Playoff Musings and Predictions for 2013, Round 2

Welcome to the second round!

I went 7-for-8 in my Round 1 predictions, missing only on Sharks-Canucks.  I knew San Jose was streaky, but since they finished 5-5 in their last ten games of the regular season I had to guess what kind of streak they'd be on.  Swing and a miss.  Still, seven out of eight ain't bad, and I even got the length correct on Ducks-Wings and Kings-Blues. 

This, of course, means that all my second round picks are going to be horrifically wrong and/or laughably bad. 

With that caveat, away we go:

EAST

Pittsburgh Penguins (1) vs. Ottawa Senators (7)

How they got here: Pittsburgh struggled with a remarkably pesky Islanders team and its own completely incompetent goaltending, but closed out the series after finally abandoning Marc-Andre Fleury for Tomas Vokoun.   Eric Gryba's destruction of Lars Eller set the tone early for Ottawa in its series against Montreal, and the Sens dismantled the Habs in shockingly easy fashion, including a pair of 6-1 wins.

Who I'm rooting for: Like any Sabres fan worth his salt, I don't much care for Ottawa.  NBC's penchant for Sidney Crosby lovefests drives me even nuttier, so begrudgingly, Ottawa is my choice.

Prediction: Pittsburgh has far more firepower, but is facing a far more competent goaltender than it faced in Round 1.  Ottawa's Craig Anderson has tremendous numbers, but is facing a far more competent offense than what Montreal presented him with.  Something has to give.  Fleury has been Pittsburgh's Achilles heel, but if they're willing to bench him when he sucks (read:always) and go with the hot hand - think of Carolina winning a Cup by alternating between Cam Ward and Martin Gerber - then Anderson may have to stand on his head even more than he already does.  Penguins in 6.

Boston Bruins (4) vs. New York Rangers (6)

How they got here: Boston outplayed the Leafs for three games, got outplayed for the next three games and 45 minutes, then was handed a second-round berth via the most hilarious (and historic!) Game 7 collapse ever.  The Rangers traded home wins with the Capitals for six games and then blew out Washington in Game 7, shutting out the Caps twice to close out the series and completely shutting down Alex Ovechkin in the process.

Who I'm rooting for: Now that Toronto has been bounced, the Bruins serve no purpose for me and I can revert to hating them. Go Rangers.

Prediction: These two teams are actually very even in goals for and against, so I'm going with the better goaltender, and that's Lundqvist by a mile.  Rangers in 7.

WEST

Chicago Blackhawks (1) vs. Detroit Red Wings (7)

How they got here: The Blackhawks took just five games to dispatch Minnesota, but it was more difficult than most had envisioned (and by that, I mean they didn't win every game 9-0).  The Wings earned a bye to the second round by virtue of playing a team coached by Bruce Boudreau.

Who I'm rooting for: One of those rare matchups in which I don't compare one team to another to determine who I dislike the least.  I like the Hawks, and I'm sick of the Wings.  'Nuff said.

Prediction: The Hawks didn't get much production out of Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews in the first round.  That will change, and boy howdy will the Wings wish it wouldn't.  I think the Hawks will actually have an easier time in Round 2 than they did against the Wild.  Hawks in 5.
 
Los Angeles Kings (5) vs. San Jose Sharks (6)

How they got here: The Kings outlasted their mirror image in what was arguably the best, most intense series of the first round, while the Sharks busted out the brooms against a Canucks team that has now lost eight of its last nine playoff games.

Who I'm rooting for: Tough one, as I'm actually somewhat fond of both teams.  I'll go with the Kings for a couple reasons: I think they have more potential to go deeper, and I have a couple friends who are Kings fans (and have told me I need to give them my support, or else).

Prediction: After a shaky Game 1, Jonathan Quick has remembered he's Jonathan Quick. This is not good news for the Sharks, who don't have the depth to keep up with LA.  Kings in 5.

