swordplay

Which Do You Prefer? 3 of the Last 5 or 6 of the Last 10?

Since Trevor and Jon already gave their "season over" posts, I figured that I wouldn't bother giving my take on it. I convinced myself that it would have just been redundant, having no choice but to repeat most of the things they already said.

But since then, there has been plenty of news surrounding the Buffalo Sabres. And honestly, I still found myself not really wanting to write about them, but the more I sat and thought about it the less I could help myself.

If you're not aware of what the numbers above indicate, I'll give you a clue: The three and the five relate to how many times the Sabres have missed the playoffs, and the five and the ten explain out of how many years it took to reach those previous numbers, respectively.

So which ones look better to you? The smaller numbers or the bigger numbers? Either way you choose to look at it, both sets of numbers say the exact same thing: Every five years the Sabres only make the playoffs twice. But if you read Darcy Regier's latest comments, he's optimistic because they've actually made the playoffs twice in the last three years. Holy-splitting-fucking-hairs. So we'll just forget that in those two playoff appearances, his team was given the grand honor only eight teams per season get to share: a first round exit. [golf clap]

I guess we can look at the bright side about the last decade as we officially can't say this team's play is completely inconsistent anymore. [yawn]

One thing we can say is the what most of the Buffalo media has already taken care of: How can this team finish such a high-expectation yet disappointing season without explaining themselves in an end-of-season press conference?

Lindy Ruff had already taken care of his guys during their final practice of the season. He berated his players twice -- before and after their longest (and most pointless) workout of the season -- pointing out missteps and errors that ultimately cost them a berth into the playoffs. He singled out veterans for lack of leadership and production but applauded some of the younger players for stepping up and helping their late push.

After this information hit the Buffalo News, some fans that commented were enraged that Ruff spent so much time criticizing his own guys while not taking any time to put some of the blame upon himself.

I definitely understood where these fans were coming from but I felt differently. While I hardly think the perfect time to call out players is in a meaningless practice succeeding the game that found you eliminated from the playoffs, Ruff is still entitled to handling his players as he sees fit. Would it maybe have been a little more beneficial to take this action before the season spun completely out of control? Sometime in December, perhaps? Of course, but nonetheless Ruff was well within his rights. He doesn't answer to his players; he's their boss.

Granted, when I was thinking this at the time, I was expecting that Ruff would have to answer the tough questions from 1) his boss(es) and 2) the media -- with some of these questions taking place in the setting of a press conference.

But the answer was nay to both. I guess we all know now that it doesn't go down that way in Buffalo these days. By the Sabres organization letting Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier cover their faces with their sport coats and run off to their limousines while dogging hordes of pocket recorders and notepads, it gave me the proof that these two men are untouchable; that they basically answer to no one.

It's a funny feeling as a fan when you know there could be a possibility of great upside if a change was made, but with every new failed season, you still retain a certain fear and somehow know in the back of your head that nothing will ever change. Well not ever, I guess; everybody dies eventually. But still, it's a slap in the face of the fans who pay money to watch this charade -- I know, I know, there are strangely still just as many R&R supporters as there are haters. I'm still working on understanding that one.

But for people like me who figure things won't change (yet still reserve that place in my brain where I hope that I might be wrong someday) feel even more disrespected [enraged] when that fucktard Ted Black rushes out to WGR three days after the season ends so he can announce his unchanged faith in Ruff and Regier.

I mean, couldn't you at least wait a month and fool us into thinking that you looked long and hard for their replacements but couldn't find any suitable prospects? Believe me, I probably wouldn't have bought that either, but it would still beat listening to Black's pompous/cunty -- I'm smarter and better than everyone -- explanation behind announcing the inevitable so quickly.

It leaves me little hope that there will be any success in the near future. I almost want to go out on a limb and say this team won't win anything substantial (even a division title) until they get yet another owner.

Remember, Pegula once said that his daughter would quit playing tennis if she were under the same scrutiny as the Buffalo Sabres are at times. Obviously this belief has trickled down on how he treats his coaching staff, management, and players altogether. And Ruff and Regier's names might as well be Jessie and Kellie, because they now have a boss that is just as comfortable pampering them as if they were his own daughters. This belief has undoubtedly been reflected onto everyone from the top down. And I don't know about anyone else, but common sense would say that this very belief will hold the Sabres back from ever reaching the highest level in one of the most intense professional sports.

So it's a good thing that tennis and hockey don't have too much in common. Because if Pegula really wants to deliver on his initial promise, eventually he'll most likely be forced into changing his outlook on criticism first. And only time will uncover if he'll actually ever be open to that idea.

But currently at least, it doesn't appear to be the end of the world to some fans, but one day even the most loyal Ruff, Regier, Black, and/or Pegula supporters will find themselves turning on one, two or all of them. Patience only lasts so long, and I don't know many people patient enough to wait through another decade of only making the playoffs 40% of the time.

And if your mind works anything like mine does; where a first round exit isn't even noteworthy of making it, you can go ahead and lower that number to 20%.

Yes! Finally Some Accountability

THIS is what I wanted to hear from Ryan Miller.  I wanted to see some humility, some ownership.  Spelling mistakes aside (a little editing, please, WGR), I'm glad to hear that Ryan Miller recognizes that he was having issues prior to the Lucic hit, and that he has to play better. 

I feel like at least one comment was directed squarely at me (I know it wasn't... Ryan Miller doesn't even know this blog exists) when he mentioned being called a Prima Donna.  Yeah, I've called him that quite a bit this season. 

I can't argue with the guy when he says he hunkered down and played his best hockey.  There's no doubt that from January to the end of March, he was arguably the best goaltender in the NHL.  Since he's not going anywhere in the offseason, I sincerely hope that he finds a way to maintain that level of play throughout the course of the season next year.  If he does, his comments today went a long way in restoring my faith in him and I'll hop right back on his bandwagon.   But man, the play HAS to be there.  And I'm not backing off my comment the other day... fix that glove hand in the off season!

