games for us, like he has done season after season. I'm not jumping ship on Miller after what 6 bad games? I say once he's healthy (and if Enroth keeps playing like this) we throw Miller back in and ride him till he starts to lose. I think with Miller around it helps Enroth, it gives him confidence, and keeps some attention away from him. Oh yeah, I also learned that I still hate shootouts; like I said on twitter "there is a reason, we don't use shootouts in the playoffs". I think they're stupid, they may be exciting, but it comes down to pure luck and fluke. So thank you Sabres for playing some good hard hockey for once, and thank you Bruins, for bringing the Sabres out of their shells, and allowing them to have their best first period all season.

The Kid is Back!

I know, I know; most hockey fans (including myself) are 
 sick and tired about hearing when Crosby will make his return, but he has FINALLY made it back to the ice for a game, and that's something to blog about! I know Crosby`s return to the ice has been, over televised, over analyzed and what not, but if you don`t understand what Sidney Crosby brings to the game of hockey and the NHL, then you my friend, no nothing about hockey!
Those of you who follow me on twitter (@Hockeylife30) would know that; I don't like the Pittsburgh Penguins and I am not a huge fan of Crosby, but I was very happy to see him play Monday night. When I first awoke Monday morning I was disappointed to see Crosby's return was not on my TV schedule for that night, infact none of 7 games were available to me! So when I heard that CBC had picked up the game I was beyond excited.

When the public address announcer called out Sidney Crosby's name during the pre-game, there was a deafening cheer, as everyone at the game rose to their feet welcoming the games biggest super star back to the ice. Crosby did not disappoint, in a night that will go down in NHL history; much like Lemouix's return (the two were compared all night) Crosby netted 2 goals and added 2 assists just for the fun of it. Talk about amazing, a guy that's been out of the lineup for 10 months, comes back and has a game like he did on Monday night, is literally incredible. Now I'd be lying if I said that I was surprised by Crosby's play on Monday night. For one, he's been skating for what 2 months now? He's had all the time to sharpen his skills and hone them to perfection, it wasn't, a situation where they threw a player out there and hope they are ready, the Penguins took their sweet time in letting Crosby be "fully" healed and prepared for his first game back. Another reason I wasn't all that surprised, is because of their opponents, a team Crosby has dominated his whole career, a team that is struggling badly in the league right now, and a team that was starting a rookie goaltender; The New York Islanders. I'm not taking anything away from Sidney Crosby's triumphant return, just saying I wasn't all that surprised with how well he played. It took Crosby just 5 minutes and 24 seconds to show, that he was back and ready to play, he scored a goal, that will now be showed over and over and over again on sports highlight shows. It was a sweet goal; Crosby took a pass in the neutral zone, split two Islander defenders, then went backhand roof-daddy on the Islanders rookie goalie. It was Crosby's first goal since Dec. 28, 2010. On CBC they clocked him going 35 mph on that play, nothing is going to stop a player going that fast, except maybe a brick wall. That goal sent the crowd at Consol Energy Center into a mad frenzy and of course Crosby wasn't finished yet! Crosby then preceded to score his second goal of the night, it wasn't as "pretty" as the first goal, but it still counts. Crosby was against the boards trying to rid himself of an Islanders defenseman, he spun and turned and made the defenseman look like a total fool, then Crosby took a quick shot that went off the post and in! Crosby finished the night with 4 points in 16 minutes of ice time in a 5-0 win over the Islanders.

After the game Sid the Kid was all smiles; "I'll have a great memory of this one for a lot of different reasons," Crosby said after the game. "That was a pretty fun one to be a part of. I'm happy it went well." But some folks went a little over board after the game; a question was tweeted many times on twitter; "how long before Crosby is leading the league in points"? originally asked by Jonathan Quick. Now although Quick was kidding, Crosby now has 70 points in his last 42 games, I don't think it will be long before Kessel gets some company atop the league as Crosby is now only 25 points back."For us, watching him every day in practice, even last year when we were in the playoffs and he was skating with us, he was doing amazing things," Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. "He treated his rehab real seriously and that's what happens when you make the sacrifice. He came back and was 100 percent like he said he was going to be." Pittsburgh forward Matt Cooke added, "It's Sidney Crosby. The guy loves the stage and he loves to play. He's one of the biggest competitors. Not just in hockey, but in everything he does. It's proof of that tonight." One thing is for sure, Crosby has one of the best work ethics in all of professional sports. There is no real secret to the amazing skill that Crosby possess; some people are born with, but the rest has to be worked at; Crosby is successful because he works so hard at what he does and what he loves. He is one of the most respected players around the league, and his peers were both happy and impressed by Crosby's return. Logan Coutoure took to twitter to say that; "Saying  #87 makes it look easy is an understatement," Leafs Forward Tyler Bozak added his two cents; "What a player, It was great for the game of hockey to have him back on the ice putting on a show again." "I still can't put into words how HAPPY I am for Sidney Crosby. I watched the highlights and get choked up," said former MLS star Taylor Twellman, who was forced to retire because of concussion-related problems. So Crosby is possibly the most popular Canadian athlete in all of sports.