Playoff Musings and Predictions for 2013, Round 1

NHL playoff predictions!  You’ve likely seen eleventy billion of these by now, but I have a dormant blog to restart so you’re going to get another one.  Don’t worry, I’ll keep each one brief.  Just for fun, since this is a Sabres blog I thought I’d try to dig up every Sabres connection I possibly could to each team, whether it’s a current player or a coach/executive who once had Sabre ties.  Just in case that’s the sort of thing that helps you decide on a rooting interest, you know.

EAST

Pittsburgh Penguins (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)

Sabres Connections: Eric Boulton, Brad Boyes, and Joe Finley (Islanders).  Jason Botterill is the Penguins’ assistant GM.

Who I'm rooting for: I like underdog stories, and the Islanders are sort of plucky and underdoggy, having not made the playoffs in about a million and three years.  They’re really about the only Eastern team I can stomach.

Prediction: I’ve heard it said that the Isles’ speed and tenacity might give the Pens fits, but Pittsburgh has too much firepower for the Isles to overcome.  Handicapping this series is a bit tricky though because you never know when Marc-Andre Fleury might decide to put on a gongshow. That said: Penguins in 5.

Montreal Canadiens (2) vs. Ottawa Senators (7)

Sabres Connections:  The Canadiens’ assistant GMs include Larry Carriere and Rick Dudley.

Who I’m rooting for: I flipped a coin, and the coin told me I'm rooting for Ottawa.  Money talks.

Prediction:  Montreal hasn’t played very well lately, so I’m calling for a Craig Anderson-fueled upset.   Sens in 7.

Washington Capitals (3) vs. New York Rangers (6)

Sabres Connections: Taylor Pyatt, Martin Biron (Rangers).  Calle Johansson is an assistant coach with the Caps.  Rangers head coach John Tortorella was once an assistant coach with the Sabres, and Jim Schoenfeld is the Rangers’ assistant GM.

Who I’m rooting for: I have no dog in this fight but I do have a friend who’s a Rangers fan, so go Blueshirts, I guess.

Prediction: The Caps have been on fire lately, but I think if the Rangers can shut Ovechkin down they’ll pull it off.  If anyone can do that, I think they can.  Rangers in 6, or in other words, one game per average number of unique words uttered by John Tortorella during a press conference.

Boston Bruins (4) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (5)

Sabres Connections: Daniel Paille, Bruins; Clarke MacArthur, Leafs.  Adam Creighton is a Bruins scout.  Doug Houda, who once had a cup of coffee in Buffalo, is a Bruins assistant coach.  Bob Essensa is the Bruins’ goaltending coach.

Who I’m rooting for:  This is my least favorite matchup for which to declare a rooting interest.  You might as well ask me if I prefer gonorrhea or chlamydia.  There is no way I could ever willingly root for the Leafs, though, so I’ll begrudgingly throw my weight behind the Bruins.

Prediction: A lot of people seem to think the Leafs’ penchant for getting outshot and outpossessed is about to catch up with them.  I’m not interested in statistical analysis, I just think the Leafs suck.  Bruins in 6.

WEST

Chicago Blackhawks (1) vs. Minnesota Wild (8)

Sabres Connections: Steve Montador, Blackhawks (although he hasn't played for them in over a year thanks in part to concussion issues); Jason Pominville, Wild.  Keith Carney is the player development coach for Chicago.  Scotty Bowman is still the Hawks’ senior adviser for hockey operations.

Who I’m rooting for: Blackhawks.  They’re just plain fun to watch, and there’s not much point in supporting the Wild since they won’t be with us much longer.

Prediction: Most lopsided matchup in Round 1.  Blink and you might miss it. Hawks in 4.

Anaheim Ducks (2) vs. Detroit Red Wings (7)

Sabres Connections: Toni Lydman, Ducks.  Seriously.  That's all I could find.

