NYI 3, Sabres 2

HOLDING ON BY A THREAD

The sky is not falling, but it is holding on by a very thin thread.

The Sabres improved to 0-2 last night on Long Island and took another leap in a season that could hopefully prove to be Darcy Regier's last.

Mike Comrie, a free agent acquisition and newly crowned Sabre-killer, scored two more brining his two night point total up to 6 (4-2-6). The Sabres have played a Comrie occupied team for the last 7 non pre-season games and have lost 6 of them.

U.S. born Rick DiPietro outplayed his American counter-part after being blasted with 17 shots in the final frame, saving 16 of them. Ryan Miller had a lackluster performance during that same period saving 4 of 6 shots.

Two games in and the dulled Sabres find themselves one of three teams with no points (Florida and Atlanta) creating a mirror image of last year's amazing start. They were man-handled defensively Friday night by a line assembled by a second year GM that only two years ago was still playing in net for the Isles. They were out clutched last night by one member of said line.

The lack of leadership played all the way through the game last night as the team is still searching for a leader on the ice to set a tone and example for the rest of the youngsters to follow.

Ales Kotalik should be back for Thursday's game against Atlanta, but most fans are probably not holding their breath for any spark to come out of his return.

So here we are, two games, two losses and only 80 more of these things to go which is a lot of time for the threads to snap and the sky to fall on Buffalo yet again. This is all despite the encouragement by the front office, and what reason do they have to lie?

NYI 6, Sabres 4

DEFENSELESS

If there is some sort of solution for the leadership void and the defunct special teams on the Buffalo Sabres, it had better show itself soon.

The power play was powerless and the penalty killing was more like penalty massaging as the Sabres gave sold out HSBC Arena little to be happy about after the season opener.

After grabbing the first goal, a delayed penalty left the Stafford line out too long and resulted in a six on five equalizer.

The Sabres took the lead back after a nice transition set up from Afinogenov to Roy, but after two quick penalties by Buffalo, the Isles scored the tying and go ahead goals on the ensuing power plays.

After that, the Sabres would only tie it up again, twice, on goals by Drew Stafford and Thomas Vanek before surrendering the lead permanently towards the end of the second.

After Vanek's goal in the second, Buffalo seemed to not have any answer to either DePietro or the Isles offense. The Sabres could have skated five forwards and probably seen the same result.

The power play was mere a continuation of the joke it was late last season and the penalty killing units couldn't kill a penalty with nine milimeter.

The most troubling part of the game was the tempo of play in the third period. There appeared to be no-one wearing blue and gold that was willing to sacrifice their body to block a shot, drop th e gloves, make a big hit, or even make some noise on the bench. This lack of leadership resulted in sloppy passing, sluggish skating and bad turnovers.

The Isles, on the other hand, seem to have a solid line that they managed to put together via free agency acquisitions after losing some key players this summer. I repeat, they lost players via free agency, but put together a solid line via free agency to compensate those losses.

The same can't be said about Buffalo. I'm not going even say the names anymore, since both are nestled in nicely with their new teams, but the leadership that said unmentionables provided in situations where the team needed to come from behind was not there, not even close.

Yes, it's only one game, but one home game with a road game the following night. Already, there is pressure to win, or else it's 0-2, and a poor tempo for the season's start.

Everyone keeps saying that X and Y are only two players. Remember, Hasek was only one and look how those few seasons went after he left.

Drury And Briere Already Producing

NOT GONNA BE EASY

First night of the season for NYR and Philly, first night of continuing agony for Buffalo. No matter what happens this season, watching Chris Drury and Danny Briere do what they do for their new teams is going to be difficult.

If the Sabres are good, it will be easy to say, "Well, they could be better with Chris and/or Danny."

If the Sabres suck, it will be even easier to say, "Well, it's because Chris and Danny are gone."

Either way, this summer will still be in everyone's mind from the drop of the puck tomorrow night to the final buzzer or goal in April, May, or June.

To add salt to the wound is that a Buffalo arch enemy, Brian Murray, apparently gets it and is now the envy of every Buffalo fan alive. Knowing that his top scorer and offensive cornerstone, Danny Heatley, was going to demand the highest salary imaginable next summer, signs him...wait for it...A YEAR EARLY!!! Murray not only locked up his best scorer through his prime, but did it for just a shade higher than our brilliant GM did for Thomas Vanek. Imagine that; foreseeing free agency issues and making preemptive moves to avoid such issues. Instead, we get the Drury's on MSG talking about their son living his lifelong dream to play for the Rangers.

One of two things is gonna come out of all of this. Either the Sabres are going to go deep into the post season or the Sabres are not even going to make it. No matter which one happens, every Buffalo fan will definitely be thinking throughout the whole experience what would have been had one or both of our two ex-captains been there to help.

The only thing that we can hope is that if the latter happens, it will be "bye-bye Darcy" and "don't let the door hit you on your arrogant ass, Larry".

Sabres Sign Roy, Avoid Arbitration

6 YEARS $24MM

The Buffalo Sabres avoided their first arbitration hearing of this off-season by locking up C Derek Roy with a 6 year 24 million dollar deal. The move will make Roy a Buffalo Sabre until he is 30 years old. Roy's hearing was set to take place this morning.

The move, which most expected would occur, locks up the dynamic scoring line of Afinogenov, Vanek and Roy for at least two seasons as Afinogenov has two years remaining on his current contract. Vanek signed for 7 years 50 million dollars earlier this month.

The good news is that at least the obvious moves that need to be made seem obvious to the Buffalo brass who, up until now, seemed asleep at the switch. This move will prove to be economically intelligent in a few years when the average salary of a 20 goal scorer will most likely be in the $5MM range.

Roy, although small, is an exceptional offensive player who also has been effective killing penalties and playing sound in the defensive zone, ranking second on the team in +/- (+37), second only to Vanek's league leading +47.

In all, a good move, a good investment but Regier can't claim too much credit because since the debacle of 7/1, he really had no choice but to get this done.

We can probably assume that Paetsch will sign long term, since Campbell is a UFA next year, and Numminen will eventually retire soon. Locking up Paetsch and extending Campbell would both be beneficial moves that could add some sort of silver lining to this otherwise disastrous summer down on Knox Plaza.

Sign Him!

SECOND CHANCE FOR BOTH

The first Peca episode ended, well, not so good. We all remember the contract impasse, the holdout, then the trade to New York. In all, it was not a good time for the Sabres. We remember that year.

We remember the brutal second round Game 6 tragedy where the Sabres were minutes from the Conference Finals only to have Lemieux and gang rip that dream away. Why? Why, Rhett Warraner, didn't you just tackle him?

We remember the following summer, where we lost Dominik. Well, we traded him, but he wanted out anyways. The trade, of course, brought in the heartless and useless Slava Kozlov who was a Sabre for about five minutes.

