On Rivet's benching

Besides the comically overinflated attendance number of 10,172 - come on, there's no way that was accurate unless everyone was sitting in the upper bowl and invisible to TV viewers - the most interesting storyline that emanated from Philips Arena Friday night was, by far, the benching of Craig Rivet.

It's no secret that I'm not a fan of Cement Skates.  We've been led to believe that his badly deteriorated play over the last year was the result of a bum shoulder, but it's apparent to most observers by now that the game has passed him by.  He simply can't skate anymore; many an opposing forward blows by him as if he's standing still.  He has been an albatross to whatever defensive partner has been unfortunate enough to be paired with him, usually Butler or Sekera, whose plus/minus and overall play has suffered as a result of compensating for Rivet. If not for the C on his chest, he'd likely have been benched some time ago.

Benching a captain is a bold move; one that is natural for Rivet to be upset and angry about.  Lindy Ruff himself was benched while serving as Sabres captain in 1989, and was so incensed that he forced a trade to the New York Rangers. So when John Vogl confirmed Rivet's assumed discontent on Sabres Edge, I was interested in what Rivet's choice of words would be.  This comment in particular from Rivet struck my eye:

"He wasn’t happy with the way I’ve been playing, and I’m sure you can probably look around the room and can maybe point out a few guys, but me individually I think I need to be better."

Did "Captain" Craig Rivet just throw his teammates under the bus?

The topic being discussed was his own poor play, and he chose to bring the play of his teammates into the discussion.  Sure, it's only a subtle deflection of blame, but it's there - and that, my friends, is not something a "leader" does.

So what's next?  Whether Rivet demands a trade or not, it's clear the C doesn't belong to him anymore.  Chris laid out the list of potential captains in a great post at the Goose's Roost, and I don't much care for the options.  Vanek's psyche is too fragile. Roy is still too immature. Stafford needs to establish himself. Grier hasn't produced.  Niedermayer, either. Gaustad is essentially a fourth-liner right now. 

I think I come to the same conclusion that Chris seems to: the next captain of the Sabres may not be on the roster.  But for now, I say the C goes to whoever steps up and salvages this season before it becomes a complete trainwreck.

Sabres vs. Senators, 10/22/10 - More of the Same

Recap (NHL.com)

Remember what I said a couple weeks ago about the Ottawa curse perhaps being lifted?  Yeah, about that...

Just for fun (and because I'm pressed for time this morning), I thought I'd revisit the last time I recapped a Sabres-Sens game to look for similarities.  I didn't have to look far - the first sentence said it all:

"You can count on two things when the Sabres play Ottawa: as Rob Ray mentioned, the Sabres will sit back and let Ottawa dictate play; and whoever Ottawa puts in net will be a brick wall."

This game was typical of so many others that the Sabres have lost to the Senators since the lockout: skate poorly, get caught standing around, give up early leads, then play well enough to catch up only to have the Senators retake the lead.  The Sabres never play well from behind against Ottawa (that's the "brick wall" part of the equation) and last night was just another chapter in that book.

Positives

• The Roy-Stafford-Vanek line looked great, even though they were held off the scoresheet. Their dominant shift to open the game and a monster shift in the second where Vanek and Stafford had two or three excellent chances in succession stood out to me in particular.  As a trio, they had far more ice time than all other forwards (Stafford had the least of the three with 18:40, and the next highest Sabre forward was Connolly, the guy who scored two goals, at 16:36).
• That statement in the previous bullet point wasn't a typo.  Yes, Tim Connolly scored two goals.  I know it sounds weird to praise him, but he was the only Sabre who bothered to do that.  I'm still not sure how his first-period wrister eluded Brian Elliott, but the laser beam he launched on his second goal might still be traveling had Elliott not slowed it down with his armpit.
• Haven't mentioned Miller much this year in this space, but without him, last night's game would have been ugly.  He made save after jaw-dropping save in the first period to keep the Sabres in it while the rest of the team was apparently still in the locker room.
• Daniel Alfredsson.  I'm not going to mention an opponent's achievements in the Positives very often, but 1,000 points is a heck of an achievement.  Especially when you consider that much of it was done during the Dead Puck Era.  The guy has been such a Sabre killer over the years.  Good on ya, Alfie.
• Thomas Vanek smashing Jarko Ruutu into the glass deserves a mention here.  Not because it was a boarding penalty, but because of Ruutu's spectacular acting job.  He contorted his face to make it seem like he just got hit by a bus, and was one of the funniest things I've seen all season.  The diving penalty he got was well-deserved.
• Tyler Ennis's ability to hang on to the puck in traffic is mind-boggling.  I think he's the most impressive dangler the Sabres have had since Afinogenov was in his prime.

Negatives

•  I fail to understand how this team can never seem to get up for a game against Ottawa.  Aren't they your biggest rival right now (current standings disregarded)?  Aren't they that team you should hate to lose against because they've beaten you eleventy billion times in a row?   So why do you come out of the locker room like you're in a coma?
• I mentioned that this game was more of the same that we've come to expect against Ottawa.  See if you've heard any of these before: they got caught running around in their own zone and couldn't clear the puck; Ruutu, Neil, and company started running Miller early, with no response from the blue and gold; the Sabres lost a ton of battles along the boards; and the Sens dominated puck possession, especially in the first two periods.  It is the exact same script against this team. Every. Single. Time.
• Ottawa entered the game 2 for 24 on the power play, but of course had no problem converting two power plays against the Sabres. (One was an empty netter, but still.)  It's just a reminder that no matter what problems Ottawa has that you think the Sabres can take advantage of - a bad power play, a poor start to the season, fielding a near-AHL roster - Ottawa always seems to overcome.
• Another bad play from Myers, who should have cleared the puck off the glass and out of the zone.  Instead, the support he thought he had wasn't there, his behind the back pass was picked off, and the puck ended up in the Buffalo net.  Settle down, kid.  Just make the simple play.