Who I’m rooting for: The Ducks, because as impressive as a 21-season playoff streak is, it’s equally as annoying.  Go away, Detroit.

Prediction: “Bruce Boudreau” and “playoff success” should never be uttered in the same sentence, unless you’re talking about his lack thereof.  Wings in 7.

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs. San Jose Sharks (6)

Sabres Connections: Derek Roy is a Canuck, which is the most appropriate thing ever given their mutual love of diving.  Zack Kassian is also on the ‘Nucks roster.  Tim Kennedy and Raffi Torres are Sharks.

Who I’m rooting for: Choking underachievers they may be, but I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the Sharks.  Also, I hate Vancouver.  Well, more specifically their fans.  Easily the whiniest fanbase in the history of sports.

Prediction: The Sharks have been remarkably streaky this year, which makes this a tough series to call.  I'm regrettably picking the Canucks because I think they've been more consistent.  Canucks in 5.

St. Louis Blues (4) vs. Los Angeles Kings (5)

Sabres Connections: Jordan Leopold, Blues; Robyn Regehr, Kings.  Former Sabres coach Ted Nolan’s son Jordan is a Kings forward.  Christian Ruuttu is the Kings’ European scout, and Mike Donnelly is also a Kings scout.  “Ryan Miller” is listed as the Blues’ Director of Hockey Administration - did we really drive him out of town that quickly?

Who I’m rooting for: The Kings, because I think it’s funny when Ken Hitchcock gets all pissy and I’m praying something will make that happen.

Prediction:  The Blues are out for revenge after getting knocked out by the Kings last spring when nearly the entire hockey world had them penciled in as champs, but I’m not sold on the Blues’ goaltending situation.  Kings in 6.

The first, and last, post I'll write about this stupid lockout

(What I'm about to write is going to be completely unfiltered.  I usually do a great deal of editing on my posts - probably too much, actually - but today I'm going to simply write from the heart without any effort to sanitize it.  I usually take great care to censor my filthy mouth as well, but I don't plan on doing that either so if any of that slips through, well, you've been warned.   If the NHL and the NHLPA don't care enough to make an honest effort to negotiate, then I can't be bothered to make this pretty.  Yes, the two are totally the same thing.)

Today is the morning after what should have been the Sabres' 2012 home opener.  I should have been at the First Niagara Center cheering on the Sabres with either my wife and son, or by myself with my daughter (she's four years old now, so she can't sit on our laps for free anymore).  I should have been buying $4.00 bottles of Diet Coke and maybe a similarly overpriced hotdog or nachos.  Had my daughter been with me, I should have been accompanying her to Sabretooth's house for the entire second period (*grumble*). I should have been booing the hell out of Sidney Crosby - I don't care how good he is, I hate the guy.  I don't entirely understand why either.

But instead, because of a level of greed displayed by the owners and players which you and I can never understand, I did none of those things last night.  I should have woken up this morning feeling happy, exhilarated, euphoric, or maybe just plain thankful that the NHL was back.  Instead, I woke up this morning feeling two emotions: anger and apathy.  The NHL should be happy about the former, and they damn well better be shitting their pants at the latter.

See, I've been a hockey fan all my life.  My dad took me to my first hockey game in the 80s; the importance of saving ticket stubs to commemorate occasions was lost on me at that age, but I'm pretty sure it was this game from 1987 against the Oilers.  I've been fortunate enough to hold season tickets since 2006-07, during which time HSBC Arena First Niagara Center has been like a second home for me.  Sometimes it feels like I've practically raised my kids in that barn.  I spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars in the store annually on shirts, gifts, and jerseys (which my closet is nearly bursting at the seams with at this point).

None of that makes me special, of course.  The vast majority of the 10 people who read this will claim the same.  But it's important in establishing why I, and likely you, are straight up pissed off about this lockout.  We have invested a lot of time and a lot of money into a league that doesn't give a shit about us.  That I can't follow it right now gets my blood boiling. 

