NHL:EHM - Bringing Glory to the Buffalo Sabres

NoSkillz · 12-10-2004, 06:04 PM

I was just a lowly regional scout for the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, anonymously going about my business in Southern Ontario's Niagara Region. My claim to fame in the short period of time on the job was the fact that I recommended local product Daniel Paille to GM Darcy Regier, saying the Guelph Storm prospect had 'future captain' written all over him. Regier thought so highly of my opinion that he drafted Paille with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2002 NHL Draft. I was literally on cloud nine!

My elation was tempered by the fact that the Sabres were in financial disarray. The team was bankrupt, as owner John Rigas had been charged with illegally siphoning over a billion dollars from his major holding, Adelphia Cable. The NHL took over operation of the Sabres during the 2002-03 season and went looking for a new owner. Salvation came when Thomas Golisano, founder and CEO of the Rochester, N.Y.-based Paychex Inc, stepped forward to become owner of the club on March 14, 2003.

Like all staff, I was called in to meet with Mr. Golisano and his Managing Director, Larry Quinn, after the ownership change had been made official. We talked about the club, my thoughts on hockey strategy, ways to improve our scouting system and many other topics for over two hours. He ended the conversation by congratulating me on Paille, who was on his way to scoring 30 goals in only 54 OHL games for Guelph. "You have a great eye for talent Mr. Bosela", Golisano said. "I think you're a big part of the future here." After the requisite handshakes, I left, thinking things went really well. Little did I know how well things had gone...

Everyone had heard the rumours about GM Darcy Regier; he had an impossible job during the tumultuous 2002/03 campaign, trying to maintain order with a team devoid of funds. He was looking for something secure and found it when the Canadian National Team came calling for a General Manager. The Sabres were now on solid ground, but this was a position Regier couldn't turn down. He submitted his resignation right after the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

I was summoned to Golisano's office the next week. "We share the same beliefs regarding the direction of this franchise, Matt. We also share the same tactical philosophies, the need to bring attacking hockey back to the city of Buffalo. Your educational background in finance is also a huge plus for a team operating in a small market. Before he left, Darcy spoke glowingly of the work you've done in a scouting capacity and felt that you were more than capable of stepping into a bigger role." I sat in complete silence. "Matt, Larry and I would like to offer you the opportunity to become General Manager of the Buffalo Sabres."

My dream had come true...

NoSkillz · 12-10-2004, 06:12 PM

Buffalo Sabres 1970-2003: A Brief History

The NHL officially came to Buffalo on Dec. 2, 1969, when the league awarded Seymour and Northrup Knox the franchise that would soon be named "Sabres." The brothers wasted little time in hiring George "Punch" Imlach, formerly of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as the team's first Head Coach and General Manager. In June 1970, the Sabres won the first pick in the NHL Entry Draft over the other expansion team in Vancouver, and Imlach selected highly touted center Gilbert Perreault from the Montreal Jr. Canadiens. Perreault lived up to his advance billing, scoring 38 goals in his rookie season en route to winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year.

Another Junior Canadien, left winger Rick Martin, joined Perreault on the team's front line as the Sabres' top pick in 1971. That dominating duo turned trio when Rene Robert was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins near the end of the 1971-72 season. The line of Martin-Perreault-Robert would be dubbed "The French Connection" and would become one of the most dominating scoring lines in the history of the NHL.

By 1974-75, the young team was maturing and finished the season with a 49-16-15 record - still the best single-season record in franchise history. Buffalo defeated Chicago in the first round of the playoffs and followed that with a second-round victory over Montreal to earn its first-ever berth in the Stanley Cup Finals vs. Philadelphia. The Flyers defeated the Sabres in a very memorable six game series but the loss did not blemish the accomplishment of a team which had only been in the league for five years.

One of the most memorable moments in the franchise's first decade occurred Jan. 4, 1976, when the Sabres played the powerful Soviet Wings in an exhibition game at The Aud. With Cold War tensions still running high, the game had an intensity level far beyond the average regular-season game. Buffalo put on a dominating performance, defeating the Wings 12-6 in what ranked at the time as the worst-ever loss by a Soviet team in international competition.

The Sabres had an opportunity to hire one of the game's all-time coaching greats, Scotty Bowman, and did so in 1979. In his first season as Head Coach, Bowman led the Sabres to the Wales Conference Finals before they lost in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion New York Islanders. Bowman finished with an impressive 210-134-60 mark as Sabres coach.

General Manager Bowman spent the next few seasons revamping the Sabres' lineup, adding dynamic young players such as Mike Ramsey, Phil Housley, Mike Foligno, Dave Andreychuk and Tom Barrasso. Those players formed the core of some successful teams, and helped continue the tradition of winning hockey.

Through the good times and the bad times, there was always Gilbert Perreault. Linemates Robert and Martin had both been traded by the early 1980s, but the original Sabre remained and continued to flourish. On March 9, 1986, Perreault and an Aud full of fans celebrated together as the franchise's favorite son scored his 500th career goal, making him the 12th player in history (at the time) to reach that milestone. Four years later, in 1990, Perreault was immortalized with induction into Hockey's Hall of Fame. This would be an omen of better things to come for the franchise.

Five-time Stanley Cup Champion John Muckler was chosen in 1991 to be the team's Director of Hockey Operations and soon assumed the title of head coach. He was instrumental in acquiring Pat LaFontaine from the Islanders in October 1991, arguably the greatest trade in franchise history. LaFontaine teamed with Russian Alexander Mogilny to form a dynamic duo that combined to score 129 goals in 1992-93, including a franchise-record 76 goals from Mogilny. Buffalo capped that season by sweeping the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs to post its first playoff series win in 10 years.

That playoff excitement was just a precursor to Game Six of the 1994 Eastern Conference Quarter Finals vs. the New Jersey Devils. Buffalo won that game 1-0 in four overtimes on a goal by Dave Hannan. Dominik Hasek posted an incredible 70 saves in the victory, playing the entire 125:43 without allowing a goal. Following that season, Hasek would win the first of two consecutive Vezina Trophies as the NHL's top goaltender. But that would only set the stage for the 1996-97 season.

Before it even started, the 1996-97 campaign was already one of the most memorable in team history. On a sad note, the season would represent the first without founder Seymour H. Knox, III, who passed away in the spring of 1996. It would also represent the first time in the team's history that it would have new uniforms (red and black replaced blue and gold) as well as a new state-of-the-art arena (HSBC Arena replaced Memorial Auditorium). The Sabres shocked many of the so-called experts by winning the Northeast Division; the team's first-such title since winning the Adams Division championship in 1981. The end of the season also brought many notable achievements off the ice. The Sabres were the stars of the NHL's postseason awards banquet. Hasek won the Hart Trophy as league MVP, the first time a goalie had achieved such a feat since 1962. For good measure, Hasek also took home his third Vezina in four years, an equally stunning feat. Michael Peca, a 23-year-old center in just his second full season, joined Craig Ramsay as the only Sabres to win the Selke Trophy, symbolic of the league's best defensive forward. Ted Nolan won the Jack Adams Award as the Coach of the Year.

Turmoil in the front office during the offseason led to the departures of both Nolan and Muckler. Darcy Regier was hired as General Manager and Lindy Ruff was named head coach at the start of the season, and led Buffalo to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Sabres eventually fell to the Capitals in six games, but their performance marked the team's best playoff finish since 1980. Hasek once again shone brightly, taking home his fourth Vezina Trophy and becoming the first goaltender ever to win two consecutive Hart Trophies. Earlier in the year, Hasek had also been instrumental in leading the underdog Czech Republic to a Gold Medal at the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. The year ended on a sad note when team co-founder Northrup Knox passed away in July 1998. The Knox brothers persistence in acquiring a franchise and their determination to keep it in Buffalo will forever resonate with hockey fans in Western New York. Shortly before his death, Knox orchestrated the sale of the team to John Rigas of Adelphia Cable Communications.

Buffalo returned to the Eastern Conference Final the following year, this time facing its geographical rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. In what would be known as the Cross-Border Series, the Sabres defeated Toronto 4-1 to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for just the second time in team history. The Dallas Stars would be the Sabres' opponent and the two teams proved to be evenly matched in the lowest-scoring Stanley Cup in history. With Buffalo trailing 3 games to 2 in Game Six, Brett Hull slid the puck past Hasek in the third overtime to clinch the Cup for the Stars. Replays would later show that Hull's skate was in the crease, but officials let the goal stand to the dismay of Sabres fans.

Buffalo celebrated its 30th anniversary season in the NHL in 1999-2000 with the impressive rookie debuts of Martin Biron and Maxim Afinogenov. Their development, combined with the late-season additions of veterans Doug Gilmour and Chris Gratton enabled the Sabres to continue their winning ways as they began their fourth decade of play in the NHL.

The 2000-01 campaign will be remembered as one of the most successful seasons in recent memory as the Sabres won the fourth-most games in team history (46). Once again, Miroslav Satan led the team in goals scored and total points in the regular season and had a stellar postseason with three goals, a team-high 10 assists and 13 total points. Dominik Hasek continued to prove why he was one of the best goalies in the NHL, posting a 34-24-4 record with 2.11 goals against and 11 shutouts en route to his sixth Vezina Trophy.

Despite not making the playoffs in 2001-02, the Sabres were one of the better teams in the NHL over the second half of the season. Strong offensive years from Satan, Stu Barnes and Tim Connolly as well as the emergence of Taylor Pyatt late in the year were just a few of the bright spots of the season.

The 2002-03 season was bleak in Buffalo, as the franchise went into bankruptcy. The NHL was forced to take over operations of the club until new ownership was found. The season saw Lindy Ruff became the team's all-time winningest head coach after a 5-2 win over Philadelphia on Feb. 18, 2003. Ales Kotalik broke onto the scene by scoring 21 goals, the second most by a rookie in 2002-03 while Satan once again led the Sabres in goals, assists and points. B. Thomas Golisano became the Sabres' owner in March and brought a new enthusiasm level to the franchise. The acquisitions of Daniel Briere (at the 2002-03 trade deadline), Jeff Jillson, Mike Grier and Chris Drury have raised expectations for the 2003-04 campaign.

NoSkillz · 12-10-2004, 06:18 PM

September 2003: Buffalo Sabres Training Camp

The first order of business was to pour over my roster and decide who to invite to my first training camp. Here is the list of players segregated by position, along with brief notes on each guy, starting with our netminders:

Training Camp Roster: Goaltending

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Martin Biron, 26 years old, 6'2", 168 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted First Round (#16) by Buffalo in 1995
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 54GP 17-28-6 2.56GAA 4 SO
NHL Totals: 194GP 75-85-20 2.42GAA 15 SO
Coming off his worst professional season, Martin needs to develop more consistency if he's to become a top-drawer keeper. I want him to hate giving up goals; too often he seems disinterested. On the plus side, he is a workhorse, is quite acrobatic, and is popular in Buffalo.

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Ryan Miller, 23 years old, 6'2", 150 lbs, Shoots Left, American
Drafted Fifth Round (#138) by Buffalo in 1999
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 15GP 6-8-1 2.63GAA 1 SO
Rochester (AHL) 47GP 23-18-5 2.34GAA 2 SO
NHL Totals: 15GP 6-8-1 2.63GAA 1 SO
A late round pick turned Super Prospect, Miller won the Hobey Baker Award (Top Player in NCAA) in 2001. Wiry goaltender, very acrobatic, extremely aggressive, but needs work positionally to be successful at top level. May be ready this year.

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Mika Noronen, 24 years old, 6'2", 196 lbs, Shoots Left, Finnish
Drafted First Round (#21) by Buffalo in 1997
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 16GP 4-9-3 2.42GAA 1 SO
Rochester (AHL) 19GP 5-9-5 2.82GAA 2 SO
NHL Totals: 28GP 10-12-4 2.53GAA 1 SO
Mika has never really had a chance to shine, stuck behind Biron and Hasek in the organizational depth chart. With the development of Miller, Noronen again looks to be third in line. Pretty consistent player, good workrate.

Pre-Training Camp Thoughts:
I want to give Miller a chance to earn the job. If he does win it, I'll be forced to trade either Biron or Noronen, since neither can be sent to the farm club in Rochester without going on waivers. If Miller doesn't perform well, he can get sent down to the AHL for another year of development.

NoSkillz · 12-10-2004, 10:53 PM

Training Camp Roster: Defensemen

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Brad Brown (RD), 27 years old, 6'4", 220 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted First Round (#18) by Montreal in 1994
2002/03 Stats: Minnesota (NHL) 57GP 0g 1a 1pt -1 90PIM
NHL Totals: 287GP 2g 24a 26pts -18 681PIM
Big, physical defenseman who is good in his own zone. Has no offensive skill whatsoever and is a below average skater. A depth player.

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Brian Campbell (LD), 24 years old, 6'0", 190 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Sixth Round (#156) by Buffalo in 1997
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 65GP 2g 17a 19pts -8 20PIM
NHL Totals: 114GP 6g 24a 30pts -12 38PIM
Small, skilled offensive defenseman with great skating and puckhandling skills. Doesn't possess a great shot, however, and is often overmatched in his own zone. Former Canadian Junior Player of the Year in 1999. Needs to get better defensively, bulk up and develop consistency.

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Brian Chapman (LD), 35 years old, 6'1", 195 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Fourth Round (#74) by Hartford in 1986
2002/03 Stats: Manitoba (AHL) 60GP 3g 14a 17pts 65PIM
NHL Totals: 3GP 0g 0a 0pts +0 29PIM
Destined for Rochester. Will provide depth and leadership on the farm team.

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David Cullen (RD), 26 years old, 6'2", 209 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Not Drafted
2002/03 Stats: Houston (AHL) 72GP 2g 27a 29pts 42PIM
NHL Totals: 19GP 0g 0a 0pts -7 6PIM
Like myself, born in St. Catharines, Ontario. Another player signed to provide depth in Rochester. Decent offensive skills.

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Rory Fitzpatrick (RD), 28 years old, 6'2", 215 lbs, Shoots Right, American
Drafted Second Round (#47) by Montreal in 1993
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 36GP 1g 3a 4pts -7 16PIM
Rochester (AHL) 41GP 5g 11a 16pts 65PIM
NHL Totals: 94GP 1g 6a 7pts -25 50PIM
Third year with the Sabres organization. Has provided depth over that time, racking up tons of mileage travelling back and forth from Rochester. Good leader, average skills both offensively and defensively. Likely will captain Rochester this season.

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Doug Janik (LD), 23 years old, 6'2", 209 lbs, Shoots Left, American
Drafted Second Round (#55) by Buffalo in 1999
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 6GP 0g 0a 0pts +1 2PIM
Rochester (AHL) 75GP 3g 13a 16pts 120PIM
NHL Totals: 6GP 0g 0a 0pts +1 2PIM
Has developed nicely over past two years in AHL but may never be more than a depth player. Below average offensively but pretty solid in own zone and tough.

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Jeff Jillson (RD), 23 years old, 6'3", 220 lbs, Shoots Right, American
Drafted First Round (#14) by San Jose in 1999
2002/03 Stats: San Jose (NHL) 26GP 0g 6a 6pts -7 9PIM
Cleveland/Providence (AHL) 49GP 7g 16a 23pts 38PIM
NHL Totals: 74GP 5g 19a 24pts -5 38PIM
Acquired in trade for Curtis Brown, Jillson has fantastic offensive potential while having great size as well. Has an absolute howitzer of a slapshot but makes poor decisions with the puck and still is learning about his defensive responsibilities. Should be in Sabres lineup this year.

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Ryan Jorde (RD/RW), 21 years old, 6'3", 223 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted Ninth Round (#279) by Buffalo in 2001
2002/03 Stats: Rochester (AHL) 70GP 0g 2a 2pts 136PIM
NHL Totals: None
Big, strong defenseman/winger. Not an offensive threat at all, will likely be a career minor leaguer.

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Dmitri Kalinin (LD), 23 years old, 6'3", 215 lbs, Shoots Left, Russian
Drafted First Round (#18) by Buffalo in 1998
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 65GP 8g 13a 21pts -7 57PIM
Rochester (AHL) 1GP 0g 0a 0pts 0PIM
NHL Totals: 206GP 14g 42a 56pts -15 125PIM
Developing into a two-way force at the backend. Aggressive player with very good off-the-puck movement. Can play a lot of hockey without tiring. Still takes careless penalties but age will help in that regard. Has potential to be a 40-50 point per year player and will play on top defensive unit this year.

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Jay McKee (LD), 26 years old, 6'4", 212 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted First Round (#14) by Buffalo in 1995
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 59GP 0g 5a 5pts -16 49PIM
NHL Totals: 464GP 10g 67a 77pts +39 372PIM
Injuries and an inability to adjust to the new NHL rules on obstruction contributed to McKee's worst year in the NHL. At his best, he's one of the stronger defensive players in the league, with great hitting ability and good leadership. While he put up points in junior from the backend, he's never realized his offensive potential in the NHL. Top four defenseman.

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Rick Mrozik (LD), 28 years old, 6'2", 185 lbs, Shoots Left, American
Drafted Sixth Round (#136) by Dallas in 1993
2002/03 Stats: Calgary (NHL) 2GP 0g 0a 0pts +0 0PIM
Saint John (AHL) 68GP 2g 10a 12pts 46PIM
NHL Totals: 2GP 0g 0a 0pts +0 0PIM
Signed as a free agent and will play in Rochester. Strictly a depth player for organization.

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Nathan Paetsch (LD/RD), 21 years old, 6'0", 195 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Seventh Round (#202) by Buffalo in 2003
2002/03 Stats: Moose Jaw (WHL) 59GP 15g 39a 54pts 81PIM
NHL Totals: None
Was originally a first round pick of Washington but re-entered the draft this year. Solid offensive defenseman who will have to become better in his own zone before getting an opportunity with the big club. His first professional season will see him in Rochester.

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James Patrick (RD), 40 years old, 6'2", 202 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted First Round (#9) by New York Rangers in 1981
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 69GP 4g 12a 16pts -3 26PIM
NHL Totals: 1225GP 145g 483a 628pts +93 747PIM
One of the oldest players in the NHL; had a great year for the Sabres last year, playing much more than anticipated. Once a feared offensive force from the blueline, now a solid defensive backliner with good instincts. Age has taken it's toll, however: he is among the slowest players in the league now. Coach material.

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Henrik Tallinder (RD), 24 years old, 6'3", 210 lbs, Shoots Left, Swedish
Drafted Second Round (#48) by Buffalo in 1997
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 46GP 3g 10a 13pts -3 28PIM
NHL Totals: 48GP 3g 10a 13pts -4 28PIM
Unheralded defensive backliner impressed last year with his sound positioning and smart play. Rarely out of position and doesn't make mistakes; one of those guys you don't notice in games because he isn't flashy but just does his job. Should be a lock for top-six in Buffalo.

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Alexei Zhitnik (RD), 30 years old, 5'11", 215 lbs, Shoots Left, Russian
Drafted Fourth Round (#81) by Los Angeles in 1991
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 70GP 3g 18a 21pts -5 85PIM
NHL Totals: 814GP 77g 291a 368pts -37 928PIM
One of the true workhorses in the league, averaging over 26 minutes played per game. Never lived up to his vast offensive potential but developed into a nasty, physical defenseman. Ultra-smooth skater with great passing ability but age hasn't cured his tendency to take dumb penalties and make boneheaded plays. An unrestricted free agent after the year is over, we may have to look at trading him. #1 Defenseman.

Pre-Training Camp Thoughts:
Zhitnik, Kalinin, McKee and Tallinder are locks. Jillson, Campbell, Brown and Patrick will likely fight for other spots in the lineup. Longshots include Janik and Fitzpatrick while the other guys are either career minor leaguers or green prospects. My hope is that Jillson impresses in camp, because I'm lacking offense from the backline and he has the most potential in the organization.

sachmo71 · 12-10-2004, 11:11 PM

Impossible task, but good luck.

I kid because I love! No goal and all of that!

NoSkillz · 12-10-2004, 11:12 PM

Training Camp Roster: Forwards

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Maxim Afinogenov (RW/LW), 24 years old, 6'0" 190 lbs, Shoots Left, Russian
Drafted Third Round (#69) by Buffalo in 1997
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 35GP 5g 6a 11pts -12 21PIM
NHL Totals: 259GP 56g 65a 121pts -24 171PIM
Highly skilled offensive player that I'll have to introduce to his own end (no defensive awareness). Blazing speed, slick moves and wicked shot bring fans out of their seats but he hasn't shown the finishing ability possessed by the greats. Post-concussion syndrome sidelined him for over half the 2002/03 campaign.

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Milan Bartovic (RW/LW), 22 years old, 5'11" 192 lbs, Shoots Left, Slovakian
Drafted Second Round (#35) by Buffalo in 1999
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 3GP 1g 0a 1pts +0 0PIM
Rochester (AHL) 74GP 18g 10a 28pts 84PIM
NHL Totals: 3GP 1g 0a 1pts +0 0PIM
Stocky, agitating forward in the Vaclav Varada mold. Good workrate but green offensively. Would like to see him explode offensively in Rochester to develop confidence before playing in the NHL.

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Jason Botterill (LW/RW), 27 years old, 6'4" 220 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted First Round (#20) by Dallas in 1994
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 17GP 1g 4a 5pts +1 14PIM
Rochester (AHL) 64GP 37g 22a 59pts 105PIM
NHL Totals: 69GP 3g 8a 11pts -16 75PIM
First round flop in Dallas turned AHL star in Rochester. Played well in call-up to Buffalo and will be in running for a fourth line spot this year.

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Eric Boulton (LW), 27 years old, 6'0" 222 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Ninth Round (#234) by New York Rangers in 1994
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 58GP 1g 5a 6pts +1 178PIM
NHL Totals: 128GP 4g 10a 14pts -1 401PIM
Team enforcer. Solid enough defensive player ensures he's not a liability on the ice.

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Daniel Briere (C/LW), 25 years old, 5'10" 178 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted First Round (#24) by Phoenix in 1996
2002/03 Stats: Phoenix/Buffalo (NHL) 82GP 24g 34a 58pts -20 62PIM
NHL Totals: 272GP 77g 81a 158pts -18 158PIM
Trade deadline steal in March for enigma Chris Gratton, Briere put up 12 points in 14 games in Buffalo. Small, highly skilled forward with great nose for net. Will be on one of top two offensive lines and could become a fan favourite here.

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Tim Connolly (C), 22 years old, 6'1" 182 lbs, Shoots Right, American INJURED FOR THREE MONTHS
Drafted First Round (#5) by New York Islanders in 1999
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 80GP 12g 13a 25pts -28 32PIM
NHL Totals: 325GP 46g 99a 145pts -63 152PIM
Look up 'Enigma' in the dictionary and you'll find Connolly's picture. Unbelievably skilled, with jaw-dropping one-on-one moves, great passing skills and smooth skating ability. Completely one-dimensional player: doesn't compete for puck, has never shown interest in defensive assignments and is pushed off the puck easily. Had a terrible year and suffered severe concussion in summer: out for at least three months. The Islanders rushed him into league too quickly and this is going to be a project.

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Chris Drury (C/LW), 27 years old, 5'10" 180 lbs, Shoots Right, American
Drafted Third Round (#72) by Quebec in 1994
2002/03 Stats: Calgary (NHL) 80GP 23g 30a 53pts -9 33PIM
NHL Totals: 394GP 108g 167a 275pts +15 222PIM
Just arrived in deal for Rhett Warrener and Steven Reinprecht. Former Calder Trophy winner as NHL Rookie of the Year, Drury is a well known 'big-game' player, with slick moves, great awareness and budding leadership skills. A complete player who will vie for club captaincy in his first year with the Sabres.

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J.P. Dumont (RW/LW), 25 years old, 6'1" 205 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted First Round (#3) by New York Islanders in 1996
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 76GP 14g 21a 35pts -14 44PIM
NHL Totals: 303GP 79g 84a 163pts -22 168PIM
Big, hard hitting forward with immense offensive potential, but running out of time. Huge scorer in junior has battled consistency problems in pro career and loses track of defensive assignments at times. I want this guy to succeed and will pair him with fellow Quebecer Daniel Briere in hopes of realizing his scoring potential.

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Paul Gaustad (C/LW), 21 years old, 6'4" 217 lbs, Shoots Left, American
Drafted Seventh Round (#220) by Buffalo in 2000
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 1GP 0g 0a 0pts +0 0PIM
Rochester (AHL) 80GP 14g 39a 53pts 137PIM
NHL Totals: 1GP 0g 0a 0pts +0 0PIM
Nice story here, as Gaustad was drafted as future enforcer but he developed his offensive skills in junior and was extremely impressive in his first pro year last season. Could eventually earn a spot on the roster if he continues to improve.

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Mike Grier (LW), 28 years old, 6'1" 227 lbs, Shoots Right, American
Drafted Ninth Round (#219) by St. Louis in 1993
2002/03 Stats: Washington (NHL) 82GP 15g 17a 32pts -14 36PIM
NHL Totals: 530GP 96g 119a 215pts +16 328PIM
Ninth round pick that worked his butt off to become solid NHL'er. Strong as an ox, impossible to beat on the boards, with great defensive awareness. Doesn't possess 'great hands', which means third line duty. Went to college with Drury and should fit in well on this club.

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Jochen Hecht (LW), 26 years old, 6'1" 200 lbs, Shoots Left, German
Drafted Second Round (#49) by St. Louis in 1995
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 49GP 10g 16a 26pts +4 30PIM
NHL Totals: 269GP 58g 86a 144pts +37 166PIM
One of the most underrated players in the league and a personal favourite, Hecht will get a chance to shine under my watch. Excellent defensively with very good puck and skating skills. Never makes mistakes and is always working. Only knock on him is that he's been prone to injury in his career. He will play in all circumstances, including the powerplay and hopefully I can get him Selke Trophy recognition.

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Ales Kotalik (RW), 24 years old, 6'1" 217 lbs, Shoots Right, Czech
Drafted Sixth Round (#164) by Buffalo in 1998
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 68GP 21g 14a 35pts -2 30PIM
Rochester (AHL) 8GP 0g 2a 2pts 4PIM
NHL Totals: 81GP 22g 17a 39pts -3 32PIM
Great find in draft, as Kotalik literally came out of nowhere to post 21 goals in his rookie season and finish fourth in Calder Trophy voting. Lightning quick release means he'll likely avoid a sophomore slump, and he's a solid, responsible defensive player. I'd like to move him over to left wing because of our tremendous depth on the right side.

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Adam Mair (C/LW), 24 years old, 6'2" 215 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted Third Round (#84) by Toronto in 1997
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 79GP 6g 11a 17pts -4 146PIM
NHL Totals: 131GP 8g 14a 22pts -4 229PIM
Made great impression in his first year with Buffalo; fearless with a motor that never stops. Will fight for his teammates, has great leadership ability and is excellent defensively. Underrated skater, but very limited offensively. Perfect fourth line centre.

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Sean McMorrow (RW/LW), 21 years old, 6'4" 214 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted Eighth Round (#258) by Buffalo in 2000
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 1GP 0g 0a 0pts +0 0PIM
Rochester (AHL) 64GP 0g 1a 1pt 315PIM
NHL Totals: 1GP 0g 0a 0pts +0 0PIM
Converted defenseman who will be an enforcer in Rochester. Injury prone in junior and lacks skill.

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Norm Milley (LW/RW), 23 years old, 6'0" 200 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted Second Round (#47) by Buffalo in 1998
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 8GP 0g 2a 2pts -2 6PIM
Rochester (AHL) 67GP 16g 32a 48pts 39PIM
NHL Totals: 13GP 0g 3a 3pts -2 6PIM
Milley isn't developing as well as originally thought; he's coming off his finest professional campaign but more was expected of the two time junior 50-goal scorer. Will compete for a fourth line role on club.

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Jiri Novotny (C/RW), 20 years old, 6'2" 194 lbs, Shoots Right, Czech
Drafted First Round (#22) by Buffalo in 2001
2002/03 Stats: Rochester (AHL) 43GP 2g 9a 11pts 14PIM
NHL Totals: None
Had a disasterous first season in North America, as he had trouble adjusting to life in a new country. Defensively sound, but not panning out offensively. Will need to gain confidence in Rochester.

Quote:

Andrew Peters (LW/RW), 23 years old, 6'4" 223 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Second Round (#34) by Buffalo in 1998
2002/03 Stats: Rochester (AHL) 57GP 3g 0a 3pts 223PIM
NHL Totals: None
Monstrous player who has served as Rochester's enforcer for his three years in professional hockey. Very limited from a skill standpoint but is a great fighter and won't hurt us defensively. Whoever recommended him as a second round pick should have been fired! Could contend for our enforcer spot this year.

Quote:

Domenic Pittis (C/LW), 28 years old, 5'11" 190 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Second Round (#52) by Pittsburgh in 1993
2002/03 Stats: Nashville (NHL) 2GP 0g 0a 0pts +0 2PIM
Milwaukee (AHL) 30GP 11g 21a 32pts 65PIM
NHL Totals: 82GP 5g 11a 16pts -7 67PIM
Signed as a free agent and will compete for our third line centre job due to Connolly's injury. Scored 104 points in Rochester a few years back and has never received a fair chance to showcase skills in the NHL.

Quote:

Jason Pominville (RW/C), 20 years old, 6'0" 178 lbs, Shoots Right, Canadian
Drafted Second Round (#55) by Buffalo in 2001
2002/03 Stats: Rochester (AHL) 73GP 13g 21a 34pts 16PIM
NHL Totals: None
High scoring junior player coming off decent first pro season in Rochester. Will hopefully light it up in the AHL this year and force his way into my plans next season in Buffalo. Highly touted prospect.

Quote:

Taylor Pyatt (LW), 22 years old, 6'4" 222 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted First Round (#8) by New York Islanders in 1999
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 78GP 14g 14a 28pts -8 38PIM
NHL Totals: 204GP 28g 38a 66pts -21 112PIM
The gentle giant. Has been a whipping boy for Buffalo fans due to his lack of a mean-streak, perhaps unfairly. Came over in trade with Connolly for fan favourite Michael Peca. Pyatt is impossible to beat on the boards and is good defensively but hasn't shown any consistency with his offense in the NHL. Like Connolly, was rushed to the NHL too soon by the Islanders, but will be given a chance to play on a top line. Another guy I want to succeed.

Quote:

Derek Roy (C), 20 years old, 5'9" 186 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Second Round (#32) by Buffalo in 2001
2002/03 Stats: Kitchener (OHL) 49GP 28g 50a 78pts 73PIM
NHL Totals: None
Top prospect in the organization, along with 2003 draft pick Thomas Vanek. Roy won the Memorial Cup MVP for his playoff performance with Kitchener in 2003 and the third line spot on the Sabres is his to lose going into camp. Gritty, agitating player with great creativity and awareness in both ends of the rink. Would like to see him develop in Rochester but may be forced to play him due to Connolly's injury.

Quote:

Miroslav Satan (RW/LW), 28 years old, 6'3" 190 lbs, Shoots Left, Slovakian
Drafted Fifth Round (#111) by Edmonton in 1993
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 79GP 26g 49a 75pts -3 20PIM
NHL Totals: 622GP 230g 232a 462pts +55 247PIM
Easily the most talented player on the squad. Feared sniper, with great one-on-one moves, quick release and fantastic puck skills. Not a liability defensively, but lacks ideal work ethic, is moody, and isn't as consistent as other top players. However, when he's hot, he's unstoppable. I want to team him with Chris Drury and let them cause havoc for other teams.

Quote:

Chris Taylor (C/RW), 31 years old, 6'2" 192 lbs, Shoots Left, Canadian
Drafted Second Round (#27) by New York Islanders in 1990
2002/03 Stats: Buffalo (NHL) 11GP 1g 3a 4pts -1 2PIM
Rochester (AHL) 61GP 12g 55a 67pts 44PIM
NHL Totals: 95GP 5g 15a 20pts -3 26PIM
Solid scorer in the minors but hasn't translated to the NHL. Will get a chance to compete with Roy and Pittis for the third line centre job. Good playmaker with solid defensive skills.

Pre-Training Camp Thoughts:
I've got ideas on my top two lines already: Briere centring Hecht and Dumont on a scoring line and Drury centring Satan and Kotalik on the other. I'm not sure how Kotalik will react to playing the left side but if he gets upset, I'll move Satan over to the left. Pyatt and Afinogenov will likely play on the third line with either Roy, Pittis or Taylor. It's Roy's job to lose: if he has a decent camp, he's the guy. Fourth line will see Mair centring Grier and a rotating crew of right wingers (Boulton, Peters, Botterill, Milley and Taylor will get consideration).

NoSkillz · 12-10-2004, 11:18 PM

Sunday October 5, 2003

The preseason ended last night with us losing a heartbreaker to Calgary 3-2. Marty Biron let in the winning goal from an awful angle with only 9 seconds left in the game. We ended up an even 4-4-1 in our nine preseason games.

Training camp and the preseason games allowed us to look at a number of players vying for positions on the team. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the efforts of most players that were 'on the bubble'.

I had hoped that Jeff Jillson would step up and show the promise expected of him; Jillson was awful in his five games, notching no points and a -6 rating. Since he's exempt from waivers, I'll be sending him down to Rochester so he can gain some confidence.

I had also given rookie Derek Roy every opportunity to earn the third line centre job but again was left disappointed. Roy had only one assist in six games and was a -1. Domenic Pittis didn't do much himself, gaining two assists while posting an awful -5 mark but in the end I think the team will be better off with Pittis staying in Buffalo for now. Roy can learn the trade in Rochester and he'll be the first guy I call up if things go awry or if Pittis isn't producing.

Some positives did come out of camp with respect to goaltending; Ryan Miller was solid in allowing only seven goals in three games and he'll get the start on opening night in New Jersey. I'll carry three goaltenders for now just to be safe.

Tactically, we went with an up-tempo, high energy system. Here are the details:

Mentality: Attacking
Off. System: Skating
Off. Zone: Crash the Net
Forecheck: High
Defensive Coverage: Zone
Backchecking: Hard
Pressing: Normal (Road), High (Home)
Hitting: Hard (Skill Teams), Normal (Other Teams)
Boardplay: Power

Here are the stats from the 2003 Preseason: ('*' = Rookie)

Code:

PLAYER              GP    G    A    PTS   +/-   PIM
Miroslav Satan       7    5    3     8     5      2
J.P. Dumont          6    0    6     6     4      0  
Chris Drury          6    3    2     5     3      2
Jochen Hecht         6    3    2     5     2      0
Ales Kotalik         7    3    2     5    -4      2
Taylor Pyatt         7    2    3     5     3      2
Daniel Briere        6    1    3     4     4      6
*Jason Pominville    4    2    1     3     2      0
Brian Campbell       6    0    3     3     5     10
Jason Botterill      5    1    1     2     0      4
Maxim Afinogenov     7    2    0     2    -4      2
Domenic Pittis       7    0    2     2    -5      8
David Cullen         2    1    0     1     1      0
Rick Mrozik          2    0    1     1     2      0
*Nathan Paetsch      2    0    1     1     2      2
*Norm Milley         3    1    0     1     0      9
Adam Mair            6    1    0     1     2      4
Mike Grier           6    1    0     1     0      4
Dmitri Kalinin       6    0    1     1     4      4
Henrik Tallinder     6    0    1     1     0      2
*Derek Roy           6    0    1     1    -1      2
Brian Chapman        1    0    0     0     0      2
*Ryan Jorde          1    0    0     0     1      0
Sean McMorrow        1    0    0     0     0      0
Jiri Novotny         1    0    0     0     0      0
*Doug Janik          2    0    0     0     1      0
*Paul Gaustad        2    0    0     0     0      4
Rory Fitzpatrick     3    0    0     0     2      4
*Andrew Peters       3    0    0     0     0      9
Eric Boulton         3    0    0     0    -2      4
James Patrick        4    0    0     0     2      2
Brad Brown           4    0    0     0     0     13
Chris Taylor         4    0    0     0    -2      4
*Milan Bartovic      5    0    0     0     0      2
Alexei Zhitnik       6    0    0     0     2     12
Jeff Jillson         6    0    0     0    -6      2
Jay McKee            6    0    0     0   -10      6

PLAYER              GP    W    L    T   GAA   SV%
*Ryan Miller         3    1    1    1  2.33  .926
Mika Noronen         3    2    1    0  2.33  .919
Martin Biron         3    1    2    0  3.00  .909

We were fortunate to not lose any players during the waiver draft. The fact that we have the youngest team in the NHL helped us, as I only had about five players that were eligible after I submitted my protected list. Here is how the team looks as we prepare for our opening night game in New Jersey, taking place in four nights:

Code:

Forwards:
J. Hecht       D. Briere      J.P. Dumont
A. Kotalik     C. Drury       M. Satan
T. Pyatt       D. Pittis      M. Afinogenov
M. Grier       A. Mair        J. Botterill
Spares: E. Boulton, C. Taylor

Defensemen:
D. Kalinin     A. Zhitnik
J. McKee       H. Tallinder
B. Campbell    B. Brown
Spare: J. Patrick

Goaltenders:
R. Miller
M. Biron
Spare: M. Noronen

On Tap Next Week:
Thursday October 9, 2003: at New Jersey
Saturday October 11, 2003: vs New York Islanders

NoSkillz · 12-11-2004, 01:06 PM

Monday October 6, 2003

Chris Drury got injured in practice today (shoulder contusion) and is doubtful for our season opener in New Jersey. This causes problems, as Drury was going to be named captain for the month of October (I'm going with a rotating captaincy right now). If Drury can't go, I'll call up Derek Roy and slot him into the second line centre position.

Thursday October 9, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at New Jersey Devils

Drury still isn't ready to go, unfortunately, so Roy is in the opening night lineup:

Code:

OPENING NIGHT LINEUP
     LW             C              RW             LD             RD  
J. Hecht       D. Briere      J.P. Dumont    A. Zhitnik     D. Kalinin
T. Pyatt       D. Roy         M. Satan       J. McKee       B. Brown
A. Kotalik     D. Pittis      M. Afinogenov  B. Campbell    H. Tallinder
M. Grier       A. Mair        J. Botterill
GOAL: R. Miller

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    1    1     3     (L: R. Miller 0-1-0)
New Jersey     1    3    2     6     (W: C. Schwab 1-0-0)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: J. Botterill, A. Mair, T. Pyatt
New Jersey: J. Friesen (2), G. Marshall (2), B. Rafalski, S. Brylin
--------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 24              Buffalo: 0-3
New Jersey: 42           New Jersey: 0-5
--------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. J. Friesen (NJ) 2g
2. B. Rafalski (NJ) 1g
3. S. Gomez (NJ) 2a

Nothing went right tonight, as Jersey just swarmed us all night with shot after shot. Ryan Miller seemed overmatched in goal and I pulled him three minutes into the third period with us down 5-2. Derek Roy got an assist in his first NHL game on Pyatt's goal. Jason Botterill had an eventful night too, scoring the first goal of the game and also getting a game misconduct penalty for kneeing.

Friday October 10, 2003

Well, Jason Botterill has been suspended for three games for the kneeing incident last night. I'm appealing the decision but it looks like he's going to be out of the lineup for my home opener tomorrow night.

Saturday October 11, 2003: New York Islanders at Buffalo Sabres

I want Chris Drury in the lineup and will play him injured against the Islanders. Jason Botterill will have to sit out while the league goes over my appeal, so I'll have Domenic Pittis play RW on the fourth line. I decided to send Ryan Miller down to the farm; maybe I'm being a bit quick with the trigger but he looked awful that first game. Martin Biron will start in net.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
N.Y. Islanders 0    0    1     1     (L: R. DiPietro 0-1-0)
Buffalo        0    2    0     2     (W: M. Biron 1-0-0)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
N.Y. Islanders: M. Czerkawski
Buffalo: J.P. Dumont (2)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
N.Y. Islanders: 25       N.Y. Islanders: 0-3
Buffalo: 27              Buffalo: 2-6
--------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 2g
2. M. Biron (BUF) 24 saves
3. A. Zhitnik (BUF) 1a

Much better performance, with Dumont finally scoring after getting shutout in the preseason. Chris Drury got an assist in his first game as a Sabre and Biron was solid in goal.

We've got a home game on Monday night against Phoenix and then go on the road for six games, our longest trip of the year.

On Tap Next Week:
Monday October 13, 2003: vs. Phoenix Coyotes
Thursday October 16, 2003: AT VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Saturday October 18, 2003: AT EDMONTON OILERS

NoSkillz · 12-11-2004, 01:12 PM

Monday October 13, 2003: Phoenix Coyotes at Buffalo Sabres

The NHL took one game off Botterill's suspension so he'll be back for the road trip. I go with the exact same lineup as the Islanders game.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Phoenix        0    1    0     1     (L: B. Boucher 0-2-0)
Buffalo        1    1    1     3     (W: M. Biron (2-0-0)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Phoenix: T. Nash
Buffalo: T. Pyatt, M. Grier, J.P. Dumont (EN)
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Phoenix: 19              Phoenix: 0-3
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 1-5
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Biron (BUF) 1ga 18 saves
2. B. Boucher (PHO) 2ga 26 saves 
3. J. McKee (BUF) 2a +2

Pretty tight game but another good one. I sent Derek Roy (3GP 0g 1a 1pt) down to the minors after the game, as Jason Botterill has finished serving his suspension and Chris Drury is back to full fitness. Big road trip ahead.

Thursday October 16, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at Vancouver Canucks

Botterill is back in as the fourth line RW and Domenic Pittis steps into the third line centre position.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    0    1     2     (L: M. Biron 2-1-0)
Vancouver      2    1    1     4     (W: D. Cloutier 2-1-0)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Satan, M. Grier
Vancouver: M. Naslund, T. Bertuzzi, S. Salo, M. Cooke
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 28              Buffalo: 0-3
Vancouver: 36            Vancouver: 1-7
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. E. Jovanovski (VAN) 0pts
2. T. Bertuzzi (VAN) 1g 1a +1 
3. D. Cloutier (VAN) 1ga 27 saves

Can't get too upset about this one, as Vancouver is a fine club. Taylor Pyatt, Martin Biron and Brian Campbell had '6' ratings, which qualifies as below average to me.

Saturday October 18, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at Edmonton Oilers

I'll give Biron a rest and give the netminding honours to Mika Noronen tonight. I'm also putting James Patrick in on defense for Brad Brown.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    1    0     2     (W: M. Noronen 1-0-0)
Edmonton       0    0    0     0     (L: J. Markkanen 1-2-0)
------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov, B. Campbell
Edmonton: None
------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 23              Buffalo: 1-6
Edmonton: 27             Edmonton: 0-4
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Noronen (BUF) Shutout 27 saves
2. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 1g 1a +1
3. J. Markkanen (EDM) 2ga 21 saves

First shutout of the season, and on the road to boot. Jochen Hecht (2a) joined Afinogenov with a multipoint game. Excellent effort all around and a nice start to the road trip for us.

On Tap Next Week:
Monday October 20, 2003: AT CALGARY FLAMES
Thursday October 23, 2003: AT SAN JOSE SHARKS
Friday October 24, 2003: AT LOS ANGELES KINGS
Sunday October 26, 2003: AT MINNESOTA WILD

NoSkillz · 12-11-2004, 01:30 PM

Monday October 20, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at Calgary Flames

We're going to put Biron back in net for tonight's game. Other than that, the lineup remains the same as in Edmonton.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    4    1     6     (L: M. Biron 2-2-0)
Calgary        1    3    5     9     (W: M. Kiprusoff (2-1-0)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: J.P. Dumont (2), J. Hecht (2), A. Mair, M. Satan
Calgary: C. Simon (2), S. Yelle, R. Warrener, S. Donovan, J. Iginla, S. Reinprecht, S. Montador, M. Gelinas
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 23              Buffalo: 2-5
Calgary: 45              Calgary: 2-5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. R. Warrener (CAL) 1g 2a +1
2. D. McCammond (CAL) 2a 
3. J. Leopold (CAL) 2a +2

The fans must have loved this one, but a G.M. just pulls his hair out. No defense, no goaltending, no win. Kiprusoff was bad for Calgary too. Jochen Hecht (2g 1a), Daniel Briere (2a) and Maxim Afinogenov (2a) joined J.P. Dumont with multipoint games. Biron, Dimitri Kalinin & Alexei Zhitnik (both -4) were given '5' ratings. Hopefully, this is just an abberation...time will tell.

Wednesday October 22, 2003

Defenseman Alexei Zhitnik came down with a groin injury in practice today and the doctors say he'll be out for about three weeks. This means Brad Brown will get out of the press box for the San Jose game tomorrow night.

Thursday October 23, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at San Jose Sharks

Mika Noronen is going in the net after Biron's dismal performance on Monday night. I've shuffled up the defense a bit too, putting the steady Henrik Tallinder with the struggling Dimitri Kalinin, who is a -7 in only 6 games.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        2    0    1     3     (L: M. Noronen 1-1-0)
San Jose       2    1    3     6     (W: E. Nabokov (3-3-0)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: D. Briere, J. Hecht, M. Satan
San Jose: N. Dimitrakos (2), M. Ricci, M. Michalek, P. Marleau, R. Reichel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 23              Buffalo: 0-2
San Jose: 41             San Jose: 0-4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. N. Dimitrakos (SJ) 2g 1a +1
2. K. McLaren (SJ) 1a +1
3. M. Michalek (SJ) 1g 1a +2

Another disastrous performance by my defense. It was tied at three with about ten minutes remaining before they scored three unanswered before the final whistle. Veteran James Patrick (-2) and Ales Kotalik (-4) were given '5' ratings in the game. I'm going to have to take a serious look at my tactics in the next couple games, as I'm giving up entirely too many shots.

Changes need to be made, so I'm going to fly in a couple of the kids from the farm club to play in tomorrow's game against Los Angeles. Defenseman Jeff Jillson (6GP 2g 2a 4pts +2 in Rochester) and rookie centre Derek Roy (4GP 4g 2a 6pts +3 in Rochester) will be pressed into action.

Friday October 24, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at Los Angeles Kings

I made a number of lineup changes in light of our recent stuggles. Ales Kotalik was demoted to the third line with Taylor Pyatt and Roy. Maxim Afinogenov will move up to the first line alongside Chris Drury and Miroslav Satan. Jillson will take James Patrick's place while Domenic Pittis will also sit down.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        2    1    0     3     (L: M. Biron 2-3-0)
Los Angeles    2    3    1     6     (W: R. Cechmanek 6-0-0)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: D. Roy, A. Kotalik, M. Afinogenov
Los Angeles: Z. Palffy, T. Klatt, L. Robitaille, E. Belanger, A. Carter, I. LaPerriere
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 27              Buffalo: 1-5
Los Angeles: 37          Los Angeles: 0-3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. A. Carter (LA) 1g 3a +4
2. L. Robitaille (LA) 1g 1a +2
3. E. Belanger (LA) 1g +1

Boy oh boy are we playing poorly right now. I'm definitely changing our tactics after watching this horror show. The forechecking system seems great at home but too aggressive on the road. The only positives in this 'performance' were those provided by Roy, who scored his first NHL goal, and Jillson, who had an assist in his official debut as a Sabre. Ales Kotalik (1g 1a) had a multipoint game, answering his demotion with a decent game. Martin Biron again was subpar, garnering a '5' rating.

Sunday October 26, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at Minnesota Wild

Well, we're currently 1-4-0 on the road trip and morale is low. I made some tactical changes for this game, going with a one-man passive forecheck as opposed to sending two men in. Hopefully that will eliminate some of the chances in our end of the rink. I'm only making one lineup change, throwing in tough guy Eric Boulton for the first time this season. I think we're being taken advantage of a bit and Boulton will ensure that our finesse players are protected.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    1    4     6     (W: M. Biron 3-3-0)
Minnesota      3    0    1     4     (L: M. Fernandez 0-3-1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov, C. Drury, J. Hecht, T. Pyatt, A. Kotalik, J. Jillson
Minnesota: F. Kuba, M. Gaborik, A. Daigle, M. Chouinard
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 33              Buffalo: 1-5
Minnesota: 30            Minnesota: 1-5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 1g 1a +3
2. J. Jillson (BUF) 1g 1a +4
3. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 1g 1a +1

Did we ever need this win! Down 3-1 after a period, I thought it was another one of those nights. However, Chris Drury finally scored his first Sabres goal late in the second to give us momentum then we stormed out of the gate in the third, scoring four times in eleven minutes. Jillson scored his first goal in a Buffalo uniform and was fantastic all night. Drury (1g 1a) and Ales Kotalik (1g 1a) also had multipoint nights. We finish off the longest road trip of the year with a 2-4-0 record and see our season record go to 4-5-0.

On Tap Next Week:
Tuesday October 28, 2003: vs. Colorado Avalanche
Thursday October 30, 2003: vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Saturday November 1, 2003: AT OTTAWA SENATORS

Johnny93g · 12-12-2004, 05:41 PM

I think i know why your losing....................

THE SABRES SUCK!!!!!!!!

NoSkillz · 12-16-2004, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Johnny93g
I think i know why your losing....................

THE SABRES SUCK!!!!!!!!

{cough}1967{cough}

NoSkillz · 12-16-2004, 02:02 AM

Tuesday October 28, 2003: Colorado Avalanche (3-6-0-0) at Buffalo Sabres (4-5-0-0)

I'm happy with how Derek Roy is fairing so far, so I'm rolling the dice and trying to send Domenic Pittis down to Rochester. Colorado comes into the game struggling quite a bit. We'll go with the exact same lineup as Sunday night.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Colorado       1    2    1     4     (W: D. Aebischer 2-3-0)
Buffalo        2    0    0     2     (L: M. Biron 3-4-0)
------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Colorado: S. Konowalchuk (3), M. Hejduk
Buffalo: A. Kotalik, J.P. Dumont
------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Colorado: 21             Colorado: 0-2
Buffalo: 28              Buffalo: 0-5
------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. S. Konowalchuk (COL) 3g +3
2. J. Sakic (COL) 2a +2 
3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g

Blew the first period lead but played really solid defensive game. I put Jochen Hecht on Peter Forsberg and we completely held him in check. Unfortunately, every thing Steve Konowalchuk touched turned to gold. Martin Biron is just not playing well.

Wednesday October 29, 2003:

Well, that didn't take long: Domenic Pittis (7GP 0g 1a 1pt +0 0PIM) got taken away by the Pittsburgh Penguins off the waiver wire. Not a spectacular loss, but we could have used him in Rochester as organizational depth.

Thursday October 30, 2003: Toronto Maple Leafs (6-1-2-0) at Buffalo Sabres (4-6-0-0)

Big rival in town tonight...should be a sellout, with half the crowd coming from Canada to see their beloved first place Leafs. I'm gonna stick with Biron for this game, a historically strong player versus the Leafs. James Patrick will come in for Brad Brown.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Toronto        1    2    0     3     (W: E. Belfour 4-1-2)
Buffalo        1    1    0     2     (L: M. Biron 3-5-0)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Toronto: C. Kilger, J. Nieuwendyk, G. Roberts
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov, D. Briere
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Toronto: 27              Toronto: 0-5
Buffalo: 21              Buffalo: 0-2
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. J. Nieuwendyk (TOR) 1g 1a +1
2. G. Roberts (TOR) 1g +1 
3. D. Briere (BUF) 1g +2

That's five losses in six games to end the month for us. I HATE losing to Toronto in my own building! We're starting to keep the chances down for the opposition but aren't creating any of our own.

Friday October 31, 2003:

I decided to look over the stats year-to-date for the Sabres to see if anything stands out.

Code:

Buffalo Sabres Statistics (As of October 31, 2003):

POS PLAYER                   GP    G    A   PTS   +/-   PIM   PPG  SHG  GWG
LW  Jochen Hecht             11    4    5    9     -2     0    1    0    0
RW  Maxim Afinogenov         11    4    5    9     -3     2    1    0    1
RW  Miroslav Satan           11    3    4    7     -8     4    0    0    0
C   Chris Drury              10    1    5    6     -9     4    1    0    0
RW  J.P. Dumont              11    6    0    6     -6     2    3    0    1
LW  Taylor Pyatt             11    3    3    6     -1     0    0    0    0
RW  Ales Kotalik             11    3    3    6     -4     2    0    0    1
C   Daniel Briere            11    1    5    6     -3    10    0    0    0
LW  Mike Grier               11    2    2    4     -2    15    0    0    1
C   Adam Mair                11    2    2    4     -3    12    0    0    0
D   Jay McKee                11    0    4    4      3    24    0    0    0
D   Jeff Jillson              4    1    2    3      2     0    0    0    0
C   *Derek Roy                7    1    2    3      5     2    0    0    0
D   Brian Campbell           11    1    2    3     -6     8    1    0    0
LW  Jason Botterill           6    1    1    2     -1    17    0    0    0
D   Henrik Tallinder         11    0    2    2      2     0    0    0    0
D   Dmitri Kalinin           11    0    2    2    -11    24    0    0    0
D   Alexei Zhitnik            6    0    1    1     -8     4    0    0    0
D   Brad Brown                8    0    1    1     -6    29    0    0    0
G   Martin Biron              9    0    1    1    ---     0    0    0    0
G   Ryan Miller               1    0    0    0    ---     0    0    0    0
LW  Eric Boulton              3    0    0    0     -4     0    0    0    0
G   Mika Noronen              4    0    0    0    ---     0    0    0    0
D   James Patrick             4    0    0    0     -4     0    0    0    0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
POS PLAYER                   GP    W    L    T    MIN    GA   GAA  SHO  SV%
G   Martin Biron              9    3    5    0    472    29  3.69   0  .878
G   Mika Noronen              4    1    1    0    143     9  3.78   1  .889
G   Ryan Miller               1    0    1    0     43     5  6.98   0  .833

There is a LOT to be concerned with here: awful even-strength play is underlined by our poor plus/minus statistics and our goals against average is horrific (last in the NHL right now). We are near the top of the league in goals for, but it is meaningless in defeat.