Upon hearing the Crosby would suit up for the game on Monday the hockey world was set a buzz; CBC went crazy to buy rights to air the game, and cancelled all their shows lined up for the typical Monday night slot, to top that they had a Sidney Crosby special airing before the game. And how about the sports journalists, so many journalists applied to get into the game, that they had to deny access to some, I believe there were 77 requests for media credentials, the journalists had to find a plane to fly them to Pittsburgh, so needless to say the hockey world was a wild mess leading up to a game, that couldn't have been written any better. I jokingly said to my dad "how long till the movie rights are sold". Like I said earlier this was a huge thing for the game of hockey and the NHL, the face of the sport was back on the ice, doing his thing, scoring highlight reel goals and making heads turn. Many young kids take to the ice, because they want to be just like Sidney Crosby, they bug and bug their parents until they get a Crosby jersey, then they want to see him play, so they buy tickets; Sidney Crosby is a money maker for the NHL, and he also draws a large crowd to watch games; heck Sportscenter had a top 10 Sidney Crosby highlight reel this morning. ESPN in the states even led off their evening Sportscenter with hockey. I didn't even know they knew how to spell hockey! Heck Sidney Crosby is hockey, he is what every young Canadian hockey playing boy wants to be. Sidney Crosby`s return was an amazing beginning to a new chapter in his story. I'm super happy for Crosby, the last 10 months of his life has been a living nightmare; dizziness, grogginess, headaches and disorientation; not knowing when or if these symptoms would pass and when he would awaken from this horror story. Not knowing if or when he would play a game again, how long it would take for him to be the SIDNEY Crosby of old again. But he's back and perhaps better than ever "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

One downer for me, is that Crosby has been back for 1 game, 16 minutes, and they are already back to using Crosby and Ovechkin in the same sentences again. These two phenomenal hockey players are completely different; Crosby has had better coaching and has been allowed to develop and become who he is today in the NHL, Ovechkin has had crappy coaching, every coach he's had has tried to change his game to what they want, instead of what makes Ovechkin, be Ovechkin. They have two different styles and two different teams; Crosby has tons of help, Ovechkin doesn't. But already people are wondering if Crosby's hot start will make Ovechkin play better. Give it a break people! Why can't Crosby have his moment without dragging Ovechkin into the question? People are actually saying, that Ovechkin stopped playing well just cause Crosby was hurt? Give it a rest people, the two parties are completely unrelated here. Crosby misses 68 games and then after 1 were right back to the rivalary of these two, they haven't even faced off against each other yet! (Anyways if Crosby's hot play sparks Ovechkin then I'm fine with it, I like Ovechkin, but in my humble opinion nothing will help Ovechkin until there is a change behind his bench.)

So Crosby is back and all is well again in the NHL and in Pittsburgh, it was great to see Sid the Kid back on the ice, scoring goals. Hopefully he stays healthy and continues to produce, I still think some bone head player will try and hit Crosby again, but I hope I'm wrong. So here's to a great year for Crosby and hopefully the last time I have to hear major talk about him for the foreseeable feature. Just Let the kid play.
So to sum it up Congrats Crosby, and I'm sorry to all the teams that have to play against him soon!

The Kid is Back!

I know, I know; most hockey fans (including myself) are 
 sick and tired about hearing when Crosby will make his return, but he has FINALLY made it back to the ice for a game, and that's something to blog about! I know Crosby`s return to the ice has been, over televised, over analyzed and what not, but if you don`t understand what Sidney Crosby brings to the game of hockey and the NHL, then you my friend, no nothing about hockey!
Those of you who follow me on twitter (@Hockeylife30) would know that; I don't like the Pittsburgh Penguins and I am not a huge fan of Crosby, but I was very happy to see him play Monday night. When I first awoke Monday morning I was disappointed to see Crosby's return was not on my TV schedule for that night, infact none of 7 games were available to me! So when I heard that CBC had picked up the game I was beyond excited.