Next Game: Tonight, 10/23 vs. New Jersey.  Oh, yippee, it's the Devils again.  Pray to the deity of your choice and beg for this game to be more entertaining than the last game against them.

Recap: Sabres vs. Thrashers, 10/20/10 - A Pair of Tylers

Recap (NHL.com)

Sabre fans have been pretty frustrated by Buffalo's five-game losing streak, but it's caused a bit of additional uneasiness around Casa de RTHF: it meant that my son Tyler had been alive for 11 days and hadn't yet seen a Sabres victory. So obviously, I was quite amused that both Tyler Myers and Tyler Ennis - "a pair of Tylers", quoth the immortal Rick Jeanneret - scored to help end the skid.

It must have been tough for all three of the Thrashers' fans as they watched this game, because Buffalo dominated from start to finish.  The shots were 42-18 in favor of the Sabres, and the 4-1 final score could have been even worse if not for two Buffalo goals that were waved off.  As the first period concluded, I couldn't recall a single instance of Atlanta possessing the puck in the Sabres' zone for more than 15 seconds.  A further sign of said dominance: at the time of the third Buffalo goal, the Sabres actually had more goals than Atlanta had shots (the shots were 18-2 at that point).

Essentially, the Sabres picked up right where they left off Saturday night in Chicago, except that tonight - although there was a moment of concern early in the third period when a bad shift led to a Jochen Hecht penalty and a subsequent power play goal - Buffalo managed to close the deal.  Buffalo has now outshot its opponents 83-39 in the last two games; the law of averages suggests you're not going to lose very often when you can achieve that.

Positives

• A night of firsts in the goal column: Ennis, Myers, and Vanek.  For a team that has been dying for goal production from someone other than Derek Roy, this is enormous.
• Ennis only had the one goal, but took five shots and easily could have had a hat trick.  He was thwarted on another quality chance just moments after scoring, and later had a look at an open net but the puck bounced off his skate before he could get a stick on it.  Ennis is flying up and down the ice right now and is looking every bit like the dangerous offensive threat we hoped he would be. 
  
• I was especially pleased with Steve Montador's game tonight.  He had two assists and was a +2, made a really nice stretch pass to Tyler Ennis to open the scoring, made a great effort to block an Evander Kane shot on a wraparound, and was even kind enough to allow the Thrashers' Ben Eager to crack his nose open with a high stick so the Sabres could close the game on a powerplay.  The only negative for Monty tonight: he appeared to briefly injure himself when he attempted to hipcheck Kane, but missed because Kane tripped and fell. 
• As good as he was tonight, one problem with Montador is that sometimes he's too risky. He'll skate the puck into the corner, rifle an ill-advised bad angle shot at the goalie, and cause an odd-man rush the other way that puts his unprepared defense partner in a bad spot.  But when it happened tonight, Chris Butler made an excellent diving block on a 3-on-1 that was probably his best defensive play of the year.  
• Butler also had two assists, including a nifty give and go that created space for Tyler Myers on his power play goal. 
• Great behind the back pass from Drew Stafford to spring Vanek for the fourth goal that effectively put the game out of reach. 
• I really don't think it's a coincidence that Tim Connolly has looked pretty decent in the last two games with McCormick as his linemate.  I thought Tim skated well again tonight, and it was his quality penalty killing that caused a tripping call on Andrew Ladd in the second period.  McCormick is certaintly benefiting as well, with two goals in two games.
• I don't know if this really counts as a positive, but I found it hilarious when Myers tried to do a split to stay onside and fell right on his nose.
• Normally I save the powerplay for the Negatives section, but the PP unit scored a goal and generally looked dangerous on most of its chances tonight.  You know it's a good night when I can't even complain about the powerplay.

Negatives

• There will be no negatives about Sabre players for this game.  You guys are all aces tonight.
• Announced attendance for this game was 8,820.  Actual attendance according to eyewitnesses was more like 5,000.  I've been to a Sabres game in Atlanta before and I know how many Sabres fans show up - I'm willing to bet that at least half of that 5,000 were Sabre fans.  Meanwhile, places like Winnipeg, Hartford, and Quebec City are begging for a team. What a joke.
• Atlanta, pick a new goal song.  The "Ole" song is rather inappropriate, because, well, the Canadiens kind of own that.
• Ben Eager is kind of a clown. After high-sticking Drew Stafford, he proceeded to trip him as well and then tried to goad him into a fight.  Drew, of course, was wise enough to ignore him.  Later, Eager effectively iced the game by being careless once again with the stick and cracked Montador across the face, drawing blood.  I wonder if the Blackhawks bother to count this guy as part of the group of players they lost after winning the Cup.  Seems like all he does is hurt his team.

If a hockey game happens in Atlanta, and no one is there to see it - it does still count in the standings, right?

Next Game: Friday, 10/22 vs. Ottawa. Buffalo now holds a two-game winning streak over the Sens, who have been awful to start the year with just a single victory.