Saturday November 1, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (4-7-0-0) at Ottawa Senators (5-3-0-0)

A couple changes to the lineup tonight: Jason Botterill is back in for Boulton and Brad Brown returns in James Patrick's place. I'm starting Mika Noronen in goal.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    0    1     1     (L: M. Noronen 1-2-0)
Ottawa         0    1    1     2     (W: M. Prusek 1-1-0)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: C. Drury
Ottawa: T. White, W. Redden
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 24              Buffalo: 0-4
Ottawa: 42               Ottawa: 2-10
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. T. White (OTT) 1g 1a
2. M. Prusek (OTT) 1GA 23 saves
3. Z. Chara (OTT) 1a -1

The losses continue to mount for us; we were pretty undisciplined, with Ottawa seemingly on the powerplay for the entire game. I put in a complaint to the NHL after the game regarding the refereeing but was told that the league stood behind the officials. Mika Noronen was very strong in the loss. An 0-3 week is not was I needed at this point...I got an email from the board stating their displeasure over my results so far.

On Tap Next Week:
Wednesday November 5, 2003: vs. Florida Panthers
Friday November 7, 2003: vs. Montreal Canadiens
Saturday November 8, 2003: AT MONTREAL CANADIENS

NoSkillz · 12-16-2004, 02:06 AM

Wednesday November 5, 2003: Florida Panthers (3-8-1-0) at Buffalo Sabres (4-8-0-0)

It's the battle of the basement, as Florida is the only team worse than us in the Eastern Conference. They started out the year on fire, going 3-1-1 with a 9-1 victory over Detroit to their credit. However, they come into this game having lost 7 in a row. I'm going to keep Mika Noronen in there after his fine performance in defeat against Ottawa. Eric Boulton also goes back in for Jason Botterill. The biggest change I'm making though is with regard to the on-ice leadership. Keeping with our plan for a rotating captaincy, Chris Drury is giving way to Miroslav Satan for the rest of the month.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Florida        1    1    1     3     (L: R. Luongo 2-8-1)
Buffalo        1    1    3     5     (W: M. Noronen 2-2-0)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Florida: O. Jokinen, P. Trnka, K. Huselius
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov, M. Satan, A. Kotalik, J.P. Dumont, C. Drury
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Florida: 34              Florida: 1-6
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 2-6
-------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Satan (BUF) 1ga 1a +2
2. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 1g 1a 
3. H. Tallinder (BUF) 2a +2

Obviously, Satan responded well to the new responsibilities and led the team to victory. I've gone to a left wing lock forechecking system but I'm still not impressed with all the shots I'm giving up. I still use an attacking mentality, which might have something to do with it. A win is a win! Maxim Afinogenov has been excellent since moving to the first line with Drury and Satan.

Friday November 7, 2003: Montreal Canadiens (4-6-3-0) at Buffalo Sabres (5-8-0-0)

Should be another big crowd in Buffalo tonight with Montreal in town. I'm going back to Martin Biron for the game in an effort to get him on track against his hometown team. Otherwise, the lineup from the Florida game remains intact.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Montreal       1    2    2     5     (W: J. Theodore 4-5-3)
Buffalo        0    2    1     3     (L: M. Biron 3-6-0)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Montreal: S. Koivu (2), R. Zednik (2), A. Kovalev
Buffalo: J. Hecht, B. Brown, A. Kotalik
-----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Montreal: 24             Montreal: 1-7
Buffalo: 24              Buffalo: 0-3
-----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. S. Koivu (MON) 2g 3a +3
2. A. Kovalev (MON) 1g 3a +3 
3. R. Zednik (MON) 2g +1

It was the Saku Koivu show and we had no answer for him or Kovalev all night. Martin Biron was awful again, getting a '5' rating which I think was generous. Everyone else on my team was rated at '7' or above so the loss is on Biron. I gave him an official warning after the game for poor performance and he took it well, saying he will work hard to improve his play. Nice! We'll see how he does tomorrow night back in his hometown.

Saturday November 8, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (5-9-0-0) at Montreal Canadiens (5-6-3-0)

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    3    2     5     (W: M. Biron 4-6-0)
Montreal       2    0    1     3     (L: M. Garon 1-2-0)
--------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: A. Kotalik, M. Afinogenov, C. Drury, D. Roy, J. Hecht
Montreal: J. Ward, R. Zednik, A. Dackell
--------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 32              Buffalo: 1-4
Montreal: 30             Montreal: 0-3
--------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a
2. A. Dackell (MON) 1g 1a 
3. D. Roy (BUF) 1g 1a +1

Biron responded nicely from my criticism to win for the first time in a couple weeks. Chris Drury and Maxim Afinogenov both had a goal and assist to join Kotalik and Roy with multiple point nights.

On Tap Next Week:
Wednesday November 12, 2003: vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Friday November 14, 2003: vs. Philadelphia Flyers

NoSkillz · 12-16-2004, 02:09 AM

Wednesday November 12, 2003: Pittsburgh Penguins (6-6-1-0) at Buffalo Sabres (6-9-0-0)

The Penguins are playing quite well early in the season, as Mario Lemieux is healthy at the moment. I'm going to go with Noronen in net tonight and keep the rest of the lineup the same.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
Pittsburgh     1    2    1    0     4     (T: S. Caron 4-3-2)
Buffalo        2    0    2    0     4     (T: M. Noronen 2-2-1)
---------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Pittsburgh: R. Fata (2), M. Lemieux, R. Malone
Buffalo: C. Drury (2), J. Hecht, M. Grier
---------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Pittsburgh: 22           Pittsburgh: 2-2
Buffalo: 39              Buffalo: 0-2
---------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. R. Fata (PIT) 2ga 1a
2. C. Drury (BUF) 2g +1 
3. R. Malone (PIT) 1g

We needed two goals in the last eight minutes to tie the game, as Sebastien Caron was spectacular for Pittsburgh. Can't fault the effort, although I'm just not getting any consistency with my goaltending.

Friday November 14, 2003: Philadelphia Flyers (5-7-2-0) at Buffalo Sabres (6-9-1-0)

The Flyers are having a tough go of it to start the season as well, coming off a shutout loss against the Rangers. These games against Philly are always physical, so Eric Boulton is in and Jason Botterill is out for my only lineup change. Martin Biron will get the start in net.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   TOT
Philadelphia   0    0    0    0     (L: S. Burke 3-2-1)
Buffalo        2    1    0    3     (W: M. Biron 5-6-0)
-------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Philadelphia: None
Buffalo: M. Grier, J.P. Dumont, M. Satan
-------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Philadelphia: 24         Philadelphia: 0-5
Buffalo: 27              Buffalo: 1-3
-------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Biron (BUF) SHO 24 saves
2. M. Grier (BUF) 1g +1 
3. M. Satan (BUF) 1g +1

Hey, we're undefeated in three games! And a shutout against the Flyers! Not too shabby! Just a solid game all around and the result was much deserved. The only concern is the fact that Jay McKee, who's been excellent thus far, got kicked out of the game for injuring a Philly player with a knee-on-knee hit. I could be looking at a suspension.

Sunday November 16, 2003:

Jay McKee was given a two-game suspension from the NHL for the kneeing major, just like Jason Botterill got earlier in the season. We may not miss a beat, as it looks like Alexei Zhitnik will be ready to go tomorrow night after missing eleven games with a groin strain.

On Tap Next Week:
Monday November 17, 2003: AT OTTAWA SENATORS
Wednesday November 19, 2003: AT PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Friday November 21, 2003: vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Saturday November 22, 2004: AT ATLANTA THRASHERS

NoSkillz · 12-16-2004, 02:14 AM

Monday November 17, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (7-9-1-0) at Ottawa Senators (10-4-1-0)

The Sens have moved up near the top of the Eastern Conference standings by this point, having lost only one game in their last eleven. Alexei Zhitnik will move into the suspended Jay McKee's left defense position while the rest of the lineup remains unchanged.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    1    0     2     (L: M. Biron 5-7-0)
Ottawa         1    0    3     4     (W: P. Lalime 10-3-1)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: E. Boulton (2)
Ottawa: M. Hossa (2), B. Smolinski, C. Neil (EN)
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 19              Buffalo: 0-3
Ottawa: 34               Ottawa: 0-5
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. B. Smolinski (OTT) 1g +1
2. M. Hossa (OTT) 2g 
3. E. Boulton (BUF) 2g

This was a heartbreaker, as we had a 2-1 lead with less than five minutes remaining and just fell apart in letting in three goals (including an empty netter) before the final horn. There were no real poor performances out there; I thought we played a perfect road game until the end.

Wednesday November 19, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (7-10-1-0) at Pittsburgh Penguins (8-6-2-0)

The Penguins continue to roll, having won both games since we played our 4-4 draw last week. Mika Noronen gets the start, while the rest of the lineup stays the same.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    0    0     0     (L: M. Noronen 2-3-1)
Pittsburgh     3    1    1     5     (W: J.S. Aubin 5-3-0)
---------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: None
Pittsburgh: M. Kraft (2), R. Jackman, K. Koltsov, K. Buchberger
---------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 28              Buffalo: 0-8
Pittsburgh: 30           Pittsburgh: 0-3
---------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. R. Jackman (PIT) 1g 2a +5
2. L. Pirjeta (PIT) 3a +3
3. J.S. Aubin (PIT) SHO 28 saves

Well, we've hit rock bottom. We were completely outclassed this game; we generated hardly any chances on our powerplay and our team as a whole weren't hitting anything. I pulled Noronen after he let in three goals in just over 10 minutes. I might have to look at bringing up Ryan Miller from Rochester. I gave Noronen a warning after the game and he agreed with my assessment of his performance. We'll see if he can bounce back.

Friday November 21, 2003: Tampa Bay Lightning (8-7-4-0) at Buffalo Sabres (7-11-1-0)

The dangerous Lightning come to town. I'm changing my tactics for this game, grudgingly going to a 'Neutral Zone Trap' forechecking system. I hate the trap but I'll likely need it against the likes of Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier. I'm going to stick with the 'Attacking' mentality, which as far as I'm concerned means I'm playing a 'counter-attack' style when matched with the trap. Jay McKee has finished serving his suspension and will be back in the lineup, not one second too soon! Alexei Zhitnik will revert back to the right side, with James Patrick getting scratched. The revolving door in goal means Biron is back in.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Tampa Bay      1    0    0     1     (L: N. Khabibulin 6-5-4)
Buffalo        1    1    2     4     (W: M. Biron 6-7-0)
-------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Tampa Bay: F. Modin
Buffalo: D. Briere (3), M. Satan
-------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Tampa Bay: 19            Tampa Bay: 1-3
Buffalo: 33              Buffalo: 1-4
-------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. D. Briere (BUF) 3g +2
2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 2a +2
3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 2a +1

Wow, what a win this was. Emphatic to say the least! We totally dominated this one, holding an excellent offensive team to only 19 shots. Dmitri Kalinin (2a) joined the three stars listed above with a multipoint game. Really bad news came out of this one, however, as Maxim Afinogenov, who was playing the best hockey of his career (20GP 6g 8a 14pts +1) suffered a separated shoulder in the second period and will likely miss two months. I may have to look to the farm for help now.

Saturday November 22, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (8-11-1-0) at Atlanta Thrashers (6-7-2-0)

Tough game for me here, having to fly to Atlanta right after the big win vs. Tampa and play the next night. The Thrashers have had a light early schedule and have played decently, winning two in a row coming into this game. I'm forced to do a bunch of lineup juggling: defenseman Jay McKee, just one game removed from his NHL suspension, cut his leg in warmups and is out. I have to move Jeff Jillson to the left side and bring in Brad Brown, who hasn't seen much action lately. At forward, Jason Botterill will take the roster spot of the injured Maxim Afinogenov and will play on the fourth line with Adam Mair and Eric Boulton. Mike Grier moves up to the third line and will play RW alongside centreman Derek Roy and LW Taylor Pyatt. Ales Kotalik moves into Afinogenov's spot on the top line with Chris Drury and Miro Satan. The Hecht-Briere-Dumont line remains intact, as it has all season. Biron will start again in goal.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    2    2     4     (W: M. Biron 7-7-0)
Atlanta        1    0    1     2     (L: K. Lehtonen 3-3-2)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: T. Pyatt (3), J.P. Dumont
Atlanta: I. Majesky, B. Lindsay
-----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 37              Buffalo: 1-10
Atlanta: 26              Atlanta: 0-3
-----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 3g +3
2. B. Lindsay (ATL) 1g
3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g -1

Two road wins in a row makes for a happy general manager (and a happy board, who congratulated me after the game). We benefited from Atlanta's undisciplined play, taking it to them most of the game. Our offense continues to roll this year, with two hat tricks in two games.

On Tap Next Week:
Monday November 24, 2003: AT WASHINGTON CAPTIALS
Wednesday November 26, 2003: vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Friday November 28, 2003: vs. Washington Capitals
Saturday November 29, 2003: AT ST. LOUIS BLUES

condors · 12-16-2004, 08:13 AM

heyas, always nice to see a EHM:FE dynasty, take it easy on the flyers next time

Johnny93g · 12-16-2004, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoSkillz

{cough}1967{cough}

Im sorry, my memory is a little fuzzy, the Sabres won the cup in 19NEVER

NoSkillz · 12-18-2004, 02:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Johnny93g
Im sorry, my memory is a little fuzzy, the Sabres won the cup in 19NEVER

Ahh...this is like the million back-and-forth's I've had with my Leaf-loving buddies after our own hockey games.

You are right...the Sabres haven't won a damn thing. But, I'd rather at least get to the dance (as they have in 1975 and 1999) then not get there at all.

In the end though, it's 'what have you done for me lately', and the Sabres have done nothing, missing the playoffs now for three years. I only hope I can change that in my 'fake universe'!

NoSkillz · 12-22-2004, 01:58 AM

Monday November 24, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (9-11-1-0) at Washington Capitals (14-7-1-0)

Washington is playing fantastic hockey right now and is in the midst of a five game winning streak. James Patrick will be slotted in for Brad Brown with the rest of the lineup remaining the same.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    1    2     3     (W: M. Biron 8-6-0)
Washington     1    0    1     2     (L: O. Kolzig 11-7-1)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: A. Kotalik, M. Grier, J. Hecht
Washington: B. Witt, J. Aulin
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 25              Buffalo: 1-4
Washington: 33           Washington: 1-8
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a +1
2. B. Witt (WAS) 1g -1
3. J. Aulin (WAS) 1g +1

This was pretty tight, 1-1 with less than 8 minutes remaining, when Grier scored against his former team to give us the advantage. Jared Aulin struck back with 5 minutes left in the game, seemingly sending the game into extra time but Jochen Hecht was up to the challenge, slotting in a backhander 35 seconds later for our third win in a row. Rookie centre Derek Roy (2a) joined Ales Kotalik with a multipoint game.

Wednesday November 26, 2003: Carolina Hurricanes (9-11-1-0) at Buffalo Sabres (10-11-1-0)

Carolina have not been able to put together a good stretch of hockey yet, with a lot of wins following losses and vice-versa. Carolina is going with Kevin Weekes tonight, who is really struggling with a 4-10-1 record. I made a couple changes to my lineup for tonight's contest: defenseman Jay McKee is fully healed after cutting his leg a week ago and is back in for James Patrick. Jason Botterill has gone pointless in 7 games so he's giving way to rookie Milan Bartovic, a call-up from Rochester who posted 9 goals and 12 points in 13 games in the AHL so far this season.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Carolina       3    1    0     4     (W: K. Weekes 5-10-1)
Buffalo        0    1    1     2     (L: M. Biron 8-7-0)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Carolina: A. Ward, J. Williams, E. Cole, J. O'Neill
Buffalo: A. Kotalik, J. Jillson
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Carolina: 23             Carolina: 0-4
Buffalo: 36              Buffalo: 0-9
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. E. Cole (CAR) 1g 2a +2
2. J. Williams (CAR) 1g 2a +3
3. A. Ward (CAR) 1g +1

Two things let us down here in a bid for our first four-game win streak: first, our powerplay was BAD, getting opportunity after opportunity without results; secondly, our goaltending was subpar again. Biron received yet another '5' rating and his inconsistency continues to be an issue. I can't take anything away from Cole and Williams, however: they were excellent for the Hurricanes.

Friday November 28, 2003: Washington Captials (14-9-1-0) at Buffalo Sabres (10-12-1-0)

The Capitals come back in the second game of a 'separated' home-and-home series (they lost to the Rangers on Wednesday night). I must be a masochist, as I'm sticking with the on-and-off Martin Biron for this game. The only other change sees Jason Botterill going in to play the left side on the fourth line in Eric Boulton's place.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Washington     1    1    0     2     (L: O. Kolzig 11-9-1)
Buffalo        1    2    1     4     (W: M. Biron 9-7-0)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Washington: B. Witt, M. Pettinger
Buffalo: M. Bartovic (2), D. Kalinin, A. Mair
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Washington: 30           Washington: 0-4
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 0-7
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Bartovic (BUF) 2g +1
2. M. Pettinger (WAS) 1g -1
3. B. Witt (WAS) 1g +1

Milan Bartovic responds to his callup with a fine game, scoring twice. Continuing his Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde routine, goaltender Martin Biron came through with an excellent rebuttal to the Carolina disaster. I'm getting a bit concerned with my sputtering powerplay: I'm scoring goals at a league leading clip right now but the lights seem to be off with the man-advantage. I may have to look at either changing my tactic or changing personnel.

Saturday November 29, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (11-12-1-0) at St. Louis Blues (10-9-3-0)

Tough back-to-backer here for me, as I have to fly to St. Louis immediately after our Washington win and play the next night against the Blues. Hopefully we get the same type of effort as we did last weekend in a similar circumstance. A positive is that the Blues are going with little used Reinhard Divis between the pipes. I've instructed my team to 'Shoot Low' and 'Crash the Net' for rebounds in this game after seeing some things stand out when scouting Divis. I'm going with Mika Noronen in net tonight to give Biron a rest; I'm not big on playing goalies on back-to-back nights. The rest of the lineup remains unchanged.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        3    2    1     6     (W: M. Noronen 3-4-1)
St. Louis      0    1    1     2     (L: R. Divis 2-6-0)
---------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Satan (2), T. Pyatt, A. Kotalik, A. Mair, D. Briere
St. Louis: R. Low, P. Rheaume
---------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 31              Buffalo: 1-6
St. Louis: 36            St. Louis: 0-5
---------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Satan (BUF) 2g 1a +1
2. R. Low (STL) 1g 1a +1
3. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a -1

Yes! A fantastic victory on the road! My instruction to shoot low really seemed to work, as we cleaned up in front of their net all night! Noronen was excellent in goal and the entire team was given 'above average' ratings. Defenseman Jay McKee continued his stellar play on the backline this season, garnering 2 assists in the game to join Satan and the improving Kotalik as multiple point men. We've finally evened our record, as we're back at .500 for the first time since October 20th. The Board of Directors dropped me a line after the game, saying they were "absolutely thrilled with our impressive road victory". I hope we're on to something here!

Sunday November 30, 2003:

We've reached the end of a pretty successful month. Here's how the stats look:

Code:

Buffalo Sabres Statistics (As of November 30, 2003):

POS PLAYER                   GP    G    A   PTS   +/-   PIM   PPG  SHG  GWG
RW  Miroslav Satan           25    7   14    21    -4     8    0    0    0
RW  Ales Kotalik             25    9    8    17    -3     6    3    0    2
LW  Jochen Hecht             25    8    9    17    -1     2    1    0    1
C   Daniel Briere            25    5   12    17     5    24    1    0    1
RW  J.P. Dumont              25    9    6    15    -6     6    5    0    2
RW  Maxim Afinogenov         20    6    8    14     1     4    3    0    1
C   Chris Drury              24    6    8    14   -12     8    1    0    0
LW  Taylor Pyatt             25    7    6    13     1     4    0    0    1
D   Jeff Jillson             18    2    9    11     2    16    0    0    0
C   *Derek Roy               21    2    8    10     7    12    0    0    1
D   Jay McKee                21    0   10    10    10    48    0    0    0
LW  Mike Grier               25    5    4     9    -2    26    0    0    2
D   Henrik Tallinder         25    0    7     7     8     2    0    0    0
D   Dmitri Kalinin           24    1    5     6   -10    46    0    0    1
C   Adam Mair                25    4    2     6    -3    16    0    0    0
D   Brian Campbell           25    1    4     5    -8    12    1    0    0
LW  Jason Botterill          13    1    3     4     1    21    0    0    0
RW  *Milan Bartovic           3    2    1     3     2     2    0    0    0
LW  Eric Boulton             12    2    1     3    -6    27    0    0    0
D   Brad Brown               13    1    1     2    -9    46    0    0    0
D   Alexei Zhitnik           14    0    2     2    -4    28    0    0    0
D   James Patrick            10    0    1     1    -5     0    0    0    0
G   Martin Biron             19    0    1     1   ---     0    0    0    0
G   Ryan Miller               1    0    0     0   ---     0    0    0    0
G   Mika Noronen             10    0    0     0   ---     0    0    0    0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
POS PLAYER                   GP    W    L    T    MIN    GA   GAA  SHO  SV%
G   Martin Biron             19    9    7    0   1048    53  3.03   1  .894
G   Mika Noronen             10    3    4    1    409    23  3.37   1  .898
G   Ryan Miller               1    0    1    0     43     5  6.98   0  .833

November can only be deemed a success for us, as we went 8-5-1 during the month to climb back into the thick of things. We really seemed to turn things around after going to the 'Attacking Trap' tactic for the Tampa Bay victory. We've scored 23 goals in those 6 games (a not too shabby 3.83 Goals Per Game) and only allowed 13. The club went an excellent 8-4-1 with Miroslav Satan as our captain and I'm not really keen on making changes to a hot team (we've won five of our last six games). Satan stepped up his production as well, with 14 points in 14 November games. Ales Kotalik was also good, scoring a team-high 6 goals in the month along with 5 assists. Chris Drury was the only player who dropped off a bit and I'm concerned with his very poor plus/minus rating. On defense, Jay McKee, Henrik Tallinder and Jeff Jillson have been uniformly excellent all season and even Dmitri Kalinin seems to be coming around.

On Tap Next Week
Wednesday December 3, 2003: AT DETROIT RED WINGS
Thursday December 4, 2003: vs. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Saturday December 6, 2003: vs. Atlanta Thrashers

NoSkillz · 12-29-2004, 11:24 PM

Wednesday December 3, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (12-12-1-0) at Detroit Red Wings (12-10-3-0)

Now this is a good measuring stick for us, going into 'The Joe' against the feared Red Wings. Detroit has been uncharacteristically average this year and have allowed goals in bunches at times. Former Sabres superstar Dominik Hasek has been solid for the Wings but backup Manny Legace (3-6-0 with a GAA over 4.00) has really hurt them in the games he's played. Detroit must regret losing Curtis Joseph in the Waiver Draft to Washington earlier this year. Hasek is starting, so I've set my instructions to 'Shoot High'. The only change to my lineup from the St. Louis game is in goal, with Martin Biron getting the call against his former tutor.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
Buffalo        0    0    3    1     4     (W: M. Biron 10-7-0)
Detroit        0    0    3    0     3     (L: D. Hasek 9-5-3)
--------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: D. Briere, J.P. Dumont, J. Hecht, B. Campbell
Detroit: D. McCarty (2), K. Draper
--------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 1-6
Detroit: 38              Detroit: 0-5
--------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. B. Campbell (BUF) 1g 2a +3
2. D. Briere (BUF) 1g 1a +3
3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g 1a +3

Overtime win in Detroit for the Sabres! What a game! Goaltending was strong on both sides through two periods and then the offenses took centre stage. J.P. Dumont tied the game up with three minutes left and then Brian Campbell topped off the best game of his career with an end-to-end rush in the opening minute of OT to give us the victory.

Thursday December 4, 2003: Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (11-9-3-1) at Buffalo Sabres (13-12-1-0)

The Ducks are very hot right now, having only lost once in their past nine games. My scouting staff says they lack mobility on D so I've asked my team to take the body hard in this game to cause some turnovers. I was told that Eric Boulton strained his groin in practice and will be out a week: not a big deal since he wasn't playing much anyway. I've made a couple of lineup changes, scratching the ineffective Dmitri Kalinin and inserting Brad Brown, while Mika Noronen gets the start in net.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
Anaheim        1    0    2    1     4     (W: J.S. Giguere 9-7-2)
Buffalo        0    2    1    0     3     (L: M. Noronen 3-5-1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Anaheim: T. Parssinen, J. Lupol, K. Carney, P. Sykora
Buffalo: J.P. Dumont, D. Roy, M. Satan
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Anaheim: 13              Anaheim: 1-3
Buffalo: 23              Buffalo: 2-7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. P. Sykora (ANA) 1g 1a +1
2. S. Ozolinsh (ANA) 2a +2
3. T. Parssinen (ANA) 1g 1a +2

Our first overtime loss, and this one hurts, as our second attempt at getting four wins in a row gets rebuffed. We dominated them all game, allowing a measly 13 shots but Mika Noronen couldn't stop the proverbial beach ball and was given a '4' rating, the worst number I've seen thus far. I gave him his second official warning of the season for poor play and he accepted it without comment. Interesting. We should have won this game...

In other league news, media sources reporting on the worst signings of the off-season have put the spotlight on Edmonton's Adam Oates. Checking his stats, I'd agree, as he only has 6 points in 23 games and the Oilers are struggling with a 8-12-3-0 record.

Friday December 5, 2003:

Denis Ezhov, my fourth round pick in the 2003 Draft, was signed to a contract extension by Metallurg Novokuznetsk, a Russian Super League club. Ezhov (34GP 1g 4a 5pts -3 16PIM) is a long way from the NHL at this point.

Saturday December 6, 2003: Atlanta Thrashers (8-11-3-0) at Buffalo Sabres (13-12-1-1)

We're looking to bounce back after the disappointing loss Thursday night against the Thrashers, still missing the injured Dany Heatley (which is a relief to our scouts!). I'm going to play Noronen in net again, hoping my warning will motivate him to rebound from his awful performance the other night. I'm also inserting Dmitri Kalinin after his one night benching - I need him to turn things around as well. The rest of the lineup remains unchanged.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   TOT
Atlanta        1    1    0    2     (L: P. Nurminen 4-8-0)
Buffalo        1    2    1    4     (W: M. Noronen 4-5-1)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Atlanta: I. Kovalchuk, D. Hinote
Buffalo: M. Satan (2), D. Kalinin, J. Hecht
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Atlanta: 23              Atlanta: 1-4
Buffalo: 37              Buffalo: 2-4
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. J. Hecht (BUF) 1g 1a +2
2. M. Satan (BUF) 2g -1
3. D. Kalinin (BUF) 1g 1a +1

Complete domination in every phase of the game, as we outshot, outchanced, outhit and outhustled the Thrashers all game. Big bounce back games for both Noronen and Kalinin. Taylor Pyatt (2a) also had a multipoint game in the win. Every player on the team was rated 'Above Average'.

On Tap Next Week:
Wednesday December 10, 2003: vs. Nashville Predators
Friday December 12, 2003: vs. New York Rangers
Saturday December 13, 2003: AT COLORADO AVALANCHE

NoSkillz · 12-29-2004, 11:30 PM

Tuesday December 9, 2003:

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Petr Cajanek (STL) 3GP 3g 3a 6pts +6
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Scott Stevens (NJ) 4GP 1g 3a 4pts +4

Wednesday December 10, 2003: Nashville Predators (12-11-5-1) at Buffalo Sabres (14-12-1-1)

Eric Boulton returned to practice this morning with his groin injury healed. I'm not changing our lineup with the exception of inserting Biron in goal.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Nashville      1    0    0     1     (L: T. Vokoun 9-11-4)
Buffalo        0    0    3     3     (W: M. Biron 11-7-0)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Nashville: S. Walker
Buffalo: D. Briere (2), M. Satan
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Nashville: 20            Nashville: 0-3
Buffalo: 24              Buffalo: 1-6
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. D. Briere (BUF) 2ga +2
2. M. Biron (BUF) 1 GA 19 saves
3. H. Tallinder (BUF) 1a +1

Nashville played a fine, patient defensive game and it took awhile to break them down. We finally scored at the beginning of the third and the pivotal moment in the game was when Biron stopped Nashville sniper David Legwand on a penalty shot with us up 2-1 late in the game. Derek Roy got booted from the game with a kneeing major and I was told he's getting the old three game suspension. I'm appealing and guessing it'll be knocked down a game.

In NHL news, there was a huge trade between Dallas and Montreal: Alexei Kovalev goes to Dallas for the rights to Eero Kilpelainen, an 18 year old Finnish goalie plus Dallas' first round picks in both 2004 & 2005! Wow! Steep price for a guy who's unrestricted next year!

Thursday December 11, 2003:

A couple big things happened today. First of all, Tim Connolly was deemed fully fit by my training staff today, although they have HUGE concerns about his long-term health, saying that a future concussion is likely. I'll watch his ice time early on, but the timing is impeccable with Roy's suspension needing to be served. The second big thing was me pulling aside our prized off-season acquisition Chris Drury and giving him an official warning for poor play. This was tough for me: his game ratings were fine (nothing below average) but the guy is here to produce and he was in a BIG slump, posting no goals and only two assists in his last 12 games with a -8 rating. He did not take it well, telling me I was unfair with the criticism before walking off. Uh oh. He's a character guy so I hope he'll bounce back.

Friday December 12, 2003: New York Rangers (15-11-1-1) at Buffalo Sabres (15-12-1-1)

The Rangers come into town playing good hockey and find themselves tied with us in the overall standings. I'm only making one change to the lineup tonight, with Tim Connolly making his first appearance this year after the major concussion in place of the suspended Derek Roy. Connolly will play third line and I'm going to try to limit his minutes for a few games; he'll play the powerplay for sure, however.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
N.Y. Rangers   0    0    0     0     (L: M. Dunham 12-12-1)
Buffalo        2    0    0     2     (W: M. Biron 12-7-0)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
N.Y. Rangers: None
Buffalo: J. Hecht, J. McKee
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
N.Y. Rangers: 25         N.Y. Rangers: 0-5
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 1-5
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Biron (BUF) SHO 25 saves
2. J. Hecht (BUF) 1g 1a +1
3. M. Satan (BUF) 2a +1

Great game with disastrous repercussions: I lost both Jean-Pierre Dumont and Jochen Hecht to injuries this game. Dumont separated his shoulder and is likely gone for over two months while Hecht's injury is much less serious (cut hand) and will only see him miss a few days. Connolly was forced to play over 16 minutes for me and was a +1 with no points. Chris Drury was a non-factor in his first game since the warning.

Saturday December 13, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (16-12-1-1) at Colorado Avalanche (18-8-2-1)

Another crazy, long flight to Colorado after playing the night before against a scorching hot Avalanche team. They've only lost two games (out of 19) since I played them on October 28th. I've called up young winger Jason Pominville from Rochester to take the place of the injured Dumont. Pominville had 9 goals and 7 assists in 19 games with the Amerks and will get into his first NHL game tonight as the second line right winger. I've asked Jochen Hecht to play through his injury; my roster is full and I can't bring anyone else up right now without putting another guy on waivers. I'll have to address this soon. Mika Noronen gets the start in goal tonight.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    1    1     3     (L: M. Noronen 4-6-1)
Colorado       1    2    2     5     (W: T. Salo 8-3-0)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: C. Drury (2), J. Pominville
Colorado: A. Foote (2). A. Tanguay (2), J. Sakic
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 22              Buffalo: 0-4
Colorado: 33             Colorado: 2-6
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. P. Forsberg (COL) 3a
2. A. Foote (COL) 2g
3. C. Drury (BUF) 2g +2

Well, this was a tough spot for us, having played last night, but we performed alright. Noronen was given a '5' rating for this one but I didn't think he was that bad so I didn't discipline him. A couple positives: Chris Drury had a GREAT game against his former club: maybe he's responding to my criticism with solid play! Also, Jason Pominville scored in his first NHL game and didn't look out of place.

I found out after the game that the NHL did in fact reduce Derek Roy's suspension down to two games. I've decided to send down Jason Botterill to Rochester to free up roster space; with Connolly back and needing a spot once Roy gets back in, Botterill is just taking up space. I hope he doesn't get taken from me off waivers.

On Tap Next Week:
Tuesday December 16, 2003: AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Friday December 19, 2003: vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

NoSkillz · 12-29-2004, 11:37 PM

Monday December 15, 2003:

A rumour has been floating around that the St. Louis Blues are looking at landing my leading scorer Miroslav Satan and the press came looking for my thoughts. I told them that I have no intention whatsoever in moving Satan.

Tue. December 16, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (16-13-1-1 4th) at Philadelphia Flyers (8-9-9-3 12th)

Philly continues to struggle this year, mired in 12th place in the conference right now. Sean Burke will get the call for the Flyers tonight. Eric Boulton will go back into the lineup against the physical Flyers and I'm going to start Mika Noronen again in an effort to get him back on track.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Philadelphia   1    0    2     3     (L: S. Burke 4-4-5)
Buffalo        2    1    3     6     (W: M. Noronen 5-6-1)
----------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Philadelphia: M. Ragnarsson, S. Gagne, K. Primeau
Buffalo: C. Drury (2), J. Hecht, M. Bartovic, M. Satan, T. Pyatt
----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Philadelphia: 29         Philadelphia: 0-4
Buffalo: 35              Buffalo: 1-4
----------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. C. Drury (BUF) 2ga 1a +1
2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 1a +2
3. M. Ragnarsson (PHI) 1g

Look out, Chris Drury is officially on fire! He's taken my criticism positively, as I hoped he would, and posted 5 big points in two games. Beautiful! Just a great effort all around: my tactics are really doing wonders right now, as I've picked up points in 11 of my last 13 games. The board of directors notices, and again sent me an email saying how delighted they were with the effort against Philly.

Wed. December 17, 2003:

Whew! Jason Botterill officially cleared waivers today and can be sent to Rochester. I didn't want to lose him.

Fri. December 19, 2003: Pittsburgh Penguins (15-12-3-0 T-8th) at Buffalo Sabres (17-13-1-1 4th)

Here we go against the Penguins, who humiliated us 5-0 exactly one month ago in the game that proved to be the turning point in our season. We went to the 'Attacking Trap' for the next game against Tampa and we've proceeded to play great hockey since. We might be fortunate to miss out on playing Mario Lemieux tonight, as he's 'exhausted' and didn't play in Pittsburgh's win last night against Florida. The lineup for me remains exactly the same as the Flyers game, except Martin Biron is back in goal.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Pittsburgh     0    1    1     2     (L: M. Brochu 2-2-1)
Buffalo        1    3    1     5     (W: M. Biron 13-7-0)
---------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Pittsburgh: K. Koltsov, R. Fata
Buffalo: T. Pyatt (2), M. Satan, A. Kotalik, E. Boulton
---------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Pittsburgh: 28           Pittsburgh: 0-4
Buffalo: 24              Buffalo: 2-4
---------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 2ga 1a -1
2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 1a +1
3. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a

A good win but we suffered another devasating injury, as slick centreman Daniel Briere suffered a dislocated shoulder and had to be stretchered off the ice. My medical staff says he's out for two months. That makes THREE top guys on my club out with shoulder injuries! Tim Connolly had his first two points on the season tonight, both assists, as the Connolly-Kotalik-Pyatt line had a big night. Derek Roy has one game to serve on his suspension and I'll be needing him to man the second line when he comes back. In the meantime, I had to call up Chris Taylor (19GP 2g 11a 13pts +10) from Rochester to play in Briere's place for our next contest.

Sat. December 20, 2003:

I offered 21-year old centreman Chris Thorburn a two-way contract today (2 years, $500,000 total). Thorburn was a second round pick back in 2001 and was playing well in Rochester, posting 6 goals and a team leading 16 assists in 26 games. He also is an excellent +19 down on the farm. I also sent a bunch of my scouts over to Finland to scout the upcoming World Junior Championships.

On Tap Next Week:
Tuesday December 23, 2003: vs. Ottawa Senators
Friday December 26, 2003: vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Saturday December 27, 2003: AT CAROLINA HURRICANES

NoSkillz · 12-29-2004, 11:45 PM

Mon. December 22, 2003:

My young Russian prosect Denis Ezhov is once again in the news. A former GM of Metallurg, Ezhov's club, stated in the media that if he was still running the club, Ezhov wouldn't be playing such an active role. In an absolutely hilarious comeback, current Metallurg GM Aleksandr Fedorov replied "maybe this lack of judgement is why he's the former GM of this club."

Tue. December 23, 2003: Ottawa Senators (20-9-3-0 2nd) at Buffalo Sabres (18-13-1-1 5th)

Ottawa comes to town playing great hockey thus far. Martin Prusek will get the starting nod for the Senators tonight while Martin Biron once again mans the pipes for me. I've instructed my club to take the body hard this game, as Ottawa isn't a really physical team.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Ottawa         0    1    1     2     (L: M. Prusek 1-3-1)
Buffalo        0    1    2     3     (W: M. Biron 14-7-0)
---------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Ottawa: P. Bondra (2)
Buffalo: C. Taylor, D. Kalinin, J. Jillson
---------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Ottawa: 20               Ottawa: 0-2
Buffalo: 27              Buffalo: 2-8
---------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. P. Bondra (OTT) 2g +2
2. D. Kalinin (BUF) 1g -1 
3. C. Taylor (BUF) 1g +1

Another great win, another big injury. Jochen Hecht went down with a sprained ACL tonight and is out for a month, making it four top players on the Injured Reserve. It's amazing my team is playing so well right now with all these injuries. Chris Taylor stepped in and contributed a goal in his first game of the season and the goals from two defensemen helped seal the win. I'll let the boys enjoy their Christmas break and hopefully the injured will start healing quickly...

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Jaromir Jagr (NYR) 2GP 1g 2a 3pts +1
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Garth Snow (NYI) 2GP 1-0-1 0.48GAA .982 SA% 1 SHO

Wed. December 24, 2003:

Merry Christmas to you too Chris! Chris Thorburn rejected my contract offer today. I did lowball him a bit but come on...you could have bought quite a few nice X-Mas presents for your girlfriend with that money! No biggie. I'll try again soon.

Fri. December 26, 2003: Tampa Bay Lighting (17-11-4-1 6th) at Buffalo Sabres (19-13-1-1 T-4th)

Another hot team comes to town, as Tampa has won 6 of 7 to get back into contention in the Southeast. They are battling injuries as well, as they're missing Vincent Lecavalier, Darryl Sydor and Cory Sarich. Lots of changes for me: Derek Roy is back from suspension and centres the third line between the promoted Milan Bartovic and Jason Pominville. The second line is the Pyatt-Connolly-Kotalik trio. The first line is Grier-Drury-Satan and the fourth line is Boulton-Mair-Taylor. Martin Biron gets his third straight start in goal while John Grahame gets the nod for Tampa.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Tampa Bay      1    1    1     3     (L: J. Grahame 1-4-0)
Buffalo        1    3    1     5     (W: M. Biron 15-7-0)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Tampa Bay: F. Modin (2), B. Richards
Buffalo: M. Bartovic, A. Zhitnik, T. Connolly, T. Pyatt, M. Satan
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Tampa Bay: 28            Tampa Bay: 0-2
Buffalo: 22              Buffalo: 1-2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. F. Modin (TB) 2g
2. B. Richards (TB) 1g 2a -1
3. A. Zhitnik (BUF) 1g

I finally get the elusive fourth win in a row! We were badly outplayed in the first period, with Tampa outshooting us 13-2 but we turned up the 'O' in the second period. Tim Connolly scored his first of the season and added an assist in the win, and Miroslav Satan (1g 1a) also contributed a multipoint game. The only thing I'm not happy with these days is the play of Mike Grier who I have playing on the first line and isn't contributing offensively. However, I'm not about to experiment with things when I'm winning games so he stays for now. Maxim Afinogenov has begun light practice and maybe close to returning after his shoulder injury.

Sat. December 27, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (20-13-1-1 4th) at Carolina Hurricanes (17-14-3-1 7th)

The World Junior Championships started in Finland in the early morning and I was off my chair laughing as ALL 7 SCOUTS I sent over to Finland to watch the tournament ended up watching Super Prospect Sidney Crosby in the first game! Can't blame them, I guess! He was held pointless in a 5-1 Canada win over the hosts Finland. Speaking of the World Juniors, I have three prospects playing in the tournament this year: Dan Paille, a left winger playing for Canada; Branislav Fabry, another LW, suits up for Slovakia and my prized possession, LW Thomas Vanek, will lead Austria's club in the championship.

Back to the task at hand: playing the Carolina Hurricanes. I'm going with the exact same lineup tonight but putting Mika Noronen in goal due to the games in back-to-back nights. Erik Cole and Jeff O'Neill lead the Hurricanes in points with 29 thus far. Jamie Storr starts in net for Carolina as I continue to get a lot of backups playing against me, something you will not hear me complain about!

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
Buffalo        1    1    0    0     2     (T: M. Biron 15-7-1)
Carolina       2    0    0    0     2     (T: J. Storr 7-3-3)
--------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: C. Taylor, M. Grier
Carolina: R. Brind'Amour, J. Svoboda
--------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 0-4
Carolina: 32             Carolina: 0-4
--------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Grier (BUF) 1g 
2. S. Hill (CAR) -1
3. R. Brind'Amour (CAR) 1g +1

We were down 2-0 very early in this one but stayed composed and pulled out a tie. Game was really back and forth with great goaltending, especially from Storr, who stopped about 4 breakaways in the game. Mike Grier responded after I demoted him to the third line in the second period by scoring the game-tying goal. I moved Derek Roy up to the first line centre position and moved Chris Drury over to the left wing for the last two periods but the line never really got going. We had numerous chances in overtime to win it but Storr was up to the task every time. Good road game though, especially after playing the night before. And another great week record-wise for the club, going 2-0-1 and continuing our climb to the top of the standings.

Sun. December 28, 2003:

Thomas Vanek scored a goal and was first star in Austria's 2-1 loss to Sweden in the World Junior Championships. Austria is now 0-2 in the tournament.

On Tap Next Week:
Monday December 29, 2003: AT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Wednesday December 31, 2003: vs. Carolina Panthers
Friday January 2, 2003: vs. Los Angeles Kings
Saturday January 3, 2003: AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

NoSkillz · 12-29-2004, 11:55 PM

Mon. December 29, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (20-13-2-1 4th) at Tampa Bay Lightning (18-12-4-1 6th)

Vincent Lecavalier is still out for Tampa, as are Sarich and Sydor. Nikolai Khabibulin will tend goal for Tampa tonight. I go with the same lineup from the Carolina game except Martin Biron will start in net. Mike Grier is back on the first line for his defensive ability.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   TOT
Buffalo        2    1    0    3     (L: M. Biron 15-8-0)
Tampa Bay      1    1    2    4     (W: N. Khabibulin 18-9-4)
-------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: J. Jillson, M. Satan, A. Kotalik
Tampa Bay: B. Richards, C. Dingman, F. Modin, A. Roy
-------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 36              Buffalo: 0-1
Tampa Bay: 27            Tampa Bay: 0-3
-------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. F. Modin (TB) 1g 1a +1
2. B. Richards (TB) 1g 1a
3. J. Jillson (BUF) 1g 1a

We blew a 3-1 lead in this game to lose it. Hard to say what went wrong, as I felt we played a strong road game. That's it for Mike Grier on the first line; he played well, with 8 shots on goal but just isn't talented enough to keep a top spot like that. I need scoring on my first line. Dmitri Kalinin was brutal for us, going -4 and was given a '5' rating. I think I'm going to scratch him our next game as opposed to warning him.

Tue. December 30, 2003:

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Brendan Shanahan (DET) 4GP 5g 5a 10pts +4
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Miikka Kiprusoff (CAL) 2GP 1-1-0 1.50GAA .945 SA% 1 SHO

Wed. December 31, 2003: Carolina Hurricanes (17-15-4-1 T-7th) at Buffalo Sabres (20-14-2-1 T-4th)

The huge run of games lately, along with all of the injuries, is taking its toll on my club. I've got a bunch of tired guys right now. I'll have to monitor this closely, but won't make any changes to the 20-man roster other than scratching Kalinin and replacing him with James Patrick, who hasn't played in over FIVE weeks! Might be a bit rusty! I've done some editing to my lineup as well with the forwards: line one will be Drury-Connolly-Satan, line two is Pyatt-Roy-Kotalik, line three is Grier-Taylor-Pominville and line four is Boulton-Mair-Bartovic. The Campbell-Jillson defensive pairing has been very good lately and will be moved up to second line, with Alexei Zhitnik getting moved down to the third group because of lackluster play. This is always a fun night in Buffalo: "Tux n' Pucks Night" on New Years Eve.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Carolina       0    2    1     3     (W: J. Storr 8-3-3)
Buffalo        1    1    0     2     (L: M. Biron 15-9-0)
---------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Carolina: E. Cole (2), K. Adams
Buffalo: M. Satan, A. Kotalik
---------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Carolina: 25             Carolina: 0-2
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 2-11
---------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. E. Cole (CAR) 2g +2
2. J. Williams (CAR) 2a +2
3. C. Drury (BUF) 2a

Ugh. Our first two game losing streak in well over 5 weeks. It had to happen sooner or later. I've got to get back to basics with the lines. I can't look strictly at offensive production when analyzing my club; wins are what's important. If it means Grier on the top line, so be it. Biron stopped a penalty shot with us down 2-1 in the second and I thought that would be the turning point, especially after Ales Kotalik fired home a powerplay marker with 12 seconds left in the frame. Ultimately, Carolina stayed patient and Erik Cole once again came through for the Hurricanes.

Nevertheless, I can't complain too much after posting a fantastic 8-3-1-1 record in December, especially after dealing with so many crucial injuries. Here are the updated stats:

Code:

Buffalo Sabres Statistics (As of December 31, 2003):

POS PLAYER                   GP    G    A   PTS   +/-   PIM   PPG  SHG  GWG
RW  Miroslav Satan           38   17   19    36    -6     8    6    0    1
LW  Jochen Hecht             34   12   15    27     6     4    1    0    4
RW  Ales Kotalik             38   12   15    27    -5    10    4    0    0
C   Daniel Briere            33    9   15    24    11    28    1    0    2
C   Chris Drury              37   10   14    24   -12    10    2    0    1
LW  Taylor Pyatt             38   11   12    23    -3    10    2    0    2
RW  J.P. Dumont              30   11    7    18    -2     6    8    0    3
D   Jeff Jillson             31    4   14    18     5    24    1    0    1
RW  Maxim Afinogenov         20    6    8    14     1     4    3    0    1
D   Jay McKee                34    1   12    13     7    61    1    0    0
C   *Derek Roy               29    3    8    11     1    31    0    0    0
LW  Mike Grier               38    6    5    11    -1    32    0    0    2
D   Henrik Tallinder         38    0   11    11     3     2    0    0    0
D   Dmitri Kalinin           35    3    7    10   -13    56    1    0    1
D   Brian Campbell           38    2    8    10    -2    14    1    0    1
C   Adam Mair                38    4    5     9    -2    35    0    1    1
RW  *Jason Pominville         8    1    5     6    -1     0    0    0    0
RW  *Milan Bartovic          16    4    1     5    -3     6    0    0    0
LW  Eric Boulton             19    3    2     5    -3    52    0    0    0
D   Alexei Zhitnik           27    1    4     5    -2    32    0    0    1
C   Tim Connolly              9    1    3     4     1     6    0    0    0
LW  Jason Botterill          19    1    3     4    -1    23    0    0    0
C   Chris Taylor              5    2    1     3     2     4    0    0    0
D   Brad Brown               14    1    1     2    -9    48    0    0    0
G   Martin Biron             27    0    2     2   ---     0    0    0    0
D   James Patrick            11    0    1     1    -6     0    0    0    0
G   *Ryan Miller              1    0    0     0   ---     0    0    0    0
G   Mika Noronen             15    0    0     0   ---     0    0    0    0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
POS PLAYER                   GP    W    L    T    MIN    GA   GAA  SHO  SV%
G   Martin Biron             27   15    9    0   1525    71  2.79   2  .900
G   Mika Noronen             15    5    6    2    714    39  3.28   1  .890
G   *Ryan Miller              1    0    1    0     43     5  6.98   0  .833

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: Brendan Shanahan (DET) 14GP 7g 7a 14pts +5 20PIM
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: Jamie Storr (CAR) 6GP 3-0-3 1.60GAA .938 1 SHO
NHL Rookie of the Month: Brooks Orpik (PIT) 12GP 2g 4a 6pts +4 22PIM

In other NHL news, radio stations in Philadelphia are attacking the play of winger John LeClair, saying his poor play recently has cost the team points. LeClair only has 11 points in 32 games this year.

Thu. January 1, 2004:

The board of directors emailed me saying that they're still very pleased with my overall performance as general manager. In other news, the International Scouting Service came out with their Mid-Season Rankings for the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, rating Czech centreman Rostislav Olesz from Vitkovice the #1 prospect. Following Olesz are Russians Alexander Ovechkin and Yevgeni Malkin.

Fri. January 2, 2004: Los Angeles Kings (18-12-7-0 3rd) at Buffalo Sabres (20-15-2-1 T-6th)

The Los Angeles Kings come to town to try to run my losing streak to three. The Kings are on top out west despite a rash of injuries this year to guys like Jason Allison and Adam Deadmarsh. Allison is close to returning but will sit this game. Zigmund Palffy leads the club with 16 goals and 33 points, while Roman Cechmanek has been his usual self (when it comes to regular season play

) with a 14-7-1 record and 2.21 GAA. Mika Noronen gets the start in net for the Sabres tonight and I've made a bunch of lineup changes again, bringing things back inline with what I was doing before. First of all, Dmitri Kalinin is back in the lineup after the one game benching and will team up with partner Alexei Zhitnik. Jason Pominville will be rewarded for his fine rookie play by moving to the top line with Chris Drury and Miro Satan. The Pyatt-Connolly-Kotalik line is back together and the third line is Grier-Roy-Bartovic. Boulton-Mair-Taylor round things out.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Los Angeles    0    0    2     2     (L: R. Cechmanek 14-8-6)
Buffalo        2    1    1     4     (W: M. Noronen 6-6-2)
-------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Los Angeles: L. Robitaille, A. Carter
Buffalo: T. Pyatt, A. Kotalik, M. Satan, J. Pominville
-------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Los Angeles: 35          Los Angeles: 2-5
Buffalo: 31              Buffalo: 2-3 
-------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 1a
2. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a +2
3. T. Connolly (BUF) 2a +2

Pretty solid comeback game that was never really in doubt. The score flattered the Kings, who benefitted from a couple powerplays in the third to make it closer than it really was. Both Kotalik and Satan have scored in three consecutive games.

Sat. January 3, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (21-15-2-1 T-4th) at Toronto Maple Leafs (18-12-8-1 T-4th)

Hockey Night in Canada! Always a huge thrill for the players! This should help get the legs going after playing last night. The Leafs come into the game tied with me for 4th in the Eastern Conference. Alexander Mogilny leads the team with 15 goals and 30 points in 38 games while Mats Sundin continues to struggle this year with only 23 points. Martin Biron is back in the net for us this game, with no other changes.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   TOT
Buffalo        1    1    0    2     (L: M. Biron 15-10-0)
Toronto        2    1    2    5     (W: E. Belfour 10-11-6)
------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: A. Zhitnik, J. Jillson
Toronto: J. Nieuwendyk (2), A. Mogilny, B. Leetch, A. Ponikarovsky
------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 34              Buffalo: 1-7
Toronto: 32              Toronto: 2-5 
------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. A. Mogilny (TOR) 1g 3a +1
2. B. Leetch (TOR) 1g 2a +2
3. J. Nieuwendyk (TOR) 2g

Toronto dominated this game from the first whistle. We somehow kept it close until the end and had a four minute powerplay in the third that we couldn't convert. They scored into an empty net late in the game as well. Not much good in this one...This was our toughest week in quite awhile, going 1-3 to fall back in the conference standings.

