kishoph

Pommers started out the season on fire, but has been limited to 1 goal and 1 assist in the last 6 games, he's been solid on the PK, but hasn't been able to find the net. Hopefully he can get back on track tonight, because he's needed, since there is only 5 players with more than 2 goals, Sulzer being one of them with 3 goals, there is only one more player with more than 1 goal and that's Ott with 2, this team needs some goals coming from somewhere down the line.

Grigorenko between Ennis and Foligno would be interesting to see, but with the lack of depth at the center position, I don't know.

It was soft, but most teams would have a winger on the boards when getting ready to break out of the zone, not 5 players in front of the goalie, watch the replay, there's nobody on that side of the ice. This team has no clue how to get out of it's own zone, or what to do when it's in there, they are a terribly coached team.

Do you want to know when the Amerks got better ? It's when the NHL season started and Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier stopped hanging out in Rochester to "help" the Amerks. These are NHL players on the Sabres, when 2 or 3 are slumping, you can look at the players, when 15 or 16 are slumping, you look at the coaching.

Gleason was a little harsh with some of the comments, but that does not mean it's untrue. I don't find it hard to imagine that there are NHL people that believe that Ruff and Regier are the problem with the Sabres, the majority of the fans believe this (myself included) and we don't have exclusive rights to that thinking.

I have no problem with Hecht getting 15 minutes, he's been filling his role, I do have a problem with Vanek getting 15 minutes, just because Boston was doing a good job shutting them down, is not a good reason to limit his time, it only takes 1 chance for Vanek to net one. Lindy is trying to make this team some kind of shut down team and is failing miserably, also at the expense of any offensive production. "Beside that Boston had a few days off and had more jump." I'm sure Lindy will use that one.

Dominik Hasek (in his prime), Miller's been very good the last 2 games, but Miller is no Hasek.

The top line was taking short shifts all night, Vanek had the shifts (22, 3 of them on PP), but but 12 of them were under 40 seconds, the same for #29 and #19 (both had more because of the PK), in comparison to the 2nd line who had 4 shifts under 40 seconds, 3rd line had 9. Hecht led all forwards with 22 even strength shifts, plus 1 on the PK and had 25 seconds less than Vanek EV TOI. Maybe Lindy's saving the top line for the playoffs.

When Gerbe is on a line with better players he looks better, up till tonight he was invisable. I'd like to see what Grigorenko would look like on a line with players that are more offensively skilled.

I thought the same thing, they were fortunate to get out of there without giving up a goal, other than the poor play in there own zone, it wasn't a bad period.

To me it seems like Grigorenko is playing very tentative, almost like he is too afraid of making a mistake, he needs to build confidence and I think sitting him is not gonna help that at all. This team has 2 centers that are producing, not at the greatest rate (everyone can't be a Vanek), but none the less producing, moving Ennis to the 3rd line is not going to get him going to get him producing more, it would make more sense to me to move Stafford with Grigorenko and Kaleta, having Stafford on his line may help Grigorenko more than any combination that he's been with yet and may give Stafford the kick in the ass he needs.

Afternoon games are nice, but for the Sabres to have to face the Bruins after playing less than 24 hours ago, would be tough. Hopefully they weren't up till the wee hours of the night celebrating their win. It would be great to hand the Bruins their 2nd loss of the season, but they're going to need a better effort offensively (15 shots for) and defensively (43 shots against), than they had last night.

Regehr will be 33 soon and with some of the D men in Rochester seemingly ready to step up, I'm not sure they resign him, if they do I agree it won't be for $4 Million.

There's something that I would imagine most fans do and that is when there's a player that someone thinks is struggling, they tend to notice every little mistake and a player that is a favorite of someones, they look over the small things. I know I'm guilty of this. One thing that's hard to do is not be influenced by the media and right now I really believe that Ennis is getting unfair criticism, this whole team is struggling (except Vanek) and there haven't been many games where you couldn't pick out any player and say WTF. I think this happened with Enroth recently also, by no means was he great, but he took a lot of ###### that Miller would not have and hasn't heard.

I stated the last 7 games because the post I was replying to said that Ennis has not improved at all, which is wrong, he's played good since the first 4 games, in fact tied for 2nd in points with Hodgson in that stretch, although Ennis is a +4, while Hodgson is a -5 in the same stretch. So you can't say that Ennis hasn't improved since the year began. Again I don't mean to make it look like a Hodgson bashing post, I'm putting the comparison out there, because I don't understand how one player can receive so much negativity while the other receives praise and they are almost identical in offensive production.

I haven't seen anyone on this board say it to that extent, but I have heard callers on WGR say it emphatically. Again I don't want to seem like a Hodgson hater, there's no players on this team that I can say I hate, but the kid needs some work to become a legitimate first line center, but he is the best option the Sabres have right now. As far as Vanek goes, without him this year, it wouldn't be unreal to think this team could be winless.

I see that Ennis has become the new whipping boy for the Sabres and Hodgson has become the little darling. As far as turnovers, nhl.com has Ennis credited for 3 giveaways while Hodgson has 8 and most of them have been costly. Ennis has also been credited with 5 takeaways, while Hodgson has 3. Last 7 games Ennis 4 goals 4 assist, Hodgson 2 goals 6 assist. Again the Ennis - Hodgson comparison, Ennis 40%, Hodgson 42%. Ennis is one of the hardest workers in the offensive zone and extends plays in the oppositions zone better than anyone on the team not named Vanek. I am a big Ennis fan and I think it would be a mistake for the Sabres to move him, they have enough problems with secondary scoring. With Hodgson, it's not that I hate him or think he won't be good one day, but I can't understand all the credit the kid is getting, it goes as far as people saying he makes Vanek (ridiculous). I thought he had a terrible game yesterday, being the cause of a break away and a 2 on 1 on power plays was a -2 and contributed 0 points. People need to stop listening to the media and watch the games.

What time is the Parade tomorrow ?

Interior decorator ?

Maybe teams play their backup goalies because they're afraid that the Sabres play with such a nasty streak that they may run their goalie and put him out for the year, then again, maybe not.

This is where Ted Black needs to step up, but he's probably become so comfortable in the Pegula boat, that he doesn't want to risk rocking it.

Well so far we're 30th in goals against and sans Thomas Vanek we would be like 28th in goals for. Of course you can not fail to include Vanek's goals, it would be like saying if that running back didn't have those two 90 yard runs, we did good on run defense in a football game, but it does show that Vanek is carrying this team offensively.

Kaleta says he's ready to go whenever the team needs him, probably won't play tonight, he doesn't fit the "system."

The perception was that this wasn't the bottom line with the new owner, that the teams reason for existence was to win the Stanley Cup. Talk is cheap.

And to think Regier just got a new contract extension makes me ill.