We remember the Rigas scandal that almost saw the Sabres become the Portland Sabres. I won't go into any more detail.

And finally, we remember the culmination of a year long contract dispute and holdout which eventually lead to the trading of Peca to the Islanders for Tim Connolly and Taylor Pyatt.

In hindsight, the trade was not all bad in terms of personnel, considering that Connolly, despite injuries has turned into one hell of a player and Pyatt also had his moments. However, the Peca saga seemed to be symbolic of troubled times that none of us saw coming.

The ensuing 3 seasons after the Peca saga yielded some of the darkest times in Sabres history. We suffered through the bankruptcy, the near relocation, and some very horrendous hockey. We went three straight years missing the playoffs and rode a tidal wave of a negative reputation and very mediocre on-ice performance into the lockout. It was the worst of times.

Of course, things are different now. We were saved by a new owner, we are back to being a playoff team, make that a contender, and the hockey tradition in Buffalo is alive again. Despite the management whiffs of the past few weeks, things are still looking pretty positive and as it turns out, Peca wants a piece of the WNY hockey experience again.

According to the News, Peca would love a second stint with the team where his career peaked years ago. Saying that he feels he could contribute to the team in terms of on ice performance and leadership, he claims that Buffalo is on the top of his wish list of teams to sign with.

Here it is. A second chance for everyone. Regier can put the Free Agency Disaster of 2007 behind him and Peca can return to a place he is more than familiar with. Peca is a familiar face and a legendary name in the halls of HSBC Arena and there is no better way to begin fans' healing than to bring a guy with Peca's reputation in.

Let us not forget, he wore the "C" the last time we went to the Finals.

Darcy, stopping f--king around and sign him. Just sign him.

Kaleta Ready For The Show?

PATTY DESERVES A CHANCE

Despite the fact that it is early on and there still could be some free agency action later on this summer, although unlikely, management would be wise to see what Patrick Kaleta can do this year.

The only criticism taken by the Sabres last year had to do with the team's lack of toughness up front and gritty style play that was sorely missing. Since Drury and Zubrus, both leaders of that kind of play, are elsewhere, Kaleta deserves at least some 4th line ice time to see what he can do against teams that are known for their physical play.

Kaleta is still very young and still can develop his offensive game in Rochester, but I think it is worth the ice time to let him at least make a case for belonging with the big club.

Let us not forget his refusal to back down against Ottawa during the infamous brawl game last year. After taking a cheap slash from Danny Heatley before the face off leading to the brawl, he did not shy away from any of the scrums that occurred in the following minutes.

Also, with all the offensive talent that still remains despite losing the captains, he stands to learn a lot by playing with the older guys and can jump start his offensive production.

In the end, the Sabres need to concentrate on areas where they came up short last year, namely physical play. With the losses of Grier, Pyatt, Zubrus, and Drury, they need others like Gaustad to step up and they need to find new sources, if free agency is not in the plan.

Kaleta has the guts and the toughness and given some time to workout in the bigs, he can turn into a physical force who can help fill in the gaps on a team that is mainly smaller and fast. It's time to at least give the local boy a chance.

HOW?

GENERAL EMBARRASSMENT

Let's imagine for one moment that you are sitting in front of your boss at your very normal job at your very normal office. This meeting is taking place just weeks after you receive a raise and an extension for your services.

Your boss has in his or her hand a list of what has taken place since your recent re-signing and goes over the list to discuss successes and failures. The list goes something like this:

• You are given a commitment by upper management for more budget to build your division. You fail to use this budget and lose two of your most talented employees to other companies in the same industry.
• You then publicly give excuses about the marketplace being too unfair to the organizations of the same size as yours.
• You then publicly admit that your organization is not going to be as productive as it was, but you assure that all is not lost and that your misguided philosophies are, in fact, the correct way to run things despite the recent personnel disaster.

Well, I'm about 99% sure that if it was me with that sheet sitting in front of the CEO of my company, she would most likely rid herself of one personnel problem by kicking my ass to the curb.

The problem here is that it is not me, it's Darcy Regier and he is not fired, but actually re-signed for two more years.

The only word to describe this is embarrassing.

He is correct though. The team will not be as talented on paper and the sky is not falling. The Sabres are still a team with a lot of good players and should be able to hold their own next year. That is not the point. The point is that his flawed negotiation policies are what got us in this mess in the first place. This was a preventable disaster had he planned for it and given the players the common courtesy of a timely phone call or two.

The Sabres could be even better had Darcy stuffed his half-assed philosophies in the drawer and got these deals done before the past season even started. Oh and we probably could have signed Vanek for half the money as well.

But once again, here we are. Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier thinking that they are smarter than everyone else and that they won't be bullied. Well, their logic is about as sharp as their public speaking skills and they did get bullied, like underwear-over-the-head bullied.

Hey guys, guess what? They are not laughing with you.

But like Darcy said, "We'll find a way". Ha, ten years as a GM and all we can get out of him is "We'll find a way". I sure hope so.

"C" Stands For Currency

Ca$h Captains

In the end, money always talks. I know there is always a ceremonial loyalty, but dollars always dictate the results.

It's essentially official. The Sabres, as of some time in the next 36-72 hours, will be captain-less. It appears that the "excitement" of free agency was worth more than $5MM to Briere and $6MM to Drury. Of course, those numbers are all speculation, but if they can speculate what they will get on the open market, then I will speculate what they turned down from Buffalo.

While Camp Drury remains quiet, the Briere camp is nothing but smiles. Danny is excited to enter into his first stint as a UFA and it appears that while he is a tad nervous, he is optimistic that someone will call.

"On the one hand, you are a little scared that you're going to hit free agency and nobody is going to call you," said Briere. "But it's still pretty exciting. From hearing all the rumours, there should be more than one or two teams interested, so that's why it's exciting."

There it is. Briere is excited about the rumors he is hearing that one or two teams may or may not be interested in him. Could it be LA, Philly, or Montreal? No one knows anything other than there are a lot of teams that missed the playoffs last year that Briere is excited to hear from. That is the type of excitement a UFA experiences in this type of situation.

As for Drury, when you are about to become a multi-millionaire, well, everyone can wait until you are goddamn good and ready to discuss your thoughts on the future.

I can't say I blame them. I mean, I work for a corporation and I make pretty mediocre money, as far as people in my business make. If another company came in and offered me more money, I sure as well would take it and I don't have to wait until I'm thirty to do that. So, I can't bash free agents. Hell, I am an unrestricted free agent all year round so how can I complain?

I just hope that the offers that each of the soon to be former co-captains receive are fair enough to erase the awful memory of those horrific offers they received from the team just off another horrible season of almost getting to the Finals. If there is someone who knows the pain that they are going through, it's average people like myself.