Afterthoughts

In what may very well be my last post until free agency opens up, I'd like to get a few more random thoughts out of my head now that I've had a night to sleep on it. 

What upsets me most about this season is how the Sabres sqandered it early on.  They went from 1st in their division, to dead last in the East, and then found themselves dominating through February and March to claw their way back into the picture.  Did injuries contribute?  Absolutely.  This past week proved, to me at least, that this team cannot function without Tyler Myers and/or Christian Ehrhoff.  Having both out at the same time was a recipe for disaster.  HOWEVER(!!), injuries cannot be blamed for a three month stretch from early November to the All-Star break where the Sabres couldn't win a game to save their lives.  You can't blame injuries for laziness, sloppy play, bad turnovers, etc.  At some point the rest of your team needs to act like professional athletes, and step up and take over.  Tell me again about how injuries wrecked the season.  Then explain to me why Pittsburgh, who had the same if not worse injury problems this year, is squarely in the playoffs while Buffalo is not.  Go ahead... I'm waiting to hear the logic.  The Pens had injury after injury after injury.  They went huge chunks of this season without the best forward in hockey.  Period.  Did it slow them down?  Sure, but they still managed to win enough games to get in.

I will give Darcy credit.  He pulled off another of his patented amazing deals that brought Cody Hodgson and Alexander Sulzer from Vancouver for Kassian and Gragnani.  I was unsure about Sulzer.  I'm not anymore.  I like his style of play a lot.  Hodgson had a slow start, but he came around nicely during the final push and I think he's got a lot of potential.  Darcy also (and I still can't believe this) stole a 1st round draft pick for Paul Gaustad.  I would LOVE to have heard how that conversation went down!  And I wouldn't be surprised if Gaustad didn't end up back in Buffalo this off season, which would mean Darcy got a 1st round pick for a rental!  Like I said in January in this post, I've always like Darcy's style.  He does make shrewd moves.  But in no way does he get a pass for his inaction when this team was floundering.  For example, I'll be the first to admit that I had no idea Marcus Foligno was going to make the impact he has in such a short time.  (But, then, it's not my job to know such things.)  Darcy clearly knew what he had waiting in the wings or he would never have traded Kassian.  Why, then, did he wait so long to call up Foligno for some much needed offensive help?  Why did he wait so long to try to make a trade?  Why was Lindy kept when the team clearly wasnt' responding? 

The way I see it, Darcy has one last chance to prove he should keep his job.  I want to see how he drafts, and I want to see what he does in free agency.  In that post I referenced a minute ago, I mentioned a few other things that the Sabres need to do.  First and foremost, they need a legit #1 center. Whether they accomplish that through the draft or free agency doesn't matter, but they absolutely need to address it.  I'd also like to see them go after another center as well, as they are very weak at that position.  And, I would still like to see them go after TJ Oshie in the off season.  To date, he has played 78 games for the Blues and has 19 goals, 33 assists, 52 pts, and is a +16.  Got that?  A PLUS-16!  The moves Darcy makes in the off season should determine his fate.

My next complaint is the treatment of Luke Adam.  Yes, the kid struggled, but the entire team was struggling.  How do you single him out of that mess and make HIM the whipping boy?  Rookie player, struggling team, and frequent line changes didn't help him at all.  He's now been relegated to Rochester with no hope of coming back up.  The Sabres took a talented kid and broke him.  Some of that is on Adam, but much, much more of it is on the management and coaching staff.  I don't know that he will bounce back in Buffalo/Rochester.  I think his only hope now is a fresh start in another system.  Sad, because I had high hopes for him.

As for Lindy, I really do still like the guy, and there's no doubt he somehow managed to turn this team around in the second half, but I still believe his tenure in Buffalo should come to a close.  Too many mistakes, too many excuses, and not enough passion from his players for much of the year.  A big run at the end does not make up for pissing away an entire season.  As I've said before, I'll still be sad to see him go. 

Ryan Miller.  I have to say, he played like a champ down the stretch.  When he's firing on all cylinders he's unbeatable.  But I have BIG problems with his disappearance for fully one half of the season.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Don't blame the Lucic hit because his problems started a full two weeks before that.  I don't know what caused it, and I don't know what got him back on track, but when you're paid like an elite netminder then you'd better freakin' act like one, and that means being a leader, and it means not pouting like a 4 year old when your team does something you don't like, or isn't playing the way you think they should, or when the media has the temerity to actually question your months-long string of bad play, or whatever your complaint of the day is.  Suck it up, keep your mouth shut, and play like a leader.  And, for the love of all that is holy, PLEASE work on your glove hand this off season. 

I'm really torn on Miller now.  Half of me wants him to stay and the other half is completely over him.  The problem is, it depends on consistency.  As a fan, I can tolerate a lot more of his antics when he's playing like a Vezina candidate than I can when he's playing like a sieve.  Bottom line, I really do like Miller, but I'm not gonna cry if he goes elsewhere.  Not that THAT would ever happen.

Unfortunately, I can almost guarantee that, because of the late run, the team will still go after a top line center but no other changes will occur.  We'll hear all summer long how injuries hurt the team, and how management is happy with the core group of guys and how much grit and determination they showed down the stretch, and blah blah blah.  They'll gloss over the fact that there was ZERO grit and determination from November to January.  They'll ignore how utterly lazy the team was.  They'll forget about the complacency.  They'll tell us how this team, when healthy, can accomplish anything.  You know what?  I call shenanigans.  If you need to have every single player on your roster healthy to win then you might as well hang up the skates and throw in the towel. 

This team needs major changes in the off season.  Period.  And if you reeeeeally like the core, then you at least better get a couple more top tier defensmen, and some backup forwards that can step up and play when guys like Vanek and Pominville get hurt.

One more thing... If Jochen Hecht is in a Sabres uniform next season I am going to lose my sh*t! 

Yeah, I know I rambled, and I probably said nothing that everyone doesn't already know.  Tough.  I'm still busy being bitter about what could should have been.