On Tap Next Week:
Tuesday January 6, 2004: AT MONTREAL CANADIENS
Wednesday January 7, 2004: vs. New Jersey Devils
Friday January 9, 2004: vs. Ottawa Senators

NoSkillz · 12-30-2004, 12:04 AM

Tue. January 6, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (21-16-2-1 6th) at Montreal Canadiens (14-20-7-0 13th)

I just was looking at my roster and noticed that I have a second unhappy player (other than Drury, who's still holding a grudge with me over the disciplinary action I took against him). Now unhappy is goaltender Mika Noronen, as he's looking for a contract offer from me. Interesting. I fancy myself the type of GM who negotiates after the season ends...I'll wait it out for a bit before offering him a new deal. I'm in Montreal to face the struggling Canadiens. I'm told that defenseman Jay McKee "needs a rest", so I'm going to insert Brad Brown against his former team for the game tonight. I HATE sitting McKee since he's been one of my steadiest backliners but I want to get Brown into a game anyway so this works out. Martin Biron gets the start in his hometown tonight. Maxim Afinogenov still hasn't returned to full practice so the rest of the lineup remains unchanged.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        2    0    1     3     (W. M. Biron 16-10-0)
Montreal       0    0    2     2     (L: J. Theodore 12-16-6)
-------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: T. Pyatt, M. Satan, D. Roy
Montreal: Y. Perreault (2)
-------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 27              Buffalo: 1-4
Montreal: 36             Montreal: 1-6
-------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 1g 1a
2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g +1 
3. D. Roy (BUF) 1g +1

We had a comfortable 3-0 lead in this one and started playing undisciplined late, allowing them back in the contest. In fact, Montreal ended the game with a two man advantage PLUS their goalie pulled...to say I was nervous would be a drastic understatement! A nice win on the road to erase the memory of the Toronto game. Brad Brown was strong in place of the tired McKee, another positive.

Wed. January 7, 2004: New Jersey Devils (23-10-6-1 2nd) at Buffalo Sabres (22-16-2-1 6th)

New Jersey comes to town winless in three games. Patrik Elias and Scott Gomez are tied for the NHL lead in points with 44. They team up with Brian Gionta to form a devastating trio. I contemplated putting a checking line on them but decided it might be taxing on the players, who are already tired from playing the night before. We'll trust our four line system. Afinogenov looks like he'll be another week before being completely fit according to one of my physiotherapists. Mika Noronen gets the start in goal tonight; we'll see how he does, considering his 'unhappy' mood. By the way, his agent is asking for a four year, $4,000,000 deal. I'm definitely not interested in signing him to a deal that large and certainly don't have to: he's only making $500,000 this year and I can just offer him the requisite 10% increase through a qualifying offer in June.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
New Jersey     4    1    2     7     (W: M. Brodeur 19-11-6)
Buffalo        0    1    1     2     (L: M. Noronen 6-7-2)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
New Jersey: B. Gionta (2), P. Sykora, S. Gomez, V. Kozlov, P. Martin, J. Langenbrunner
Buffalo: T. Pyatt, M. Satan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
New Jersey: 36           New Jersey: 4-9
Buffalo: 20              Buffalo: 1-4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. P. Elias (NJ) 4a +1
2. S. Gomez (NJ) 1g 2a +1
3. B. Rafalski (NJ) 3a

Just awful play in this one. New Jersey scored four powerplay goals in the first period to chase the dreadful Mika Noronen, who once again got disciplined for poor play. Just penalty after penalty in the first. I made an official complaint after the game to the NHL about referee Paul Devorski and unbelievably, they agreed that "the standard of officiating in our match was poor" and that "they will be reviewing the official's future games with great interest". Doesn't help me though! The team has to shake this off!

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Alexander Mogilny (TOR) 4GP 4g 5a 9pts +2
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Brian Rafalski (NJ) 3GP 0g 3a 3pts +0

Something I don't understand is the fact that the players of the week were announced TODAY, a Wednesday, and Rafalski won the award. Looking at his stats, he HAD to have won it based on this game, since he had no other points in the last seven days. It seems as if the tracking period went from Tuesday-Monday to Thursday-Wednesday. May be a bug...

Thu. January 8, 2004:

Great...another unhappy camper in Buffalo. Ales Kotalik also wants a contract extension. Ugh. I may have to change my philosophy for this game. His offer seems reasonable enough ($6,000,000 over 5 years plus bonuses), as he's producing good numbers for me. I may budge here.

Fri. January 9, 2004: Ottawa Senators (26-11-3-0 1st) at Buffalo Sabres (22-17-2-1 6th)

Just what I needed: a first place club coming into town against my battered club. Gut check time! We'll try to play a physical game again, a tactic that worked last time. In an effort to shore up the defensive aspect of our game, Mike Grier is going back on a line with Drury-Satan. If the club doesn't come up with a good effort here, they can expect changes for sure.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Ottawa         0    2    1     3     (L: M. Prusek 2-3-1)
Buffalo        1    0    1     2     (L: M. Biron 16-11-0)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Ottawa: W. Redden, J. Spezza, M. Hossa
Buffalo: J. McKee, M. Satan
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Ottawa: 24               Ottawa: 0-7
Buffalo: 20              Buffalo: 0-0
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Satan (BUF) 1g +1
2. M. Hossa (OTT) 1g +1 
3. J. Spezza (OTT) 1g

The refs were at it again, giving them 7 powerplays to my zero. Hard to get scoring chances when you're shorthanded for 25% of the game. I can't just wait for my four guys (Hecht, Briere, Dumont & Afinogenov) to come back, but I don't have a lot of options on the farm when it comes to scoring goals. I definitely need a spark right now.

In other news, Sweden won the World Junior Championships in a 2-1 win over Canada. Unfortunately, Sabres prospect Dan Paille was not dressed for any of Canada's games in the championship.

On Tap Next Week:
Monday January 12, 2004: AT BOSTON BRUINS
Tuesday January 13, 2004: vs. New Jersey Devils
Thursday January 15, 2004: vs. Boston Bruins
Saturday January 17, 2004: AT NEW YORK ISLANDERS

NoSkillz · 12-30-2004, 12:13 AM

Mon. January 12, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (22-18-2-1 7th) at Boston Bruins (18-18-4-3 T-9th)

I received the great news I was looking for: forward Maxim Afinogenov is fully healthy and ready to play tonight! Afinogenov missed almost two months with his shoulder injury and will be inserted right onto the top line tonight with Drury and Satan. I have a lot of guys struggling right now, most importantly Tim Connolly and Derek Roy, my #2 & #3 centremen right now (with Daniel Briere injured). They will be scratched soon if their play doesn't improve. For now, Chris Taylor will sit in lieu of Afinogenov's return. I also threw contract offers at Ales Kotalik, Martin Biron and Mika Noronen. I pretty much low-balled both Biron and Noronen and won't be surprised to see them reject the offers. We'll see. Biron will play tonight and Noronen will get the chance to redeem himself again against the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night, the same team who torched him last week.

Boston is mired in 9th right now and have a couple of injuries to note: P.J. Axelsson and Felix Potvin are both out for this game; the Bruins will rely on leading scorer Sergei Samsonov (17g 43pts) and Joe Thornton (41pts).

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    1    1     2     (L: M. Biron 16-12-0)
Boston         1    0    3     4     (W: A. Raycroft 13-9-1)
-------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: A. Zhitnik, T. Connolly
Boston: S. Samsonov, D. McGillis, G. Murray, M. Lapointe (EN)
-------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 1-5
Boston: 35               Boston: 0-3 
-------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. G. Murray (BOS) 1g +1
2. S. Samsonvov (BOS) 1g 1a +2
3. D. McGillis (BOS) 1g +2

Unfortunately, Afinogenov didn't provide enough spark to get us a victory in this one. We tied it midway through the third but Glen Murray answered Tim Connolly's goal with the game winner only seconds later. As a coach/G.M. I shouldn't say this, but I'm at a loss right now with regard to tactics and lines, as nothing seems to be working. I'm going to simplify things big-time for tomorrow's game against the powerful Devils.

Tue. January 13, 2004: New Jersey Devils (25-11-7-1 1st) at Buffalo Sabres (22-19-2-1 7th)

Brian Gionta and Petr Sykora, who both figured in the scoring in our last contest, are out for the Devils with injuries tonight. I'm also shaking things up, scratching both Derek Roy, who only has 1 point in his last 12 games, and defenseman Brian Campbell, who's gone -5 in his last two. Chris Taylor replaces Roy as the third line centre and Brad Brown comes in on defense.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
New Jersey     1    0    2    0     3     (T: C. Schwab 5-0-1)
Buffalo        2    1    0    0     3     (T: M. Noronen 6-7-3)
---------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
New Jersey: G. Marshall (2), S. Brylin
Buffalo: A. Mair, T. Connolly, M. Satan
---------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
New Jersey: 30           New Jersey: 1-3
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 1-4
---------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. G. Marshall (NJ) 2g
2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g +1
3. C. White (NJ) 2a +1

We just can't buy a win. We came out storming in the first, outshooting the Devils 14-6 in the period. Brylin scored with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time to tie the game up (another bad angle goal on Noronen, by the way). Certainly our best game against New Jersey so far this year though, as I'm looking for positives anywhere right now.

Wed. January 14, 2004:

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Eric Lindros (NYR) 2GP 2g 1a 3pts +1
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Rhett Warrener (CAL) 4GP 1g 3a 4pts +5 2PIM

Injured forwards J.P. Dumont and Jochen Hecht have returned to practice but aren't cleared for contact drills for at least two weeks according to my physios. It will be really nice to get those two plus Briere back from injury, as the trio makes up my entire second line!

Thu. January 15, 2004: Boston Bruins (19-18-4-3 8th) at Buffalo Sabres (22-19-3-1 7th)

I've sent the very ineffective Chris Taylor down to Rochester, leaving 22 active players on the roster. I'll likely call another guy up soon; I'm looking at tough guy Andrew Peters, who's playing extremely well on the farm right now (25GP 11pts 55PIM). Derek Roy goes back into the lineup with Brian Campbell into their normal positions. I'm going to play more of a skating game against Boston tonight instead of a hitting game and have adjusted my tactics to reflect this. Martin Biron starts in goal tonight.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   TOT
Boston         1    3    2    6     (T: C. Schwab 5-0-1)
Buffalo        0    1    3    4     (T: M. Noronen 6-7-3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Boston: S. Gonchar, G. Murray, B. Rolston, M. Knuble, M. Lapointe, R. Zamuner (EN)
Buffalo: E. Boulton (2), M. Satan, T. Pyatt
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Boston: 36               Boston: 1-4
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 1-4
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. R. Zamuner (BOS) 1g 1a +2
2. S. Gonchar (BOS) 1g 1a -1
3. E. Boulton (BUF) 2g +2

Oh boy, what a disaster! I pulled Biron when it was 4-1, and for a second, thought I might make a game of it. Goals by Pyatt and Boulton only 10 seconds apart in the third period brought the score to 5-4, all this after Adam Mair was stopped on a penalty shot only a minute earlier! Rob Zamuner scored into an empty net to end the threat, however. Forget about bringing up Andrew Peters; it's time to give goaltender Ryan Miller a shot again after these brutal goaltending performances. I also made changes to my lines midstream; Connolly moved up to centre Satan and Kotalik while Chris Drury and Maxim Afinogenov moved down to a line with big Taylor Pyatt. I'll likely keep that going for our next contest. We are now winless in five games, our longest such streak this season.

Fri. January 16, 2004:

Unbelievably, goaltender Martin Biron accepted my lowball contract offer and signed an extension today. He was looking for a six year, $14,000,000 deal with incentives; I offered a one-year extension at $2,400,000 (a $200,000 raise for next year) and he accepted. Maybe he did this because of his awful play, I don't know. Regardless, he's officially in my doghouse and will watch tomorrow's game from the pressbox.

Sat. January 17, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (22-20-3-1 7th) at New York Islanders (18-18-5-3 11th)

We stumble into Nassau Coliseum to face the Islanders, who are led by waiver draft pickup Scott Young, who has 33 points in 44 games. The Isles have been bit by the injury bug as well, with top forwards Michael Peca, Trent Hunter and Cliff Ronning all out for this game. With Alexei Yashin out there, I'm going to try to shadow him with Chris Drury and take the body hard this game.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
Buffalo        0    2    1    0     3     (T: R. Miller 0-1-1)
N.Y. Islanders 0    2    1    0     3     (T: R. DiPietro 8-14-4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (2), J. Jillson
N.Y. Islanders: M. Parrish, S. Young, S. Webb
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 27              Buffalo: 2-7
N.Y. Islanders: 39       N.Y. Islanders: 0-4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 2g 1a +1
2. J. Jillson (BUF) 1g 2a 
3. A. Aucoin (NYI) 2a +3

Ryan Miller was excellent in this game and Jeff Jillson scored a tying goal with less than four minutes remaining in regulation to help us gain a point. We also had to kill a penalty in overtime. I'm starting to allow way too many shots again and will have to likely start resting players. If Miller keeps playing well, I'm going to have to trade one of the other goaltenders. Speaking of which, I found out after the game that Mika Noronen rejected my contract offer. Not surprising. However, Ales Kotalik happily signed a new contract and I'm very pleased with the deal (4 years, $4,400,000 total plus incentives). Kotalik is having a nice year, with 36 points in 47 games so far.

On Tap Next Week:
Tuesday January 20, 2004: AT FLORIDA PANTHERS
Thursday January 22, 2004: AT BOSTON BRUINS
Saturday January 24, 2004: AT NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Sunday January 25, 2004: AT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

NoSkillz · 12-30-2004, 12:21 AM

Mon. January 19, 2004:

I've placed three players on the trade block: defenseman Brad Brown and goaltender Mika Noronen from the parent team and defenseman Doug Janik from Rochester, who unfortunately isn't getting played on the farm. There are about 12 teams that show immediate interest in Brown.

Tue. Janurary 20, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (22-20-4-1 8th) at Florida Panthers (13-27-6-1 15th)

The Panthers are in last place in the conference, and is among the lowest scoring teams in the league thus far. Ryan Miller starts again for us while Florida counters with Roberto Luongo.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
Buffalo        0    1    2    0     3     (L: R. Miller 0-2-1)
Florida        1    0    2    1     4     (W: R. Luongo 11-25-6)
----------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (2), M. Satan
Florida: O. Jokinen (3), K. Huselius
----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 38              Buffalo: 1-5
Florida: 36              Florida: 0-4
----------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. O. Jokinen (FLO) 3g 1a +4
2. K. Huselius (FLO) 1g 2a +3
3. A. Lilja (FLO) 3a +2

We were lucky to even get the point for the overtime loss. We were down two goals in the third and changed our tactics to a high forecheck system, which got us the equilizing goals. My inability to maintain consistency with our lines is hurting our team and I'm going to have to stick with something in order for the guys to get some chemistry. Jokinen was unstoppable for the Panthers in the win. Afinogenov continues to play impressive offensive hockey since coming back from his injury.

Wed. January 21, 2004:

I've offered the New York Islanders Brad Brown in a trade. I'm looking for a draft pick in return. I've never even attempted a trade in this game so we'll see if I can get something done. In other news, I've sent rookie Derek Roy back to Rochester, this time for the rest of the year (unless injuries really kill me). Roy just is out of his element now after starting the year really positively and needs to regain confidence. He leaves us having garnered only 1 point in his last 15 games and 12 points in 38 games on the year. Chris Taylor has been recalled to play until my injured players come back.

Thu. January 22, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (22-20-4-2 9th) at Boston Bruins (21-18-5-4 T-6th)

Wow. The Islanders offered me a pretty darn good player in Mattias Weinhandl for Brad Brown but I'm forced to reject it; Weinhandl is making $150,000/year more than Brown and I can't send him down to the farm without exposing him on waivers. He was really struggling with the Isles so far, garnering only 3 assists in 38 games this year and I wouldn't be able to offer him a position on a scoring line, so the offer is rejected. I counter with Brown and a 6th rounder for the Isles 2nd round pick.

Daniel Briere has resumed light practice and will return in three weeks. In the meantime, I've got the Bruins again to contend with. I've fallen out of the playoff picture with our poor play this month and need to get something going. Martin Biron will start tonight in goal and I've implemented a pressing style of play for this game to hopefully take advantage of the Bruins immobile defense corp.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
Buffalo        4    0    0    0     4     (T: M. Biron 16-13-1)
Boston         1    1    2    0     4     (T: A. Raycroft 13-10-3)
------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: C. Drury (2), A. Kotalik, J. Pominville
Boston: N. Boynton, M. Grosek, M. Nylander, B. Rolston
------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 34              Buffalo: 0-7
Boston: 37               Boston: 1-3
------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. B. Rolston (BOS) 1g +1
2. C. Drury (BUF) 2g +1
3. S. Samsonov (BOS) 2a +1

You can't possibly understand how furious I am with this tie. Chris Drury scored two goals in a seven second span with less than 30 seconds left in the first to put us up 4-1 but we slowly let Boston take the momentum away. Brian Rolston, with Boston's net empty, scored with about a minute left in regulation shorthanded to tie the game up. Just inexcusable! I just can't buy a win right now. I found out after the game that the Islanders rejected my trade proposal, just to add to my misery.

Fri. January 23, 2004:

Two trade offers for Mika Noronen came in today: first, Pittsburgh offered defenseman Ross Lupaschuk, who was playing in Wilkes-Barre for Noronen and a 7th rounder. REJECTED! Calgary then offered Chris Clark for Noronen straight up. Now that's interesting. I decide to negotiate and ask for a third round pick in 2005 as well.

Sat. January 24, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (22-20-5-2 9th) at New Jersey Devils (27-12-9-1 3rd)

Chris Thorburn agreed to our contract offer this afternoon, a two-year, two-way deal worth $525,000. He's playing very well in Rochester this year and could contend for a fourth line position with us next year. He also could be a late season call-up. More trade proposals come in for Brad Brown and again I negotiate with the Islanders, this time asking for a third round pick. I decide to slot Brown into the lineup tonight against the Devils and hope his physical presence helps us in the game; Brian Campbell will sit. I also decide to give Ryan Miller a chance to get revenge for his first game of the year, where he got shelled by New Jersey.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    2    1     4     (W: R. Miller 1-2-1)
New Jersey     1    0    2     3     (L: M. Brodeur 22-14-8)
------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: A. Kotalik (2), E. Boulton, M. Bartovic
New Jersey: D. Hale, J. Pandolfo, B. Gionta
------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 28              Buffalo: 1-3
New Jersey: 39           New Jersey: 0-2
------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 2g
2. J. Pandolfo (NJ) 1g 1a +1
3. B. Gionta (NJ) 1g

Big win!!! It was deja vu for us when New Jersey came back from 2 down to tie the game up at three but Ales Kotalik tipped home an Alexei Zhitnik shot with less than four minutes remaining to finally get our first win in nine games. Zhitnik contributed a pair of assists to join Kotalik with a multipoint game. Ryan Miller gets his first win of the season, playing a very strong game. I switched my tactics early in the first to a high forechecking system and it worked well against the dump and chase Devils. I'm now just starting to document my tactics game-by-game (I know...what a brutal manager) to refer to when playing the same teams in the future. By the way, my trade with Calgary was rejected.

Sun. January 25, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (23-20-5-2 7th) at Tampa Bay Lightning (25-16-6-2 5th)

We complete our very tough 4 game in 6 night stretch on the road versus Tampa Bay. We'll go back to our trap system and utilize a hard-hitting style. Brian Campbell comes back in to the lineup and sit Brad Brown, while Martin Biron goes back in net in place of an exhausted Ryan Miller.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    0    1     1     (L: M. Biron 16-14-1)
Tampa Bay      2    2    0     4     (W: N. Khabibulin 25-13-6)
---------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: D. Kalinin
Tampa Bay: M. St. Louis (2), B. Richards, V. Lecavalier
---------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 23              Buffalo: 0-5
Tampa Bay: 36            Tampa Bay: 2-5
---------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. St. Louis (TB) 2g 2a +2
2. B. Richards (TB) 1g 1a +1
3. N. Khabibulin (TB) 1a 22 saves

We had held Martin St. Louis in check all year; it was just a matter of time before he exploded and boy did he ever do that. Tampa chased Biron from the net tonight. Just a tough stretch of games for us but I can't be too disappointed, as I did get four points in these four games.

On Tap Next Week:
Tuesday January 27, 2004: vs. Montreal Canadiens
Friday January 30, 2004: AT NEW YORK RANGERS
Saturday January 31, 2004: vs. New York Rangers

NoSkillz · 12-30-2004, 12:30 AM

Mon. January 26, 2004:

David Poille, Nashville's GM, offers me a 2004 3rd rounder, a 2005 5th rounder and tough guy Jim McKenzie for Brad Brown. I decide to accept the offer, making my first ever trade. Exciting!

In much more exciting news, Jochen Hecht has returned to full practice! I'm pretty sure J.P. Dumont will be ready soon as well. Now I've got to figure out what to do with my lines. I've played Chris Taylor in too many games, making him waiver-eligible. I unfortunately have to waive him in order to send him to Rochester and hope no one takes him.

Tue. January 27, 2004: Montreal Canadiens (17-26-7-0 13th) at Buffalo Sabres (23-21-5-2 7th)

I get a huge break here, as goaltender Jose Theodore is out with a rotator cuff strain and Mathieu Garon will tend goal tonight. I'll go back to my attacking trap system and try to hit them hard as Montreal isn't the most physical team. I'll ease Jochen Hecht into the lineup by putting him on the third line with the waived Chris Taylor and Jason Pominville.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Montreal       0    0    2     2     (L: M. Garon 5-6-1)
Buffalo        0    2    2     4     (W: R. Miller 2-2-1)
---------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Montreal: S. Koivu, M. Ribeiro
Buffalo: J. Hecht, J. Pominville, A. Kotalik, M. Grier
---------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Montreal: 25             Montreal: 0-2
Buffalo: 26              Buffalo: 1-2
---------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g
2. S. Koivu (MON) 1g +1 
3. J. Hecht (BUF) 1g

Looks good on the surface but I allowed another team to get back into a game they had no right to be in. Ribeiro scored with a little over 5 minutes remaining to tie the game at 2 but Ales Kotalik came right back ten seconds later to give us the lead back. We need to do a better job of finishing games! Regardless, the Board of Directors sends me an email after the game, praising our performance.

Wed. January 28, 2004:

In an interesting development, the New York Rangers fans are in a fury over their team's performance lately, especially in a 7-0 loss to Carolina last night. I play the Rangers in two games so hopefully I can take advantage of this!

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Jarome Iginla (CAL) 3GP 5g 3a 8pts +4
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Sean Burke (PHI) 2GP 1-0-1 0.96 GAA

Thu. January 29, 2004:

The Chicago Blackhawks have offered a contract to one of my Rochester players, Jason Jaffray, who's playing very well with 12 goals and 26 points in 34 games. He was signed by the Amerks early in the season from the ECHL and I don't have his rights. My scouts don't like him so I'm not going to offer a contract. In other news, Chris Taylor did clear waivers and I sent him down to Rochester. I immediately called up forward Milan Bartovic to take his place (I had to send him down for the Montreal game because of too many players on the roster).

Fri. January 30, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (24-21-5-2 9th) at New York Rangers (22-24-4-1 11th)

I've mixed up the lines again, just because. I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess. Since the Rangers are struggling, I plan on attacking big-time early in the game to get the fans on their back. That means a high forechecking, hard pressing system. Martin Biron starts in goal tonight. I have Pyatt-Drury-Kotalik on line one, Hecht-Connolly-Satan on line two, Grier-Pominville-Afinogenov on line three and Boulton-Mair-Bartovic on line four.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        2    2    1     5     (W: M. Biron 17-14-1)
N.Y. Rangers   0    0    2     2     (L: M. Dunham 19-22-4)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (2), M. Grier, A. Kotalik, A. Mair
N.Y. Rangers: J. Hlavac, D. Kasparaitis
-----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 41              Buffalo: 1-8
N.Y. Rangers: 31         N.Y. Rangers: 2-4
-----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 2g +1
2. M. Grier (BUF) 1g +1 
3. J. Jagr (NYR) 1a -1

The score flattered the beleaguered Rangers in this one, as they scored twice in the last four minutes on an extended powerplay to make it closer than it appeared. I even gave my fourth line big minutes in the third period just to rest the other guys. Chris Drury was excellent too, going +3 with a pair of assists, and Taylor Pyatt also had a pair of helpers. The Board of Directors emailed again, this time saying "we're very impressed with the way the team is performing lately". Well, I don't know about that, but I'll take the praise! I found out after the game that centre Adam Mair was hurt in practice earlier in the night and played through it. However, he reaggravated the thigh injury and is out for two weeks. I just can't catch a break with my team. I'm going to have to recall Chris Taylor to take his place.

Sat. January 31, 2004: New York Rangers (22-25-4-1 11th) at Buffalo Sabres (25-21-5-2 T-6th)

Back to back games means Ryan Miller goes in net. I'm going to revert back to the trap for this game in an effort to confuse the Rangers. Chris Taylor goes in for the injured Adam Mair, otherwise the lineup remains the same.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
N.Y. Rangers   0    2    1     3     (L: M. Dunham 19-23-4)
Buffalo        2    1    2     5     (W: R. Miller 3-2-1)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
N.Y. Rangers: D. Lacouture, S. McCarthy, J. Lundmark
Buffalo: C. Taylor (3), M. Afinogenov, D. Kalinin
-----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
N.Y. Rangers: 28         N.Y. Rangers: 0-3
Buffalo: 24              Buffalo: 0-7
-----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. C. Taylor (BUF) 3g
2. H. Tallinder (BUF) 1a +1
3. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 1g +1

Chris Taylor has a huge game, scoring three times, including an empty netter to seal it while linemate Eric Boulton continues his excellent play this year with 2 assists. Their offensive performance is tempered by the fact they were on the ice for all three Rangers goals as well. I switched to a high forechecking style in the third period, as I seemed to be sitting back a bit too much and New York responded by getting to within one at the end of two. Worked out alright!

We end January on a high note, winning three straight and four of five to finish the month with a 6-6-3-1 record. I'm thrilled, considering how bad it looked a week ago. We have lost ground in a competitive Eastern Conference, however, and will need to keep winning to maintain our playoff position. Here are the stats as of January 31st:

Code:

Buffalo Sabres Statistics (As of January 31, 2004):

POS PLAYER                   GP    G    A   PTS   +/-   PIM   PPG  SHG  GWG
RW  Miroslav Satan           54   24   22    46    -6    14    9    0    1
RW  Ales Kotalik             54   18   24    42   -10    12    5    0    2
LW  Taylor Pyatt             54   15   22    37   -10    12    4    0    4
C   Chris Drury              53   12   20    32    -7    22    2    0    1
LW  Jochen Hecht             37   13   16    29     8     6    1    0    4
D   Jeff Jillson             47    6   20    26     7    28    1    0    1
RW  Maxim Afinogenov         31   13   12    25     4    14    6    0    2
C   Daniel Briere            33    9   15    24    11    28    1    0    2
RW  J.P. Dumont              30   11    7    18    -2     6    8    0    3
D   Dmitri Kalinin           51    5   12    17    -9    56    1    0    1
D   Jay McKee                49    2   14    16     8    80    1    0    0
LW  Mike Grier               54    8    8    16     0    45    0    0    3
RW  *Jason Pominville        24    4   11    15    -8     2    2    0    0
C   Adam Mair                53    6    9    15     0    50    0    1    1
LW  Eric Boulton             35    6    7    13    -1    95    0    0    0
D   Alexei Zhitnik           43    3   10    13    -4    50    2    0    1
D   Henrik Tallinder         54    0   13    13    -1     2    0    0    0
RW  *Milan Bartovic          31    5    7    12     0     8    0    0    0
C   *Derek Roy               38    4    8    12    -5    35    0    0    0
D   Brian Campbell           52    2   10    12    -8    18    1    0    1
C   Tim Connolly             25    3    8    11    -3     8    1    0    0
LW  Jim McKenzie (BUF)        -    -    -     -     -     -    -    -    -
                 (NAS)       47    6    4    10    -7   151    0    0    1 
                 (OVERALL)   47    6    4    10    -7   151    0    0    1
C   Chris Taylor             16    5    2     7    -1    12    0    0    0
LW  Jason Botterill          19    1    3     4    -1    23    0    0    0
G   Martin Biron             36    0    2     2   ---     0    0    0    0
G   *Ryan Miller              7    0    1     1   ---     0    0    0    0
D   James Patrick            11    0    1     1    -6     0    0    0    0
G   Mika Noronen             19    0    0     0   ---     0    0    0    0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
POS PLAYER                   GP    W    L    T    MIN    GA   GAA  SHO  SV%
G   Martin Biron             36   17   14    1   1990    99  2.98   2  .898
G   *Ryan Miller              7    3    2    1    383    21  3.29   0  .900
G   Mika Noronen             19    6    7    3    880    49  3.34   1  .891

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: Jarome Iginla (CAL) 15GP 13g 4a 17pts +4 10PIM
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: Rhett Warrener (CAL) 14GP 1g 7a 8pts +11 14PIM
NHL Rookie of the Month: Brooks Orpik (PIT) 13GP 0g 2a 2pts +3 8PIM

Sunday February 1, 2004:

More good news on the injury front, as winger Jean-Pierre Dumont returned to full practice today. I've played Dumont with Jochen Hecht and Daniel Briere all year but want to try to get Chris Drury going, so Dumont will play with him and Ales Kotalik. The Board of Directors sent their monthly email, saying they're "delighted with my overall performance as G.M.".

On Tap Next Week:
Thursday February 5, 2004: vs. Boston Bruins
Saturday February 7, 2004: NHL All-Star Game (Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota)

NoSkillz · 12-30-2004, 12:36 AM

Mon. February 2, 2004:

I noticed that Jochen Hecht was looking for a contract renewel so I decided to send him an offer. He was looking for a fair deal and in the end I offered him a five year deal worth around 9,000,000. In other news, I sent Milan Bartovic down to Rochester to gain more experience. He played very well in a fourth line role but I don't envision him getting much playing time now that my regular players are getting healthy. Ideally, I'd send Jim McKenzie down, but two factors are holding me back: first, I'd have to waive him before sending him down and secondly (and most importantly), I'm not wanting to tick off the other guys on the team by dropping a guy I just traded for.

I've also gone back to the rotating captaincy. I had Miroslav Satan as captain for the last two months but I'd like to see how we do with someone else. Therefore, Jay McKee will lead the team for the month of February, with J.P. Dumont and Satan set as assistants.

Here are my line combinations at the start of the month:

Code:

LW                  C                   RW                  LD                  RD
Dumont              Drury               Kotalik             McKee               Jillson
Hecht               Pominville          Satan               Kalinin             Zhitnik
Pyatt               Connolly            Afinogenov          Campbell            Tallinder
Boulton             Taylor              Grier              
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subs: McKenzie, Patrick
Goal: Miller, Biron, Noronen

Tue. February 3, 2004:

Rochester Americans forward Jason Jaffray accepted the contract from the Blackhawks this morning. I'm actually glad this has happened, as now there's a better chance that one of my prospects will get to take his position on a scoring line.

Wed. February 4, 2004:

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Scott Pellerin (STL) 3GP 3g 4a 7pts +3
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: J.S. Giguere (ANA) 3GP 3-0-0 0.33 GAA 2 SHO .986 SA%

Thu. February 5, 2004: Boston Bruins (25-19-7-4 6th) at Buffalo Sabres (26-21-5-2 8th)

The tough Bruins are in Buffalo for the last game before the All-Star break. The team is really well rested, having had four days without a game. I'm going back to a trap system tonight against Boston, who's starting Felix Potvin tonight. I counter with Ryan Miller.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Boston         4    0    1     5     (W: F. Potvin 11-12-2)
Buffalo        1    0    0     1     (L: R. Miller 3-3-1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Boston: J. Thornton (2), S. O'Donnell, S. Samsonov, P.J. Axelsson
Buffalo: J. Hecht
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Boston: 27               Boston: 0-3
Buffalo: 30              Buffalo: 0-3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. J. Thornton (BOS) 2g +4
2. F. Potvin (BOS) 1GA 29 saves
3. S. Samsonov (BOS) 1g 1a +3

Hecht opened the scoring only three minutes in but Boston took over from there, scoring four times in a 12 minute span, chasing Ryan Miller. We went to a high forechecking system and played pretty well from there but Potvin was up to the task, making countless great saves. Bad game going into the break.

I disciplined Miller for his poor performance and he actually offered an apology, saying that "I deserved the warning and I'll do a better job of motivating myself before games in the future." Damn straight!

Big news after the game! Pittsburgh accepted a trade that sees Mika Noronen, Buffalo's 3rd and 5th round draft picks in 2004 and a 2nd round pick in 2005 all going to Pittsburgh in exchange for Pittsburgh's first round pick in 2005. Wowza! Now, all I need is for Pittsburgh to suck next year so I get a chance at Sidney Crosby! Speaking of Crosby, he's been receiving praise from various journalists in Canada for his recent performances at Rimouski, where he's piled up 29 goals, 37 assists and a +41 rating in 47 games thus far. I also received word that Jochen Hecht has accepted my four year extension worth $7,000,000 plus incentives. A bargain, I say!

Sat. February 7, 2004:

The Western Conference All-Stars, behind a four goal, one assist performance from Calgary's Jarome Iginla, defeated the Eastern Conference 7-3. Buffalo had no representatives at the game.

Sun. February 8, 2004:

I've offered new contract extensions to both J.P. Dumont and Maxim Afinogenov.

On Tap Next Week:
Tuesday February 10, 2004: vs. Dallas Stars
Friday February 13, 2004: vs. San Jose Sharks
Saturday February 14, 2004: AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

NoSkillz · 12-30-2004, 12:45 AM

Tue. February 10, 2004: Dallas Stars (25-26-4-0 9th) at Buffalo Sabres (26-22-5-2 8th)

I've placed two more veteran Rochester players on the trade block in Brian Chapman and Rick Mrozik. Dallas comes into town just on the outside of a playoff position and are led by Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen with 33 points. Modano and Brendan Morrow lead the club with 17 goals. I'm going to stick with the exact same lineup as the last game, including Ryan Miller in goal, hoping that he responds after his poor effort against Boston.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Dallas         0    2    0     2     (W: M. Turco 22-23-2)
Buffalo        0    0    1     1     (L: R. Miller 3-4-1)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Dallas: B. Guerin, J. Klemm
Buffalo: E. Boulton
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Dallas: 22               Dallas: 0-4
Buffalo: 25              Buffalo: 0-2
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Turco (DAL) 1ga 24 saves
2. J. Klemm (DAL) 1g +2 
3. E. Boulton (BUF) 1g +1

Another frustrating game, as our defensive play was pretty good but we just couldn't put the puck in the net. I can't maintain any consistency with my lines either, changing them in the third period looking for a spark to no avail. I just can't get any type of offense from Chris Drury or Tim Connolly right now.

Wed. February 11, 2004:

Forward Adam Mair has resumed non-contract drills in practice and should be game ready in a week or so.

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Jamie Langenbrunner (NJ) 3GP 3g 2a 5pts +5 4 PIM
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Chris Osgood (STL) 2GP 2-0-0 1.00 GAA 1 SHO .968 S%

Thu. February 12, 2004:

In the news I've been waiting for, centre Daniel Briere has resumed contact drills and will be ready to suit up against San Jose tomorrow night. In practice today, I reunited Briere with former linemates Jochen Hecht and J.P. Dumont. Line two sees Satan-Drury-Afinogenov while line three has Pyatt-Pominville-Kotalik. Line four remains unchanged, with Grier-Taylor-Boulton. The struggling Tim Connolly is on the outside looking in right now. I'll likely sit him against San Jose and play him against Toronto, hoping the benching adds a little spark to his game. Plus, Pominville is playing well offensively in his rookie season.

Fri. February 13, 2004: San Jose Sharks (19-29-7-1 12th) at Buffalo Sabres (26-23-5-2 9th)

We're back out of the playoff picture, but only by a single point. San Jose is a huge disappointment this year, allowing the most goals in the NHL so far with 184. Marco Sturm leads the team with 19 goals and 37 points thus far. I'm going with a high energy, high forechecking system for this game after being told by my advance scout that their team lacks mobility on defense. Miller starts in goal again tonight.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
San Jose       2    1    1    1     5     (W: E. Nabokov 16-27-6)
Buffalo        1    2    1    0     4     (L: R. Miller 3-5-1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
San Jose: M. Sturm (2), M. Ricci, P. Marleau, C. Brown
Buffalo: A. Kotalik, J. Hecht, D. Briere, M. Afinogenov
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
San Jose: 26             San Jose: 2-7
Buffalo: 32              Buffalo: 2-8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Sturm (SJ) 2g 1a +1
2. P. Marleau (SJ) 1g 1a +2
3. D. Briere (BUF) 1g 1a +1

Ryan Miller received the worst rating I've seen yet, a '3' for his lack of effort in this contest. I warned him again after the game, and he accepted it without comment. Boy, maybe I made a mistake in getting rid of Mika Noronen. I'm not going to panic, as we played a pretty solid game here, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to take a late lead. Former Sabre Curtis Brown scored on a 5-on-3 man advantage with four minutes left to send it to overtime. At least we got a point. Now, on to Toronto.

Sat. February 14, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (26-23-5-3 9th) at Toronto Maple Leafs (30-15-9-3 4th)

Martin Biron goes in goal tonight for the Sabres. As promised, Tim Connolly goes back in for Jason Pominville, otherwise, no changes. I'm sticking with the high forecheck system for this game, only because my trap never works against Toronto.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    3    5     9     (W: R. Miller 4-5-1)
Toronto        4    2    2     8     (L: E. Belfour 18-13-7)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: T. Pyatt (3), M. Satan, M. Afinogenov, C. Taylor, E. Boulton, D. Kalinin, J. Jillson
Toronto: M. Sundin (3), M. Renberg, A. Mogilny, N. Antropov, O. Nolan, T. Fitzgerald
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 30              Buffalo: 2-7
Toronto: 41              Toronto: 0-4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. D. Kalinin (BUF) 1g 2a 
2. M. Sundin (TOR) 3g 1a +2
3. T. Pyatt (BUF) 3g +3

Holy mother of God! That is not a typo!! This has to rank as one of the craziest games in NHL history! Toronto scored on 3 of their first 4 shots to chase Martin Biron and proceeded to build up a seemingly insurmountable 6-2 lead. Unbelievably, we chipped away at that lead (going to a high press system) and eventually tied it at six! Mats Sundin then seemed to salt it away, scoring his third to give Toronto a 7-6 lead but we stormed right back down the ice and Eric Boulton put one home to tie it again. Seconds later, we took our first lead as Dmitri Kalinin pinched in and knocked one home. Toronto would pull their goalie, and Jeff Jillson was able to score into the empty net but Tom Fitzgerald scored immediately after to end the scoring at 9-8! Jillson (1g 1a), Taylor (1g 1a), Connolly (2a), Briere (2a) and Afinogenov (1g 2a) joined Kalinin and Pyatt with multipoint games. I'm exhausted after just watching that game!

Just a great come from behind victory and one that was much needed.

After the game, Ryan Miller, who still gave up five goals after replacing Biron, reported to the Buffalo News that he was "ecstatic at the team's change in fortune" after the Toronto game. All I know is that we somehow have to find a way to keep the puck out of our net!

Sun. February 15, 2004:

Maxim Afinogenov and J.P. Dumont have both signed contract extensions for the club. In other league news, the New York Islanders must be giving up on the season after trading two of their finest defensemen in separate deals. First, Roman Hamrlik goes to Colorado for Peter Budaj and two second round picks. Then, they trade Kenny Jonsson to Phoenix for Jeff Taffe and another second rounder. The Islanders are mired in 12th position in the Conference.

On Tap Next Week:
Monday February 16, 2004: vs. Florida Panthers
Wednesday February 18, 2004: vs. Washington Capitals
Friday February 20, 2004: vs. Atlanta Thrashers
Saturday February 21, 2004: AT NEW YORK ISLANDERS

NoSkillz · 12-30-2004, 12:54 AM

Mon. February 16, 2004: Florida Panthers (18-33-7-1 14th) at Buffalo Sabres (27-23-5-3 T-7th)

Florida has played us very well this year. They play a trapping system but have scored a bunch of goals against me this year. I'm going to go back to the trap myself this game in an effort to shore up things defensively. We'll press their young team hard on the puck, though, to try to cause turnovers. We also switch things up to a man-to-man defensive philosophy. Biron goes back in net for this one, with no other changes.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Florida        0    1    2     3     (W: R. Luongo 15-30-7)
Buffalo        1    1    0     2     (L: M. Biron 17-15-1)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Florida: M. Cullen (2), S. Weiss
Buffalo: C. Drury, M. Satan
-----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Florida: 25              Florida: 0-1
Buffalo: 31              Buffalo: 0-3
-----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. C. Drury (BUF) 1g 1a +2
2. K. Piros (FLO) 2a +2 
3. M. Satan (BUF) 1g +1

Cullen scored twice in the last five minutes, including the winner with 63 seconds left. We just can NEVER hold a lead. I'm completely at wits end with this enigmatic team. I discipline Biron after the game and he thinks I'm being unfair! Ha! Stop the bloody puck, jerky!

Wed. February 18, 2004: Washington Capitals (33-21-5-0 3rd) at Buffalo Sabres (27-24-5-3 9th)

Washington is playing inspired hockey this year, led by Jared Aulin, of all people, with 46 points on the season. We've defeated the Capitals in both our games thus far and need to pull out a win here, as our play at home has been less than stellar. Adam Mair returned to full practice and will suit up on the fourth line with Grier and Boulton. To make room for Mair, I've sent Jason Pominville back to Rochester. Pominville played well for me, getting 16 points in 27 games, but his -11 mark shows he needs a bit of work defensively.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Washington     0    2    3     5     (W: O. Kolzig 28-18-5)
Buffalo        1    1    2     4     (L: R. Miller 4-6-1)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Washington: J. Aulin (2), D. Zubrus (2), A. Semin
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (2), M. Satan, T. Connolly
-----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Washington: 26           Washington: 0-2
Buffalo: 27              Buffalo: 2-6
-----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. A. Semin (WAS) 1g 4a +5
2. J. Aulin (WAS) 2g 2a +5
3. D. Zubrus (WAS) 2g 1a +4

It never changes. We just can't get a goalie to stop a puck. 5 goals on 26 shots in a topsy turvy game that saw us take a 2-0 lead, only to give back 4 in a row. We'd eventually come back to tie and then Zubrus scores late to win it for them. I pulled Biron after the fourth goal. I'm now actively pursuing a number one goaltender for my playoff push.

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Robert Lang (DET) 3GP 3g 2a 5pts +1 2PIM
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Robert Esche (PHI) 2GP 1-0-1 1ga 0.48 GAA 1 SHO .981 S%

Fri. February 20, 2004: Atlanta Thrashers (18-35-6-0 15th) at Buffalo Sabres (27-25-5-3 9th)

Atlanta is the worst team in the conference this year and is really struggling to score goals, with only Ilya Kovalchuk producing. I'm going with Ryan Miller in goal tonight and will attempt to play a low press system. We're desperate for a victory tonight.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Atlanta        1    0    0     1     (L. K. Lehtonen 8-16-5)
Buffalo        2    0    2     4     (W: R. Miller 5-6-1)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Atlanta: S. McEachern
Buffalo: T. Pyatt (3), M. Afinogenov
-----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Atlanta: 13              Atlanta: 1-4   
Buffalo: 32              Buffalo: 2-4
-----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 3g 1a +2
2. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 1g 1a
3. D. Kalinin (BUF) 1a +1

Wow. Complete domination in this game, as we held them to only 13 shots and a single shot in the third period. Taylor Pyatt is having a tremendous season offensively and I'm offering him a contract extension right away. That was his third hat trick this season. Jeff Jillson and Ales Kotalik both had two assists as well. Unfortunately, defenseman Brian Campbell broke his wrist in the first period. He'll be out at least three weeks. This means James Patrick will hit the ice for the first time in a couple months! The board of directors emailed me after this game, praising our effort.

Sat. February 21, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (28-25-5-3 8th) at New York Islanders (22-27-7-4 12th)

The Islanders are still fighting to survive, even with the recent moves. Michael Peca and Mariusz Czerkawski are both injured for this game. Mark Parrish leads the club in goals with 17 and Scott Young still leads in points with 38. Ryan Miller is really tired but I'm starting him anyway. James Patrick will be my sixth defenseman tonight.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    4    2     6     (W: R. Miller 6-6-1)
NY Islanders   2    1    2     5     (L: R. DiPietro 9-20-4)
------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (3), A. Kotalik (2), T. Connolly
NY Islanders: A. Asham (2), S. Young (2), T. Hunter
------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 32              Buffalo: 3-5   
NY Islanders: 38         NY Islanders: 1-4
------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 2g 1a +2
2. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 3g -1
3. T. Connolly (BUF) 1g 1a +1

Another crazy game that saw the Islanders dominate to start, outshooting me 22-4 in the first period. I decided to leave things the same and we responded with an excellent second period, outshooting them 17-4 and taking a 4-3 lead. I lost Jochen Hecht again to injury, as a hit to his knee will keep him out of action for a couple weeks. Kalinin, Zhitnik, Pyatt and Drury all had two assists in the game. Maxim Afinogenov cashed in on a $50,000 bonus for scoring his 10th powerplay goal of the season.

On Tap Next Week:
Wednesday February 25, 2004: AT PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Friday February 27, 2004: vs. New York Islanders
Saturday February 28, 2004: AT OTTAWA SENATORS

condors · 12-30-2004, 06:47 AM

nice big update

(gives me something to read while i am avoiding work)

NoSkillz · 01-01-2005, 08:46 PM

Mon. February 23, 2004:

Taylor Pyatt suffered a cut to the face in practice and will be out of action for a few days. Ah, he's tough and I'll make him play through it!

Wed. February 25, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (29-25-5-3 8th) at Pittsburgh Penguins (27-26-7-1 10th)

Pittsburgh is playing pretty well in spite of the completely ineffective Mario Lemieux, who only has 28 points in 52 games. Rico Fata is having a great year, with 26 goals and 48 points to lead the team. Pittsburgh will go with Sebastian Caron in goal tonight while Mika Noronen, my former goalie, rides the pine. I'm going to go with Miller again in goal. I've recalled Jason Pominville to take the place of injured Jochen Hecht and he immediately is slotted in on our first line with Briere and Dumont.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        2    2    0     4     (T: R. Miller 6-6-2)
Pittsburgh     0    3    1     4     (T: S. Caron 12-13-5)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: C. Drury, M. Grier, T. Pyatt, A. Kotalik
Pittsburgh: R. Fata (2), T. Surovy, L. Pirjeta
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 32              Buffalo: 1-4
Pittsburgh: 32           Pittsburgh: 0-5
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. R. Fata (PIT) 2g +1
2. L. Pirjeta (PIT) 1g +2 
3. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a +1

Great first period, awful second period, pedestrian third means a tie game. My offense continues to be a positive, scoring goals at an incredible rate; Chris Drury (1g 1a) and Maxim Afinogenov (2a) contributed multipoint games along with Kotalik. I'm having trouble making a trade for a top-notch goalie; I'm also looking for a solid defensive defenseman.

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Peter Forsberg (COL) 2GP 1g 2a 3pts -1
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Martin Brodeur (NJ) 2GP 2-0-0 0.50GAA 1 SHO .976 S%

Fri. February 27, 2004: New York Islanders (23-28-8-4 12th) at Buffalo Sabres (29-25-6-3 8th)

Michael Peca returns to Buffalo tonight in a game that our fans should be lively in (Peca is HATED in Buffalo). Garth Snow goes in goal for the Islanders tonight. I've promoted the Satan-Drury-Afinogenov line to number 1 due to solid play. Martin Biron will get the shot in goal tonight.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
NY Islanders   0    1    2     3     (T: G. Snow 14-12-4)
Buffalo        1    2    0     3     (T: M. Biron 17-15-2)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
NY Islanders: A. Yashin, A. Asham, S. Young
Buffalo: J. Jillson, T. Pyatt, M. Grier
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
NY Islanders: 30         NY Islanders: 1-5
Buffalo: 30              Buffalo: 1-7
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. S. Young (NYI) 1g
2. A. Yashin (NYI) 1g 1a 
3. M. Parrish (NYI) 2a

We were up two goals going into the third period but blew another one. The Pyatt-Connolly-Kotalik trio continues their fine play. I am concerned about the poor play of Daniel Briere and J.P. Dumont, neither of whom have been great since coming back from injury, especially Dumont.

After the game, Dmitri Kalinin signed a three year contract extension worth $3,400,000.

Sat. February 28, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (29-25-7-3 8th) at Ottawa Senators (36-21-7-0 2nd)

Ottawa has a couple major injuries in Daniel Alfredsson and Zdeno Chara, two guys we won't miss! They're still a top notch team without them, led by Marian Hossa's 56 points. I'm going with the exact same lineup as last night.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    1    2     4     (W: M. Biron 18-15-2)
Ottawa         0    0    2     2     (L: P. Lalime 33-17-6)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Satan (2), J. Pominville, M. Afinogenov
Ottawa: K. Muller, M. Hossa
-----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 26              Buffalo: 1-2     
Ottawa: 33               Ottawa: 0-3
-----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Satan (BUF) 2g 1a +2
2. W. Redden (OTT) 1a -1
3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 2a

Nice way to end the month, defeating the Northeast Division leaders in their own building. Biron was very solid in goal for us, although again, we blew a two goal lead only to have them tie it. Thankfully, Satan scored his second of the game to give us a lead we wouldn't relinquish late. Jeff Jillson (2a) also had a multipoint game. The Board of Directors is once again pleased with the performance.

Sun. February 29, 2004:

We end February on a high note, undefeated in five games and complete the month with a 4-4-2-1 record. Here's a look at the Sabres stats as of February 29th.

Code:

Buffalo Sabres Statistics (As of February 29, 2004):

POS PLAYER                   GP    G    A   PTS   +/-   PIM   PPG  SHG  GWG
RW  Miroslav Satan           65   29   26    55   -12    14    12    0    2
RW  Ales Kotalik             65   22   29    51    -8    18     7    0    2
LW  Taylor Pyatt             65   23   27    50    -8    16     5    0    5
RW  Maxim Afinogenov         42   22   20    42     4    24    11    0    3
C   Chris Drury              64   14   28    42   -11    32     2    0    1
D   Jeff Jillson             58    8   25    33     0    28     3    0    1
LW  Jochen Hecht             45   15   17    32     3     6     1    0    4
C   Daniel Briere            42   10   19    29    10    36     2    0    2
D   Dmitri Kalinin           62    6   22    28   -12    86     1    0    2
RW  J.P. Dumont              41   11   12    23    -6     8     8    0    3
C   Tim Connolly             35    5   15    20    -1    14     1    0    0
LW  Mike Grier               65   10   10    20    -2    45     0    0    3
D   Alexei Zhitnik           54    3   15    18    -6    62     2    0    1
RW  *Jason Pominville        30    5   12    17   -13     4     2    0    0
D   Jay McKee                60    2   15    17     3    91     1    0    0
LW  Eric Boulton             46    8    8    16    -4   123     0    0    0
C   Adam Mair                59    6    9    15    -4    54     0    1    1
D   Brian Campbell           59    2   12    14    -9    18     1    0    1
D   Henrik Tallinder         65    0   14    14    -3     2     0    0    0
RW  *Milan Bartovic          31    5    7    12     0     8     0    0    0
C   *Derek Roy               38    4    8    12    -5    35     0    0    0
LW  Jim McKenzie (BUF)        -    -    -     -     -     -     -    -    -
                 (NAS)       47    6    4    10    -7   151     0    0    1
                 (OVERALL)   47    6    4    10    -7   151     0    0    1
C   Chris Taylor             21    6    3     9    -1    12     0    0    0
LW  Jason Botterill          19    1    3     4    -1    23     0    0    0
G   Martin Biron             42    0    2     2   ---     0     0    0    0
G   *Ryan Miller             15    0    1     1   ---     0     0    0    0
D   James Patrick            15    0    1     1    -7     2     0    0    0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
POS PLAYER                   GP    W    L    T    MIN    GA   GAA  SHO  SV%
G   Martin Biron             42   18   15    2   2264   115  3.05   2  .895
G   *Ryan Miller             15    6    6    2    782    48  3.68   0  .879

Maxim Afinogenov must have contended for Offensive Player of the Month, garnering 9 goals and 17 points in 11 games. Taylor Pyatt, Dmitri Kalinin, Tim Connolly, Ales Kotalik and Chris Drury all had strong offensive months as well.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: Peter Forsberg (COL) 11GP 3g 10a 13pts +3 8PIM
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: Scott Niedermayer (NJ) 14GP 4g 6a 10pts +16 2PIM
NHL Rookie of the Month: Nikolai Zherdev (CLB) 6GP 3g 5a 8pts +3 4PIM

On Tap Next Week:
Wednesday March 3, 2004: vs. Ottawa Senators
Saturday March 6, 2004: AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Sunday March 7, 2004: vs. Chicago Blackhawks

NoSkillz · 01-01-2005, 08:54 PM

Mon. March 1, 2004:

The Board of Directors are still "delighted with my overall performance as G.M." and indicate that our financial situation is "extremely secure". Good to know.