No hard feelings gentlemen, I can't wait to pretend I care where your careers go.

Gots To Get Paid

$trait Cash, Homie

So much for the dream scenario. Like Ryan Seacrest at the end of each American Idol episode, Danny Briere is out. After turning down a 5-year, $25MM deal offered Wednesday, Briere's agent made it official that his client will look for more money in the open market, which most likely means that he will not return to the team that prevented him from a long and less than lucrative European hockey career.

Not much to say really here. Free agency means players come and go. It happens to every team
in every sport, but that doesn't make it less painful for fans.

It was a good ride, it could have been better, but why settle for $5MM a year from a team that has a real chance when you can go help re-build a team for $6+MM? It was the rap-star Mace who said it first, "It's all about the Benjamins". So much for a hometown discount.

Enjoy Philly Danny. Maybe I'll run into you some summer at the Shore, and I'll be sure to buy you a Yuengling and we can talk the old days. Also, I prefer Geno's over Pat's, in case you care.

Kane Goes First

Local Boy Does Good

For the first time in NHL draft history, the top two picks went to American born players with the first pick going to South Buffalo native Patrick Kane. Kane spent last season destroying the competition in the OHL playing for the London Knights (62 goals, 83 assists) and was picked number one by the recently struggling Chicago Blackhawks.

Despite ambiguous reports in the Buffalo News today regarding a last ditch effort by Darcy Regeir to try to "converse" with Chicago about trading the first pick, Kane went to a team that desperately needs something to get back to a tradition that seems to have been lost for some years. Kane brings a youthful spirit to Chicago that should create some optimism in the Chicago organization in a way similar to the youth invasion in Pittsburgh. Chicago has had some bad luck trying to rebuild with aged free agents so Kane should be a breath of fresh air.

It is great to see a lot of Buffalo success these days, even though its not the Sabres. With former Sabre Brad May hoisting the Cup along with Buffalo native Todd Marchant, and now Kane going first, at least Buffalonians can take some pride knowing that our tradition goes beyond wings and beef on weck. Of course, these are all consolation prizes and the real joy would be the Cup and only the Cup. Until then, we still have our local boy, who perhaps one day will wear the blue and gold. We all should remember the Versus interview with Kane during game 2 of the Rangers series, standing ice level wearing the Sabres hat. It fit just fine and so would a blue and gold sweater. Maybe some day.

Toskala Toronto Bound

Andrew Who?

Goalie heavy San Jose landed a few extra draft picks by sending Mark Bell and Vesa Toskala for draft picks in this year's first major draft day trade. For these two players, San Jose is receiving a conditional 2007 first rounder, a 2007 second rounder and a 2009 fourth rounder.

Toskala is a sound goaltender who lead the Sharks this past year in wins and goals against. TSN has him ranked as a no. 2 goalie, but most would disagree with that assessment as demonstrated by his record from this year (26-10-1). Toskala was definitely grouped with Ilya Bryzgalov and Manny Fernandez as this year's top goalie trade bait.

Mark Bell is a solid left-winger who has size and decent scoring ability. In a division where you need to deal with the bangin' Sens and my pesky Sabres, a power forward like Bell will do just fine.

The Bell move makes sense and could serve the Leafs well. The Toskala move is a little more puzzling than brilliant. I'm sure there are Leaf fans who have seen Toskala play and look forward to him playing in the ACC, but the move does beg the question, what about Raycroft?

Raycroft signed a decent size deal last year to come in and solve the inconsistency in the Toronto net, but it seems the Leafs' brass was not convinced. Now, it's Toronto that is goalie heavy and may have backed themselves into a corner cap-wise.

In the old days, these move would have made perfect sense. The Leafs would just pay both and be done with it. But now, they need to be a little careful because there are other things to consider in the cap era, like injuries. The last time we checked, there are some Leafs that are getting up there in age, eh-hem, Sundin.

Now, of course, it's not like either guy is getting Guigere money, but carrying $4MM in goalies is never a good strategy when you got close to $14MM tied up in Sundin and McCabe. Also, when you have guys like Ilya Brzgalov, Christ Mason and Manny Fernandez out there as coveted trade bait goalies, the market isn't so hot for under performing starters or high-priced back-ups. So, the Leafs may be stuck with Raycroft's salary. All this is, of course, predicated on the assumption that brining in Toskala meant that Raycroft is out of a starting job, neither of which was announced by Toronto.

On the San Jose side of things, I just hope it's not a move to clear space for a certain Buffalo UFA that may or may not be set on moving out to Cali. That would just plain suck.

Muckler Out

Muck Raking In Ottawa

What does a Stanley Cup Finals appearance get you in Ottawa? Well, if you are a GM entering a contract year, it gets you fired. Almost a month after losing a Cup bid in the finals, the Ottawa Senators showed GM John Muckler the door and handed the throne over to current, and soon to be ex, head coach Bryan Murray.

Reports broke over the weekend in the Ottawa Sun making it to TSN and other Canadian outlets but the Sens leadership remained quiet until it was made official at a press conference today.

Citing a team at a crossroads, owner Eugene Melnyk felt that the Sens were better off handing front office control to Murray rather than re-upping his coaching contract and waiting to renegotiate with Muckler next year. Muckler had one year left on a contract and began his tenure in Ottawa in 2002.

I think it is premature to evaluate this move. In terms of the GM position, Murray is no step down. He was GM of the 2003 Ducks team that went to the finals and seems to know how to put together a good team. The tale of this move will be who ends up behind the bench in Ottawa. Since Murray will not continue as head coach, the Sens will be breaking up a coaching staff that seemed to have clicked with the players this year, especially in the playoffs. Depending on how the new coach works out, this could be a good or bad move for the Sens. We won't know until the new coaching staff takes over and Murray gets done with the off season tasks, the likes of which include Ray Emery, Mike Comrie, and the bloated salary of Martin Gerber.

Muckler's legacy in Ottawa will most likely differ from fan to fan. Some will argue that Muckler has been a failure for years of playoff futility and no Cup. Some blame Muckler for not pulling the trigger on the Gary Roberts deal, which could have helped them against Anaheim, but some also credit Ottawa's strength the past two seasons to Muckler's trade giving up Marien Hossa while bringing in Heatley. Either way, Muckler's tenure in Ottawa will be debated for months to come.

I don't see Muckler going to a new club. I know that he said he was having too much fun in Ottawa to consider retiring, but that was after years of building Ottawa into the club they are today. Does he have the energy to start over with a new club that would most likely need rebuilding and a lot of patience? He would probably say yes, but at 73, other clubs may not be so sure.