Sabres @ Flyers Live Blog

Well, here we go. Big game tonight. Hoping for a Sabres win and/or a Caps loss. I'm going to actually try to keep up with a live blog tonight. We'll see how it goes. Time for the anthems.

By the way, why is Sulzer a scratch tonight? Is he hurt? No good can come from this!

Update: First minute of play and both teams have already had good chances! This isn't good.

Update: 14:03 1st - Nathan Gerbe is tiny. That is all. Oh, and penalty to Buffalo.

Update: 10:10 1st - Huge save by Miller on 3-on-1 break by Flyers.

Update: 5:15 1st - Can someone please explain why Sulzer is a scratch but Leino isn't? Ever? He might be the only person on this team more useless than Jochen Hecht.

Update: 4:29 1st - Sabres playing well in the neutral zone! Standing up several Flyers and forcing an offside call.

Update: 2:58 in 1st - Hartnell goes high on Hodgson after the whistle. Weber throws Giroux to the ice and refuses to let him up. Sabres end up on power play.

Update: 2:07 in 1st - Miller absolutely ROBS Read with a poke check on shorthanded breakaway. Completely sick play by Miller!

Update: :40 in 1st - Flyers are getting waaaaaay too many chances. Miller isn't gonna stop all of them. Simmons comes off bench and immediately goes after Weber for his mugging of Giroux earlier. Offsetting penalties.

Update: :10 in 1st - Sabres blow a great 3-on-1 chance.

Update: 1st Intermission - Well, things got a little chippy at the end there. Overall, it's been run and gun hockey by both teams. The Sabres can't hang with the Flyers (or anyone) in that type of game. They gave up way too many chances. If they're going to win this game, they need to lock it up and start controlling the pace. They were lucky to escape the period with no score. Kevin Sylvester just said that it was a "buttoned up period by the Sabres for the most part." I didn't see it that way at all. They had their moments, but it's been downhill both ways for the most part. We'll see what happens in the second.

Update: Start of 2nd - Got our answer on Sulzer. He returned home for personal reasons. That can't be good news for him to miss such a huge game. Thoughts with him and his family.

Update: 16:15 2nd - Sekera makes the save of the game after Mr. Softee let's one trickle by. Sabres get a couple good chances shortly thereafter.

Update: 13:20 2nd - Leopold makes great recovery to break up a good opportunity by the Flyers.

Update: 6:45 2nd - Bryzgal... Brzyg...Brgzxq... The Flyers goalie pulls out a huge save to keep it scoreless.

Update: 2:34 2nd - Ville Leino finally earns his paycheck. 1-0 Sabres! I begrudgingly take back my "scratch" comment earlier.

Update: 2nd Intermission - Some more scary moments, but the Sabres got the bounces and Leino scored a big one with 2-and-a-half left in the period. I'll repeat what I said at the 1st break... the Sabres need to tighten things up or they're gonna get burned.

By the way - 3-1 Caps after two. I'd rather see the Caps lose, but Fla losing helps the Sabres, too, so whatever.

Update: 16:40 3rd - Sabres just kept the puck in the Flyers zone for a solid 2 minutes. THIS is what they need to be doing!!

Update: 15:48 3rd - Vanek just made a great play. Puck went up in the air. Simmons caught it in his glove at the Sabres blue line and Vanek leveled him and took the puck. Nice play by a guy who typically isn't the most physical player.

Update: 13:55 3rd - Bourdon scores on a rocket from the point. Dammit.

Update: 11:02 3rd - Bryzgal... Brzyg...Brgzxq... The Flyers goalie robs Ennis on a pretty give and go play between Ennis and Stafford.

Update: Stafford earns 50th point of season and Vanek earns 60th. Not too shabby.

Update: WHY does this team's power play refuse to score goals?? WHY????

Update: 4:22 3rd - GOD DAMMIT! There's the season right there. Regehr gets completely twisted up by Read and gives up a breakaway resulting in a goal.

Update: End of Game - Well kids, there's the season. The ONLY chance the Sabres have is if FLA scores to take that game to OT. If the Caps win in regulation, the Sabres are eliminated. I have nothing else to say right now. At least it wasn't Toronto.

Update: 4-2 Caps. Sabres are eliminated. I'll save the lecture on how this kind of effort all season would have prevented the need for last minute heroics for a later time. I'm a Blackhawks fan the rest of the way. Go Yanks!

Pretty Sure I Lost Ten Years off My Life Last Night

I'll admit it.  When the Sabres went down 3-0 to Toronto in the first period last night, 40 years of being a Buffalo sports fan kicked into overdrive.  I immediately abandoned ship.  Well, not really.  I kept watching, but it was the way you watch a movie for which you already know the ending... an ending you know you hate, but you can't stop watching anyway... like Old Yeller, or Braveheart.  I immediately gave up all hope and resigned myself to an early start to my baseball watching months. 

When will I learn to stop giving up hope?  I've seen this team do it enough times... down by a goal with under a minute left and BAM - we're going to OT.  I seriously can't count the number of times they've done it over the years.  But honestly, I held zero hope that they'd bounce back from a three goal deficit last night.  My resignation grew each time they'd score a goal only to give up another.  But that comeback last night was amazing.  Not because they locked it up and shut down Toronto (they certainly didn't do that) but because of the dogged determination they showed in never giving up.  The best part, though, is that Toronto wasn't the team that knocked Buffalo out of contention, because I can think of very few scenarios worse than that.

I am not sure what will happen over the next two games.  The Sabres certainly have their work cut out for them.  What I do know is this...

• It's been a hell of a ride the past two months
• They can't allow 5 goals against Boston or Filthadelphia and expect to pull out wins.  They have GOT to limit the chances on net.
• The power play needs to start clicking ASAP
• They should immediately extend Marcus Foligno to a fifty year, Four-Hundred-Bajillion-Dollar contract with a clause that prohibits breaking up his line... ever.
• I will not give up on them again until the final horn. (Repeat until in a trancelike state)

Now, go sit down, strap in, and put on your big boy pants, cause the next few days aren't gonna be for the feinthearted fan.