When the public address announcer called out Sidney Crosby's name during the pre-game, there was a deafening cheer, as everyone at the game rose to their feet welcoming the games biggest super star back to the ice. Crosby did not disappoint, in a night that will go down in NHL history; much like Lemouix's return (the two were compared all night) Crosby netted 2 goals and added 2 assists just for the fun of it. Talk about amazing, a guy that's been out of the lineup for 10 months, comes back and has a game like he did on Monday night, is literally incredible. Now I'd be lying if I said that I was surprised by Crosby's play on Monday night. For one, he's been skating for what 2 months now? He's had all the time to sharpen his skills and hone them to perfection, it wasn't, a situation where they threw a player out there and hope they are ready, the Penguins took their sweet time in letting Crosby be "fully" healed and prepared for his first game back. Another reason I wasn't all that surprised, is because of their opponents, a team Crosby has dominated his whole career, a team that is struggling badly in the league right now, and a team that was starting a rookie goaltender; The New York Islanders. I'm not taking anything away from Sidney Crosby's triumphant return, just saying I wasn't all that surprised with how well he played. It took Crosby just 5 minutes and 24 seconds to show, that he was back and ready to play, he scored a goal, that will now be showed over and over and over again on sports highlight shows. It was a sweet goal; Crosby took a pass in the neutral zone, split two Islander defenders, then went backhand roof-daddy on the Islanders rookie goalie. It was Crosby's first goal since Dec. 28, 2010. On CBC they clocked him going 35 mph on that play, nothing is going to stop a player going that fast, except maybe a brick wall. That goal sent the crowd at Consol Energy Center into a mad frenzy and of course Crosby wasn't finished yet! Crosby then preceded to score his second goal of the night, it wasn't as "pretty" as the first goal, but it still counts. Crosby was against the boards trying to rid himself of an Islanders defenseman, he spun and turned and made the defenseman look like a total fool, then Crosby took a quick shot that went off the post and in! Crosby finished the night with 4 points in 16 minutes of ice time in a 5-0 win over the Islanders.

After the game Sid the Kid was all smiles; "I'll have a great memory of this one for a lot of different reasons," Crosby said after the game. "That was a pretty fun one to be a part of. I'm happy it went well." But some folks went a little over board after the game; a question was tweeted many times on twitter; "how long before Crosby is leading the league in points"? originally asked by Jonathan Quick. Now although Quick was kidding, Crosby now has 70 points in his last 42 games, I don't think it will be long before Kessel gets some company atop the league as Crosby is now only 25 points back."For us, watching him every day in practice, even last year when we were in the playoffs and he was skating with us, he was doing amazing things," Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. "He treated his rehab real seriously and that's what happens when you make the sacrifice. He came back and was 100 percent like he said he was going to be." Pittsburgh forward Matt Cooke added, "It's Sidney Crosby. The guy loves the stage and he loves to play. He's one of the biggest competitors. Not just in hockey, but in everything he does. It's proof of that tonight." One thing is for sure, Crosby has one of the best work ethics in all of professional sports. There is no real secret to the amazing skill that Crosby possess; some people are born with, but the rest has to be worked at; Crosby is successful because he works so hard at what he does and what he loves. He is one of the most respected players around the league, and his peers were both happy and impressed by Crosby's return. Logan Coutoure took to twitter to say that; "Saying  #87 makes it look easy is an understatement," Leafs Forward Tyler Bozak added his two cents; "What a player, It was great for the game of hockey to have him back on the ice putting on a show again." "I still can't put into words how HAPPY I am for Sidney Crosby. I watched the highlights and get choked up," said former MLS star Taylor Twellman, who was forced to retire because of concussion-related problems. So Crosby is possibly the most popular Canadian athlete in all of sports.

Upon hearing the Crosby would suit up for the game on Monday the hockey world was set a buzz; CBC went crazy to buy rights to air the game, and cancelled all their shows lined up for the typical Monday night slot, to top that they had a Sidney Crosby special airing before the game. And how about the sports journalists, so many journalists applied to get into the game, that they had to deny access to some, I believe there were 77 requests for media credentials, the journalists had to find a plane to fly them to Pittsburgh, so needless to say the hockey world was a wild mess leading up to a game, that couldn't have been written any better. I jokingly said to my dad "how long till the movie rights are sold". Like I said earlier this was a huge thing for the game of hockey and the NHL, the face of the sport was back on the ice, doing his thing, scoring highlight reel goals and making heads turn. Many young kids take to the ice, because they want to be just like Sidney Crosby, they bug and bug their parents until they get a Crosby jersey, then they want to see him play, so they buy tickets; Sidney Crosby is a money maker for the NHL, and he also draws a large crowd to watch games; heck Sportscenter had a top 10 Sidney Crosby highlight reel this morning. ESPN in the states even led off their evening Sportscenter with hockey. I didn't even know they knew how to spell hockey! Heck Sidney Crosby is hockey, he is what every young Canadian hockey playing boy wants to be. Sidney Crosby`s return was an amazing beginning to a new chapter in his story. I'm super happy for Crosby, the last 10 months of his life has been a living nightmare; dizziness, grogginess, headaches and disorientation; not knowing when or if these symptoms would pass and when he would awaken from this horror story. Not knowing if or when he would play a game again, how long it would take for him to be the SIDNEY Crosby of old again. But he's back and perhaps better than ever "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

