Buffalo Sabres

Sabres Clinch Northeast Division

April 6, 2010

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The stage was set and everything was in place Tuesday night for the Sabres to clinch the Northeast Division. Buffalo had taken two out of the first three meetings this season, but the Rangers were expected to be desperate for points. Buffalo gave New York a severe blow by defeating them 5-2, making it look easy. The Rangers tied the game at two, but that was all they could do. Lindy Ruff stated that Buffalo was going to play well and they did just that. The Sabres put on the pressure and the Rangers couldn’t score. Perhaps it was the man in net for the Sabres that won the game. Ryan Miller made 30 saves to earn his 40th win of the season. Miller also made arguably the save of the yea...

Playoffs: To Win or Not To Win

April 6, 2010

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That is the question! For the first time since 2006-2007, the Buffalo Sabres will reach the post season. They are on their way to clinching the Northeast Division (albeit a weak one), and Olympic All Star goalie Ryan Miller can pass the 40 win mark for the first time in his career. But how will this team fare in the playoffs? That is the big question. No team in the Eastern Conference with a playoff berth this year has a bigger question mark next to them than the Buffalo Sabres. The top 8 teams in the East have all been staples in the post season for the past few seasons. More or less, spectators know what to expect. But it's the Sabres that leave me stumped. Realistically, I thi...

Can Buffalo Perform Better?

April 5, 2010

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The Sabres currently sit third in the Eastern Conference, although they are not far behind New Jersey for second, who they trail by just a point. Buffalo is well on its way to the playoffs, but some people don’t expect them to go very far. Is there room for improvement on the Sabres team? Normally, a team that finishes third in the Conference would seem to be a good bet to go deep into the playoffs. This year, people have their eyes focused on Washington, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey in the East. So how can the Sabres improve their game to compete with the top-caliber teams? The new playing style that Lindy Ruff utilized has worked this season with the Sabres and some fans are now sayi...

Sabres Deny Boston Of Comeback

March 29, 2010

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The Sabres came into Boston coming off of a 7-1 victory over Tampa Bay two nights before. The Sabres were without Thomas Vanek, Tim Connolly, Raffi Torres, and Patrick Kaleta. Head Coach Lindy Ruff wasn't worried a bit about the team. He had confidence in the players that were recalled from Portland. Nathan Gerbe, Tyler Ennis, and Mark Mancari all be replaced the injured Sabres as Buffalo tried to find a way to beat Boston. The Bruins won three out of the first four meetings this season. Marco Sturm had the first chance of the game to put his team on the board after drawing a penalty shot. He was hooked down by Craig Rivet while on a breakaway, but was unable to beat Ryan Miller on ...

Sabres In Focus: Mike Grier

March 28, 2010

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Grier was drafted by the St.Louis blues in the ninth round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Although he was drafted, he wasn’t expected to make that team. It was a long shot for him to do so. While playing at Boston University, Grier’s rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers, giving him an opportunity to play at the NHL level. Once he completed college, Grier became a solid winger for the Oilers. He collected 32 points in 79 games during his first season with Edmonton, plus four points during the playoffs as well. Grier stayed with Edmonton for six seasons as he continued to be a solid player. He eanred 44 points in the 1998-99 season, playing all 82 games in what was arguably his be...

Sens Hold Off Sabres

March 26, 2010

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Buffalo's physical play was active in the first period. Matt Ellis, Thomas Vanek, and Patrick Kaleta were all throwing their bodies around. When challenged by Zack Smith, Kaleta dropped the gloves and took care of his opponent. It was a good way to get the crowd into the game, but the Senators received a lucky bounce past Miller. Ottawa got on the board first after a shot from Jarkko Ruutu was deflected by Chris Kelly past Ryan Miller. The play was reviewed since the net came off the moorings directly after, but the Senators goal counted and it was 1-0. After dumping the puck in, Mike Fisher drilled Kaleta into the boards, resulting in a five minute power play for the Sabres, and a gam...

Leaving Before the Buzzer

March 26, 2010

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Wednesday night’s game against Montreal was the perfect of example of a time when fans should not leave a hockey game early. If the Chris Drury goal with 7.7 seconds left to go against the Rangers in the playoffs taught Buffalo fans anything, it was just that. Though, how many empty seats were there as the clock began to run down? Just how many people got up to leave to beat traffic because they didn’t think the Sabres could pull it off? People who didn’t believe, that’s what. Now mind you, watching the game made me extremely frustrated. To watch the Sabres try and dangle the puck over the blueline individually while the Habs were up 2-0 was aggravating. They either tried...

Flashback: The Ottawa Brawl

March 25, 2010

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Many fans will remember this game for a long time. This wasn’t just an ordinary game. The Sabres were in the mix of one of their best regular season performances of all time, a year in which they would win the Presidents Trophy. The Senators and Sabres have always had a rivalry, but this game was nastier than usual. Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson, two Sabre killers each scored a goal within two minutes halfway through the first period. Buffalo got on the board late in the first with a goal from Chris Drury to cut the lead in half. In the second period, Thomas Vanek took control. He scored two goals in 39 seconds to put the Sabres up 3-2. Just a couple of minutes later, it bega...

Ryan Miller or Dominik Hasek?

March 23, 2010

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If you had to choose between Miller or Hasek, which one would you want on your team? Let's say both goalies came into the league at the same time, which one would you sign? As a 21-year-old I don't remember watching Hasek as much as Miller, but I do recall "The Dominator" being an elite goaltender. The 1999 Stanley Cup Finals was when I really watched him excel, but we're not going to talk about that. Here's a look at what Hasek has done: The 1993-'94 season was the first big year that Hasek had as a member of the Sabres. He was 29 and recorded 30 wins in 58 games, while posting a 1.95 goals against. A few years later "The Dominator" found his stride. From 1996 to the end of the ...

Pommers' Hat Trick Leads Sabres

March 18, 2010

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The Buffalo Sabres looked like a different team on Wednesday night, as they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 to snap their three-game losing skid. Buffalo had come out rather sluggish in its last three games—being outscored 7-2 in the process—but that was not the case against the Lightning, as the Sabres jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead. Jason Pominville led the Sabres’ offense with his first hat trick of the season. Pominville started the scoring on the power play at the 5:19 mark of the first period. The right-winger blasted a gorgeous one-time feed from Derek Roy into the corner of the net past Tampa goalie Antero Niittymaki. The goal marks just the fourth power-p...