Recap: Sabres vs. Blackhawks, 10/16/10 - Action and Response

Recap (NHL.com)

To me, this game was an interesting study in action and response.

Niklas Hjalmarsson's hit on Jason Pominville Monday night, and the subsequent 4-3 loss to the Blackhawks, set the scene.  Such a quick rematch - less than a week later - would demand a strong response.  What exactly that response would be, of course, was up to the Sabres.

What we knew was that the Sabres couldn't be out for blood.  Patrick Kaleta chirped about "making a point", but the league was going to pay close attention.  If Buffalo turned this game into a scene from Slap Shot, Colin Campbell would be swift to dispense justice.  Conversely, if the Sabres ignored the Hjalmarsson situation, they would be accused of being soft.  So the response had to involve legal physicality, but most of all it had to include a victory.

That physicality was evident in the first several minutes as Buffalo came out flying.  They set up base camp in the Hawks' zone, won battles, and registered the game's first seven shots.  But just over six minutes into the game, Patrick Sharp scored on a 2-on-1 after an awful Tyler Myers turnover - a quick strike that could have been a momentum-destroying backbreaker.  The Sabres now had a new situation to respond to, and respond they did, by scoring two goals in 15 seconds, the second of which was the result of a fortuitous bounce the likes of which have been going against the Sabres lately.

After two periods, it looked like retribution was at hand.  But as is usually the case with teams on the schneid, it fell apart and now Buffalo is still searching for answers.

Positives

• This was probably the Sabres' strongest effort so far this year.  They won a lot of battles, generated consistent offensive pressure, outshot Chicago 41-21, and rarely got hemmed down in their own zone. I really feel like they got beaten by four singular plays and not by any sustainable or recurring situations.
• Tim Connolly looked much, much better.  He made a strong play on Cody McCormick's goal, forcing Marty Turco to turn the puck over, then getting it to Hecht who centered it for McCormick. He only registered that single assist but skated harder than usual, generated scoring chances, and put four shots on net.  I attribute some of this to being paired with McCormick, which I find interesting because I mentioned in the recap of the Canadiens game that I'd like to see Cody's grit rub off on Tim.  For at least one evening, it appeared that it did. 
• Patrick Lalime was strong in net for his first start of the year, and couldn't really be faulted for any of the goals (2-on-1, breakaway, partial breakaway, tap-in).  Hopefully it won't be a month before he gets his next start.
• Another good game for Stafford, who added a goal, took five shots, and is consistently generating chances by dumping the puck in and retrieving it.

Negatives

• Tyler Myers had an awful giveaway that led to the 2-on-1 on which the Hawks scored their first goal, and later teamed with Jordan Leopold to completely ignore Marian Hossa (who is kind of good) on the second Hawks goal.  Myers is now a league-worst -7.  He looks like he's playing with very little confidence, has had difficulty gelling with his new defensive partners, and is making very poor decisions.
• Much was made in the offseason about Craig Rivet's shoulder causing his poor play last year.  This is where I make a crack about oceanfront property in Arizona if you believe that.  So a bad shoulder causes your skates to look like they're encased in cement?  Rivet is so slow these days that he makes Derian Hatcher look like Pavel Bure.  Case in point: Dave Bolland's third period tying goal where he blew by Rivet like he was standing still.  Oh wait, that's because he was standing still.  Later, on Patrick Sharp's game-winner, he stood around and did nothing at all - unless you count staring at the two Hawks who converged to Lalime's left while Sharp snuck behind Rivet for the tap-in.
• I lost a little respect for the Blackhawks after this game, as they were all-around dirty.  At the end of the game, Brent Seabrook delivered a vicious crosscheck to Drew Stafford, knocking him to the ice and touching off a postgame scrum.  Duncan Keith hit Thomas Vanek with two hard crosschecks after a whistle.  Tomas Kopecky crosschecked Leopold as he was bent over, nearly knocking his head into the boards, then later elbowed Derek Roy in the head, sending him hard into the boards and necessitating a visit from the trainer.  Kopecky celebrated Dave Bolland's goal by ripping a slapshot back into the net, which ought to be a misconduct.  There was also a fairly blatant instance of interference that Rick Jeanneret complained of, but I can't recall the players involved.  The referees deserve scorn here as well - except for the hit on Roy, none of these actions were penalized.
• Uncalled penalties are no excuse, of course.  And it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway, since the powerplay was 0 for a million once again.

A much better effort last night and a step in the right direction, but the streak continues to grow.

Next Game: Wednesday, 10/20 vs. the Thrashers.  Trips to Atlanta never seem to go well, with the Sabres only winning once in the last six trips to Philips Arena.

Recap: Sabres vs. Habs, 10/15/10 - 40th Anniversary Edition

Recap (NHL.com)

After two periods, I started to feel like the Sabres were never scoring again.

That's an overreaction, of course, but I guess that's what two straight games without many quality scoring chances will do to you.  It doesn't help that we've played two straight trap-you-to-death teams, either.  The fact is, though, that neither opposing goaltender has been tested in the last two games.  And Carey Price, who will make me go homicidal if I hear one more bad "Price is Right/Wrong" pun or "Jesus Price" reference, is the sort of goalie you'd kind of like to test - that is to say, he gives up soft goals like the Texas Rangers give up 5-0 leads.  (Yeah, I'm a Yankees fan.  Please don't hate.)