What really gets me angry about this are my kids.  My son - who just turned two last week - absolutely loves the Sabres.  He's at an age where he's really starting to get the hang of communication.  Whenever he sees a Sabres logo on, well, anything, he gets really excited, points and shouts "BUCKO BUCKO BUCKO!"  (That's how he says "Buffalo".  Hasn't mastered the letter F yet.)  I mean, you should see this kid - he gets so amped up simply about seeing a logo that you'd think he just ate a five-pound bag of sugar.   It's a rare moment in this house when he's not carrying around a hockey stick whacking away at a soft hockey ball.  He's getting screwed out of hockey for what will probably turn out to be an entire season, at an age where we can still take him and sit him on our laps without having to pay admission for him.  And my daughter, who will be five in December, keeps asking me "Daddy, when are we going to the Sabres?"   Just for fun, would you like to try explaining the dynamics of a labor-management dispute in terms a four-year-old can understand?  I haven't been able to do it yet.  Having dealt with 2004-05, I can cope with another lockout.  The last one proved to me that I can find other things to do.  But my kids don't understand what's going on, and they're being cheated.

That stillborn 2004-05 season is also responsible for my other emotion - apathy.  Well, it's really more of an angry apathy, as you're about to witness.

Simply put, I don't want to go through this again.  Just cancel the entire fucking season.  Do it now, before I get even more angrily apathetic.  Don't jerk me around two weeks at a time with empty promises and bullshit rhetoric.  If we really are to believe that there will be hockey in 2012-13, then get your asses to the fucking bargaining table and get a goddamn deal done.  Until that happens, shut the fuck up.  We, the fans, don't give a shit about who is wrong or right in this.  JUST GET A DEAL DONE.  (Sure, they'll argue that they need the "right" deal, so this doesn't keep happening every six or seven years.  And they're correct.  You know what accomplishes that?  Talking to each other, instead of sniping at each other through the media.  Also, pro tip: willingness to make concessions would go a long way here.  Your move, NHL.)

Every day, as time allows, I read about 25-30 Sabres blogs as well as Puck Daddy, Pro Hockey Talk, Backhand Shelf, and a number of other hockey blogs.  It's been a part of my daily ritual for a long time now, and I enjoy it greatly.  That ends today, and that will remain the case until the lockout is finally over.  With all due respect to all the great writers whose material I read, I simply can't take any more idle and ill-informed speculation on when the lockout will end and I certainly don't want to read about the fucking KHL.

The same is true of this blog.  I haven't posted much over the last year, but I intended to give one last crack this season at keeping up with my approach to game analysis and other hot takes.  As I said in the title, this is my first and last lockout-related post, so this blog will proceed to remain in limbo until the lockout is over.  It's a shame, because I really do enjoy writing this blog.   No matter how many times some self-righteous douchebag within the Buffalo sports blogopshere complains about "too many Sabres blogs" and "too many game recaps", know that I will continue to write this blog for one reason, and one reason only: because it's fun.  I don't have a journalism degree, I've never aspired to be a columnist, and I don't have an agenda to push.  I don't even care how many people are reading this.  I enjoy doing it.  Nothing else matters.

I'm also done spending money on NHL-related products for a good long while. That's a big part of the reason I'm having the Sabres refund my money for unused tickets every month.  Sure, they're offering 4% interest per annum - but it's refunded via the Sabrebucks card, which forces me to use it on tickets, in the Sabres store, or elsewhere in the FNC.  Besides, I did the math and 4% interest per annum really isn't that much.  If I got a full 12 months interest on my ticket money, I'd make about $107 - and I don't believe I'd get a full 12 months interest on all my money, either. For example, if games are cancelled in February and then a new CBA is reached in March, my understanding is that I'd only get 4% divided by 12.  So, enough for a newspaper or perhaps a 2-liter of Coke.  Sorry, not enough of an incentive.  With all due respect to the Sabres organization - and I know it's possible some of their staff may be reading this, as I've been invited to a pair of blogger summits - I know you guys are probably trying to keep as much cash on hand as you can, but why should I allow you to keep my money so I can make an extra few bucks when I could be using that money on events that are actually happening?   That's money that I can use to see the Amerks, check out a Niagara or Canisius hockey game, or take the kids to Disney on Ice.  Hell, if I really wanted to go crazy, my season ticket deposits could cover another trip to Disneyworld (again) come April.

