BuffaloSoldier2010 Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 Was at the Ottawa game this evening and was blown away by the two little guys on the team, and so was Ottawa's defense. The guys were skating circles out there as they usually do, but tonight was very nice to see. Ennis buried two shots, deking Anderson out of his jock strap to open up the scoring and squeezing a second top shelf above Andersons' left shoulder. Gerbe ripped his shot from the left side of the ice to the top right of the net for a truly awe inspiring goal. I'm interested to see what the rest of you think about these two. I for one am a fan. I'm convinced these two are going to become staples in the sabres offense for years to come, but I'm new at the whole predicting rising stars thing. What do you guys think?
Eleven Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 I think Chz was right when she identified Ennis as the new Briere last year. I hope that Gerbe can play bigger than his size for a long career, but I don't think he can.
Robviously Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 I think Chz was right when she identified Ennis as the new Briere last year. I hope that Gerbe can play bigger than his size for a long career, but I don't think he can. FWIW, Gerbe has 7 goals in his last 23 games. That comes out to 25 goals in 82 games if he could keep that pace up. I'm hoping he's still finding his place in the NHL and that he ends up a productive player for us long term.
BuffaloSoldier2010 Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Posted March 14, 2011 I think Chz was right when she identified Ennis as the new Briere last year. I hope that Gerbe can play bigger than his size for a long career, but I don't think he can. I absolutely agree with that one. I remember watching the 08 draft very intently, and was extremely excited when seeing that we picked up both Myers and Ennis in the first round. I can remember telling everyone i knew about Ennis especially, when the subject of the sabres came up. When watching the philly game where he scored his first goal in his first game i remember jumping off my couch and yelling "BOOM!! I told you this kid was good!!" as for gerbe, I know the size is gonna be an issue, but I'd like to think that he's scrappy enough to survive. The kid has determination thats for sure, and with a little luck will hopefully find a niche role in the league.
thesportsbuff Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 I could see Ennis blossoming into a star, while Gerbe I think he'll be a star in his own right, but not on the same level. I think they'll both be fan favorites if they stick with Buffalo, and I think they can. I see Gerbe being a third line winger who can occasionally fill in on the second line when you need a shake up. Ennis I think will be a first line winger and can be a dominant force if he puts on a few pounds... great skating, great hands, a nasty shot.. he's got it all. As for the Briere thing... If you mean in terms of becoming a leader / captain down the road, then I could see that. But other than that I just don't see that many similarities in Ennis' and Briere's game. If anything those who said Ennis is like Max would be much more appropriate for that type of comparison, but honestly everyone's style is unique and different in their own way.
BuffalOhio Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 I have a question. "Are you freaking kidding me with that 2nd Ennis goal?" Reeeeeee-diculous! What a play!
Eleven Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 I could see Ennis blossoming into a star, while Gerbe I think he'll be a star in his own right, but not on the same level. I think they'll both be fan favorites if they stick with Buffalo, and I think they can. I see Gerbe being a third line winger who can occasionally fill in on the second line when you need a shake up. Ennis I think will be a first line winger and can be a dominant force if he puts on a few pounds... great skating, great hands, a nasty shot.. he's got it all. As for the Briere thing... If you mean in terms of becoming a leader / captain down the road, then I could see that. But other than that I just don't see that many similarities in Ennis' and Briere's game. If anything those who said Ennis is like Max would be much more appropriate for that type of comparison, but honestly everyone's style is unique and different in their own way. Well, I guess we'll have to wait for Chz to post to see what she meant, but I see an awful lot of Briere in Ennis's ability to take some abuse in the offensive zone and still end up with the puck passed to him right near the net. I also see it in his ability to reverse the course of play if the puck comes near him in the neutral zone or even in the defensive zone near the blueline (something Max also was able to do).
stepped IN zhitnik Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 derek roy and danny briere but they are coming of age faster
stepped IN zhitnik Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 also... Gerbe reminds me of Rudy, he seems like such a nice guy on the ice
Two or less Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 Ennis looks like a Datsyuk. His vision appears to be greater then Briere's. I am still not sold on Gerbe though. For him to be successful, he must play at a very high tempo, a do-or-die type game. I just don't believe he can bring it together over a course of a season. I know on a 82 game season, he's on pace for like 25g if you count his last 30 games or whatever, but, he just disappears too much. In a 82 game season, as seen earlier this season, he would disappear for longer periods of time. He's a great depth player. Although he would disagree with that and will try to time after time to get that glory, and prolly bounce around several teams.