That's All She Wrote

Sadly, the title above holds dual meaning. The Sabres are done and so are we -- at least for this season.

After a weekend that saw Erik's computer shit the bed while the Sabres failed to earn even one point over two games versus backup goalies, our respectives seasons have come to a close.

I'm not shutting the blog down, per se, but this might be the last post until the summer. For now, I'm looking at a solid month of helping my wife recover from surgery, and this is the time of year I just enjoy playing outside with my boys instead of sitting at a computer.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to read our ramblings, especially those who did so more than once. A couple months ago when we were in the thick of things, we had around 100 unique visitors per day -- not too bad for a few slapdick Buffalo transplants who think they know hockey.

Okay, I'm a Little More Excited

I have to admit, upon writing my post two weeks ago, I wasn't sharing the same excitement that the rest of the Sabres faithful seemed to find glory in then, but I honestly didn't foresee this team eventually playing the way they have in the past five games.

I guess I took the wrong approach to the post. While this team was obviously playing far and away better hockey at the time (more to the level they should have been playing all season), I felt that the focus was still more about "what everyone else is doing around you; their fates will determine yours."

I failed to mention the most obvious solution to success, something Lindy Ruff challenged his team with less than a week later: Just win the rest of your games.

In my own defense, I guess it would've been easy to just go out and say that. But realistically, who would have actually believed it? I remember not believing it when I read it in the Buffalo News that day. And if I could actually talk hockey to anyone on a daily basis down here in Texas, I'm pretty sure I would have found a way to incorporate Lindy's comments into a couple of jokes here and there.

But the team since has proved me wrong. They're doing all of the things I've bitched about them not doing since this blog started back in November. They've actually taken their own advice from weeks and weeks of frustrating post-game interviews and are now working for the solid 60 minutes -- Look what happens when you show up and give a shit once and a while.

It's a shame that the uber important showdown with the Capitals Tuesday wasn't the last game of the regular season. It would have been an extraordinary high to go straight into the post-season with, but beggars can't be choosers. Plus, that scenario wouldn't afford any time for Christian Ehrhoff to get healthy; and that guy is one of the more important pieces to the current puzzle. Now we just have to wait and see if this team can finish the job they started, without him.

It always seems like there's a setback in Buffalo though, with injuries or whatever it may be -- What would life be if we didn't have to hold our breaths once and a while? But this team is playing for each other right now, and it looks like they're having a hell of a lot of fun doing it. A characteristic I always saw with the Penguins throughout the latter half of the ten years I spent there.

So I really hope they can pull it off. As much as I've said in the past that this team would benefit greater in the long run from missing the playoffs, I'm still a true fan at heart. And April will be loads more exciting with the Sabres in them rather than not.

Year after year it seems that professional sports are going more the way of "the team that gets hot at the right time wins it all." In the NFL alone we've seen it 4 times in the last 7 years; with the Steelers, Packers, and twice with the Giants. When you look at the level the Sabres are playing at right this moment -- and the projected first-round playoff match-ups -- it isn't hard to think that teams like Buffalo could share that same fate.

Still, I'm not totally pumped. But I can't keep myself from becoming a little more curious [excited] as each new day passes.

Let's just make sure we get there, because the possibilities are endless once you're in.

Eighth Is Enough

Well, we don't know how the standings will shake out a couple weeks from now but, for now, the Buffalo Sabres are officially in the playoffs.

With five straight wins they're the hottest team in hockey. Lindy Ruff challenged them to win their final 10 so they're halfway there. It seems unrealistic to expect that they could win another five straight given their remaining schedule, but there's one thing I know: If they do, they're in for good.

Eff You, Dale Hunter

My apologies to all respectable Caps fans. I've just wanted to be able to write that in a public forum since I was 12.

It's rare to see a beatdown like the 5-1 treat Buffalo put on Washington last night, so that makes the loss of Christian Ehrhoff a little easier to stomach in the short term. But worry not, Caps faithful. I still think the Sabres will miss that playoffs.

If they make it, though, watch out. No one's playing better than Buffalo these days, so if they can sneak in a stay healthy -- with the final two games against Philthy and Boston, that's not too likely -- there's no telling what could happen.  

Peaking at the Right Time

I'm tempted to go to the Sabres/Caps game tomorrow night at the Verizon Center, but I honestly can't remember the last time I went to a Sabres game in person and they won. Oh wait, yes I can; it was the last one I went to. They came from behind to beat the 'Canes in HSBC back in '09 while I was in town for a chili promo/Bills tailgate in late November at The Ralph. The Bills actually beat the Fins too, so that was one great weekend.

But, trust me, they usually lose whenever I'm in attendance.

At any rate, I don't have 200 bucks just lying around at the moment, so no one has to worry that I'll go through all that effort just to jinx the Sabres tomorrow. I can likely do it just as easily from my couch. No matter how impartial I'll want to be, there's not much that can prevent me from rooting for anyone playing the Caps since I live down here in Maryland, so the chips are just gonna have to fall where they may tomorrow evening.

That said, we should be in for a very good game. Both teams are peaking at the right time and almost surely have to treat this game as the most important game of the season to date (Buffalo, of course, has had to peak far longer than the Caps have had to since they crapped the bed in December and January). And I know I speak for everyone when I say I can't wait to see how well the Sabres shut down Ovechkin, and what the Caps do to contain ... Marcus Foligno.

For all intents and purposes, this game is win and in -- at least for the Caps, who still have to face the Bruins and Rangers but also draw the Canadiens, Lightning, and Panthers to round out the season. Even if Buffalo beats the Caps in regulation, I'm not sure they can hold the points -- remember, they hold no tiebreakers -- considering they still have to face the Penguins, Flyers, and Bruins. By the time Buffalo plays Toronto next Saturday and the following Tuesday, their fate may already be decided depending on how they fare tomorrow night and then Friday against Pittsburgh.