One downer for me, is that Crosby has been back for 1 game, 16 minutes, and they are already back to using Crosby and Ovechkin in the same sentences again. These two phenomenal hockey players are completely different; Crosby has had better coaching and has been allowed to develop and become who he is today in the NHL, Ovechkin has had crappy coaching, every coach he's had has tried to change his game to what they want, instead of what makes Ovechkin, be Ovechkin. They have two different styles and two different teams; Crosby has tons of help, Ovechkin doesn't. But already people are wondering if Crosby's hot start will make Ovechkin play better. Give it a break people! Why can't Crosby have his moment without dragging Ovechkin into the question? People are actually saying, that Ovechkin stopped playing well just cause Crosby was hurt? Give it a rest people, the two parties are completely unrelated here. Crosby misses 68 games and then after 1 were right back to the rivalary of these two, they haven't even faced off against each other yet! (Anyways if Crosby's hot play sparks Ovechkin then I'm fine with it, I like Ovechkin, but in my humble opinion nothing will help Ovechkin until there is a change behind his bench.)

So Crosby is back and all is well again in the NHL and in Pittsburgh, it was great to see Sid the Kid back on the ice, scoring goals. Hopefully he stays healthy and continues to produce, I still think some bone head player will try and hit Crosby again, but I hope I'm wrong. So here's to a great year for Crosby and hopefully the last time I have to hear major talk about him for the foreseeable feature. Just Let the kid play.
So to sum it up Congrats Crosby, and I'm sorry to all the teams that have to play against him soon!

The Sabres 1/4

The Sabres 1/4

As we approach the ¼ pole of this NHL season, here are my “grades” the Sabres to this point in the season.   Admittedly, they are not scientific, and if I like a player they may be inflated a bit (I still think not resigning Connolly was a mistake), however, the converse is true as well.  If I don’t particularly care for a player he may be downgraded a bit, that’s life, not everyone likes everyone else and we move forward.

TEAM GRADE:  B

 Even though there is a general disappointment with the Sabres so far, overall the team is getting the early season points it needs.  Unlike last year when they started in a big hole, this team is earning points.  Everything else can be wiped way, getting points is the only stat that matters.  However, they have been exposed earlier this year than in previous seasons.  The loss to the Bruins, even before the Miller controversy, showed why they probably won’t win the Stanley Cup this year.  They are built for the post-lockout NHL regular season; they are not built for the NHL Playoffs.  I’m not a big fan of the word “soft” when talking about hockey and its players, no one is soft, but what they are is not physical enough.  This team, with few exceptions, is not a physical team and that’s what wins Cups, period. 

FORWARDS GRADE:  B

First Line: A.

Vanek: A. He is my runner up for team MVP.  Without him the Sabres would have, as a minimum, three less wins and be out of a playoff spot.

Pominville: A-.  The player is doing everything that is expected of him and is among the league leaders in points.  A surprise around the league according to the announcers on Versus (do they even know Buffalo at all?!?!) It’s not a surprise to us.  He gets a minus due to being the captain.  More is expected of him and I for one, was disappointed at his silence with the press after the Miller-affair.

Adam: A. Anyone who follows me on twitter knows I thought he would be the biggest addition to the team this year.  So far, he’s proving me right. Would like to see him play with a bit more confidence and use that big body more often.

Second Line: C-

Roy: B+ (but rising) Derek – welcome to the season, it started in October, not November but it’s good to see the scoring touch come back. What’s most impressive is Derek the Pest is reemerging and that is something the rest of the league should beware of.

Stafford: C-.  Too easy to blame others, but this guy scored 30 goals last year and I want to see that guy back, not this one.  Maybe too much Drew-man-fu nonsense, but come on, time to pick it up.  This team needs Stafford to score goals to be successful over 82 games and the playoffs.

Leino: D.  Simply put – he’s not doing enough (anything) to justify his contract.  He was brought in to be a first line center and he’s been anywhere from a fourth line winger to a second line center, and hasn’t done well in any role.