Call me when this is over.  Until then, I'll do my best to find other ways to occupy my time.  And the NHL had better hope that none of those things are anything more than just a passing phase.

A (really late) take on the Alexander Sulzer signing

I haven't written anything for a really, really long time, and since the next Sabres New Media Summit (aka "Basement Brigade 3.0") is tonight, I ought to do something about that.  As a means of reintroducing myself, I want to talk about the resigning of Alexander Sulzer for a bit.

It's fair to say that Sulzer was probably considered a throwaway part of the Zack Kassian for Cody Hodgson swap.  My theory was that Hogdson was considered the overall better (or, at the very least, more NHL-ready) player, so the Sabres made up for that gap by tossing in the sure-to-not-be-resigned Marc-Andre "Tire Fire" Gragnani for the similarly soon-to-be free agent Sulzer. Surely the allegedly talented Gragnani was considered a better player than a dude who was Vancouver's 19th-best d-man and only cracked the lineup for 12 games, right?

Except that wasn't the case at all.  Sulzer proved to be a pleasant surprise, playing generally solid in his own zone and even contributing to the offense on occasion.  He sort of reminded me of Chris Butler in his rookie year - you know, before Butler started to suck.  Meanwhile, as far as I can tell Gragnani had the same impact in the City of Smug Self-Entitlement that he did in Buffalo: offensively promising, yet defensively clueless and ultimately infuriating.

So, for not being Marc-Andre Gragnani, the Sabres rewarded their lowest-paid German with a one-year, $725,000 deal. Nothing earth-shattering, nothing that guarantees a team a Cup run.  But if nothing else, it's a nice midpoint to a feel-good story - you're better than we thought, kid, so here's an opportunity to prove what you're really capable of.  Now go get it.

But speaking of kids, that brings me to the one caveat I have with this deal: his name is Brayden McNabb.

You may remember December '11 as a whirling vortex of suck, especially after Tyler Myers went down with a broken wrist. The Sabres couldn't score, couldn't defend, couldn't get a competent performance between the pipes.  McNabb got his first call-up in late November in the midst of all this and was one of the few bright spots on the team, what with his highlight-reel hits and his... highlight-reel hits.  All kidding aside: although it was McNabb's path of destruction that got him noticed, for a 20-year-old he was pretty darn responsible in his own end as well. After watching him for a few games, I decided I needed Brayden McNabb on the big club next year - to borrow a phrase I once used on Tyler Ennis, "I can't wait to see this for 82 games next season."

Problem is, there's sort of a logjam at the blueline already.  The top four defensemen (Myers, Leopold, Regehr, Ehrhoff) are clealy entrenched - barring injury, they will remain the top four.  I  expected that, at worst, McNabb would fill the #7 defenseman's role; Sulzer's presence now means that McNabb will have to leapfrog two of Sekera, Weber, and Sulzer to crack the top six.  Having watched the Sabres likely wreck Luke Adam's career this past season by stashing him in the AHL for too long and then not giving him proper ice time when he does finally get a shot, I don't want McNabb to suffer the same fate.

Then again, maybe I'm overthinking it.  Perhaps Sulzer's signing means Mike Weber is suddenly expendable; McNabb plays a similar (some might say "better") physical style as Weber, and maybe the Sabres consider McNabb ready to replace Weber much like Marcus Foligno replaced Kassian's "physical" game (yes, quotes are necessary there) when he was sent to Vancouver.  Or maybe the Sabres are planning on losing eleventy billion D-men to injury once again this season.  I don't know.  Whatever the case, the Sabres' defense corps is better with Sulzer returning, and I'm rather pleased he'll be back - as long as it doesn't bode poorly for Brayden McNabb.

