Foligno's Nose Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 :thumbsup: I'll take it as well. Lindy and the boys will take it as well. I'll vote for another song though. How about 'Talking Proud' for crissakes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan_in_raleigh Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 good win a little sloppy but still a good win. Any update on Teppo heard upper body but swear he played some shifts after the puck in the head Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foligno's Nose Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Well, not the prettiest of wins, but I'll take it. Great to see Connolly with a big game tonight scoring two goals. I'm a little concerned about Teppo not playing the third period because if he goes down, we're down to Paetsch playing on the road trip. I suspect Teppo either got a slight concussion or a bruised cheek bone and hopefully he'll be able to play next week since Sekera is out for some time. Overall, good win for the Sabres, and let's keep the momentum going on the road trip. Damn shame that it is feast-or-famine with the D. Ruff's wet-dream is to have that stretch earlier on where everyone was healthy and he could bench Hank. That was great...and it worked! I would have thought that we would need to rest Teppo more, but he has been consistent and steady. Butler, in my opinion, should not see the press box again. He is a rock. Keep him in at whatever cost. He has arrived. Paetsch has obviously drawn Lindy's ire and may never see the ice again, save for injuries. He has promise, but will eventually have to show it on someone else's roster. Weber plays into the mix next season for sure. Great, necessary home win for this club. Almost sixty minute effort. Some spells here and there, but they did not falter too bad. Both teams had glorious opportunities. TC starts his climb back up to where he can be. there were a ton of blocked shots tonight which made Ryan's job much easier Miller plays acceptable and gets goal support from where you should expect it. This team continues to not be able to get the EN goal. With almost two minutes with Ward pulled as well! No biggie, just TC's hat-trick would have been awesome. (Miller's shutout would have been great too, but that was his fault) And an interesting ending over on HNIC. Ottawa goes down again in the SO with those horrible third jerseys (SENS - duh). Imagine a SABES jersey, I would go postal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Game thoughts... - After a suspect goal to start the 3rd period, Miller may have played as well as I have ever seen him play in a period. - Connolly showed why he could solve the Sabres problem at center for the rest of this year and seasons to come, if he could find a way to avoid the injury bug that has been following him for 3 years now. - Except for Miller, that was a horrible 3rd period. - I continue to be amazed at how much poise Butler plays with. - 3 wins in a row at home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_sauve28 Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 - Connolly showed why he could solve the Sabres problem at center for the rest of this year and seasons to come, if he could find a way to avoid the injury bug that has been following him for 3 years now. - The $64 Million question! What do we do with Timmy at end of year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 The $64 Million question! What do we do with Timmy at end of year? That's easy: if The Skill can prove he has FINALLY learned to keep his head up, then I say re-sign him for a couple of years. I mean, the dude IS the Skill; he's a brilliant hockey player. I would think he should feel he "owes" us a few seasons on the cheap considering his career thus far. He's one of my favorite players because of his game - when he keeps his head up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Solid game.. Nothing to complain about in that one.. Bummer to hear Teppo went down.. Well, not the prettiest of wins, but I'll take it. Great to see Connolly with a big game tonight scoring two goals. I know Miller only gave up one goal, but I didn't think he looked that great. Just sort of from a technique and sort of how we was playing the puck tonight, he looked a little off, but credit goes to the team in front of him as there were a ton of blocked shots tonight which made Ryan's job much easier. Miller didn't play a bad game as he only gave up one goal five-hole, but his timing kind of looked off compared to how he played against the Rangers and Wings last week. I'm a little concerned about Teppo not playing the third period because if he goes down, we're down to Paetsch playing on the road trip. I suspect Teppo either got a slight concussion or a bruised cheek bone and hopefully he'll be able to play next week since Sekera is out for some time. Overall, good win for the Sabres, and let's keep the momentum going on the road trip. good win a little sloppy but still a good win. Any update on Teppo heard upper body but swear he played some shifts after the puck in the head Damn shame that it is feast-or-famine with the D.Ruff's wet-dream is to have that stretch earlier on where everyone was healthy and he could bench Hank. That was great...and it worked! I would have thought that we would need to rest Teppo more, but he has been consistent and steady. Butler, in my opinion, should not see the press box again. He is a rock. Keep him in at whatever cost. He has arrived. Paetsch has obviously drawn Lindy's ire and may never