I've got a little over a week to make some trades in an effort to tighten up my defense. I've set my sights on getting a good, solid defenseman and a goaltender and have made offers for Sheldon Souray, Jason Smith, Eric Brewer, Rostislav Klesla and Darius Kasparaitis on 'D' and Jose Theodore and Miikka Kiprusoff in goal. The only offer that seems to peak interest is for Souray, but Montreal keeps demanding that Taylor Pyatt is included in the trade, something that just isn't going to happen!

Wed. March 3, 2004: Ottawa Senators (36-22-7-0 2nd) at Buffalo Sabres (30-25-7-3 8th)

The second in a 'delayed' back to back series between the Senators and the Sabres. Chara and Alfredsson are still injured; in fact, they'll both miss the beginning of the playoffs with serious injuries. I am going with the exact same lineup that won in Ottawa a few nights ago.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Ottawa         1    0    1     2     (L: P. Lalime 34-18-6)
Buffalo        1    0    3     4     (W: M. Biron 19-15-2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Ottawa: V. Varada, C. Phillips
Buffalo: E. Boulton, J. Pominville, J.P. Dumont, T. Connolly (EN)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Ottawa: 24               Ottawa: 0-0
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 1-8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. C. Phillips (OTT) 1g
2. E. Boulton (BUF) 1g 17PIM
3. V. Varada (OTT) 1g -1

Funny game that was highlighted by a big brawl in the second period. It started with a battle between Chris Neil and Jay McKee, then Eric Boulton went after Mike Fisher from Ottawa. Jeff Jillson also was ready to go with Brian Pothier and Mike Grier got tangled up with Greg Devries but both of those were broken up quickly. As far as the game, we were given an incredible eight powerplays to Ottawa's zero, and only were able to convert on the last one, with Dumont finally scoring for the first time since returning from injury. Biron was strong in net once again, as we are now unbeaten in six games. The Board notices and once again sends a message with their approval.

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Sergei Samsonov (BOS) 4GP 5g 2a 7pts +2
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: J.S. Giguere (ANA) 3GP 2-1-0 1.67GAA .943 S%

Thu. March 4, 2004:

The San Jose media are attacking defenseman Scott Hannan, who is being defended by G.M. Doug Wilson. I decide to make a trade inquiry anyway, as Hannan would look good in a Buffalo uniform.

Fri. March 5, 2004:

Both Brian Campbell and Jochen Hecht returned to full practice this morning, with their injuries healed. Both will be in the lineup tomorrow night in a game versus the tough Toronto Maple Leafs. I'm going to send Jason Pominville back to Rochester in lieu of Hecht's return. Pominville has been a revelation this year, with 18 points in only 31 games for us; he is certainly in my plans for next year! I found out later in the evening that forward Taylor Pyatt accepted my contract extension, valued at $4,100,000 over the next three years plus bonuses. Pyatt has truly come into his own this season, with 23 goals and 51 points in 66 games.

Sat. March 6, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (31-25-7-3 8th) at Toronto Maple Leafs (33-21-10-4 4th)

We're having a hard time climbing the ladder in a very competitive Eastern Conference, and we're only a single point ahead of the Boston Bruins, so we must keep winning! Unfortunately, we head into Toronto for a big Saturday Night matchup with the Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada. Our last game was an absolute classic, a 9-8 come from behind victory for the Sabres in front of the national audience in Canada. I hope to keep the score down a bit in this one. Biron goes in goal again tonight; Jochen Hecht gets slotted in alongside Daniel Briere and J.P. Dumont while Brian Campbell goes in for James Patrick as our third line defenseman with Henrik Tallinder. Toronto likely will be missing Tomas Kaberle, who's nursing a groin strain. The Leafs are struggling, having lost three in a row and will start Trevor Kidd in goal. Kidd is actually having a strong season as Belfour's backup, compiling a 14-7-3 record thus far.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
Buffalo        1    4    1    0     6     (T: M. Biron 19-15-3)
Toronto        1    4    1    0     6     (T: T. Kidd 14-7-4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: T. Pyatt (2), A. Kotalik, D. Briere, J.P. Dumont, M. Afinogenov
Toronto: B. McCabe (2), M. Sundin (2), M. Renberg, O. Nolan
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 30              Buffalo: 1-3
Toronto: 39              Toronto: 0-2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. B. McCabe (TOR) 2g 1a 
2. M. Sundin (TOR) 2g +2
3. T. Pyatt (BUF) 2g 2a +2

Another crazy, unbelievably high paced game. My strategy to play a defensive game against Toronto always seems to backfire, as my trap was consistently broken down by the talented Leaf forwards. The score after one period was all due to Martin Biron, as Toronto outshot us 17-4. Biron couldn't hold on forever, and the Leafs reeled off three straight goals to take a 4-1 lead. I switched my tactics to a high forechecking system and we proceeded to score four goals in less than five minutes (with Toronto also scoring in-between) to make it 5-5 going into the third. We completely dominated the final frame, outshooting Toronto 14-3 but Mats Sundin was able to rifle a shot home with three minutes left in regulation to tie the game up. Taylor Pyatt is just in a zone right now and is only a point back of Miroslav Satan for the team lead. My new deal with Pyatt may have come at the wrong time: he ended up reaching the 25 goal and 55 point mark in the game, triggering two bonus payments of $120,000 each after the game! Oh well, he deserves it!! Linemates Tim Connolly (3a) and Ales Kotalik (1g 2a) helped the line reach 10 points on the night.

Sun. March 7, 2004: Chicago Blackhawks (21-40-6-0 15th) at Buffalo Sabres (31-25-8-3 8th)

San Jose rejected my inquiry for Scott Hannan, saying they had no plans to move him. I still really would like to get a good defenseman and only have three days to get one before the trade deadline passes.

Cool part about this game: It seems once you get close to the deadline, you can offer trades and get instant feedback from the opposing team, as opposed to waiting a day for their thoughts. This is excellent, as it shows the urgency of the teams at the deadline!

The Blackhawks are the worst team in the NHL and also the lowest scoring club in the league. Kyle Calder has been the lone shining light this year, with 18 goals and 39 points. Eric Daze is second on the club with a measly 29 points. I'm going with Ryan Miller in goal tonight because of the back-to-back games. We can't take this game lightly, as Boston has now tied us for the 8th playoff spot in the conference, although we have two games in hand at this point.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Chicago        0    0    3     3     (L: M. Leighton 4-12-2)
Buffalo        2    1    2     5     (W: R. Miller 7-6-2)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Chicago: T. Arnason, D. Quint, C. Ronning
Buffalo: J.P. Dumont, M. Grier, M. Satan, A. Kotalik, J. Hecht (EN)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Chicago: 22              Chicago: 0-3
Buffalo: 40              Buffalo: 1-6
-------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g +1
2. M. Grier (BUF) 1g -1
3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g

We dominated this game to such a degree after two periods that I was just wondering when I'd give the fourth line more playing time. However, Chicago scored three goals in a six minute span to tie the game up and cancel those plans! Thankfully, Kotalik restored order with about 10 minutes left in regulation and we were able to kill a big 5 on 3 disadvantage late in the game to win. Leighton was phenomenal for Chicago and singlehandedly kept them in the game.

On Tap Next Week:
Wednesday March 10, 2004: AT CAROLINA HURRICANES
Thursday March 11, 2004: vs. Boston Bruins
Saturday March 13, 2004: AT BOSTON BRUINS

NoSkillz · 01-01-2005, 09:05 PM

Mon. March 8, 2004:

I was able to swing a big deal with Detroit this morning, getting veteran defenseman Chris Chelios for only a seventh round pick!! Chelios had been on the block for some time in Detroit and wasn't playing much, as the Wings had picked up defenseman Andy Sutton earlier in the year from Atlanta and he was playing well. I think that Detroit wanted to get rid of Chelios' huge $6,000,000/year contract but I'm not too worried since he's just here as a 'rent-a-player'. Very exciting to get a guy who's won two Stanley Cups for our own playoff run. By the way, the win over Chicago propelled us into a three-way tie with Tampa and Carolina for 6th spot in the Eastern Conference.

Tue. March 9, 2004:

Well, it looks as if I'm going to have to ride Martin Biron in hopes of making the playoffs. I'm unable to extract any decent upgrades in goal from the NHL clubs and that's the key: UPGRADES. Here are the trade deadline deals:

- Boston trades C Andy Hilbert to Philadelphia for the rights to G Dov Grumet-Morris
- San Jose trades W Scott Thornton to Philadelphia for the rights to D Joey Mormina
- San Jose trades W Alexander Korolyuk and D Tom Preissing to Dallas for the rights to D Matt Nickerson and the rights to D Niko Vanio
- San Jose trades W Todd Harvey to Phoenix for the rights to D Marcus Smith and a 4th round pick in 2004
- Boston trades C Brad Boyes to Carolina for the rights to C Adam Taylor
- Dallas trades C Steve Ott to Boston for the rights to D Andrew Alberts, a 4th round pick in 2004 and a 5th round pick in 2005
- Pittsburgh trades C Domenic Pittis to Montreal for the rights to G Jaroslav Halak
- Los Angeles trades D Bryan Muir, D Joe Corvo and a 3rd round pick in 2004 to New York Islanders for W Shawn Bates
- Atlanta trades D Frantisek Kaberle to Phoenix for D David Tanabe
- Chicago trades D Jim Vandermeer to Detroit for the rights to D Johan Berggren, a 4th round pick in 2004 and a 4th round pick in 2005

Needless to say, I'm disappointed that bigger names weren't moved at the deadline!

Wed. March 10, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (32-25-8-3 T-8th) at Carolina Hurricanes (34-26-7-2 T-6th)

Carolina continues to play well despite a big injury to goaltender Kevin Weekes; Jamie Storr has been instrumental in their success this year. Jeff O'Neill leads the club with 56 points while Justin Williams and his 24 goals tops the club. Biron is back in goal tonight while new acquisition Chris Chelios plays his first game in a Buffalo uniform in place of Brian Campbell. Chelios will also man my penalty killing unit. We've had difficulty against Carolina this year and I hope that we can come up big against an opponent above us in the standings.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    3    1     4     (W: M. Biron 20-15-3)
Carolina       0    1    0     1     (L: P. DesRochers 3-2-1)
-------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: J. Hecht, J.P. Dumont, A. Mair, T. Pyatt
Carolina: C. Adams
-------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 25              Buffalo: 1-4
Carolina: 30             Carolina: 0-2
-------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. J. Hecht (BUF) 1g +1
2. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g 1a +1
3. T. Pyatt (BUF) 1g 1a

Big win here, especially considering Carolina's dominance in the early going. They outshot us 17-6 in the first period, and I made a temporary change to a high forechecking system that culminated in Hecht's opening goal on surprise starter Patrick DesRochers. I went back to the trap and our team played strong the rest of the way. Chelios played a nice, solid game in his debut.

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Boyd Devereaux (DET) 2GP 2g 2a 4pts +4
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Sean Burke (PHI) 2GP 1-0-1 1.44GAA .946 S%

Thu. March 11, 2004: Boston Bruins (31-26-8-5 9th) at Buffalo Sabres (33-25-8-3 T-7th)

Boston continues to nip at my heels, standing two points back in the race for the final playoff spot. They are unbeaten in five while we are unbeaten in nine games, our best such streak this season. By the way, I haven't changed anything with our captain situation due to our fine play, as Jay McKee retained the captaincy this month with Briere and Satan maintaining their assistant captaincy duties. Boston has played us well this year, going 3-1-1 against us and they're led by Sergei Samsonov's 76 points, which leads the entire NHL. Joe Thornton isn't doing too badly himself with 72 points. I'm going with Martin Biron tonight, even with the back to back games. He's the man right now.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Boston         0    1    3     4     (W: A. Raycroft 17-15-4)
Buffalo        0    0    1     1     (L: M. Biron 20-16-3)
-------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Boston: G. Murray, M. Knuble, S. Samsonov, P. Bergeron
Buffalo: C. Drury
-------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Boston: 24               Boston: 2-2
Buffalo: 22              Buffalo: 1-7 
-------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. G. Murray (BOS) 1g 1a
2. S. Samsonov (BOS) 1g 1a
3. C. Drury (BUF) 1g -1

Tight defensive battle in the first period with shots 4-3 in our favour. Boston opened the scoring on a powerplay midway through the second. I tried to install a forechecking system in the third to break them down but it only served to leave things open on the backend for Boston who made no mistake in scoring three times. Drury was able to fire one home from the point on the powerplay late in the game to avoid the shutout. Biron wasn't great in back-to-back contests.

Fri. March 12, 2004:

Maxim Afinogenov is suffering from a strained neck and will be out of action for a week. I'm going to put in forward Jim McKenzie for the first time this year and promote Mike Grier to the Drury-Satan line until Afinogenov is healthy. I contemplated bringing up Jason Pominville but will resist for now.

Sat. March 13, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (33-26-8-3 T-7th) at Boston Bruins (32-26-8-5 T-7th)

I think I'm going to have the Kalinin-Zhitnik pair match up against the Thornton-Samsonov-Murray line to try to negate their offensive talents. I'm going back to Martin Biron again tonight.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    0    0     0     (L: M. Biron 20-17-3)
Boston         1    4    1     6     (W: F. Potvin 13-16-3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: None
Boston: P. Bergeron, M. Nylander, T. Green, P.J. Axelsson, J. Thornton, B. Rolston
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 37              Buffalo: 0-5
Boston: 31               Boston: 0-2  
-------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. D. McGillis (BOS) 3a +4
2. F. Potvin (BOS) SHO 37 saves
3. P. Bergeron (BOS) 1g 1a +3

Just a disgraceful performance; I don't even know what to say after this loss. Disgusting.

On Tap Next Week:
Monday March 15, 2004: vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Wednesday March 17, 2004: AT FLORIDA PANTHERS
Thursday March 18, 2004: AT ATLANTA THRASHERS
Saturday March 20, 2004: AT WASHINGTON CAPITALS

NoSkillz · 01-01-2005, 09:11 PM

Mon. March 15, 2004: Toronto Maple Leafs (34-21-13-4 2nd) at Buffalo Sabres (33-27-8-3 9th)

Desperation has set in here in Buffalo. I've called up Jason Pominville after the team's dreadful performance the other night and will scratch Jim McKenzie, even though he was okay in his first Sabres game. I need better efforts from Chris Drury and a struggling Miro Satan, who were just awful in the Boston game with -3's. Biron also needs to come through in the clutch against the Leafs. I'm going with the high forechecking, high pressing system that has helped me in two consecutive comebacks against the Leafs.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Toronto        0    1    0     1     (L: E. Belfour 20-19-8)
Buffalo        2    1    1     4     (W: M. Biron 21-17-3)
------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Toronto: T. Kaberle  
Buffalo: J.P. Dumont, J. Hecht, D. Briere, M. Grier
------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Toronto: 24              Toronto: 0-5
Buffalo: 30              Buffalo: 1-7
------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Satan (BUF) 3a +2
2. M. Biron (BUF) 1GA 23 saves
3. J. Hecht (BUF) 1g +1

Whew. We needed this one and got a great performance from the entire team. Chris Drury joined Satan in the multipoint game parade with 2 assists. The team seems to have figured out Toronto...now if I could just figure out Boston! The board was "delighted with the excellent victory" over the Leafs.

Tue. March 16, 2004:

Now that we've only got ten games left, I might as well go into detail about the standings at this point. Here's how things are shaking down in the East and the West:

Code:

NHL Eastern Conference Standings: As of March 16, 2004:

POS TEAM                     GP    W    L    T   OTL    PCT    GF   GA  PTS
1   * New Jersey Devils      74   41   19   13     1   .649   236  160   96
2   * Toronto Maple Leafs    74   34   22   13     4   .582   210  204   85 
3   * Washington Capitals    72   37   25    8     2   .583   183  155   84
4   Philadelphia Flyers      72   31   19   18     4   .583   192  172   84
5   Tampa Bay Lightning      72   36   25    8     3   .576   192  172   83
6   Ottawa Senators          72   37   27    8     0   .569   196  169   82
7   Carolina Hurricanes      72   35   28    7     2   .549   196  177   79
8   Buffalo Sabres           72   34   27    8     3   .549   242  240   79
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
9   Boston Bruins            72   33   26    8     5   .549   223  208   79
10  Pittsburgh Penguins      72   32   29   10     1   .521   204  206   75
11  N.Y. Islanders           71   26   30   11     4   .472   174  174   67
12  N.Y. Rangers             73   29   36    7     1   .452   167  202   66
13  Atlanta Thrashers        72   25   40    6     1   .396   150  211   57
14  Montreal Canadiens       73   22   38   12     1   .390   178  224   57
15  Florida Panthers         73   21   43    7     2   .349   165  221   51

* = Division Leaders

Code:

NHL Western Conference Standings: As of March 16, 2004:

POS TEAM                     GP    W    L    T   OTL    PCT    GF   GA  PTS
1   * Colorado Avalanche     71   44   20    6     1   .669   221  156   95
2   * Los Angeles Kings      72   35   25   12     0   .569   214  192   82 
3   * Detroit Red Wings      71   36   26    5     4   .570   210  194   81
4   Calgary Flames           72   37   22   10     3   .604   187  142   87
5   Vancouver Canucks        72   34   24   12     2   .569   197  167   82
6   Anaheim Mighty Ducks     72   35   26    8     3   .563   214  181   81
7   St. Louis Blues          72   35   29    7     1   .542   202  189   78
8   Dallas Stars             71   34   30    6     1   .528   183  173   75
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
9   Phoenix Coyotes          72   32   30    9     1   .514   194  195   74
10  Nashville Predators      71   29   30    9     3   .493   193  197   70
11  Edmonton Oilers          72   29   31   10     2   .486   162  169   70
12  San Jose Sharks          71   25   34   11     1   .437   169  227   62
13  Minnesota Wild           72   21   38   12     1   .382   148  182   55
14  Chicago Blackhawks       72   22   41    8     1   .368   137  222   53
15  Columbus Blue Jackets    72   19   38   11     4   .368   171  226   53

* = Division Leaders

Wed. March 17, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (34-27-8-3 9th) at Florida Panthers (21-43-7-2 15th)

Florida has lost five games in a row but I'm not taking them lightly, considering they've defeated us in three of four games this year. I'm going with the exact same lineup from the Toronto game, although I'll revert to my trapping tactic for this affair. The Panthers look banged up and I might be fortunate to miss out on playing against Olli Jokinen who's on the IR with knee pain.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        3    0    2     5     (W: M. Biron 22-17-3)
Florida        0    1    0     1     (L: R. Luongo 17-40-7)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: T. Pyatt (3), A. Kotalik (2)
Florida: M. Cullen
-----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 32              Buffalo: 2-7
Florida: 28              Florida: 0-5
-----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 2g 1a +3
2. T. Pyatt (BUF) 3g +2
3. T. Connolly (BUF) 2a +3

The Connolly-Pyatt-Kotalik line continues to have a wonderful season, with Pyatt getting his fourth hat trick of the season in the win and Kotalik hitting three different bonus levels after the game to earn $310,000. The board once again voiced their approval after the contest.

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Peter Forsberg (COL) 3GP 2g 3a 5pts +2 2PIM
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Garth Snow (NYI) 2GP 2-0-0 0.50GAA 1 SHO .984 S%

Thu. March 18, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (35-27-8-3 T-7th) at Atlanta Thrashers (25-41-6-1 T-13th)

We stroll into Atlanta having beaten them all four times this year. They still are missing the injured Dany Heatley but he is close to returning. Ilya Kovalchuk is playing great hockey this year, leading the team with 32 goals and 60 points. I'll be going with Ryan Miller in net tonight to rest Biron. Taylor Pyatt received a 'dental injury' in practice but he will play tonight, as will Maxim Afinogenov, who while not completely healthy, is good enough to go.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        2    1    1     4     (W: R. Miller 8-6-2)
Atlanta        1    0    1     2     (L: K. Lehtonen 12-18-5)
-------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: C. Drury (2), T. Pyatt, J. Jillson
Atlanta: D. Tanabe, M. Kralj
-------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 31              Buffalo: 0-2
Atlanta: 36              Atlanta: 1-7
-------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. C. Drury (BUF) 2g +2
2. T. Pyatt (BUF) 1g
3. M. Kralj (ATL) 1g

Atlanta really poured it on in the third period when we became ridiculously undisciplined but Ryan Miller was strong in securing the victory. Another nice road victory. Taylor Pyatt received another $120,000 for scoring his 30th goal of the season.

Sat. March 20, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (36-27-8-3 T-6th) at Washington Captials (38-26-8-2 2nd)

It's so tight in the Eastern Conference right now, as we sit only three points behind Northeast Division leaders Toronto, yet are barely clinging onto a playoff spot. Washington continues to roll, lead by unlikely duo Jared Aulin and Alexander Semin. Martin Biron will go back into net tonight with no other changes to my lineup.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        4    0    1     5     (W: M. Biron 23-17-3)
Washington     3    0    0     3     (L: O. Kolzig 32-25-7)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: T. Pyatt (2), E. Boulton, A. Kotalik, M. Satan
Washington: J. Halpern, B. Battaglia, A. Semin
-----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 24              Buffalo: 0-7
Washington: 26           Washington: 1-3
-------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. T. Connolly (BUF) 3a +3
2. T. Pyatt (BUF) 2g +3
3. J. Halpern (WAS) 1g 1a

High scoring first period with subpar goaltending on both sides turned into a defensive battle for the last two. The Connolly-Pyatt-Kotalik line is insane right now. Talk about chemistry! All three players are improving greatly and developing into fine players! Chris Chelios picked up his first point in a Sabres uniform on the first goal by Pyatt; Chelios is playing good defensive hockey for us right now and his form has been excellent since joining, with 8's across the board. The Briere-Hecht-Dumont line is struggling offensively but I'll bet they start contributing soon. One single point separates the 5th placed team from the 9th placed team in the conference. We have four days off till our next game, which gives us an opportunity to rest up for the final push.

On Tap Next Week:
Wednesday March 24, 2004: vs. Montreal Canadiens
Friday March 26, 2004: vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Saturday March 27, 2004: AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

NoSkillz · 01-01-2005, 09:16 PM

Wed. March 24, 2004: Montreal Canadiens (22-40-13-1 14th) at Buffalo Sabres (37-27-8-3 T-7th)

Montreal is just playing out the string and we'll have to come out hard to get these necessary two points. Andreas Dackell and Saku Koivu lead the Canadiens in points with 41. Martin Biron tends goal again tonight. The Drury-Satan-Afinogenov line moves ahead of the Briere-Hecht-Dumont line on the depth chart.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Montreal       1    2    0     3     (W: J. Theodore 18-25-12)
Buffalo        0    0    0     0     (L: M. Biron 23-18-3)
--------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Montreal: M. Ryder (2), D. Pittis
Buffalo: None
--------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Montreal: 25             Montreal: 0-4
Buffalo: 41              Buffalo: 0-2
--------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. J. Theodore (MON) SHO 41 saves
2. M. Ryder (MON) 2g +2 
3. D. Pittis (MON) 1g +1

Theodore completely stole this game for Montreal. Almost as bad as the loss was the fact that our leading scorer Taylor Pyatt pulled his groin early in the game and is likely out for the regular season. That is NOT what we needed. I can't fault our effort here...Theodore was simply superb. I pulled Biron after he gave up the third goal to get a spark but we just couldn't score on Jose.

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Sergei Samsonov (BOS) 3GP 1g 6a 7pts +5
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Patrick DesRochers (CAR) 2GP 1-0-1 0.96GAA .950 S%

Fri. March 26, 2004: Philadelphia Flyers (34-20-19-4 4th) at Buffalo Sabres (37-28-8-3 9th)

We're on the outside looking in once again as the Flyers come to town. We've defeated the Flyers in both games this year quite convincingly but times are getting tough and we NEED this win. Martin Biron will go back in, as he gives us the best chance at victory. I recalled Jason Pominville to play alongside Connolly and Kotalik.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Philadelphia   0    2    1     3     (W: S. Burke 16-10-9)
Buffalo        0    1    1     2     (L: M. Biron 23-19-3)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Philadelphia: J. Roenick, K. Primeau, S. Gagne
Buffalo: J.P. Dumont (2)
---------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Philadelphia: 22         Philadelphia: 0-3
Buffalo: 30              Buffalo: 1-5
---------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. S. Gagne (PHI) 1g 1a +2
2. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 2g 
3. K. Primeau (PHI) 1g 1a +3

I can't let this season slip away! Primeau scored shorthanded at the end of the second period but Dumont's second brought us back into the game. However, Simon Gagne scored with a little more than five minutes left and we couldn't get the equalizer. We just aren't winning at home and it's killing us.

Sat. March 27, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (37-29-8-3 9th) at Philadelphia Flyers (35-20-19-4 4th)

I'm going with an attacking system to begin the game and will improvise the rest of the way. I can't just sit back...I have to try to win this game. Biron starts again.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    1    0     1     (L: M. Biron 23-20-3)
Philadelphia   0    6    2     8     (W: R. Esche 20-13-10)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov
Philadelphia: K. Primeau (3), S. Thornton, K. Johnsson, M. Timander, T. Fedoruk, J. Roenick
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 32              Buffalo: 0-4     
Philadelphia: 35         Philadelphia: 0-5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. K. Primeau (PHI) 3g 1a +4
2. J. Roenick (PHI) 1g  
3. R. Esche (PHI) 1GA 31 saves

An absolute nightmare. We played a fine first period and then Biron started letting everything in. Primeau's hat trick came on ONE SHIFT! I had to discipline FOUR players after this game for poor play. I only hope I can recover from this debacle and somehow squeeze into the playoffs. It isn't looking good.

On Tap Next Week:
Monday March 29, 2004: vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
Wednesday March 31, 2004: AT NEW YORK RANGERS
Friday April 2, 2004: vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Saturday April 3, 2004: AT MONTREAL CANADIENS

NoSkillz · 01-01-2005, 09:22 PM

Mon. March 29, 2004: Columbus Blue Jackets (19-42-13-4 14th) at Buffalo Sabres (37-30-8-3 9th)

Rick Nash and his 31 goals come to town to try to keep us out of the playoffs. I'm going to simplify the gameplan tonight in hopes of getting everyone prepared. Martin Biron will have to come up big and we'll need a bunch of guys to break out of slumps if we're to be successful.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Columbus       0    0    0     0     (L: M. Denis 14-27-9)
Buffalo        0    1    3     4     (W: M. Biron 24-20-3)
----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Columbus: None
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (2), M. Grier, M. Satan
----------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Columbus: 22             Columbus: 0-3
Buffalo: 25              Buffalo: 2-3
----------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 2g 1a +1
2. M. Biron (BUF) SHO 23 saves
3. M. Grier (BUF) 1g +1

Game was really close until we broke it open midway through the third period. Columbus got undisciplined and we scored twice during a four minute powerplay to seal the shutout victory, our first in many months. The late goals are big confidence boosters, at least I hope they are! Nice to see the Drury line come up big, as Drury had 2 assists and Satan scored a goal. Ales Kotalik also had a pair of assists. Jason Pominville signed a new deal after the game, a three-year deal worth a total of $975,000.

Wed. March 31, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (38-30-8-3 9th) at New York Rangers (31-39-9-1 12th)

I venture to Madison Square Garden to play the injury riddled Rangers. Jaromir Jagr, Eric Lindros, Mark Messier and Mike Dunham are all on the IR going into this game. Every game is a must win for us now, as the teams in the hunt continue to win it seems every time.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    2    1     3     (W: M. Biron 25-20-3)
N.Y. Rangers   0    1    0     1     (L: D. Blackburn 1-2-1)
------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: D. Briere (2), M. Satan
N.Y. Rangers: S. McCarthy
------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 38              Buffalo: 1-4
N.Y. Rangers: 33         N.Y. Rangers: 0-6
------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. D. Briere (BUF) 2g +1
2. T. Poti (NYI) 1a +1
3. M. Biron (BUF) 1GA 32 saves

This is a huge win, putting us into a tie for 7th in the Conference with Tampa and only a point back of Boston for the division lead, which would propel us to 3rd in the Conference! Biron was fantastic. We finish the month with a great 9-5-1 record to stay in the thick of things.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: Sergei Samsonov (BOS) 13GP 12g 10a 22pts +11
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: Garth Snow (NYI) 7GP 5-0-2 0.98GAA 2 SHO .957 S%
NHL Rookie of the Month: Ryan Whitney (PIT) 11GP 0g 4a 4pts +2 6PIM

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Pavol Demitra (STL) 3GP 3g 2a 5pts +6
NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Derek Morris (PHO) 3GP 0g 3a 3pts +2

Fri. April 2, 2004: Toronto Maple Leafs (36-26-14-4 6th) at Buffalo Sabres (39-30-8-3 T-7th)

It doesn't get any bigger than this. Toronto's Gary Roberts is suspended for this game and Nik Antropov is hurt. I'm going with my tactic of high forechecking and high pressure that's been successful against the Leafs lately. No lineup changes. Taylor Pyatt resumed light practice today but is only at 50% efficiency. I won't play him tonight but I plan on playing him tomorrow even if he's spitting blood the entire time! We control our own destiny and can pass the Leafs in the standings with a win.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Toronto        0    1    0     1     (L: E. Belfour 21-22-9)
Buffalo        1    4    0     5     (W: M. Biron 26-20-3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Toronto: M. Stajan
Buffalo: J.P. Dumont, M. Satan, T. Connolly, A. Kotalik, J. Hecht
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Toronto: 21              Toronto: 0-2
Buffalo: 30              Buffalo: 3-5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g 3a +2
2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 1a
3. T. Connolly (BUF) 1g 1a

WE'RE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!

A fantastic game from the entire team in this game! We came out forechecking and ran them ragged all game! New Jersey defeated 9th place Ottawa to put us officially in the playoffs! Jochen Hecht (1g 1a) and Daniel Briere (2a) also had multipoint games. We're in 5th place in the conference right now and can still catch Boston, who are a point ahead but have a game in hand. I'll likely rest a few of my players that are gasping for air in the finale but I still have to play to win. Now that I'm in, Pyatt will definitely not be suiting up for tomorrow's game in order to keep him for the playoffs.

Sat. April 3, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (40-30-8-3 5th) at Montreal Canadiens (24-43-13-1 13th)

Montreal will be missing Mike Ribeiro and Steve Begin in the season finale. I'm resting Jay McKee and Chris Chelios in preparation for the playoffs, with Brian Campbell and James Patrick getting inserted into their place. Martin Biron will still go in net. I'm reverting back to the trapping tactic.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        2    2    1     5     (W: M. Biron 27-20-3)
Montreal       1    0    0     1     (L: J. Theodore 19-29-12)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: J.P. Dumont, E. Boulton, M. Satan, M. Afinogenov, C. Drury
Montreal: Y. Perreault
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 2-7
Montreal: 25             Montreal: 0-4
-------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. D. Briere (BUF) 3a +1
2. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g 2a
3. M. Biron (BUF) 1GA 24 saves

We finish the season winning our final four games by a total score of 17-3. Jochen Hecht (2a) also had a multipoint game. We're currently in 5th spot and need Philadelphia to defeat Carolina tomorrow night in order to finish there and avoid a date with our nemesis in Boston.

Sun. April 4, 2004:

Carolina defeats Philadelphia 1-0 to hop over me into 5th place in the Conference, meaning a first round date with Boston. The Bruins have had our number all season and I'll have to figure out a strategy to stop them when it counts. The Toronto Maple Leafs lost 8 of their last 10 games to miss the playoffs due to Tampa Bay having more victories.

On Tap Next Week:
Sunday April 11, 2004: AT BOSTON BRUINS (Playoffs)

NoSkillz · 01-01-2005, 09:32 PM

Mon. April 5, 2004:

Here are the final stats for the Sabres in the regular season:

Code:

Buffalo Sabres Statistics: Final

POS PLAYER                   GP    G    A   PTS   +/-   PIM   PPG  SHG  GWG
RW  Miroslav Satan           82   35   32    67   -19    16    14    0    2
RW  Ales Kotalik             82   28   38    66    -4    26    10    0    4
LW  Taylor Pyatt             76   32   33    65     1    16     5    0    7
C   Chris Drury              81   18   34    52   -20    34     4    0    1
RW  Maxim Afinogenov         56   27   23    50     2    32    13    0    3
RW  J.P. Dumont              58   20   23    43    -7    16    14    0    5
C   Daniel Briere            59   14   29    43    12    44     3    0    3
LW  Jochen Hecht             61   19   22    41     4    12     1    0    5
D   Jeff Jillson             75    9   28    37     1    36     3    0    1
C   Tim Connolly             52    7   28    35     7    22     2    0    0
D   Dmitri Kalinin           79    6   27    33    -7    88     1    0    2
LW  Mike Grier               82   13   13    26    -2    51     0    0    4
LW  Eric Boulton             63   11   11    22    -4   193     0    0    1
D   Alexei Zhitnik           71    3   19    22    -2    70     2    0    1
D   Jay McKee                76    2   17    19     3   116     1    0    0
RW  *Jason Pominville        39    6   12    18   -18     8     2    0    1
C   Adam Mair                76    7   11    18    -6    62     0    1    1
D   Henrik Tallinder         82    0   15    15    -8     4     0    0    0
D   Brian Campbell           62    2   12    14   -11    18     1    0    1
RW  *Milan Bartovic          31    5    7    12     0     8     0    0    0
C   *Derek Roy               38    4    8    12    -5    35     0    0    0
LW  Jim McKenzie             48    6    4    10    -8   158     0    0    1
                 (BUF)        1    0    0     0    -1     7     0    0    0
                 (NAS)       47    6    4    10    -7   151     0    0    1
C   Chris Taylor             21    6    3     9    -1    12     0    0    0
D   Chris Chelios            52    1    6     7   -12    43     0    0    0
                  (BUF)      13    0    3     3    -6    21     0    0    0
                  (DET)      39    1    3     4    -6    22     0    0    0
LW  Jason Botterill          19    1    3     4    -1    23     0    0    0
G   Martin Biron             57    0    2     2   ---     0     0    0    0
D   James Patrick            17    0    1     1    -6     2     0    0    0
G   *Ryan Miller             21    0    1     1   ---     0     0    0    0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
POS PLAYER                   GP    W    L    T    MIN    GA   GAA  SHO  SV%
G   Martin Biron             57   27   20    3   3084   147  2.86   3  .899
G   *Ryan Miller             21    8    6    2    987    62  3.77   0  .876

A great season offensively from the entire club. The Pyatt-Connolly-Kotalik line was off the charts in March and early April. J.P. Dumont also had a productive final month of the season. After a disappointing training camp, Jeff Jillson came through in a big way offensively. Dmitri Kalinin made tremendous strides defensively in the second half of the season to get his plus/minus stats into respectable position.

Here are the final standings in the NHL, along with league leaders in the major statistical categories:

Code:

NHL Eastern Conference Standings: Final

POS TEAM                     GP    W    L    T   OTL    PCT    GF   GA  PTS
1   * New Jersey Devils      82   45   20   15     2   .652   261  175  107
2   * Washington Capitals    82   43   27   10     2   .598   208  172   98 
3   * Boston Bruins          82   41   27    9     5   .585   262  231   96
4   Philadelphia Flyers      82   37   22   19     4   .591   221  188   97
5   Carolina Hurricanes      82   42   30    8     2   .573   225  191   94
6   Buffalo Sabres           82   41   30    8     3   .567   276  263   93
7   Ottawa Senators          82   40   32    9     1   .549   219  202   90
8   Tampa Bay Lightning      82   38   30   11     3   .549   215  203   90
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
9   Toronto Maple Leafs      82   36   28   14     4   .549   233  234   90
10  Pittsburgh Penguins      82   35   33   12     2   .512   229  235   84
11  N.Y. Islanders           82   32   31   15     4   .506   201  190   83
12  N.Y. Rangers             82   31   41    9     1   .439   179  226   72
13  Atlanta Thrashers        82   27   47    7     1   .378   175  247   62
14  Montreal Canadiens       82   24   44   13     1   .378   197  254   62
15  Florida Panthers         82   22   50    7     3   .329   177  254   54

* = Division Winners

Code:

NHL Western Conference Standings: Final

POS TEAM                     GP    W    L    T   OTL    PCT    GF   GA  PTS
1   * Colorado Avalanche     82   50   22    9     1   .671   259  180  110
2   * Los Angeles Kings      82   42   28   12     0   .585   248  219   96 
3   * Detroit Red Wings      82   42   31    5     4   .567   244  219   93
4   Calgary Flames           82   43   26   10     3   .604   222  167   99
5   Vancouver Canucks        82   38   28   14     2   .561   222  197   92
6   Dallas Stars             82   42   33    6     1   .555   213  189   91
7   Anaheim Mighty Ducks     82   40   31    8     3   .555   238  204   91
8   St. Louis Blues          82   39   34    7     2   .530   227  217   87
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
9   Phoenix Coyotes          82   35   35   11     1   .500   218  227   82
10  Edmonton Oilers          82   34   34   11     3   .500   187  195   82
11  Nashville Predators      82   33   35   10     4   .488   218  222   80
12  San Jose Sharks          82   30   40   11     1   .439   198  255   72
13  Minnesota Wild           82   26   42   12     2   .402   172  204   66
14  Columbus Blue Jackets    82   21   43   14     4   .366   186  255   60
15  Chicago Blackhawks       82   23   48   10     1   .348   152  257   57

* = Division Winners

Code:

NHL Regular Season: Scoring Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP    G    A   PTS   +/-   PIM  
Sergei Samsonov          Boston        82   38   53    91    21    10 
Markus Naslund           Vancouver     77   32   53    85    25    18 
Patrik Elias             New Jersey    82   40   44    84    23    20  
Joe Thornton             Boston        82   28   56    84     9    76  
Petr Sykora              Anaheim       81   47   37    84    36    34 
Sergei Fedorov           Anaheim       79   26   53    79    40    28  
Todd Bertuzzi            Vancouver     72   42   36    78    18    88  
Scott Gomez              New Jersey    82   25   53    78    23    46 
Teemu Selanne            Colorado      82   36   39    75    22    14 
Jarome Iginla            Calgary       82   36   37    73    17    81
Peter Forsberg           Colorado      72   22   51    73    22   117 
Pavol Demitra            St. Louis     82   35   38    73    14    24 
Zigmund Palffy           Los Angeles   78   36   37    73    26     8  
Glen Murray              Boston        70   36   34    70    15    38 
Ilya Kovalchuk           Atlanta       82   38   32    70     4    20 
Marian Hossa             Ottawa        81   35   35    70    14    26  
MIROSLAV SATAN           BUFFALO       82   35   32    67   -19    16 
Shane Doan               Phoenix       82   30   36    66    -4    30 
Jeff O'Neill             Carolina      82   29   37    66    24   102 
ALES KOTALIK             BUFFALO       82   28   38    66    -4    26 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NHL Regular Season: Goal Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP       G
Petr Sykora              Anaheim       81      47
Todd Bertuzzi            Vancouver     72      42
Patrik Elias             New Jersey    82      40
Ilya Kovalchuk           Atlanta       82      38
Sergei Samsonov          Boston        82      38
Glen Murray              Boston        70      36
Jarome Iginla            Calgary       82      36
Teemu Selanne            Colorado      82      36
Zigmund Palffy           Los Angeles   78      36
Pavol Demitra            St. Louis     82      35
Marian Hossa             Ottawa        81      35
MIROSLAV SATAN           BUFFALO       82      35

-------------------------------------------------

NHL Regular Season: Assist Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP       A
Joe Thornton             Boston        82      56
Scott Gomez              New Jersey    82      53
Sergei Fedorov           Anaheim       79      53
Sergei Samsonov          Boston        82      53
Markus Naslund           Vancouver     77      53
Peter Forsberg           Colorado      72      51
Patrik Elias             New Jersey    82      44
Bredan Morrison          Vancouver     82      42
Brian Leetch             Toronto       82      40
Michael Nylander         Boston        82      40

(16th) ALES KOTALIK      BUFFALO       82      38

-------------------------------------------------

NHL Regular Season: Plus/Minus Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP     +/-
Sergei Fedorov           Anaheim       79      40
Rob Blake                Colorado      78      38
Scott Niedermayer        New Jersey    82      38
Petr Sykora              Anaheim       81      36
Adam Foote               Colorado      78      34
Joe Sakic                Colorado      82      31
Sean Hill                Carolina      67      29
Rhett Warrener           Calgary       81      29
Petr Schastlivy          Anaheim       70      29
TWO PLAYERS TIED WITH +28

-------------------------------------------------

NHL Regular Season: Penalty Minute Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP     PIM
Chris Neil               Ottawa        81     299
Tie Domi                 Toronto       79     276
Esa Pirnes               Los Angeles   80     272
Jody Shelley             Columbus      80     261
TWO PLAYERS TIED WITH 257

(17th) ERIC BOULTON      BUFFALO       63     193

-------------------------------------------------

NHL Regular Season: Power Play Goal Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM         PPG  
Sergei Samsonov          Boston        19  
Todd Bertuzzi            Vancouver     18  
Patrik Elias             New Jersey    17  
Petr Sykora              Anaheim       17  
THREE PLAYERS TIED WITH 15

(T-8th) J.P. DUMONT      BUFFALO       14
(T-8th) MIROSLAV SATAN   BUFFALO       14

-----------------------------------------

NHL Regular Season: Shorthanded Goal Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM         SHG  
Erik Cole                Carolina       3  
Jeff O'Neill             Carolina       3
16 PLAYERS TIED WITH 2

(T-18th) ADAM MAIR       BUFFALO        1

-----------------------------------------

NHL Regular Season: Game Winning Goal Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM         GWG  
Petr Sykora              Anaheim       12  
Ilya Kovalchuk           Atlanta       12
Glen Murray              Boston        11
4 PLAYERS TIED WITH 9

(T-10th) TAYLOR PYATT    BUFFALO        7

-----------------------------------------

NHL Regular Season: Defensemen Scoring Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP    G    A   PTS   +/-   PIM  
Scott Niedermayer        New Jersey    82   13   39    52    38    10 
Niklas Lidstrom          Detroit       82    8   37    45     7    12 
Rob Blake                Los Angeles   78    5   39    44    38    42  
Chris Pronger            St. Louis     82    5   39    44    11    42  
Brian Leetch             Toronto       82    3   40    43    -5     8 
Sandis Ozolinsh          Anaheim       82    8   34    42    18    22  
Sergei Gonchar           Boston        82   10   32    42     5    29  
Derek Morris             Phoenix       80   10   29    39    13    58 
David Tanabe             Atlanta       81    8   31    39    -3    16 
JEFF JILLSON             BUFFALO       75    9   28    37     1    36

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NHL Regular Season: Rookie Scoring Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP    G    A   PTS   +/-   PIM  
* Alexander Semin        Washington    71   27   35    62    14    75 
* Jared Aulin            Washington    80   22   36    58     6     8 
* Patrice Bergeron       Boston        82   21   23    44     7    22  
* Nikolai Zherdev        Columbus      52   19   20    39     7    34  
* Konstantin Koltsov     Pittsburgh    81   20   16    36    -4    34 
* Ryan Malone            Pittsburgh    71   18   16    34     7    20  
* Josef Balej            NY Rangers    81   17   17    34     3    12  
* Joffrey Lupul          Anaheim       75   16   17    33    -4    83 
* Michael Ryder          Montreal      81   17   15    32   -21    30 
* Peter Sejna            St. Louis     70   12   20    32     4    10

(25th) * J. POMINVILLE   BUFFALO       39    6   12    18   -18     8 
---------------------------------------------------------------------

NHL Regular Season: Goaltending Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP    W    L    T    MIN    GA   GAA   SV%
Roman Turek              Calgary       35   24    7    4   2063    55  1.60  .932
Garth Snow               NY Islanders  38   19   12    7   2311    66  1.71  .929
David Aebischer          Colorado      47   27   12    7   2787    92  1.98  .913
Dwayne Roloson           Minnesota     43   16   19    7   2578    86  2.00  .924
Martin Brodeur           New Jersey    72   39   19   14   4380   148  2.03  .912
Olaf Kolzig              Washington    70   36   25    9   4249   144  2.03  .912
Robert Esche             Philadelphia  45   21   13   10   2714    94  2.08  .923
Jamie Storr              Carolina      42   24   13    4   2449    87  2.13  .917
Ty Conklin               Edmonton      40   17   18    5   2419    88  2.18  .909
Miika Kiprusoff          Calgary       47   19   20    6   2773   101  2.19  .909

(39th) MARTIN BIRON      BUFFALO       57   27   20    3   3080   147  2.86  .899

Tue. April 6, 2004:

In practice, I'm working on a new tactic for the playoffs. I'm going with a 'Normal' Offensive Philosophy as opposed to the 'Attacking' philosophy used in the regular season.

Checking back on my only successful game against Boston, a 4-4 tie in the middle of the season, I used a high pressing style with the trap so I'll utilize that in my first game.

Sun. April 11, 2004: Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Game One - Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins

Our club is completely healthy for the playoffs. Line One will be Hecht-Briere-Dumont, line two is Satan-Drury-Afinogenov, line three is Pyatt-Connolly-Kotalik and line four is Grier-Mair-Boulton. On defense, we have Kalinin-Zhitnik, McKee-Jillson and Tallinder-Chelios. In goal, we'll ride Martin Biron.

Boston is missing forward Steve Ott who's on the IR with a groin strain. There is a chance he'll be back before the series ends.

I can only hope we give Boston a better fight in the playoffs than we did in the regular season.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    3    2     5     (W: M. Biron 1-0-0)
Boston         1    2    0     3     (L: A. Raycroft 0-1-1)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Satan (2), T. Pyatt, A. Kotalik, J. Hecht
Boston: G. Murray, S. Samsonov, P.J. Axelsson
---------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 2-6
Boston: 33               Boston: 2-7
---------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Satan (BUF) 2g +2
2. S. Gonchar (BOS) 1a 
3. G. Murray (BOS) 1g 1a -1

Great time for our first win against Boston!!! I was worried about our undisciplined play through a period but we were only down one. We were down 3-1 in the second period but fought back to tie it at 3 before the period's end. We completely dominated them in the third and they didn't even get a shot on goal in the last three minutes of the game. Biron was pretty good, although I must admit I was this close to pulling him after he let in the third goal to put us 2 down. Dmitri Kalinin pinched in with 2 assists in the win. Unfortunately, we lost J.P. Dumont to a knee injury in the second period and he'll likely miss about a week of action. We'll likely call up rookie Jason Pominville to take his place.

On Tap Next Week:
Tuesday April 13, 2004: AT BOSTON BRUINS (Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Two)
Thursday April 15, 2004: vs. Boston Bruins (Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Three)
Saturday April 17, 2004: vs. Boston Bruins (Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Four)

NoSkillz · 01-01-2005, 09:39 PM

Tue. April 13, 2004: Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Two - Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins

Buffalo leads series 1-0

Jason Pominville gets slotted in with Jochen Hecht and Daniel Briere on our top line right off the bat. The rest of the lineup and my tactics remain unchanged. I'll move the lines around during the game if I find Pominville isn't up to the task of first line duty. Interestingly, Boston changes goaltenders and will go with Felix Potvin tonight. Raycroft was given a '6' rating in the first game.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT1  OT2   TOT
Buffalo        2    0    0    0    0     2     (L: M. Biron 1-1-0)
Boston         0    2    0    0    1     3     (W: F. Potvin 1-0-0)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: J. Hecht, M. Satan
Boston: S. Samsonov, J. Thornton, G. Murray
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 39              Buffalo: 0-7
Boston: 43               Boston: 0-5 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. G. Murray (BOS) 1g 1a +2
2. J. Thornton (BOS) 1g 1a +1
3. S. Samsonov (BOS) 1g 1a +1

A double overtime thriller that saw Boston's Glen Murray sneak one past Martin Biron at the 96 minute mark to win the game. Disappointing result but another fine effort from our club. Pominville was solid in his playoff debut and assisted on Hecht's opening goal, scored only 25 seconds from the first puck drop. Thornton's goal was shorthanded. Our powerplay, incidently first overall in the regular season, was held in check throughout the contest. We obviously miss Dumont, who tied for the team lead in PPG's with 14. I'm not disappointed, as we take away 'home ice advantage' from the Bruins and play the next two in Buffalo.

Thu. April 15, 2004: Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Three - Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres

Series is tied 1-1

J.P. Dumont has resumed practice but isn't at full efficiency. I decide to rest him for one more game, as he's only at 75% right now and Pominville was solid in his place. My lineup remains completely unchanged from the previous game. Boston comes back with Andrew Raycroft in goal.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Boston         0    0    0     0     (L: A. Raycroft 0-2-0)
Buffalo        1    3    2     6     (W: M. Biron 2-1-0)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Boston: None
Buffalo: T. Connolly (2), M. Satan, D. Briere, A. Kotalik. T. Pyatt
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Boston: 24               Boston: 0-2 
Buffalo: 25              Buffalo: 3-6
-------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. D. Briere (BUF) 1g 2a +1
2. M. Biron (BUF) SHO 24 saves
3. T. Connolly (BUF) 2g +2

What a dominating effort!

Every facet of the game was played to perfection! I even got to move my fourth line of Grier-Mair-Boulton to the top line for about 15 minutes to give the other guys a rest. Tim Connolly's second goal was a shorthanded breakaway effort with less than a minute remaining. Biron was excellent, although not really tested. Just a great effort!

Sat. April 17, 2004: Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Four - Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo leads series 2-1

HUGE NEWS before the game! Boston's superstar Sergei Samsonov was injured in practice and will miss at least a week of action. He's been put on the IR, meaning he can't play for at least seven days. He can't return to action until at least game six. Meanwhile, J.P. Dumont has resumed full practice and will suit up tonight in his familiar right wing position on the Hecht-Briere line. Jason Pominville will be scratched, although he has played very well in his two games, with one assist and a +3 mark. I suspect that Felix Potvin will be put back into action for Boston in place of ineffective Andrew Raycroft.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Boston         0    1    0     1     (W: F. Potvin 2-0-0)
Buffalo        0    0    0     0     (L: M. Biron 2-2-0)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Boston: J. Thornton
Buffalo: None
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Boston: 27               Boston: 0-5 
Buffalo: 24              Buffalo: 0-4
-------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. F. Potvin (BOS) SHO 24 saves
2. J. Thornton (BOS) 1g +1
3. M. Biron (BUF) 26 saves

I just can't figure out Felix Potvin. He's confounded our team all year. I can only hope that Boston is stupid enough to go back to Raycroft for the next game. Ultra-tight defensive battle. I promoted Connolly's line ahead of Drury's in the third period and will continue with that in game five in Boston. It's turned into a three game series now.

On Tap Next Week:
Monday April 19, 2004: AT BOSTON BRUINS (Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Five)
Other games TBA

NoSkillz · 01-01-2005, 09:43 PM

Mon. April 19, 2004: Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Five - Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins

Series is tied at 2-2

Boston forward Steve Ott has resumed full practice and he will play in place of veteran Ted Donato. Rob Zamuner plays his second game in place of Samsonov. Boston does come back with Andrew Raycroft, their number one goalie throughout the season. Dumb, if you ask me. My opinion means nothing, however, if we don't beat them! My lineup remains unchanged with the noted exception of Pyatt-Connolly-Kotalik moving up in the depth chart over Satan-Drury-Afinogenov.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    2    0     3     (W: M. Biron 3-2)
Boston         1    0    0     1     (L: A. Raycroft 0-3)
---------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: M. Grier, A. Mair, A. Kotalik
Boston: G. Murray
---------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 22              Buffalo: 0-6
Boston: 31               Boston: 0-6
---------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Biron (BUF) 1ga 30 saves
2. G. Murray (BOS) 1g -1 
3. M. Grier (BUF) 1g +1

Martin Biron is playing superb hockey thus far in the playoffs. The fourth line chipped in with a pair of goals after Glen Murray opened the scoring for Boston. Neither powerplay is working right now. I can only hope I avoid Samsonov's return.

Tue. April 20, 2004: Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Six - Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo leads series 3-2

We have to play in back-to-back nights and I can only assume this helps us out more, since we have a younger team. However, guys like Chris Chelios and Jay McKee are pretty tired. They'll play anyway...this is the playoffs! My lineup will be the exact same as last game. Boston will go with Felix Potvin again. Damn. I'm tempted to tell my players to aim for the five hole but will continue with my current tactic of 'aiming low'. I'll change if Potvin continues to stymie us. Samsonov isn't ready to play yet, thankfully.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
Boston         0    2    0    0     2     (L: F. Potvin 2-1)
Buffalo        0    1    1    1     3     (W: M. Biron 4-2)
------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Boston: N. Boynton, G. Murray
Buffalo: M. Grier, M. Satan, T. Pyatt
------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Boston: 23               Boston: 0-4
Buffalo: 26              Buffalo: 1-5
------------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 1g -1
2. N. Boynton (BOS) 1g +2
3. M. Satan (BUF) 1g

Yes sir! Overtime come from behind victory!!!

Taylor Pyatt took the puck away from goaltender Felix Potvin and fired one home with 7 minutes remaining in the first overtime session to give us the 4-2 series win. We were down 2-0 in this game when I changed to a 'shoot high' tactic that provided immediate dividends with Grier's second of the playoffs near the end of the second period. I put the high forechecking system into place midway through the third and with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, Miroslav Satan scored his fifth goal of the series to tie the game up. Biron had a phenomenal series in goal for us. Maxim Afinogenov hurt his neck in the game and is out for 10 days according to my physio.