Buffalo's biggest challenge against the Caps very well may not even be Ovechkin but goalie Braden Holtby. OV hasn't been the same without Nicklas Backstrom, and Holtby's hot right now and wouldn't have been faulted if he gave up at least a couple goals yesterday during his shutout win over the Wild. The puck just seems to be hitting him, so the Sabres need to be sure to drive the net and keep bodies in front of him from the opening faceoff, or this one may not even be close.

As an aside, I figured I'd point out that Derek Roy has been playing extremely well the past half-dozen games or so. He actually looks like he gives a damn, which is paramount since, well, he usually doesn't.

And how random that we have two Codys on one team? We deserve a Cup for that alone.

Good Lookin' Out, Detroit

Well I suppose it should figure. The Sabres finally thump an opponent and can't move up in the standings. Going into last night's games Buffalo was only two points out of eighth behind the Caps, who were playing the otherwise reliable Red Wings. But as luck would have it, Washington breezed past Detroit 5-3 while the Sabres smacked the Lightning 7-3.

This is why it's so hard to close even a two-point gap down the stretch. It's hard enough to compel the hockey gods to smile on you while you pray for teams to lose after you flop in OT; it's even harder to expect them to come through when you win and stand to gain ground.

I figured Buffalo's season was pretty much over after they coughed up two big points during back-to-back overtime losses against Colorado and Florida, so you have to give them credit for a big win that at least allowed them to keep pace with the Caps. However, there is almost no room for error in a homestretch that features games against the Rangers, Caps, Penguins, Flyers, and Bruins.

Yikes.

Given the remainder of Buffalo's schedule, I'm not sure it would've even mattered if Buffalo had been able to move into a tie for eighth last night. In a perverse sort of way, I think this makes the rest of the games easier to watch since I'm not expecting them to make the playoffs. Less stressful and all that.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not rooting for the Sabres to win; I'd actually like to see them make the postseason.

Come to think of it, you know what? I'm not sure I actually want them to make it. I love watching hockey and I prefer to watch my team whenever possible, but I think failing to make the playoffs will be better for the team in the long run.

I think we've concluded that Darcy is going nowhere, so I'm wondering if a failed season wouldn't encourage Regier to be even more aggressive in the offseason than he's already planning to be. After all, squeaking into the playoffs would seem to lend even more validation to the idea that the big prize was ours for the taking if not for all the injuries. As I've said in the past, injuries obviously contributed to plenty of losses, but any good, hardworking team with leadership and depth shouldn't fall into the abyss because of them, either.

Regardless of how things shake out the rest of the way, there have been some very nice developments this season for the Sabres:

- I think Tyler Ennis's games lost to high ankle sprains were a lot more detrimental than most people originally thought, and it's pretty clear he needs to play center.

- Paul Gaustad's loss was really not much of a loss at all, and I can't wait to see how Regier parlays the first round pick he got from Nashville in return.

- After at least three seasons of keeping us wondering, Andrej Sekera has finally turned into the reliable defensemen most were expecting. He logs a lot of minutes, has started to limit turnovers, runs the power play and, most importantly, has gained enough confidence to realize he belongs. Instead of demonstrating bursts of potential, he's started to play consistently well on a nightly basis. That's all you can really ask.

- Brayden McNabb is already a stud. His addition to the regular roster will immediately improve the D next season and likely make another top six defenseman expendable for use as trade bait in order to bolster other areas of the roster or add more depth to the organization. 

- Holy Marcus Foligno. Where did this guy come from? This could all just be beginner's luck, but at only 20 years of age Foligno has been among the most dominant players on the ice for the Sabres the past week or so. I think we're starting to see why Regier was so comfortable trading Zack Kassian for Cody Hodgson.

- Speaking of Hodgson, who just turned 22, he should become a pivotal piece to the Sabres puzzle in the near future. Fundamentally sound and possessing what appears to be a good work ethic, he kind of resembles a young Chris Drury. He's probably not going to put up 30 goals a year, but it can't be easy getting traded to a new team with only a quarter of the season remaining, yet he already appears to be very comfortable at center and communicating with his new teammates. I don't know if this trade will end up being Briere for Gratton, but it could honestly be close.

- But back to Foligno. This kid deserves a little more elaboration. At 6-3 and over 220 pounds, Foligno is a force. He's just as strong on the puck as Kassian is and appears to have an even better knack for the net. Now here's something I've always wondered if I'd ever write on a Sabres blog. Back when Kassian was first brought up I googled some of his hockey fights. I can't remember who he was fighting, but I recall that it was a guy who was older and who'd spent considerable time in the NHL. Kassian mostly wrestled him to a draw, but in the background of the video was Marcus Foligno pummeling another player pretty handily. It's funny now to recall that, at that time, I thought the person who posted the video might have been focusing on the wrong guy.

This sounds a little pretentious to say now that Kassian's been traded, but I wondered more than a few times since training camp -- Erik can corroborate this -- whether he was a little overhyped. I also wondered if the Sabres organization was always a little concerned about his reputation, given that he's been arrested for a bar fight and suspended a couple different times for borderline dirty hits before he got to the NHL. Granted, this is all speculation, but I guess I'm just saying that if the Sabres were at all concerned about any of this stuff over the past couple years, Marcus Foligno probably made their decision about Kassian pretty easy.

I can't believe I'm going to say this because it's probably way too early and I'll end up looking like a moron, but if I had to pick one player that Marcus Foligno resembles, I'd have to say Jordan Staal. Foligno isn't a center, of course, but he (by all accounts at present, at least) is strong on the puck, very responsible defensively, and unafraid to get his nose dirty in front of the net (which, as we've already seen, tends to result in goals).

At the start of the year, I don't think the Sabres figured that Foligno would be playing such a big role down the stretch. But at the same time, I don't think they figured they'd be fighting just to make the playoffs, either. I doubt as well that they thought Ville Leino would struggle so much and that Derek Roy, Drew Stafford, and Ryan Miller would have off-years.

However, if this season has revealed anything, it's that this team right at this moment has a very nice mixture of veteran leadership and reliable young talent, both of which are imperative to success and eventual championships. It's also interesting to note that Tyler Myers and Tyler Ennis, two cornerstones to the Sabres' future who are closer to being veteran leaders than rookies, are still only 22.