Film Room, Game 24: Sabres vs. Islanders 11/29/11

Box Score (NHL.com)

Since this post is now two days late and everything that needs to be said about this game has already been posted elsewhere, I'll keep this short.  (Hey, I said I was going to post about every game - I never said I'd do it in a timely fashion.)

There's probably not much to overanalyze or lament about a single loss in late Novemb... wait, what?  They lost to the freakin' Islanders, the team that's bringing up the rear of the conference and only bothered to win six of its previous games?   Forget how I started this paragraph.  Lineup full of Amerks or not, that's tough to swallow.

If you're looking for positives in a loss to the worst team in the East, you can say that at least it wasn't for lack of effort.  The Sabres were fine defensively, save for someone (and I couldn't tell who) losing Brian Rolston in coverage on the eventual game-winning goal.  Much like the Phoenix game, though, they had plenty of chances to blow this game open and plenty others - including a late 5-on-3 - to tie the score and at least get a charity point, but failed to bury them.  The posts and crossbars likely needed a new coat of red paint before tonight's game.

Microcosm of the game (and of his career thus far in Buffalo, for that matter): Ville Leino, staring at a wide-open net that had a huge, blinking neon "FEED ME" sign, watching the puck bounce over his stick and skates and harmlessly into the corner.  Mr. Pegula is paying $4.5 million a year for that, folks.

Pluses:

• Zack Kassian's first NHL fight literally left his opponent, Matt Martin, begging for mercy - Martin actually threw his hand up in front of his face, apparently pleading with Kassian to stop turning his face into hamburger.  Why yes, I do believe this young man has the ability to intimidate, don't you say?
• Frans Nielsen is probably still reaching for the Advil after Brayden McNabb caught him with his head down at center ice and knocked him into Lake Erie.   For my money, that's the best open-ice hit thrown by a Sabre since Brian Campbell cooked up some Cream of Umberger soup in the '06 playoffs.
• If you like goaltending duels, this game was right up your alley.  The 2-1 score was not indicative of clutch-and-grab '90s hockey in the least.  Al Montoya and Jhonas Enroth were sensational, and it's a shame either one had to take the loss.
• Nice heads-up play by Jochen Hecht to collect a puck that bounced off the back of Jason Pominville's skate and slip it past Montoya for the Sabres' only goal.

Minuses:

• 24 games, two goals, four assists, $4.5 million against the cap.... and when the time comes for him to step up and be a clutch player, the puck bounces harmlessly past him.  Who do you think I'm talking about?  I'm at the point where I'm ready to demand he switch numbers and stop tainting the legacy of #23.

Next Game: Friday, 12/2 vs. Detroit. That little swoon the Red Wings went through is a thing of the past, and they're hitting Buffalo with a six-game winning streak in hand.  Yes, exactly what a struggling team with so many kids in the lineup needs. (And yet, when I say such things, the opposite always seems to be true, so what do I know.)

Film Room, Game 23: Sabres vs. Caps 11/26/11

Box Score (NHL.com)

Coming off a dreadful 5-1 loss to Columbus the prior night and with the injured list numbering nine, the Sabres sure could have used a significant contribution from someone who's been on the roster for more than a couple weeks.

Enter Luke Adam, whose two goals both came at critical times - his first opened the scoring and his second made it 4-1, effectively icing the game.  Who better to lead the way for the kids than a guy who was in Rochester himself last year?

