Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Bottom

[HeroWorship]

Stick tap to Barstool Sports for totally allowing me usage of this photo.

After obtaining a copy of NHL 15 (thanks to a recently found gift store card), I only paid $9.99 + NYS tax for the "previous generation" version, I went to Chicago to experience three days of Riot Fest! Besides the obvious complaints (I spent more money on Dos Eqos Amber than I care to admit), I was thrilled with the experience. Seeing Offspring play Smash in it's entirety (my #brand has indicated that you can purchase the album off iTunes. I am paid pennies to say this) was awesome. Being in cities all summer with recent Cup parades (Boston and Chicago), it infuriates me that my beloved Sabres are basically rooting for the team to lose to obtain one of Jack Eichel or Connor McDavid. Within a month, both will play a game at the First Niagara Center (Eichel in the United States Prospect Game, McDavid with the Otters). Is it some sort of showcase for Sabres fans? Last time we had that occur, we drafted this player:



2003 Frozen Four. HAHAHAHAHA I CAN'T BELIEVE COLUMBUS TOOK ZHERDEV HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Sorry, I went off-track here.

Typically, when I do these dynasties, they go two ways.

a) I make a bunch of trades for prospects and top-end players, which makes the experience pretty plain.
b) I still manage to win the Stanley Cup. I did it in a NHL game where Geoff Sanderson led by team in points for God sakes.

I decided to make things interesting: I created Eichel. I molded him. I put him with the Saint John Sea Dogs, and look! He's a projected top five pick for the fictional Sabres NHL 15 draft list!

So I figured it would be better if this was, well, challenging. I played all the pre-season games on default All-Star. I went 6-1-0. Oh no....

a) I managed more than five goals in all but one game (a shootout win over the Leafs.) One game went to overtime (which I won), and my only lost was a 8-5 decision against the Bruins (first pre-season game), where I started Linus Ullmark and Jonas Johansson.

b) Somehow, Matt Moulson and Chris Stewart became Hull & Oates (kids, if you don't get the reference, Google it ok)

c) Nicholas Baptiste, a 68-rated prospect, managed a multi-goal game.

d) The settings for default suck. I had players playing over 30+ minutes and my fourth line barley sniffed the ice. I actually managed to have Matt Ellis and Brian Flynn not play a single second in a game.

Since Al_Tito13 has a pretty heavy amount of traffic, I'll be a good American and assume his sliders are the best, because obviously, if it's the one with the most responses, IT MUST BE THE GREATEST!

*chugs Bud Light*
*goes to McDonalds*
*MERICA!*

So, for those of you who may or may not know about my dynasties; they're typically:

a) monthly or seven/eight game reports
b) I used to write articles, which were never proof-read and basically violated every grammar rule in the book. Plus, nobody wants to read an article about a fictional video game dynasty, do they? (if yes, there's the door)
c) I also use to try to be funny. It doesn't work. Stop it. And I know you stole those bits from Mitch Hedberg.

I also used to rip off Kissing Suzy Kolber posts. But now, my poorly written and blatant plagiarized bits will be through the eyes of a typically message board poster. Or as we know on Twitter: @PFTCommenter

Expect in hockey form (but without violated TOS made by well-paid lawyers of Operation Sports and the board provider).

So, my team, huh?

Centers (5):
#72 LUKE ADAM
#63 TYLER ENNIS
#22 JOHAN LARSSON
#17 TORREY MITCHELL
#23 SAM REINHART

Left Wingers (4):

#82 MARCUS FOLIGNO
#28 ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS
#19 CODY HODGSON
#26 MATT MOULSON

Right Wingers (5):

#65 BRIAN FLYNN
#12 BRIAN GIONTA
#8 CODY MCCORMICK
#21 DREW STAFFORD
#80 CHRIS STEWART

Defensemen (7):

#61 ANDRE BENOIT
#4 JOSH GORGES
#41 ANDREJ MESZAROS
#57 TYLER MYERS
#3 MARK PYSYK
#55 RASMUS RISTOLAINEN
#6 MIKE WEBER

Goaltenders (2):

#1 JHONAS ENROTH
#34 MICHAL NEUVIRTH

Yes, we suck. Reinhart is on his nine-game tryout. If he is sent down, I'll likely...

a) recall #25 MIKHAIL GRIGORENKO from Rochester
b) move #28 ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS to center, as he'll replace #23 SAM REINHART as the 2C.
c) place #25 MIKHAIL GRIGORENKO on the vacant third line spot along with #22 JOHAN LARSSON and #12 BRIAN GIONTA

I also plan on attempting to give some of the scratch players (#65 BRIAN FLYNN, #17 TORREY MITCHELL, #6 MIKE WEBER) some time.

I would prefer to have Neuvirth play around 45-50 games. Enroth to get 35-40 games, and Matt Hackett getting a couple of starts towards the end of the season (unless the Sabres are in contention).

[Tazer19]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto

Nice, welcome back. Glad you enjoyed the hell out of my City.

[HeroWorship]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto

Nice, welcome back. Glad you enjoyed the hell out of my City.

Riot Fest was so worth it. Although I'll admit, for someone taking public transportation for only the second time in the United States*, I was a little bit freaked out with all the individuals with face tattoos on the bus towards Humboldt Park. We stayed in downtown Chicago; wish I would have had more time to explore the city (and take a picture next to the MJ statue in front of the United Center. When I went to Los Angeles, I so took a picture next to the Gretzky one).

*I took a cab in Dublin because some ******* at the hotel bar claimed Scott Ian of Anthrax fame was playing a show at a pub. It turns out, he did it during The Who concert, located just a few seconds down from my hotel. I should have skipped the gimmicky Guiness Brewery Tour and saw The Who instead; even without Keith Moon, they're still awesome.

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



Sabres Exceeding Expectations....so far

Paul Kemp
Doctor of Journalism

As the wave of fans departed the First Niagara Center after the Sabres 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks, you can almost smell the euphoria beaming from the fans. Several cars caught in traffic beeping "Let's Go Buffalo" in the cold, November air spreads the good spirits in a city in dire need of it. Nothing at this moment can deplete the fans excitement; the team is playing beyond expectations and the thought of 'suffering' hasn't entered the fans vocabulary.

How this team is winning is surprising. The Sabres sit second in the league right now with twenty seven points. Even if you account for the large amount of games the team has played, they're still fourth in point percentage among all NHL teams. Players that were considered 'on the bubble' to remain with the team, namely Drew Stafford, are among the team leaders in points. It's easy for the fans to be caught up in the drama; after all, the team is expected to finish near the bottom of the standings in points, paving the way for the potential draft selection of either Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.

Some of the twelve wins the Sabres have achieved so far haven't been pretty. This is a team that only has two goals from the defense, with Andrej Mezsaros owning the honor of both goals. Dynamic forward Tyler Ennis is out until January with a concussion, which places more pressure on the centers to step up in his absence. The front office and ownership have remained silent throughout the hot start, mainly to avoid being the ones to toot their own horn.

It's a general belief that "tanking", which the Sabres were accused of after finishing with the lowest amount of goals scored (157) in the modern era last season, will likely lead to building a solid foundation through the draft en route to a Stanley Cup Championship. You can't fault the franchise for believing this; after all, the Chicago Blackhawks grabbed forwards Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in consecutive drafts and have two Stanley Cups since.

Which makes me skeptical the team will continue this pace heading into December. On paper, this team isn't good enough to challenge for the playoffs. Even attempting to will result in the privilege of drafting high in the next Entry Draft to vanish. The last thing this team wants to do is select in the mid first round come 2015, and lose out on the sure-fire prospects atop the board.

Despite leading the league in goals (72), they're 28th in goals against (62). Players are shooting over their career shooting percentage, a very good indicator that the success isn't sustainable. The goaltending has ranged from great one night to atrocious the next night. Both Michal Neuvirth and Jhonas Enroth have a save percentage hovering around .905, which, by 2014 numbers, isn't going to win you many games.

I hate to sound pessimistic and remove the feeling of enthusiasm coming from Sabres fans, but it's the cold, hard, truth. We want this team to be bad in 2014-15. After Sam Reinhart, only Mikhail Grigorenko has the upside to be a very good center down the road, and even when he's played a few games this season in Buffalo, he's always been playing the wing. This is a scary place to be as a fan; you can root and pray the team will remain as strong as they appear now, or you can hope the team will start to play back to expectations now, as to avoid a potential problem of where they finish down the road.

BUFFALO SABRES 2014-15 SEASON

Record: 12-5-3, 27 Points
Atlantic Division: 1st
Eastern Conference: 1st
National Hockey League: 1st
Point Percentage: 67.5% (4th)
Goals For: 72 (1st)
Goals Against: 62 (28th)
Power Play: 20.7% (4th)
Penalty Kill: 74.3% (28th)
Home Record: 5-3-1
Away Record: 6-3-1

Sabres Injury Report

C Tyler Ennis (Post Concussion Syndrome) - Expected to return by the second week of January
LW Marcus Foligno (Knee) - expected to return next week
D Mark Pysyk (MCL Sprain) - expected to return by the start of the new year

Most recent lines:

Matt Moulson - Cody Hodgson - Drew Stafford
Zemgus Girgensons - Sam Reinhart - Brian Gionta
Luke Adam - Johan Larsson - Chris Stewart
Cody McCormick - Torrey Mitchell - Brian Flynn

Josh Gorges - Tyler Myers
Andrej Meszaros - Rasmus Ristolainen
Andre Benoit - Mike Weber

Michal Neuvirth
Jhonas Enroth

STRONG TAKES

This is a new feature we’re debuting on the dynasty page. If you’ve never heard of PFTCommenter, I’d suggest searching SB Nation, Kissing Suzy Kolber, or strongtakes.com for his work. IT’S ALL A PARODY. Unlike PFT, I will not purposely mis-spell words. I’ll try to mimic him (poorly) and see how the crowd responds. Anything said here is not a reflection of this dynasty page, Operation Sports, or anyone associated with Operation Sports. I’m putting this disclaimer here, because something will offend you and I’ll wind up with a fight on my hand.