The bad-luck goals against continued as the Habs built a 2-0 lead on a bad bounce off Chris Butler's skate and a screened shot that Miller never saw.  Derek Roy made it interesting by cutting the lead to one on his 751st goal of the season, but unfortunately Derek Roy can't play 60 minutes of hockey every night.

Oh yeah, and there was something or other about a 40th anniversary celebration. Other than Milt Ellis handling the PA duties for the evening and a short ceremonial puck drop, you wouldn't have known that.  I was expecting a video package or two, and perhaps some appearances by more former Sabres than just Floyd Smith.  Very disappointing, but then again, most people thought the festivities would have happened at the home opener.  Oh well.

Positives

• Loved hearing Milt Ellis, the long-time PA announcer at Memorial Auditorium, perform his old duties as part of the 40th anniversary "festivities".  Milt's classy, calm baritone voice is a throwback to days gone by and a stark contrast to today's PA guys who have to shout and scream at you to be noticed.  I miss Milt.
• Not that he ever strayed far from it, but Ryan Miller is definitely back in top-notch form.  There were times last year when the only shots that were beating Miller were screened shots and deflections, and that sums up the Canadiens' goals tonight.  It could have been 4-1 or 5-1 without Miller.
• How bad would the Sabres look right now without Derek Roy?  And who amongst us would have thought anyone would ever say that?  Through five games, Roy leads the NHL with five goals - which is one more than the rest of the team combined.  He's the only skater who has shown up every single night.
• I thought Gaustad fought hard tonight, and was surprised to see he only got 11:18 of ice time.
• The other ice time surprise for me was Cody McCormick, who got 14:51.  That's a lot for a fourth-line guy, and as one of the few who showed up and battled hard, it's hard to argue he didn't deserve it.  He may not have a lot of skill, but I love the grit he brings to the table.  If only that could rub off on some other guys (who will remain nameless, but it rhymes with "Schmonolly".)
• Not a single "Ole" from visiting Habs fans.  Thank God.

Negatives

• I'm sick of writing about Andrej Sekera in this space.  Really, I am.  I promise that no matter how good or bad he is in the Blackhawks game, I won't mention him.  But how can I not point out that on the Habs' game-winning goal, he allowed 5'7" Brian Gionta to screen the goaltender?  How on earth is a guy who could fit in my luggage an immovable object?  That's now two straight games Sekera has made a bad play on the game-winning goal.  Argue about his offensive upside all you want, but he is costing this team big-time right now.
• Tim Connolly: zero points, one shot on goal, countless turnovers and lazy play, 11:33 of ice time, mercifully benched after two shifts in the third period.  The team is paying $4.5 million for that, folks.  I wanted to stick up for Connolly all summer after I felt fans were unnecessarily harsh on him, but he's impossible to defend right now. Putting him on the point on the powerplay has been especially terrifying for me with the way he's been turning the puck over.  Good on you, Lindy, for finally benching this Top 20 center clown.
• Patrick Kaleta was also benched in the third after only a single shift.  I don't know what he did to upset Lindy, but he can't be especially pleased with him after his recent behavior, especially the head-butting incident in the New Jersey game.  It'll be interesting to see how much ice time he gets tomorrow night.
• I'm still not worried about a sophomore jinx or anything like that, but Tyler Myers is now a team-worst -6 for the season.  Somewhat related: I bought a Tyler Myers jersey at Puck Drop.  This is clearly my fault.  I'm sorry.
• Is Thomas Vanek aware that the regular season is more than one game long?
• Chris Butler: not great, not terrible.  The fluke bounce off his skate for the first Habs' goal was probably not his fault - he was more a victim of circumstance.  That said, he's now the second member of "Butkeraber" who has failed to convince me he deserves a regular starting role.  Perhaps it's time to give Mike Weber a crack after a couple games.

Despite all the "OMG DON'T PANIC!!!" stuff I've been seeing, I don't think anyone is really panicking.  Yet.  If the team is still in 12th place after, say, November, then by all means feel free to panic. This losing streak isn't going to last forever, people.

Next game: Saturday, 10/16 vs. Chicago. At least the Hawks will be a nice refreshing change of pace from playing a trap team. Hey, did you hear that this is Niklas Hjalmarsson's first game back from suspension after knocking out Jason Pominville from behind?  Bet you didn't know that.  NHL czar of discipline Colin Campbell is not encouraging the Sabres to engage in bloody retribution.  No sir, not at all.  Any payback had better be clean and legal - are you listening, Patrick Kaleta?

Recap: Sabres vs. Devils, 10/13/10 - First Goal Wins

Recap (NHL.com)

Dating back to the infamous quadruple overtime game in the '94 playoffs, the Sabres and Devils always seem to be good for a rousing game of First Goal Wins.  It doesn't matter what the score is - every game feels like it's destined to end 1-0, and tonight was no exception.  This was a tight-checking game that featured very few scoring chances for either team, and there were All-Star goaltenders waiting to gobble up the miniscule amount of quality scoring chances that did exist.  The only "excitement" that occurred in this game was the sphincter-clenching that occurred on every odd-man rush the Sabres gave up, knowing that a goal in that situation would likely be the eventual game-winner. 

This game was tough to watch.  Not just because it was about as exciting as a dentist's convention, but because of what that lack of excitement represents.  Fans pay money to watch hockey - whether it's live at the arena, at home on the big screen, or at a bar sucking down beer and wings - because they want to be entertained, and so it's honestly upsetting to me to observe how many people didn't enjoy this game.  If my Twitter feed is representative of the average fan, then there were a lot of folks who wanted those three hours back.  That's kind of depressing, to be honest. 