It will be interesting to see how Murray handles the off-season and how the coaching staff unfolds in Ottawa as well as if I am wrong about Muckler's career being done. Since Calgary hired Mike Keenan, anything seems possible these days.

Budget Rumors Finally Put To Rest

Players' Salary Budget Going Up

Putting to rest past rumors regarding the Sabres' player spending decreasing, the Sabres made it perfectly clear today that those rumors were false. At a morning press conference today announcing the re-signing of Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier, Larry Quinn, who most likely advises Golisano on spending matters, announced that the spending on players this year will be higher than last year.

Although figures were not disclosed, it lifts a large cloud of gloom regarding the Sabres' willingness to spend the money required to sign Briere, Drury, etc. There were still no guarantees, but the increased probability is sure to help fans sleep a little bit better.

This also goes to prove that Golisano is a billionaire of the Richard Branson school of thought. Golisano, a keen business mind, has shown he knows how to keep markets interested while keeping his own interests in the front of his mind. He, like Branson, enjoys throwing out business man phrases that keep people talking but in reality, while Paychex is his living, the Sabres have become his passion and his personal pride. Much like Branson's space tourism aspirations, the Sabres are something that Golisano wants to give to WNY as his legacy.

If Golisano didn't run for governor and didn't buy the Sabres, what would his legacy be? In the business community, it would have been Paychex, but that is the vast minority of people in the area. Golisano knows that a Stanley Cup in this town will make him immortal. There would be a parade followed by a statue and "Tom Golisano Ave" somewhere downtown.

When you have billions, and I am just guessing, life becomes about different things. Most wealthy business men do not like to sit back and watch time roll by, and they also don't want to work 20 hours a day towards a goal they already achieved. Instead, it becomes about legacy and how they will be remembered. If this wasn't the case, there would be no Vanderbilt University and no Carnegie Mellon.

Golisano has clearly seen what this team's success can do for this town and it appears that he sees this team as an opportunity for his legacy. One thing is for sure, if this team ever marches down Delaware Ave hoisting that Cup, the loudest cheers will be for Golisano and his legacy would sewn up as an immortal hero that gave Buffalo something to smile about for generations.

So, am I surprised that he'll spend the money? Not one bit.

Headline Summarizes It Well

Stanley Cup finals draw record-low ratings

There is no interpretation or commentary needed. The headline says it all.

Governors, Bettman believes this is OK and acceptable. Do you?

Back To This Again

Ottawa Sunburn

... Makes me laugh that Daniel Alfredsson took a lot of heat and was even called "classless" by American TV broadcasters for shooting the puck at Scott Niedermayer with time running out in the second period of Game 4. The only thing he did wrong was fire it too low. In the Stanley Cup final, you should be doing everything you can to win. With two seconds left on the clock and standing at your blue line, you're not going to score. Attempting to take out the opponent's best defenceman is the next best thing. Believe it's called competitiveness ... (Don Brennan, Ottawa Sun)

Most assumed that once the Senators got the Finals, the Ottawa hockey press would maybe give up on their fantasy notions of what good hockey really is. I think after game 3 when McAmmond lay flat and motionless on the ice after a Chris Progner elbow, that the definitions of clean and dirty would become much more apparent.

Well, we can scrap that idea. It seems dirty does not apply inside the Senators' dressing room. Not unlike the league, the Ottawa press holds this umbrella of protection over the Sens and constantly reiterates that the Sens can do no wrong.

The Pronger hit was dirty. There is no argument to the contrary, it is cut and dry. Being that we can all agree on that, why can we not just agree that Alfie's slap shot at Niedermayer was also dirty?

First we need to clarify Brennan's argument. He doesn't defend Alfie by saying that what he did was not on purpose or was a fluke. He says that Alfie did it on purpose, he was trying to "take out" the Ducks' best defenseman, and that it was competitiveness, not a lack of class. If you don't believe me, please stop, re-read the quoted passage above before you continue.

Taking a slap shot at someone 20 feet away on purpose is equal to purposely trying to injure someone with a stick, or an elbow. There is no difference between the three. Pronger wanted to injure McAmmond with his elbow and Alfredsson wanted to injure Niedermayer with the puck. You cannot say that one is dirty and one is competitiveness because both are intending to hurt using blunt force that is coming from things that are other than the shoulder.

The motivation to "take out" any player is in no way competitive, it's classless. Most good open ice checkers hit very carefully and will almost always stay away from the other player's head and knees. The goal of any good checker is to take someone out of a play, not out of a game, a season, or a career. To suggest otherwise is ludicrous and to even hint otherwise borders a level of stupidity and ignorance that no one should reach. This is supposed to be a game played by gentlemen, who understand that everyone is in the league to make a living and should respect the fact that purposely injuring someone, no matter what the stakes, can not only ruin someone's career but also their livelihood. This is not Ultimate Fighting, and not WWF Wrestling. Physical play is good but physical punishment has no place in hockey.

Brennan would have been much better off had he tried to play the "it was an accident" card. He could have said Alfie didn't see Niedermayer and that the shot had a one in a million chance of hitting him. Instead, like the Canadian Press always does when a Sen is involved, tries to play it like its noble and its part of the game.

Hey Brennan, what if Murray told Alfie to "go out and run 'em" right before he shot that puck? Would that change your opinion on "taking out" other teams' best players? Rational people can only hope so.

You'll Never Walk Alone

All Too Familiar

As much as I want to enjoy Ottawa's misery, I can't help but be reminded of my own and as a big believer in Karma, I must take the high road.

Seeing the stunned Senators shake hands with the Cup champs then slowly glide off the ice only reminded me of the 1999 Cup Finals, 2006 ECF and the 2007 ECF. There are never any words, realizations, or silver linings that can console a hockey fan after his or her team has just been eliminated. In fact, all of the above usually tend to make it worse.

It's almost tragically comical how you immediately forget all the good things and good memories of the season when you see your team shake those hands and make the slow skate back to the bench. The only thing you think about is what could have, what would have and what should have been and there are not enough Prince of Whales Trophies or President's Trophies in the world to make any of it easier to take. True hockey fans like the ones found in cities like Buffalo and Ottawa have one thought and one thought only when the season starts and that is going to a Stanley Cup Parade in June. It's tough and it never seems fair.

I always debate whether it's easier to suffer a loss in the first round or to get all the way to the Conference or Cup Finals and lose. The truth is, it doesn't matter. I think back to all the years where the Sabres were ousted before May and they never seemed to be any easier than the equally miserable losses deep into the rounds. I guess it doesn't make any difference and the rule is essentially no Cup, no joy.