Clicking on the spoiler indicates your desire to read it, either get offended and/or think it's awful. The choice is yours.

Just a word of warning: you’re probably not prepared to handle the strong hockey takes and barrel fire NHL truths that you never knew your life was missing. This column is written for and by a REAL fan of the NHL. It’s designed to be read on your Morning commode break after a long week eating bad-for-you food and drinking beers. If you care more about PC than you do about TELLING, there’s the door because this column is not for you.

Spoiler

ROAD GRADERS OF THE MOMENT: Cody McCormick


Photo via Yahoo!

If I had to assume, I’d imagine the definition of McCormick in the dictionary uses the words “hustle”, “grit”, “dirt”, and “hard”. That folks is a definition of a working-class, 9 to 5 worker. Cody McCormick has defied the odds of having no hands (seriously, they’re nubs) and making it to the NHL. I bet he doesn’t feel the nickname “redskins” is racist in the least bit, no offense.

He has 6 goals in 19 games for the club, while boosting an impressive 36 penalty minutes. One of those goals came shorthanded. He doesn’t need cheap power play goals like Voracek (6) folks. He’s just a corn-fed Canadian, not some Euro-centric “sniper” that is abusing his place on a line with Canadian Jackass Claude Giroux. McCormick has played mostly on the fourth line with good North American boys like Torrey Mitchell, Brian Flynn, and Luke Adam. Folks, he doesn’t need some hootchie-grabbing fool like Giroux to get the puck into the net, no offense. He just needs a set of brass balls, which he obviously has.

LOL

Roman Polak has the worst plus/minus in the NHL at -16. Folks he’s playing the game like he replaced the ‘a’ in his lack name with ‘oc’, no offense. He does have one goal on the season, and like his fellow Czech-mate Voracek, are bringing down the quality of the league with his play. The Maple Leafs need to send a message to the rest of the league and send him back to the Czech Republic to finish out the season. He should not have to infect the good North American boys in the NHL with his careless actions. The league should allow the Leafs to NOT pay Polak when he’s gone, either, since he’s obviously stealing money from a team as treasured by the Maple Leafs, and I even believe Canadian law suggests that is punishable by deportation.

CROSBY NOT THE ‘SHINING EXAMPLE’ HE SHOULD BE.

People forget that Sidney Crosby was once a first round pick, and the American media likes to advertise any team Crosby plays for with their GAME OF THE WEEK on Channel 35 in the greater Buffalo area. But people are going to be very upset now it was announced that Crosby is going to be out with a “concussion”. I used concussion with quotation marks folks because I don’t believe he’s hurt for a single minute.

Remember the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, where Crosby was “out” with an “injury” before the second period of Game 7? Chris Kunitz, being a good North American boy, led the squad to the Stanley Cup with his heroic effort on the ice. Sure, he didn’t score like frenchy Talbot or make some sort of game-saving play like Rob Scuderi (a good American boy), but his Stanley Cup experience rubbed off on the young squad, and unlike Dan Bylsma, actually won a cup with the Ducks (in 2007).

His grizzled leadership was obvious when he probably convinced other grizzled vet Bill Guerin to join the Penguins. But when the American people are flipping through their TV’s on Wednesday night, they want to see THE BEST. Folks, America isn’t a patient group of people. Games can’t be flexed until the NBC cares to show the NHL again this season. If the fans are expected to watch a game without THE BEST because he is nursing some sort of “concussion”, then what type of example does that set for the kids who watch the NHL? You could be the best and then something minor like a “headache” becomes a concussion. We’re all teaching our kids to become workers comp chasers.

You’d expect this from a player like P.K. Subban or Evander Kane because the media obviously doesn’t like them for some odd reason, no offense. Would you ever see a classy player like Jarome Iginla doing this? No. He’d see the stars and walk it off like a MAN would. When I played youth hockey and hit my head on the boards, the coaches told me to break a smelling salt and get back on the ice. Crosby missed that memo a long time ago.

SABRES NEED A GOALIE? WHAT ABOUT THOMAS?

It’s painfully obvious the Sabres should not trust either Neuvirth or Enroth with the responsibilities of being the full-time goalie. Despite this, the team still employs both of these knuckleheads for some strange reason. Both are from EUROPE, which means they can’t take the physical demands the NHL brings forth to separate the strong from the weak. If the Sabres didn’t have good, hard-working, lunch pail carrying defensemen like Josh Gorges and Tyler Myers leading the charge, both goalies would be out for the season with a bruised toe.

It should shock no one that the last four cup winners all employed goaltenders from North America. Ever since players like Tim Thomas left the Bruins, the team has been unable to win another Stanley Cup with a Finnish goaltender like Tuukka Rask leading them out of the tunnel. It’s very important to win the ‘big one’ with a player who has the DESIRE to win the Stanley Cup, not someone that is more worried about endorsements like HENRIK LUNDQVIST IS. He is the biggest flake in the NHL. People say he’s the best goalie in the league, but how many Stanley Cups has he won? Zero, that’s right. You don’t become elite unless you win the Stanley Cup. Cam Ward won it in 2006. People forget that.

Yet, for some reason, Thomas is available to any NHL team that may need a GRINDER in the goal to lead them to the finals. And the Sabres should make the move and add him to the roster. Unless, of course, they’re still intending on “tanking” for McDavid and Eichel, which the league needs to step in and prevent this from happening. We don’t want future players like McDavid and Eichel making fake promises of “improving the team” while they have a Swedish Fish in the net, no offense.

Thomas would bring his STRONG, BOLD opinions to a club in dire need of it. If the Dallas Stars would have started Thomas over Lehtonen in the playoffs last season, Teemu Selanne would have had more time to promote his book blasting good North American coaches like Bruce Brodreau, who “lied” to Selanne because a selfish euro like Selanne expects the team to play him based off past results. Selanne should realize that only applies to AMERICAN-born basketball player Kobe Bryant, not someone with a funny voice. Stay in Finland and never come back, schumk.

[Nickflyers]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto

Stop winning lol! Good to see you back, man.

[HeroWorship]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto



EASN: MID-SEASON REVIEW: BUFFALO SABRES


Luke Adam chases a puck behind the net. NHL.com

Hey! We're at the half-way point of the season! Wow, so much to talk about! Somehow, I want to state I believe this is the first time someone completed half a season in a Operation Sports dynasty with only three total replies to it. This is what happens when you only update once every twenty games. Maybe I should postwhore, amirite?

How did this happen? How...are the Buffalo Sabres actually contending for the playoffs? How can a team ranked in the bottom half of the league in goals allowed with a starting goaltender ranked 29th in save percentage and only four goals courtesy of the blue line be seventh in the NHL in point percentage?

Some questions may be left unanswered. The Sabres have been without the services of Tyler Ennis as he recovers from a concussion suffered during the eighth game of the season. Noted traffic cone Mike Weber has actually dressed for over half the team's games despite being really, really bad at hockey. Michal Neuvirth is too busy allowing 190+ feet goals while the Sabres were on a power play.

Yet....the team is in first place in the Atlantic Division. Sure, they've played four more games than the second place team, but this is a squad that was destined to finish in the basement of the NHL (the Flames hold that honor with an embarrassing 29 points. Despite repeated efforts by the country of Canada, the United States refuses to accept the team as one of their own. Brian Burke is somewhere looking for more enforcers to make the team 'entertaining')

Folks, I'm baffled, but I can't see the team sustaining this success without making some bold moves to contend for the playoffs. A new goaltender that isn't one of Neuvirth or Jhonas Enroth would help. Maybe having a defense that doesn't get injured when they're brushed up against would be key. Maybe Brian Flynn can be washed in the swimming pool of Walter Gretzky and acquire some of the Gretzky genes?

How about the fact that Cody McCormick, once described by Vancouver Sun writer Ian MacIntyre as someone with a "lack of hands" has more points than Marcus Foligno, or aka Taylor Pyatt Jr. This team is still brutal, but somehow obtaining wins without the use of bribery or anything resembling an NHL team. They have the worst penalty kill in the entire NHL, and they are always taking penalties. They have no scorers in the top ten of any major offensive category in the league, either.

When asked by Ted Nolan on how the team is still winning hockey games, he couldn't come up with a comment for the article worthwhile to publish in this esteem column. Maybe the league REALLY doesn't want the Sabres to obtain Connor McDavid in the upcoming draft? Maybe the league is still upset at general manager Tim Murray's refusal to acknowledge the Stanley Cup Champions during the 2014 NHL Draft?


Note: if video doesn't appear, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=via16YPxBXU

The team's leading scorer is Matt Moulson, or Jonathan Quick's brother-in-law as many know him for. Cody Hodgson has the best PPG among the team. The team is still selling out every game even though 90% of the fans are too busy posting pictures of themselves at the game on Instagram. It's simply amazing this team can even put their equipment on and skate with the best in the league.

I mean, the NHL must feel like Adrian Peterson's publicist in all this (no offense). How does a team like the Sabres even have the nerve to contend in this league? I couldn't even tell you if there are any all-stars on this roster once the game actually comes up (good tickets still available for the game in Columbus. Call them or tweet them. I'm pretty sure the same five people tweet at them anyways. Also, I believe all are still in middle school).

I don't see the Sabres sustaining the success they've had going into the second half of the season. The league should get wise to them and start playing them better. After all, it would be very funny to watch the club finish in the middle of the pack and draft 14th just to spite them.







