Derek Roy records five points in Amerks opener

[LabattBlue]

Roy scored two goals and added three assists in the Amerks opening night win(8-5) on Friday night...

 

http://amerks.com/FeatureStories.aspx?news_id=556

[Corp000085]

He'll be called up as soon as one single player on the sabres lays down for a game or is injured.

[Spandrel]

Yep, he had a monster game. I talked to my cousin who went to the game, and he said it was one of the best games he's seen in ages. No doubt Roy will be up as soon as humanly possible.

[Strow]

I say send Timmy down now or lose him who cares, what has he brought to the team nothing! Or you can trade his ass and Mika for a D-Man that can play the point on the PP. Not sure if anyone would take that package deal but you gotta get Roy up with his speed on the line with Max and Kotalik who be great to watch and Roy gotta play better D than Timmy.

[BetweenThePipes00]

As I said in another thread, let's not overreact either way to 2 games ... Connolly has shown me nothing so horrible to suggest he needs to be jettisoned immediately. Nor has he been particularly impressive ...

Roy is a valuable guy to have down in Rochester right now ... he is NHL-caliber depth that can move up and down without going through waivers. Not many teams have that right now.

What happens if that puck that hit Max in the foot last night breaks a bone? How do they replace him? With Roy, obviously, and it's a manageable situation.

This team is not good enough at the top to give away its depth. They need to be able to have 3 lines that can threaten opponents and a fourth that can grind it out. No doubt Connolly is going to frustrate all of us at times, but scrapping him for nothing is not the answer after 2 games. It's a long season, guys are going to get hurt, and Roy is going to play a HUGE role on this team.

[Taro T]

As I said in another thread, let's not overreact either way to 2 games ... Connolly has shown me nothing so horrible to suggest he needs to be jettisoned immediately. Nor has he been particularly impressive ...

Roy is a valuable guy to have down in Rochester right now ... he is NHL-caliber depth that can move up and down without going through waivers. Not many teams have that right now.

What happens if that puck that hit Max in the foot last night breaks a bone? How do they replace him? With Roy, obviously, and it's a manageable situation.

This team is not good enough at the top to give away its depth. They need to be able to have 3 lines that can threaten opponents and a fourth that can grind it out. No doubt Connolly is going to frustrate all of us at times, but scrapping him for nothing is not the answer after 2 games. It's a long season, guys are going to get hurt, and Roy is going to play a HUGE role on this team.

Excellent post!

[blugold43]

As I said in another thread, let's not overreact either way to 2 games ... Connolly has shown me nothing so horrible to suggest he needs to be jettisoned immediately. Nor has he been particularly impressive ...

Roy is a valuable guy to have down in Rochester right now ... he is NHL-caliber depth that can move up and down without going through waivers. Not many teams have that right now.

What happens if that puck that hit Max in the foot last night breaks a bone? How do they replace him? With Roy, obviously, and it's a manageable situation.

This team is not good enough at the top to give away its depth. They need to be able to have 3 lines that can threaten opponents and a fourth that can grind it out. No doubt Connolly is going to frustrate all of us at times, but scrapping him for nothing is not the answer after 2 games. It's a long season, guys are going to get hurt, and Roy is going to play a HUGE role on this team.

absolutely! the guy played really well vs. the islanders! i suppose if the sabres wanted to package him with mika for a defenceman man it'd be worth considering, but to send him down now?

[BetweenThePipes00]

I think we all need to come to grips with the fact they are going to end up trading Noronen for a draft pick.

Is a package deal of Connolly and Noronen really going to bring anything better that what they have now? What team has SO many good defenseman they can do that deal? Every team in the league would like another defenseman.

And even if they did find a taker, they have 8 defensemen now and will have a hard time keeping them happy and productive once Kalinin is healthy, how do you deal with 9?

Please don't think I am saying this team is perfectly constructed as is, it isn't. But their hands are tied in dealing a goalie and they are going to have to take their medicine on this one.

[PTS]

Roy should have never been sent down, call your losses with Pyatt and bring back Roy. Luckily, Connolly looks like he might actually be worth something, but Pyatt has been our weakest player so far.

[BetweenThePipes00]

My argument is the same ... what happens when someone gets hurt? No NHL calibre depth to call up. Roy is a luxury and as I said will play a HUGE role.

Not to mention the size issue ... a Pyatt-Gaustad-Mair line could be valuable against bigger, more physical teams.

It's been 2 games, SOMEONE had to be the weakest player so far ... personally, other than not picking up his guy on the weak side on the Isles first goal, Pyatt has not been that bad. he has been decent on the forecheck ... do you scrap the weakest player every 2 games?

I like Roy a lot, I am not suggesting Pyatt is better, but they are different players with different roles and I just don't see the big rush ...

[blugold43]

I think we all need to come to grips with the fact they are going to end up trading Noronen for a draft pick.

Is a package deal of Connolly and Noronen really going to bring anything better that what they have now? What team has SO many good defenseman they can do that deal? Every team in the league would like another defenseman.

And even if they did find a taker, they have 8 defensemen now and will have a hard time keeping them happy and productive once Kalinin is healthy, how do you deal with 9?

Please don't think I am saying this team is perfectly constructed as is, it isn't. But their hands are tied in dealing a goalie and they are going to have to take their medicine on this one.

i don't disagree, and i am speaking hypothetically about a noronen/connolly deal- not saying it's something the sabres should pursue. maybe it is wishful thinking on my part, but i think connolly is going to surprise people this year.

[deluca67]

i don't disagree, and i am speaking hypothetically about a noronen/connolly deal- not saying it's something the sabres should pursue. maybe it is wishful thinking on my part, but i think connolly is going to surprise people this year.

I was at the game last night. Connolly is not going to surprise anyone. He was soft at the point, almost cost the Sabres an early goal. He's weak against the boards and never outworks anyone for the puck. If it were not Lydman? Connolly would have been the worst Sabre on the ice last night.

 

One more thing. I was at the game and don't remember Pyatt playing. Did he play? If he did he was a ghost.

[Taro T]

I was at the game last night. Connolly is not going to surprise anyone. He was soft at the point, almost cost the Sabres an early goal. He's weak against the boards and never outworks anyone for the puck. If it were not Lydman? Connolly would have been the worst Sabre on the ice last night. 

 

One more thing. I was at the game and don't remember Pyatt playing. Did he play? If he did he was a ghost.

I was at the game as well. Pyatt had 2 very nice wrap around attempts.

[deluca67]

I was at the game as well. Pyatt had 2 very nice wrap around attempts.

If he's not physical then he's useless. When Mair comes back I hope Pyatt is the odd man out. But knowing Regier it'll be Gaustad.

 

Dave, what did you think of the crowd. I was a bit stunned considering the match up and it being Friday night.

[Taro T]

If he's not physical then he's useless. When Mair comes back I hope Pyatt is the odd man out. But knowing Regier it'll be Gaustad.

 

Dave, what did you think of the crowd. I was a bit stunned considering the match up and  it being Friday night.

I was extremely disappointed in the crowd. It's Friday night and Boston for crying out loud. On the other hand, for an October game post Adelphia implosion, it wasn't bad. I remember being at a Carolina game, where there could not have been more than 6,500 in the crowd. If the Sabres keep winning at home, the crowds will build. I expect there to be a better crowd on Monday, but I won't be there.

 

As for who gets benched when Mair is back. My money says Peters unless the other team has a monster. Then it is probably Pyatt sitting. I don't think Gaustad sits when healthy because he wins faceoffs.