One of my best friends is a Rangers fan, and as he told me: "It could be worse.  You could have to play New Jersey six times a year like we have to."

Positives

• At least the game didn't go to a shootout.  I was honestly afraid that a skills competition would last until the wee hours of the morning, and any remaining viewers would have died of boredom.  Apparently I wasn't the only one, as Jeff Marek of Hockey Night in Canada tweeted that he emailed the league to find out what would happen if the Devils exhausted the only 16 skaters they had dressed.  (For the record: the Sabres would have ignored their extra two skaters and both teams would revert to their top shooter at that point.)
• After years of watching Andrew Peters "fight", it's totally refreshing to watch Cody McCormick drop the gloves.  McCormick may not have gotten the decision over Mark Stuart tonight, but he actually throws punches instead of hiding his body and trying not to get hit like Peters used to do.
• This was easily Ryan Miller's best game of the year.  Miller finished with 34 saves, including 15 in the first period when he was the only player wearing blue and gold who bothered to recognize there was a game going on.

Negatives

• That first period effort can go jump off a cliff for all I care.  The Sabres were outshot 15-1 and looked like they'd rather be anywhere else than on the ice.  It's a lot easier to play with a lead in the NHL than to play from behind, especially true when playing against a trap team like New Jersey.  So perhaps next time we can, oh I don't know, actually show up for the start of the game?
• I hate to be down on Sekera too much, but when you make a mistake that leads to the only goal of the game, it must be brought up.  Sekera got bullied off the puck in the Sabres zone, and the puck slid out to the circles onto the stick of some Kovalchuk guy.  I hear he's good and shouldn't be given point-blank opportunities like that.
• I did not like seeing Patrick Kaleta headbutt Travis Zajac.  He suckered Zajac into a penalty, but headbutts haven't been cool since the Junkyard Dog retired from the WWF, and they certainly have no place in a hockey game.  I'm astounded the refs missed that.

Next Game: Friday, 10/15 vs. Montreal.  I haven't been to a game yet because of the birth of my son, so I'm really looking forward to this one. I'm especially amped for the 40th anniversary celebration-y stuff they have in store for us.

Recap: Sabres vs. Blackhawks, 10/11/10 - Bring Me the Head of Niklas Hjalmarsson

Recap (NHL.com)

If the Sabres continue to back off defensively like they did last night, they're going to continue giving up 4-5 goals a game and will probably continue to lose.

But right now, the only thing that really matters to me is that disgusting, reprehensible hit and the health of Jason Pominville.

First, a quote from Niklas Hjalmarsson: "Everything happened so fast, but I thought it was a hit shoulder-to-shoulder."  Let's look at the video:



That hit is shoulder-to-shoulder only if Pominville's right shoulder is located between the 2 and the 9 on the back of his jersey.  If Niklas Hjalmarsson doesn't understand where a shoulder is located on a human body, perhaps he should sit down for a few games and watch a medical documentary or two.

I cannot for the life of me find a single defensible thing about that hit. Hjalmarsson skated at Pominville from behind at a 45-degree angle and hit an unsuspecting player, who did not have the puck, right between the numbers - exactly as every player from peewee on up is instructed NOT to do. The force with which Pominville's head bounced off the glass made me physically ill. It sounds callous to say a player is "lucky" to have "only" a concussion and 7-8 stitches, but I thought "broken neck" when I saw the hit.

Spare me the crap about Hjalmarsson not being a dirty player.  Does that make the hit less illegal?  Does that lessen the chance that Pominville might suffer post-concussion syndrome? 

Get well soon, Jason.  Oh, and Colin Campbell?  Start spinning that wheel.  I hope it lands on a high number.

Positives

• Roy and Stafford continued to click, each with a goal and an assist.  I thought Stafford had his best game of the year even regardless of the statistics.
• It was nice to see that Tim Connolly, of all people, jumped Hjalmarsson immediately.  Tyler Myers also responded with a huge hit on Fernando Pisani shorty thereafter.  Bonus points to Myers for hitting Pisani face-to-face, instead of from behind like a little girl as some people on opposing teams who will remain nameless would do.
• I've been hard on Sekera so far this year, but I thought he was pretty good.  No major mishaps last night. Butler and Weber can sit in the pressbox for at least another game.

Negatives

• The first three minutes were great, but the final 57 minutes after the Sabres built a 2-0 lead were the opposite.  They played timid and gave the Hawks far too much respect, and got burned repeatedly for it.
• Ryan Miller hasn't gotten much help in the last two games, but I thought he could have made a save on either one of Marian Hossa's goals.  Do that, and the complexion of the game changes dramatically.  It's not his fault, but his numbers are very poor through three games.  I look for him to turn that around soon - he's too good not to.
• Was it just me or was it impossible to keep track of what the lines were last night?  Every time I looked, there was a different combination out there. When that continues into the third period, that's usually a good sign that you're not ahead on the scoreboard.

Next game:  Wednesday, 10/13 vs. New Jersey.  It has been a hoot watching the salary cap circumventing-Devils adhere to the salary cap by dressing far fewer players than normal; it's only a matter of time before they're only dressing a single five-man unit and asking them to play 60 minutes.