Wed. April 21, 2004:

Ottawa was able to pull off an 'upset' in defeating second seeded Washington in seven games to help me avoid a confrontation with the tough first seeded New Jersey Devils. Instead, I will face the Philadelphia Flyers, who I had early season success against only to fail miserably against them late in the year. Could go either way, but I have more confidence against the Flyers than I did against the Bruins.

Code:

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: FIRST ROUND RESULTS

EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER FINALS:

New Jersey Devils (1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (8)
4-11-04: NEW JERSEY 2 Tampa Bay 1
4-13-04: NEW JERSEY 5 Tampa Bay 4
4-15-04: New Jersey 4 TAMPA BAY 3
4-17-04: TAMPA BAY 4 New Jersey 3
4-19-04: NEW JERSEY 3 Tampa Bay 1
NEW JERSEY WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1

Washington Capitals (2) vs. Ottawa Senators (7)
4-11-04: Ottawa 3 WASHINGTON 2
4-13-04: WASHINGTON 3 Ottawa 1
4-14-04: Washington 3 OTTAWA 2
4-16-04: Washington 2 OTTAWA 1
4-17-04: Ottawa 3 WASHINGTON 1
4-19-04: OTTAWA 4 Washington 2
4-21-04: Ottawa 2 Washington 1
OTTAWA WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 3

Boston Bruins (3) vs. Buffalo Sabres (6)
4-11-04: Buffalo 5 BOSTON 3
4-13-04: BOSTON 3 Buffalo 2 (OT2)
4-15-04: BUFFALO 6 Boston 0
4-17-04: Boston 1 BUFFALO 0
4-19-04: Buffalo 3 BOSTON 1
4-20-04: BUFFALO 3 Boston 2
BUFFALO WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 2

Philadelphia Flyers (4) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (5)
4-11-04: Carolina 4 PHILADELPHIA 2
4-13-04: PHILADELPHIA 4 Carolina 2
4-15-04: Philadelphia 3 CAROLINA 1
4-17-04: Philadelphia 3 CAROLINA 1
4-19-04: PHILADELPHIA 3 Carolina 2
PHILADELPHIA WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1

WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER FINALS:

Colorado Avalanche (1) vs. St. Louis Blues (8)
4-11-04: COLORADO 2 St. Louis 0
4-13-04: St. Louis 3 COLORADO 2
4-15-04: ST. LOUIS 3 Colorado 2
4-17-04: ST. LOUIS 3 Colorado 1
4-19-04: COLORADO 5 St. Louis 2
4-20-04: ST. LOUIS 3 Colorado 1
ST. LOUIS WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 2

Los Angeles Kings (2) vs. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (7)
4-11-04: LOS ANGELES 5 Anaheim 1
4-13-04: LOS ANGELES 1 Anaheim 0
4-15-04: Los Angeles 7 ANAHEIM 3
4-17-04: Los Angeles 4 ANAHEIM 3
LOS ANGELES WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 0

Detroit Red Wings (3) vs. Dallas Stars (6)
4-11-04: Dallas 3 DETROIT 2
4-13-04: Dallas 2 DETROIT 0
4-15-04: Detroit 3 DALLAS 2
4-17-04: DALLAS 3 Detroit 1
4-19-04: Dallas 5 DETROIT 1
DALLAS WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1

Calgary Flames (4) vs. Vancouver Canucks (5)
4-11-04: CALGARY 4 Vancouver 2
4-13-04: CALGARY 2 Vancouver 1
4-15-04: Calgary 4 VANCOUVER 2
4-17-04: VANCOUVER 6 Calgary 1
4-19-04: CALGARY 3 Vancouver 1
CALGARY WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1

Interesting developments out west, as the number one seed in Colorado and the number 3 seed in Detroit bow out.

On Tap Next Week:
Monday April 26, 2004: AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (Eastern Conference Semi Final Game One)
Wednesday April 28, 2004: AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (Eastern Conference Semi Final Game Two)
Friday April 30, 2004: vs. Philadelphia Flyers (Eastern Conference Semi Final Game Three)
Sunday May 2, 2004: vs. Philadelphia Flyers (Eastern Conference Semi Final Game Four)

NoSkillz · 01-02-2005, 12:46 AM

Mon. April 26, 2004: Eastern Conference Semi Finals Game One: Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers have two guys on the IR right now in Mark Recchi and John LeClair, both of whom will likely return at some point in this series. Alexei Zhamnov had 7 points in the opening series versus Carolina and I'll also have to keep a close eye on Sabre killer Keith Primeau and the Flyers regular season leading scorer Jeremy Roenick. They have solid goaltending in Robert Esche and Sean Burke, who were rotated in that Carolina series.

I'm going to stay with my current tactics, the 'Normal' offensive philosophy coupled with the trap and a high puck pressure system. I'm going to have Maxim Afinogenov play through his injury and maintain the winning lineup from the Boston series.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
Buffalo        1    0    3    1     5     (W: M. Biron 5-2)
Philadelphia   2    1    1    0     4     (L: R. Esche 2-2)
------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: D. Briere, A. Kotalik, J.P. Dumont, C. Drury, T. Connolly
Philadelphia: K. Primeau, S. Kapanen, S. Thornton, T. Fedoruk
------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 33              Buffalo: 1-7
Philadelphia: 38         Philadelphia: 0-5
---------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. T. Connolly (BUF) 1g 1a +2
2. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a +1
3. D. Briere (BUF) 1g 1a -1

What an overtime win! We were down 3-1 going into the third and kept up the trapping tactic but went to an attacking philosophy. I ended up tying it at 3 on Dumont's goal but Fedoruk came right back to make it 4-3. Chris Drury then capitalized on a rebound on the powerplay to tie it at 4 with about six minutes remaining in overtime. Unbelievably, Miroslav Satan was awarded a penalty shot only four minutes into the extra frame but was stopped by Esche. Two minutes later though, Tim Connolly wristed an Ales Kotalik pass home to seal the game one victory! Fantastic! In an interesting note, defenseman Alexei Zhitnik was unhappy after the game, saying he feels "victimized by the referees right now".

Tue. April 27, 2004:

Zhitnik must have had a good night's sleep, as he isn't unhappy anymore!

I have my scouts over at the World Championships right now, being played in Prague in the Czech Republic. I have offered Tim Connolly a contract extension and have also offered prized prospect Thomas Vanek an entry level deal. Vanek is having a monstrous year at Minnesota in the NCAA, with 42 goals and 29 assists in 53 games for the Golden Gophers. If he signed, he would certainly be an option if a player got injured in Buffalo.

Wed. April 28, 2004: Eastern Conference Semi Finals Game Two: Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers

Buffalo leads series 1-0

Mark Recchi was activated from the IR and will likely play for Philadelphia. I'm also preparing for Sean Burke to play goal for the Flyers in Game Two. I will have an unchanged lineup for game two.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    0    1     1     (L: M. Biron 5-3)
Philadelphia   1    2    0     3     (W: S. Burke 3-0)
------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: C. Drury
Philadelphia: T. Amonte, M. Handzus, A. Karpovtsev
------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 22              Buffalo: 0-6
Philadelphia: 33         Philadelphia: 1-6
------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. T. Amonte (PHI) 1g 1a +2
2. M. Handzus (PHI) 1g 1a +1
3. S. Burke (PHI) 1ga 21 saves

Philly completely dominated this game. I have a feeling that Sean Burke is going to play the role of Felix Potvin in this series. I'm surprised the score was as close as it was.

Fri. April 30, 2004: Eastern Conference Semi Finals Game Three: Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres

Series is tied at 1-1

The only change I'm making for this game is to give specific instructions to struggling forward Maxim Afinogenov to play an attacking style. Afinogenov is still playing hurt, which explains his lack of production. Robert Esche is back in goal for Philadelphia, who have made no other changes to their lineup.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3   OT    TOT
Philadelphia   1    2    0    0     3     (L: R. Esche 2-3)
Buffalo        1    1    1    1     4     (W: M. Biron 6-3)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Philadelphia: T. Amonte (2), A. Karpovtsev
Buffalo: M. Satan, A. Kotalik, J. Hecht, D. Kalinin
------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Philadelphia: 30         Philadelphia: 2-5
Buffalo: 30              Buffalo: 1-7
------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. D. Kalinin (BUF) 1g +2
2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 1a +2
3. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 3a +2

Another overtime thriller! We had to kill off two powerplays in overtime before Kalinin pinched in on a rush about 8 minutes into overtime to backhand the winner home! Kalinin continues his fantastic postseason, with 4 points in 9 games and a scorching +11! Afinogenov responded with a big game, as I dominated most of the 5-on-5 action in the game. I went to a 'Normal' hitting tactic that seemed to help. I'll have to figure out Sean Burke in game four, as I'm sure he'll be starting.

After the game, I find out that Thomas Vanek has accepted my entry level contract offer but is not eligible to come to the team until the playoffs are over. Oh well.

Sat. May 1, 2004:

Tim Connolly was very pleased to sign a new contract extension today, a three year $4,200,000 extension. Connolly has been excellent since returning from his major concussion. I only hope he defies my physios, who think he's a risk to develop further concussions. The board still is thrilled with the clubs progress this year. The playoffs have been great financially for the club, as we profited over $1,500,000 last month.

Sun. May 2, 2004: Eastern Conference Semi Finals Game Four: Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo leads series 2-1

Maxim Afinogenov is back to full fitness for this game. Interestingly, Brian Campbell has stated that he is "willing to fight for a spot in our lineup"; I like that determination. Campbell has taken a back seat to Chris Chelios since we acquired him at the deadline. Maybe I'll insert Campbell in at some point to rest Chelios. Sean Burke will go in goal for Philadelphia in an effort to extend his playoff undefeated streak. They've also made a couple of other lineup changes, inserting Andy Hilbert for Branko Radivojevic and Dennis Seidenberg for Kim Johnsson.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Philadelphia   1    1    1     3     (W: S. Burke 4-0)
Buffalo        1    1    0     2     (L: M. Biron 6-4)
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Philadelphia: S. Thornton, M. Recchi, C. Lapointe
Buffalo: M. Afinogenov, J.P. Dumont
------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Philadelphia: 22         Philadelphia: 0-2
Buffalo: 27              Buffalo: 0-3
------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. C. Lapointe (PHI) 1g +2
2. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g +1
3. M. Recchi (PHI) 1g +1

This hurts. Lapointe scored with only 16 seconds left in regulation time to win the game. We played a really nice defensive game. Bitter irony struck too, as Chris Chelios got hit in the eye and will be out at least a couple weeks, therefore, Brian Campbell gets into the lineup. This is a really tough loss and we'll need to come out strong to win the next game. At least I scored a couple on Burke.

On Tap Next Week:
Tuesday May 4, 2004: AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (Eastern Conference Semi Final Game Five)
Other games TBA

NoSkillz · 01-02-2005, 02:45 AM

Tue. May 4, 2004: Eastern Conference Semi Finals Game Five: Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers

Series tied at 2-2

Brian Campbell gets his first taste of playoff action tonight in place of the injured Chris Chelios. I will make no other changes. Robert Esche is back in goal, as Philly goes with the same tactic of rotating goaltenders that doomed Boston. Philly is also going with seven defensemen tonight in another interesting maneuver.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        0    0    1     1     (L: M. Biron 6-5)
Philadelphia   4    1    1     6     (W: R. Esche 3-3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: J. Hecht
Philadelphia: S. Gagne (2), M. Recchi, J. Roenick, K. Primeau, T. Amonte
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 19              Buffalo: 0-4
Philadelphia: 36         Philadelphia: 3-10
---------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. J. Roenick (PHI) 1g 2a +2
2. M. Recchi (PHI) 1g 2a +1
3. S. Gagne (PHI) 2g 1a

Damn referee Kerry Fraser!

10 freaking penalties just killed us. I complained through the media after the game and the NHL ended up fining me $26,000 for insubordination. Funny!

I had to pull Biron after he let in the fifth goal but it was over by then anyway. To add to my misery, solid d-man Jay McKee sprained his ACL and is out for a month. Just an awful performance from everyone and I'm in tough to get the club back on track with elimination staring us right in the face.

After the game, I called up defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick from Rochester. Veteran James Patrick's skills have regressed to such a degree that I really have no choice but to overlook him for a guy who hasn't played on the team all year. Fitzpatrick was doing quite well on the farm, with 29 points in 51 games and an average rating of 7.43.

Thu. May 6, 2004: Eastern Conference Semi Finals Game Six: Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres

Philadelphia leads series 3-2

Henrik Tallinder moves up to play with Jeff Jillson on our second defensive unit. Rory Fitzpatrick will man the right side on the third defensive unit with Brian Campbell. I've simplified the game plan again and done some small changes with our powerplay and penalty killing units. We will try to keep things tight and hope to get to game seven, where anything can happen. Surprisingly, Philadelphia comes back with Robert Esche in his second game in a row to reverse their trend of rotating goalies.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Philadelphia   1    0    1     2     (L: R. Esche 3-4)
Buffalo        1    3    0     4     (W: M. Biron 7-5)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Philadelphia: J. Roenick, T. Amonte
Buffalo: J.P. Dumont, M. Afinogenov, J. Hecht, M. Grier
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Philadelphia: 22         Philadelphia: 0-1
Buffalo: 29              Buffalo: 2-8
---------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 1g
2. T. Amonte (PHI) 1g +1
3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g 1a

The fine was worth it! The refs gave me the huge advantage in penalties and we basically cruised in this one, although the Flyers did score first. I changed to a normal pressing tactic for this game and will continue with that for our game seven tilt in Philadelphia. Taylor Pyatt had two assists in the win. The board was quite pleased with the victory.

Fri. May 7, 2004:

Prospect Michael Tessier, a forward currently playing with Rimouski of the Quebec league, signed an entry level contract with me today. Tessier has 54 points in 52 games playing on the second line behind Sidney Crosby's line and will likely play in Rochester next year.

Sat. May 8, 2004: Eastern Conference Semi Finals Game Seven: Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers

Series tied at 3-3

This is it! Big game! We will go with the tactics that got us victory in game six, specifically a normal pressing trap with normal offensive philosophy. Philadelphia has activated John LeClair for this game. LeClair was pretty brutal this year, garnering only 26 points in 60 games and was a perennial whipping boy for the Philadelphia media and fans. Sean Burke gets the start in game seven for the Flyers. We need to score the first goal in this one to get the fans out of it quickly.

Code:

TEAM           1    2    3    TOT
Buffalo        1    1    0     2     (L: M. Biron 7-6)
Philadelphia   3    0    1     4     (W: S. Burke 5-0)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOALS:
Buffalo: E. Boulton, M. Afinogenov
Philadelphia: M. Recchi (2), S. Gagne, T. Fedoruk (EN)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTS:                   POWERPLAY:
Buffalo: 31              Buffalo: 1-6
Philadelphia: 32         Philadelphia: 1-4
---------------------------------------------------------
STARS:
1. M. Recchi (PHI) 2g +1
2. S. Gagne (PHI) 1g 1a +1
3. J. Roenick (PHI) 2a +2

We were down 3-0 so fast in this one it was almost a joke. They came out and smoked us early. We fought back valiently, however, but we didn't have enough horses to match them. Dmitri Kalinin became the third defenseman to get injured in the series, which didn't help.

I'm extremely disappointed that we lost but I think overall, it was a good season and something to build on for next season.

Sun May 9, 2004:

Prospects Daniel Paille and Dennis Wideman signed entry level deals with the club today. I've also offered deals to both Jeff Jillson and Alexei Zhitnik, who's willing to take a pay cut to stay with the team.

NoSkillz · 01-08-2005, 02:24 PM

Mon. May 10, 2004:

Here's how things went down in the conference semifinals:

Code:

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: SECOND ROUND RESULTS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS:

New Jersey Devils (1) vs. Ottawa Senators (7)
4-26-04: Ottawa 3 NEW JERSEY 2
4-27-04: NEW JERSEY 4 Ottawa 2
4-29-04: OTTAWA 4 New Jersey 3
4-30-04: New Jersey 4 OTTAWA 3
5-02-04: NEW JERSEY 4 Ottawa 1
5-04-04: New Jersey 7 OTTAWA 3
NEW JERSEY WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 2

Philadelphia Flyers (4) vs. Buffalo Sabres (6)
4-26-04: Buffalo 5 PHILADELPHIA 4
4-28-04: PHILADELPHIA 3 Buffalo 1
4-30-04: BUFFALO 4 Philadelphia 3
5-02-04: Philadelphia 3 BUFFALO 2
5-04-04: PHILADELPHIA 6 Buffalo 1
5-06-04: BUFFALO 4 Philadelphia 2
5-08-04: PHILADELPHIA 4 Buffalo 2
PHILADELPHIA WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 3

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS:

Los Angeles Kings (2) vs. St. Louis Blues (8)
4-26-04: St. Louis 3 LOS ANGELES 2
4-28-04: LOS ANGELES 3 St. Louis 1
4-30-04: Los Angeles 4 ST. LOUIS 3
5-02-04: Los Angeles 2 ST. LOUIS 1
5-04-04: St. Louis 4 LOS ANGELES 0
5-06-04: Los Angeles 4 ST. LOUIS 3
LOS ANGELES WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 2

Calgary Flames (4) vs. Dallas Stars (6)
4-26-04: Dallas 3 CALGARY 0
4-28-04: Dallas 4 CALGARY 1
4-30-04: Calgary 3 DALLAS 1
5-02-04: DALLAS 3 Calgary 1
5-04-04: Dallas 3 CALGARY 1
DALLAS WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1

Dallas becomes the Cinderella team in these playoffs with two upset wins.

Wed. May 12, 2004:

The Czech Republic won the World Championships in a shootout over Canada today. The U.S. took home the bronze medal. Czech Jaromir Jagr led the tournament with 11 points in 6 games.

Thu. May 13, 2004:

I've put my players on a conditioning program for a few weeks. I'll go into more intensive training for the off-season. I've sent out all of my scouts to dig up players for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft; first of all, I made sure I've scouted every player that is listed in the I.S.S. Rankings, including the old rankings (preliminary and mid-season). I'm also scouting a few of the more obscure regions like Switzerland and Germany, both of whom made impressions at the world championships.

NoSkillz · 01-08-2005, 02:53 PM

Wed. May 19, 2004:

Well, the Stanley Cup final is set, as the New Jersey Devils will face the unheralded Dallas Stars. Making the Stars run even more amazing is the fact they went the entire series against Los Angeles without their top keeper Marty Turco, who was on the I.R. with a groin injury. Ron Tugnutt was fantastic in the series win over the Kings. Both teams get a week off to rest before the series starts.

Code:

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: THIRD ROUND RESULTS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:

New Jersey Devils (1) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (4)
5-11-04: NEW JERSEY 3 Philadelphia 1
5-12-04: NEW JERSEY 4 Philadelphia 1
5-14-04: PHILADELPHIA 4 New Jersey 2
5-16-04: New Jersey 2 PHILADELPHIA 0
5-18-04: NEW JERSEY 3 Philadelphia 1
NEW JERSEY WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:

Los Angeles Kings (2) vs. Dallas Stars (6)
5-11-04: Dallas 3 LOS ANGELES 1
5-13-04: Dallas 2 LOS ANGELES 0
5-15-04: DALLAS 5 Los Angeles 2
5-17-04: Los Angeles 3 DALLAS 2
5-19-04: Dallas 4 LOS ANGELES 3
DALLAS WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1

In Sabres news, I agreed to contract extensions with defensemen Henrik Tallinder (2 years, $2,375,000) and Brian Campbell (3 years, $2,800,000). I'm still having trouble with signing Jeff Jillson but should be able to work something out. However, things won't work with Alexei Zhitnik; I thought he'd accept a decrease to stay with the team but I was wrong. In fact, my board of directors, for whatever reason, have limited the amount of money I can spend on him to $2,800,000 per year, while he wants somewhere in the vicinity of $4 million. That's too expensive anyway, but I'm surprised my board has set the bar so low when they would have allowed me to sign a much inferior player (namely Campbell) to a contract twice that size! Strange. Looks like Zhitnik will test the free agency market in July.

Thu. May 20, 2004:

HOLD THE FREAKIN' PHONE!

Zhitnik signed a one-year extension for only $2,800,000 today!!!

In the media, he stated that "my love for the team was the main reason for signing the deal." Absolutely awesome! That is a $900,000 pay cut for a guy who plays 29 minutes a night. Wow!

NoSkillz · 01-09-2005, 06:57 PM

Wed. May 26, 2004:

The New Jersey Devils open the Stanley Cup Finals with a 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars behind a 2 goal, 1 assist performance from Viktor Kozlov.

Sat. June 5, 2004:

The Devils win the 2003-04 Stanley Cup in six games over Dallas. Viktor Kozlov wins the Conn Smythe Trophy for Playoff MVP based on his 11 goal, 19 point performance in the postseason. He was a huge surprise, considering he only garnered 25 points in 70 regular season games.

Code:

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: FINALS

New Jersey Devils (1) vs. Dallas Stars (6)
5-26-04: NEW JERSEY 5 Dallas 3
5-28-04: NEW JERSEY 3 Dallas 1
5-30-04: DALLAS 4 New Jersey 2
6-01-04: DALLAS 3 New Jersey 2 OT
6-03-04: NEW JERSEY 2 Dallas 1 OT
6-05-04: New Jersey 3 DALLAS 2 OT
NEW JERSEY WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 2

Here are the Buffalo Sabres statistics for the postseason:

Code:

Buffalo Sabres Statistics: Playoffs

POS PLAYER                   GP    G    A   PTS   +/-   PIM   PPG  SHG  GWG
RW  Jean-Pierre Dumont       11    3    7    10     1     6     1    0    0
C   Daniel Briere            13    2    8    10     1    20     0    0    0
RW  Miroslav Satan           13    6    3     9     3     4     3    0    2
LW  Jochen Hecht             13    5    3     8     2     8     0    0    0
RW  Ales Kotalik             13    5    2     7    -4     6     2    0    0
RW  Maxim Afinogenov         13    3    4     7    -3     8     2    0    1
LW  Taylor Pyatt             13    3    4     7    -7     6     2    0    1
C   Tim Connolly             13    3    3     6     1    10     0    1    1
C   Chris Drury              13    2    3     5    -4     6     1    0    0
LW  Mike Grier               13    3    1     4     2     0     0    0    1
D   Dmitri Kalinin           13    1    3     4    10    10     0    0    1
C   Adam Mair                13    1    3     4     2     4     0    0    0
LW  Eric Boulton             13    1    2     3     2    22     0    0    0
D   Alexei Zhitnik           13    0    3     3     9    10     0    0    0
D   Henrik Tallinder         13    0    3     3    -1     0     0    0    0
D   Jeff Jillson             13    0    3     3   -11     6     0    0    0
D   Jay McKee                11    0    2     2    -5    12     0    0    0
RW  *Jason Pominville         2    0    1     1     3     0     0    0    0
D   Chris Chelios            10    0    1     1     1     8     0    0    0
G   *Ryan Miller              1    0    0     0     -     0     0    0    0
D   Rory Fitzpatrick          2    0    0     0    -1     0     0    0    0
D   Brian Campbell            3    0    0     0     1     2     0    0    0
G   Martin Biron             13    0    0     0     -     0     0    0    0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
POS PLAYER                   GP    W    L    T    MIN    GA   GAA  SHO  SV%
G   *Ryan Miller              1    0    0    0     26     1  2.31   0  .889
G   Martin Biron             13    7    6    0    813    33  2.44   1  .914

Here are the leaders for the 2003-04 Playoffs:

Code:

NHL Playoffs: Scoring Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP    G    A   PTS   +/-   PIM  
Mike Modano              Dallas        21   10   10    20     4    12 
Viktor Kozlov            New Jersey    22   11    8    19     7     4 
Brian Gionta             New Jersey    22    9    9    18    11     2  
Jeff Friesen             New Jersey    22   10    7    17     4     6  
Alexei Kovalev           Dallas        21    6   11    17     5     4 
Jeremy Roenick           Philadelphia  17    4   11    15     6    22  
Scott Gomez              New Jersey    22    3   11    14     6    14  
John Madden              New Jersey    22    6    8    14     3    24 
4 PLAYERS TIED WITH 13 POINTS

(T-22nd) J.P. DUMONT     BUFFALO       11    3    7    10     1     6
(T-22nd) DANIEL BRIERE   BUFFALO       13    2    8    10     1    20 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NHL Playoffs: Goal Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP       G
Viktor Kozlov            New Jersey    22      11
Mike Modano              Dallas        21      10
Jeff Friesen             New Jersey    22      10
Mark Recchi              Philadelphia  16       9
Brian Gionta             New Jersey    22       9

(T-16th) MIROSLAV SATAN  BUFFALO       13       6

-------------------------------------------------

NHL Playoffs: Assist Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP       A
Jeremy Roenick           Philadelphia  17      11
Alexei Kovalev           Dallas        21      11
Scott Gomez              New Jersey    22      11
Jason Arnott             Dallas        20      10
Mike Modano              Dallas        21      10

(T-12th) DANIEL BRIERE   BUFFALO       13       8

-------------------------------------------------

NHL Playoffs: Plus/Minus Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP     +/-
Scott Niedermayer        New Jersey    22      16
Brian Rafalski           New Jersey    21      11
Brian Gionta             New Jersey    22      11
DMITRI KALININ           BUFFALO       13      10
Richard Matvichuk        Dallas        21      10

-------------------------------------------------

NHL Playoffs: Penalty Minute Leaders

PLAYER                   TEAM          GP     PIM
Todd Fedoruk             Philadelphia  17      49
Turner Stevenson         New Jersey    22      42
Donald Brashear          Philadelphia  17      38
Esa Pirnes               Los Angeles   15      37
Stu Barnes               Dallas        19      33

(T-10th) ERIC BOULTON    BUFFALO       13      22

Karim · 01-10-2005, 06:15 PM

Congrats on a good first season. Onwards and upwards...

NoSkillz · 01-12-2005, 10:24 PM

Thanks Karim! I'm a big fan of your Calgary dynasty...

It's funny the things you can pick up just by reading about other people's games...my scouts love Ivo Ruthemann and Marco Buhrer, two guys who've had success in your league. Because of my poor situation in net, I'm especially interested in Buhrer and will keep my eye on both in the upcoming draft.

NoSkillz · 01-12-2005, 11:10 PM

Tue. June 8, 2004:

The 2003-04 NHL Awards ceremony took place tonight. Here are the winners and finalists:

Hart Memorial Trophy - Most Valuable Player
1st: Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins
2nd: Markus Naslund, Vancouver Canucks
3rd: Todd Bertuzzi, Vancouver Canucks

Lester B. Pearson Award - Most Valuable Player (as voted by NHLPA)
1st: Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins
2nd: Markus Naslund, Vancouver Canucks
3rd: Todd Bertuzzi, Vancouver Canucks

Art Ross Trophy - Leading Scorer
1st: Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins
2nd: Markus Naslund, Vancouver Canucks
3rd: Patrik Elias, New Jersey Devils

James Norris Memorial Trophy - Best Defenseman
1st: Ed Jovanovski, Vancouver Canucks
2nd: Rob Blake, Colorado Avalanche
3rd: Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues

Vezina Trophy - Best Goaltender
1st: Garth Snow, New York Islanders
2nd: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
3rd: Dominik Hasek, Detroit Red Wings

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy - Most Gentlemanly Player
1st: Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins
2nd: Zigmund Palffy, Los Angeles Kings
3rd: Rico Fata, Pittsburgh Penguins

Calder Memorial Trophy - Rookie of the Year
1st: Alexander Semin, Washington Capitals
2nd: Jared Aulin, Washington Capitals
3rd: Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins

Frank J. Selke Trophy - Best Defensive Forward
1st: Jeff Halpern, Washington Capitals
2nd: Stephane Yelle, Calgary Flames
3rd: Steve Rucchin, Anaheim Mighty Ducks

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy - Perserverance/Sportsmanship/Dedication
1st: Bryce Salvador, St. Louis Blues
2nd: Darius Kasparaitis, New York Rangers
3rd: Tomas Kloucek, Atlanta Thrashers

Conn Smythe Trophy - Playoff Most Valuable Player
1st: Viktor Kozlov, New Jersey Devils
2nd: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
3rd: Jeff Friesen, New Jersey Devils

William Jennings Trophy - Best Goaltending Team
1st: Roman Turek & Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames
2nd: Garth Snow & Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders
3rd: David Aebischer & Tommy Salo, Colorado Avalanche

Jack Adams Award - Coach of the Year
1st: Pat Burns, New Jersey Devils
2nd: Brian Sutter, Washington Capitals
3rd: Mike Sullivan, Boston Bruins

Maurice Richard Trophy - Most Goals
1st: Petr Sykora, Anaheim Mighty Ducks
2nd: Todd Bertuzzi, Vancouver Canucks
3rd: Patrik Elias, New Jersey Devils

NHL Plus-Minus Award
1st: Sergei Fedorov, Anaheim Mighty Ducks
2nd: Rob Blake, Colorado Avalanche
3rd: Scott Niedermayer, New Jersey Devils

King Clancy Memorial Trophy - Humanitarian/Leadership
1st: Trent Hunter, New York Islanders
2nd: Sean Burke, Philadelphia Flyers
3rd: Mike Johnson, Phoenix Coyotes

Samsonov was the big winner on the night...hard to fault any of the winners here, although Garth Snow winning the Vezina must count as a bit of a shocker. He had a tremendous season, going 19-12-7 with a 1.71 GAA and .929 SA% but didn't even play half of the Islanders games. I had a vote and placed it with Brodeur, who finished second.

Something that Riz will need to look at for the next version is how the year-end all-star teams are selected. For instance, how does the most valuable player in the league NOT make the first all-star team?? How can all of the Vezina Trophy finalists be omitted from both teams???

Here are the team awards:

2003-04 NHL First All-Star Team
G: Patrick Lalime, Ottawa Senators
D: Ed Jovanovski, Vancouver Canucks
D: Rob Blake, Colorado Avalanche
F: Peter Forsberg, Colorado Avalanche
F: Sergei Fedorov, Anaheim Mighty Ducks
F: Todd Bertuzzi, Vancouver Canucks

2003-04 NHL Second All-Star Team
G: Chris Osgood, St. Louis Blues
D: Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues
D: Scott Niedermayer, New Jersey Devils
F: Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins
F: Joe Thornton, Boston Bruins
F: Markus Naslund, Vancouver Canucks

2003-04 NHL All-Rookie Team
G: Andrew Raycroft, Boston Bruins
D: Brooks Orpik, Pittsburgh Penguins
D: Garnet Exelby, Atlanta Thrashers
F: Alexander Semin, Washington Capitals
F: Jared Aulin, Washington Capitals
F: Nikolai Zherdev, Columbus Blue Jackets

Fri. June 11, 2004:

I was able to come to terms with our leading scorer from the blueline, Jeff Jillson, who signed a two-year deal worth $3,200,000.

I'm pretty much done signing the guys I want to keep around. I've made offers to Rory Fitzpatrick and Andrew Peters to keep them around as depth but that's about it. Here is a list of the guys who will likely become unrestricted free agents: Tom Askey (G), Brian Chapman (D), Doug Janik (D), Rick Mrozik (D), Chris Chelios (D), David Cullen (D), James Patrick (D), Jason Botterill (LW), Jim McKenzie (LW).

12-11-2004, 01:30 PM	#10
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Monday October 20, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at Calgary Flames We're going to put Biron back in net for tonight's game. Other than that, the lineup remains the same as in Edmonton. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 4 1 6 (L: M. Biron 2-2-0) Calgary 1 3 5 9 (W: M. Kiprusoff (2-1-0) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: J.P. Dumont (2), J. Hecht (2), A. Mair, M. Satan Calgary: C. Simon (2), S. Yelle, R. Warrener, S. Donovan, J. Iginla, S. Reinprecht, S. Montador, M. Gelinas ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 23 Buffalo: 2-5 Calgary: 45 Calgary: 2-5 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. R. Warrener (CAL) 1g 2a +1 2. D. McCammond (CAL) 2a 3. J. Leopold (CAL) 2a +2 The fans must have loved this one, but a G.M. just pulls his hair out. No defense, no goaltending, no win. Kiprusoff was bad for Calgary too. Jochen Hecht (2g 1a), Daniel Briere (2a) and Maxim Afinogenov (2a) joined J.P. Dumont with multipoint games. Biron, Dimitri Kalinin & Alexei Zhitnik (both -4) were given '5' ratings. Hopefully, this is just an abberation...time will tell. Wednesday October 22, 2003 Defenseman Alexei Zhitnik came down with a groin injury in practice today and the doctors say he'll be out for about three weeks. This means Brad Brown will get out of the press box for the San Jose game tomorrow night. Thursday October 23, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at San Jose Sharks Mika Noronen is going in the net after Biron's dismal performance on Monday night. I've shuffled up the defense a bit too, putting the steady Henrik Tallinder with the struggling Dimitri Kalinin, who is a -7 in only 6 games. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 2 0 1 3 (L: M. Noronen 1-1-0) San Jose 2 1 3 6 (W: E. Nabokov (3-3-0) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: D. Briere, J. Hecht, M. Satan San Jose: N. Dimitrakos (2), M. Ricci, M. Michalek, P. Marleau, R. Reichel -------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 23 Buffalo: 0-2 San Jose: 41 San Jose: 0-4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. N. Dimitrakos (SJ) 2g 1a +1 2. K. McLaren (SJ) 1a +1 3. M. Michalek (SJ) 1g 1a +2 Another disastrous performance by my defense. It was tied at three with about ten minutes remaining before they scored three unanswered before the final whistle. Veteran James Patrick (-2) and Ales Kotalik (-4) were given '5' ratings in the game. I'm going to have to take a serious look at my tactics in the next couple games, as I'm giving up entirely too many shots. Changes need to be made, so I'm going to fly in a couple of the kids from the farm club to play in tomorrow's game against Los Angeles. Defenseman Jeff Jillson (6GP 2g 2a 4pts +2 in Rochester) and rookie centre Derek Roy (4GP 4g 2a 6pts +3 in Rochester) will be pressed into action. Friday October 24, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at Los Angeles Kings I made a number of lineup changes in light of our recent stuggles. Ales Kotalik was demoted to the third line with Taylor Pyatt and Roy. Maxim Afinogenov will move up to the first line alongside Chris Drury and Miroslav Satan. Jillson will take James Patrick's place while Domenic Pittis will also sit down. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 2 1 0 3 (L: M. Biron 2-3-0) Los Angeles 2 3 1 6 (W: R. Cechmanek 6-0-0) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: D. Roy, A. Kotalik, M. Afinogenov Los Angeles: Z. Palffy, T. Klatt, L. Robitaille, E. Belanger, A. Carter, I. LaPerriere -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 27 Buffalo: 1-5 Los Angeles: 37 Los Angeles: 0-3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. A. Carter (LA) 1g 3a +4 2. L. Robitaille (LA) 1g 1a +2 3. E. Belanger (LA) 1g +1 Boy oh boy are we playing poorly right now. I'm definitely changing our tactics after watching this horror show. The forechecking system seems great at home but too aggressive on the road. The only positives in this 'performance' were those provided by Roy, who scored his first NHL goal, and Jillson, who had an assist in his official debut as a Sabre. Ales Kotalik (1g 1a) had a multipoint game, answering his demotion with a decent game. Martin Biron again was subpar, garnering a '5' rating. Sunday October 26, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at Minnesota Wild Well, we're currently 1-4-0 on the road trip and morale is low. I made some tactical changes for this game, going with a one-man passive forecheck as opposed to sending two men in. Hopefully that will eliminate some of the chances in our end of the rink. I'm only making one lineup change, throwing in tough guy Eric Boulton for the first time this season. I think we're being taken advantage of a bit and Boulton will ensure that our finesse players are protected. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 1 4 6 (W: M. Biron 3-3-0) Minnesota 3 0 1 4 (L: M. Fernandez 0-3-1) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: M. Afinogenov, C. Drury, J. Hecht, T. Pyatt, A. Kotalik, J. Jillson Minnesota: F. Kuba, M. Gaborik, A. Daigle, M. Chouinard ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 33 Buffalo: 1-5 Minnesota: 30 Minnesota: 1-5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 1g 1a +3 2. J. Jillson (BUF) 1g 1a +4 3. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 1g 1a +1 Did we ever need this win! Down 3-1 after a period, I thought it was another one of those nights. However, Chris Drury finally scored his first Sabres goal late in the second to give us momentum then we stormed out of the gate in the third, scoring four times in eleven minutes. Jillson scored his first goal in a Buffalo uniform and was fantastic all night. Drury (1g 1a) and Ales Kotalik (1g 1a) also had multipoint nights. We finish off the longest road trip of the year with a 2-4-0 record and see our season record go to 4-5-0. On Tap Next Week: Tuesday October 28, 2003: vs. Colorado Avalanche Thursday October 30, 2003: vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday November 1, 2003: AT OTTAWA SENATORS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-30-2004, 12:04 AM	#26
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Tue. January 6, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (21-16-2-1 6th) at Montreal Canadiens (14-20-7-0 13th) I just was looking at my roster and noticed that I have a second unhappy player (other than Drury, who's still holding a grudge with me over the disciplinary action I took against him). Now unhappy is goaltender Mika Noronen, as he's looking for a contract offer from me. Interesting. I fancy myself the type of GM who negotiates after the season ends...I'll wait it out for a bit before offering him a new deal. I'm in Montreal to face the struggling Canadiens. I'm told that defenseman Jay McKee "needs a rest", so I'm going to insert Brad Brown against his former team for the game tonight. I HATE sitting McKee since he's been one of my steadiest backliners but I want to get Brown into a game anyway so this works out. Martin Biron gets the start in his hometown tonight. Maxim Afinogenov still hasn't returned to full practice so the rest of the lineup remains unchanged. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 2 0 1 3 (W. M. Biron 16-10-0) Montreal 0 0 2 2 (L: J. Theodore 12-16-6) ------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: T. Pyatt, M. Satan, D. Roy Montreal: Y. Perreault (2) ------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 27 Buffalo: 1-4 Montreal: 36 Montreal: 1-6 ------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 1g 1a 2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g +1 3. D. Roy (BUF) 1g +1 We had a comfortable 3-0 lead in this one and started playing undisciplined late, allowing them back in the contest. In fact, Montreal ended the game with a two man advantage PLUS their goalie pulled...to say I was nervous would be a drastic understatement! A nice win on the road to erase the memory of the Toronto game. Brad Brown was strong in place of the tired McKee, another positive. Wed. January 7, 2004: New Jersey Devils (23-10-6-1 2nd) at Buffalo Sabres (22-16-2-1 6th) New Jersey comes to town winless in three games. Patrik Elias and Scott Gomez are tied for the NHL lead in points with 44. They team up with Brian Gionta to form a devastating trio. I contemplated putting a checking line on them but decided it might be taxing on the players, who are already tired from playing the night before. We'll trust our four line system. Afinogenov looks like he'll be another week before being completely fit according to one of my physiotherapists. Mika Noronen gets the start in goal tonight; we'll see how he does, considering his 'unhappy' mood. By the way, his agent is asking for a four year, $4,000,000 deal. I'm definitely not interested in signing him to a deal that large and certainly don't have to: he's only making $500,000 this year and I can just offer him the requisite 10% increase through a qualifying offer in June. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT New Jersey 4 1 2 7 (W: M. Brodeur 19-11-6) Buffalo 0 1 1 2 (L: M. Noronen 6-7-2) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: New Jersey: B. Gionta (2), P. Sykora, S. Gomez, V. Kozlov, P. Martin, J. Langenbrunner Buffalo: T. Pyatt, M. Satan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: New Jersey: 36 New Jersey: 4-9 Buffalo: 20 Buffalo: 1-4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. P. Elias (NJ) 4a +1 2. S. Gomez (NJ) 1g 2a +1 3. B. Rafalski (NJ) 3a Just awful play in this one. New Jersey scored four powerplay goals in the first period to chase the dreadful Mika Noronen, who once again got disciplined for poor play. Just penalty after penalty in the first. I made an official complaint after the game to the NHL about referee Paul Devorski and unbelievably, they agreed that "the standard of officiating in our match was poor" and that "they will be reviewing the official's future games with great interest". Doesn't help me though! The team has to shake this off! NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Alexander Mogilny (TOR) 4GP 4g 5a 9pts +2 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Brian Rafalski (NJ) 3GP 0g 3a 3pts +0 Something I don't understand is the fact that the players of the week were announced TODAY, a Wednesday, and Rafalski won the award. Looking at his stats, he HAD to have won it based on this game, since he had no other points in the last seven days. It seems as if the tracking period went from Tuesday-Monday to Thursday-Wednesday. May be a bug... Thu. January 8, 2004: Great...another unhappy camper in Buffalo. Ales Kotalik also wants a contract extension. Ugh. I may have to change my philosophy for this game. His offer seems reasonable enough ($6,000,000 over 5 years plus bonuses), as he's producing good numbers for me. I may budge here. Fri. January 9, 2004: Ottawa Senators (26-11-3-0 1st) at Buffalo Sabres (22-17-2-1 6th) Just what I needed: a first place club coming into town against my battered club. Gut check time! We'll try to play a physical game again, a tactic that worked last time. In an effort to shore up the defensive aspect of our game, Mike Grier is going back on a line with Drury-Satan. If the club doesn't come up with a good effort here, they can expect changes for sure. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Ottawa 0 2 1 3 (L: M. Prusek 2-3-1) Buffalo 1 0 1 2 (L: M. Biron 16-11-0) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Ottawa: W. Redden, J. Spezza, M. Hossa Buffalo: J. McKee, M. Satan ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Ottawa: 24 Ottawa: 0-7 Buffalo: 20 Buffalo: 0-0 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Satan (BUF) 1g +1 2. M. Hossa (OTT) 1g +1 3. J. Spezza (OTT) 1g The refs were at it again, giving them 7 powerplays to my zero. Hard to get scoring chances when you're shorthanded for 25% of the game. I can't just wait for my four guys (Hecht, Briere, Dumont & Afinogenov) to come back, but I don't have a lot of options on the farm when it comes to scoring goals. I definitely need a spark right now. In other news, Sweden won the World Junior Championships in a 2-1 win over Canada. Unfortunately, Sabres prospect Dan Paille was not dressed for any of Canada's games in the championship. On Tap Next Week: Monday January 12, 2004: AT BOSTON BRUINS Tuesday January 13, 2004: vs. New Jersey Devils Thursday January 15, 2004: vs. Boston Bruins Saturday January 17, 2004: AT NEW YORK ISLANDERS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-30-2004, 12:21 AM	#28
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. January 19, 2004: I've placed three players on the trade block: defenseman Brad Brown and goaltender Mika Noronen from the parent team and defenseman Doug Janik from Rochester, who unfortunately isn't getting played on the farm. There are about 12 teams that show immediate interest in Brown. Tue. Janurary 20, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (22-20-4-1 8th) at Florida Panthers (13-27-6-1 15th) The Panthers are in last place in the conference, and is among the lowest scoring teams in the league thus far. Ryan Miller starts again for us while Florida counters with Roberto Luongo. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT Buffalo 0 1 2 0 3 (L: R. Miller 0-2-1) Florida 1 0 2 1 4 (W: R. Luongo 11-25-6) ---------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (2), M. Satan Florida: O. Jokinen (3), K. Huselius ---------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 38 Buffalo: 1-5 Florida: 36 Florida: 0-4 ---------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. O. Jokinen (FLO) 3g 1a +4 2. K. Huselius (FLO) 1g 2a +3 3. A. Lilja (FLO) 3a +2 We were lucky to even get the point for the overtime loss. We were down two goals in the third and changed our tactics to a high forecheck system, which got us the equilizing goals. My inability to maintain consistency with our lines is hurting our team and I'm going to have to stick with something in order for the guys to get some chemistry. Jokinen was unstoppable for the Panthers in the win. Afinogenov continues to play impressive offensive hockey since coming back from his injury. Wed. January 21, 2004: I've offered the New York Islanders Brad Brown in a trade. I'm looking for a draft pick in return. I've never even attempted a trade in this game so we'll see if I can get something done. In other news, I've sent rookie Derek Roy back to Rochester, this time for the rest of the year (unless injuries really kill me). Roy just is out of his element now after starting the year really positively and needs to regain confidence. He leaves us having garnered only 1 point in his last 15 games and 12 points in 38 games on the year. Chris Taylor has been recalled to play until my injured players come back. Thu. January 22, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (22-20-4-2 9th) at Boston Bruins (21-18-5-4 T-6th) Wow. The Islanders offered me a pretty darn good player in Mattias Weinhandl for Brad Brown but I'm forced to reject it; Weinhandl is making $150,000/year more than Brown and I can't send him down to the farm without exposing him on waivers. He was really struggling with the Isles so far, garnering only 3 assists in 38 games this year and I wouldn't be able to offer him a position on a scoring line, so the offer is rejected. I counter with Brown and a 6th rounder for the Isles 2nd round pick. Daniel Briere has resumed light practice and will return in three weeks. In the meantime, I've got the Bruins again to contend with. I've fallen out of the playoff picture with our poor play this month and need to get something going. Martin Biron will start tonight in goal and I've implemented a pressing style of play for this game to hopefully take advantage of the Bruins immobile defense corp. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT Buffalo 4 0 0 0 4 (T: M. Biron 16-13-1) Boston 1 1 2 0 4 (T: A. Raycroft 13-10-3) ------------------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Buffalo: C. Drury (2), A. Kotalik, J. Pominville Boston: N. Boynton, M. Grosek, M. Nylander, B. Rolston ------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 34 Buffalo: 0-7 Boston: 37 Boston: 1-3 ------------------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. B. Rolston (BOS) 1g +1 2. C. Drury (BUF) 2g +1 3. S. Samsonov (BOS) 2a +1 You can't possibly understand how furious I am with this tie. Chris Drury scored two goals in a seven second span with less than 30 seconds left in the first to put us up 4-1 but we slowly let Boston take the momentum away. Brian Rolston, with Boston's net empty, scored with about a minute left in regulation shorthanded to tie the game up. Just inexcusable! I just can't buy a win right now. I found out after the game that the Islanders rejected my trade proposal, just to add to my misery. Fri. January 23, 2004: Two trade offers for Mika Noronen came in today: first, Pittsburgh offered defenseman Ross Lupaschuk, who was playing in Wilkes-Barre for Noronen and a 7th rounder. REJECTED! Calgary then offered Chris Clark for Noronen straight up. Now that's interesting. I decide to negotiate and ask for a third round pick in 2005 as well. Sat. January 24, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (22-20-5-2 9th) at New Jersey Devils (27-12-9-1 3rd) Chris Thorburn agreed to our contract offer this afternoon, a two-year, two-way deal worth $525,000. He's playing very well in Rochester this year and could contend for a fourth line position with us next year. He also could be a late season call-up. More trade proposals come in for Brad Brown and again I negotiate with the Islanders, this time asking for a third round pick. I decide to slot Brown into the lineup tonight against the Devils and hope his physical presence helps us in the game; Brian Campbell will sit. I also decide to give Ryan Miller a chance to get revenge for his first game of the year, where he got shelled by New Jersey. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 2 1 4 (W: R. Miller 1-2-1) New Jersey 1 0 2 3 (L: M. Brodeur 22-14-8) ------------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Buffalo: A. Kotalik (2), E. Boulton, M. Bartovic New Jersey: D. Hale, J. Pandolfo, B. Gionta ------------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 28 Buffalo: 1-3 New Jersey: 39 New Jersey: 0-2 ------------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 2g 2. J. Pandolfo (NJ) 1g 1a +1 3. B. Gionta (NJ) 1g Big win!!! It was deja vu for us when New Jersey came back from 2 down to tie the game up at three but Ales Kotalik tipped home an Alexei Zhitnik shot with less than four minutes remaining to finally get our first win in nine games. Zhitnik contributed a pair of assists to join Kotalik with a multipoint game. Ryan Miller gets his first win of the season, playing a very strong game. I switched my tactics early in the first to a high forechecking system and it worked well against the dump and chase Devils. I'm now just starting to document my tactics game-by-game (I know...what a brutal manager) to refer to when playing the same teams in the future. By the way, my trade with Calgary was rejected. Sun. January 25, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (23-20-5-2 7th) at Tampa Bay Lightning (25-16-6-2 5th) We complete our very tough 4 game in 6 night stretch on the road versus Tampa Bay. We'll go back to our trap system and utilize a hard-hitting style. Brian Campbell comes back in to the lineup and sit Brad Brown, while Martin Biron goes back in net in place of an exhausted Ryan Miller. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 0 1 1 (L: M. Biron 16-14-1) Tampa Bay 2 2 0 4 (W: N. Khabibulin 25-13-6) --------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: D. Kalinin Tampa Bay: M. St. Louis (2), B. Richards, V. Lecavalier --------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 23 Buffalo: 0-5 Tampa Bay: 36 Tampa Bay: 2-5 --------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. St. Louis (TB) 2g 2a +2 2. B. Richards (TB) 1g 1a +1 3. N. Khabibulin (TB) 1a 22 saves We had held Martin St. Louis in check all year; it was just a matter of time before he exploded and boy did he ever do that. Tampa chased Biron from the net tonight. Just a tough stretch of games for us but I can't be too disappointed, as I did get four points in these four games. On Tap Next Week: Tuesday January 27, 2004: vs. Montreal Canadiens Friday January 30, 2004: AT NEW YORK RANGERS Saturday January 31, 2004: vs. New York Rangers __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-30-2004, 12:30 AM	#29
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. January 26, 2004: David Poille, Nashville's GM, offers me a 2004 3rd rounder, a 2005 5th rounder and tough guy Jim McKenzie for Brad Brown. I decide to accept the offer, making my first ever trade. Exciting! In much more exciting news, Jochen Hecht has returned to full practice! I'm pretty sure J.P. Dumont will be ready soon as well. Now I've got to figure out what to do with my lines. I've played Chris Taylor in too many games, making him waiver-eligible. I unfortunately have to waive him in order to send him to Rochester and hope no one takes him. Tue. January 27, 2004: Montreal Canadiens (17-26-7-0 13th) at Buffalo Sabres (23-21-5-2 7th) I get a huge break here, as goaltender Jose Theodore is out with a rotator cuff strain and Mathieu Garon will tend goal tonight. I'll go back to my attacking trap system and try to hit them hard as Montreal isn't the most physical team. I'll ease Jochen Hecht into the lineup by putting him on the third line with the waived Chris Taylor and Jason Pominville. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Montreal 0 0 2 2 (L: M. Garon 5-6-1) Buffalo 0 2 2 4 (W: R. Miller 2-2-1) --------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Montreal: S. Koivu, M. Ribeiro Buffalo: J. Hecht, J. Pominville, A. Kotalik, M. Grier --------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Montreal: 25 Montreal: 0-2 Buffalo: 26 Buffalo: 1-2 --------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 2. S. Koivu (MON) 1g +1 3. J. Hecht (BUF) 1g Looks good on the surface but I allowed another team to get back into a game they had no right to be in. Ribeiro scored with a little over 5 minutes remaining to tie the game at 2 but Ales Kotalik came right back ten seconds later to give us the lead back. We need to do a better job of finishing games! Regardless, the Board of Directors sends me an email after the game, praising our performance. Wed. January 28, 2004: In an interesting development, the New York Rangers fans are in a fury over their team's performance lately, especially in a 7-0 loss to Carolina last night. I play the Rangers in two games so hopefully I can take advantage of this! NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Jarome Iginla (CAL) 3GP 5g 3a 8pts +4 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Sean Burke (PHI) 2GP 1-0-1 0.96 GAA Thu. January 29, 2004: The Chicago Blackhawks have offered a contract to one of my Rochester players, Jason Jaffray, who's playing very well with 12 goals and 26 points in 34 games. He was signed by the Amerks early in the season from the ECHL and I don't have his rights. My scouts don't like him so I'm not going to offer a contract. In other news, Chris Taylor did clear waivers and I sent him down to Rochester. I immediately called up forward Milan Bartovic to take his place (I had to send him down for the Montreal game because of too many players on the roster). Fri. January 30, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (24-21-5-2 9th) at New York Rangers (22-24-4-1 11th) I've mixed up the lines again, just because. I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess. Since the Rangers are struggling, I plan on attacking big-time early in the game to get the fans on their back. That means a high forechecking, hard pressing system. Martin Biron starts in goal tonight. I have Pyatt-Drury-Kotalik on line one, Hecht-Connolly-Satan on line two, Grier-Pominville-Afinogenov on line three and Boulton-Mair-Bartovic on line four. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 2 2 1 5 (W: M. Biron 17-14-1) N.Y. Rangers 0 0 2 2 (L: M. Dunham 19-22-4) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (2), M. Grier, A. Kotalik, A. Mair N.Y. Rangers: J. Hlavac, D. Kasparaitis ----------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 41 Buffalo: 1-8 N.Y. Rangers: 31 N.Y. Rangers: 2-4 ----------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 2g +1 2. M. Grier (BUF) 1g +1 3. J. Jagr (NYR) 1a -1 The score flattered the beleaguered Rangers in this one, as they scored twice in the last four minutes on an extended powerplay to make it closer than it appeared. I even gave my fourth line big minutes in the third period just to rest the other guys. Chris Drury was excellent too, going +3 with a pair of assists, and Taylor Pyatt also had a pair of helpers. The Board of Directors emailed again, this time saying "we're very impressed with the way the team is performing lately". Well, I don't know about that, but I'll take the praise! I found out after the game that centre Adam Mair was hurt in practice earlier in the night and played through it. However, he reaggravated the thigh injury and is out for two weeks. I just can't catch a break with my team. I'm going to have to recall Chris Taylor to take his place. Sat. January 31, 2004: New York Rangers (22-25-4-1 11th) at Buffalo Sabres (25-21-5-2 T-6th) Back to back games means Ryan Miller goes in net. I'm going to revert back to the trap for this game in an effort to confuse the Rangers. Chris Taylor goes in for the injured Adam Mair, otherwise the lineup remains the same. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT N.Y. Rangers 0 2 1 3 (L: M. Dunham 19-23-4) Buffalo 2 1 2 5 (W: R. Miller 3-2-1) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: N.Y. Rangers: D. Lacouture, S. McCarthy, J. Lundmark Buffalo: C. Taylor (3), M. Afinogenov, D. Kalinin ----------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: N.Y. Rangers: 28 N.Y. Rangers: 0-3 Buffalo: 24 Buffalo: 0-7 ----------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. C. Taylor (BUF) 3g 2. H. Tallinder (BUF) 1a +1 3. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 1g +1 Chris Taylor has a huge game, scoring three times, including an empty netter to seal it while linemate Eric Boulton continues his excellent play this year with 2 assists. Their offensive performance is tempered by the fact they were on the ice for all three Rangers goals as well. I switched to a high forechecking style in the third period, as I seemed to be sitting back a bit too much and New York responded by getting to within one at the end of two. Worked out alright! We end January on a high note, winning three straight and four of five to finish the month with a 6-6-3-1 record. I'm thrilled, considering how bad it looked a week ago. We have lost ground in a competitive Eastern Conference, however, and will need to keep winning to maintain our playoff position. Here are the stats as of January 31st: Code: Buffalo Sabres Statistics (As of January 31, 2004): POS PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG RW Miroslav Satan 54 24 22 46 -6 14 9 0 1 RW Ales Kotalik 54 18 24 42 -10 12 5 0 2 LW Taylor Pyatt 54 15 22 37 -10 12 4 0 4 C Chris Drury 53 12 20 32 -7 22 2 0 1 LW Jochen Hecht 37 13 16 29 8 6 1 0 4 D Jeff Jillson 47 6 20 26 7 28 1 0 1 RW Maxim Afinogenov 31 13 12 25 4 14 6 0 2 C Daniel Briere 33 9 15 24 11 28 1 0 2 RW J.P. Dumont 30 11 7 18 -2 6 8 0 3 D Dmitri Kalinin 51 5 12 17 -9 56 1 0 1 D Jay McKee 49 2 14 16 8 80 1 0 0 LW Mike Grier 54 8 8 16 0 45 0 0 3 RW Jason Pominville 24 4 11 15 -8 2 2 0 0 C Adam Mair 53 6 9 15 0 50 0 1 1 LW Eric Boulton 35 6 7 13 -1 95 0 0 0 D Alexei Zhitnik 43 3 10 13 -4 50 2 0 1 D Henrik Tallinder 54 0 13 13 -1 2 0 0 0 RW Milan Bartovic 31 5 7 12 0 8 0 0 0 C Derek Roy 38 4 8 12 -5 35 0 0 0 D Brian Campbell 52 2 10 12 -8 18 1 0 1 C Tim Connolly 25 3 8 11 -3 8 1 0 0 LW Jim McKenzie (BUF) - - - - - - - - - (NAS) 47 6 4 10 -7 151 0 0 1 (OVERALL) 47 6 4 10 -7 151 0 0 1 C Chris Taylor 16 5 2 7 -1 12 0 0 0 LW Jason Botterill 19 1 3 4 -1 23 0 0 0 G Martin Biron 36 0 2 2 --- 0 0 0 0 G Ryan Miller 7 0 1 1 --- 0 0 0 0 D James Patrick 11 0 1 1 -6 0 0 0 0 G Mika Noronen 19 0 0 0 --- 0 0 0 0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- POS PLAYER GP W L T MIN GA GAA SHO SV% G Martin Biron 36 17 14 1 1990 99 2.98 2 .898 G Ryan Miller 7 3 2 1 383 21 3.29 0 .900 G Mika Noronen 19 6 7 3 880 49 3.34 1 .891 NHL Offensive Player of the Month: Jarome Iginla* (CAL) 15GP 13g 4a 17pts +4 10PIM NHL Defensive Player of the Month: Rhett Warrener (CAL) 14GP 1g 7a 8pts +11 14PIM NHL Rookie of the Month: Brooks Orpik (PIT) 13GP 0g 2a 2pts +3 8PIM Sunday February 1, 2004: More good news on the injury front, as winger Jean-Pierre Dumont returned to full practice today. I've played Dumont with Jochen Hecht and Daniel Briere all year but want to try to get Chris Drury going, so Dumont will play with him and Ales Kotalik. The Board of Directors sent their monthly email, saying they're "delighted with my overall performance as G.M.". On Tap Next Week: Thursday February 5, 2004: vs. Boston Bruins Saturday February 7, 2004: NHL All-Star Game (Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota) __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-30-2004, 12:36 AM	#30
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. February 2, 2004: I noticed that Jochen Hecht was looking for a contract renewel so I decided to send him an offer. He was looking for a fair deal and in the end I offered him a five year deal worth around 9,000,000. In other news, I sent Milan Bartovic down to Rochester to gain more experience. He played very well in a fourth line role but I don't envision him getting much playing time now that my regular players are getting healthy. Ideally, I'd send Jim McKenzie down, but two factors are holding me back: first, I'd have to waive him before sending him down and secondly (and most importantly), I'm not wanting to tick off the other guys on the team by dropping a guy I just traded for. I've also gone back to the rotating captaincy. I had Miroslav Satan as captain for the last two months but I'd like to see how we do with someone else. Therefore, Jay McKee will lead the team for the month of February, with J.P. Dumont and Satan set as assistants. Here are my line combinations at the start of the month: Code: LW C RW LD RD Dumont Drury Kotalik McKee Jillson Hecht Pominville Satan Kalinin Zhitnik Pyatt Connolly Afinogenov Campbell Tallinder Boulton Taylor Grier ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subs: McKenzie, Patrick Goal: Miller, Biron, Noronen Tue. February 3, 2004: Rochester Americans forward Jason Jaffray accepted the contract from the Blackhawks this morning. I'm actually glad this has happened, as now there's a better chance that one of my prospects will get to take his position on a scoring line. Wed. February 4, 2004: NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Scott Pellerin (STL) 3GP 3g 4a 7pts +3 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: J.S. Giguere (ANA) 3GP 3-0-0 0.33 GAA 2 SHO .986 SA% Thu. February 5, 2004: Boston Bruins (25-19-7-4 6th) at Buffalo Sabres (26-21-5-2 8th) The tough Bruins are in Buffalo for the last game before the All-Star break. The team is really well rested, having had four days without a game. I'm going back to a trap system tonight against Boston, who's starting Felix Potvin tonight. I counter with Ryan Miller. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Boston 4 0 1 5 (W: F. Potvin 11-12-2) Buffalo 1 0 0 1 (L: R. Miller 3-3-1) ----------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Boston: J. Thornton (2), S. O'Donnell, S. Samsonov, P.J. Axelsson Buffalo: J. Hecht ----------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Boston: 27 Boston: 0-3 Buffalo: 30 Buffalo: 0-3 ----------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. J. Thornton (BOS) 2g +4 2. F. Potvin (BOS) 1GA 29 saves 3. S. Samsonov (BOS) 1g 1a +3 Hecht opened the scoring only three minutes in but Boston took over from there, scoring four times in a 12 minute span, chasing Ryan Miller. We went to a high forechecking system and played pretty well from there but Potvin was up to the task, making countless great saves. Bad game going into the break. I disciplined Miller for his poor performance and he actually offered an apology, saying that "I deserved the warning and I'll do a better job of motivating myself before games in the future." Damn straight! Big news after the game! Pittsburgh accepted a trade that sees Mika Noronen, Buffalo's 3rd and 5th round draft picks in 2004 and a 2nd round pick in 2005 all going to Pittsburgh in exchange for Pittsburgh's first round pick in 2005. Wowza! Now, all I need is for Pittsburgh to suck next year so I get a chance at Sidney Crosby! Speaking of Crosby, he's been receiving praise from various journalists in Canada for his recent performances at Rimouski, where he's piled up 29 goals, 37 assists and a +41 rating in 47 games thus far. I also received word that Jochen Hecht has accepted my four year extension worth $7,000,000 plus incentives. A bargain, I say! Sat. February 7, 2004: The Western Conference All-Stars, behind a four goal, one assist performance from Calgary's Jarome Iginla, defeated the Eastern Conference 7-3. Buffalo had no representatives at the game. Sun. February 8, 2004: I've offered new contract extensions to both J.P. Dumont and Maxim Afinogenov. On Tap Next Week: Tuesday February 10, 2004: vs. Dallas Stars Friday February 13, 2004: vs. San Jose Sharks Saturday February 14, 2004: AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-10-2004, 06:12 PM	#2
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Buffalo Sabres 1970-2003: A Brief History The NHL officially came to Buffalo on Dec. 2, 1969, when the league awarded Seymour and Northrup Knox the franchise that would soon be named "Sabres." The brothers wasted little time in hiring George "Punch" Imlach, formerly of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as the team's first Head Coach and General Manager. In June 1970, the Sabres won the first pick in the NHL Entry Draft over the other expansion team in Vancouver, and Imlach selected highly touted center Gilbert Perreault from the Montreal Jr. Canadiens. Perreault lived up to his advance billing, scoring 38 goals in his rookie season en route to winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year. Another Junior Canadien, left winger Rick Martin, joined Perreault on the team's front line as the Sabres' top pick in 1971. That dominating duo turned trio when Rene Robert was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins near the end of the 1971-72 season. The line of Martin-Perreault-Robert would be dubbed "The French Connection" and would become one of the most dominating scoring lines in the history of the NHL. By 1974-75, the young team was maturing and finished the season with a 49-16-15 record - still the best single-season record in franchise history. Buffalo defeated Chicago in the first round of the playoffs and followed that with a second-round victory over Montreal to earn its first-ever berth in the Stanley Cup Finals vs. Philadelphia. The Flyers defeated the Sabres in a very memorable six game series but the loss did not blemish the accomplishment of a team which had only been in the league for five years. One of the most memorable moments in the franchise's first decade occurred Jan. 4, 1976, when the Sabres played the powerful Soviet Wings in an exhibition game at The Aud. With Cold War tensions still running high, the game had an intensity level far beyond the average regular-season game. Buffalo put on a dominating performance, defeating the Wings 12-6 in what ranked at the time as the worst-ever loss by a Soviet team in international competition. The Sabres had an opportunity to hire one of the game's all-time coaching greats, Scotty Bowman, and did so in 1979. In his first season as Head Coach, Bowman led the Sabres to the Wales Conference Finals before they lost in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion New York Islanders. Bowman finished with an impressive 210-134-60 mark as Sabres coach. General Manager Bowman spent the next few seasons revamping the Sabres' lineup, adding dynamic young players such as Mike Ramsey, Phil Housley, Mike Foligno, Dave Andreychuk and Tom Barrasso. Those players formed the core of some successful teams, and helped continue the tradition of winning hockey. Through the good times and the bad times, there was always Gilbert Perreault. Linemates Robert and Martin had both been traded by the early 1980s, but the original Sabre remained and continued to flourish. On March 9, 1986, Perreault and an Aud full of fans celebrated together as the franchise's favorite son scored his 500th career goal, making him the 12th player in history (at the time) to reach that milestone. Four years later, in 1990, Perreault was immortalized with induction into Hockey's Hall of Fame. This would be an omen of better things to come for the franchise. Five-time Stanley Cup Champion John Muckler was chosen in 1991 to be the team's Director of Hockey Operations and soon assumed the title of head coach. He was instrumental in acquiring Pat LaFontaine from the Islanders in October 1991, arguably the greatest trade in franchise history. LaFontaine teamed with Russian Alexander Mogilny to form a dynamic duo that combined to score 129 goals in 1992-93, including a franchise-record 76 goals from Mogilny. Buffalo capped that season by sweeping the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs to post its first playoff series win in 10 years. That playoff excitement was just a precursor to Game Six of the 1994 Eastern Conference Quarter Finals vs. the New Jersey Devils. Buffalo won that game 1-0 in four overtimes on a goal by Dave Hannan. Dominik Hasek posted an incredible 70 saves in the victory, playing the entire 125:43 without allowing a goal. Following that season, Hasek would win the first of two consecutive Vezina Trophies as the NHL's top goaltender. But that would only set the stage for the 1996-97 season. Before it even started, the 1996-97 campaign was already one of the most memorable in team history. On a sad note, the season would represent the first without founder Seymour H. Knox, III, who passed away in the spring of 1996. It would also represent the first time in the team's history that it would have new uniforms (red and black replaced blue and gold) as well as a new state-of-the-art arena (HSBC Arena replaced Memorial Auditorium). The Sabres shocked many of the so-called experts by winning the Northeast Division; the team's first-such title since winning the Adams Division championship in 1981. The end of the season also brought many notable achievements off the ice. The Sabres were the stars of the NHL's postseason awards banquet. Hasek won the Hart Trophy as league MVP, the first time a goalie had achieved such a feat since 1962. For good measure, Hasek also took home his third Vezina in four years, an equally stunning feat. Michael Peca, a 23-year-old center in just his second full season, joined Craig Ramsay as the only Sabres to win the Selke Trophy, symbolic of the league's best defensive forward. Ted Nolan won the Jack Adams Award as the Coach of the Year. Turmoil in the front office during the offseason led to the departures of both Nolan and Muckler. Darcy Regier was hired as General Manager and Lindy Ruff was named head coach at the start of the season, and led Buffalo to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Sabres eventually fell to the Capitals in six games, but their performance marked the team's best playoff finish since 1980. Hasek once again shone brightly, taking home his fourth Vezina Trophy and becoming the first goaltender ever to win two consecutive Hart Trophies. Earlier in the year, Hasek had also been instrumental in leading the underdog Czech Republic to a Gold Medal at the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. The year ended on a sad note when team co-founder Northrup Knox passed away in July 1998. The Knox brothers persistence in acquiring a franchise and their determination to keep it in Buffalo will forever resonate with hockey fans in Western New York. Shortly before his death, Knox orchestrated the sale of the team to John Rigas of Adelphia Cable Communications. Buffalo returned to the Eastern Conference Final the following year, this time facing its geographical rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. In what would be known as the Cross-Border Series, the Sabres defeated Toronto 4-1 to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for just the second time in team history. The Dallas Stars would be the Sabres' opponent and the two teams proved to be evenly matched in the lowest-scoring Stanley Cup in history. With Buffalo trailing 3 games to 2 in Game Six, Brett Hull slid the puck past Hasek in the third overtime to clinch the Cup for the Stars. Replays would later show that Hull's skate was in the crease, but officials let the goal stand to the dismay of Sabres fans. Buffalo celebrated its 30th anniversary season in the NHL in 1999-2000 with the impressive rookie debuts of Martin Biron and Maxim Afinogenov. Their development, combined with the late-season additions of veterans Doug Gilmour and Chris Gratton enabled the Sabres to continue their winning ways as they began their fourth decade of play in the NHL. The 2000-01 campaign will be remembered as one of the most successful seasons in recent memory as the Sabres won the fourth-most games in team history (46). Once again, Miroslav Satan led the team in goals scored and total points in the regular season and had a stellar postseason with three goals, a team-high 10 assists and 13 total points. Dominik Hasek continued to prove why he was one of the best goalies in the NHL, posting a 34-24-4 record with 2.11 goals against and 11 shutouts en route to his sixth Vezina Trophy. Despite not making the playoffs in 2001-02, the Sabres were one of the better teams in the NHL over the second half of the season. Strong offensive years from Satan, Stu Barnes and Tim Connolly as well as the emergence of Taylor Pyatt late in the year were just a few of the bright spots of the season. The 2002-03 season was bleak in Buffalo, as the franchise went into bankruptcy. The NHL was forced to take over operations of the club until new ownership was found. The season saw Lindy Ruff became the team's all-time winningest head coach after a 5-2 win over Philadelphia on Feb. 18, 2003. Ales Kotalik broke onto the scene by scoring 21 goals, the second most by a rookie in 2002-03 while Satan once again led the Sabres in goals, assists and points. B. Thomas Golisano became the Sabres' owner in March and brought a new enthusiasm level to the franchise. The acquisitions of Daniel Briere (at the 2002-03 trade deadline), Jeff Jillson, Mike Grier and Chris Drury have raised expectations for the 2003-04 campaign. __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-10-2004, 11:11 PM	#5
sachmo71 The boy who cried Trout Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: TX	Impossible task, but good luck. I kid because I love! No goal and all of that!