see the ice again, save for injuries. He has promise, but will eventually have to show it on someone else's roster. Weber plays into the mix next season for sure. Great, necessary home win for this club. Almost sixty minute effort. Some spells here and there, but they did not falter too bad. Both teams had glorious opportunities. TC starts his climb back up to where he can be. Miller plays acceptable and gets goal support from where you should expect it. This team continues to not be able to get the EN goal. With almost two minutes with Ward pulled as well! No biggie, just TC's hat-trick would have been awesome. (Miller's shutout would have been great too, but that was his fault) And an interesting ending over on HNIC. Ottawa goes down again in the SO with those horrible third jerseys (SENS - duh). Imagine a SABES jersey, I would go postal. Game thoughts... - After a suspect goal to start the 3rd period, Miller may have played as well as I have ever seen him play in a period. - Connolly showed why he could solve the Sabres problem at center for the rest of this year and seasons to come, if he could find a way to avoid the injury bug that has been following him for 3 years now. - Except for Miller, that was a horrible 3rd period. - I continue to be amazed at how much poise Butler plays with. - 3 wins in a row at home! I guess I was wrong.. Apparently there was plenty to complain about... They played pretty well in the third if you ask me.. They played the style we all knew was coming for the 3rd period. Sure Carolina had 19 shots. Buffalo kept them to the outside, blocked shots, killed a penalty and an empty net situation. You had to believe that Carolina was going to come after them. Buffalo won the game and prevented Carolina from taking anything positive from that game.. Enjoy the win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foligno's Nose Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 The $64 Million question! What do we do with Timmy at end of year? Is he a UFA? If he plays out the season and contributes, he gets resigned. If not, the party is over and we go another direction at center. Amazing he had four straight 80+ game seasons early in his career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Brindy was -2 tonight and leads the NHL at -29... How's that for your "C"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpandean Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Is he a UFA? Yes. If he plays out the season and contributes, he gets resigned. If not, the party is over and we go another direction at center. Fixed. Even if he plays out the second half, I still don't believe that it's a good decision to go into next season counting on him as one of only two true scoring-line centers on this team. We need to pick up one more player capable of playing that position. I wouldn't mind trading for someone like Atlanta's Todd White, who comes with two more years at a modest $2.35 million hit (~$2.5 million in salary each year.) I'd rather have too many centers than not enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabresFan526 Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 The $64 Million question! What do we do with Timmy at end of year? In my opinion, it's tough to justify keeping him, especially at his current cap hit or more for future years. However, he's an amazing talent when healthy. I think what will most likely happen is that the Sabres will let Kotalik and Max walk at the end of the year (if not sooner through trade), and they will try to re-sign Connolly to a one year deal at $1 million. If they do that, then I'm fine with keeping him. I just don't see how you can give the guy another long term deal without him proving that he can play a full season healthy. And, he owes the Sabres after taking $8.7 million. My hunch is that Gerbe and Mancari will be with the Sabres next year and that Kennedy will likely start in the AHL to further his transition to playing center. If they don't re-sign Connolly, then that tells me Kennedy is ready to be an NHL level centerman after only playing one year in his career at center, which I'd be a little concerned about. I also think this is Drew Stafford's last season with the Sabres as someone will sign him to an offer sheet way more than he's worth, and the extra money will likely go to giving Connolly another shot with the team is my guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 No biggie, just TC's hat-trick would have been awesome. (Miller's shutout would have been great too, but that was his fault) Labatt summed it up best - the goal was definitely suspect. But watching that whole play, there's a lot to be frustrated about WRT the defense, specifically Spacho's play in this case. It starts with a neutral-zone turnover (by Spacek) followed by Walker beating everyone to the puck behind the net, Spacek getting caught in no-man's land beside the net, and Pominville not picking up Whitney in front of the net. It's definitely a shot that should be stopped, but that play was a clusterfugg from the get-go. Overall I thought Ryan played a really strong game, and has been pretty good for pretty much the entire month. I'm hoping this is a change in focus and play and not just a hot streak, but only time will tell. As for The Skill - my original prediction seems right on track. Come back, stay healthy for a few games, and start to tease us with production and skill that make us pray he's turned the corner and will stay healthy. Hopefully he does, but until I see him play around 20-30 games in