So, I do feel for Ottawa fans. Up until this year, we had made a habit of wrecking their Cup dreams in the playoffs and when they finally ended that streak this year, it seemed that it was finally their year with everyone in the Red and Gold feeling happy. It's amazing how emotions can change in two short weeks after you think you couldn't be happier and it is always a challenge to look past it. From past experience, I have learned that it may make you feel a little better to see your rivals' sadness, but it doesn't change the fact that you were once that sad. So for now, I'll give the Senators and their fans a few days to mourn, but when that is up, it will be back to hating them as usual.

Until then, just know that your rivals just south of the border know that feeling all too well.

Cup Evades Canada, Again

Cup Lands In Orange County

First, a movie starring Tom Hanks' son, then a hit Fox TV show, then multiple reality TV shows on MTV and Bravo, and now, a Stanley Cup has found its way to the OC. The Los Angeles Ducks Of Anaheim have given the folks of Orange County something to really cheer about today as they finally took out the Ottawa Senators last night in a not-so-subtle fashion winning 6-2. The Stanley Cup now finds itself on the West Coast for the first time in history, and for the third year in a row, evades Canadian hockey fans.

In a game that was not so much a nail biter as it was a formality, Anaheim lit up Ottawa for 6 goals, well 5 if you don't count the one Chris Phillips scored on his own goalie. Both teams registered less than 20 shots (18-13 in favor of the Ducks) , so it really was not a goalie battle either. In all, it seemed like the Cup clinching game could be categorized as a defensive battle backstopped by par to sub-par goal tending, not exactly what the TV execs wanted, but at least this year, fans got to see the cup celebration for more than 10 minutes before NBC cut to local news.

The Conn Smythe went to Scott Niedermayer, and in my opinion, you can't celebrate an award like the Conn Smythe or the Cup in a classier fashion than he did. Scott was soft-spoken and could not go five words without mentioning his joy of being able to celebrate all of it with his teammate and brother Rob, who raised the Cup immediately following Scott. It was easy to tell by his speech that Scott's emotions were running very high being able to stand next to his brother and talk to Pierre McGuire about the Cup they had just won together. It was a great moment for hockey and a great moment in sports. After that, it's tough to dislike either player, even though Scott had made a nice career in New Jersey of shutting down Buffalo scoring lines, especially in the playoffs.

Another longtime veteran player that deserved to finally win one was Teemu Selanne. A long time class act and future Hall of Fame player, he too was overwhelmed with emotion as he, teary eyed, hugged his wife after the Ducks were presented with the Cup. He was the third Duck to carry the Cup. My opinion on Selanne was always indifferent since he is a career Western Conference player, but his play during last year's Olympics changed that. Watching him continue playing in the medal round after getting hit in the mouth, losing teeth, and seeing his emotional reactions to receiving the silver medal instead of the gold showed the pride he had not only in his home country of Finland, but also his dedication to the game.

Chris Pronger is one lucky bastard and if Anaheim fans need someone to thank, it's Mrs. Pronger for wanting out of Edmonton. Enough said.

In all, despite the fact that most Buffalo fans would never route for Ottawa, I enjoyed seeing the Ducks win. Their celebration was sincere as shown by the reactions of the Niedermayers and Selanne. The ratings sucked and Canada will be in mourning for a little while, but in all, I thought it was some great hockey and we can now put this year behind us and count down the days until the puck drops for next season where every fan will hope to be next year's Anaheim Ducks.

Yashin's Retirement Plan

$2.2 Million/Year Pension Plan

Just when it seemed as if honor of being called the most envied NHL player was sewn up by Sydney Crosby, news broke today of now ex-Islander Alexei Yashin's contract being bought out by the Islanders at a whopping bargain of $17.6 million.

Yashin had $26.45 million owed to him, but under the new CBA, the Isles had the option to buy out the contract at two-thirds of that price over the next 8 years ($2.2 million per year) and have only that amount count towards the cap each season.

So, after a very disappointing playoff performance this year, and a below expectations Islander career, Yashin will now make $2.2 million per year, for the next 8 years, on top of what he has already made in his Islander career, to do nothing more than chill-out on the beach in the Hamptons.

I used to envy Sydney Crosby because of his skill, youth, popularity, and endless potential. Not any more. I now envy the man who proved that with one good year in pro sports, along with a good agent, can set you up for life regardless of how you perform later on. I'm sure that Yashin will still want to play and does want to be a Cup champ, but if I was his close friend, I would sit him down and say, "Are you f**king nuts?".

If only I had a pension plan like that waiting for me.

Oh Captain!

Did Captain Alfie Sink The Ship?

Every series has a turning point. Chris Drury scoring with 7.7 seconds left to tie the Rangers in Game 5 of round 2, Scott Niedermayer's tying goal with 48 seconds left in Game 5 against Detroit, and Joe Corvo's bouncing double OT winner in Buffalo were all series changing events that eventually led to the demise of each team's opponent. The question is, was Daniel Alfredsson's shot "at" Scott Niedermayer the series changing event for these Finals?

Whether or not Alfie did it on purpose is debatable but in reality, it's irrelevant. It doesn't matter what his intentions were, the only thing that matters is that the Ducks interpreted it as an intentional and classless act. It was all the Ducks needed to come out firing in the 3rd period to get the eventual game winner. The shots in the 3rd were equal, but Ottawa could not ride the momentum of the late 2nd period Heatley goal into the 3rd due to the buzz-kill of a "failed" shoot-in attempt by Alfie as time ran out. Had Alfredsson not shot that puck, perhaps Ottawa could have rode that wave of good momentum into the third and perhaps scored the decider, but instead, Anaheim capitalized on their emotions and now head back home one win from a Cup.

Like I said before, maybe Alfie aimed for Niedermayer and maybe he didn't. Truth be told, unless he is the dumbest Swede this side of the ocean, I can't see the Ottawa captain doing that on purpose, even as much as I would like to think he did. But none of that matters. What matters is that the Anaheim players thought he did, used it as motivation to play hard and wound up with the win.

If things end up not working out for Ottawa in this series, players and fans will look back to find that one play or one shift where things went bad. If this is to be the case, the unfortunate thing for Alfredsson is that his shot that hit Niedermayer will most likely be the play that people will interpret as the bad play that sunk the ship.

Welcome To The Club

I dont get whats wrong with Ottawa. They started off dominating the first period and got that last second goal. Ever since then, it seems they just fell back into a deep sleep, like the first 2 games. It just doesn't seem like Ottawa has the desire to win, they just don't seem to want it enough and it really showed tonight. Ottawa beat themselves tonight. And who was it that said Redden was playing some of his best hockey? Another bumbled play by him tonight costed Ottawa another goal.

This was a post on espn.com last night from an obviously distraught Ottawa fan who was wondering where his dominant playoff team is. The scary part of it is that if you change Redden to Spacek (or Kalinin) and Ottawa to Buffalo, it's pretty much our identical thoughts about two weeks ago. Strike the "pretty much", it is exactly what we were thinking to weeks ago. All I can say to the writer of that post is that I hear you loud and clear and I just want to officially welcome you to the club.