Recap: Sabres vs. Rangers, 10/9/10 - Sloppy, Sloppy, Sloppy

(Note: This recap is a full day late because of the birth of my son. Priorities, you know.  Tyler Jeffrey was born 10/9/10 at 9:12am, weighing in at 6 lbs, 9 oz and measuring 21 inches long.  Both mama and baby are doing wonderfully so far.  Many of you have already expressed to me your congratulations and well-wishes, and I want you to know they're very much appreciated.  Thanks!)

Recap (NHL.com)

If the pomp and circumstance of the Sabres' 40th anniversary season home opener had been a balloon, the Sabres didn't waste much time stabbing it with a needle.  A big, giant, defensively inept needle.
  
Although the Sabres were badly outworked in the first, they trailed 2-0 after a period largely because of two fluky plays: a pinball-esque deflection off Myers' giant skate and a turnover caused by Myers losing an edge.  That's not to convince you the Sabres were merely victims of bad luck; instead, it's to point out that when you're lacking in effort and luck, you're in for a long night.

There were plenty of missed assignments, mental mistakes, bad defensive breakdowns, and moments of poor effort throughout - exactly what you might expect to see in the second game of a back-to-back series.  Buffalo did nothing last night to demonstrate to me that they're capable (yet) of improving on last year's poor record in the back end of B2B sets.  Get used to it, Sabre fans - we get to see this 21 more times this year unless something changes.

Positives

• Welcome back, Mike Robitaille.  I hadn't realized how much I had missed Roby on the broadcast and it's great to see him again.
• I still don't understand the point of putting Nathan Gerbe on the fourth line, as I think it's a waste of his ability.  Besides, we're all aware of Lindy Ruff's previous comments that Gerbe's role on this team is either as a top-6 forward or nothing at all.  But being a fourth-liner gets Gerbe into the game, and when he does it's impossible to not appreciate his spunk.  In the first period Gerbe got involved in a scrum with Marc Staal and Michal Roszival, with the latter monkey-flipping Gerbe over his knee (and somehow escaping without a penalty).  As Roszival skated away with the puck and cleared the zone, Gerbe hit him so hard that he dropped Roszival to his knees.  This is where I simultaneously point out that Rozsival is 6'2", 212 pounds while reminding you that little Nate Gerbe is 5'5" if he's standing on a ladder.
• Special teams continued to click as the Sabres' PK unit remained perfect on the year after killing off three more penalties, while the power play went 1 for 5 for the second consecutive night and could have had a second goal had Stafford not missed an empty net on a deflection.  Don't look now, but the PP is scoring at a 20% pace.  No, I don't expect this to last either, but I do have to admit I was quite impressed with how good the puck movement was on Leopold's power play goal.
• Speaking of Leopold, it was nice to see him rebound from his gaffe against Ottawa the night prior with two goals and an assist, to go along with a generally sound defensive effort.
• Derek Roy has three goals and is still the only Sabre forward with a goal this season.  Good for Derek, bad for all the other forwards.
• I am really diggin' the chemistry that Ennis-Roy-Stafford are building (and for the record, I was quite annoyed when they were briefly broken up).  This line has now accounted for three goals and seven points through two games.

Negatives

• Dumb, dumb cross-checking penalty by Montador in the second period.  Rob Ray made the point on the broacast that it was an attempt to protect Miller, and maybe that's true, but it's a poor excuse because it was unnecessary as a protective maneuver. Montador and Callahan had jostled for position from the top of the circles to the net, and Montador fully stopped Callahan's progress by the goalmouth.  Only after Montador gave a final, unnecessary cross check to Callahan right under the referee's nose did the orange-banded arm go up.  The penalty was killed capably, but the momentum the Sabres had built in the second period was destroyed and the Rangers scored to make it 3-1 just a couple minutes later.
• Forget "Reggie", Sekera's nickname ought to be "Jekyll and Hyde".  Sekera opened the game by stripping Marian Gaborik of the puck with a nifty stick swipe, had moments of dominant puck control, and generally made good decisions with the puck.  But as is usually the case with Reggie, you have to take the good with the very, very bad; he took a tripping penalty trying to cover for a Stafford turnover and subsequent pinch by Leopold, he had a bad turnover early that led to a good New York scoring chance, and his poor clear led to Derek Stepan's second goal of the game.  Watching him make brilliant play after mind-boggling mistake reminds me of watching Max Afinogenov.  Sekera can certainly be just as maddening as Max ever was.
• Rivet should be fired for the fourth Rangers goal.  He failed to clear the puck on three separate occasions, then failed to stop a Sean Avery behind-the-back pass from behind the net.  It's only two games, but I am starting to lose faith that the shoulder issue is really the reason he sucked last year.
• Myers had a night he'd love to forget, but I'm inclined to believe the two fluky goals he was victimized on are more a sign of poor luck than a sophomore jinx. 
• Two games, two shots on goal by Tim Connolly.  Top-20 center in the NHL.
• Oh, Lindy, you and your line changes.  Mr. Ruff actually flipped his lines around twice during the game, playing Vanek on three separate lines and briefly splitting up Ennis-Roy-Stafford before putting them back together. Vanek finished the game on a line with Niedermayer and Grier, which might be a response to the minus-3 Vanek had posted at the time of the move.  Also a likely factor in the line juggling: Tim Connolly has no chemistry with Thomas Vanek.  At all.  A good example of this was the blind, wild slap past he threw at one point in the second that was nowhere near Vanek.  Connolly looks generally lost out there with any linemates not named Hecht or Pominville.

A stinker of a game to be sure, but no one is going 82-0.

Next game: Monday, 10/11 vs. Chicago.  The Hawks have lost two straight to open the season and will march into HSBC Arena in a foul mood.

A quick programming note

Just a quick blurb on what you can expect out of RTHF this season.  With a year of blogging under my belt, I think I've got a decent handle on what works for this blog and what doesn't (such as the ill-fated Sabre MVP of the Week from last year - which I quickly scuttled when I realized it would be Ryan Miller every friggin' week). 

With that said: I'm probably going to avoid pre-game posts this year, because I think they're overkill for this little blog. I may do one from time to time, though, if I think there's significant pre-game stuff to discuss.  I think I'm going to stick mostly to game "recaps", which will sometimes be a retelling of the story of the game, and other times might just be bullet points of random observations.  Whatever the case, I'll try my best to have something to say about every game.  I'll also put up some thoughts about trades and callups as they happen, and perhaps some stuff about league-wide issues if they're warranted.

As I mentioned in the wishlist, though: my wife is great with child and will be going into labor any moment now, so don't be surprised if I have difficulty following through on the above for the first week or two of the season.  But I'm sure blogging and taking care of two kids and a wife at the same time is easy stuff, right?

Recap: Sabres vs, Senators, 10/8/10 - It's a Bonafide Winning Streak, Folks

Recap (NHL.com)

After a whole lot of torture since the lockout ended, perhaps the Buffalo Sabres have finally figured the Ottawa Senators out.

The last five years have seen a lot of Sabres losses at the hands of the Sens.  The last two, in particular, have been difficult to stomach because there's really not a whole lot of talent left on the Ottawa roster.  Buffalo has frittered away games to Ottawa in every conceivable way - blowouts, crazy bounces, bad defensive breakdowns with a minute to go, getting shut out by an AHL-caliber lineup.  Sabre fans are sick to death of talking about The Curse and probably wouldn't rather beat any other team in the NHL as much as Ottawa.

So for that reason, the way the Sabres won was particularly satisfying: by grabbing a third-period lead and actually holding it, instead of finding a way to lose.  Sure, the Sabres outplayed Ottawa through the first two periods (outshooting the Sens 29-12) and failed to enter the third period with a lead.  And yeah, they took four 3rd-period penalties (not counting Derek Roy being sent off at the same time as Chris Neil).  Normally against Ottawa, this is a recipe for heartbreak; that they shrugged off this adversity speaks to their character, at least for an evening.

Positives:

• Thomas Vanek was by far the best Sabre forward.  The shot he ripped off the post about two minutes in won't be found on the scoresheet, but seemed to set the tone for his evening.  He was physically dominant, and I doubt the Sens could have kept him from the front of the net if they had erected a brick wall around the crease.  He led the team in shots and had a number of high-quality scoring chances, two of which came on the same first-period power play.  He was somehow held off the scoresheet, but that is going to be the rule and not the exception when he's on like this.
• After a bad Derek Roy turnover early in the first period, I got that here-we-go-again feeling.  Then he had to go and score two goals and force me to say nice things about him.  All kidding aside, Roy's two goals couldn't have been any different, but both were goal scorer's goals in their own right: goal #1 was the result of a gorgeous deke that likely has Chris Philips still wondering where the puck went, and goal #2 was a bank off the goaltender's skate that doesn't happen unless Roy has the presence of mind to try such a thing. Roy could have had a hat trick if not for a failed breakway in the first.  I find it difficult to complain much when your alleged top two forwards actually play like your top two forwards.
• Want to hear something shocking?  Tyler Myers led the Sabres in ice time.  I know.  It's hard to believe.  Myers was solid throughout, at one point thwarting a possible breakaway with his fifty-foot-long arms.  And the second Roy goal doesn't happen if Myers doesn't push the puck into the zone, forcing the defense to back off and opening a lane for Ennis to step into and intercept a clearing attempt.
• Speaking of Ennis: welcome to your new full-time role, Tyler.  That second-line spot looks good on you.  Two assists tonight, and it looks like Ennis-Roy-Stafford is going to be quite a formidable line.
• Rob Niedermayer had a rather useful Sabre debut.  He only registered two shots but it seemed like both were great scoring chances.
• The same is true of Shaone Morrisonn, who looked solid next to Myers.  He seems like a rather physical player, and you know we can always use more of that.
• The penalty kill picked up where it left off last year, shutting down six Ottawa power plays - none of which seemed particularly threatening.
• Ryan Miller, 25 saves on 26 shots, best goalie in the league, yadda yadda.  Broken record.  He had no chance on the tap-in Ottawa goal.

Negatives:

• Jordan Leopold: coughing up the puck and causing a goal in your very first game as a Sabre is not a good way to endear yourself to the fan base here.  Especially not if it was Chris Neil you lost the puck to.
• Most criticism on Ottawa's lone goal went to Leopold, and rightfully so.  But it's worth mentioning that the "backcheck" on the play by Tim Connolly was pitiful.  Connolly was generally worthless except for the neat drag move that led to his only shot on goal of the game.  He still looks like he's skating through mud.
• Andrej Sekera was on the ice for 16:23 and did nothing to make me hope he stays in the lineup ahead of Chris Butler and Mike Weber.  Usually it's a good thing when I don't notice a defenseman very much - it means you're probably not fishing pucks out of your own net.  But again, it's all about potential with Reggie: for a player with his offensive upside, "not noticeable" leaves me wanting more.
• Although I'm happy that the penalty kill is seemingly as dominant as last year, I would prefer not to continue to tempt fate by giving up six power plays per game.

The Sabres are now the proud owners of a winning streak against their tormentors from Kanata.  So what if it's only two games?  Baby steps.

Next Game: 10/9/10, home opener vs. the Rangers.  I have no idea when I'll be seeing this game, thanks to that whole "about to have a baby" thing.

RTHF's Wishlist for 10-11

Busy times at Casa de RTHF, as the wife is due to go into labor any time now with our second child.  It's a miracle that I was able to bang this out before the Sabres' season starts tonight.  This is a testament to my, ahem, dedication (or something like that).  So without further ado, here's my wishlist for 2010-11 (barring the obvious "Stanley Cup"stuff):

• I'm hoping that Thomas Vanek kicks the injury bug and returns to the 40-goal plateau.  Buffalo needs him to be productive - see his four-goal outburst against Ottawa late last season for Exhibit A on why the Sabres lean on everyone's favorite Austrian.  (Exhibit B, of course, would be the Sabres' inability to score without him vs. Boston in the playoffs.)
• With all the vitriol directed at Connolly, Roy, and Stafford during the offseason, you don't see much mentioned about Jason Pominville's struggles. After all, he's been a consistent point producer who has a knack for staying healthy, not having missed a game in four seasons.  But his goal total has fallen far off his 06-07 pace, and I'm pretty sure forwards who make $5.3 million ought to be scoring more than 70 points a year. You'll never see me ripping on Pommer too much - he's one of my favorites - but if he could stop ripping shots five feet wide from five feet away, and slamming shots into five-holes that aren't actually open, that would be a good start. 
• Speaking of Drew Stafford, he had one of the beastlier preseasons in recent memory.  I've theorized that his newfound dedication to getting better could be a response to Zack Kassian's strong training camp, and I'd be thrilled if he could turn that into an actual, consistent 82-game season, giving Vanek and Roy the power forward they thought they were getting when Drew was first called up four seasons ago.  If not, then Kassian will be taking his job next year.  No biggie.
• I want closure on Tim Connolly.  All summer long, I contemplated a post in defense of Timmy because I felt that Sabre fans were being unnecessarily harsh on him for a poor playoff series in which he skated like a 90-year-old woman through quicksand (in part because of a broken foot that, allegedly, hadn't healed).  I thought people forgot too quickly about how awesome we all thought Connolly was during an epic 17-game point scoring streak, and chose to ignore that he's more than a point-a-game player when healthy.  But this is a make-or-break season for Timmy; he's been a "potential" guy for seemingly forever, and if he can't A) stay healthy, B) show consistent effort and C) put up 80+ points, I'm done with him.  We have too many centers in the system to warrant giving Connolly another contract otherwise.
• I'm really not concerned about this because he's too good for this to happen, but if Tyler Myers could avoid the dreaded sophomore jinx, we'd all appreciate that.  The only thing I'm worried about is that the loss of his defensive partner could cause him to struggle a bit, but I think Morrissonn is capable enough to be an adequate replacement for Tallinder.
• For that matter, another Vezina-like season out of Ryan Miller would be great too.  Any regression from Miller or Myers is death to this team.
• I can't wait to see a full season from Tyler Ennis.  I've been man-crushing on this kid since April, and I hope he bumps Jochen Hecht off the second line at some point.  Nothing against Hecht - whom I like a lot - but he's really a defensive forward at heart ("two-way" is slang for "can't score") and is more suited playing alongside Grier and Niedermayer in my view.  Ennis oozes talent, and playing him on a grinding line is a waste of his ability.
• Chris Butler, Andrej Sekera, and Mike Weber have all shown promise at various points, but have all ultimately failed to earn a starting job on a consistent basis. Butler had a great rookie season alongside Craig Rivet two years ago, but regressed about as much as possible last year with bad turnovers and boneheaded play.  Sekera, the poster child for inconsistency, is either Team Slovakia's best Olympic defenseman or is eating press box popcorn.  And Weber was intriguing when called up in 07-08, but has been derailed by injuries and was rather unimpressive to me this preseason.  It's a little triumvirate of fail that I will henceforth refer to "Butkeraber", because I really don't care who wins the #6 job out of this group - as long as someone earns it.
• Here's hoping that Lindy Ruff actually trusts Patrick Lalime to play at least once every two weeks, and not sit him for two months when he (inevitably) has a bad game or two.
• Since the lockout, the Sabres' record against Ottawa is... you know what, I'm not even going to look it up. It's bad. Really, really bad. The mystery that is the Sabres' failures against the Sens must be solved, and tonight would be a good time to start.
  
• While I'm at it, more consistency against lesser teams would be appreciated.  There are a lot of bad, bad teams in the East, and they need to be taken advantage of.
• 22 back-to-back sets is ridiculous, but hopefully Buffalo can find a way to win at least half of the back end of the B2B games. I think I'd settle for that.
• And finally, I wish that MSG would finally broadcast the road games in HD and not just the home games..... wait, what?  They are?  HALLELUJAH!  It's like Christmas in October!  Thank you, MSG!  (And it's about flippin' time!)

 Whew, that turned out to be rather lengthy.  Sorry, I tried to keep it as brief as I could, but what can I say - hockey is BACK and I'm pumped about it!  Thanks for sticking with me!

Let's Go Buffalo!