*Note, I'll begin to do more detailed ten game updates. I really just had no motivation to do anything creative per say. So, yeah, expect better for the next ten game report folks.

[Braeden]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto

I wonder if Neuvirth will turn into a good goalie for you

[HeroWorship]

Google Search "good NHL team to root for"

Sabres Report: Who Do They Think They Are?

In modern sports history, reporters are often dumbfounded at the cliches sprouted from the mouths of coaches and players alike. An average reporter must be able to use those cliches in order to construct an article that hopefully is well-received by fans and readers alike.

In the NFL, many moments have given the reporters something to write about. When former NFL Head Coach Dennis Green coached the Arizona Cardinals, he made reporters smile across the country after a Monday Night Football game where the team lost to the Chicago Bears. At the press conference, he uttered the following; "THE BEARS ARE WHO THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE, AND WE LET 'EM OFF THE HOOK" (caps needed).

Almost every press conference following a Sabres game have the opposing head coaches feeling the same way. This isn't a team that was supposed to contend this season. Fans settled on the narrative of the team performing so poorly that the team would obtain one of the top picks in the 2015 NHL Draft, where Sabres general manager Tim Murray would stroll to the podium for the opportunity to select one of Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.

Instead, the team continues to win. In their last ten contests, the team went 6-4-0, and only lost in the final seconds of their previous contest against the Montreal Canadiens. With 29 wins on the seasons, the team has already surpassed their 2013-14 win total and are among the top five squads in the National Hockey League. This is despite the fact that other statistics indicate the team is due to regress as the season comes to a close.

"I just preach to the team that I want them to give 100% every night and prove the doubters wrong" said Sabres head coach Ted Nolan. "Hard works beats talent all day. We are one of the hardest working squads in the NHL. It's why we manage to already surpass our win total last season and continue to win despite what others say."

Funny; Nolan's last tenure with the Sabres, the team's slogan was "The Hardest Working Team in Hockey". It was a season where the leading scorer was Derek Plante with 53 points. As of this article, the team's leading scorer is Matt Moulson with 35 points. At his rate, his projected point total is roughly 56 points.

The team hasn't made any significant moves to solidify the team during the season. Sam Reinhart, the team's first round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, has remained with the club despite protests from others to send the young forward back to the Western Hockey League. The lineup has largely remained the same since the first game of the season.

Still, the last ten teams have shown the team at a slight regress. The team only scored 26 goals during the ten games skid, bringing their goal average down to 3.02 GPG for the season. However, the team only allowed 21 goals, which brought their goals allowed per game down and have seen improvement in both Michal Neuvirth and Jhonas Enroth in net. Their power play is in the bottom half of the league and their penalty kill finally got over 70% on the season (they are still dead last in the league).

Jen LC, who is Puck Daddy's Analytics Columnist, doesn't believe the Sabres will go far in the playoffs unless they make significant moves before the deadline.

"They are such a bizarre team to really critique, but I think you're seeing defenses getting wise to the Sabres way and preventing more scoring opportunities." she said in an email. "The defense, outside of Gorges, Myers, and Ristolainen, are bad. Their starting goaltender (Neuvirth) has a .903 save percentage. That's awful in 2015."

Whatever the reason, the fans are satisfy, as the team has sold out nearly every game this season. Even if the club fails in obtaining one of the top two selections in the 2015 NHL Draft, the fans are happy to have been along for the ride. We can only hope the statistics are wrong.

GREAT MOMENTS IN HEROWORSHIP HISTORY

October 2012: Going into the Factory of Sadness (aka Cleveland)

For the first time in my life, I would attend an NFL game that wasn't being held in Ralph Wilson Stadium. A friend of mine is a huge San Diego Chargers fan, and they happen to play the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland towards the end of October. Since the ride from Buffalo to Cleveland was only three hours, we decided it was in our best interest to attend the game and stay overnight.

We elect to leave for the game around 8:30. As we entered the parking lot, we began our routine of pouring Jack Daniel's into our Pepsi-Cola drinks, and drink. Forgetting the fact the stadium is located directly next to the lake, I underdressed for the occasion. But hey, it was a 60 degree night the day before, it wouldn't be so bad, huh?

WRONG.

It rained. Because the city of Cleveland are run by a bunch of morons, they built the stadium open-air, because FOOTBALL IS MEANT TO BE PLAYED OUTSIDE. If Terry Pegula winds up convincing Erie County and the taxpayers into a new stadium, they better put a *** **** dome on top of it. I don't care about the old-school mentality of football, if I'm going to pay good money to attend a NFL game, they better f--king make the experience worthwhile.

The rain poured, and the fans trickled in. Not even a sellout. By halftime, the stadium cleared out, and we left our seats (which was directly into the rain) and took shelter under a roof, as I managed to watch the worst football live. The Browns would win the contest 7-6, with Trent Richardson scoring a touchdown and helping my fantasy football team in the process.

I also elected to wear a Chargers jersey for the game, and let's just say I now know the feeling opposing fans feel when they attend the game. I was challenged to two fights and called a f--king f--got. Stay classy, Cleveland (one of the guys was actually nice. We had an intellectual discussion before he added the last part).

We left the game, and were hungry. Since we went to Winking Lizard the night before, we figured to find an eatery that wasn't located in Buffalo before I made the drive back to Buffalo. We discovered a White Castle in Cleveland. In the middle of the ghetto.

We pulled up, and I felt the need to remove the Chargers jersey before I walked in. As we entered, the first thing I noticed was the bullet-proof glass behind the counter. A man in his mid-50s was (poorly) attempting to talk philosophy to his granddaughter. As a college student, I couldn't understand a *** **** word he was saying.

We ordered our food only to realize they didn't pre-make any of the food. It was fresh, I suppose. We waited inside, as my friend and I glanced at each other wondering if we were going to get stabbed. To think, when we were in Van Nuys, California, we walked to a waterhole near our hotel (which was a s--thole) and were scared for our lives.

After fifteen minutes, we got our food. Instead of eating there, we bolted for the car and ate on the way home. They also gave us WAY too much food, which was surprising. I wound up getting sick from the rain-soaked game and missed classes. The best part? I actually emailed a professor telling him about this same story, and he accepted it as an excused absence! What a country!

I also didn't work, but only because the flood in New York at the time nearly wiped out all our information, which meant their was no work for the rest of the week. Oh, and it was all unpaid. Awesome! (and none of the full-timers got paid, either. What a crock of s--t).

Buffalo Sabres: 2014-15

Record: 29-17-5 (63 points)
League: 5th
Conference: 4th
Division: 2nd
Point Percentage: 61.8% (6th)
Goals For: 154 (5th)
Goals Against: 143 (17th)
Power Play: 17.1% (18th)
Penalty Kill: 71.8% (30th)

Injured Reserve

LW Marcus Foligno (MCL) - expected to be out the remainder of February
C Johan Larsson (Post Concussion Syndrome) - expected to return in mid-February

Sabres Current Lines

Cody Hodgson - Tyler Ennis - Drew Stafford
Matt Moulson - Sam Reinhart - Chris Stewart
Luke Adam - Zemgus Girgensons - Brian Gionta
Cody McCormick - Torrey Mitchell - Brian Flynn

Josh Gorges - Tyler Myers
Andrej Meszaros - Mark Pysyk
Andre Benoit - Rasmus Ristolainen
x- Mike Weber

Michal Neuvirth (18-13, 2.85, .903)
Jhonas Enroth (11-4, 2.60, .910)

Sabres Top Five Scorers

1. Matt Moulson (21-14-35)
2. Sam Reinhart (18-14-32)
3. Cody Hodgson (15-17-32)
4. Chris Stewart (16-14-30)
5. Drew Stafford (14-12-26)

Previous Ten Games

January 8th, 2015: Buffalo Sabres 4, Carolina Hurricanes 2
January 9th, 2015: Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Buffalo Sabres 0
January 13th, 2015: Buffalo Sabres 4, Detroit Red Wings 1
January 15th, 2015: Minnesota Wild 3, Buffalo Sabres 2
January 17th, 2015: Buffalo Sabres 6, Philadelphia Flyers 3
January 18th, 2015: Buffalo Sabres 2, Detroit Red Wings 1
January 27th, 2015: Calgary Flames 4, Buffalo Sabres 2
January 29th, 2015: Buffalo Sabres 3, Edmonton Oilers 1
January 30th, 2015: Buffalo Sabres 2, Vancouver Canucks 1
February 3rd, 2015: Montreal Canadiens 2, Buffalo Sabres 1

Next Ten Games

February 5th, 2015: vs. St. Louis Blues (21-20-9)
Previous Meeting: 10/11/14: 6-3 win
February 7th, 2015: vs. Dallas Stars (27-19-4)
First Meeting of Regular Season
February 8th, 2015: vs. New York Islanders (23-20-7)
Previous Meeting: 12/27/14: 3-2 Win
February 10th, 2015: vs. Ottawa Senators (29-17-2)
Previous Meeting: 12/29/14: 8-3 Loss
February 15th, 2015: vs. Philadelphia Flyers (33-15-3)
Previous Meeting: 01/17/15: 6-3 Win
February 17th, 2015: @ New Jersey Devils (28-20-3)
Previous Meeting: 01/06/15: 2-0 Loss
February 19th, 2015: @ Philadelphia Flyers
February 20th, 2015: @ Ottawa Senators
February 22nd, 2015: vs. Nashville Predators (23-21-6)
First Meeting of Regular Season
February 24th, 2015: @ Columbus Blue Jackets (22-22-5)
Previous Meeting: 10/09/14: 4-3 Win