a row without missing time, I'm going to stay well on the "no way do we re-sign him unless it's at the absolute vet minimum and we are not relying on him as a top-2 center" bandwagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 :blink: I'll second this. Tried AB for the first time last February, and I was underwhelmed to say the least. Really?? I'd love to know where. I'm in Debary, not too far a drive for some decent wings.....Agreed on Anchor Bar. Great touristy stop, but that's about it. A couple years back we met some friends of my wife @ the Anchor Bar. It was my first time there, but they were from out of town (Boston), and wanted to get the "genuine article" from Anchor Bar. I don't remember anything significant about the wings but I do remember THEY COULDN'T FIND THE SABRES GAME ON WHATEVER TV SERVICE THEY HAD. I'M IN #%^$#!ING BUFFALO AND I CAN'T WATCH THE SABRE GAME. THIS ONE IS GOING TO STICK WITH ME FOR A WHILE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foligno's Nose Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Yes. Fixed. Even if he plays out the second half, I still don't believe that it's a good decision to go into next season counting on him as one of only two true scoring-line centers on this team. We need to pick up one more player capable of playing that position. I wouldn't mind trading for someone like Atlanta's Todd White, who comes with two more years at a modest $2.35 million hit (~$2.5 million in salary each year.) I'd rather have too many centers than not enough. An even better idea. With the talent we have now plus the forthcoming arrivals from Portland (Gerbe, Mancari, Kennedy) and beyond (Ennis), it would only behoove them to acquire that kind of centerman. White would be a great pick-up - right now. Will Darcy make any move to bolster this team for the playoffs? That is the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foligno's Nose Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Sacre bleu Sacre bleu cheese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 The $64 Million question! What do we do with Timmy at end of year? They run as far away from him as they can. Connolly has burned this franchise too many times in the past. The only way you bring him back is if he plays for free. That way he earns at least some of the $10+ million he already stolen from the Sabres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 That's easy: if The Skill can prove he has FINALLY learned to keep his head up, then I say re-sign him for a couple of years. I mean, the dude IS the Skill; he's a brilliant hockey player. I would think he should feel he "owes" us a few seasons on the cheap considering his career thus far. He's one of my favorite players because of his game - when he keeps his head up. Exactly how many times as a child did you stick your finger in the outlet before you learned it was a bad idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom webster Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 In my opinion, it's tough to justify keeping him, especially at his current cap hit or more for future years. However, he's an amazing talent when healthy. I think what will most likely happen is that the Sabres will let Kotalik and Max walk at the end of the year (if not sooner through trade), and they will try to re-sign Connolly to a one year deal at $1 million. If they do that, then I'm fine with keeping him. I just don't see how you can give the guy another long term deal without him proving that he can play a full season healthy. And, he owes the Sabres after taking $8.7 million. My hunch is that Gerbe and Mancari will be with the Sabres next year and that Kennedy will likely start in the AHL to further his transition to playing center. If they don't re-sign Connolly, then that tells me Kennedy is ready to be an NHL level centerman after only playing one year in his career at center, which I'd be a little concerned about. I also think this is Drew Stafford's last season with the Sabres as someone will sign him to an offer sheet way more than he's worth, and the extra money will likely go to giving Connolly another shot with the team is my guess. The Kennedy to center experiment is already over. Besides, Kennedy is seen as a third line two way player, not a top 6 guy. His emergence has nothing to do with what they do on the top two lines. Also, because he is only signed two and not three years, Kennedy will get every opportunity to prove he belongs next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 A couple years back we met some friends of my wife @ the Anchor Bar. It was my first time there, but they were from out of town (Boston), and wanted to get the "genuine article" from Anchor Bar. I don't remember anything significant about the wings but I do remember THEY COULDN'T FIND THE SABRES GAME ON WHATEVER TV SERVICE THEY HAD. I'M IN #%^$#!ING BUFFALO AND I CAN'T WATCH THE SABRE GAME. THIS ONE IS GOING TO STICK WITH ME FOR A WHILE. I had my first meal there in Dec 2007. My issue was not that the Sabres weren't on but rather I couldn't see the TV from the table we were at. That is a place clearly living off the hype. The wings were good. But the wings are good all over town... The wings are expensive... You can definitely find a multitude of places that have a better environment, taste and price... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 The Kennedy to center experiment is already over. Besides, Kennedy is seen as a third line two way player, not a top 6 guy. His emergence has nothing to do with what they do on the top two lines. Also, because he is only signed two and not three years, Kennedy will get every opportunity to prove he belongs next year. Are there any centers in Portland that have a reasonable chance of helping the Sabres next season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Sacre bleu cheese Give that man -- or woman -- a stick of celery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabresFan526 Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Are there any centers in Portland that have a reasonable chance of helping the Sabres next season? Well, the guys who are officially listed as center on the roster are Zagrapan, Schutz, Slattengren, Fretter, and Gerbe whom we all know is not really a center but a left wing. Given the inconsistency of Zagrapan and the fact that it's only Schutz first year as a pro in North America, I'd say the answer to your question is no. Gerbe will likely make the Sabres next year, but not as a center. So, the Sabres must do something to acquire another center after this season is over or hope and pray that Connolly is finally past this injury bug and will come back and play on a one year deal on the cheap (which I don't think is likely to happen). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRobertEichel Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Are there any centers in Portland that have a reasonable chance of helping the Sabres next season? No, and this is far and away the franchise's biggest position weakness. Zagrapan is the top center prospect for a team that only has 4 true centers (Roy, Connolly, Gaustad, Mair). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Labatt summed it up best - the goal was definitely suspect. But watching that whole play, there's a lot to be frustrated about WRT the defense, specifically Spacho's play in this case. It starts with a neutral-zone turnover (by Spacek) followed by Walker beating everyone to the puck behind the net, Spacek getting caught in no-man's land beside the net, and Pominville not picking up Whitney in front of the net. It's been a while since I've been a good contrarian. I'm not necessarily disagreeing with your analysis here, just the tendency we ALL have of breaking down plays in an unrealistic fashion. Hockey is an insane asylum unleashed on ice. The game takes a schizo turn every two seconds. It's a frozen puck on ice! Pucks can go anywhere, off almost anything. Pucks can go through the side of the net and be counted as goals, and it happens so fast no one can do a damn thing about it. We all want every Sabre to be in the perfect position every moment they are on the ice. But they can't be everywhere at once and can't predict where that puck is going next. It's madness. A player can't move 30 feet in half a second. Only Harry Neale has mastered the space-time continuum -- pucks from 45 feet away have to travel only 20 feet to enter the net. Not even sure where I'm going with this. You might be spot on with your analysis. I just think in general we are all guilty of thinking hockey is football or basketball where everything can be drawn up and diagrammed. It's not and that's why you need your goaltender to make saves in impossible situations. That's true of every goalie in the league. Even the Wings can't prevent a certain number of glorious chances. If your goalie stops a certain percentage of impossible chances -- and an even greater percentage in crunch time -- then you have something. It's like criticizing the Sabres for not working hard for 60 minutes. It's a crock. There is another team on the ice. Carolina started the game last night with its hair on fire to break a four game losing streak. They were hell bent to come back in the third. Were the Sabres not trying? What people like DeLuca are really responding to is a stretch in a game where one team is outplaying the other. It's going to happen half a dozen times a night, at least. The 60-minute effort is an urban legend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpandean Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Well, the guys who are officially listed as center on the roster are Zagrapan, Schutz, Slattengren, Fretter, and Gerbe whom we all know is not really a center but a left wing. Given the inconsistency of Zagrapan and the fact that it's only Schutz first year as a pro in North America, I'd say the answer to your question is no. Gerbe will likely make the Sabres next year, but not as a center. So, the Sabres must do something to acquire another center after this season is over or hope and pray that Connolly is finally past this injury bug and will come back and play on a one year deal on the cheap (which I don't think is likely to happen). Kennedy spent many games centering the first line in Portland this year. Apparently, though, he had played some back on the wing before his call up, so I'm not sure where he's playing now. However, while he might be an NHL-ready winger next year, it might take longer for him to be ready at a new position. Surprisingly, Zags had been making a case for himself as of late, producing 7G, 7A, 14P and a +8 in 11 games, but has slipped in his last three games, producing 1G, 1A, 2P and a -5. Of course, that's just stats and I don't get to watch enough to know how his play has actually been during this stretch. Edit: I didn't read back far enough in the thread before commenting this morning, so some of the Kennedy stuff has been discussed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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