1 Million Viewers. Phew!

NBA ECF Game Destroys Game 3 Of Stanley Cup Finals

Ratings were higher on NBC for Game 3 (~1.25MM viewers) than they were for Games 1 and 2 on Versus, but were still fairly embarrassing. US viewers, instead, seemed to prefer Lebron James and Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals which was airing on TNT at the same time. The difference was in the 4 to 1 range.

Not quite sure how Bettman spins this one, so we'll just have to wait for him to reiterate that the NHL, under his administration, is STILL not defined by TV ratings.

We would sure hope not. But until then, we can only hope the SCF can break the 2 million viewer mark for at least one game of these Finals.

The Bettman Regime of Denial

"He said the player wasn't injured, so mind my own business."

Once again, Colin Campbell proves he is nothing short of a biased dictator who refuses to punish teams that he favors and is too chicken $hit to punish a Canadian team. In the case from last night, as in many other cases involving Ottawa, specifically Chris Neil, Campbell believes that Ottawa players can do no wrong.

On the Pronger issue, I believe that he was correct, but Brian Burke is 100% correct about Campbell's decision to do nothing about Chris Neil. Chris Neil is a piece of garbage head hunter who appears to be authorized to do whatever he wants to whomever he wants under and obvious umbrella of league protection. Neil's hit on Andy McDonald was dirty and his intent was to hurt him. Campbell knows it, but purposely did nothing about it since the pride of Canada is at stake here, never mind the integrity of the joke of a game this has become.

Bettman, like Campbell, is also blind to reality. No one in America, except for hockey nuts, are watching the finals. Newspapers are not even spending the money to send writers to cover it. Yet, Bettman claims that the league is OK and that despite all the numbers that show the league's popularity declining and growth halting, he still feels that all is well. Let's see, a leader who claims that all is well despite mounds of evidence suggesting otherwise, does this all sound familiar?



The league is not OK. The salary cap may keep going up but nothing else is. The Nashville Predators are all but out of Tennessee, Carolina couldn't sell out the season after their Cup win, and the Finals can't even draw as many viewers as a regular season Orioles game. Americans, even those in the Northeast and Great Lakes, are not watching and not caring and Bettman should be, but is not, scared to death about the long term viability of this league. Bettman is and will be until he either resigns or is ousted, a lame duck.


Campbell, who is in charge of league operations, seems to be operating a beautifully scripted TV series that should be played all summer on Versus between Bull Riding and Sailing. Video replay appears to be the reality TV portion of the series where Co Executive Producer Campbell lets the audience vote, but only takes calls from Ontario. The Jerry Springer portion of the show is everything in between video replays with hardest working slobs in all of sports controlling the action on the ice because they were the oldest horses in the barn (and because McCreary's mustache looks so damn funny). It's not even worth going into detail about the officiating of the playoffs from the mysterious "Toronto War Room" to the missed on ice calls that have now lead to two suspensions by a guy who seems to again take his advice from his audience living north of the border. It's rampant, it's obvious and it is making this league a bigger joke than it already is.

The only thing that one can hope is that when baseball, football, basketball (NBA and WNBA) start lapping the NHL, double lapping in some cases, in all relevant business and marketing categories, the owners will finally realize that the "New" NHL isn't going to succeed with new rules, but by the ousting of the bums who cannot seem to enforce them and who cannot make even the easiest decisions about how to better the league. Hopefully, the owners will oust the regime that is trying to turn hockey into a scripted form of entertainment in order to attract a larger audience. Sound familiar?

This week's SJ Humanitarian Award goes to the lovely and tolerant people Canada for having a society open enough to allow Chris Neil to procreate. Well done. Well done, indeed.

Not Buying In Just Yet

m patton

I know that it is being circulated around the media that Tom Golisano has publicly claimed that the Sabres will not spend up to the cap this off-season. Fine. I also know that he said the same thing last year. The difference between this year and last year is a written letter to season ticket holders claiming a "fiscal responsibility" that goes along with owning a pro hockey team. In case you forgot, it was last year when he wrote the letter and we all know how last year's spending went.


It would be not wise to assume that Golisano won't do everything in his power to try to sign at least one of his two most marketable players. He prob won't go tight to the cap to do it, and for that I don't blame him (a la injury issues from this past year), but the man didn't become a billionaire solely for his mastery in cost-cutting. He is, most surely, a businessman who does know the importance of keeping spending in check, but if you ask any successful business owner what the most important element in a successful business is, he or she will almost certainly tell you that a sound product with happy customers is king.

I'm not saying that TG will be spending like Brian Cashman to get a good product, but I think that we need to put ourselves in a mindset of a businessman. I think what he is saying is that the Sabres will be smart about their spending and cutting. I also think that he knows that Drury, Briere and Vanek are smart spends for business. He never mentions anything about the free agency issues, which I think is a brilliant move in proving that he stays out of hockey affairs, he only talks about business in general.

We have to assume that TG understands different markets and the difference between making stockholders happy and making fans happy. He understands that the only decent revenue streams in the NHL do not come from TV and revenue sharing, they come from ticket sales and merchandising. If he understood how to make stockholders of Paychex happy, we also have to assume he knows how to make his hockey fans happy as well.

I do believe that there is still some reason to worry about what the team will look like in a few months, but as far as the doom and gloom that Briere and Drury are definitely gone based on TG's recent comments, I'm not buying that product just yet.

In Conclusion

m patton

So the season is over, no cup in Buffalo and it is the beginning of another somber summer as a Sabres enthusiast. There really isn't much to really complain about other than it sucks that you really can't have it all. 10-0 start, wire to wire divisional leader, wire to wire conference leader and the President's Trophy were all we would get, one step short of the ultimate goal. Enough about the end result for now, we have all summer to think what could have been if.

Conference Finals
This series was as simple as it was short. Ottawa hit their peak performance in the Spring and rode it all the way into and through the playoffs. If they keep up the same pace in the Finals, they will be Cup Champs. At no point during this series did Buffalo match the skill, speed, or intense pressure that Ottawa brought every game and in the end, it cost the series.

It's debatable as to whether the Sabres were even a match for the almost perfect hockey played by Ottawa's deep defense and top scoring line, but the one undebatable fact is that the line everyone in Buffalo, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh now loaths was the difference maker in each series. As much as it pains this writer to admit, Spezza, Heatley, and Alfredsson do make up the best line in the playoffs this year.