Rochester Americans Report

Record: 20-23-3 (43 Points)
Goals For: 113 (23rd)
Goals Against: 125 (16th)
Power Play: 17.6% (7th)
Short Handed: 81.9% (26th)

Points: Zac Dalpe (35)
Goals: Zac Dalpe (15)
Assists: Joel Armia (24)
Plus/Minus: Brady Austin (+3)

Goaltending Statistics

Matt Hackett: 15-10, 2.41, .914
Linus Ullmark: 4-6, 2.47, .913
Nathan Lieuwen: 1-5, 2.93, .904
Jonas Johansson: 0-4, 3.76, .857

Buffalo Sabres Top Ten Prospects

Sam Reinhart is considered 'graduated' so he is omitted from the list

1. Mikhail Grigorenko, Centre (Rochester Americans)
2. William Carrier, Left Wing (Rochester Americans)
3. Nikita Zadorov, Defense (London Knights)
4. Joel Armia, Right Wing (Rochester Americans)
5. Matt Hackett, Goaltener (Rochester Americans)
6. Brendan Lemieux, Left Wing (Barrie Colts)
7. Jake McCabe, Defense (Rochester Americans)
8. Nicholas Baptiste, Right Wing (Sudbury Wolves)
9. Eric Cornel, Centre (Peterborugh Petes)
10. Justin Bailey, Right Wing (Kitchener Rangers)

Connor McDavid Watch

30. Vancouver Canucks (19-26-4, 42 Points)
29. Carolina Hurricanes (19-26-5, 43 Points)
28. Edmonton Oilers (20-26-6, 46 Points)
27. Calgary Flames (21-25-6, 48 Points)
26. Detroit Red Wings (21-22-7, 49 Points)

NHL League Leaders

Points

1. Claude Giroux (PHI) - 69
2. Phil Kessel (TOR) - 69
3. Corey Perry (ANA) - 58
4. James van Riemsdyk (TOR) - 57
5. Zach Parise (MIN) - 56

Goals

1. Steven Stamkos (TB) - 34
2. Corey Perry (ANA) - 34
3. Alex Ovechkin (WSH) - 32
4. Zach Parise (MIN) - 31
5. Jakub Voracek (PHI) - 31

Assists

1. Claude Giroux (PHI) - 51
2. Joe Thornton (SJ) - 40
3. Phil Kessel (TOR) - 39
4. Nicklas Backstrom (WSH) - 38
5. Erik Karlsson (OTT) - 38

Plus/Minus

1. Jakub Voracek (PHI) - +26
2. Thomas Hickey (NYI) - +25
3. Nicklas Backstrom (WSH) - +23
4. Claude Giroux (PHI) - +22
5. Christian Ehrhoff (PIT) - +22

Wins

1. Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT) - 25
2. Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 21
3. Sergei Bobrovsky (CLB) - 21
4. Kari Lehtonen (DAL) - 21
5. Corey Crawford (CHI) - 21

Goals Against Average

1. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) - 2.05
2. John Gibson (ANA) - 2.13
3. Niklas Backstrom (MIN) - 2.21
4. Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 2.28
5. Roberto Luongo (FLA) - 2.29

Save Percentage

1. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) - .933
2. John Gibson (ANA) - .930
3. Tuukka Rask (BOS) - .926
4. Roberto Luongo (FLA) - .925
5. Niklas Backstrom (MIN) - .924

Shutouts

1. Semyon Varlamov (COL) - 6
2. Mike Smith (ARI) - 5
3. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) - 5
4. Justin Peters (WSH) - 5
5. Jonathan Bernier (TOR) - 4

NHL Transactions

January 18th, 2015: The Edmonton Oilers claim center Josh Bailey off waivers from the New York Islanders
January 20th, 2015: The New York Islanders have signed center Kris Newbury to a one-year contract
February 4th, 2015: The Nashville Predators have acquired left winger Curtis Glencross from the Calgary Flames in exchange for Goaltender Janne Juoven, defensemen Johan Alm and a second round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft

Quick Breakdown of Glencross to Nashville:

This could open up the floodgates for deals to go down. Despite the Predators currently on the outside of the playoff bubble, Glencross adds solid depth to the Predators hockey club. The 32-year old is set to become an unrestricted free agent this off-season, but he's been solid with 17 goals and 19 assists through 50 games this season. The team has already played him on the top line alongside James Neal and Mike Fisher.

The prospects acquired by the Flames can be considered giveaways. Janne Juovnen was a seventh round draft pick in the 2013 draft and the Predators are loaded with goaltending prospects, not to mention Pekka Rinne. It's never a bad thing to add depth in that department; the Flames selected Mason McDonald in the second round of the 2014 draft, but he's two years away before being able to sniff the AHL at least. Juovnen has spent the majority of the year in the ECHL and will likely remain there for the remainder of the season. He should contend for a position on the Flames AHL affilate the next season.

Alm is signed through 2016. The swede played 42 games with the Predators AHL affilate in Milwaukee, scoring 3 goals and adding 8 assists in 42 games. He's considered a fringe prospect at best, and will likely only make apparences in the NHL as a call-up rather than a permanent member of a NHL team.

ISS Top 30 Players

1. Jack Eichel (Center)
2. Connor McDavid (Center)
3. Taz Burman (Goaltender)
4. Mathew Barzal (Center)
5. Dylan Strome (Center)
6. Joe Fleschler (Goaltender)
7. Olivier Tremblay (Goaltender)
8. Samuel Montembeault (Goaltender)
9. Miguel Sullivan (Goaltender)
10. Matthew Mancina (Goaltender)
11. Nicolas Meloche (Defense)
12. Leonard Teubert (Goaltender)
13. Carl Schmidmeyer (Goaltender)
14. Nick McBride (Goaltender)
15. Connor Brown (Left Wing)
16. Noah Hanifin (Defense)
17. Vladislav Kodola (Center)
18. Eetu Laurikainen (Goaltender)
19. Aleksi Saarela (Center)
20. Francesco Vilardi (Center)
21. Louick Marcotte (Left Wing)
22. Travis Konecny (Center)
23. Michael Giugovaz (Goaltender)
24. Jason Fuchs (Center)
25. Brandon Smith (Defense)
26. Brodie Barrick (Goaltender)
27. Mike Winther (Center)
28. Alex Fournier (Goaltender)
29. Jeremy Roy (Defense)
30. Matt Spencer (Defense)

Buffalo Sabres Free Agents (2015)

D Andre Benoit ($800,000) - UFA
LW Matt Ellis ($550,000) - UFA
G Jhonas Enroth ($1,250,000) - UFA
RW Brian Flynn ($635,000) - UFA
RW Patrick Kaleta ($1,250,000) - UFA
D Andrej Meszaros ($4,125,000) - UFA
C Torrey Mitchell ($1,900,000) - UFA
G Michal Neuvirth ($2,500,000) - UFA
RW Drew Stafford ($4,000,000) - UFA
RW Chris Stewart ($4,150,000) - UFA
D Tyson Strachan ($650,000) - UFA

C Luke Adam ($650,000) - RFA
C Zac Dalpe ($700,000) - RFA
C Zemgus Girgensons ($895,000) - RFA
C Mikhail Grigorenko ($925,000) - RFA
G Matt Hackett ($750,000) - RFA
G Jonas Johansson ($550,000) - RFA
C Johan Larsson ($765,000) - RFA
D Jerome Leduc ($635,000) - RFA
G Nathan Lieuwen ($590,000) - RFA
C Eric Locke ($550,000) - RFA
RW Victor Olofsson ($550,000) - RFA
LW Gustav Possler ($550,000) - RFA
D Mark Pysyk ($870,000) - RFA
D Chad Ruhwedel ($925,000) - RFA
C Kevin Sundher ($870,000) - RFA
C Phil Varone ($550,000) - RFA

Unsigned Prospects That Must Be Signed

RW Justin Bailey

I wonder if Neuvirth will turn into a good goalie for you

Like in real life, he sucks in NHL 15.

Of course, his only start of the season came against the Ducks, where our potent offense managed 12 shots in a 5-1 loss (I chose wisely to not attend the game). Since EA Sports believes he should be an 85 for some ungodly reason, I feel as if I have to play him more than Enroth. If Hackett wasn't waiver-eligible, I would have attempted to squeeze a few starts out of him along the way.

He's a UFA in 2015. I'm not sure if I plan on re-signing him. Since my team is actually playing solid, I really can't justify moving him unless I use him + pick and/or prospect for another goaltender.

Out of the five bottom teams, none of their goaltenders interest me. Howard has a .904 save percentage for the Wings, and the rest have goaltenders I have no interest in (and no, I'm not reacquiring Miller. I would consider obtaining Lack if I can do a one-for-one deal).

I wish the Blues and/or Islanders were in the bottom five so I can have a top-five pick. Since EA Sports have extremely overrated goaltenders for the upcoming draft, I may wind up using one of those picks on a goalie, and I'll feel shame (Ullmark is only a 3-star potential).

[HeroWorship]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto



Time for the Sabres to Put up or Shut Up
Sabres appear to be Playoff bound; should they buy high?



With the National Hockey League Trade Deadline only a week away, the Buffalo Sabres are the surprise buyers for a change; the last time they were buyers at the deadline, the team acquired right winger Brad Boyes from the St. Louis Blues for a second round pick, which turned out to be swell in the stretch run, but his 2011-12 season was something to forget.

The area of weaknesses for the Sabres are stated below:

No High-End Scoring: This can be considered a good thing; despite the team having the lowest scoring league leader in the NHL, they are still fifth in the league in goals. They have two players already with twenty goals and more in Matt Moulson and rookie Samson Reinhart, while both Chris Stewart and Cody Hodgson have 19 apiece.