Third Line: B-

Gerbe: B.  He’s a spark plug, for his line and the team.  This guy gets it and he’s getting close to reaching the upper echelon of the team.  Needs a bit more scoring, but that will come and on the third line sometimes scoring is a plus.  It’s an essential plus on this team but a plus none the less. 

Gaustad: C-.  No excuses, he needs to reassert himself as a physical force in the NHL.  Of all the Sabres I’m most disappointed in his response to the Lucic incident.  He’s a leader, wears an A and let’s his starting goalie get plowed.  Not acceptable.  And his interview afterward may have been even more embarrassing than his lack of response.  He’s been playing more physical since, but that doesn’t change the memo his lack of response said to the rest of the league.

Kaleta: B-. Being suspended four games has tied his hands a bit but this professional pest is more than “head butts” and I anticipate we’ll see the bull dozer Kaleta pretty soon.  He’s already become more physical than the first couple of games back, but needs to regain his edge. 

Fourth Line/Others: B

McCormick: A. Determination and teammate are the two words that come to mind when I think of him.  Looking forward to his return.

Boyes: C.  Unless he starts doing something his days in Buffalo are numbered and he’ll be looking at a drastic pay cut wherever he goes.  No one pays a fourth line center and PP “specialist” $4m.  

Ennis: Incomplete, but he would have had to do something special as he was clearly headed for the only F on the team.  There’s a good chance he gets labeled the new Afinogenov with the way he can skate, move with the puck and not score consistently.  Too much skill not to have a point.

Ellis: Incomplete, but would expect him to be in the B range given his likeness to McCormick’s style.  Heart is big in this league and there are more players like Ellis than Vanek.

Tropp: Incomplete, but from what I’ve seen he is a good call up and a good fill in.

Hecht: Incomplete.  Don’t really anticipate much from him.  He may be able to help this team the most with cap space by being a Long Term Injury.

DEFENSE:  C

Regehr: B+.  He has been as advertised and I like Lindy’s approach with him.  He’s not getting killed with minutes in the regular season and it’s a pleasure to watch him play.  He’s marked down a bit because I’d like to see him develop a better partnership with one of the younger guys.  I for one, like defensemen who specialize in defense.  That’s what wins championships!

Ehroff: B-.  This guy is a player and as his comfort level increases so will his goals and assists.  Like Regehr, he is as advertised.  Not the best defensive d-man but that’s not what got him his payday.  I’m not a big plus/minus guy for the people who lead their teams in ice time and that’s probably the biggest knock on him to this point.

Myers: D.  Hard to believe this is the same guy that was so dominant as a rookie.  To date, that has been his best year.  He has all the physical attributes but his slow start is progressing into a what, “junior slump?” Ruff needs to take the kid gloves off with this player and see what’s making him tick.  I’d like to see the guy from last season’s playoffs more often.

Sekera: D.  Another “offensive” defenseman, but to date he hasn’t been very good on either end.   Like a lot of people, wondering what the Sabres fascination is with him.  Has brief periods of solid play, but the key word is brief. 

Gragnani: C-.  See Sekera,  except with less than ½ the pay.  After the playoffs last year too much was expected of MAG but there have been flashes.  Flashes aren’t enough, professional players are paid for results.

Leopold: C. Much like the rest of the D there have been far too many nights where Leopold has either disappeared or appeared only to turn the puck over leaving the goaltenders out on an island.  Much more is expected of him and as a real “pro” I anticipate him getting it together, probably faster than some of his counterparts.

Weber: Incomplete. I’d like to see him get more playing time.  He earned it over the course of last season, more so than a couple of the others getting more playing time.

Montador: B. Oh, wait, he wasn’t good enough to play for this team.

GOALTENDING: B.

Miller:  C+.  He is this year’s Tim Connolly.  Everything that goes wrong has been clearly laid at Miller’s feet.  As the “face of the franchise” that’s how it goes.  He started off great and then, something happened.  Who knows what it was, but his defense certainly doesn’t help him out often enough.  The team plays noticeably looser when he’s in the net, but they do that for a reason – he’s a top-3 backstop in the league.  Even with all the odd man rushes, he needs to make more saves.  I’m looking forward to his return.  The Sabres can’t win without him and can’t win with him playing average.  They need THE RYAN MILLER, not the guy who’s been shaky the last few times out.

Enroth: A.  This grade reflects his season as a back-up, not the clear number 1. My quarter pole MVP.  But, the jury is out now that he’s in the number 1 slot.  He gives the team the best 1-2 goalies since, who knows, Crozier and Desjardins, and could conceivably develop into a solid number 1. Key word is develop, he’s not a full season/playoff goalie at this point, but I’d take him for short stretches.