If Regier can pick up Ryan Getzlaf during the offseason and this team can learn to play with some emotion and grit from the first game to the last, the future is now.

Brendan Shanahan Is a Joke

Tyler Myers was slapped with a three-game suspension by Brendan Shanahan for boarding Scott Gomez during Monday's night's game against the Canadiens.

Forget the fact that there's no apparent attempt by Myers to injure on the hit, or that it should be acceptable to attempt to injure dickheads like Scott Gomez. Admittedly, Myers probably deserved a game or, more appropriately, a fine for the play. But Gomez was playing the puck and, despite the fact that Myers has almost a foot on him, he still hit Gomez on the shoulders.

If you recall, I went on record saying that Shanahan made the right call when he decided not to fine or suspend Milan Lucic when he steamrolled Ryan Miller. However, for a league that supposedly wants to eliminate hits to the head, it's patently absurd that Shanahan deemed Lucic's hit acceptable while determining that Myers's was worth a three-game suspension.

The Sabres are being diplomatic about the suspension. I, on the other hand, have no such obligation. Brendan Shanahan is a fucking assbag.

Still Not Excited

As much as I've enjoyed watching the Sabres for the past month, let's face it: The two-point hole out of 8th they currently find themselves in may as well be 20. I'm not saying that a playoff appearance is impossible for Buffalo, just highly unlikely. Not only will the Sabres have to play near-perfect hockey to win their own games, they'll also have to rely on some serious star aligning.

Florida, Winnipeg, Washington, and Tampa's schedules all collide for seven total games to close out the season. Translation: For the next month we have to become serious Panther, Lightning and Hurricane fans.

Why?!

The way I see it, it's only logical to root for the Panthers to win their division. They already hold the 3rd-place spot by one point on Washington (who Buffalo is two points behind). Why chase the team that's three points ahead of you rather than the Caps who are only two ahead? So Florida, just keep winning; especially when it comes to the one game remaining against both the Jets and Capitals. In the end, those two games -- especially the one against the Caps -- could end up determining it all.

Now the reason I think we also need to be Lightning and Hurricane fans is because these two teams play the role of "we're out of the race but we could still fuck it up for somebody else." Combined, these two teams play Washington and Winnipeg five times; ten extremely important points to keep away from them.

Obviously, Buffalo needs to win their two remaining games against the Capitals and Lightning too (along with about six other tough match-ups).

With it all mapped out like this, you can understand my pessimism when it comes to the Sabres' hopes. Like I said, the stars need to seriously align for any chance at the post-season. The same stars which have always had a tendency to go more of the way of Brett Hull's foot and a missed Super Bowl kick.

If the Sabres do make it though, there would be a great possibility that we could witness the first season where the 8th-place team finishes with a higher point total than the 3rd-place team. A point I mentioned in a prior post favoring the now debunked realignment plan.

Either way, we're going to be treated to a more exciting end of the season than any of us originally thought as little as a month ago.

Don't get me wrong though, this still doesn't erase the sour memories of injury excuses and months of lazy, gutless hockey. But at least this team is kind enough to finally treat us to what they were supposed to look like all along:

A team that still isn't anywhere close to Stanley Cup contention even when they're at their best, but a team that is also one great off-season (and possibly a new coach) away from it.

All She Wrote

That title really doesn't require an explanation, but I just couldn't shake one thought all night long: If Lindy recognized that the Jets were playing with a lot of energy (as evidenced by his second period interview with Pierre Maguire), then why couldn't Buffalo ever match it?

Too bad, because that was the season right there.

Season Comes Down to Tonight

Seventeen games remaining. Two points out of eighth place. Even two weeks ago you'd have thought that was a fantasy, but the Sabres can move into the playoff picture with a regulation win tonight over the Jets.

If they win, I don't see them finishing behind the Jets or Caps. If they lose, I think a four-point gap will ultimately be too much to overcome during the homestretch, especially given the proverbial shot to the nuts a loss tonight would mean to the team's psyche.

But it all starts tonight. As far as I see it, it's win and in. And don't worry, I promise not to root for 'em.

To Root or Not to Root (for Ws), That Is the Question

So, Sabres fans ... it looks like we have a dilemma on our hands, don't we?

For starters, you're welcome. Anyone who had the audacity to doubt the merits of Trevor Luck should now feel amply ashamed. Ever since I started rooting for the Sabres to lose out the season in order to gain a lottery pick in this summer's entry draft, they've started playing the way we expected them to since the beginning.

So here's the problem. Since Trevor Luck is basically a theorem at this point, I don't know whether to start rooting for them to win out the year and make the playoffs or not. Obviously if they're not going to finish dead last, they might as well make the playoffs (no one wants to root against his team when they deserve support). But then, if I start genuinely hoping they make the playoffs, they won't -- and, of course, there also won't be enough games left for them to fall back down the toilet drain to a lottery pick.

The biggest kicker is this: I could root out loud for them to lose and secretly hope that that would confer wins, but that's called the ol' "reverse jinx," and it ends up screwing you every time, too. The Sabres would still lose and fail to make the playoffs, and they'd actually finish 9th -- just enough to destroy us a little more inside and still fail to grab a lucrative slot in the draft.

So that's basically the story of my life. It's why I drink and why I keep psychiatrists up nights. I'm a walking enigma who had the fortune of growing up a Sabres fan, and once again face the burden of carrying the collective fate of an entire city and its hockey team on my shoulders.

Whoah!

Time flies when you're having fun... and replacing water heaters, and alternators, and furnaces, and laptops.  I turn my back for a minute and the Sabres go on a 10-3-3 tear.  To be honest, I've been watching most of the games or, at the very least, parts of most of the games.  I just haven't had time to sit and type up my thoughts lately, but Trevor and Erik have been holding down the fort admirably. 