12-10-2004, 11:18 PM	#7
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Sunday October 5, 2003 The preseason ended last night with us losing a heartbreaker to Calgary 3-2. Marty Biron let in the winning goal from an awful angle with only 9 seconds left in the game. We ended up an even 4-4-1 in our nine preseason games. Training camp and the preseason games allowed us to look at a number of players vying for positions on the team. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the efforts of most players that were 'on the bubble'. I had hoped that Jeff Jillson would step up and show the promise expected of him; Jillson was awful in his five games, notching no points and a -6 rating. Since he's exempt from waivers, I'll be sending him down to Rochester so he can gain some confidence. I had also given rookie Derek Roy every opportunity to earn the third line centre job but again was left disappointed. Roy had only one assist in six games and was a -1. Domenic Pittis didn't do much himself, gaining two assists while posting an awful -5 mark but in the end I think the team will be better off with Pittis staying in Buffalo for now. Roy can learn the trade in Rochester and he'll be the first guy I call up if things go awry or if Pittis isn't producing. Some positives did come out of camp with respect to goaltending; Ryan Miller was solid in allowing only seven goals in three games and he'll get the start on opening night in New Jersey. I'll carry three goaltenders for now just to be safe. Tactically, we went with an up-tempo, high energy system. Here are the details: Mentality: Attacking Off. System: Skating Off. Zone: Crash the Net Forecheck: High Defensive Coverage: Zone Backchecking: Hard Pressing: Normal (Road), High (Home) Hitting: Hard (Skill Teams), Normal (Other Teams) Boardplay: Power Here are the stats from the 2003 Preseason: ('' = Rookie) Code: PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM Miroslav Satan 7 5 3 8 5 2 J.P. Dumont 6 0 6 6 4 0 Chris Drury 6 3 2 5 3 2 Jochen Hecht 6 3 2 5 2 0 Ales Kotalik 7 3 2 5 -4 2 Taylor Pyatt 7 2 3 5 3 2 Daniel Briere 6 1 3 4 4 6 Jason Pominville 4 2 1 3 2 0 Brian Campbell 6 0 3 3 5 10 Jason Botterill 5 1 1 2 0 4 Maxim Afinogenov 7 2 0 2 -4 2 Domenic Pittis 7 0 2 2 -5 8 David Cullen 2 1 0 1 1 0 Rick Mrozik 2 0 1 1 2 0 Nathan Paetsch 2 0 1 1 2 2 Norm Milley 3 1 0 1 0 9 Adam Mair 6 1 0 1 2 4 Mike Grier 6 1 0 1 0 4 Dmitri Kalinin 6 0 1 1 4 4 Henrik Tallinder 6 0 1 1 0 2 Derek Roy 6 0 1 1 -1 2 Brian Chapman 1 0 0 0 0 2 Ryan Jorde 1 0 0 0 1 0 Sean McMorrow 1 0 0 0 0 0 Jiri Novotny 1 0 0 0 0 0 Doug Janik 2 0 0 0 1 0 Paul Gaustad 2 0 0 0 0 4 Rory Fitzpatrick 3 0 0 0 2 4 Andrew Peters 3 0 0 0 0 9 Eric Boulton 3 0 0 0 -2 4 James Patrick 4 0 0 0 2 2 Brad Brown 4 0 0 0 0 13 Chris Taylor 4 0 0 0 -2 4 Milan Bartovic 5 0 0 0 0 2 Alexei Zhitnik 6 0 0 0 2 12 Jeff Jillson 6 0 0 0 -6 2 Jay McKee 6 0 0 0 -10 6 PLAYER GP W L T GAA SV% Ryan Miller 3 1 1 1 2.33 .926 Mika Noronen 3 2 1 0 2.33 .919 Martin Biron 3 1 2 0 3.00 .909 We were fortunate to not lose any players during the waiver draft. The fact that we have the youngest team in the NHL helped us, as I only had about five players that were eligible after I submitted my protected list. Here is how the team looks as we prepare for our opening night game in New Jersey, taking place in four nights: Code: Forwards: J. Hecht D. Briere J.P. Dumont A. Kotalik C. Drury M. Satan T. Pyatt D. Pittis M. Afinogenov M. Grier A. Mair J. Botterill Spares: E. Boulton, C. Taylor Defensemen: D. Kalinin A. Zhitnik J. McKee H. Tallinder B. Campbell B. Brown Spare: J. Patrick Goaltenders: R. Miller M. Biron Spare: M. Noronen On Tap Next Week:* Thursday October 9, 2003: at New Jersey Saturday October 11, 2003: vs New York Islanders __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-11-2004, 01:06 PM	#8
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Monday October 6, 2003 Chris Drury got injured in practice today (shoulder contusion) and is doubtful for our season opener in New Jersey. This causes problems, as Drury was going to be named captain for the month of October (I'm going with a rotating captaincy right now). If Drury can't go, I'll call up Derek Roy and slot him into the second line centre position. Thursday October 9, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at New Jersey Devils Drury still isn't ready to go, unfortunately, so Roy is in the opening night lineup: Code: OPENING NIGHT LINEUP LW C RW LD RD J. Hecht D. Briere J.P. Dumont A. Zhitnik D. Kalinin T. Pyatt D. Roy M. Satan J. McKee B. Brown A. Kotalik D. Pittis M. Afinogenov B. Campbell H. Tallinder M. Grier A. Mair J. Botterill GOAL: R. Miller Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 1 1 3 (L: R. Miller 0-1-0) New Jersey 1 3 2 6 (W: C. Schwab 1-0-0) -------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: J. Botterill, A. Mair, T. Pyatt New Jersey: J. Friesen (2), G. Marshall (2), B. Rafalski, S. Brylin -------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 24 Buffalo: 0-3 New Jersey: 42 New Jersey: 0-5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. J. Friesen (NJ) 2g 2. B. Rafalski (NJ) 1g 3. S. Gomez (NJ) 2a Nothing went right tonight, as Jersey just swarmed us all night with shot after shot. Ryan Miller seemed overmatched in goal and I pulled him three minutes into the third period with us down 5-2. Derek Roy got an assist in his first NHL game on Pyatt's goal. Jason Botterill had an eventful night too, scoring the first goal of the game and also getting a game misconduct penalty for kneeing. Friday October 10, 2003 Well, Jason Botterill has been suspended for three games for the kneeing incident last night. I'm appealing the decision but it looks like he's going to be out of the lineup for my home opener tomorrow night. Saturday October 11, 2003: New York Islanders at Buffalo Sabres I want Chris Drury in the lineup and will play him injured against the Islanders. Jason Botterill will have to sit out while the league goes over my appeal, so I'll have Domenic Pittis play RW on the fourth line. I decided to send Ryan Miller down to the farm; maybe I'm being a bit quick with the trigger but he looked awful that first game. Martin Biron will start in net. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT N.Y. Islanders 0 0 1 1 (L: R. DiPietro 0-1-0) Buffalo 0 2 0 2 (W: M. Biron 1-0-0) -------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: N.Y. Islanders: M. Czerkawski Buffalo: J.P. Dumont (2) -------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: N.Y. Islanders: 25 N.Y. Islanders: 0-3 Buffalo: 27 Buffalo: 2-6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 2g 2. M. Biron (BUF) 24 saves 3. A. Zhitnik (BUF) 1a Much better performance, with Dumont finally scoring after getting shutout in the preseason. Chris Drury got an assist in his first game as a Sabre and Biron was solid in goal. We've got a home game on Monday night against Phoenix and then go on the road for six games, our longest trip of the year. On Tap Next Week: Monday October 13, 2003: vs. Phoenix Coyotes Thursday October 16, 2003: AT VANCOUVER CANUCKS Saturday October 18, 2003: AT EDMONTON OILERS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-11-2004, 01:12 PM	#9
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Monday October 13, 2003: Phoenix Coyotes at Buffalo Sabres The NHL took one game off Botterill's suspension so he'll be back for the road trip. I go with the exact same lineup as the Islanders game. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Phoenix 0 1 0 1 (L: B. Boucher 0-2-0) Buffalo 1 1 1 3 (W: M. Biron (2-0-0) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Phoenix: T. Nash Buffalo: T. Pyatt, M. Grier, J.P. Dumont (EN) ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Phoenix: 19 Phoenix: 0-3 Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 1-5 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Biron (BUF) 1ga 18 saves 2. B. Boucher (PHO) 2ga 26 saves 3. J. McKee (BUF) 2a +2 Pretty tight game but another good one. I sent Derek Roy (3GP 0g 1a 1pt) down to the minors after the game, as Jason Botterill has finished serving his suspension and Chris Drury is back to full fitness. Big road trip ahead. Thursday October 16, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at Vancouver Canucks Botterill is back in as the fourth line RW and Domenic Pittis steps into the third line centre position. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 0 1 2 (L: M. Biron 2-1-0) Vancouver 2 1 1 4 (W: D. Cloutier 2-1-0) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: M. Satan, M. Grier Vancouver: M. Naslund, T. Bertuzzi, S. Salo, M. Cooke ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 28 Buffalo: 0-3 Vancouver: 36 Vancouver: 1-7 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. E. Jovanovski (VAN) 0pts 2. T. Bertuzzi (VAN) 1g 1a +1 3. D. Cloutier (VAN) 1ga 27 saves Can't get too upset about this one, as Vancouver is a fine club. Taylor Pyatt, Martin Biron and Brian Campbell had '6' ratings, which qualifies as below average to me. Saturday October 18, 2003: Buffalo Sabres at Edmonton Oilers I'll give Biron a rest and give the netminding honours to Mika Noronen tonight. I'm also putting James Patrick in on defense for Brad Brown. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 1 0 2 (W: M. Noronen 1-0-0) Edmonton 0 0 0 0 (L: J. Markkanen 1-2-0) ------------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Buffalo: M. Afinogenov, B. Campbell Edmonton: None ------------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 23 Buffalo: 1-6 Edmonton: 27 Edmonton: 0-4 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Noronen (BUF) Shutout 27 saves 2. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 1g 1a +1 3. J. Markkanen (EDM) 2ga 21 saves First shutout of the season, and on the road to boot. Jochen Hecht (2a) joined Afinogenov with a multipoint game. Excellent effort all around and a nice start to the road trip for us. On Tap Next Week: Monday October 20, 2003: AT CALGARY FLAMES Thursday October 23, 2003: AT SAN JOSE SHARKS Friday October 24, 2003: AT LOS ANGELES KINGS Sunday October 26, 2003: AT MINNESOTA WILD __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-12-2004, 05:41 PM	#11
Johnny93g College Starter Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Toronto	I think i know why your losing.................... THE SABRES SUCK!!!!!!!! __________________ FOOL- Toronto Marlboros FOOL Classic Champions 2073, 2078, 2079, 2114, 2116, 2117, 2129, 2152, 2155, 2169, 2192 46 35 FOOL H- New York Giants World Champions 1914, 1928 BBCF: Notre Dame TML

12-16-2004, 02:02 AM	#13
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Tuesday October 28, 2003: Colorado Avalanche (3-6-0-0) at Buffalo Sabres (4-5-0-0) I'm happy with how Derek Roy is fairing so far, so I'm rolling the dice and trying to send Domenic Pittis down to Rochester. Colorado comes into the game struggling quite a bit. We'll go with the exact same lineup as Sunday night. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Colorado 1 2 1 4 (W: D. Aebischer 2-3-0) Buffalo 2 0 0 2 (L: M. Biron 3-4-0) ------------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Colorado: S. Konowalchuk (3), M. Hejduk Buffalo: A. Kotalik, J.P. Dumont ------------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Colorado: 21 Colorado: 0-2 Buffalo: 28 Buffalo: 0-5 ------------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. S. Konowalchuk (COL) 3g +3 2. J. Sakic (COL) 2a +2 3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g Blew the first period lead but played really solid defensive game. I put Jochen Hecht on Peter Forsberg and we completely held him in check. Unfortunately, every thing Steve Konowalchuk touched turned to gold. Martin Biron is just not playing well. Wednesday October 29, 2003: Well, that didn't take long: Domenic Pittis (7GP 0g 1a 1pt +0 0PIM) got taken away by the Pittsburgh Penguins off the waiver wire. Not a spectacular loss, but we could have used him in Rochester as organizational depth. Thursday October 30, 2003: Toronto Maple Leafs (6-1-2-0) at Buffalo Sabres (4-6-0-0) Big rival in town tonight...should be a sellout, with half the crowd coming from Canada to see their beloved first place Leafs. I'm gonna stick with Biron for this game, a historically strong player versus the Leafs. James Patrick will come in for Brad Brown. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Toronto 1 2 0 3 (W: E. Belfour 4-1-2) Buffalo 1 1 0 2 (L: M. Biron 3-5-0) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Toronto: C. Kilger, J. Nieuwendyk, G. Roberts Buffalo: M. Afinogenov, D. Briere ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Toronto: 27 Toronto: 0-5 Buffalo: 21 Buffalo: 0-2 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. J. Nieuwendyk (TOR) 1g 1a +1 2. G. Roberts (TOR) 1g +1 3. D. Briere (BUF) 1g +2 That's five losses in six games to end the month for us. I HATE losing to Toronto in my own building! We're starting to keep the chances down for the opposition but aren't creating any of our own. Friday October 31, 2003: I decided to look over the stats year-to-date for the Sabres to see if anything stands out. Code: Buffalo Sabres Statistics (As of October 31, 2003): POS PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG LW Jochen Hecht 11 4 5 9 -2 0 1 0 0 RW Maxim Afinogenov 11 4 5 9 -3 2 1 0 1 RW Miroslav Satan 11 3 4 7 -8 4 0 0 0 C Chris Drury 10 1 5 6 -9 4 1 0 0 RW J.P. Dumont 11 6 0 6 -6 2 3 0 1 LW Taylor Pyatt 11 3 3 6 -1 0 0 0 0 RW Ales Kotalik 11 3 3 6 -4 2 0 0 1 C Daniel Briere 11 1 5 6 -3 10 0 0 0 LW Mike Grier 11 2 2 4 -2 15 0 0 1 C Adam Mair 11 2 2 4 -3 12 0 0 0 D Jay McKee 11 0 4 4 3 24 0 0 0 D Jeff Jillson 4 1 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 C Derek Roy 7 1 2 3 5 2 0 0 0 D Brian Campbell 11 1 2 3 -6 8 1 0 0 LW Jason Botterill 6 1 1 2 -1 17 0 0 0 D Henrik Tallinder 11 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 D Dmitri Kalinin 11 0 2 2 -11 24 0 0 0 D Alexei Zhitnik 6 0 1 1 -8 4 0 0 0 D Brad Brown 8 0 1 1 -6 29 0 0 0 G Martin Biron 9 0 1 1 --- 0 0 0 0 G Ryan Miller 1 0 0 0 --- 0 0 0 0 LW Eric Boulton 3 0 0 0 -4 0 0 0 0 G Mika Noronen 4 0 0 0 --- 0 0 0 0 D James Patrick 4 0 0 0 -4 0 0 0 0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- POS PLAYER GP W L T MIN GA GAA SHO SV% G Martin Biron 9 3 5 0 472 29 3.69 0 .878 G Mika Noronen 4 1 1 0 143 9 3.78 1 .889 G Ryan Miller 1 0 1 0 43 5 6.98 0 .833 There is a LOT to be concerned with here: awful even-strength play is underlined by our poor plus/minus statistics and our goals against average is horrific (last in the NHL right now). We are near the top of the league in goals for, but it is meaningless in defeat. Saturday November 1, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (4-7-0-0) at Ottawa Senators (5-3-0-0)* A couple changes to the lineup tonight: Jason Botterill is back in for Boulton and Brad Brown returns in James Patrick's place. I'm starting Mika Noronen in goal. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 0 1 1 (L: M. Noronen 1-2-0) Ottawa 0 1 1 2 (W: M. Prusek 1-1-0) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: C. Drury Ottawa: T. White, W. Redden ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 24 Buffalo: 0-4 Ottawa: 42 Ottawa: 2-10 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. T. White (OTT) 1g 1a 2. M. Prusek (OTT) 1GA 23 saves 3. Z. Chara (OTT) 1a -1 The losses continue to mount for us; we were pretty undisciplined, with Ottawa seemingly on the powerplay for the entire game. I put in a complaint to the NHL after the game regarding the refereeing but was told that the league stood behind the officials. Mika Noronen was very strong in the loss. An 0-3 week is not was I needed at this point...I got an email from the board stating their displeasure over my results so far. On Tap Next Week: Wednesday November 5, 2003: vs. Florida Panthers Friday November 7, 2003: vs. Montreal Canadiens Saturday November 8, 2003: AT MONTREAL CANADIENS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-16-2004, 02:06 AM	#14
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Wednesday November 5, 2003: Florida Panthers (3-8-1-0) at Buffalo Sabres (4-8-0-0) It's the battle of the basement, as Florida is the only team worse than us in the Eastern Conference. They started out the year on fire, going 3-1-1 with a 9-1 victory over Detroit to their credit. However, they come into this game having lost 7 in a row. I'm going to keep Mika Noronen in there after his fine performance in defeat against Ottawa. Eric Boulton also goes back in for Jason Botterill. The biggest change I'm making though is with regard to the on-ice leadership. Keeping with our plan for a rotating captaincy, Chris Drury is giving way to Miroslav Satan for the rest of the month. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Florida 1 1 1 3 (L: R. Luongo 2-8-1) Buffalo 1 1 3 5 (W: M. Noronen 2-2-0) ------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Florida: O. Jokinen, P. Trnka, K. Huselius Buffalo: M. Afinogenov, M. Satan, A. Kotalik, J.P. Dumont, C. Drury ------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Florida: 34 Florida: 1-6 Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 2-6 ------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Satan (BUF) 1ga 1a +2 2. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 1g 1a 3. H. Tallinder (BUF) 2a +2 Obviously, Satan responded well to the new responsibilities and led the team to victory. I've gone to a left wing lock forechecking system but I'm still not impressed with all the shots I'm giving up. I still use an attacking mentality, which might have something to do with it. A win is a win! Maxim Afinogenov has been excellent since moving to the first line with Drury and Satan. Friday November 7, 2003: Montreal Canadiens (4-6-3-0) at Buffalo Sabres (5-8-0-0) Should be another big crowd in Buffalo tonight with Montreal in town. I'm going back to Martin Biron for the game in an effort to get him on track against his hometown team. Otherwise, the lineup from the Florida game remains intact. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Montreal 1 2 2 5 (W: J. Theodore 4-5-3) Buffalo 0 2 1 3 (L: M. Biron 3-6-0) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Montreal: S. Koivu (2), R. Zednik (2), A. Kovalev Buffalo: J. Hecht, B. Brown, A. Kotalik ----------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Montreal: 24 Montreal: 1-7 Buffalo: 24 Buffalo: 0-3 ----------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. S. Koivu (MON) 2g 3a +3 2. A. Kovalev (MON) 1g 3a +3 3. R. Zednik (MON) 2g +1 It was the Saku Koivu show and we had no answer for him or Kovalev all night. Martin Biron was awful again, getting a '5' rating which I think was generous. Everyone else on my team was rated at '7' or above so the loss is on Biron. I gave him an official warning after the game for poor performance and he took it well, saying he will work hard to improve his play. Nice! We'll see how he does tomorrow night back in his hometown. Saturday November 8, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (5-9-0-0) at Montreal Canadiens (5-6-3-0) Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 3 2 5 (W: M. Biron 4-6-0) Montreal 2 0 1 3 (L: M. Garon 1-2-0) -------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: A. Kotalik, M. Afinogenov, C. Drury, D. Roy, J. Hecht Montreal: J. Ward, R. Zednik, A. Dackell -------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 32 Buffalo: 1-4 Montreal: 30 Montreal: 0-3 -------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a 2. A. Dackell (MON) 1g 1a 3. D. Roy (BUF) 1g 1a +1 Biron responded nicely from my criticism to win for the first time in a couple weeks. Chris Drury and Maxim Afinogenov both had a goal and assist to join Kotalik and Roy with multiple point nights. On Tap Next Week: Wednesday November 12, 2003: vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Friday November 14, 2003: vs. Philadelphia Flyers __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-16-2004, 02:09 AM	#15
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Wednesday November 12, 2003: Pittsburgh Penguins (6-6-1-0) at Buffalo Sabres (6-9-0-0) The Penguins are playing quite well early in the season, as Mario Lemieux is healthy at the moment. I'm going to go with Noronen in net tonight and keep the rest of the lineup the same. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT Pittsburgh 1 2 1 0 4 (T: S. Caron 4-3-2) Buffalo 2 0 2 0 4 (T: M. Noronen 2-2-1) --------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Pittsburgh: R. Fata (2), M. Lemieux, R. Malone Buffalo: C. Drury (2), J. Hecht, M. Grier --------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Pittsburgh: 22 Pittsburgh: 2-2 Buffalo: 39 Buffalo: 0-2 --------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. R. Fata (PIT) 2ga 1a 2. C. Drury (BUF) 2g +1 3. R. Malone (PIT) 1g We needed two goals in the last eight minutes to tie the game, as Sebastien Caron was spectacular for Pittsburgh. Can't fault the effort, although I'm just not getting any consistency with my goaltending. Friday November 14, 2003: Philadelphia Flyers (5-7-2-0) at Buffalo Sabres (6-9-1-0) The Flyers are having a tough go of it to start the season as well, coming off a shutout loss against the Rangers. These games against Philly are always physical, so Eric Boulton is in and Jason Botterill is out for my only lineup change. Martin Biron will get the start in net. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Philadelphia 0 0 0 0 (L: S. Burke 3-2-1) Buffalo 2 1 0 3 (W: M. Biron 5-6-0) ------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Philadelphia: None Buffalo: M. Grier, J.P. Dumont, M. Satan ------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Philadelphia: 24 Philadelphia: 0-5 Buffalo: 27 Buffalo: 1-3 ------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Biron (BUF) SHO 24 saves 2. M. Grier (BUF) 1g +1 3. M. Satan (BUF) 1g +1 Hey, we're undefeated in three games! And a shutout against the Flyers! Not too shabby! Just a solid game all around and the result was much deserved. The only concern is the fact that Jay McKee, who's been excellent thus far, got kicked out of the game for injuring a Philly player with a knee-on-knee hit. I could be looking at a suspension. Sunday November 16, 2003: Jay McKee was given a two-game suspension from the NHL for the kneeing major, just like Jason Botterill got earlier in the season. We may not miss a beat, as it looks like Alexei Zhitnik will be ready to go tomorrow night after missing eleven games with a groin strain. On Tap Next Week: Monday November 17, 2003: AT OTTAWA SENATORS Wednesday November 19, 2003: AT PITTSBURGH PENGUINS Friday November 21, 2003: vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday November 22, 2004: AT ATLANTA THRASHERS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-16-2004, 02:14 AM	#16
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Monday November 17, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (7-9-1-0) at Ottawa Senators (10-4-1-0) The Sens have moved up near the top of the Eastern Conference standings by this point, having lost only one game in their last eleven. Alexei Zhitnik will move into the suspended Jay McKee's left defense position while the rest of the lineup remains unchanged. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 1 0 2 (L: M. Biron 5-7-0) Ottawa 1 0 3 4 (W: P. Lalime 10-3-1) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: E. Boulton (2) Ottawa: M. Hossa (2), B. Smolinski, C. Neil (EN) ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 19 Buffalo: 0-3 Ottawa: 34 Ottawa: 0-5 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. B. Smolinski (OTT) 1g +1 2. M. Hossa (OTT) 2g 3. E. Boulton (BUF) 2g This was a heartbreaker, as we had a 2-1 lead with less than five minutes remaining and just fell apart in letting in three goals (including an empty netter) before the final horn. There were no real poor performances out there; I thought we played a perfect road game until the end. Wednesday November 19, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (7-10-1-0) at Pittsburgh Penguins (8-6-2-0) The Penguins continue to roll, having won both games since we played our 4-4 draw last week. Mika Noronen gets the start, while the rest of the lineup stays the same. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 0 0 0 (L: M. Noronen 2-3-1) Pittsburgh 3 1 1 5 (W: J.S. Aubin 5-3-0) --------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: None Pittsburgh: M. Kraft (2), R. Jackman, K. Koltsov, K. Buchberger --------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 28 Buffalo: 0-8 Pittsburgh: 30 Pittsburgh: 0-3 --------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. R. Jackman (PIT) 1g 2a +5 2. L. Pirjeta (PIT) 3a +3 3. J.S. Aubin (PIT) SHO 28 saves Well, we've hit rock bottom. We were completely outclassed this game; we generated hardly any chances on our powerplay and our team as a whole weren't hitting anything. I pulled Noronen after he let in three goals in just over 10 minutes. I might have to look at bringing up Ryan Miller from Rochester. I gave Noronen a warning after the game and he agreed with my assessment of his performance. We'll see if he can bounce back. Friday November 21, 2003: Tampa Bay Lightning (8-7-4-0) at Buffalo Sabres (7-11-1-0) The dangerous Lightning come to town. I'm changing my tactics for this game, grudgingly going to a 'Neutral Zone Trap' forechecking system. I hate the trap but I'll likely need it against the likes of Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier. I'm going to stick with the 'Attacking' mentality, which as far as I'm concerned means I'm playing a 'counter-attack' style when matched with the trap. Jay McKee has finished serving his suspension and will be back in the lineup, not one second too soon! Alexei Zhitnik will revert back to the right side, with James Patrick getting scratched. The revolving door in goal means Biron is back in. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Tampa Bay 1 0 0 1 (L: N. Khabibulin 6-5-4) Buffalo 1 1 2 4 (W: M. Biron 6-7-0) ------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Tampa Bay: F. Modin Buffalo: D. Briere (3), M. Satan ------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Tampa Bay: 19 Tampa Bay: 1-3 Buffalo: 33 Buffalo: 1-4 ------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. D. Briere (BUF) 3g +2 2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 2a +2 3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 2a +1 Wow, what a win this was. Emphatic to say the least! We totally dominated this one, holding an excellent offensive team to only 19 shots. Dmitri Kalinin (2a) joined the three stars listed above with a multipoint game. Really bad news came out of this one, however, as Maxim Afinogenov, who was playing the best hockey of his career (20GP 6g 8a 14pts +1) suffered a separated shoulder in the second period and will likely miss two months. I may have to look to the farm for help now. Saturday November 22, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (8-11-1-0) at Atlanta Thrashers (6-7-2-0) Tough game for me here, having to fly to Atlanta right after the big win vs. Tampa and play the next night. The Thrashers have had a light early schedule and have played decently, winning two in a row coming into this game. I'm forced to do a bunch of lineup juggling: defenseman Jay McKee, just one game removed from his NHL suspension, cut his leg in warmups and is out. I have to move Jeff Jillson to the left side and bring in Brad Brown, who hasn't seen much action lately. At forward, Jason Botterill will take the roster spot of the injured Maxim Afinogenov and will play on the fourth line with Adam Mair and Eric Boulton. Mike Grier moves up to the third line and will play RW alongside centreman Derek Roy and LW Taylor Pyatt. Ales Kotalik moves into Afinogenov's spot on the top line with Chris Drury and Miro Satan. The Hecht-Briere-Dumont line remains intact, as it has all season. Biron will start again in goal. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 2 2 4 (W: M. Biron 7-7-0) Atlanta 1 0 1 2 (L: K. Lehtonen 3-3-2) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: T. Pyatt (3), J.P. Dumont Atlanta: I. Majesky, B. Lindsay ----------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 37 Buffalo: 1-10 Atlanta: 26 Atlanta: 0-3 ----------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 3g +3 2. B. Lindsay (ATL) 1g 3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g -1 Two road wins in a row makes for a happy general manager (and a happy board, who congratulated me after the game). We benefited from Atlanta's undisciplined play, taking it to them most of the game. Our offense continues to roll this year, with two hat tricks in two games. On Tap Next Week: Monday November 24, 2003: AT WASHINGTON CAPTIALS Wednesday November 26, 2003: vs. Carolina Hurricanes Friday November 28, 2003: vs. Washington Capitals Saturday November 29, 2003: AT ST. LOUIS BLUES __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-16-2004, 08:13 AM	#17
condors College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000	heyas, always nice to see a EHM:FE dynasty, take it easy on the flyers next time