A dynamic scorer would give the team more firepower and allow for Reinhart to be bumped down a bit as the playoffs near. The market looks very weak though, as only Shane Doan (2 goals in 23 games) is the lone name rumored to be on the move come deadline day. This brings up another concern:

Upcoming Free Agents: Both Stewart and Drew Stafford have expiring contracts after the season, which can prove to be tough. If the rumors are true, the team would like to retain Stewart while looking for any value on Stafford. With Mikhail Grigorenko up for a new contract as well, the Sabres are in a pickle on what to do with both right wingers. The team would prefer to have Grigorenko start the 2015-16 season with the Sabres, and the team may have no room for him if they keep both at the deadline.

The team would like to get another forward back for Stafford, but a rental could be costly. The team is rumored to be after Antoine Vermette of the Coyotes, as Vermette would allow Tyler Ennis to bump to the wing and relive him of playing center. However, the Coyotes may look for the Sabres to part with a draft pick to go along with a potential deal. It could be a deal-breaker unless the Sabres are willing to sacrifice a limb for the playoffs.

Defense: The Sabres have had surprise success with the D this season; Rasmus Ristolainen leads the NHL in plus/minus, and Josh Gorges has assisted into molding Myers into a complete player. Still, the club may look into acquiring Tim Gleason from the Hurricanes, who could be had for a low price. With Mike Weber having asked for a trade, the club could possibly do a straight-up Weber for Gleason deal.

Goaltending: This is key. While the goaltenders have slowly improved, a hot hand between the pipes could prove to be a difference in a playoff series. The lone free agent options (Brodeur, Thomas) are past-their-prime, and the club would prefer to bring in a goalie who could come into next season as the starter. Neuvirth is expected to be dangled to a club, in hopes someone bites on his potential.

Frederik Andersen is a rumored name; although his numbers don’t inspire confidence (3.35 G.AA, .891 Save Percentage in 31 games this season). James Reimer of the Maple Leafs is another one, although a trade between division rivals is unlikely.

Outlook: Somehow, this season should work out well for the Sabres. With a potential top-five pick if the Islanders continue to struggle, the team should still obtain a high-end prospect at the draft to go along with a great season. The Sabres will look to improve their goaltending situation, since it appears the team isn’t fully invested in Neuvirth for the playoffs. Look for the team to make a splash by acquiring a goaltender at the deadline and make a big push for a top-six forward, along with a bottom-six guy with playoff experience.

Buffalo Sabres: 2014-15

Record: 35-21-5 (75 points)
League: 5th
Conference: 5th
Division: 3rd
Point Percentage: 61.5% (7th)
Goals For: 187 (5th)
Goals Against: 163 (11th)
Power Play: 15.5% (22nd)
Penalty Kill: 73.4% (30th)

Injured Reserve

LW Marcus Foligno (MCL) - expected to be out the remainder of February

Sabres Current Lines

Cody Hodgson - Samson Reinhart - Drew Stafford
Matt Moulson - Tyler Ennis - Chris Stewart
Zemgus Girgensons - Johan Larsson - Brian Gionta
Cody McCormick - Luke Adam - Brian Flynn
x- Torrey Mitchell

Josh Gorges - Tyler Myers
Andrej Meszaros - Mark Pysyk
Andre Benoit - Rasmus Ristolainen
x- Mike Weber

Michal Neuvirth (21-20, 2.68, .905)
Jhonas Enroth (14-6, 2.55, .909)

Sabres Top Five Scorers

1. Matt Moulson (25-18-43)
2. Cody Hodgson (19-19-38)
3. Samson Reinhart (22-15-37)
4. Chris Stewart (19-17-36)
5. Drew Stafford (17-18-35)

Previous Ten Games

02.05.2015: Buffalo Sabres 3, St. Louis Blues 0
02.07.2015: Dallas Stars 3, Buffalo Sabres 2
02.08.2015: Buffalo Sabres 5, New York Islanders 1
02.10.2015: Buffalo Sabres 5, Ottawa Senators 4 (Shootout)
02.15.2015: Philadelphia Flyers 1, Buffalo Sabres 0
02.17.2015: New Jersey Devils 3, Buffalo Sabres 2
02.19.2015: Buffalo Sabres 5, Philadelphia Flyers 2
02.20.2015: Buffalo Sabres 8, Ottawa Senators 2
02.22.2015: Nashville Predators 2, Buffalo Sabres 1
02.24.2015: Buffalo Sabres 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 2

Next Ten Games

02.26.2015: vs. Vancouver Canucks (26-28-6)
02.28.2015: @ Florida Panthers (36-18-6)
03.03.2015: NHL Trade Deadline Day
03.03.2015: @ Tampa Bay Lightning (31-21-10)
03.06.2015: @ Ottawa Senators (34-19-4)
03.07.2015: @ Washington Capitals (28-31-2)
03.11.2015: @ Toronto Maple Leafs (37-21-2)
03.14.2015: vs. New York Rangers (29-24-6)
03.16.2015: Stone Cold Steve Austin Day
03.16.2015: vs. Washington Capitals (28-31-2)
03.17.2015: @ Boston Bruins (32-22-6)
03.20.2015: vs. New Jersey Devils (31-24-5)

Rochester Americans Report

Record: 22-30-4 (48 Points)
Goals For: 132 (25th)
Goals Against: 152 (23rd)
Power Play: 15.3% (15th)
Short Handed: 82.8% (23rd)

Points: Zac Dalpe (40)
Goals: Zac Dalpe (15)
Assists: Joel Armia (28)
Plus/Minus: Justin Kea (+2)

Goaltending Statistics

Matt Hackett: 16-19, 2.47, .912
Linus Ullmark: 4-6, 2.47, .913
Nathan Lieuwen: 1-7, 2.96, .905
Jonas Johansson: 1-4, 3.21, .884

Connor McDavid Watch

30. Carolina Hurricanes (22-31-6, 50 Points)
29. Calgary Flames (25-29-6, 56 Points)
28. Columbus Blue Jackets (25-28-6, 56 Points)
27. New York Islanders (25-29-8, 58 Points)
26. Arizona Coyotes (26-29-8, 58 Points)

NHL League Leaders

Points

1. Claude Giroux (PHI) - 82
2. Phil Kessel (TOR) - 79
3. Corey Perry (ANA) - 73
4. Patrick Kane (CHI) - 67
5. James van Riemsdyk (TOR) - 66

Goals

1. Corey Perry (ANA) - 42
2. Steven Stamkos (TB) - 40
3. Alex Ovechkin (WSH) - 38
4. Jakub Voracek (PHI) - 36
5. Phil Kessel (TOR) - 34

Assists

1. Claude Giroux (PHI) - 60
2. Joe Thornton (SJ) - 46
3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EDM) - 45
4. Phil Kessel (TOR) - 45
5. Loui Eriksson (BOS) - 45

Plus/Minus

1. Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF) - +28
2. Christian Ehrhoff (PIT) - +28
3. Jakub Voracek (PHI) - +27
4. Wayne Simmonds (PHI) - +26
5. Thomas Hickey (NYI) - +25

Wins

1. Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 27
2. Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT) - 26
3. Kari Lehtonen (DAL) - 26
4. Craig Anderson (OTT) - 25
5. Corey Crawford (CHI) - 25

Goals Against Average

1. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) - 2.06
2. John Gibson (ANA) - 2.07
3. Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 2.20
4. Ryan Miller (VAN) - 2.31
5. Semyon Varlamov (COL) - 2.31

Save Percentage

1. John Gibson (ANA) - .933
2. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) - .931
3. Tuukka Rask (BOS) - .928
4. Roberto Luongo (FLA) - .923
5. Ryan Miller (VAN) - .923

Shutouts

1. Semyon Varlamov (COL) - 8
2. Justin Peters (WSH) - 6
3. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) - 6
4. Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 5
5. Ryan Miller (VAN) - 5

Potential NHL Award Winners
Predicted by Puck Daddy writer Josh Cooper

Hart - Claude Giroux (PHI)
Art Ross - Claude Giroux (PHI)
Norris - Erik Karlsson (OTT)
Calder - John Gibson (ANA)
Vezina - Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)
Lady Byng - Tobias Enstrom (WPG)
Bill Masterton - Jaromir Jagr (NJ)
Frank J. Selke - Tomas Kopecky (FLA)
Jack Adams - Ted Nolan (BUF)

NHL Transactions

February 8th, 2015: The Edmonton Oilers have relieved Head Coach Dallas Eakins of his duties and have also fired President Kevin Lowe from his position. Team has named Assistant Coach Craig Ramsey as the interm Head coach.
February 8th, 2015: The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired center Saku Koivu and goaltender Jason LaBarbera from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for left winger Cristiano Digiacinto, goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis and defensemen Nikita Nesterov
February 13th, 2015: The Detroit Red Wings acquire defensemen Lubomir Visnovsky and left winger Eric Boulton from the New York Islanders in exchange for left winger Ardreas Athansiou and defensemen Adam Almquist
February 15th, 2015: The Columbus Blue Jackets have claimed center Joe Vitale off waivers from the Arizona Coyotes

Buffalo Sabres Free Agents (2015)

D Andre Benoit ($800,000) - UFA
LW Matt Ellis ($550,000) - UFA
G Jhonas Enroth ($1,250,000) - UFA
RW Brian Flynn ($635,000) - UFA
RW Patrick Kaleta ($1,250,000) - UFA
D Andrej Meszaros ($4,125,000) - UFA
C Torrey Mitchell ($1,900,000) - UFA
G Michal Neuvirth ($2,500,000) - UFA
RW Drew Stafford ($4,000,000) - UFA
RW Chris Stewart ($4,150,000) - UFA
D Tyson Strachan ($650,000) - UFA