JJFIVEOH Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 A point to consider are the linemates Gerbe has been with most of the year. If I recall, the short time he spent on the top line Vanek and Roy were racking up the points quite nicely even though Gerbe didn't account for many. Gerbe hasn't had the best setup guys most of the season.
UNCWrunner Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 I am extremely excited about Tyler Ennis the (P)ennis and his great quickness, puck-handling and vision. The kid can flat out deke the jock strap offa any 'tender out there. This seasons, the biggest thing for him to learn was decision making for when to pass and when to shoot. Earlier in the year, he was frustrating me when he was passing in shooting plays and vice versa. Lately, it seems like he's just been feeling the flow of the game and making the correct decision. I would like to see him gamble a little more in the defensive zone to look for the breakaway route. With his speed, half a step on most defense men quickly turns into a full on breakaway. Also, Ennis has shown signs this year of a promising one-timer while gliding, but it misses too often. Higher accuracy on the one-timer could give him 5-10 more goals a year. I'm not saying he's the next Stamkos/Ovechkin, but I could see him becoming a legit one-time threat on the power play. Further development of his skill set and surrounding him with solid finishers (eg. Vanek, Stafford, Boyes, Roy and [iNSERT NAMES OF SOLID SCORER (added in July, hopefully)] will put him at 0.8-1.1 points per game output in the next 3 years. Boston can keep Seguin, I say we have the best offensive Tyler in the league right here!
Kristian Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 I could see Ennis blossoming into a star, while Gerbe I think he'll be a star in his own right, but not on the same level. I think they'll both be fan favorites if they stick with Buffalo, and I think they can. I see Gerbe being a third line winger who can occasionally fill in on the second line when you need a shake up. Ennis I think will be a first line winger and can be a dominant force if he puts on a few pounds... great skating, great hands, a nasty shot.. he's got it all. As for the Briere thing... If you mean in terms of becoming a leader / captain down the road, then I could see that. But other than that I just don't see that many similarities in Ennis' and Briere's game. If anything those who said Ennis is like Max would be much more appropriate for that type of comparison, but honestly everyone's style is unique and different in their own way. I would agree with this, although Ennis seems much more in control of what he's doing than Max ever did. I never felt Max had any on-ice awareness at all, and often looked as if he had no idea where he or his linemates were on the ice, hence the number of brutal giveaways he committed over the years. Ennis OTOH, while he likes to dangle and stickhandle a lot, seems to have much better on-ice awareness. Oh, and he can actually elevate a shot more than 1 inch off the ice. All anyone ever had to do to stop Max was keep their pads on the ice. BRUTAL lack of finish!
Tolstoy Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 With the recent Chara incident, the discovery of brain damage in Bob Probert, and the pressure by advertisers (e.g. Air Canada) for the NHL to step up its safety, I expect that more rule changes are in the offing that will eventually make it easier for smaller skill players to thrive. Will it happen soon enough for the Gerbes of the league? I don't know.