Enough about Ottawa for now. The Sabres didn't hang themselves out there, but they did build the gallows. Two power play goals in 5 games on over 20 tries is the first stat that showed that Buffalo was in deep trouble. The power play was so bad, that the tone for the series was set very early when Ottawa's first goal of the series game on Buffalo's second power play. The extra man offense is something that Lindy Ruff will surely be haunted by this summer when he tries to figure what went wrong and how to fix it next year.

About the only thing that did work in that series for Buffalo was Ryan Miller. It's cliche by now, but the series would have been a sweep had he not kept them in every game. Aside from his play, his attitude and leadership off the ice was top notch and he shows that his experience in the playoffs last year made him even better this year. Ryan Miller represents the only bright spot of the playoffs for the Sabres.

Early Rounds
The one thing that makes my blood boil more than anything is the stupid hockey press that keeps saying that Buffalo barely got by the Islanders and squeaked by the Rangers.

Let's start with the Islanders series. This was a series won in five games by the Sabres that included only two games where the Islanders ever lead during the game. Should the top team beat the eight seed? Yes. Should they sweep them? Maybe. Do they need to sweep while winning every game by more than one goal? No. A five game series with two games won on the road hardly constitutes a case where one would say the Sabres barely got by. They out-skilled the Isles and won the series because of it.

The Rangers series was more challenging for Buffalo. It was a six game series with all but one game decided by one goal. However, what the hockey heads refuse to take into account is the clutch play by the Sabres, offensively and defensively. This was a series that forced the Sabres to play a different style of game and have to rely on defense and grit to win. Last I checked, they won the series by grinding out some close games, even after their fast paced speed game was "marginalized" by a big hitting Ranger defense. There was nothing lucky about that series win. The Sabres were the better team and it showed by the different ways they found to win. Also, let us not forget that Lundqvist was by far the hottest goalie in the playoffs at the time and if he didn't out of his mind, then that series would have been over a lot sooner.

It remains a mystery where the hockey press gets the information that support their conclusions

Another Summer On Edge
Even though there are a lot less players that need to be signed this summer, they are three of the most important and include the entire co-captaincy and the leading goal scorer. I don't want to speculate as to who they should sign. I want both Briere and Drury wearing Sabres jerseys next fall. Is it likely? No. But is it possible? Yes.

Signing Briere and Drury will come down to a few key things, money and years. Obviously, we have the cap to worry about and some trimming will need to be done in order to stay under the cap. Some of that trimming will be take care of itself while other trimming will need to be chosen.

We have to figure that Teppo Numminen will either retire, or play somewhere else next year. He is pushing 40 and although he has had 2 great seasons in Buffalo, we are not likely to ante up the 2.5 - 3 million that he will most likely command. I personally think that given his age, his hockey stick business and his safe-for-now record of playing the most games as a European born player, he will hang it up and call it a career. Before his 2 seasons for the Sabres, he had never been past the first round of the playoffs, and I think he realizes it will be tough to get further with another team.

Zubrus is one of those wait-and-see players for now. The reality is that we wont be able to sign him, Briere, and Drury. And given the status of the later two, they will be first priority. However, if talks reach an impasse with either Chris or Danny before July 1, then expect talks to quickly spark up with Zubrus as he proved himself as a valuable asset that Lindy can build some physical play around.

Spacek, while signed for 3 years, remains someone who might find himself somewhere else. While I know that it is not smart to cut up the defense, we have to really look at value here. Spacek got paid due to his great numbers in the playoffs last year. When we look at the horror show of stats from this year, we might start to think that his value peaked last year and that his playing with Chris Pronger in Edmonton could have helped that along. I still think he is all-around a great player and did do some things this year that helped us win some games, I'm not so sure that we can justify keeping his salary around when we want to lock in Vanek long-term and re-sign the co-captains. Trying to score a few draft picks for Spacek might be a better option than trying to find out if he can bounce back after a disastrous playoff showing this year.

The biggest wild-card will be the years in the contracts for Drury and Briere. We know that they both will want contracts that will essentially close out their careers so we are talking 4-5 years each. We also now that Darcy is notorious for being reluctant to sign long term deals like that (thanks for that, Dominator). But, I think that Darcy realizes what these two guys mean to this town and what they mean to this team's success. I think that once Tom Golisano realizes the business impact that losing these two could have on the team, he will give Darcy the old Steinbrenner lean to get these two locked up. For the record, I am in no way comparing Tom Golisano to Steinbrenner.

Of course this is all speculation and I was completely wrong last summer as I thought Darcy wouldn't find a way to lose Mike Grier and J.P. Dumont. So like any off-season, anything can happen.

Liking This Town
One of things that separates this off-season from any other off-season in regards to free agents is the openness of the soon-to-be free agents' desire to stay in Buffalo. This is usually never the case. For Briere to come right out and say that he wants to be a Sabre and would accept the proverbial hometown discount should mean a lot to fans. Since most players whose stock peaks in Buffalo usually can't get out soon enough, for him to say that means a lot. Even for a player like Adam Mair, who is unrestricted, to share the same sentiments shows a change in tide. Add Zubrus to that mix and it looks like the players really believe in the team and the system, along with the city and the fans. I give Drury a pass for not being as vocal, but he has come out to say that he loves this town as a hockey town and would love to play here for years to come. After the episodes involving Hasek, Kozlov, and Doug Gilmore, it is refreshing to see true superstars show the desire to remain a part of this team in Buffalo

Must Not See TV
With the Finals set with Ottawa and Anaheim, it will be tragically humorous to see TV ratings on Vs. and NBC. I just hope they can compete with Arena Football on ESPN2.

Going Down With The Ship

by: mpatton

There is not much to say. 15 shots on goal in a pivotal game says it all. In order for the Sabres to attempt to claw back into this series, the effort needed to be about survival, pride and passion. Those needs evolved into 15 shots on goal, 0 for 6 on the power play and eventually, 0-3 against a team that seems to be destined for the finals. At the risk of sounding defeatist, all we have left to do is sit and wait for what we know is coming soon.

This is going to be a very difficult summer filled with memories of a lot of great nights that will be easily neutralized by memories of one series that ended it all, yet again. This series is not like last year. Last year, we were the darlings of the new NHL who played the underdog role with an Oscar caliber flare. We rode out the storm all the way to the end and left everything but pints of blood on the ice in Raleigh. Last summer wasn't easy because none of us could wait till October when a team even hungrier would make another push. This summer it's going to be tough because we will find out which teams each of our co-captains will play for and will they, like so many other former Sabres, find glory with another team.