C Luke Adam ($650,000) - RFA
C Zac Dalpe ($700,000) - RFA
C Zemgus Girgensons ($895,000) - RFA
C Mikhail Grigorenko ($925,000) - RFA
G Matt Hackett ($750,000) - RFA
G Jonas Johansson ($550,000) - RFA
C Johan Larsson ($765,000) - RFA
D Jerome Leduc ($635,000) - RFA
G Nathan Lieuwen ($590,000) - RFA
C Eric Locke ($550,000) - RFA
RW Victor Olofsson ($550,000) - RFA
LW Gustav Possler ($550,000) - RFA
D Mark Pysyk ($870,000) - RFA
D Chad Ruhwedel ($925,000) - RFA
C Kevin Sundher ($870,000) - RFA
C Phil Varone ($550,000) - RFA

Unsigned Prospects That Must Be Signed

RW Justin Bailey

[HeroWorship]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto



Buffalo Sabres Reportt
With playoffs looming, Sabres hope goaltending can hold up


Jhonas Enroth is now the starter in Buffalo (photo amazonenews via Getty)

When Sabres General Manager Tim Murray went to the Trade Deadline, goaltending was his main focus. After acquiring youngsters Sven Baertschi and Evgeny Kuznetsov in separate deals, the team failed in their pursuit for defensemen Tim Gleason and looked to acquire a goaltending that could make them a threat come the playoffs. Instead, the Sabres would move a goaltender and fail in their goal of acquiring a legitimate number one goaltender to backstop them in postseason play.

Michal Neuvirth, who has been inconsistent for the club all season, was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for two second round picks. The deal was considered a small victory, since the team traded away separate second round picks to acquire both Baertschi and Kuznetsov while landing a second round pick in the 2016 draft. The Sabres will have plenty of stock in the draft, with the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues first round picks as well as their own. The Islanders are currently in 28th place in the league, meaning the Sabres may have a top-five selection to boot.

Jhonas Enroth will be expected to shoulder the load for the remainder of the season with Matt Hackett, a former Minnesota Wild farmhand, as his backup. The depth in the AHL isn’t so hot, which means the Sabres could be in big trouble if Enroth is to falter to injury leading up to the postseason. Nathan Lieuwen, Linus Ullmark, and Jonas Johansson are splitting duties for the Americans in Rochester, and only Lieuwen has appeared in NHL games among the three.

The team attempting to acquire a goaltender at the deadline, but Murray was unwilling to give up either of the Blues or Islanders first round pick to do so. While history suggests an elite goaltender may not be needed, the team would benefit from having a solid netminder between the pipes in big-game situations. Enroth is prone to allowing bad goals in pressure situations, while Hackett’s game has dropped since being acquired by the Sabres at the 2013 Trade Deadline.

The defensive core remained the same after the deadline. The Josh Gorges-Tyler Myers pairing has benefited both players, and gives top-lines headaches on the ice. Rasmus Ristolainen is tied for the NHL lead in plus/minus, while Andrej Meszaros physical play has been a key to the Sabres turnaround this season. Still, the Sabres will likely go into the postseason with three defensemen 25 years old or younger; Myers, Ristolainen, and Mark Pysyk.

The team did claim former Sabre prospect Brayden McNabb off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings, providing additional depth in an injury is to occur. McNabb is likely the first recall, with Tyson Strachan and Nick Deslauriers being behind him. McNabb played splendid in nineteen games for the Los Angeles Kings this season, but was expendable after the Kings acquired Gleason from the Carolina Hurricanes. McNabb is signed through 2016, meaning he’ll have every opportunity to make the team out of camp.

The team will be without Brian Gionta, Kuznetsov, and rookie sensation Samson Reinhart for a period of time towards the end of the season. Kuznetsov is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a lower-body injury, meaning the Sabres top two centers at this point are Tyler Ennis (who has struggled all season) and Zemgus Girgensons. Reinhart is expected back at the end of March, which should make Ted Nolan happy, since he’s part of the top line with Cody Hodgson and Drew Stafford.

Speaking of Drew Stafford, it was a surprise he is still on the roster. The soon-to-be unrestricted free agent is second on the club in scoring at 46 points, and rumors around the water cooler suggest the Sabres are still “50/50” on whether to extend a contract offer to Stafford at the end of the season. Acquiring Baertschi, coupled with both Mikhail Grigorenko and Joel Armia in Rochester will provide the Sabres plenty of options if the team elects to allow Stafford to test the waters in free agency.

The Sabres currently hold the #2 seed in the Atlantic Division, but with only eight points separating the Sabres from the sixth place club (Tampa Bay), the Sabres cannot afford to falter in the stretch run if they want to make a run for the playoffs. The team will be on the road for most of their last eleven games of the season, and only face one division opponent (Toronto) in that span. They do, however, have two games against the Arizona Coyotes, and games against the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Islanders. Maybe Tim Murray will give the team a pep talk when they face the Islanders; after all, the Islanders position at the end of the season could give the Sabres a legitimate shot at either Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel…all without tanking!

Buffalo Sabres: 2014-15

Record: 42-24-5 (89 Points)
League: 4th
Conference: 4th
Division: 2nd
Point Percentage: 62.7% (4th)
Goals For: 224 (4th)
Goals Against: 187 (8th)
Power Play: 17.1% (18th)
Penalty Kill: 74.5% (30th)

Injured Reserve

RW Brian Gionta (Concussion) - is expected back early April
C Evgeny Kuznetsov (MCL) - expected to return for the start of the playoffs
C Sam Reinhart (Groin) - given antibotics and told to use protection. expected back last week of March

Sabres Current Lines

Matt Moulson - Tyler Ennis - Drew Stafford
Cody Hodgson - Zemgus Girgensons - Chris Stewart
Sven Baerstchi - Johan Larsson - Marcus Foligno
Cody McCormick - Torrey Mitchell - Brian Flynn

Josh Gorges - Tyler Myers
Andrej Meszaros - Mark Pysyk
Andre Benoit - Rasmus Ristolainen
x- Mike Weber

Jhonas Enroth (19-6, 2.58, .906)
Matt Hackett (1-1, 2.02, .895)

Sabres Top Five Scorers

1. Matt Moulson (35-21-56)
2. Drew Stafford (24-22-46)
3. Cody Hodgson (23-22-45)
4. Chris Stewart (19-25-44)
5. Samson Reingart (23-16-39)

Previous Ten Games

02.26.2015: Buffalo Sabres 5, Vancouver Canucks 4
02.28.2015: Buffalo Sabres 4, Florida Panthers 1
03.03.2015: Buffalo Sabres 3, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
03.06.2015: Ottawa Senators 3, Buffalo Sabres 2
03.07.2015: Buffalo Sabres 4, Washington Capitals 0
03.11.2015: Buffalo Sabres 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
03.14.2015: Buffalo Sabres 5, New York Rangers 4
03.16.2015: Buffalo Sabres 6, Washington Capitals 0
03.17.2015: Boston Bruins 4, Buffalo Sabres 3
03.20.2015: New Jersey Devils 4, Buffalo Sabres 3

Last Eleven Games

03.21.2015: @ Nashville Predators (38-28-6)
03.23.2015: @ Dallas Stars (38-28-5)
03.26.2015: Arizona Coyotes (33-30-8)
03.28.2015: @ Colorado Avalanche (36-28-7)
03.30.2015: @ Arizona Coyotes (33-30-8)
04.01.2015: Toronto Maple Leafs (45-25-2)
04.03.2015: Chicago Blackhawks (38-26-6)
04.04.2015: @ New York Islanders (28-34-10)
04.06.2015: Carolina Hurricanes (29-35-6)
04.10.2015: @ Columbus Blue Jackets (26-38-7)
04.11.2015: Pittsburgh Penguins (44-22-5)

Rochester Americans Report

Record: 25-32-5 (55 Points)
Goals For: 147 (26th)
Goals Against: 168 (16th)
Power Play: 14.2% (22nd)
Short Handed: 84% (19th)

Points: Zac Dalpe (43)
Goals: Zac Dalpe (17)
Assists: Joel Armia (31)
Plus/Minus: Justin Kea (+2)

Goaltending Statistics

Matt Hackett: 16-16, 2.52, .909
Linus Ullmark: 6-6, 2.18, .924
Nathan Lieuwen: 2-8, 3.01, .904
Jonas Johansson: 1-4, 3.21, .884

Connor McDavid Watch

30. Columbus Blue Jackets (26-38-7) - 59 points
29. Carolina Hurricanes (29-35-6) - 64 Points
28. New York Islanders* (28-34-10) - 66 Points
27. Washington Capitals (33-37-2) - 68 Points
26. Vancouver Canucks (30-31-9) - 69 Points

*Islanders 2015 1st round pick belongs to Buffalo Sabres


NHL Transactions

03.02.15: Buffalo Sabres acquire left winger Sven Baertschi from the Calgary Flames in exchange for right winger Patrick Kaleta, a 2015 second round draft selection, and a 2016 third round draft selection.
03.02.15: Buffalo Sabres acquire center Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Washington Capitals in exchange for center Luke Adam and a 2017 second round draft selection.
03.03.15: Winnipeg Jets acquire left winger Jason Chimera and a 2015 second round draft selection from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2015 first round draft selection.
03.03.15: Philadelphia Flyers acquire goaltender Jonas Gustavsson and a 2015 second round draft selection from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2015 first round draft selection.
03.03.15: Los Angeles Kings acquire defensemen Tim Gleason and right winger Todd Bertuzzi from the Carolina Hurricances in exchange for right winger Valentin Zykov, defensemen Alex Lintuniemi and center Andrew Crescenzi
03.03.15: Anaheim Ducks acquire goaltender Michal Neuvirth from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2015 second round draft selection and a 2016 second round draft selection.
03.03.15: Nashville Predators acquire defensemen Mike Green and left winger Aaron Volpatti from the Washington Capitals in exchange for defensemen Scott Valentine a 2015 first round draft selection and a 2015 third round draft selection.
03.03.15: Buffalo Sabres have claimed defensemen Brayden McNabb off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings.