The Sabres, with rare exception, have always been a second half team.  It would appear that this year is no exception.  The thing is, they aren't scoring any more goals than they were before the break.  The good news, though, is the goals are starting to come from sources other than Vanek and Pominville.  For example, is it possible that Drew Stafford is trying to reignite my man-crush with him?  I had all but given up on him ever scoring on a regular basis again, yet here he is racking up points all of a sudden.  I said in a prior post (that I'm too lazy to go get the link for - I guess that "Sabre mentality" is rubbing off on me) that his play has been there all along and if anyone on this team was truly snakebit it was him.  He's proving that persistence pays off as things finally start to go his way.  Derek Roy is another guy who is finally starting to find the net.  Pat Kaleta continues to impress me with solid play every night.  The team has definitely rallied since the break and, as a whole, is showing passion and fire consistently.   Heck, Tyler Myers actually dropped the gloves in Anaheim!  Who needs more proof than that?!?

But as far as I'm concerned, the success of this team since January rests squarely on the shoulders of one Ryan Miller.  As I said, the team isn't scoring any more goals than they were in the first half of the season.  But they aren't giving up nearly as many either.  Some of that can be attributed to better back checking and guys actually getting in lanes and blocking shots.  Some of it can be attributed to a noticable decrease in the amount of bone-headed turnovers in the defensive zone.  But most of it is a direct result of Ryan Miller finally shaking off the funk he's been in and playing like an absolute beast between the pipes.  In the past three weeks, we've seen him play stellar hockey.  And back-to-back shutouts in two nights?  I think that's a first for him.  And I'm not talking "Ryan Miller shutouts"... I'm talking legit goose eggs. 

There are many Ryan Miller detractors, of which I've been one lately.  But no one can argue with his recent play.  Forty-three saves in Anaheim?  Thirty-nine in San Jose the very next night?  Are you kidding me?  Don't get me wrong, I still have my concerns... he does disappear for long stretches, and he's a whiney little bitch when things don't go his way.  Look at his commets earlier this week about his boyfriend, Paul Gaustad, being traded.  But when he turns in all-star performances like he has been lately, it's hard not to want him on your team.  But, Jesus, some consistency would be nice. 

It boils down to this.  When he plays well, the team wins.  When he doesn't, they lose.  It's as simple as that.  I don't think Enroth gives you that.  So if you don't like that model, you have two options.  Find another goalie who can provide that level of play on a more consistent basis, or go to a lesser-skilled minder and stack the team in front of him and hope you can outgun the other guys on a nightly basis. 

If it sounds like I'm changing tack and saying Ryan Miller is our savior, that's not the case at all.  But he IS winning us games right now.  If he can keep his head straight and do it regularly, then he should rightfully have a place as the starter on this team.  I'm just afraid that he'll keep this up long enough to save his job and that's all. 

A Glimmer of Hope

"No matter what the people think about Darcy Regier, he is three or four steps ahead of everything. He's really a smart guy."

"He knows full well what he can do this summer. He understands what he can do by giving up one of those draft choices."

Those words came right from Mike Robitaille's mouth yesterday on the Howard Simon Show. If true, we as Sabres fans will have no reason not to be left feeling all warm and fuzzy inside by early July.

Trevor pointed out this very sentiment yesterday in his plea for Ryan Getzlaf. After watching that game last night, you can understand his desire for such a player. And for any of you who continue to mourn the loss of Paul Gaustad throughout the rest of the season, the simple acquisition of Ryan Getzlaf this off-season would make you forget that Goose was ever on the team. Getzlaf is Gaustad times 10. Getzlaf is perfect (with the exception of severe baldness at the young age of 26, of course). But I digress.

I'm hoping Roby's knowledge and observations of Regier are accurate, and aren't just one more thing we all read too much into; something that gives us more false hope. You'd figure Robitaille would be more clued in to the these situations than the average fan or blogger, right?

So I'm going to go out on a limb and feel good about this one. More often than not, Robitaille knows what he's talking about -- he doesn't always us the best grammar or analogies to get his various points across -- but he knows his shit. And If he didn't feel confident about it, he seems like the kind of guy that wouldn't say it at all.

With that said, I'm prepared to give Darcy one more shot. I think he realizes now that you can't build a successful team from within over a four or five year period in today's NHL. Realistically, he doesn't even have to anymore (he gots da money!). But maybe his experiences having to do that for so many years will eventually pay off and he'll be able to use it to his advantage. Maybe this new ownership does provide the keys that will eventually allow him to succeed to the point he never has before.

I know, after many of the opinions I've shared about Regier in the past, this sudden optimism probably sounds a little funny coming from me. Trust me though, I would happily be the first person to admit that I was wrong if Regier actually brings home a Stanley Cup.

But don't be completely misled by my previous statements, I'm not crowning him yet. Darcy still has a ways to go. He needs to allow himself to work on and refine some of his other less than appealing characteristics, too. But if he can grow enough to further mold himself into the GM he ultimately should be, our high hopes could easily come that much closer to reality one day.

And I'll be the first one to grab a pen and paper to hand write my apology to him.

Care for a Tissue?

All the suspicions and questions ever had about the Sabres being more of a "friends and family" network rather than a competitive hockey team were all but answered last night. Upon reading Ryan Miller's comments in John Vogl's new article, I don't see how anyone could think differently.

"It was a pretty tough day," Miller said Tuesday. "I'm not going to lie. I'm not real happy about the way it all turned out, but that's the business of hockey."

"We don't make those decisions. That's more proof because if I had any more influence, Paul would still be here."

These comments alone provide enough evidence for me to believe the Sabres' core has grown too comfortable and is in desperate need of a shake-up. Obviously some of these guys were more worried about their own friendships than winning hockey games -- not too hard to see with only a glance at their current record.

Now, what Miller said during this interview wasn't too far from Jason Pominville's comments when he said, "It was a little bit of a tough day but we can all understand the circumstances." It was the way he said it and underlying criticism that stood out.

Everyone has a right to express his own opinions, but Miller overstepped his boundaries with some of his yesterday (emphasis mine).