This game promised to be an adventure in team chemistry - your forward lines for the evening were Vanek-Hecht-Pominville, Gerbe-Roy-Kassian, Leino-Adam-Szezechura, and Tropp-Gaustad-Ellis.  If you could have predicted those lines - as well as a third defensive pairing of TJ Brennan and Brayden McNabb - a couple months ago, I'd like to have a little conversation with you about future lottery numbers.  But as it turned out, the Amerks would more than fit in with the big club and figured prominently in the game - Zack Kassian scored his first NHL goal, Paul Szczechura had two assists including one that stemmed from one of the more impressive forechecks I've seen lately, and Brayden McNabb brought some nasty physical play that was sorely needed in the absence of Robyn Regehr.

Washington didn't have many scoring chances all night, and that's largely because the kids kept it simple.  McNabb, for example, didn't make his first noticeable turnover until he tried to go cross-ice in his own zone with about eight minutes left in the game.  In particular, McNabb and TJ Brennan - who were paired together - didn't try to do too much and consistently made smart plays when they got in trouble.  The same was true of the forward call-ups - Kassian and Szczechura were also efficient with the puck all night.

As bad as the Sabres looked in Columbus, they looked equally as impressive against the Caps.  It's worth noting that Washington is in a tailspin and appears to be attempting to get its coach fired, but I don't care - there was still a lot of talent on the other side of the ice, and as such I was really proud of the kids last night.

Pluses:

• What a great forecheck by call-up Paul Szczechura (is referring to a Sabre as a "call-up" redundant at this point, by the way?) on Adam's first goal.  Szczechura essentially forced Caps defenseman Dennis Wideman to vomit the puck into the slot and right onto the stick of Adam, who didn't hesitate for even a split second before rifling the puck past Tomas Vokoun.  I'm not sure Szczechura's stick actually touched the puck, but he was awarded an assist anyways - and rightfully so, as that goal happened because of him.
• For the third time this season, the crowd at the First Niagara Center heard the phrase "Buffalo goal, the first of his NHL career, scored by... "  Tonight it was Zack Kassian who triggered that phrase, slipping a puck through the wickets of Vokoun.  It was a softie for sure, but the look on Kassian's face - somewhat resembling a war cry - suggested he wasn't about to care.  It came at a critical time as well, restoring Buffalo's two-goal margin a mere 27 seconds after Washington had cut the deficit to 2-1 and briefly threatened to make a game out of it.  Kassian was rather effective at throwing his body around as well.  Really nice game for the kid.
• Brayden McNabb really impressed me, especially with his physical play.  He led the team with six hits and, as I alluded to previously, was very smart in his own zone.  However, I have to nitpick - McNabb broke the recent string of call-ups (Brennan, Kassian) registering a point in their first NHL games.  For shame, Brayden. 
• Christian Ehrhoff: 27:42 ice time.  Marc-Andre Gragnani: 24:17.  Jordan Leopold: 23:14.  That sort of minute-eating is not only astounding, but also very critical for a team that doesn't want rookies to be forced into playing an immediate twenty minutes a night.
• He was overshadowed by the Amerks storylines and the offensive outburst, but Jhonas Enroth was very solid last night.  The only goal he gave up came on a penalty shot after Christian Ehrhoff tripped Jason Chimera on a breakaway.  Really odd goal as well - nobody could see the puck because it got stuck in the top of the net, so those of us in the arena started celebrating, figuring Enroth had the puck in his equipment somewhere.  Then we saw Chimera skate to the bench and high-five his teammates, prompting "Oh.  Well, crap."

Minuses:

• Despite my praise of Ehrhoff for chewing up so much ice time, he had moments that made me want to pull out what's left of my hair. He fumbled the puck at the blue line quite a bit, had a few turnovers, gave up a breakaway, took a penalty that resulted in a penalty shot and the lone Capitals goal, sent an apparent pass nowhere near anyone, and even bounced a pass off a teammate's rear end in the neutral zone.  Again, 27:42 - so obviously I'm nitpicking.  Consider this an argument that Ehrhoff still has plenty of room for improvement.
• It's hard to find much to complain about in a dominant 5-1 win (see previous bullet point), so I'll use this space to lament the sad, sorry state of the Washington Capitals.  You think the Sabres didn't show up the night before in Columbus?  The Caps were twice as bad - it felt like a team trying to get its coach fired, refusing to chase down pucks and playing extremely passive defense.  The worst offender was, by far, Alex Ovechkin. What happened to Ovie?  There was a time when I would refuse to sell my tickets to Caps games specifically because I wanted to see him play.  He used to be the most exciting player in hockey, and now he's just another guy.   He showed no interest in chasing down Jochen Hecht on his breakaway shorthanded goal and no interest in defending Luke Adam on his second goal.  No passion, no heart.

Next Game: Tuesday, 11/29 vs. the Islanders.  No worries if the Sabres are still half an AHL team for this contest - the Islanders are a full AHL team for 82 games a year. (Zing!)  The Isles are occupying their usual spot in the Eastern basement, having only bothered to win six out of 21 games.  Should be a good time for the Rochester kids to cut their teeth a bit.

Film Room, Game 22: Sabres vs. Jackets 11/25/11

Box Score (NHL.com)

It can be a challenge to write a game blog for a site called "Roll the Highlight Film" when there aren't any actual, you know, highlights to be found in a given game.  Such was apparently the case last night.

I got caught up in late-day Black Friday shopping yesterday and failed to record the game, so I mostly listened on the radio - as such, my analysis is going to be rather light.  Besides, the only salient point from this game is probably that they looked shockingly slow and sluggish against the worst team in the league.  After perusing the "highlight" clips and seeing cement skates strapped to every Sabre skater's feet, I feel confident in saying that the Sabres played their worst game of the year.  I guess those long road trips to Columbus certainly take their toll - feel free to insert your own tryptophan-inspired joke here if you wish. 

Pluses:

• Drew MacIntyre looked solid in relief of Jhonas Enroth, judging by what little of the third period I was able to see.  He had zero chance on the one goal he gave up.  The cries of "Give MacIntyre more playing time" are right around the corner, I bet.
• Congratulations to Zack Kassian for notching his first NHL point in his first NHL game.  I was a little surprised that he received the call-up, as it seems most folks in the know didn't believe he was ready.  Then again, with the injuries the Sabres have sustained thy'll probably be calling me to suit up next week.  I wish I could have seen more of his debut, but he'll likely stick around for at least a few games.
• Really nice move by Jordan Leopold to whiz through the Columbus defense on his goal, giving us the only actual highlight of the evening.

Minuses:

• Everything, pretty much. Exactly zero players brought their skating legs to Columbus, judging by the highlights.
• Jhonas Enroth was terrible, particularly on the third and fourth Columbus goals.
• This string of injuries is beyond ridiculous, and it's the one and only reason I'm not truly upset about losing to a team like Columbus. It's starting to remind me of February 2007 when the Sabres needed to raid Rochester of all its talent - remember that Patrick Kaleta was roughly the sixth or seventh forward option when he was called up to replace a concussed Chris Drury.   Robyn Regehr and a forward who hasn't been named yet were injured last night, necessitating the call-ups of Brayden McNabb and the impossible-to-spell-without-copying-and-pasting Paul Szczechura. That's nine regulars, including Ryan Miller, who are out of the lineup.  Half the defense is out.  Nearly half the forwards are out. I'm just hoping the Amerks Sabres can find a way to tread water until they get some healthy bodies back.
• Add Curtis Sanford's name to the "backup goalies the Sabres have made look like Patrick Roy" list.  If I was granted three wishes, one of them would be an explanation of that phenomenon.  In Sanford's case, maybe it was those godawful blue pads that scared the Sabres away from getting near him.

Next Game: Tonight, 11/26 vs. Washington.  The Caps are a mere 3-6-1 in their last ten games, but that probably doesn't matter much right now, does it?  Hopefully the Sabres can find a way to scratch out a win, no matter how ugly it has to be.