12-22-2004, 01:58 AM	#20
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Monday November 24, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (9-11-1-0) at Washington Capitals (14-7-1-0) Washington is playing fantastic hockey right now and is in the midst of a five game winning streak. James Patrick will be slotted in for Brad Brown with the rest of the lineup remaining the same. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 1 2 3 (W: M. Biron 8-6-0) Washington 1 0 1 2 (L: O. Kolzig 11-7-1) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: A. Kotalik, M. Grier, J. Hecht Washington: B. Witt, J. Aulin ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 25 Buffalo: 1-4 Washington: 33 Washington: 1-8 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a +1 2. B. Witt (WAS) 1g -1 3. J. Aulin (WAS) 1g +1 This was pretty tight, 1-1 with less than 8 minutes remaining, when Grier scored against his former team to give us the advantage. Jared Aulin struck back with 5 minutes left in the game, seemingly sending the game into extra time but Jochen Hecht was up to the challenge, slotting in a backhander 35 seconds later for our third win in a row. Rookie centre Derek Roy (2a) joined Ales Kotalik with a multipoint game. Wednesday November 26, 2003: Carolina Hurricanes (9-11-1-0) at Buffalo Sabres (10-11-1-0) Carolina have not been able to put together a good stretch of hockey yet, with a lot of wins following losses and vice-versa. Carolina is going with Kevin Weekes tonight, who is really struggling with a 4-10-1 record. I made a couple changes to my lineup for tonight's contest: defenseman Jay McKee is fully healed after cutting his leg a week ago and is back in for James Patrick. Jason Botterill has gone pointless in 7 games so he's giving way to rookie Milan Bartovic, a call-up from Rochester who posted 9 goals and 12 points in 13 games in the AHL so far this season. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Carolina 3 1 0 4 (W: K. Weekes 5-10-1) Buffalo 0 1 1 2 (L: M. Biron 8-7-0) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Carolina: A. Ward, J. Williams, E. Cole, J. O'Neill Buffalo: A. Kotalik, J. Jillson ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Carolina: 23 Carolina: 0-4 Buffalo: 36 Buffalo: 0-9 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. E. Cole (CAR) 1g 2a +2 2. J. Williams (CAR) 1g 2a +3 3. A. Ward (CAR) 1g +1 Two things let us down here in a bid for our first four-game win streak: first, our powerplay was BAD, getting opportunity after opportunity without results; secondly, our goaltending was subpar again. Biron received yet another '5' rating and his inconsistency continues to be an issue. I can't take anything away from Cole and Williams, however: they were excellent for the Hurricanes. Friday November 28, 2003: Washington Captials (14-9-1-0) at Buffalo Sabres (10-12-1-0) The Capitals come back in the second game of a 'separated' home-and-home series (they lost to the Rangers on Wednesday night). I must be a masochist, as I'm sticking with the on-and-off Martin Biron for this game. The only other change sees Jason Botterill going in to play the left side on the fourth line in Eric Boulton's place. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Washington 1 1 0 2 (L: O. Kolzig 11-9-1) Buffalo 1 2 1 4 (W: M. Biron 9-7-0) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Washington: B. Witt, M. Pettinger Buffalo: M. Bartovic (2), D. Kalinin, A. Mair ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Washington: 30 Washington: 0-4 Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 0-7 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Bartovic (BUF) 2g +1 2. M. Pettinger (WAS) 1g -1 3. B. Witt (WAS) 1g +1 Milan Bartovic responds to his callup with a fine game, scoring twice. Continuing his Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde routine, goaltender Martin Biron came through with an excellent rebuttal to the Carolina disaster. I'm getting a bit concerned with my sputtering powerplay: I'm scoring goals at a league leading clip right now but the lights seem to be off with the man-advantage. I may have to look at either changing my tactic or changing personnel. Saturday November 29, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (11-12-1-0) at St. Louis Blues (10-9-3-0) Tough back-to-backer here for me, as I have to fly to St. Louis immediately after our Washington win and play the next night against the Blues. Hopefully we get the same type of effort as we did last weekend in a similar circumstance. A positive is that the Blues are going with little used Reinhard Divis between the pipes. I've instructed my team to 'Shoot Low' and 'Crash the Net' for rebounds in this game after seeing some things stand out when scouting Divis. I'm going with Mika Noronen in net tonight to give Biron a rest; I'm not big on playing goalies on back-to-back nights. The rest of the lineup remains unchanged. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 3 2 1 6 (W: M. Noronen 3-4-1) St. Louis 0 1 1 2 (L: R. Divis 2-6-0) --------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: M. Satan (2), T. Pyatt, A. Kotalik, A. Mair, D. Briere St. Louis: R. Low, P. Rheaume --------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 31 Buffalo: 1-6 St. Louis: 36 St. Louis: 0-5 --------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Satan (BUF) 2g 1a +1 2. R. Low (STL) 1g 1a +1 3. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a -1 Yes! A fantastic victory on the road! My instruction to shoot low really seemed to work, as we cleaned up in front of their net all night! Noronen was excellent in goal and the entire team was given 'above average' ratings. Defenseman Jay McKee continued his stellar play on the backline this season, garnering 2 assists in the game to join Satan and the improving Kotalik as multiple point men. We've finally evened our record, as we're back at .500 for the first time since October 20th. The Board of Directors dropped me a line after the game, saying they were "absolutely thrilled with our impressive road victory". I hope we're on to something here! Sunday November 30, 2003: We've reached the end of a pretty successful month. Here's how the stats look: Code: Buffalo Sabres Statistics (As of November 30, 2003): POS PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG RW Miroslav Satan 25 7 14 21 -4 8 0 0 0 RW Ales Kotalik 25 9 8 17 -3 6 3 0 2 LW Jochen Hecht 25 8 9 17 -1 2 1 0 1 C Daniel Briere 25 5 12 17 5 24 1 0 1 RW J.P. Dumont 25 9 6 15 -6 6 5 0 2 RW Maxim Afinogenov 20 6 8 14 1 4 3 0 1 C Chris Drury 24 6 8 14 -12 8 1 0 0 LW Taylor Pyatt 25 7 6 13 1 4 0 0 1 D Jeff Jillson 18 2 9 11 2 16 0 0 0 C Derek Roy 21 2 8 10 7 12 0 0 1 D Jay McKee 21 0 10 10 10 48 0 0 0 LW Mike Grier 25 5 4 9 -2 26 0 0 2 D Henrik Tallinder 25 0 7 7 8 2 0 0 0 D Dmitri Kalinin 24 1 5 6 -10 46 0 0 1 C Adam Mair 25 4 2 6 -3 16 0 0 0 D Brian Campbell 25 1 4 5 -8 12 1 0 0 LW Jason Botterill 13 1 3 4 1 21 0 0 0 RW Milan Bartovic 3 2 1 3 2 2 0 0 0 LW Eric Boulton 12 2 1 3 -6 27 0 0 0 D Brad Brown 13 1 1 2 -9 46 0 0 0 D Alexei Zhitnik 14 0 2 2 -4 28 0 0 0 D James Patrick 10 0 1 1 -5 0 0 0 0 G Martin Biron 19 0 1 1 --- 0 0 0 0 G Ryan Miller 1 0 0 0 --- 0 0 0 0 G Mika Noronen 10 0 0 0 --- 0 0 0 0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- POS PLAYER GP W L T MIN GA GAA SHO SV% G Martin Biron 19 9 7 0 1048 53 3.03 1 .894 G Mika Noronen 10 3 4 1 409 23 3.37 1 .898 G Ryan Miller 1 0 1 0 43 5 6.98 0 .833 November can only be deemed a success for us, as we went 8-5-1 during the month to climb back into the thick of things. We really seemed to turn things around after going to the 'Attacking Trap' tactic for the Tampa Bay victory. We've scored 23 goals in those 6 games (a not too shabby 3.83 Goals Per Game) and only allowed 13. The club went an excellent 8-4-1 with Miroslav Satan as our captain and I'm not really keen on making changes to a hot team (we've won five of our last six games). Satan stepped up his production as well, with 14 points in 14 November games. Ales Kotalik was also good, scoring a team-high 6 goals in the month along with 5 assists. Chris Drury was the only player who dropped off a bit and I'm concerned with his very poor plus/minus rating. On defense, Jay McKee, Henrik Tallinder and Jeff Jillson have been uniformly excellent all season and even Dmitri Kalinin seems to be coming around. On Tap Next Week Wednesday December 3, 2003: AT DETROIT RED WINGS Thursday December 4, 2003: vs. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Saturday December 6, 2003: vs. Atlanta Thrashers __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-29-2004, 11:24 PM	#21
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Wednesday December 3, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (12-12-1-0) at Detroit Red Wings (12-10-3-0) Now this is a good measuring stick for us, going into 'The Joe' against the feared Red Wings. Detroit has been uncharacteristically average this year and have allowed goals in bunches at times. Former Sabres superstar Dominik Hasek has been solid for the Wings but backup Manny Legace (3-6-0 with a GAA over 4.00) has really hurt them in the games he's played. Detroit must regret losing Curtis Joseph in the Waiver Draft to Washington earlier this year. Hasek is starting, so I've set my instructions to 'Shoot High'. The only change to my lineup from the St. Louis game is in goal, with Martin Biron getting the call against his former tutor. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT Buffalo 0 0 3 1 4 (W: M. Biron 10-7-0) Detroit 0 0 3 0 3 (L: D. Hasek 9-5-3) -------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: D. Briere, J.P. Dumont, J. Hecht, B. Campbell Detroit: D. McCarty (2), K. Draper -------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 1-6 Detroit: 38 Detroit: 0-5 -------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. B. Campbell (BUF) 1g 2a +3 2. D. Briere (BUF) 1g 1a +3 3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g 1a +3 Overtime win in Detroit for the Sabres! What a game! Goaltending was strong on both sides through two periods and then the offenses took centre stage. J.P. Dumont tied the game up with three minutes left and then Brian Campbell topped off the best game of his career with an end-to-end rush in the opening minute of OT to give us the victory. Thursday December 4, 2003: Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (11-9-3-1) at Buffalo Sabres (13-12-1-0) The Ducks are very hot right now, having only lost once in their past nine games. My scouting staff says they lack mobility on D so I've asked my team to take the body hard in this game to cause some turnovers. I was told that Eric Boulton strained his groin in practice and will be out a week: not a big deal since he wasn't playing much anyway. I've made a couple of lineup changes, scratching the ineffective Dmitri Kalinin and inserting Brad Brown, while Mika Noronen gets the start in net. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT Anaheim 1 0 2 1 4 (W: J.S. Giguere 9-7-2) Buffalo 0 2 1 0 3 (L: M. Noronen 3-5-1) ----------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Anaheim: T. Parssinen, J. Lupol, K. Carney, P. Sykora Buffalo: J.P. Dumont, D. Roy, M. Satan ----------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Anaheim: 13 Anaheim: 1-3 Buffalo: 23 Buffalo: 2-7 ----------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. P. Sykora (ANA) 1g 1a +1 2. S. Ozolinsh (ANA) 2a +2 3. T. Parssinen (ANA) 1g 1a +2 Our first overtime loss, and this one hurts, as our second attempt at getting four wins in a row gets rebuffed. We dominated them all game, allowing a measly 13 shots but Mika Noronen couldn't stop the proverbial beach ball and was given a '4' rating, the worst number I've seen thus far. I gave him his second official warning of the season for poor play and he accepted it without comment. Interesting. We should have won this game... In other league news, media sources reporting on the worst signings of the off-season have put the spotlight on Edmonton's Adam Oates. Checking his stats, I'd agree, as he only has 6 points in 23 games and the Oilers are struggling with a 8-12-3-0 record. Friday December 5, 2003: Denis Ezhov, my fourth round pick in the 2003 Draft, was signed to a contract extension by Metallurg Novokuznetsk, a Russian Super League club. Ezhov (34GP 1g 4a 5pts -3 16PIM) is a long way from the NHL at this point. Saturday December 6, 2003: Atlanta Thrashers (8-11-3-0) at Buffalo Sabres (13-12-1-1) We're looking to bounce back after the disappointing loss Thursday night against the Thrashers, still missing the injured Dany Heatley (which is a relief to our scouts!). I'm going to play Noronen in net again, hoping my warning will motivate him to rebound from his awful performance the other night. I'm also inserting Dmitri Kalinin after his one night benching - I need him to turn things around as well. The rest of the lineup remains unchanged. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Atlanta 1 1 0 2 (L: P. Nurminen 4-8-0) Buffalo 1 2 1 4 (W: M. Noronen 4-5-1) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Atlanta: I. Kovalchuk, D. Hinote Buffalo: M. Satan (2), D. Kalinin, J. Hecht ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Atlanta: 23 Atlanta: 1-4 Buffalo: 37 Buffalo: 2-4 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. J. Hecht (BUF) 1g 1a +2 2. M. Satan (BUF) 2g -1 3. D. Kalinin (BUF) 1g 1a +1 Complete domination in every phase of the game, as we outshot, outchanced, outhit and outhustled the Thrashers all game. Big bounce back games for both Noronen and Kalinin. Taylor Pyatt (2a) also had a multipoint game in the win. Every player on the team was rated 'Above Average'. On Tap Next Week: Wednesday December 10, 2003: vs. Nashville Predators Friday December 12, 2003: vs. New York Rangers Saturday December 13, 2003: AT COLORADO AVALANCHE __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-29-2004, 11:30 PM	#22
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Tuesday December 9, 2003: NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Petr Cajanek (STL) 3GP 3g 3a 6pts +6 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Scott Stevens (NJ) 4GP 1g 3a 4pts +4 Wednesday December 10, 2003: Nashville Predators (12-11-5-1) at Buffalo Sabres (14-12-1-1) Eric Boulton returned to practice this morning with his groin injury healed. I'm not changing our lineup with the exception of inserting Biron in goal. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Nashville 1 0 0 1 (L: T. Vokoun 9-11-4) Buffalo 0 0 3 3 (W: M. Biron 11-7-0) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Nashville: S. Walker Buffalo: D. Briere (2), M. Satan ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Nashville: 20 Nashville: 0-3 Buffalo: 24 Buffalo: 1-6 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. D. Briere (BUF) 2ga +2 2. M. Biron (BUF) 1 GA 19 saves 3. H. Tallinder (BUF) 1a +1 Nashville played a fine, patient defensive game and it took awhile to break them down. We finally scored at the beginning of the third and the pivotal moment in the game was when Biron stopped Nashville sniper David Legwand on a penalty shot with us up 2-1 late in the game. Derek Roy got booted from the game with a kneeing major and I was told he's getting the old three game suspension. I'm appealing and guessing it'll be knocked down a game. In NHL news, there was a huge trade between Dallas and Montreal: Alexei Kovalev goes to Dallas for the rights to Eero Kilpelainen, an 18 year old Finnish goalie plus Dallas' first round picks in both 2004 & 2005! Wow! Steep price for a guy who's unrestricted next year! Thursday December 11, 2003: A couple big things happened today. First of all, Tim Connolly was deemed fully fit by my training staff today, although they have HUGE concerns about his long-term health, saying that a future concussion is likely. I'll watch his ice time early on, but the timing is impeccable with Roy's suspension needing to be served. The second big thing was me pulling aside our prized off-season acquisition Chris Drury and giving him an official warning for poor play. This was tough for me: his game ratings were fine (nothing below average) but the guy is here to produce and he was in a BIG slump, posting no goals and only two assists in his last 12 games with a -8 rating. He did not take it well, telling me I was unfair with the criticism before walking off. Uh oh. He's a character guy so I hope he'll bounce back. Friday December 12, 2003: New York Rangers (15-11-1-1) at Buffalo Sabres (15-12-1-1) The Rangers come into town playing good hockey and find themselves tied with us in the overall standings. I'm only making one change to the lineup tonight, with Tim Connolly making his first appearance this year after the major concussion in place of the suspended Derek Roy. Connolly will play third line and I'm going to try to limit his minutes for a few games; he'll play the powerplay for sure, however. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT N.Y. Rangers 0 0 0 0 (L: M. Dunham 12-12-1) Buffalo 2 0 0 2 (W: M. Biron 12-7-0) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: N.Y. Rangers: None Buffalo: J. Hecht, J. McKee ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: N.Y. Rangers: 25 N.Y. Rangers: 0-5 Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 1-5 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Biron (BUF) SHO 25 saves 2. J. Hecht (BUF) 1g 1a +1 3. M. Satan (BUF) 2a +1 Great game with disastrous repercussions: I lost both Jean-Pierre Dumont and Jochen Hecht to injuries this game. Dumont separated his shoulder and is likely gone for over two months while Hecht's injury is much less serious (cut hand) and will only see him miss a few days. Connolly was forced to play over 16 minutes for me and was a +1 with no points. Chris Drury was a non-factor in his first game since the warning. Saturday December 13, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (16-12-1-1) at Colorado Avalanche (18-8-2-1) Another crazy, long flight to Colorado after playing the night before against a scorching hot Avalanche team. They've only lost two games (out of 19) since I played them on October 28th. I've called up young winger Jason Pominville from Rochester to take the place of the injured Dumont. Pominville had 9 goals and 7 assists in 19 games with the Amerks and will get into his first NHL game tonight as the second line right winger. I've asked Jochen Hecht to play through his injury; my roster is full and I can't bring anyone else up right now without putting another guy on waivers. I'll have to address this soon. Mika Noronen gets the start in goal tonight. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 1 1 3 (L: M. Noronen 4-6-1) Colorado 1 2 2 5 (W: T. Salo 8-3-0) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: C. Drury (2), J. Pominville Colorado: A. Foote (2). A. Tanguay (2), J. Sakic ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 22 Buffalo: 0-4 Colorado: 33 Colorado: 2-6 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. P. Forsberg (COL) 3a 2. A. Foote (COL) 2g 3. C. Drury (BUF) 2g +2 Well, this was a tough spot for us, having played last night, but we performed alright. Noronen was given a '5' rating for this one but I didn't think he was that bad so I didn't discipline him. A couple positives: Chris Drury had a GREAT game against his former club: maybe he's responding to my criticism with solid play! Also, Jason Pominville scored in his first NHL game and didn't look out of place. I found out after the game that the NHL did in fact reduce Derek Roy's suspension down to two games. I've decided to send down Jason Botterill to Rochester to free up roster space; with Connolly back and needing a spot once Roy gets back in, Botterill is just taking up space. I hope he doesn't get taken from me off waivers. On Tap Next Week: Tuesday December 16, 2003: AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS Friday December 19, 2003: vs. Pittsburgh Penguins __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-29-2004, 11:37 PM	#23
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Monday December 15, 2003: A rumour has been floating around that the St. Louis Blues are looking at landing my leading scorer Miroslav Satan and the press came looking for my thoughts. I told them that I have no intention whatsoever in moving Satan. Tue. December 16, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (16-13-1-1 4th) at Philadelphia Flyers (8-9-9-3 12th) Philly continues to struggle this year, mired in 12th place in the conference right now. Sean Burke will get the call for the Flyers tonight. Eric Boulton will go back into the lineup against the physical Flyers and I'm going to start Mika Noronen again in an effort to get him back on track. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Philadelphia 1 0 2 3 (L: S. Burke 4-4-5) Buffalo 2 1 3 6 (W: M. Noronen 5-6-1) ---------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Philadelphia: M. Ragnarsson, S. Gagne, K. Primeau Buffalo: C. Drury (2), J. Hecht, M. Bartovic, M. Satan, T. Pyatt ---------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Philadelphia: 29 Philadelphia: 0-4 Buffalo: 35 Buffalo: 1-4 ---------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. C. Drury (BUF) 2ga 1a +1 2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 1a +2 3. M. Ragnarsson (PHI) 1g Look out, Chris Drury is officially on fire! He's taken my criticism positively, as I hoped he would, and posted 5 big points in two games. Beautiful! Just a great effort all around: my tactics are really doing wonders right now, as I've picked up points in 11 of my last 13 games. The board of directors notices, and again sent me an email saying how delighted they were with the effort against Philly. Wed. December 17, 2003: Whew! Jason Botterill officially cleared waivers today and can be sent to Rochester. I didn't want to lose him. Fri. December 19, 2003: Pittsburgh Penguins (15-12-3-0 T-8th) at Buffalo Sabres (17-13-1-1 4th) Here we go against the Penguins, who humiliated us 5-0 exactly one month ago in the game that proved to be the turning point in our season. We went to the 'Attacking Trap' for the next game against Tampa and we've proceeded to play great hockey since. We might be fortunate to miss out on playing Mario Lemieux tonight, as he's 'exhausted' and didn't play in Pittsburgh's win last night against Florida. The lineup for me remains exactly the same as the Flyers game, except Martin Biron is back in goal. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Pittsburgh 0 1 1 2 (L: M. Brochu 2-2-1) Buffalo 1 3 1 5 (W: M. Biron 13-7-0) --------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Pittsburgh: K. Koltsov, R. Fata Buffalo: T. Pyatt (2), M. Satan, A. Kotalik, E. Boulton --------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Pittsburgh: 28 Pittsburgh: 0-4 Buffalo: 24 Buffalo: 2-4 --------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 2ga 1a -1 2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 1a +1 3. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a A good win but we suffered another devasating injury, as slick centreman Daniel Briere suffered a dislocated shoulder and had to be stretchered off the ice. My medical staff says he's out for two months. That makes THREE top guys on my club out with shoulder injuries! Tim Connolly had his first two points on the season tonight, both assists, as the Connolly-Kotalik-Pyatt line had a big night. Derek Roy has one game to serve on his suspension and I'll be needing him to man the second line when he comes back. In the meantime, I had to call up Chris Taylor (19GP 2g 11a 13pts +10) from Rochester to play in Briere's place for our next contest. Sat. December 20, 2003: I offered 21-year old centreman Chris Thorburn a two-way contract today (2 years, $500,000 total). Thorburn was a second round pick back in 2001 and was playing well in Rochester, posting 6 goals and a team leading 16 assists in 26 games. He also is an excellent +19 down on the farm. I also sent a bunch of my scouts over to Finland to scout the upcoming World Junior Championships. On Tap Next Week: Tuesday December 23, 2003: vs. Ottawa Senators Friday December 26, 2003: vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday December 27, 2003: AT CAROLINA HURRICANES __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-29-2004, 11:45 PM	#24
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. December 22, 2003: My young Russian prosect Denis Ezhov is once again in the news. A former GM of Metallurg, Ezhov's club, stated in the media that if he was still running the club, Ezhov wouldn't be playing such an active role. In an absolutely hilarious comeback, current Metallurg GM Aleksandr Fedorov replied "maybe this lack of judgement is why he's the former GM of this club." Tue. December 23, 2003: Ottawa Senators (20-9-3-0 2nd) at Buffalo Sabres (18-13-1-1 5th) Ottawa comes to town playing great hockey thus far. Martin Prusek will get the starting nod for the Senators tonight while Martin Biron once again mans the pipes for me. I've instructed my club to take the body hard this game, as Ottawa isn't a really physical team. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Ottawa 0 1 1 2 (L: M. Prusek 1-3-1) Buffalo 0 1 2 3 (W: M. Biron 14-7-0) --------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Ottawa: P. Bondra (2) Buffalo: C. Taylor, D. Kalinin, J. Jillson --------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Ottawa: 20 Ottawa: 0-2 Buffalo: 27 Buffalo: 2-8 --------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. P. Bondra (OTT) 2g +2 2. D. Kalinin (BUF) 1g -1 3. C. Taylor (BUF) 1g +1 Another great win, another big injury. Jochen Hecht went down with a sprained ACL tonight and is out for a month, making it four top players on the Injured Reserve. It's amazing my team is playing so well right now with all these injuries. Chris Taylor stepped in and contributed a goal in his first game of the season and the goals from two defensemen helped seal the win. I'll let the boys enjoy their Christmas break and hopefully the injured will start healing quickly... NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Jaromir Jagr (NYR) 2GP 1g 2a 3pts +1 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Garth Snow (NYI) 2GP 1-0-1 0.48GAA .982 SA% 1 SHO Wed. December 24, 2003: Merry Christmas to you too Chris! Chris Thorburn rejected my contract offer today. I did lowball him a bit but come on...you could have bought quite a few nice X-Mas presents for your girlfriend with that money! No biggie. I'll try again soon. Fri. December 26, 2003: Tampa Bay Lighting (17-11-4-1 6th) at Buffalo Sabres (19-13-1-1 T-4th) Another hot team comes to town, as Tampa has won 6 of 7 to get back into contention in the Southeast. They are battling injuries as well, as they're missing Vincent Lecavalier, Darryl Sydor and Cory Sarich. Lots of changes for me: Derek Roy is back from suspension and centres the third line between the promoted Milan Bartovic and Jason Pominville. The second line is the Pyatt-Connolly-Kotalik trio. The first line is Grier-Drury-Satan and the fourth line is Boulton-Mair-Taylor. Martin Biron gets his third straight start in goal while John Grahame gets the nod for Tampa. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Tampa Bay 1 1 1 3 (L: J. Grahame 1-4-0) Buffalo 1 3 1 5 (W: M. Biron 15-7-0) ----------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Tampa Bay: F. Modin (2), B. Richards Buffalo: M. Bartovic, A. Zhitnik, T. Connolly, T. Pyatt, M. Satan ----------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Tampa Bay: 28 Tampa Bay: 0-2 Buffalo: 22 Buffalo: 1-2 ----------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. F. Modin (TB) 2g 2. B. Richards (TB) 1g 2a -1 3. A. Zhitnik (BUF) 1g I finally get the elusive fourth win in a row! We were badly outplayed in the first period, with Tampa outshooting us 13-2 but we turned up the 'O' in the second period. Tim Connolly scored his first of the season and added an assist in the win, and Miroslav Satan (1g 1a) also contributed a multipoint game. The only thing I'm not happy with these days is the play of Mike Grier who I have playing on the first line and isn't contributing offensively. However, I'm not about to experiment with things when I'm winning games so he stays for now. Maxim Afinogenov has begun light practice and maybe close to returning after his shoulder injury. Sat. December 27, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (20-13-1-1 4th) at Carolina Hurricanes (17-14-3-1 7th) The World Junior Championships started in Finland in the early morning and I was off my chair laughing as ALL 7 SCOUTS I sent over to Finland to watch the tournament ended up watching Super Prospect Sidney Crosby in the first game! Can't blame them, I guess! He was held pointless in a 5-1 Canada win over the hosts Finland. Speaking of the World Juniors, I have three prospects playing in the tournament this year: Dan Paille, a left winger playing for Canada; Branislav Fabry, another LW, suits up for Slovakia and my prized possession, LW Thomas Vanek, will lead Austria's club in the championship. Back to the task at hand: playing the Carolina Hurricanes. I'm going with the exact same lineup tonight but putting Mika Noronen in goal due to the games in back-to-back nights. Erik Cole and Jeff O'Neill lead the Hurricanes in points with 29 thus far. Jamie Storr starts in net for Carolina as I continue to get a lot of backups playing against me, something you will not hear me complain about! Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT Buffalo 1 1 0 0 2 (T: M. Biron 15-7-1) Carolina 2 0 0 0 2 (T: J. Storr 7-3-3) -------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: C. Taylor, M. Grier Carolina: R. Brind'Amour, J. Svoboda -------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 0-4 Carolina: 32 Carolina: 0-4 -------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Grier (BUF) 1g 2. S. Hill (CAR) -1 3. R. Brind'Amour (CAR) 1g +1 We were down 2-0 very early in this one but stayed composed and pulled out a tie. Game was really back and forth with great goaltending, especially from Storr, who stopped about 4 breakaways in the game. Mike Grier responded after I demoted him to the third line in the second period by scoring the game-tying goal. I moved Derek Roy up to the first line centre position and moved Chris Drury over to the left wing for the last two periods but the line never really got going. We had numerous chances in overtime to win it but Storr was up to the task every time. Good road game though, especially after playing the night before. And another great week record-wise for the club, going 2-0-1 and continuing our climb to the top of the standings. Sun. December 28, 2003: Thomas Vanek scored a goal and was first star in Austria's 2-1 loss to Sweden in the World Junior Championships. Austria is now 0-2 in the tournament. On Tap Next Week: Monday December 29, 2003: AT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Wednesday December 31, 2003: vs. Carolina Panthers Friday January 2, 2003: vs. Los Angeles Kings Saturday January 3, 2003: AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-29-2004, 11:55 PM	#25
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. December 29, 2003: Buffalo Sabres (20-13-2-1 4th) at Tampa Bay Lightning (18-12-4-1 6th) Vincent Lecavalier is still out for Tampa, as are Sarich and Sydor. Nikolai Khabibulin will tend goal for Tampa tonight. I go with the same lineup from the Carolina game except Martin Biron will start in net. Mike Grier is back on the first line for his defensive ability. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 2 1 0 3 (L: M. Biron 15-8-0) Tampa Bay 1 1 2 4 (W: N. Khabibulin 18-9-4) ------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: J. Jillson, M. Satan, A. Kotalik Tampa Bay: B. Richards, C. Dingman, F. Modin, A. Roy ------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 36 Buffalo: 0-1 Tampa Bay: 27 Tampa Bay: 0-3 ------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. F. Modin (TB) 1g 1a +1 2. B. Richards (TB) 1g 1a 3. J. Jillson (BUF) 1g 1a We blew a 3-1 lead in this game to lose it. Hard to say what went wrong, as I felt we played a strong road game. That's it for Mike Grier on the first line; he played well, with 8 shots on goal but just isn't talented enough to keep a top spot like that. I need scoring on my first line. Dmitri Kalinin was brutal for us, going -4 and was given a '5' rating. I think I'm going to scratch him our next game as opposed to warning him. Tue. December 30, 2003: NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Brendan Shanahan (DET) 4GP 5g 5a 10pts +4 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Miikka Kiprusoff (CAL) 2GP 1-1-0 1.50GAA .945 SA% 1 SHO Wed. December 31, 2003: Carolina Hurricanes (17-15-4-1 T-7th) at Buffalo Sabres (20-14-2-1 T-4th) The huge run of games lately, along with all of the injuries, is taking its toll on my club. I've got a bunch of tired guys right now. I'll have to monitor this closely, but won't make any changes to the 20-man roster other than scratching Kalinin and replacing him with James Patrick, who hasn't played in over FIVE weeks! Might be a bit rusty! I've done some editing to my lineup as well with the forwards: line one will be Drury-Connolly-Satan, line two is Pyatt-Roy-Kotalik, line three is Grier-Taylor-Pominville and line four is Boulton-Mair-Bartovic. The Campbell-Jillson defensive pairing has been very good lately and will be moved up to second line, with Alexei Zhitnik getting moved down to the third group because of lackluster play. This is always a fun night in Buffalo: "Tux n' Pucks Night" on New Years Eve. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Carolina 0 2 1 3 (W: J. Storr 8-3-3) Buffalo 1 1 0 2 (L: M. Biron 15-9-0) --------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Carolina: E. Cole (2), K. Adams Buffalo: M. Satan, A. Kotalik --------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Carolina: 25 Carolina: 0-2 Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 2-11 --------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. E. Cole (CAR) 2g +2 2. J. Williams (CAR) 2a +2 3. C. Drury (BUF) 2a Ugh. Our first two game losing streak in well over 5 weeks. It had to happen sooner or later. I've got to get back to basics with the lines. I can't look strictly at offensive production when analyzing my club; wins are what's important. If it means Grier on the top line, so be it. Biron stopped a penalty shot with us down 2-1 in the second and I thought that would be the turning point, especially after Ales Kotalik fired home a powerplay marker with 12 seconds left in the frame. Ultimately, Carolina stayed patient and Erik Cole once again came through for the Hurricanes. Nevertheless, I can't complain too much after posting a fantastic 8-3-1-1 record in December, especially after dealing with so many crucial injuries. Here are the updated stats: Code: Buffalo Sabres Statistics (As of December 31, 2003): POS PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG RW Miroslav Satan 38 17 19 36 -6 8 6 0 1 LW Jochen Hecht 34 12 15 27 6 4 1 0 4 RW Ales Kotalik 38 12 15 27 -5 10 4 0 0 C Daniel Briere 33 9 15 24 11 28 1 0 2 C Chris Drury 37 10 14 24 -12 10 2 0 1 LW Taylor Pyatt 38 11 12 23 -3 10 2 0 2 RW J.P. Dumont 30 11 7 18 -2 6 8 0 3 D Jeff Jillson 31 4 14 18 5 24 1 0 1 RW Maxim Afinogenov 20 6 8 14 1 4 3 0 1 D Jay McKee 34 1 12 13 7 61 1 0 0 C Derek Roy 29 3 8 11 1 31 0 0 0 LW Mike Grier 38 6 5 11 -1 32 0 0 2 D Henrik Tallinder 38 0 11 11 3 2 0 0 0 D Dmitri Kalinin 35 3 7 10 -13 56 1 0 1 D Brian Campbell 38 2 8 10 -2 14 1 0 1 C Adam Mair 38 4 5 9 -2 35 0 1 1 RW Jason Pominville 8 1 5 6 -1 0 0 0 0 RW Milan Bartovic 16 4 1 5 -3 6 0 0 0 LW Eric Boulton 19 3 2 5 -3 52 0 0 0 D Alexei Zhitnik 27 1 4 5 -2 32 0 0 1 C Tim Connolly 9 1 3 4 1 6 0 0 0 LW Jason Botterill 19 1 3 4 -1 23 0 0 0 C Chris Taylor 5 2 1 3 2 4 0 0 0 D Brad Brown 14 1 1 2 -9 48 0 0 0 G Martin Biron 27 0 2 2 --- 0 0 0 0 D James Patrick 11 0 1 1 -6 0 0 0 0 G Ryan Miller 1 0 0 0 --- 0 0 0 0 G Mika Noronen 15 0 0 0 --- 0 0 0 0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- POS PLAYER GP W L T MIN GA GAA SHO SV% G Martin Biron 27 15 9 0 1525 71 2.79 2 .900 G Mika Noronen 15 5 6 2 714 39 3.28 1 .890 G Ryan Miller 1 0 1 0 43 5 6.98 0 .833 NHL Offensive Player of the Month: Brendan Shanahan* (DET) 14GP 7g 7a 14pts +5 20PIM NHL Defensive Player of the Month: Jamie Storr (CAR) 6GP 3-0-3 1.60GAA .938 1 SHO NHL Rookie of the Month: Brooks Orpik (PIT) 12GP 2g 4a 6pts +4 22PIM In other NHL news, radio stations in Philadelphia are attacking the play of winger John LeClair, saying his poor play recently has cost the team points. LeClair only has 11 points in 32 games this year. Thu. January 1, 2004: The board of directors emailed me saying that they're still very pleased with my overall performance as general manager. In other news, the International Scouting Service came out with their Mid-Season Rankings for the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, rating Czech centreman Rostislav Olesz from Vitkovice the #1 prospect. Following Olesz are Russians Alexander Ovechkin and Yevgeni Malkin. Fri. January 2, 2004: Los Angeles Kings (18-12-7-0 3rd) at Buffalo Sabres (20-15-2-1 T-6th) The Los Angeles Kings come to town to try to run my losing streak to three. The Kings are on top out west despite a rash of injuries this year to guys like Jason Allison and Adam Deadmarsh. Allison is close to returning but will sit this game. Zigmund Palffy leads the club with 16 goals and 33 points, while Roman Cechmanek has been his usual self (when it comes to regular season play ) with a 14-7-1 record and 2.21 GAA. Mika Noronen gets the start in net for the Sabres tonight and I've made a bunch of lineup changes again, bringing things back inline with what I was doing before. First of all, Dmitri Kalinin is back in the lineup after the one game benching and will team up with partner Alexei Zhitnik. Jason Pominville will be rewarded for his fine rookie play by moving to the top line with Chris Drury and Miro Satan. The Pyatt-Connolly-Kotalik line is back together and the third line is Grier-Roy-Bartovic. Boulton-Mair-Taylor round things out. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Los Angeles 0 0 2 2 (L: R. Cechmanek 14-8-6) Buffalo 2 1 1 4 (W: M. Noronen 6-6-2) ------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Los Angeles: L. Robitaille, A. Carter Buffalo: T. Pyatt, A. Kotalik, M. Satan, J. Pominville ------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Los Angeles: 35 Los Angeles: 2-5 Buffalo: 31 Buffalo: 2-3 ------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 1a 2. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a +2 3. T. Connolly (BUF) 2a +2 Pretty solid comeback game that was never really in doubt. The score flattered the Kings, who benefitted from a couple powerplays in the third to make it closer than it really was. Both Kotalik and Satan have scored in three consecutive games. Sat. January 3, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (21-15-2-1 T-4th) at Toronto Maple Leafs (18-12-8-1 T-4th) Hockey Night in Canada! Always a huge thrill for the players! This should help get the legs going after playing last night. The Leafs come into the game tied with me for 4th in the Eastern Conference. Alexander Mogilny leads the team with 15 goals and 30 points in 38 games while Mats Sundin continues to struggle this year with only 23 points. Martin Biron is back in the net for us this game, with no other changes. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 1 0 2 (L: M. Biron 15-10-0) Toronto 2 1 2 5 (W: E. Belfour 10-11-6) ------------------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Buffalo: A. Zhitnik, J. Jillson Toronto: J. Nieuwendyk (2), A. Mogilny, B. Leetch, A. Ponikarovsky ------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 34 Buffalo: 1-7 Toronto: 32 Toronto: 2-5 ------------------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. A. Mogilny (TOR) 1g 3a +1 2. B. Leetch (TOR) 1g 2a +2 3. J. Nieuwendyk (TOR) 2g Toronto dominated this game from the first whistle. We somehow kept it close until the end and had a four minute powerplay in the third that we couldn't convert. They scored into an empty net late in the game as well. Not much good in this one...This was our toughest week in quite awhile, going 1-3 to fall back in the conference standings. On Tap Next Week: Tuesday January 6, 2004: AT MONTREAL CANADIENS Wednesday January 7, 2004: vs. New Jersey Devils Friday January 9, 2004: vs. Ottawa Senators __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-30-2004, 12:13 AM	#27
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. January 12, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (22-18-2-1 7th) at Boston Bruins (18-18-4-3 T-9th) I received the great news I was looking for: forward Maxim Afinogenov is fully healthy and ready to play tonight! Afinogenov missed almost two months with his shoulder injury and will be inserted right onto the top line tonight with Drury and Satan. I have a lot of guys struggling right now, most importantly Tim Connolly and Derek Roy, my #2 & #3 centremen right now (with Daniel Briere injured). They will be scratched soon if their play doesn't improve. For now, Chris Taylor will sit in lieu of Afinogenov's return. I also threw contract offers at Ales Kotalik, Martin Biron and Mika Noronen. I pretty much low-balled both Biron and Noronen and won't be surprised to see them reject the offers. We'll see. Biron will play tonight and Noronen will get the chance to redeem himself again against the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night, the same team who torched him last week. Boston is mired in 9th right now and have a couple of injuries to note: P.J. Axelsson and Felix Potvin are both out for this game; the Bruins will rely on leading scorer Sergei Samsonov (17g 43pts) and Joe Thornton (41pts). Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 1 1 2 (L: M. Biron 16-12-0) Boston 1 0 3 4 (W: A. Raycroft 13-9-1) ------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: A. Zhitnik, T. Connolly Boston: S. Samsonov, D. McGillis, G. Murray, M. Lapointe (EN) ------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 1-5 Boston: 35 Boston: 0-3 ------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. G. Murray (BOS) 1g +1 2. S. Samsonvov (BOS) 1g 1a +2 3. D. McGillis (BOS) 1g +2 Unfortunately, Afinogenov didn't provide enough spark to get us a victory in this one. We tied it midway through the third but Glen Murray answered Tim Connolly's goal with the game winner only seconds later. As a coach/G.M. I shouldn't say this, but I'm at a loss right now with regard to tactics and lines, as nothing seems to be working. I'm going to simplify things big-time for tomorrow's game against the powerful Devils. Tue. January 13, 2004: New Jersey Devils (25-11-7-1 1st) at Buffalo Sabres (22-19-2-1 7th) Brian Gionta and Petr Sykora, who both figured in the scoring in our last contest, are out for the Devils with injuries tonight. I'm also shaking things up, scratching both Derek Roy, who only has 1 point in his last 12 games, and defenseman Brian Campbell, who's gone -5 in his last two. Chris Taylor replaces Roy as the third line centre and Brad Brown comes in on defense. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT New Jersey 1 0 2 0 3 (T: C. Schwab 5-0-1) Buffalo 2 1 0 0 3 (T: M. Noronen 6-7-3) --------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: New Jersey: G. Marshall (2), S. Brylin Buffalo: A. Mair, T. Connolly, M. Satan --------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: New Jersey: 30 New Jersey: 1-3 Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 1-4 --------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. G. Marshall (NJ) 2g 2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g +1 3. C. White (NJ) 2a +1 We just can't buy a win. We came out storming in the first, outshooting the Devils 14-6 in the period. Brylin scored with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time to tie the game up (another bad angle goal on Noronen, by the way). Certainly our best game against New Jersey so far this year though, as I'm looking for positives anywhere right now. Wed. January 14, 2004: NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Eric Lindros (NYR) 2GP 2g 1a 3pts +1 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Rhett Warrener (CAL) 4GP 1g 3a 4pts +5 2PIM Injured forwards J.P. Dumont and Jochen Hecht have returned to practice but aren't cleared for contact drills for at least two weeks according to my physios. It will be really nice to get those two plus Briere back from injury, as the trio makes up my entire second line! Thu. January 15, 2004: Boston Bruins (19-18-4-3 8th) at Buffalo Sabres (22-19-3-1 7th) I've sent the very ineffective Chris Taylor down to Rochester, leaving 22 active players on the roster. I'll likely call another guy up soon; I'm looking at tough guy Andrew Peters, who's playing extremely well on the farm right now (25GP 11pts 55PIM). Derek Roy goes back into the lineup with Brian Campbell into their normal positions. I'm going to play more of a skating game against Boston tonight instead of a hitting game and have adjusted my tactics to reflect this. Martin Biron starts in goal tonight. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Boston 1 3 2 6 (T: C. Schwab 5-0-1) Buffalo 0 1 3 4 (T: M. Noronen 6-7-3) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Boston: S. Gonchar, G. Murray, B. Rolston, M. Knuble, M. Lapointe, R. Zamuner (EN) Buffalo: E. Boulton (2), M. Satan, T. Pyatt ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Boston: 36 Boston: 1-4 Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 1-4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. R. Zamuner (BOS) 1g 1a +2 2. S. Gonchar (BOS) 1g 1a -1 3. E. Boulton (BUF) 2g +2 Oh boy, what a disaster! I pulled Biron when it was 4-1, and for a second, thought I might make a game of it. Goals by Pyatt and Boulton only 10 seconds apart in the third period brought the score to 5-4, all this after Adam Mair was stopped on a penalty shot only a minute earlier! Rob Zamuner scored into an empty net to end the threat, however. Forget about bringing up Andrew Peters; it's time to give goaltender Ryan Miller a shot again after these brutal goaltending performances. I also made changes to my lines midstream; Connolly moved up to centre Satan and Kotalik while Chris Drury and Maxim Afinogenov moved down to a line with big Taylor Pyatt. I'll likely keep that going for our next contest. We are now winless in five games, our longest such streak this season. Fri. January 16, 2004: Unbelievably, goaltender Martin Biron accepted my lowball contract offer and signed an extension today. He was looking for a six year, $14,000,000 deal with incentives; I offered a one-year extension at $2,400,000 (a $200,000 raise for next year) and he accepted. Maybe he did this because of his awful play, I don't know. Regardless, he's officially in my doghouse and will watch tomorrow's game from the pressbox. Sat. January 17, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (22-20-3-1 7th) at New York Islanders (18-18-5-3 11th) We stumble into Nassau Coliseum to face the Islanders, who are led by waiver draft pickup Scott Young, who has 33 points in 44 games. The Isles have been bit by the injury bug as well, with top forwards Michael Peca, Trent Hunter and Cliff Ronning all out for this game. With Alexei Yashin out there, I'm going to try to shadow him with Chris Drury and take the body hard this game. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT Buffalo 0 2 1 0 3 (T: R. Miller 0-1-1) N.Y. Islanders 0 2 1 0 3 (T: R. DiPietro 8-14-4) ----------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (2), J. Jillson N.Y. Islanders: M. Parrish, S. Young, S. Webb ----------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 27 Buffalo: 2-7 N.Y. Islanders: 39 N.Y. Islanders: 0-4 ----------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 2g 1a +1 2. J. Jillson (BUF) 1g 2a 3. A. Aucoin (NYI) 2a +3 Ryan Miller was excellent in this game and Jeff Jillson scored a tying goal with less than four minutes remaining in regulation to help us gain a point. We also had to kill a penalty in overtime. I'm starting to allow way too many shots again and will have to likely start resting players. If Miller keeps playing well, I'm going to have to trade one of the other goaltenders. Speaking of which, I found out after the game that Mika Noronen rejected my contract offer. Not surprising. However, Ales Kotalik happily signed a new contract and I'm very pleased with the deal (4 years, $4,400,000 total plus incentives). Kotalik is having a nice year, with 36 points in 47 games so far. On Tap Next Week: Tuesday January 20, 2004: AT FLORIDA PANTHERS Thursday January 22, 2004: AT BOSTON BRUINS Saturday January 24, 2004: AT NEW JERSEY DEVILS Sunday January 25, 2004: AT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-30-2004, 12:45 AM	#31
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Tue. February 10, 2004: Dallas Stars (25-26-4-0 9th) at Buffalo Sabres (26-22-5-2 8th) I've placed two more veteran Rochester players on the trade block in Brian Chapman and Rick Mrozik. Dallas comes into town just on the outside of a playoff position and are led by Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen with 33 points. Modano and Brendan Morrow lead the club with 17 goals. I'm going to stick with the exact same lineup as the last game, including Ryan Miller in goal, hoping that he responds after his poor effort against Boston. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Dallas 0 2 0 2 (W: M. Turco 22-23-2) Buffalo 0 0 1 1 (L: R. Miller 3-4-1) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Dallas: B. Guerin, J. Klemm Buffalo: E. Boulton ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Dallas: 22 Dallas: 0-4 Buffalo: 25 Buffalo: 0-2 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Turco (DAL) 1ga 24 saves 2. J. Klemm (DAL) 1g +2 3. E. Boulton (BUF) 1g +1 Another frustrating game, as our defensive play was pretty good but we just couldn't put the puck in the net. I can't maintain any consistency with my lines either, changing them in the third period looking for a spark to no avail. I just can't get any type of offense from Chris Drury or Tim Connolly right now. Wed. February 11, 2004: Forward Adam Mair has resumed non-contract drills in practice and should be game ready in a week or so. NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Jamie Langenbrunner (NJ) 3GP 3g 2a 5pts +5 4 PIM NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Chris Osgood (STL) 2GP 2-0-0 1.00 GAA 1 SHO .968 S% Thu. February 12, 2004: In the news I've been waiting for, centre Daniel Briere has resumed contact drills and will be ready to suit up against San Jose tomorrow night. In practice today, I reunited Briere with former linemates Jochen Hecht and J.P. Dumont. Line two sees Satan-Drury-Afinogenov while line three has Pyatt-Pominville-Kotalik. Line four remains unchanged, with Grier-Taylor-Boulton. The struggling Tim Connolly is on the outside looking in right now. I'll likely sit him against San Jose and play him against Toronto, hoping the benching adds a little spark to his game. Plus, Pominville is playing well offensively in his rookie season. Fri. February 13, 2004: San Jose Sharks (19-29-7-1 12th) at Buffalo Sabres (26-23-5-2 9th) We're back out of the playoff picture, but only by a single point. San Jose is a huge disappointment this year, allowing the most goals in the NHL so far with 184. Marco Sturm leads the team with 19 goals and 37 points thus far. I'm going with a high energy, high forechecking system for this game after being told by my advance scout that their team lacks mobility on defense. Miller starts in goal again tonight. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT San Jose 2 1 1 1 5 (W: E. Nabokov 16-27-6) Buffalo 1 2 1 0 4 (L: R. Miller 3-5-1) ----------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: San Jose: M. Sturm (2), M. Ricci, P. Marleau, C. Brown Buffalo: A. Kotalik, J. Hecht, D. Briere, M. Afinogenov ----------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: San Jose: 26 San Jose: 2-7 Buffalo: 32 Buffalo: 2-8 ----------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Sturm (SJ) 2g 1a +1 2. P. Marleau (SJ) 1g 1a +2 3. D. Briere (BUF) 1g 1a +1 Ryan Miller received the worst rating I've seen yet, a '3' for his lack of effort in this contest. I warned him again after the game, and he accepted it without comment. Boy, maybe I made a mistake in getting rid of Mika Noronen. I'm not going to panic, as we played a pretty solid game here, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to take a late lead. Former Sabre Curtis Brown scored on a 5-on-3 man advantage with four minutes left to send it to overtime. At least we got a point. Now, on to Toronto. Sat. February 14, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (26-23-5-3 9th) at Toronto Maple Leafs (30-15-9-3 4th) Martin Biron goes in goal tonight for the Sabres. As promised, Tim Connolly goes back in for Jason Pominville, otherwise, no changes. I'm sticking with the high forecheck system for this game, only because my trap never works against Toronto. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 3 5 9 (W: R. Miller 4-5-1) Toronto 4 2 2 8 (L: E. Belfour 18-13-7) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: T. Pyatt (3), M. Satan, M. Afinogenov, C. Taylor, E. Boulton, D. Kalinin, J. Jillson Toronto: M. Sundin (3), M. Renberg, A. Mogilny, N. Antropov, O. Nolan, T. Fitzgerald --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 30 Buffalo: 2-7 Toronto: 41 Toronto: 0-4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. D. Kalinin (BUF) 1g 2a 2. M. Sundin (TOR) 3g 1a +2 3. T. Pyatt (BUF) 3g +3 Holy mother of God! That is not a typo!! This has to rank as one of the craziest games in NHL history! Toronto scored on 3 of their first 4 shots to chase Martin Biron and proceeded to build up a seemingly insurmountable 6-2 lead. Unbelievably, we chipped away at that lead (going to a high press system) and eventually tied it at six! Mats Sundin then seemed to salt it away, scoring his third to give Toronto a 7-6 lead but we stormed right back down the ice and Eric Boulton put one home to tie it again. Seconds later, we took our first lead as Dmitri Kalinin pinched in and knocked one home. Toronto would pull their goalie, and Jeff Jillson was able to score into the empty net but Tom Fitzgerald scored immediately after to end the scoring at 9-8! Jillson (1g 1a), Taylor (1g 1a), Connolly (2a), Briere (2a) and Afinogenov (1g 2a) joined Kalinin and Pyatt with multipoint games. I'm exhausted after just watching that game! Just a great come from behind victory and one that was much needed. After the game, Ryan Miller, who still gave up five goals after replacing Biron, reported to the Buffalo News that he was "ecstatic at the team's change in fortune" after the Toronto game. All I know is that we somehow have to find a way to keep the puck out of our net! Sun. February 15, 2004: Maxim Afinogenov and J.P. Dumont have both signed contract extensions for the club. In other league news, the New York Islanders must be giving up on the season after trading two of their finest defensemen in separate deals. First, Roman Hamrlik goes to Colorado for Peter Budaj and two second round picks. Then, they trade Kenny Jonsson to Phoenix for Jeff Taffe and another second rounder. The Islanders are mired in 12th position in the Conference. On Tap Next Week: Monday February 16, 2004: vs. Florida Panthers Wednesday February 18, 2004: vs. Washington Capitals Friday February 20, 2004: vs. Atlanta Thrashers Saturday February 21, 2004: AT NEW YORK ISLANDERS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-30-2004, 12:54 AM	#32
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. February 16, 2004: Florida Panthers (18-33-7-1 14th) at Buffalo Sabres (27-23-5-3 T-7th) Florida has played us very well this year. They play a trapping system but have scored a bunch of goals against me this year. I'm going to go back to the trap myself this game in an effort to shore up things defensively. We'll press their young team hard on the puck, though, to try to cause turnovers. We also switch things up to a man-to-man defensive philosophy. Biron goes back in net for this one, with no other changes. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Florida 0 1 2 3 (W: R. Luongo 15-30-7) Buffalo 1 1 0 2 (L: M. Biron 17-15-1) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Florida: M. Cullen (2), S. Weiss Buffalo: C. Drury, M. Satan ----------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Florida: 25 Florida: 0-1 Buffalo: 31 Buffalo: 0-3 ----------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. C. Drury (BUF) 1g 1a +2 2. K. Piros (FLO) 2a +2 3. M. Satan (BUF) 1g +1 Cullen scored twice in the last five minutes, including the winner with 63 seconds left. We just can NEVER hold a lead. I'm completely at wits end with this enigmatic team. I discipline Biron after the game and he thinks I'm being unfair! Ha! Stop the bloody puck, jerky! Wed. February 18, 2004: Washington Capitals (33-21-5-0 3rd) at Buffalo Sabres (27-24-5-3 9th) Washington is playing inspired hockey this year, led by Jared Aulin, of all people, with 46 points on the season. We've defeated the Capitals in both our games thus far and need to pull out a win here, as our play at home has been less than stellar. Adam Mair returned to full practice and will suit up on the fourth line with Grier and Boulton. To make room for Mair, I've sent Jason Pominville back to Rochester. Pominville played well for me, getting 16 points in 27 games, but his -11 mark shows he needs a bit of work defensively. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Washington 0 2 3 5 (W: O. Kolzig 28-18-5) Buffalo 1 1 2 4 (L: R. Miller 4-6-1) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Washington: J. Aulin (2), D. Zubrus (2), A. Semin Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (2), M. Satan, T. Connolly ----------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Washington: 26 Washington: 0-2 Buffalo: 27 Buffalo: 2-6 ----------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. A. Semin (WAS) 1g 4a +5 2. J. Aulin (WAS) 2g 2a +5 3. D. Zubrus (WAS) 2g 1a +4 It never changes. We just can't get a goalie to stop a puck. 5 goals on 26 shots in a topsy turvy game that saw us take a 2-0 lead, only to give back 4 in a row. We'd eventually come back to tie and then Zubrus scores late to win it for them. I pulled Biron after the fourth goal. I'm now actively pursuing a number one goaltender for my playoff push. NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Robert Lang (DET) 3GP 3g 2a 5pts +1 2PIM NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Robert Esche (PHI) 2GP 1-0-1 1ga 0.48 GAA 1 SHO .981 S% Fri. February 20, 2004: Atlanta Thrashers (18-35-6-0 15th) at Buffalo Sabres (27-25-5-3 9th) Atlanta is the worst team in the conference this year and is really struggling to score goals, with only Ilya Kovalchuk producing. I'm going with Ryan Miller in goal tonight and will attempt to play a low press system. We're desperate for a victory tonight. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Atlanta 1 0 0 1 (L. K. Lehtonen 8-16-5) Buffalo 2 0 2 4 (W: R. Miller 5-6-1) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Atlanta: S. McEachern Buffalo: T. Pyatt (3), M. Afinogenov ----------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Atlanta: 13 Atlanta: 1-4 Buffalo: 32 Buffalo: 2-4 ----------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 3g 1a +2 2. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 1g 1a 3. D. Kalinin (BUF) 1a +1 Wow. Complete domination in this game, as we held them to only 13 shots and a single shot in the third period. Taylor Pyatt is having a tremendous season offensively and I'm offering him a contract extension right away. That was his third hat trick this season. Jeff Jillson and Ales Kotalik both had two assists as well. Unfortunately, defenseman Brian Campbell broke his wrist in the first period. He'll be out at least three weeks. This means James Patrick will hit the ice for the first time in a couple months! The board of directors emailed me after this game, praising our effort. Sat. February 21, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (28-25-5-3 8th) at New York Islanders (22-27-7-4 12th) The Islanders are still fighting to survive, even with the recent moves. Michael Peca and Mariusz Czerkawski are both injured for this game. Mark Parrish leads the club in goals with 17 and Scott Young still leads in points with 38. Ryan Miller is really tired but I'm starting him anyway. James Patrick will be my sixth defenseman tonight. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 4 2 6 (W: R. Miller 6-6-1) NY Islanders 2 1 2 5 (L: R. DiPietro 9-20-4) ------------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (3), A. Kotalik (2), T. Connolly NY Islanders: A. Asham (2), S. Young (2), T. Hunter ------------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 32 Buffalo: 3-5 NY Islanders: 38 NY Islanders: 1-4 ------------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 2g 1a +2 2. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 3g -1 3. T. Connolly (BUF) 1g 1a +1 Another crazy game that saw the Islanders dominate to start, outshooting me 22-4 in the first period. I decided to leave things the same and we responded with an excellent second period, outshooting them 17-4 and taking a 4-3 lead. I lost Jochen Hecht again to injury, as a hit to his knee will keep him out of action for a couple weeks. Kalinin, Zhitnik, Pyatt and Drury all had two assists in the game. Maxim Afinogenov cashed in on a $50,000 bonus for scoring his 10th powerplay goal of the season. On Tap Next Week: Wednesday February 25, 2004: AT PITTSBURGH PENGUINS Friday February 27, 2004: vs. New York Islanders Saturday February 28, 2004: AT OTTAWA SENATORS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

12-30-2004, 06:47 AM	#33
condors College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000	nice big update (gives me something to read while i am avoiding work)