"No matter the way you view hockey, you have to understand how important players like Paul can be and how long it takes to develop a guy that plays that way at such a high level. Winning those faceoffs is not easy. Killing those penalties is not easy. Not a lot of guys are willing to do that job every night, and he was."

Not only did Miller slap Darcy Regier in the face with the first comments I posted, but the comment directly above gives an indication of how he views the rest of the team as well. Comments proving that Miller is just as selfish (perhaps more so) and bullheaded as many have accused him of being over the years.

It kind of makes you think Trevor was right when he alluded to Miller's teammates not liking him. If they did, they would have done a better job sticking up for him after Lucic emasculated him (remember, one of the guys who failed to defend him that day was his BFF Paul Gaustad). I'm not going to dig deeper into the Miller/Goose friendship because I honestly don't care about their relationship. But let's be real here and get back to the point: If Miller is going to go out in the media with stupid comments like these, what do you think he says to these guys behind closed doors?

Big ups to Trevor for decoding that one way back in November.

As far as Darcy goes, I don't know where he stands on Miller's thoughts. But I'm pretty sure GMs don't like being second guessed by their own players. Even with the amount of doubt we've had surrounding Regier over the years, I understand that he's not going anywhere for a while so I'll just have to hope he does a decent job while he's here. You would think that this thought process would apply even more so to his players.

Which makes me wonder what he'll do with Miller come the off-season. I sometimes think the Sabres have kept Miller around because he brings attention to the city and the team. Outside of one or two really good years he hasn't held up to that standard lately, and his image of "best goalie in the world" has long since faded.

So here's your chance, Darcy. Get rid of him as soon as possible (July 1st) before his attitude and play alike smolder even further. You don't want to put yourself in the same situation you did when you traded Hasek, do you?

At this point, even if Darcy couldn't get much in return for Miller I wouldn't give too much of a shit. I just want his crybaby ego outta here. I'm not saying that Miller is the only reason for the Sabres' failures over the last couple seasons -- just read any post prior to this one -- but his narcissism and narrow-mindedness haven't helped. He doesn't appear to be any different than Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson.

How many championships have those two won?

Get Getzlaf

Now that the 2012 NHL trade deadline is in the rearview, it's worth noting that Darcy Regier and the Buffalo Sabres were part of the biggest trade of the day, leading headlines just as they did last summer by the end of the free agent frenzy.

I don't know if this means the Sabres are any closer to competing for a Cup than they thought they were back in July, but I do know one thing: Darcy Regier will not be getting fired any time soon. Like it or not, I can't imagine ownership would've given Regier the right to do anything more than open up cap space at Monday's deadline if they were anywhere close to terminating their relationship with him.

In less than one calendar year, GMDR has added Robyn Regehr, Christian Ehrhoff, Ville Leino, and Cody Hodgson to his roster via trade or free agency. On paper, that certainly doesn't look like he's not trying to build a winner. With the move for Hodgson on Monday, I'm inclined to believe Regier attempted to land a center over the summer but failed to find a deal he liked. That's cool with me as long as he realizes he still needs to add another one. After all, Lindy Ruff has already said he might move natural center Tyler Ennis back to the wing with the arrival of Hodgson. (I know, your guess is as good as mine.)

One has to wonder why it took Ruff the better part of three seasons before putting Ennis at center on a team short on pivots, but it looks like Ennis has finally found his niche. So assuming that's where he stays, your top three centers are Derek Roy, Hodgson, and Ennis. Two problems here: 1) Roy's attitude and work ethic notwithstanding, I don't think he's the man to lead you to the promised land, and 2) Hodgson's the tallest at 6 feet even. Yes, Luke Adam is almost certainly going to be ready for full time duty next year, but he thrived with Vanek and Pominville earlier this season because he played with Vanek and Pominville, not because he's a first line center.

So it seems there are some good things in the cards. At least I hope there are. I hope the acquisition of Hodgson is an indicator that Regier is preparing for life without Derek Roy next year. If not, allow me to at least make a rather effortless case for this scenario.

Thanks to the Gaustad trade and the larceny that was Chris Butler/Paul Byron to Calgary for Regehr and a 2012 second round pick last summer (you knew at the time Ales Kotalik didn't count), the Buffalo Sabres now have two first round draft picks and two second round picks this summer. Trade for Ryan Getzlaf.

See, wasn't that easy?

No GM in his right mind would trade Getzlaf straight up for a first round pick, but you could probably at least get Bob Murray's attention by offering a first and second. This probably still wouldn't be enough, mind you, so at that point you throw in Derek Roy. Or, to take an alternate approach, offer a first rounder and Roy and expect to have to toss in the second round pick. (On second thought, probably better to start with the latter; the Ducks will probably want a center in return, and depending on the situation out in Anaheim, maybe you pull this off without having to spend the second rounder at all.) Either way, it gets the job done.

With only one year remaining on Getzlaf's contract after this season, the Sabres absorb the vast majority of the risk considering Getzlaf could walk after next season. Not to mention, he's having an atrocious year by his standards, with eight goals and 35 assists in 63 games at the time of this writing, so Murray would almost have to jump all over this type of offer knowing he might only have Getzlaf for another year anyway.

While most pundits would probably consider this trade a gross overpayment on the part of the Sabres, consider the upside for Buffalo. They get one of the NHL's premier centers (besides Crosby and Malkin, who's even close over the past five seasons?); he's big and actually likes to scrap; Vanek would have 50 goals next season; it'd be the best pickup since Pat LaFontaine; and you don't have Derek Roy anymore.

For the record, if Murray wants Adam instead of Roy, you do it. Trade Roy for a pick.

Granted, this could all backfire as Getzlaf would have to give up Southern Cali blondes and ... well, that right there would be enough to ruin my life and work production. And Buffalo could potentially be giving up a couple future studs by spending a first and second round pick for one guy. But when you consider the likelihood that at least one of the first rounders wouldn't pan out anyway -- do Marek Zagrapan, Dennis Persson, and Artem Kryukov ring any bells? -- look at this as a guarantee that at least one of them would in 2012.

And #15's actually available in blue and gold.