This summer will also be filled with a lot of resentment and many what if's. Hindsight always being 20/20, it's impossible not to ask what if. What if Darcy Regeir doesn't sign Spacek and instead promotes Paetsch uses the extra money to sign J.P. Dumont to a few years? Could the line of Pomminville, Briere and Dumont be the French Connection 2K, but this time with a Cup? Could Briere be convinced that he could never leave such a great line situation behind? We will never know. What if Mike Grier didn't listen to locker room and media gossip and signed with Buffalo rather than San Jose? Could he and Drury locked down the Ottawa top line like last year? We will never know. I fell terrible for saying this but, what if we don't re-sign Tim Connolly and we keep Taylor Pyatt? Between Pyatt, Grier, and Zubrus, it's safe to say Buffalo would not have been banged around like rag-dolls this series. But again, we will never know.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves though. We do have one more game to lose yet. I have already been chastised as being a coward for giving up after Saturday night's loss by family and friends and perhaps they are right. But, was it my pessimism that lost tonight's game or was it one shot on goal in 6 power play attempts? Was it my lack of confidence in a miracle comeback or was it the Sabres' only two superstars putting up one shot, combined? This is a tough pill because it seems the captains are primed to go down with the ship. I don't doubt for one minute the drive and the resolve of our captains, but it is sure a let down to see them play so brilliantly all year long and then fade out in the Conference Finals. In order for a 2004 Red Sox miracle to take place, aside from Ottawa's top line coming down with the measles, Danny Briere and Chris Drury would have to combine all their good play from the entire regular season and compress it into 4 games of play that would only be described as god-like. I like the thought, but then I wake up with my hand down my pants.

Inside this ugly and disgusting waxy ball of negativity and pessimism that could only come from a transplanted Sabres fan in a state like Maryland, there is one ray of light that is still shining bright and that is Ryan Miller. The entire year, he was the best non-shutout goalie in the league. He didn't dominate like Brodeur or Luongo, but he always did his job which was to keep his team in the game. His mental toughness improved even more than it did last year and his leadership on and off the ice was that of a seasoned veteran. He encapsulates what it means to be a Buffalo Sabre. His goal isn't stardom or headlines in the New York Post, his goal is to win games and to do his job well for his team. My only real wish is that he is a Sabre for a long time and wins the games he deserves to win, such as tonight, because he is the face of this team and what it should stand for.

So, all that is left to do is wait. Much like the Sopranos, we don't know how it will end but we do know that it is going to end. Will it end Wednesday with an embarrassing and demoralizing sweep in front of the Ottawans, or will it be Saturday in front of 19,000 teary eyed Buffalonians? One thing is for sure; in my lifetime, only one team came back from a 0-3 hole in a playoff series. Can't remember? I'll give you a hint, they are one of three teams that are more cursed than the Sabres and they had to wait 86 years for a ring. You know what? If I could be guaranteed the same fate for the Sabres, I would learn to be patient because even at 77 years old, it would be worth the wait.

Kings Of New York

m patton

This is it for the Rangers series. It's over and Ottawa is on every one's mind but we should, as fans, reflect on what we saw in this series. This team is different now than it was 59:52.2 seconds into game 5. This team is more focused than it ever has been this season. It sounds melodramatic, but the Sabres smell blood and their sense of mission is more clear than it ever was during the season or these playoffs. We couldn't have drawn Ottawa at a more opportune time.

Had we played the Senators in the first or second round, we may not be here today. With the way Ottawa blazed into the playoffs and played during the first two rounds, I'm not so sure we could have made it through them given some of the games we played against the New Yorks. But now we are here and I think it's important to discuss the latest series that brought us here, one last time.

Out-clutched

Twice was Tom Renney behind the bench pulling his hair out due to the fact that his team didn't know how to close a game with a late lead. The one time, they escaped with some help from video replay. The second time, they arguably lost the series by giving up a demoralizing tying goal with 7.7 seconds left before going on to lose in OT.

I can't blame them too much because the Rangers are not the first, nor the second, team that Chris Drury has robbed before, but to play careless and scared in the dying seconds of a game twice in one series is indicative that the Rangers may have let the pressure get to them. I would rather be ugly and win than pretty and lose and I'm sure the Rangers would too.

The Swede

Minus some of the best goal tending that the playoffs have seen and the Rangers aren't even in that series. Lundqvist played out of his mind and if you are a Ranger fan, then you have to at least feel relieved that you finally have a goaltender that is steady and will perform in the playoffs. Truth be told, without Lundqvist's 40+ saves in game 5, the Rangers would have never even been in the position to blow the lead because the score could have easily been 4-1 had Lund not put up a performance like he did.

Of course, Buffalo had a formidable counter-part guarding its net who did steal some big chances away from NY in all games. The Sabres could have easily been out of some of their wins had Ryan Miller not played as well as he has played all throughout these playoffs thus far.

Avery A Non-Factor

For all his talk, and all the praise from the media, Sean Avery didn't accomplish much more than some great sound bytes and some gratuitous power plays for Buffalo. Offensively, he was invisible, opposite to what he was in round 1. Defensively, his hits were pretty routine and he really did not make any game changing defensive plays that lead to anything offensive for the Rangers.

Also, he forgot to hurt the Sabres, despite his promises and I'm pretty sure that the only thing that Buffalo and the fans hated were his comments off the ice, and not his game on the ice. In the end I think the only people afraid of him are Ranger fans because they are most likely petrified of what he will say next.

Special Teams Battles

The Rangers power play, on paper, was much better than Buffalo's PK. But, when you look back at key opportunities and challenges for the power play and penalty kill, the Sabres definitely won the battles when they counted.

Game 2, Sabres were up 3-2 late in the 3rd when two simultaneous Sabre penalties gave NY a five on three for 2 minutes to try and tie it up, the Sabres PK, anchored by superior goal tending, held up to keep the lead.

Obviously, Game 5, Max's power play goal that changed the series was a clutch goal that came seconds after the Sabres already killed a Ranger power play in the same OT.

The lesson learned here is that some power play goals are worth more than others and the Sabres definitely won the battle of important special teams situations.

Stick To What You Know Best

For some strange reason, the Rangers decided to try to tie up the series by playing an open skating game against the fastest team in the league. After all we heard for days about how good the slow, ugly defense of NY had slowed the Sabres down and forced so many mistakes, the Rangers abandoned that style to play an open free flowing game. In the end, it killed them because it finally allowed for Buffalo to get good high shots through to Lundqvist and eventually the most goals, non empty net, of any game in the series. Had the Rangers played that stingy defensive game that kept Buffalo to average less than 2 goals over 3 games, we might be writing about a game 7 that would have been played tomorrow.

In all, it was a great wake up call for Buffalo. The Rangers were formidable foes and gave us, especially me, a scare. They forced the Sabres to play desperate and to play passionate hockey and gave Buffalo a great challenge on how to adjust to a style of play that had typically given the Sabres problems. Sabres fans couldn't have asked for a better adjustment to happen at a better time. Now Buffalo is ready for Ottawa and should be ready for a tough series. As always, I predict a hard fought series but I do like our chances.