01-01-2005, 08:46 PM	#34
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. February 23, 2004: Taylor Pyatt suffered a cut to the face in practice and will be out of action for a few days. Ah, he's tough and I'll make him play through it! Wed. February 25, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (29-25-5-3 8th) at Pittsburgh Penguins (27-26-7-1 10th) Pittsburgh is playing pretty well in spite of the completely ineffective Mario Lemieux, who only has 28 points in 52 games. Rico Fata is having a great year, with 26 goals and 48 points to lead the team. Pittsburgh will go with Sebastian Caron in goal tonight while Mika Noronen, my former goalie, rides the pine. I'm going to go with Miller again in goal. I've recalled Jason Pominville to take the place of injured Jochen Hecht and he immediately is slotted in on our first line with Briere and Dumont. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 2 2 0 4 (T: R. Miller 6-6-2) Pittsburgh 0 3 1 4 (T: S. Caron 12-13-5) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: C. Drury, M. Grier, T. Pyatt, A. Kotalik Pittsburgh: R. Fata (2), T. Surovy, L. Pirjeta ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 32 Buffalo: 1-4 Pittsburgh: 32 Pittsburgh: 0-5 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. R. Fata (PIT) 2g +1 2. L. Pirjeta (PIT) 1g +2 3. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a +1 Great first period, awful second period, pedestrian third means a tie game. My offense continues to be a positive, scoring goals at an incredible rate; Chris Drury (1g 1a) and Maxim Afinogenov (2a) contributed multipoint games along with Kotalik. I'm having trouble making a trade for a top-notch goalie; I'm also looking for a solid defensive defenseman. NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Peter Forsberg (COL) 2GP 1g 2a 3pts -1 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Martin Brodeur (NJ) 2GP 2-0-0 0.50GAA 1 SHO .976 S% Fri. February 27, 2004: New York Islanders (23-28-8-4 12th) at Buffalo Sabres (29-25-6-3 8th) Michael Peca returns to Buffalo tonight in a game that our fans should be lively in (Peca is HATED in Buffalo). Garth Snow goes in goal for the Islanders tonight. I've promoted the Satan-Drury-Afinogenov line to number 1 due to solid play. Martin Biron will get the shot in goal tonight. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT NY Islanders 0 1 2 3 (T: G. Snow 14-12-4) Buffalo 1 2 0 3 (T: M. Biron 17-15-2) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: NY Islanders: A. Yashin, A. Asham, S. Young Buffalo: J. Jillson, T. Pyatt, M. Grier ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: NY Islanders: 30 NY Islanders: 1-5 Buffalo: 30 Buffalo: 1-7 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. S. Young (NYI) 1g 2. A. Yashin (NYI) 1g 1a 3. M. Parrish (NYI) 2a We were up two goals going into the third period but blew another one. The Pyatt-Connolly-Kotalik trio continues their fine play. I am concerned about the poor play of Daniel Briere and J.P. Dumont, neither of whom have been great since coming back from injury, especially Dumont. After the game, Dmitri Kalinin signed a three year contract extension worth $3,400,000. Sat. February 28, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (29-25-7-3 8th) at Ottawa Senators (36-21-7-0 2nd) Ottawa has a couple major injuries in Daniel Alfredsson and Zdeno Chara, two guys we won't miss! They're still a top notch team without them, led by Marian Hossa's 56 points. I'm going with the exact same lineup as last night. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 1 2 4 (W: M. Biron 18-15-2) Ottawa 0 0 2 2 (L: P. Lalime 33-17-6) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: M. Satan (2), J. Pominville, M. Afinogenov Ottawa: K. Muller, M. Hossa ----------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 26 Buffalo: 1-2 Ottawa: 33 Ottawa: 0-3 ----------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Satan (BUF) 2g 1a +2 2. W. Redden (OTT) 1a -1 3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 2a Nice way to end the month, defeating the Northeast Division leaders in their own building. Biron was very solid in goal for us, although again, we blew a two goal lead only to have them tie it. Thankfully, Satan scored his second of the game to give us a lead we wouldn't relinquish late. Jeff Jillson (2a) also had a multipoint game. The Board of Directors is once again pleased with the performance. Sun. February 29, 2004: We end February on a high note, undefeated in five games and complete the month with a 4-4-2-1 record. Here's a look at the Sabres stats as of February 29th. Code: Buffalo Sabres Statistics (As of February 29, 2004): POS PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG RW Miroslav Satan 65 29 26 55 -12 14 12 0 2 RW Ales Kotalik 65 22 29 51 -8 18 7 0 2 LW Taylor Pyatt 65 23 27 50 -8 16 5 0 5 RW Maxim Afinogenov 42 22 20 42 4 24 11 0 3 C Chris Drury 64 14 28 42 -11 32 2 0 1 D Jeff Jillson 58 8 25 33 0 28 3 0 1 LW Jochen Hecht 45 15 17 32 3 6 1 0 4 C Daniel Briere 42 10 19 29 10 36 2 0 2 D Dmitri Kalinin 62 6 22 28 -12 86 1 0 2 RW J.P. Dumont 41 11 12 23 -6 8 8 0 3 C Tim Connolly 35 5 15 20 -1 14 1 0 0 LW Mike Grier 65 10 10 20 -2 45 0 0 3 D Alexei Zhitnik 54 3 15 18 -6 62 2 0 1 RW Jason Pominville 30 5 12 17 -13 4 2 0 0 D Jay McKee 60 2 15 17 3 91 1 0 0 LW Eric Boulton 46 8 8 16 -4 123 0 0 0 C Adam Mair 59 6 9 15 -4 54 0 1 1 D Brian Campbell 59 2 12 14 -9 18 1 0 1 D Henrik Tallinder 65 0 14 14 -3 2 0 0 0 RW Milan Bartovic 31 5 7 12 0 8 0 0 0 C Derek Roy 38 4 8 12 -5 35 0 0 0 LW Jim McKenzie (BUF) - - - - - - - - - (NAS) 47 6 4 10 -7 151 0 0 1 (OVERALL) 47 6 4 10 -7 151 0 0 1 C Chris Taylor 21 6 3 9 -1 12 0 0 0 LW Jason Botterill 19 1 3 4 -1 23 0 0 0 G Martin Biron 42 0 2 2 --- 0 0 0 0 G Ryan Miller 15 0 1 1 --- 0 0 0 0 D James Patrick 15 0 1 1 -7 2 0 0 0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- POS PLAYER GP W L T MIN GA GAA SHO SV% G Martin Biron 42 18 15 2 2264 115 3.05 2 .895 G Ryan Miller 15 6 6 2 782 48 3.68 0 .879 Maxim Afinogenov* must have contended for Offensive Player of the Month, garnering 9 goals and 17 points in 11 games. Taylor Pyatt, Dmitri Kalinin, Tim Connolly, Ales Kotalik and Chris Drury all had strong offensive months as well. NHL Offensive Player of the Month: Peter Forsberg (COL) 11GP 3g 10a 13pts +3 8PIM NHL Defensive Player of the Month: Scott Niedermayer (NJ) 14GP 4g 6a 10pts +16 2PIM NHL Rookie of the Month: Nikolai Zherdev (CLB) 6GP 3g 5a 8pts +3 4PIM On Tap Next Week: Wednesday March 3, 2004: vs. Ottawa Senators Saturday March 6, 2004: AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS Sunday March 7, 2004: vs. Chicago Blackhawks __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

01-01-2005, 08:54 PM	#35
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. March 1, 2004: The Board of Directors are still "delighted with my overall performance as G.M." and indicate that our financial situation is "extremely secure". Good to know. I've got a little over a week to make some trades in an effort to tighten up my defense. I've set my sights on getting a good, solid defenseman and a goaltender and have made offers for Sheldon Souray, Jason Smith, Eric Brewer, Rostislav Klesla and Darius Kasparaitis on 'D' and Jose Theodore and Miikka Kiprusoff in goal. The only offer that seems to peak interest is for Souray, but Montreal keeps demanding that Taylor Pyatt is included in the trade, something that just isn't going to happen! Wed. March 3, 2004: Ottawa Senators (36-22-7-0 2nd) at Buffalo Sabres (30-25-7-3 8th) The second in a 'delayed' back to back series between the Senators and the Sabres. Chara and Alfredsson are still injured; in fact, they'll both miss the beginning of the playoffs with serious injuries. I am going with the exact same lineup that won in Ottawa a few nights ago. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Ottawa 1 0 1 2 (L: P. Lalime 34-18-6) Buffalo 1 0 3 4 (W: M. Biron 19-15-2) ----------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Ottawa: V. Varada, C. Phillips Buffalo: E. Boulton, J. Pominville, J.P. Dumont, T. Connolly (EN) ----------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Ottawa: 24 Ottawa: 0-0 Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 1-8 ----------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. C. Phillips (OTT) 1g 2. E. Boulton (BUF) 1g 17PIM 3. V. Varada (OTT) 1g -1 Funny game that was highlighted by a big brawl in the second period. It started with a battle between Chris Neil and Jay McKee, then Eric Boulton went after Mike Fisher from Ottawa. Jeff Jillson also was ready to go with Brian Pothier and Mike Grier got tangled up with Greg Devries but both of those were broken up quickly. As far as the game, we were given an incredible eight powerplays to Ottawa's zero, and only were able to convert on the last one, with Dumont finally scoring for the first time since returning from injury. Biron was strong in net once again, as we are now unbeaten in six games. The Board notices and once again sends a message with their approval. NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Sergei Samsonov (BOS) 4GP 5g 2a 7pts +2 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: J.S. Giguere (ANA) 3GP 2-1-0 1.67GAA .943 S% Thu. March 4, 2004: The San Jose media are attacking defenseman Scott Hannan, who is being defended by G.M. Doug Wilson. I decide to make a trade inquiry anyway, as Hannan would look good in a Buffalo uniform. Fri. March 5, 2004: Both Brian Campbell and Jochen Hecht returned to full practice this morning, with their injuries healed. Both will be in the lineup tomorrow night in a game versus the tough Toronto Maple Leafs. I'm going to send Jason Pominville back to Rochester in lieu of Hecht's return. Pominville has been a revelation this year, with 18 points in only 31 games for us; he is certainly in my plans for next year! I found out later in the evening that forward Taylor Pyatt accepted my contract extension, valued at $4,100,000 over the next three years plus bonuses. Pyatt has truly come into his own this season, with 23 goals and 51 points in 66 games. Sat. March 6, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (31-25-7-3 8th) at Toronto Maple Leafs (33-21-10-4 4th) We're having a hard time climbing the ladder in a very competitive Eastern Conference, and we're only a single point ahead of the Boston Bruins, so we must keep winning! Unfortunately, we head into Toronto for a big Saturday Night matchup with the Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada. Our last game was an absolute classic, a 9-8 come from behind victory for the Sabres in front of the national audience in Canada. I hope to keep the score down a bit in this one. Biron goes in goal again tonight; Jochen Hecht gets slotted in alongside Daniel Briere and J.P. Dumont while Brian Campbell goes in for James Patrick as our third line defenseman with Henrik Tallinder. Toronto likely will be missing Tomas Kaberle, who's nursing a groin strain. The Leafs are struggling, having lost three in a row and will start Trevor Kidd in goal. Kidd is actually having a strong season as Belfour's backup, compiling a 14-7-3 record thus far. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT Buffalo 1 4 1 0 6 (T: M. Biron 19-15-3) Toronto 1 4 1 0 6 (T: T. Kidd 14-7-4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Buffalo: T. Pyatt (2), A. Kotalik, D. Briere, J.P. Dumont, M. Afinogenov Toronto: B. McCabe (2), M. Sundin (2), M. Renberg, O. Nolan ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 30 Buffalo: 1-3 Toronto: 39 Toronto: 0-2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. B. McCabe (TOR) 2g 1a 2. M. Sundin (TOR) 2g +2 3. T. Pyatt (BUF) 2g 2a +2 Another crazy, unbelievably high paced game. My strategy to play a defensive game against Toronto always seems to backfire, as my trap was consistently broken down by the talented Leaf forwards. The score after one period was all due to Martin Biron, as Toronto outshot us 17-4. Biron couldn't hold on forever, and the Leafs reeled off three straight goals to take a 4-1 lead. I switched my tactics to a high forechecking system and we proceeded to score four goals in less than five minutes (with Toronto also scoring in-between) to make it 5-5 going into the third. We completely dominated the final frame, outshooting Toronto 14-3 but Mats Sundin was able to rifle a shot home with three minutes left in regulation to tie the game up. Taylor Pyatt is just in a zone right now and is only a point back of Miroslav Satan for the team lead. My new deal with Pyatt may have come at the wrong time: he ended up reaching the 25 goal and 55 point mark in the game, triggering two bonus payments of $120,000 each after the game! Oh well, he deserves it!! Linemates Tim Connolly (3a) and Ales Kotalik (1g 2a) helped the line reach 10 points on the night. Sun. March 7, 2004: Chicago Blackhawks (21-40-6-0 15th) at Buffalo Sabres (31-25-8-3 8th) San Jose rejected my inquiry for Scott Hannan, saying they had no plans to move him. I still really would like to get a good defenseman and only have three days to get one before the trade deadline passes. Cool part about this game: It seems once you get close to the deadline, you can offer trades and get instant feedback from the opposing team, as opposed to waiting a day for their thoughts. This is excellent, as it shows the urgency of the teams at the deadline! The Blackhawks are the worst team in the NHL and also the lowest scoring club in the league. Kyle Calder has been the lone shining light this year, with 18 goals and 39 points. Eric Daze is second on the club with a measly 29 points. I'm going with Ryan Miller in goal tonight because of the back-to-back games. We can't take this game lightly, as Boston has now tied us for the 8th playoff spot in the conference, although we have two games in hand at this point. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Chicago 0 0 3 3 (L: M. Leighton 4-12-2) Buffalo 2 1 2 5 (W: R. Miller 7-6-2) ------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Chicago: T. Arnason, D. Quint, C. Ronning Buffalo: J.P. Dumont, M. Grier, M. Satan, A. Kotalik, J. Hecht (EN) ------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Chicago: 22 Chicago: 0-3 Buffalo: 40 Buffalo: 1-6 ------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g +1 2. M. Grier (BUF) 1g -1 3. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g We dominated this game to such a degree after two periods that I was just wondering when I'd give the fourth line more playing time. However, Chicago scored three goals in a six minute span to tie the game up and cancel those plans! Thankfully, Kotalik restored order with about 10 minutes left in regulation and we were able to kill a big 5 on 3 disadvantage late in the game to win. Leighton was phenomenal for Chicago and singlehandedly kept them in the game. On Tap Next Week: Wednesday March 10, 2004: AT CAROLINA HURRICANES Thursday March 11, 2004: vs. Boston Bruins Saturday March 13, 2004: AT BOSTON BRUINS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

01-01-2005, 09:05 PM	#36
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. March 8, 2004: I was able to swing a big deal with Detroit this morning, getting veteran defenseman Chris Chelios for only a seventh round pick!! Chelios had been on the block for some time in Detroit and wasn't playing much, as the Wings had picked up defenseman Andy Sutton earlier in the year from Atlanta and he was playing well. I think that Detroit wanted to get rid of Chelios' huge $6,000,000/year contract but I'm not too worried since he's just here as a 'rent-a-player'. Very exciting to get a guy who's won two Stanley Cups for our own playoff run. By the way, the win over Chicago propelled us into a three-way tie with Tampa and Carolina for 6th spot in the Eastern Conference. Tue. March 9, 2004: Well, it looks as if I'm going to have to ride Martin Biron in hopes of making the playoffs. I'm unable to extract any decent upgrades in goal from the NHL clubs and that's the key: UPGRADES. Here are the trade deadline deals: - Boston trades C Andy Hilbert to Philadelphia for the rights to G Dov Grumet-Morris - San Jose trades W Scott Thornton to Philadelphia for the rights to D Joey Mormina - San Jose trades W Alexander Korolyuk and D Tom Preissing to Dallas for the rights to D Matt Nickerson and the rights to D Niko Vanio - San Jose trades W Todd Harvey to Phoenix for the rights to D Marcus Smith and a 4th round pick in 2004 - Boston trades C Brad Boyes to Carolina for the rights to C Adam Taylor - Dallas trades C Steve Ott to Boston for the rights to D Andrew Alberts, a 4th round pick in 2004 and a 5th round pick in 2005 - Pittsburgh trades C Domenic Pittis to Montreal for the rights to G Jaroslav Halak - Los Angeles trades D Bryan Muir, D Joe Corvo and a 3rd round pick in 2004 to New York Islanders for W Shawn Bates - Atlanta trades D Frantisek Kaberle to Phoenix for D David Tanabe - Chicago trades D Jim Vandermeer to Detroit for the rights to D Johan Berggren, a 4th round pick in 2004 and a 4th round pick in 2005 Needless to say, I'm disappointed that bigger names weren't moved at the deadline! Wed. March 10, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (32-25-8-3 T-8th) at Carolina Hurricanes (34-26-7-2 T-6th) Carolina continues to play well despite a big injury to goaltender Kevin Weekes; Jamie Storr has been instrumental in their success this year. Jeff O'Neill leads the club with 56 points while Justin Williams and his 24 goals tops the club. Biron is back in goal tonight while new acquisition Chris Chelios plays his first game in a Buffalo uniform in place of Brian Campbell. Chelios will also man my penalty killing unit. We've had difficulty against Carolina this year and I hope that we can come up big against an opponent above us in the standings. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 3 1 4 (W: M. Biron 20-15-3) Carolina 0 1 0 1 (L: P. DesRochers 3-2-1) ------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: J. Hecht, J.P. Dumont, A. Mair, T. Pyatt Carolina: C. Adams ------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 25 Buffalo: 1-4 Carolina: 30 Carolina: 0-2 ------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. J. Hecht (BUF) 1g +1 2. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g 1a +1 3. T. Pyatt (BUF) 1g 1a Big win here, especially considering Carolina's dominance in the early going. They outshot us 17-6 in the first period, and I made a temporary change to a high forechecking system that culminated in Hecht's opening goal on surprise starter Patrick DesRochers. I went back to the trap and our team played strong the rest of the way. Chelios played a nice, solid game in his debut. NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Boyd Devereaux (DET) 2GP 2g 2a 4pts +4 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Sean Burke (PHI) 2GP 1-0-1 1.44GAA .946 S% Thu. March 11, 2004: Boston Bruins (31-26-8-5 9th) at Buffalo Sabres (33-25-8-3 T-7th) Boston continues to nip at my heels, standing two points back in the race for the final playoff spot. They are unbeaten in five while we are unbeaten in nine games, our best such streak this season. By the way, I haven't changed anything with our captain situation due to our fine play, as Jay McKee retained the captaincy this month with Briere and Satan maintaining their assistant captaincy duties. Boston has played us well this year, going 3-1-1 against us and they're led by Sergei Samsonov's 76 points, which leads the entire NHL. Joe Thornton isn't doing too badly himself with 72 points. I'm going with Martin Biron tonight, even with the back to back games. He's the man right now. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Boston 0 1 3 4 (W: A. Raycroft 17-15-4) Buffalo 0 0 1 1 (L: M. Biron 20-16-3) ------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Boston: G. Murray, M. Knuble, S. Samsonov, P. Bergeron Buffalo: C. Drury ------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Boston: 24 Boston: 2-2 Buffalo: 22 Buffalo: 1-7 ------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. G. Murray (BOS) 1g 1a 2. S. Samsonov (BOS) 1g 1a 3. C. Drury (BUF) 1g -1 Tight defensive battle in the first period with shots 4-3 in our favour. Boston opened the scoring on a powerplay midway through the second. I tried to install a forechecking system in the third to break them down but it only served to leave things open on the backend for Boston who made no mistake in scoring three times. Drury was able to fire one home from the point on the powerplay late in the game to avoid the shutout. Biron wasn't great in back-to-back contests. Fri. March 12, 2004: Maxim Afinogenov is suffering from a strained neck and will be out of action for a week. I'm going to put in forward Jim McKenzie for the first time this year and promote Mike Grier to the Drury-Satan line until Afinogenov is healthy. I contemplated bringing up Jason Pominville but will resist for now. Sat. March 13, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (33-26-8-3 T-7th) at Boston Bruins (32-26-8-5 T-7th) I think I'm going to have the Kalinin-Zhitnik pair match up against the Thornton-Samsonov-Murray line to try to negate their offensive talents. I'm going back to Martin Biron again tonight. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 0 0 0 (L: M. Biron 20-17-3) Boston 1 4 1 6 (W: F. Potvin 13-16-3) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: None Boston: P. Bergeron, M. Nylander, T. Green, P.J. Axelsson, J. Thornton, B. Rolston ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 37 Buffalo: 0-5 Boston: 31 Boston: 0-2 ------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. D. McGillis (BOS) 3a +4 2. F. Potvin (BOS) SHO 37 saves 3. P. Bergeron (BOS) 1g 1a +3 Just a disgraceful performance; I don't even know what to say after this loss. Disgusting. On Tap Next Week: Monday March 15, 2004: vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday March 17, 2004: AT FLORIDA PANTHERS Thursday March 18, 2004: AT ATLANTA THRASHERS Saturday March 20, 2004: AT WASHINGTON CAPITALS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

01-01-2005, 09:11 PM	#37
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. March 15, 2004: Toronto Maple Leafs (34-21-13-4 2nd) at Buffalo Sabres (33-27-8-3 9th) Desperation has set in here in Buffalo. I've called up Jason Pominville after the team's dreadful performance the other night and will scratch Jim McKenzie, even though he was okay in his first Sabres game. I need better efforts from Chris Drury and a struggling Miro Satan, who were just awful in the Boston game with -3's. Biron also needs to come through in the clutch against the Leafs. I'm going with the high forechecking, high pressing system that has helped me in two consecutive comebacks against the Leafs. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Toronto 0 1 0 1 (L: E. Belfour 20-19-8) Buffalo 2 1 1 4 (W: M. Biron 21-17-3) ------------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Toronto: T. Kaberle Buffalo: J.P. Dumont, J. Hecht, D. Briere, M. Grier ------------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Toronto: 24 Toronto: 0-5 Buffalo: 30 Buffalo: 1-7 ------------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. M. Satan (BUF) 3a +2 2. M. Biron (BUF) 1GA 23 saves 3. J. Hecht (BUF) 1g +1 Whew. We needed this one and got a great performance from the entire team. Chris Drury joined Satan in the multipoint game parade with 2 assists. The team seems to have figured out Toronto...now if I could just figure out Boston! The board was "delighted with the excellent victory" over the Leafs. Tue. March 16, 2004: Now that we've only got ten games left, I might as well go into detail about the standings at this point. Here's how things are shaking down in the East and the West: Code: NHL Eastern Conference Standings: As of March 16, 2004: POS TEAM GP W L T OTL PCT GF GA PTS 1 * New Jersey Devils 74 41 19 13 1 .649 236 160 96 2 * Toronto Maple Leafs 74 34 22 13 4 .582 210 204 85 3 * Washington Capitals 72 37 25 8 2 .583 183 155 84 4 Philadelphia Flyers 72 31 19 18 4 .583 192 172 84 5 Tampa Bay Lightning 72 36 25 8 3 .576 192 172 83 6 Ottawa Senators 72 37 27 8 0 .569 196 169 82 7 Carolina Hurricanes 72 35 28 7 2 .549 196 177 79 8 Buffalo Sabres 72 34 27 8 3 .549 242 240 79 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Boston Bruins 72 33 26 8 5 .549 223 208 79 10 Pittsburgh Penguins 72 32 29 10 1 .521 204 206 75 11 N.Y. Islanders 71 26 30 11 4 .472 174 174 67 12 N.Y. Rangers 73 29 36 7 1 .452 167 202 66 13 Atlanta Thrashers 72 25 40 6 1 .396 150 211 57 14 Montreal Canadiens 73 22 38 12 1 .390 178 224 57 15 Florida Panthers 73 21 43 7 2 .349 165 221 51 * = Division Leaders Code: NHL Western Conference Standings: As of March 16, 2004: POS TEAM GP W L T OTL PCT GF GA PTS 1 * Colorado Avalanche 71 44 20 6 1 .669 221 156 95 2 * Los Angeles Kings 72 35 25 12 0 .569 214 192 82 3 * Detroit Red Wings 71 36 26 5 4 .570 210 194 81 4 Calgary Flames 72 37 22 10 3 .604 187 142 87 5 Vancouver Canucks 72 34 24 12 2 .569 197 167 82 6 Anaheim Mighty Ducks 72 35 26 8 3 .563 214 181 81 7 St. Louis Blues 72 35 29 7 1 .542 202 189 78 8 Dallas Stars 71 34 30 6 1 .528 183 173 75 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Phoenix Coyotes 72 32 30 9 1 .514 194 195 74 10 Nashville Predators 71 29 30 9 3 .493 193 197 70 11 Edmonton Oilers 72 29 31 10 2 .486 162 169 70 12 San Jose Sharks 71 25 34 11 1 .437 169 227 62 13 Minnesota Wild 72 21 38 12 1 .382 148 182 55 14 Chicago Blackhawks 72 22 41 8 1 .368 137 222 53 15 Columbus Blue Jackets 72 19 38 11 4 .368 171 226 53 * = Division Leaders Wed. March 17, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (34-27-8-3 9th) at Florida Panthers (21-43-7-2 15th) Florida has lost five games in a row but I'm not taking them lightly, considering they've defeated us in three of four games this year. I'm going with the exact same lineup from the Toronto game, although I'll revert to my trapping tactic for this affair. The Panthers look banged up and I might be fortunate to miss out on playing against Olli Jokinen who's on the IR with knee pain. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 3 0 2 5 (W: M. Biron 22-17-3) Florida 0 1 0 1 (L: R. Luongo 17-40-7) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: T. Pyatt (3), A. Kotalik (2) Florida: M. Cullen ----------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 32 Buffalo: 2-7 Florida: 28 Florida: 0-5 ----------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. A. Kotalik (BUF) 2g 1a +3 2. T. Pyatt (BUF) 3g +2 3. T. Connolly (BUF) 2a +3 The Connolly-Pyatt-Kotalik line continues to have a wonderful season, with Pyatt getting his fourth hat trick of the season in the win and Kotalik hitting three different bonus levels after the game to earn $310,000. The board once again voiced their approval after the contest. NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Peter Forsberg (COL) 3GP 2g 3a 5pts +2 2PIM NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Garth Snow (NYI) 2GP 2-0-0 0.50GAA 1 SHO .984 S% Thu. March 18, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (35-27-8-3 T-7th) at Atlanta Thrashers (25-41-6-1 T-13th) We stroll into Atlanta having beaten them all four times this year. They still are missing the injured Dany Heatley but he is close to returning. Ilya Kovalchuk is playing great hockey this year, leading the team with 32 goals and 60 points. I'll be going with Ryan Miller in net tonight to rest Biron. Taylor Pyatt received a 'dental injury' in practice but he will play tonight, as will Maxim Afinogenov, who while not completely healthy, is good enough to go. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 2 1 1 4 (W: R. Miller 8-6-2) Atlanta 1 0 1 2 (L: K. Lehtonen 12-18-5) ------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: C. Drury (2), T. Pyatt, J. Jillson Atlanta: D. Tanabe, M. Kralj ------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 31 Buffalo: 0-2 Atlanta: 36 Atlanta: 1-7 ------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. C. Drury (BUF) 2g +2 2. T. Pyatt (BUF) 1g 3. M. Kralj (ATL) 1g Atlanta really poured it on in the third period when we became ridiculously undisciplined but Ryan Miller was strong in securing the victory. Another nice road victory. Taylor Pyatt received another $120,000 for scoring his 30th goal of the season. Sat. March 20, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (36-27-8-3 T-6th) at Washington Captials (38-26-8-2 2nd) It's so tight in the Eastern Conference right now, as we sit only three points behind Northeast Division leaders Toronto, yet are barely clinging onto a playoff spot. Washington continues to roll, lead by unlikely duo Jared Aulin and Alexander Semin. Martin Biron will go back into net tonight with no other changes to my lineup. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 4 0 1 5 (W: M. Biron 23-17-3) Washington 3 0 0 3 (L: O. Kolzig 32-25-7) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: T. Pyatt (2), E. Boulton, A. Kotalik, M. Satan Washington: J. Halpern, B. Battaglia, A. Semin ----------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 24 Buffalo: 0-7 Washington: 26 Washington: 1-3 ------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. T. Connolly (BUF) 3a +3 2. T. Pyatt (BUF) 2g +3 3. J. Halpern (WAS) 1g 1a High scoring first period with subpar goaltending on both sides turned into a defensive battle for the last two. The Connolly-Pyatt-Kotalik line is insane right now. Talk about chemistry! All three players are improving greatly and developing into fine players! Chris Chelios picked up his first point in a Sabres uniform on the first goal by Pyatt; Chelios is playing good defensive hockey for us right now and his form has been excellent since joining, with 8's across the board. The Briere-Hecht-Dumont line is struggling offensively but I'll bet they start contributing soon. One single point separates the 5th placed team from the 9th placed team in the conference. We have four days off till our next game, which gives us an opportunity to rest up for the final push. On Tap Next Week: Wednesday March 24, 2004: vs. Montreal Canadiens Friday March 26, 2004: vs. Philadelphia Flyers Saturday March 27, 2004: AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

01-01-2005, 09:16 PM	#38
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Wed. March 24, 2004: Montreal Canadiens (22-40-13-1 14th) at Buffalo Sabres (37-27-8-3 T-7th) Montreal is just playing out the string and we'll have to come out hard to get these necessary two points. Andreas Dackell and Saku Koivu lead the Canadiens in points with 41. Martin Biron tends goal again tonight. The Drury-Satan-Afinogenov line moves ahead of the Briere-Hecht-Dumont line on the depth chart. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Montreal 1 2 0 3 (W: J. Theodore 18-25-12) Buffalo 0 0 0 0 (L: M. Biron 23-18-3) -------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Montreal: M. Ryder (2), D. Pittis Buffalo: None -------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Montreal: 25 Montreal: 0-4 Buffalo: 41 Buffalo: 0-2 -------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. J. Theodore (MON) SHO 41 saves 2. M. Ryder (MON) 2g +2 3. D. Pittis (MON) 1g +1 Theodore completely stole this game for Montreal. Almost as bad as the loss was the fact that our leading scorer Taylor Pyatt pulled his groin early in the game and is likely out for the regular season. That is NOT what we needed. I can't fault our effort here...Theodore was simply superb. I pulled Biron after he gave up the third goal to get a spark but we just couldn't score on Jose. NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Sergei Samsonov (BOS) 3GP 1g 6a 7pts +5 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Patrick DesRochers (CAR) 2GP 1-0-1 0.96GAA .950 S% Fri. March 26, 2004: Philadelphia Flyers (34-20-19-4 4th) at Buffalo Sabres (37-28-8-3 9th) We're on the outside looking in once again as the Flyers come to town. We've defeated the Flyers in both games this year quite convincingly but times are getting tough and we NEED this win. Martin Biron will go back in, as he gives us the best chance at victory. I recalled Jason Pominville to play alongside Connolly and Kotalik. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Philadelphia 0 2 1 3 (W: S. Burke 16-10-9) Buffalo 0 1 1 2 (L: M. Biron 23-19-3) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Philadelphia: J. Roenick, K. Primeau, S. Gagne Buffalo: J.P. Dumont (2) --------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Philadelphia: 22 Philadelphia: 0-3 Buffalo: 30 Buffalo: 1-5 --------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. S. Gagne (PHI) 1g 1a +2 2. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 2g 3. K. Primeau (PHI) 1g 1a +3 I can't let this season slip away! Primeau scored shorthanded at the end of the second period but Dumont's second brought us back into the game. However, Simon Gagne scored with a little more than five minutes left and we couldn't get the equalizer. We just aren't winning at home and it's killing us. Sat. March 27, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (37-29-8-3 9th) at Philadelphia Flyers (35-20-19-4 4th) I'm going with an attacking system to begin the game and will improvise the rest of the way. I can't just sit back...I have to try to win this game. Biron starts again. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 1 0 1 (L: M. Biron 23-20-3) Philadelphia 0 6 2 8 (W: R. Esche 20-13-10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: M. Afinogenov Philadelphia: K. Primeau (3), S. Thornton, K. Johnsson, M. Timander, T. Fedoruk, J. Roenick ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 32 Buffalo: 0-4 Philadelphia: 35 Philadelphia: 0-5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. K. Primeau (PHI) 3g 1a +4 2. J. Roenick (PHI) 1g 3. R. Esche (PHI) 1GA 31 saves An absolute nightmare. We played a fine first period and then Biron started letting everything in. Primeau's hat trick came on ONE SHIFT! I had to discipline FOUR players after this game for poor play. I only hope I can recover from this debacle and somehow squeeze into the playoffs. It isn't looking good. On Tap Next Week: Monday March 29, 2004: vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Wednesday March 31, 2004: AT NEW YORK RANGERS Friday April 2, 2004: vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday April 3, 2004: AT MONTREAL CANADIENS __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

01-01-2005, 09:22 PM	#39
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. March 29, 2004: Columbus Blue Jackets (19-42-13-4 14th) at Buffalo Sabres (37-30-8-3 9th) Rick Nash and his 31 goals come to town to try to keep us out of the playoffs. I'm going to simplify the gameplan tonight in hopes of getting everyone prepared. Martin Biron will have to come up big and we'll need a bunch of guys to break out of slumps if we're to be successful. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Columbus 0 0 0 0 (L: M. Denis 14-27-9) Buffalo 0 1 3 4 (W: M. Biron 24-20-3) ---------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Columbus: None Buffalo: M. Afinogenov (2), M. Grier, M. Satan ---------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Columbus: 22 Columbus: 0-3 Buffalo: 25 Buffalo: 2-3 ---------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 2g 1a +1 2. M. Biron (BUF) SHO 23 saves 3. M. Grier (BUF) 1g +1 Game was really close until we broke it open midway through the third period. Columbus got undisciplined and we scored twice during a four minute powerplay to seal the shutout victory, our first in many months. The late goals are big confidence boosters, at least I hope they are! Nice to see the Drury line come up big, as Drury had 2 assists and Satan scored a goal. Ales Kotalik also had a pair of assists. Jason Pominville signed a new deal after the game, a three-year deal worth a total of $975,000. Wed. March 31, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (38-30-8-3 9th) at New York Rangers (31-39-9-1 12th) I venture to Madison Square Garden to play the injury riddled Rangers. Jaromir Jagr, Eric Lindros, Mark Messier and Mike Dunham are all on the IR going into this game. Every game is a must win for us now, as the teams in the hunt continue to win it seems every time. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 2 1 3 (W: M. Biron 25-20-3) N.Y. Rangers 0 1 0 1 (L: D. Blackburn 1-2-1) ------------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Buffalo: D. Briere (2), M. Satan N.Y. Rangers: S. McCarthy ------------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 38 Buffalo: 1-4 N.Y. Rangers: 33 N.Y. Rangers: 0-6 ------------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. D. Briere (BUF) 2g +1 2. T. Poti (NYI) 1a +1 3. M. Biron (BUF) 1GA 32 saves This is a huge win, putting us into a tie for 7th in the Conference with Tampa and only a point back of Boston for the division lead, which would propel us to 3rd in the Conference! Biron was fantastic. We finish the month with a great 9-5-1 record to stay in the thick of things. NHL Offensive Player of the Month: Sergei Samsonov (BOS) 13GP 12g 10a 22pts +11 NHL Defensive Player of the Month: Garth Snow (NYI) 7GP 5-0-2 0.98GAA 2 SHO .957 S% NHL Rookie of the Month: Ryan Whitney (PIT) 11GP 0g 4a 4pts +2 6PIM NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Pavol Demitra (STL) 3GP 3g 2a 5pts +6 NHL Defensive Player of the Week: Derek Morris (PHO) 3GP 0g 3a 3pts +2 Fri. April 2, 2004: Toronto Maple Leafs (36-26-14-4 6th) at Buffalo Sabres (39-30-8-3 T-7th) It doesn't get any bigger than this. Toronto's Gary Roberts is suspended for this game and Nik Antropov is hurt. I'm going with my tactic of high forechecking and high pressure that's been successful against the Leafs lately. No lineup changes. Taylor Pyatt resumed light practice today but is only at 50% efficiency. I won't play him tonight but I plan on playing him tomorrow even if he's spitting blood the entire time! We control our own destiny and can pass the Leafs in the standings with a win. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Toronto 0 1 0 1 (L: E. Belfour 21-22-9) Buffalo 1 4 0 5 (W: M. Biron 26-20-3) ----------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Toronto: M. Stajan Buffalo: J.P. Dumont, M. Satan, T. Connolly, A. Kotalik, J. Hecht ----------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Toronto: 21 Toronto: 0-2 Buffalo: 30 Buffalo: 3-5 ----------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g 3a +2 2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 1a 3. T. Connolly (BUF) 1g 1a WE'RE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!! A fantastic game from the entire team in this game! We came out forechecking and ran them ragged all game! New Jersey defeated 9th place Ottawa to put us officially in the playoffs! Jochen Hecht (1g 1a) and Daniel Briere (2a) also had multipoint games. We're in 5th place in the conference right now and can still catch Boston, who are a point ahead but have a game in hand. I'll likely rest a few of my players that are gasping for air in the finale but I still have to play to win. Now that I'm in, Pyatt will definitely not be suiting up for tomorrow's game in order to keep him for the playoffs. Sat. April 3, 2004: Buffalo Sabres (40-30-8-3 5th) at Montreal Canadiens (24-43-13-1 13th) Montreal will be missing Mike Ribeiro and Steve Begin in the season finale. I'm resting Jay McKee and Chris Chelios in preparation for the playoffs, with Brian Campbell and James Patrick getting inserted into their place. Martin Biron will still go in net. I'm reverting back to the trapping tactic. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 2 2 1 5 (W: M. Biron 27-20-3) Montreal 1 0 0 1 (L: J. Theodore 19-29-12) ------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: J.P. Dumont, E. Boulton, M. Satan, M. Afinogenov, C. Drury Montreal: Y. Perreault ------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 29 Buffalo: 2-7 Montreal: 25 Montreal: 0-4 ------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. D. Briere (BUF) 3a +1 2. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g 2a 3. M. Biron (BUF) 1GA 24 saves We finish the season winning our final four games by a total score of 17-3. Jochen Hecht (2a) also had a multipoint game. We're currently in 5th spot and need Philadelphia to defeat Carolina tomorrow night in order to finish there and avoid a date with our nemesis in Boston. Sun. April 4, 2004: Carolina defeats Philadelphia 1-0 to hop over me into 5th place in the Conference, meaning a first round date with Boston. The Bruins have had our number all season and I'll have to figure out a strategy to stop them when it counts. The Toronto Maple Leafs lost 8 of their last 10 games to miss the playoffs due to Tampa Bay having more victories. On Tap Next Week: Sunday April 11, 2004: AT BOSTON BRUINS (Playoffs) __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

01-01-2005, 09:39 PM	#41
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Tue. April 13, 2004: Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Two - Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins Buffalo leads series 1-0 Jason Pominville gets slotted in with Jochen Hecht and Daniel Briere on our top line right off the bat. The rest of the lineup and my tactics remain unchanged. I'll move the lines around during the game if I find Pominville isn't up to the task of first line duty. Interestingly, Boston changes goaltenders and will go with Felix Potvin tonight. Raycroft was given a '6' rating in the first game. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT1 OT2 TOT Buffalo 2 0 0 0 0 2 (L: M. Biron 1-1-0) Boston 0 2 0 0 1 3 (W: F. Potvin 1-0-0) ------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: J. Hecht, M. Satan Boston: S. Samsonov, J. Thornton, G. Murray ------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 39 Buffalo: 0-7 Boston: 43 Boston: 0-5 ------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. G. Murray (BOS) 1g 1a +2 2. J. Thornton (BOS) 1g 1a +1 3. S. Samsonov (BOS) 1g 1a +1 A double overtime thriller that saw Boston's Glen Murray sneak one past Martin Biron at the 96 minute mark to win the game. Disappointing result but another fine effort from our club. Pominville was solid in his playoff debut and assisted on Hecht's opening goal, scored only 25 seconds from the first puck drop. Thornton's goal was shorthanded. Our powerplay, incidently first overall in the regular season, was held in check throughout the contest. We obviously miss Dumont, who tied for the team lead in PPG's with 14. I'm not disappointed, as we take away 'home ice advantage' from the Bruins and play the next two in Buffalo. Thu. April 15, 2004: Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Three - Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres Series is tied 1-1 J.P. Dumont has resumed practice but isn't at full efficiency. I decide to rest him for one more game, as he's only at 75% right now and Pominville was solid in his place. My lineup remains completely unchanged from the previous game. Boston comes back with Andrew Raycroft in goal. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Boston 0 0 0 0 (L: A. Raycroft 0-2-0) Buffalo 1 3 2 6 (W: M. Biron 2-1-0) ------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Boston: None Buffalo: T. Connolly (2), M. Satan, D. Briere, A. Kotalik. T. Pyatt ------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Boston: 24 Boston: 0-2 Buffalo: 25 Buffalo: 3-6 ------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. D. Briere (BUF) 1g 2a +1 2. M. Biron (BUF) SHO 24 saves 3. T. Connolly (BUF) 2g +2 What a dominating effort! Every facet of the game was played to perfection! I even got to move my fourth line of Grier-Mair-Boulton to the top line for about 15 minutes to give the other guys a rest. Tim Connolly's second goal was a shorthanded breakaway effort with less than a minute remaining. Biron was excellent, although not really tested. Just a great effort! Sat. April 17, 2004: Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Four - Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres Buffalo leads series 2-1 HUGE NEWS before the game! Boston's superstar Sergei Samsonov was injured in practice and will miss at least a week of action. He's been put on the IR, meaning he can't play for at least seven days. He can't return to action until at least game six. Meanwhile, J.P. Dumont has resumed full practice and will suit up tonight in his familiar right wing position on the Hecht-Briere line. Jason Pominville will be scratched, although he has played very well in his two games, with one assist and a +3 mark. I suspect that Felix Potvin will be put back into action for Boston in place of ineffective Andrew Raycroft. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Boston 0 1 0 1 (W: F. Potvin 2-0-0) Buffalo 0 0 0 0 (L: M. Biron 2-2-0) ------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Boston: J. Thornton Buffalo: None ------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Boston: 27 Boston: 0-5 Buffalo: 24 Buffalo: 0-4 ------------------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. F. Potvin (BOS) SHO 24 saves 2. J. Thornton (BOS) 1g +1 3. M. Biron (BUF) 26 saves I just can't figure out Felix Potvin. He's confounded our team all year. I can only hope that Boston is stupid enough to go back to Raycroft for the next game. Ultra-tight defensive battle. I promoted Connolly's line ahead of Drury's in the third period and will continue with that in game five in Boston. It's turned into a three game series now. On Tap Next Week: Monday April 19, 2004: AT BOSTON BRUINS (Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Five) Other games TBA __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

01-01-2005, 09:43 PM	#42
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. April 19, 2004: Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Five - Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins Series is tied at 2-2 Boston forward Steve Ott has resumed full practice and he will play in place of veteran Ted Donato. Rob Zamuner plays his second game in place of Samsonov. Boston does come back with Andrew Raycroft, their number one goalie throughout the season. Dumb, if you ask me. My opinion means nothing, however, if we don't beat them! My lineup remains unchanged with the noted exception of Pyatt-Connolly-Kotalik moving up in the depth chart over Satan-Drury-Afinogenov. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 1 2 0 3 (W: M. Biron 3-2) Boston 1 0 0 1 (L: A. Raycroft 0-3) --------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Buffalo: M. Grier, A. Mair, A. Kotalik Boston: G. Murray --------------------------------------------------------- SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 22 Buffalo: 0-6 Boston: 31 Boston: 0-6 --------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. M. Biron (BUF) 1ga 30 saves 2. G. Murray (BOS) 1g -1 3. M. Grier (BUF) 1g +1 Martin Biron is playing superb hockey thus far in the playoffs. The fourth line chipped in with a pair of goals after Glen Murray opened the scoring for Boston. Neither powerplay is working right now. I can only hope I avoid Samsonov's return. Tue. April 20, 2004: Eastern Conference Quarter Final Game Six - Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres Buffalo leads series 3-2 We have to play in back-to-back nights and I can only assume this helps us out more, since we have a younger team. However, guys like Chris Chelios and Jay McKee are pretty tired. They'll play anyway...this is the playoffs! My lineup will be the exact same as last game. Boston will go with Felix Potvin again. Damn. I'm tempted to tell my players to aim for the five hole but will continue with my current tactic of 'aiming low'. I'll change if Potvin continues to stymie us. Samsonov isn't ready to play yet, thankfully. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT Boston 0 2 0 0 2 (L: F. Potvin 2-1) Buffalo 0 1 1 1 3 (W: M. Biron 4-2) ------------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Boston: N. Boynton, G. Murray Buffalo: M. Grier, M. Satan, T. Pyatt ------------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Boston: 23 Boston: 0-4 Buffalo: 26 Buffalo: 1-5 ------------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. T. Pyatt (BUF) 1g -1 2. N. Boynton (BOS) 1g +2 3. M. Satan (BUF) 1g Yes sir! Overtime come from behind victory!!! Taylor Pyatt took the puck away from goaltender Felix Potvin and fired one home with 7 minutes remaining in the first overtime session to give us the 4-2 series win. We were down 2-0 in this game when I changed to a 'shoot high' tactic that provided immediate dividends with Grier's second of the playoffs near the end of the second period. I put the high forechecking system into place midway through the third and with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, Miroslav Satan scored his fifth goal of the series to tie the game up. Biron had a phenomenal series in goal for us. Maxim Afinogenov hurt his neck in the game and is out for 10 days according to my physio. Wed. April 21, 2004: Ottawa was able to pull off an 'upset' in defeating second seeded Washington in seven games to help me avoid a confrontation with the tough first seeded New Jersey Devils. Instead, I will face the Philadelphia Flyers, who I had early season success against only to fail miserably against them late in the year. Could go either way, but I have more confidence against the Flyers than I did against the Bruins. Code: STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: FIRST ROUND RESULTS EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER FINALS: New Jersey Devils (1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (8) 4-11-04: NEW JERSEY 2 Tampa Bay 1 4-13-04: NEW JERSEY 5 Tampa Bay 4 4-15-04: New Jersey 4 TAMPA BAY 3 4-17-04: TAMPA BAY 4 New Jersey 3 4-19-04: NEW JERSEY 3 Tampa Bay 1 NEW JERSEY WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1 Washington Capitals (2) vs. Ottawa Senators (7) 4-11-04: Ottawa 3 WASHINGTON 2 4-13-04: WASHINGTON 3 Ottawa 1 4-14-04: Washington 3 OTTAWA 2 4-16-04: Washington 2 OTTAWA 1 4-17-04: Ottawa 3 WASHINGTON 1 4-19-04: OTTAWA 4 Washington 2 4-21-04: Ottawa 2 Washington 1 OTTAWA WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 3 Boston Bruins (3) vs. Buffalo Sabres (6) 4-11-04: Buffalo 5 BOSTON 3 4-13-04: BOSTON 3 Buffalo 2 (OT2) 4-15-04: BUFFALO 6 Boston 0 4-17-04: Boston 1 BUFFALO 0 4-19-04: Buffalo 3 BOSTON 1 4-20-04: BUFFALO 3 Boston 2 BUFFALO WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 2 Philadelphia Flyers (4) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (5) 4-11-04: Carolina 4 PHILADELPHIA 2 4-13-04: PHILADELPHIA 4 Carolina 2 4-15-04: Philadelphia 3 CAROLINA 1 4-17-04: Philadelphia 3 CAROLINA 1 4-19-04: PHILADELPHIA 3 Carolina 2 PHILADELPHIA WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1 WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER FINALS: Colorado Avalanche (1) vs. St. Louis Blues (8) 4-11-04: COLORADO 2 St. Louis 0 4-13-04: St. Louis 3 COLORADO 2 4-15-04: ST. LOUIS 3 Colorado 2 4-17-04: ST. LOUIS 3 Colorado 1 4-19-04: COLORADO 5 St. Louis 2 4-20-04: ST. LOUIS 3 Colorado 1 ST. LOUIS WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 2 Los Angeles Kings (2) vs. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (7) 4-11-04: LOS ANGELES 5 Anaheim 1 4-13-04: LOS ANGELES 1 Anaheim 0 4-15-04: Los Angeles 7 ANAHEIM 3 4-17-04: Los Angeles 4 ANAHEIM 3 LOS ANGELES WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 0 Detroit Red Wings (3) vs. Dallas Stars (6) 4-11-04: Dallas 3 DETROIT 2 4-13-04: Dallas 2 DETROIT 0 4-15-04: Detroit 3 DALLAS 2 4-17-04: DALLAS 3 Detroit 1 4-19-04: Dallas 5 DETROIT 1 DALLAS WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1 Calgary Flames (4) vs. Vancouver Canucks (5) 4-11-04: CALGARY 4 Vancouver 2 4-13-04: CALGARY 2 Vancouver 1 4-15-04: Calgary 4 VANCOUVER 2 4-17-04: VANCOUVER 6 Calgary 1 4-19-04: CALGARY 3 Vancouver 1 CALGARY WINS SERIES 4 GAMES TO 1 Interesting developments out west, as the number one seed in Colorado and the number 3 seed in Detroit bow out. On Tap Next Week: Monday April 26, 2004: AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (Eastern Conference Semi Final Game One) Wednesday April 28, 2004: AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (Eastern Conference Semi Final Game Two) Friday April 30, 2004: vs. Philadelphia Flyers (Eastern Conference Semi Final Game Three) Sunday May 2, 2004: vs. Philadelphia Flyers (Eastern Conference Semi Final Game Four) __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo

01-02-2005, 12:46 AM	#43
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Mon. April 26, 2004: Eastern Conference Semi Finals Game One: Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers have two guys on the IR right now in Mark Recchi and John LeClair, both of whom will likely return at some point in this series. Alexei Zhamnov had 7 points in the opening series versus Carolina and I'll also have to keep a close eye on Sabre killer Keith Primeau and the Flyers regular season leading scorer Jeremy Roenick. They have solid goaltending in Robert Esche and Sean Burke, who were rotated in that Carolina series. I'm going to stay with my current tactics, the 'Normal' offensive philosophy coupled with the trap and a high puck pressure system. I'm going to have Maxim Afinogenov play through his injury and maintain the winning lineup from the Boston series. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT Buffalo 1 0 3 1 5 (W: M. Biron 5-2) Philadelphia 2 1 1 0 4 (L: R. Esche 2-2) ------------------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Buffalo: D. Briere, A. Kotalik, J.P. Dumont, C. Drury, T. Connolly Philadelphia: K. Primeau, S. Kapanen, S. Thornton, T. Fedoruk ------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 33 Buffalo: 1-7 Philadelphia: 38 Philadelphia: 0-5 --------------------------------------------------------- STARS: 1. T. Connolly (BUF) 1g 1a +2 2. A. Kotalik (BUF) 1g 1a +1 3. D. Briere (BUF) 1g 1a -1 What an overtime win! We were down 3-1 going into the third and kept up the trapping tactic but went to an attacking philosophy. I ended up tying it at 3 on Dumont's goal but Fedoruk came right back to make it 4-3. Chris Drury then capitalized on a rebound on the powerplay to tie it at 4 with about six minutes remaining in overtime. Unbelievably, Miroslav Satan was awarded a penalty shot only four minutes into the extra frame but was stopped by Esche. Two minutes later though, Tim Connolly wristed an Ales Kotalik pass home to seal the game one victory! Fantastic! In an interesting note, defenseman Alexei Zhitnik was unhappy after the game, saying he feels "victimized by the referees right now". Tue. April 27, 2004: Zhitnik must have had a good night's sleep, as he isn't unhappy anymore! I have my scouts over at the World Championships right now, being played in Prague in the Czech Republic. I have offered Tim Connolly a contract extension and have also offered prized prospect Thomas Vanek an entry level deal. Vanek is having a monstrous year at Minnesota in the NCAA, with 42 goals and 29 assists in 53 games for the Golden Gophers. If he signed, he would certainly be an option if a player got injured in Buffalo. Wed. April 28, 2004: Eastern Conference Semi Finals Game Two: Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers Buffalo leads series 1-0 Mark Recchi was activated from the IR and will likely play for Philadelphia. I'm also preparing for Sean Burke to play goal for the Flyers in Game Two. I will have an unchanged lineup for game two. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Buffalo 0 0 1 1 (L: M. Biron 5-3) Philadelphia 1 2 0 3 (W: S. Burke 3-0) ------------------------------------------------------ GOALS: Buffalo: C. Drury Philadelphia: T. Amonte, M. Handzus, A. Karpovtsev ------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Buffalo: 22 Buffalo: 0-6 Philadelphia: 33 Philadelphia: 1-6 ------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. T. Amonte (PHI) 1g 1a +2 2. M. Handzus (PHI) 1g 1a +1 3. S. Burke (PHI) 1ga 21 saves Philly completely dominated this game. I have a feeling that Sean Burke is going to play the role of Felix Potvin in this series. I'm surprised the score was as close as it was. Fri. April 30, 2004: Eastern Conference Semi Finals Game Three: Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres Series is tied at 1-1 The only change I'm making for this game is to give specific instructions to struggling forward Maxim Afinogenov to play an attacking style. Afinogenov is still playing hurt, which explains his lack of production. Robert Esche is back in goal for Philadelphia, who have made no other changes to their lineup. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 OT TOT Philadelphia 1 2 0 0 3 (L: R. Esche 2-3) Buffalo 1 1 1 1 4 (W: M. Biron 6-3) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Philadelphia: T. Amonte (2), A. Karpovtsev Buffalo: M. Satan, A. Kotalik, J. Hecht, D. Kalinin ------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Philadelphia: 30 Philadelphia: 2-5 Buffalo: 30 Buffalo: 1-7 ------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. D. Kalinin (BUF) 1g +2 2. M. Satan (BUF) 1g 1a +2 3. M. Afinogenov (BUF) 3a +2 Another overtime thriller! We had to kill off two powerplays in overtime before Kalinin pinched in on a rush about 8 minutes into overtime to backhand the winner home! Kalinin continues his fantastic postseason, with 4 points in 9 games and a scorching +11! Afinogenov responded with a big game, as I dominated most of the 5-on-5 action in the game. I went to a 'Normal' hitting tactic that seemed to help. I'll have to figure out Sean Burke in game four, as I'm sure he'll be starting. After the game, I find out that Thomas Vanek has accepted my entry level contract offer but is not eligible to come to the team until the playoffs are over. Oh well. Sat. May 1, 2004: Tim Connolly was very pleased to sign a new contract extension today, a three year $4,200,000 extension. Connolly has been excellent since returning from his major concussion. I only hope he defies my physios, who think he's a risk to develop further concussions. The board still is thrilled with the clubs progress this year. The playoffs have been great financially for the club, as we profited over $1,500,000 last month. Sun. May 2, 2004: Eastern Conference Semi Finals Game Four: Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres Buffalo leads series 2-1 Maxim Afinogenov is back to full fitness for this game. Interestingly, Brian Campbell has stated that he is "willing to fight for a spot in our lineup"; I like that determination. Campbell has taken a back seat to Chris Chelios since we acquired him at the deadline. Maybe I'll insert Campbell in at some point to rest Chelios. Sean Burke will go in goal for Philadelphia in an effort to extend his playoff undefeated streak. They've also made a couple of other lineup changes, inserting Andy Hilbert for Branko Radivojevic and Dennis Seidenberg for Kim Johnsson. Code: TEAM 1 2 3 TOT Philadelphia 1 1 1 3 (W: S. Burke 4-0) Buffalo 1 1 0 2 (L: M. Biron 6-4) ----------------------------------------------------------- GOALS: Philadelphia: S. Thornton, M. Recchi, C. Lapointe Buffalo: M. Afinogenov, J.P. Dumont ------------------------------------------------------ SHOTS: POWERPLAY: Philadelphia: 22 Philadelphia: 0-2 Buffalo: 27 Buffalo: 0-3 ------------------------------------------------------ STARS: 1. C. Lapointe (PHI) 1g +2 2. J.P. Dumont (BUF) 1g +1 3. M. Recchi (PHI) 1g +1 This hurts. Lapointe scored with only 16 seconds left in regulation time to win the game. We played a really nice defensive game. Bitter irony struck too, as Chris Chelios got hit in the eye and will be out at least a couple weeks, therefore, Brian Campbell gets into the lineup. This is a really tough loss and we'll need to come out strong to win the next game. At least I scored a couple on Burke. On Tap Next Week: Tuesday May 4, 2004: AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (Eastern Conference Semi Final Game Five) Other games TBA __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo