Observations on Tonight's Game

[Taro T]

1. What a great game to play in front of a full house. Anyone else think they might have sold a ticket or 2 tonight?

 

2. I still wish Zhitnik would have accepted the Sabres offer this off-season, or back in '04. But even though he isn't here, he gave the Sabres 2 W's this year, as the game winning power play goal in the last 2 Isles games came w/ Z in the box. So even though the fans boo him, he still seems to be a Sabre at heart.

 

3. That Chris Drury guy might just be a hockey player. I know, heaven forbid, he has a minus 10 on the season, but he is playing very well for the Sabres right now and I am glad he is a Sabre.

 

4. Rick & Jim made a big deal out of Connolly's pinch on the game tying pp goal. That play was nice, but he did an even more incredible job keeping the puck in the zone about 15 seconds before that.

 

5. Sabres are 14 games over .500. The 9th place team is 1 game over. If they ONLY play .500 the rest of the way, the Isles or Devils would have to go ~30-17 or better over the rest of the season to catch the Sabres. Atlanta, Boston, or Florida would have to play even better than that.

 

6. With the Sabres being in this position, do not play Briere or Kalinin again before the Olympic break. Get them both healthy. The Sabres will need them in the playoffs.

 

7. I don't think the Sabres are strong enough on D or in net to be LEGITIMATE SC contenders this year. Trading Marty, a forward (quite possibly Max), and another player could probably get the D where it needs to be for this team to contend (especially if Kalinin gets healthy). Miller will likely improve his play over the next season or 2 and I think they CAN be a darkhorse candidate this year and a legitimate contender w/in the next 2 years if Darcy can hold the team together.

 

8. My "well, duh" observation. This team is far and away the most fun regular season Sabres team to watch since '00-'01 and I think they are more fun to watch than the '96-'97 team. Those WERE the 2 most fun teams to watch since LaFontaine left. Considering this team doesn't have a Peca type situation distracting from it, I'd say this team is more fun to watch than the '01 team that finished w/ 98 points.

[nfreeman]

1. What a great game to play in front of a full house. Anyone else think they might have sold a ticket or 2 tonight?

 

2. I still wish Zhitnik would have accepted the Sabres offer this off-season, or back in '04. But even though he isn't here, he gave the Sabres 2 W's this year, as the game winning power play goal in the last 2 Isles games came w/ Z in the box. So even though the fans boo him, he still seems to be a Sabre at heart.

 

3. That Chris Drury guy might just be a hockey player. I know, heaven forbid, he has a minus 10 on the season, but he is playing very well for the Sabres right now and I am glad he is a Sabre.

 

4. Rick & Jim made a big deal out of Connolly's pinch on the game tying pp goal. That play was nice, but he did an even more incredible job keeping the puck in the zone about 15 seconds before that.

 

5. Sabres are 14 games over .500. The 9th place team is 1 game over. If they ONLY play .500 the rest of the way, the Isles or Devils would have to go ~30-17 or better over the rest of the season to catch the Sabres. Atlanta, Boston, or Florida would have to play even better than that.

 

6. With the Sabres being in this position, do not play Briere or Kalinin again before the Olympic break. Get them both healthy. The Sabres will need them in the playoffs.

 

7. I don't think the Sabres are strong enough on D or in net to be LEGITIMATE SC contenders this year. Trading Marty, a forward (quite possibly Max), and another player could probably get the D where it needs to be for this team to contend (especially if Kalinin gets healthy). Miller will likely improve his play over the next season or 2 and I think they CAN be a darkhorse candidate this year and a legitimate contender w/in the next 2 years if Darcy can hold the team together.

 

8. My "well, duh" observation. This team is far and away the most fun regular season Sabres team to watch since '00-'01 and I think they are more fun to watch than the '96-'97 team. Those WERE the 2 most fun teams to watch since LaFontaine left. Considering this team doesn't have a Peca type situation distracting from it, I'd say this team is more fun to watch than the '01 team that finished w/ 98 points.

 

 

Great post daveb. I'm extremely bummed to have been unable to see the last 2 games due to holiday travel -- yet another item to hold against my in-laws. I only have one issue: as I've said before, Max is not for sale. He's turning into a star. He's also going to be amazingly fun to watch in the new NHL for the next 5-10 years.

 

Of course, there are always hypothetical scenarios where anyone could be for sale, but I'd need some specifics, and I will dig in and say that he's not for sale for ANYONE in the league age 33 or higher (or maybe even 32).

 

Go Sabres. We are going to crush the leafs on thurs.

[Taro T]

I only have one issue:  as I've said before, Max is not for sale.  He's turning into a star.  He's also going to be amazingly fun to watch in the new NHL for the next 5-10 years.

 

Of course, there are always hypothetical scenarios where anyone could be for sale, but I'd need some specifics, and I will dig in and say that he's not for sale for ANYONE in the league age 33 or higher (or maybe even 32).

 

Go Sabres.  We are going to crush the leafs on thurs.

I don't know that Max will be a part of a package (and actually would prefer to see him stay a Sabre as he is very entertaining to watch) but would not be surprised to see him included in a package.

 

Reasons I think he may be considered expendable are:

 

1. I expect he will be a career 30 goal scorer but show enough flashes of brilliance that some GM will be convinced that his coach can make him a 40 goal scorer.

 

2. He has not seemed to be able to understand to this point of the season that putting his stick on an opposing player's arm or torso WILL be called a hook. He is fast enough that he can get back in position on an opponent but has been slow on the uptake of this concept. I'd be surprised if this does not drive Lindy up the wall and I'd also be surprised if some other GM wasn't convinced that his coach could teach Max how the rule is being enforced.

 

3. The entertainment/excitement value he brings and the fact that he is an Olympian and thus is marketable MAY make his value to another team higher than his strictly tangible on-ice skills would make him. You are not alone among Sabres fans that do not want to see him playing elsewhere, that another team's fans would feel the same way by Christmas '06 can only increase his value.

 

4. Especially if Dumont can recover from his hernia, the Sabres have depth at wing. Vanek is essentially untouchable and Hecht should be IMO. I'd be surprised to see the Sabres willing to trade one of the young wingers like Pominville or any of their centers. I'd expect another team to want Max, Ales, or youth and think that the Sabres would be more willing to part w/ Max than Ales or youth.

[nfreeman]

I don't know that Max will be a part of a package (and actually would prefer to see him stay a Sabre as he is very entertaining to watch) but would not be surprised to see him included in a package.

 

Reasons I think he may be considered expendable are:

 

1. I expect he will be a career 30 goal scorer but show enough flashes of brilliance that some GM will be convinced that his coach can make him a 40 goal scorer.

 

2. He has not seemed to be able to understand to this point of the season that putting his stick on an opposing player's arm or torso WILL be called a hook. He is fast enough that he can get back in position on an opponent but has been slow on the uptake of this concept. I'd be surprised if this does not drive Lindy up the wall and I'd also be surprised if some other GM wasn't convinced that his coach could teach Max how the rule is being enforced.

 

3. The entertainment/excitement value he brings and the fact that he is an Olympian and thus is marketable MAY make his value to another team higher than his strictly tangible on-ice skills would make him. You are not alone among Sabres fans that do not want to see him playing elsewhere, that another team's fans would feel the same way by Christmas '06 can only increase his value.

 

4. Especially if Dumont can recover from his hernia, the Sabres have depth at wing. Vanek is essentially untouchable and Hecht should be IMO. I'd be surprised to see the Sabres willing to trade one of the young wingers like Pominville or any of their centers. I'd expect another team to want Max, Ales, or youth and think that the Sabres would be more willing to part w/ Max than Ales or youth.

daveb -- I agree that the penalties are really annoying. Also agree that Max's market value is high and will be after the olympics. However:

 

1. there is a very good reason his value is high: he's a really good player who's becoming not only a consistent goal-scorer but a playmaker as well.

 

2. I would trade Hecht, Pominville, Roy and Dumont before I traded Max. I like Jochen but wouldn't see him as untouchable at all -- I think he's pretty comparable with Dumont.

 

3. Also -- not to overstate the obvious, but it really depends what is on offer. Are we talking about scott Neidermayer? ie a true #1 star defenseman who is 32 or younger and still has a lot left in the tank and could be a big part in a cup run THIS YEAR (yeah, baby)? OK, fine, and they can have Marty too for a guy like that.

 

But not for a guy who's just pretty good -- ie more or less like Tallinder, Lydman or McKee -- or even a guy like Zhitnik, who I liked but not for $3.5 million and certainly not for Max. Bottom line is a 30- or 40-goal scorer, who might also be an 80- or 90-point guy, is worth more than a defenseman of that caliber. Yes, I would like to have another defenseman like that, but that kind of player is not the difference-maker that Max is.

 

Just my opinion.

[LabattBlue]

6. With the Sabres being in this position, do not play Briere or Kalinin again before the Olympic break. Get them both healthy. The Sabres will need them in the playoffs.

According to Lindy on WGR this morning, Briere is going back to Montreal to see the abdominal specialist again(this doesn't sound good). He also said Kalinin is still bothered by the hand injury. I don't think it is bad enough though that he needs to be shut down until after the Olympic break. As bad as Kalinin has played, he is needed on the blueline as one of the Sabres top 4 defensemen.

[zow2]

From watching many NHL games this year the Sabres definitely have the goaltending to compete for the Cup. No doubt about it. Every goalie has a bad night here and there but Buffalo is as consistent as any. You are probably right about the D though. We could use some tightening up to be a legit contender.

[LabattBlue]

7. I don't think the Sabres are strong enough on D or in net to be LEGITIMATE SC contenders this year. Trading Marty, a forward (quite possibly Max), and another player could probably get the D where it needs to be for this team to contend (especially if Kalinin gets healthy). Miller will likely improve his play over the next season or 2 and I think they CAN be a darkhorse candidate this year and a legitimate contender w/in the next 2 years if Darcy can hold the team together.

Dave, I have been saying this all along. Darcy needs to realize he has something special brewing here and that come playoff time, they will need to improve the blueline if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs. The other thing is that Numminen is 37 years old and will need to be rested from time to time down the stretch in order to be ready to go come playoff time. If the top 8 defensemen can look like this come playoff time, the Sabres could be a force to be reckoned with...

 

 

 

McKee

Lydman

Numminen

(top 4 d-man acquired via trade)

Kalinin

Tallinder

Cambell

Fitzpatrick

[Stoner]

Is Golisano willing to take on payroll?

[BuffalOhio]

Is Golisano willing to take on payroll?

If the house is packed for most games, he'll see that he's making money, and perhaps he'll fork over some cash for a payroll increase!

 

Let's hope!

[Taro T]

According to Lindy on WGR this morning, Briere is going back to Montreal to see the abdominal specialist again(this doesn't sound good).  He also said Kalinin is still bothered by the hand injury.  I don't think it is bad enough though that he needs to be shut down until after the Olympic break.  As bad as Kalinin has played, he is needed on the blueline as one of the Sabres top 4 defensemen.

I know the hand is the injury keeping him out of the lineup, but I am not convinced he is fully recovered from the groin injury suffered in the preseason. As near as I can tell, the only way to fully recover from "minor" groin injuries is rest. The Sabres are winning without him right now and he has not looked "right" all season.

 

I would really like to see him rest the groin while the Sabres are winning without him.

 

The addition of a true top 4 D-man and the Kalinin of old would significantly upgrade this defense. Without rest, I don't know that we will see the old Kalinin this season.

[Taro T]

From watching many NHL games this year the Sabres definitely have the goaltending to compete for the Cup.  No doubt about it.  Every goalie has a bad night here and there but Buffalo is as consistent as any.  You are probably right about the D though.  We could use some tightening up to be a legit contender.

They do have the goaltending to "compete", especially if the Sabres upgrade the defense. But in order for me to consider them a legitimate contender, I think they need a goalie that can steal a series if the forwards or d are not getting it done. I do not believe that the Sabres have the goaltending right now to steal a series for them and if they play Ottawa they will absolutely need that. Yes, Ottawa may be beat by someone else, but until Ottawa is gone you have to assume the Sabres will have to play them at some point.

 

If the Sabres had Hasek or Kiprusoff or Vokoun and the Sens had Emery, then I'd probably say the Sabres have enough goaltending to be considered legitimate contenders (especially with an upgrade on defense). Will the Sabres current goaltenders reach that level in the next year or 2? I think it is very possible. Are they there yet? I hope I am wrong, but I don't believe they are.

[jp...]

If the Sabres had Hasek or Kiprusoff or Vokoun and the Sens had Emery, then I'd probably say the Sabres have enough goaltending to be considered legitimate contenders (especially with an upgrade on defense). Will the Sabres current goaltenders reach that level in the next year or 2? I think it is very possible. Are they there yet? I hope I am wrong, but I don't believe they are.

 

I agree...Miller is young and will get better...but you can't expect him in his first year to win a cup...as much as I like Marty, he hasn't played a playoff game either...With these two, winning a playoff round would be a bonus, especially if we don't trade for a #4 d-man...with this d, winning a round would be a huge surprise...

 

I will say it again, as much as Campbell has played well, he shouldn't be playing any sort of regular shift in the playoffs...remember Housley?...remember Housley in the playoffs?...Campbell is maybe half the player Phil was...ouch :ph34r:

[LabattBlue]

I will say it again, as much as Campbell has played well, he shouldn't be playing any sort of regular shift in the playoffs...remember Housley?...remember Housley in the playoffs?...Campbell is maybe half the player Phil was...ouch :ph34r:

I agree 100%. Campbell has been playing much better in his own zone, but it's all relative. He, along with Fitzpatrick(don't know what happened to him since the 03-04 season) scare the heck out of me come playoff time. Dress 7 d-men during the playoffs including Campbell, but just play him on the PP and an occasional shift or two per period on the blueline.