[Nickflyers]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto

Man the GM AI sometimes.....1st rounder for Gustavsson?? Really flyers....

[HeroWorship]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto



The Season is Over!



- The Sabres own both the Islanders and Blues first round picks in this year's Entry Draft. Despite not collapsing, I'll still have some fun at the draft. Two top-ten selections. Maybe even an outside chance at McDavid or Eichel?!?!?!?!? (won't know until after the playoffs).

- The Red Wings playoff streak is over. The Wings will have two first round picks to play with at the draft (via Philadelphia) and should make a bounce back by next season.

- The Winnipeg Jets traded a first to obtain Jason Chimera from the Capitals.....and still missed the playoffs. The Capitals have the Predators and Jets first round picks.

- If Columbus gets McDavid and re-signs Bobrovsky, they're a threat to rebound next season. Only three teams from their division made the playoffs.



- Only two players break 100 points; Corey Perry and Claude Giroux. Perry will win his second Maurice Richard Trophy and begin golfing shortly. His Ducks missed the playoffs. Ouch.

- Nice season for ole' Strombone1. Leads the league in Save Percentage and Goals Against Average. Should be a lock for the Vezina.

- Not many Sabres...besides the Plus/Minus department. Rasmus Ristolainen leads the NHL with a +35 on the season, and Matt Moulson cracks the top ten in goals. Hmmm...thought Moulson needed Tavares to score 30 per?



- Used four goaltenders this season, including giving Ullmark a start against the Hurricanes.

- Matt Moulson led by team in goals and points. Five players on the Sabres topped twenty goals or more (Kuznetsov finished the season with 20, but 18 of those goals came with the Capitals). Myers put up a goose egg in goals, but his 45 assists shatters an NHL record for most points in a single season without a goal; the original record was 29 assists by former Maple Leafs defensemen Jimmy Thomson. He set the record in 1947-48 and died in 1991, when Myers was only 15 months old.

- Reinhart finished the season with 26 goals and 43 points. Not bad for a rookie. Him, Kuznetsov, Jake Allen, and John Gibson will battle for the Calder Memorial Trophy.

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

Buffalo Sabres: 2014-15

Record: 49-26-7 (105 Points)
League: 2nd
Conference: 2nd
Division: 1st
Point Percentage: 64% (2nd)
Goals For: 266 (1st)
Goals Against: 213 (7th)
Power Play: 17.7% (14th)
Penalty Kill: 75% (30th)

Injured Reserve

C Evgeny Kuznetsov (Knee) - unknown return date
RW Drew Stafford (Groin) - unknown return date

Sabres Current Lines

Cody Hodgson - Samson Reinhart - Matt Moulson
Sven Baertschi - Tyler Ennis - Drew Stafford
Mikhail Grigorenko - Zemgus Girgensons - Johan Larsson
Marcus Foligno - Cody McCormick - Brian Gionta
x- Brian Flynn

Josh Gorges - Tyler Myers
Andrej Meszaros - Mark Pysyk
Andre Benoit - Rasmus Ristolainen
x- Mike Weber

Jhonas Enroth (24-7, 2.52, .903)
Matt Hackett (2-2, 2.38, .897)

Previous Eleven Games

03.21.2015: Nashville Predators 6, Buffalo Sabres 1
03.23.2015: Dallas Stars 4, Buffalo Sabres 3
03.26.2015: Arizona Coyotes 3, Buffalo Sabres 2
03.28.2015: Buffalo Sabres 4, Colorado Avalanche 2
03.30.2015: Buffalo Sabres 6, Arizona Coyotes 3
04.01.2015: Buffalo Sabres 8, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
04.03.2015: Buffalo Sabres 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2
04.04.2015: Buffalo Sabres 5, New York Islanders 1
04.06.2015: Buffalo Sabres 6, Carolina Hurricanes 2
04.10.2015: Columbus Blue Jackets 2, Buffalo Sabres 1
04.11.2015: Buffalo Sabres 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 0

Next Seven Games

04.13.2015: vs. Ottawa Senators
04.15.2015: vs. Ottawa Senators
04.17.2015: @ Ottawa Senators
04.19.2015: @ Ottawa Senators
*04.21.2015: vs. Ottawa Senators
*04.23.2015: @ Ottawa Senators
*04.25.2015: vs. Ottawa Senators

Rochester Americans Report

Record: 28-36-9 (65 Points)
Goals For: 169 (26th)
Goals Against: 199 (19th)
Power Play: 13.6% (24th)
Short Handed: 84.2% (19th)

Points: Joel Armia (52)
Goals: Zac Dalpe (17)
Assists: Joel Armia (39)
Plus/Minus: Justin Kea (+2)

Goaltending Statistics

Matt Hackett: 16-16, 2.52, .909
Linus Ullmark: 7-7, 2.41, .923
Nathan Lieuwen: 4-9, 3.01, .905
Jonas Johansson: 1-6, 3.21, .874


NHL Transactions

None

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

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!







NHL on FOX Playoff Preview: Buffalo Sabres vs. Ottawa Senators

April 13th, 2015: Ottawa Senators @ Buffalo Sabres (7:30 PM EST)
April 15th, 2015: Ottawa Senators @ Buffalo Sabres (7:00 PM EST)
April 17th, 2015: Buffalo Sabres @ Ottawa Senators (7:30 PM EST)
April 19th, 2015: Buffalo Sabres @ Ottawa Senators (12:30 PM EST)
*April 21st, 2015: Ottawa Senators @ Buffalo Sabres (7:30 PM EST)
*April 23rd, 2015: Buffalo Sabres @ Ottawa Senators (7:30 PM EST)
*April 25th, 2015: Ottawa Senators @ Buffalo Sabres (3:30 PM EST)

*-if necessary

Season Series:

December 29th, 2014: Ottawa Senators 8, Buffalo Sabres 3
February 10th, 2015: Buffalo Sabres 5, Ottawa Senators 4
February 20th, 2015: Buffalo Sabres 8, Ottawa Senators 2
March 6th, 2015: Ottawa Senators 3, Buffalo Sabres 2

A season straight from Hollywood; the Buffalo Sabres went from being the worst squad in the NHL last season to among the elite’s this season. They contend with an ole foe, one they’ve met in post-season play plenty of times. Will the Sabres continue their smashing success going into the post-season, or will the wheels finally fall off from the Cinderella club and go home earlier than expected?

Buffalo will win if:

They pressure Karlsson early: Erik Karlsson is the glue that keeps the offense together; his 279 shots led the Senators squad that was in the top ten in goals for this season. Karlsson plays in all situations and his sublime vision of the ice allows the forwards some breathing room in the offensive zone. Neutralizing Karlsson will give the Sabres an edge and take away the team’s prized weapon.

Expose the defense: The Senators will wisely attempt to keep both Patrick Wiercioch and Joni Pitkanen off the ice at the same time; both skated for a combined -43 this season and wrecked havoc on their partner’s possession numbers this season. Cody Ceci is expected to remain in the lineup once Jared Cowen returns from injury, meaning they’ll have four defensemen playing 24 years or younger. The lack of experience could kill them if the Sabres can keep on them.

Shutdown the top line: The Senators top line of Milan Michalek, Kyle Turris, and Bobby Ryan individually had 61 points or more this season, with Ryan scoring 35 goals on the season. They’ll also want to keep an eye on former Sabre Clarke MacArthur and his 32 goals on the season. Still, the top line will be the one that will be problematic since all three can be dangerous if left unattended.

Ottawa will win if:

Shoot: The Sabres goaltending woes have been well-documented, and the Senators would be wise to use their firepower to shot at will. Jhonas Enroth finished the season with a .903 save percentage while backup Matt Hackett had a .897 save percentage on the season. The Sabres have done an excellent job at limiting shooting chances, but the Senators scored over four goals per game against the Sabres this season and should continue to focus on that aspect.

Tight defense: Buffalo forwards like to create room in the offensive zone and look for passing lanes for scoring chances. Ottawa must keep the team at bay; after all, the Sabres scored the most goals in the NHL this season and finished off the season with a 3-0 victory over the Presidents’ trophy winning Pittsburgh Penguins. This means press the line and force the Sabres to play dump and chase rather than allowing them to carry the puck into the zone.

Draw Penalties: The Sabres had the worst penalty kill in the NHL this season and Ottawa would be wise to do as much as possible to keep the Sabres shorthanded. Especially with a lineup featuring the likes of Chris Stewart (145 penalty minutes) and Marcus Foligno (130 penalty minutes). Force the Sabres to chase you, and you can be sure the team will react with emotion rather than with logic.

Prediction: It’s bizarre to say, but Drew Stafford has been very important to the success of the Sabres. It’s undetermined when he’ll return from injury, but if he manages to return to the lineup as soon as possible, the Sabres will be much better off in the series. Colin Greening for the Senators will be out for the entire series, and his secondary scoring will be missed.

The series will depend largely on the control of the Sabres; goaltender Jhonas Enroth will have to post a better save percentage than his season of .903 to even get the Sabres to the Stanley Cup, and they got a touch draw against the Senators, a team that knows how the team will play and react accordingly. GM Tim Murray should be applauded with piecing together a team that made the playoffs, but the lackluster goaltending can become his downfall in the 2014-15 playoffs.

If Enroth manages to perform towards his career averages (.910), the Sabres should be able to seal the series in six. But Ottawa will fight tooth and nail and have the best chance at the upset in round one. The lack of secondary scoring can prove to hurt the Senators. The Sabres lineup have 12 forwards that scored ten or more goals during the regular season (and a healthy Tyler Ennis would have made that 13).

I do believe, however, if the Senators can pound the Sabres in the shot department, this could be a series for the Senators. Senators in 7.

Playoff Bracket



Man the GM AI sometimes.....1st rounder for Gustavsson?? Really flyers....

You have to admit, this would be a deal that Bobby Clarke would've made. I doubt Hextall would be that naive. He'd probably sign Thomas or Brodeur before acquring Jonas (it does make a tad sense since Emery is out and a quality backup was needed. It would have been Zepp if Jonas wasn't there).

[HeroWorship]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto



Sabres 'crap' on Senators, send them home seething









Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

#1 Buffalo Sabres vs. #4 Ottawa Senators
(Buffalo wins series 4-1)

Game 1: Buffalo Sabres 3, Ottawa Senators 0
Game 2: Buffalo Sabres 3, Ottawa Senators 2 (Overtime)
Game 3: Buffalo Sabres 3, Ottawa Senators 2 (Overtime)
Game 4: Ottawa Senators 4, Buffalo Sabres 3 (Overtime)
Game 5: Buffalo Sabres 3, Ottawa Senators 2

#2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. #3 Florida Panthers
(Toronto wins series 4-2)
Game 1: Florida Panthers 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 3
Game 2: Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Florida Panthers 2
Game 3: Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Florida Panthers 0
Game 4: Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Florida Panthers 2
Game 5: Florida Panthers 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game 6: Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Florida Panthers 2

#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #4 Boston Bruins
(Boston wins series 4-1)
Game 1: Boston Bruins 6, Pittsburgh Penguins 2
Game 2: Pittsburgh Penguins 6, Boston Bruins 1
Game 3: Boston Bruins 5, Pittsburgh Penguins 4 (Overtime)
Game 4: Boston Bruins 6, Pittsburgh Penguins 3
Game 5: Boston Bruins 5, Pittsburgh Penguins 4 (Overtime)

#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #3 New Jersey Devils
(New Jersey wins series 4-3)
Game 1: New Jersey Devils 4, Philadelphia Flyers 0
Game 2: New Jersey Devils 5, Philadelphia Flyers 4 (Overtime)
Game 3: Philadelphia Flyers 2, New Jersey Devils 0
Game 4: Philadelphia Flyers 2, New Jersey Devils 1
Game 5: New Jersey Devils 5, Philadelphia Flyers 2
Game 6: Philadelphia Flyers 3, New Jersey Devils 0
Game 7: New Jersey Devils 4, Philadelphia Flyers 0

Western Conference Quarterfinals

#1 Los Angeles Kings vs. #4 Colorado Avalanche
(Los Angeles wins series 4-0)
Game 1: Los Angeles Kings 7, Colorado Avalanche 2
Game 2: Los Angeles Kings 1, Colorado Avalanche 0
Game 3: Los Angeles Kings 6, Colorado Avalanche 3
Game 4: Los Angeles Kings 1, Colorado Avalanche 0 (Overtime)

#2 San Jose Sharks vs. #3 Arizona Coyotes
(Arizona wins series 4-1)
Game 1: Arizona Coyotes 2, San Jose Sharks 1
Game 2: San Jose Sharks 3, Arizona Coyotes 2
Game 3: Arizona Coyotes 2, San Jose Sharks 1
Game 4: Arizona Coyotes 4, San Jose Sharks 3 (Overtime)
Game 5: Arizona Coyotes 5, San Jose Sharks 4

#1 Minnesota Wild vs. #4 Dallas Stars
(Minnesota wins series 4-3)
Game 1: Dallas Stars 3, Minnesota Wild 2 (Overtime)
Game 2: Dallas Stars 3, Minnesota Wild 0
Game 3: Dallas Stars 2, Minnesota Wild 1 (Overtime)
Game 4: Minnesota Wild 5, Dallas Stars 2
Game 5: Minnesota Wild 3, Dallas Stars 1
Game 6: Minnesota Wild 3, Dallas Stars 1
Game 7: Minnesota Wild 3, Dallas Stars 1

#2 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #3 Nashville Predators
(Chicago wins series 4-1)
Game 1: Chicago Blackhawks 6, Nashville Predators 3
Game 2: Nashville Predators 6, Chicago Blackhawks 1
Game 3: Chicago Blackhawks 4, Nashville Predators 0
Game 4: Chicago Blackhawks 6, Nashville Predators 4
Game 5: Chicago Blackhawks 3, Nashville Predators 2 (Overtime)

[HeroWorship]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto

[HeroWorship]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto



HEART BREAKER: Leafs Eliminate Sabres from Post-Season in Six Game Affair










Sabres Eliminated From Post-Season Play

Well, we had to figure; the Buffalo Sabres weren't equipped to win, and they showed the fans in a big way.

After extending the series with a well-rounded game in Game 5, the Sabres appeared to be lax, unfocused, and the team we expected them to be when the season began. David Booth's shorthanded empty netter sealed the fate for the Sabres, whom did exceed expectations by a wide margin this season.

Samson Reinhart, who played on the top two lines for the majority of the season, saw his minutes cut in the final two games. Brian Gionta, who was signed to a three-year deal last off-season, didn't appear in a single game for the Sabres against the Maple Leafs.

Jhonas Enroth was brutal. After the Sabres failed to obtain a legitimate starting goaltender at the deadline, you have to believe Tim Murray prayed Enroth would be serviceable in the playoffs. He was in round one, but he looked like a career backup in round two, allowing 19 goals in six games and getting little support from his defense. Let's hope the Sabres make a pledge to improve the goaltending and defense in the off-season.

Tyler Ennis was the star for the Sabres in this series and may have played himself out of trade talks. Right now, the Sabres have Reinhart, Ennis, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Zemgus Girgensons down the middle. You think they'll want to strengthen the middle some more? Maybe adding a tough veteran center and keep the pressure away from the kids?

Drew Stafford was invisible. Chris Stewart outplayed him all throughout the series. With his contract coming to an end, and kids like Mikhail Grigorenko and Sven Baertschi hungry for more playing time, Stafford likely played his last game as a Sabre in Game 6. They already have Matt Moulson locked up for the next four seasons, and Cody Hodgson has become a better player every night since switching to wing. You have to believe the Sabres may want to give the young kids a shot and re-sign either Stewart or Stafford.

Girgensons penalty in Game 4 may have turned the series to the Leafs for good. He went out of his way to hit a player in a vulnerable position and was kicked out of the game. The Leafs scored two ensuing power play goals to put the game out of reach for the Sabres. He'll need to be more disciplined than that if he wants to stick around in the NHL.

Rasmus Ristolainen carried his regular season play into the post season. Andrej Meszaros made a compelling argument for a new contract. Josh Gorges and Tyler Myers were minuses, but they also played the top lines for the majority of the series. And hey! Tyler Myers finally scored a goal. Too bad they couldn't take the mojo from Game 5 and apply it to Game 6.

This Sabres team surprised many this year. Depending on how the lottery unfolds, they may still get one of the top two picks in the upcoming draft. The Blues finished with the eighth worse record in the entire NHL, giving the Sabres two top-ten picks in the draft. That seems pretty unfair, but the Sabres are far from a finished product. They'll need to cut the fat and bring in the muscle.


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

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals

#1 Buffalo Sabres vs. #2 Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto wins series 4-2
Game 1: Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Buffalo Sabres 1
Game 2: Buffalo Sabres 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 3
Game 3: Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Buffalo Sabres 3 (Overtime)
Game 4: Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Buffalo Sabres 2
Game 5: Buffalo Sabres 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 0
Game 6: Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Buffalo Sabres 2

#3 New Jersey Devils vs. #4 Boston Bruins
New Jersey wins series 4-1
Game 1: New Jersey Devils 4, Boston Bruins 1
Game 2: New Jersey Devils 3, Boston Bruins 0
Game 3: Boston Bruins 3, New Jersey Devils 2
Game 4: New Jersey Devils 3, Boston Bruins 0
Game 5: New Jersey Devils 6, Boston Bruins 3

Western Conference Semi-Finals

#1 Los Angeles Kings vs. #3 Arizona Coyotes
Los Angeles wins series 4-3
Game 1: Arizona Coyotes 2, Los Angeles Kings 0
Game 2: Los Angeles Kings 3, Arizona Coyotes 1
Game 3: Los Angeles Kings 4, Arizona Coyotes 1
Game 4: Los Angeles Kings 2, Arizona Coyotes 1
Game 5: Arizona Coyotes 3, Los Angeles Kings 1
Game 6: Arizona Coyotes 3, Los Angeles Kings 2 (Overtime)
Game 7: Los Angeles Kings 2, Arizona Coyotes 1

#1 Minnesota Wild vs. #2 Chicago Blackhawks
Minnesota wins series 4-3
Game 1: Chicago Blackhawks 3, Minnesota Wild 1
Game 2: Minnesota Wild 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (Overtime)
Game 3: Chicago Blackhawks 4, Minnesota Wild 1
Game 4: Minnesota Wild 3, Chicago Blackhawks 1
Game 5: Chicago Blackhawks 3, Minnesota Wild 2
Game 6: Minnesota Wild 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3 (Overtime)
Game 7: Minnesota Wild 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3

[HeroWorship]

Re: Zack Kassian can't spell his name; a Buffalo Sabres experience hitting Rock Botto



The Sabres are out, but the playoffs march on







Also; Final AHL Results (Americans Statistics TBA at a later time)