Weave Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 Ennis definitely has a place in the future of this team. He should be a lock at the #2 LW position for the foreseeable future. He's developed into a nice playmaker and his quickness is handy deep in the offensive zone. Now that he has been here a full season it will be interesting to see how teams key on him in the playoffs when coaches get the opportunity to gameplan. Gerbe has had a nicer year than I expected but he is still #3 on the LW depth chart and that won't change anytime soon (#4 if/when Hecht is returned to LW). And that means I still think he is a miss-match. He might beat my prediction and become a relevant NHL player but I don't think it should be on this team unless Darcy is looking to create a 3rd line like the one we had in 2006. And I still think with Roy, Ennis, and Gerbe we have one too many little guys. While I don't mind his performance, I would much rather see Gerbe in Portland next season with a bigger two-way LW taking his spot as a bottom 6 LW. Or maybe make him the spare forward that comes in when there are injuries on the top 6. And like Ennis, it will be interesting to see what other teams do to neutralize Gerbe come playoof time. Did I just assume playoffs for this year twice in one post? :unsure:
LabattBlue Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 I am extremely excited about Tyler Ennis the (P)ennis and his great quickness, puck-handling and vision. The kid can flat out deke the jock strap offa any 'tender out there. :blink:
That Aud Smell Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 I think Chz was right when she identified Ennis as the new Briere last year. chz was not alone in heralding ennis as our new mighty mite. i was at the game yesterday, and i hafta say, i enjoy watching ennis play like no one else on the team. if the kid can get stronger (as briere did with the help of that quebecois power-lifter (iirc)), he will be among our top players for years to come. heck, he already IS among our top players. I am still not sold on Gerbe though. as much as i like the kid and loved that goal yesterday, i am in the same boat. but he has been showing more of late.
shrader Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 as much as i like the kid and loved that goal yesterday, i am in the same boat. but he has been showing more of late. That goal yesterday was one he scored constantly at BC. It was good to see it go in my favor for once. I always used to joke that he'd hit those shots because he sees the angle better since he's so close to the ice.
nfreeman Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 FWIW, Ennis is now #3 in rookie scoring, 3 pts behind Couture. As for the OP, I think Ennis has Marty St. Louis potential and I think Gerbe will stick in the NHL for a long time. Gerbe seems to have a Napoleon complex that he's successfully channeled into a burning desire to make it in the NHL. He also has pretty good speed, a good shot, good hockey IQ, and good passing and puckhandling skills. I think he's determined to do whatever it takes to stay in the NHL -- so we see him busting his butt on the backcheck and I'd expect that he'll work like crazy in the offseason to improve (for example, I expect his shooting accuracy to improve next year -- he shoots wide way too often now). Also, while Gerbe's height is obviously an issue, he's pretty solidly built, so I don't think he's going to take as much punishment as Ennis will.
carpandean Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 One important thing to remember when talking about size: while Gerbe is listed as 5" shorter than Ennis, he's also listed as 25 lbs heavier. Nathan is a bulldog. That and his shot will give him a chance to have an NHL career; though, it may not be with the Sabres. Ennis has clearly shown that he has more talent and probably has the highest potential up-side of any forward currently in the system.
theesir Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 When at the games I love to watch Gerbe play. He is always skating...HARD! Not afraid to stick his nose into guy's chests ( :ph34r: ), and puts the puck on net when he gets the chance. The most frustrating thing has been watching him skate with the 4th line. He's non-stop motor and if he can continue to do that, without the benefit of scoring-based linemates, he will move up the line chart.
wjag Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 That goal yesterday was one he scored constantly at BC. It was good to see it go in my favor for once. I always used to joke that he'd hit those shots because he sees the angle better since he's so close to the ice. Now if we could get Pomer to hit from his spot.
IKnowPhysics Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 I continue to support Nathan Gerbe. He's starting to earn more minutes by working hard, and that will only accelerate his development. He has had 14 points in 27 games since the new year compared to 7 points in the 24 games he played in before the new year. Tyler Ennis is Tyler Ennis: he's 3rd in the league for rookie points (2nd on the team behind Vanek), on pace for 51 points. He'll only get better, and he'll be real damn good for a long time. I consider him to be an important part of the team going forward into our new era.
Robviously Posted March 14, 2011 Report Posted March 14, 2011 Ahhh, soooo cute together... Mackin' the boss's daughter. Man, Tyler is brave.
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