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Sabres make Wild backup goalie Harding look like a star

nospam@example.com (Matthew Ondesko) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:21:11 -0500

By Mike Haim

Two nights after pouring in five goals, the Buffalo Sabres followed it up by making Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding look like an all-star.

Harding, playing for a second straight night in place of injured starter Niklas Backstrom, stopped 43 shots as the Wild posted a 3-2 win over the Sabres, ending Buffalo’s three-game winning streak.

The game really wasn’t as close as the score indicates. The sellout crowd of 18,690 consistently targeted Buffalo goalie Patrick Lalime with boos after he allowed a couple of quick goals in the first period, but the blame should hardly be placed solely at Lalime’s door.

The Sabres once again coughed up too many pucks, committing 19 turnovers compared to Minnesota’s seven. Buffalo also failed to take command against an opponent who lost 5-1 the previous night in Detroit.

On the positive side, the Buffalo power play finally came through, ending a seven-game stretch without a tally. But Thomas Vanek’s one-timer early in the third period only made it 3-1 and only masked the Sabres’ lingering ineptitude with the man-advantage.

After going 1-for-6 against Minnesota, the team is still only two for its last 39.

“Shots and chances aren’t going to win games,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We liked the number of shots we got, but some of the situations definitely have to turn into goals.”

“It’s not good enough,” said Vanek, who scored both Buffalo goals. “We showed up for the last 20, and that’s disappointing.”

Vanek drew the Sabres back to within one goal when he scored an extra-attacker goal with 1:58 to play. Buffalo again pulled Lalime in the final minute, but had a 15-second spell where they once again couldn’t get the puck out of their own end.

“Sometimes when you play from behind like this, you’re going to get burned,” said Lalime, who finished with 30 saves but failed in his fifth bid for a 200th career win.

Lalime got torched twice on Minnesota’s first 10 shots. Andrew Ebbett scored on the power play at the 3:02 mark, keeping a wrist shot along the ice and getting it past Lalime’s pad. Then Guillaume Latendresse, an offensive marvel for the Wild since coming over in a November trade from Montreal, netted his 24th of the season about seven minutes later. He intercepted a Lalime pass behind the net and easily flipped the puck into the net as the Buffalo netminder was late getting back.

From that point, boos and sarcastic cheers cascaded from the bowl every time Lalime came close to the puck.

“It felt like I was on the road,” Lalime observed. “You just want to shake it off. You make mistakes, but there’s nothing you can do except turning it on. The rest was better, but not enough.”

“When you give up the first two, it makes it extremely tough,” Ruff said. “The energy is sucked right out of your building. We didn’t do anything to get it back. Our answer should have been go get a goal before the end of the first period, get it back, and we didn’t. We created that problem ourselves.”

Minnesota scored its third goal on a pinball-type goal late in the second period. Andrew Brunette and Lalime each went after a puck in mid-air, but Brunette got a better piece on the puck and it sailed into the net.

………

The Sabres fell to 10-5-2 in games against the Western Conference. Buffalo will round out the inter-conference part of their schedule Saturday at Detroit, the first stop of a five-game road trip.
………

Vanek’s multi-goal game was only his second of the season. His other came on October 13 in a 6-2 win against Detroit.

He now has 29 such games in his career, and the fewest he’s ever had in one season was four in both 2005-06 (his rookie season) and 2007-08.

………

Harding also picked up an assist on Ebbett’s goal, the second of his NHL career. He also notched a helper during the 2007-08 season, on January 13 in a 4-1 win against Phoenix.

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Myers’ career night helps Sabres find net against Stars

nospam@example.com (Matthew Ondesko) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:11:03 -0500

By Mike Haim

It had been over two months since the Sabres scored more than three goals in a home game. It had also been that long since the club won three straight games.

Both spells ended Wednesday night in a 5-3 win against the Dallas Stars, even if the Sabres did revert to old ways and had to protect a slim lead in the final half of the game.

Buffalo wowed the sellout crowd at HSBC Arena with a three-goal first period, but concerned them too, as that was the same number they allowed.

Thomas Vanek came through to break the tie midway through the second period, and Buffalo clinged to that edge until Derek Roy’s empty-net goal with 17.7 seconds remaining.

The win extended the Sabres’ winning streak to three games, something they had not done since a six-game stretch between December 27 and January 8. The three-goal first period was the club’s first since they netted three in the first 2:11 of a 5-3 win against Tampa Bay on January 6.

Wednesday’s offensive hero was defenseman Tyler Myers, who bolstered his bid for the league rookie of the year award. He netted the game’s first goal and followed that with three assists for his first career four-point game.

“I was feeling good,” Myers said. “I was able to see a lot of opportunities to jump in, and luckily was able to capitalize a little bit.”

The Sabres could have had a lot more, if not for the stellar play of Dallas goalie Marty Turco, who made 38 saves overall and 25 in the last two periods.

“If there’s a four-by-eight piece of plywood and you get that many shots on it, I wonder if five will go through eventually,” quipped Dallas forward Steve Ott. “He let in four goals, he’s human. He’s playing his heart out for us.”

The teams furiously lit the scoreboard in the first period, with Myers and Mark Mancari giving Buffalo short-lived one-goal leads. Jamie Benn put Dallas up 3-2 with 2:04 left, but Jason Pominville got it back 67 seconds later.

“We’re not used to getting five goals in a game,” Myers said. “It felt good, especially to go in after the first tied 3-3. We came out in the second and third and made sure we played a full 60 and were able to get the win.”

“The game was there,” lamented Stars coach Marc Crawford. “We were guilty of turning over a few too many pucks and making the game a little bit more complicated than it needed to be, especially on attack.”

Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller wasn’t severely tested and made 17 saves in the win. He stopped all five Dallas shots in the second period and turned aside six in the final stanza.

………

Mancari gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead on a one-timer from the slot after being fed by Craig Rivet from behind the goal line. The goal, scored four seconds after a power play concluded, was the second of Mancari’s NHL career; the first came in his second career game last season against the New York Islanders.

The rookie also assisted on Vanek’s game-winner, delivering a crisp pass from behind the net. It gave Mancari his first NHL multi-point game.

“He’s played really well for us,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “He played well (Sunday) in New York and I didn’t want to mess with Roy and Vanek and him. They were our best line. They could have had even more. He did a lot of nice things. He made some nice plays.”

………

Dallas was making its first visit to Buffalo since December 2005. The Stars have not won a regular season game at HSBC Arena since October 7, 1997 and are now 0-7-1 in their last eight regular season road games in the series.

In that time, however, the Stars did record a win in Game Six of the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals, the triple-overtime game clinched when Brett Hull scored his controversial “skate in the crease” goal. Mercifully, there were no “No Goal” signs in the crowd, indicating that maybe Buffalo fans have let time heal that festering wound.

………

The win prevented Crawford from earning his 500th career win. The Dallas coach is 499-386-168 in his NHL career, which has seen stops in Quebec/Colorado, Vancouver, and Los Angeles before landing in Dallas before this current season.

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NHL notebook: GMs address headshots; Stamkos and Niittymaki go streaking for Lightning

nospam@example.com (Matthew Ondesko) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:08:50 -0500

By Mike Haim

In years to come, I’m sure this current NHL season will not be known as the “year of the headshot,” but the topic has been at the front of conversations this week.

The latest exhibit came Sunday, when Boston’s Marc Savard received a blind-side shoulder check to his head from Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke. Savard, removed from the ice on a stretcher, hadn’t improved in the two days following the hit and could potentially miss the remainder of the season.

Cooke was not penalized on the play and will not be suspended, as he was earlier for a similar hit on the New York Rangers’ Artem Anisimov.

Cooke’s headshot, the latest in a season seemingly full of them, thus falls under the category of “unsafe but legal.” League general managers, meeting in Florida this week, decided to propose a rules clarification which would make blind-side shoulder hits to the head subject to penalty and suspension.

It’s easy now for general managers to come up with a way to punish players for their misdeeds, but the trouble emanates from that same group. GMs look for players who have that extra snarl to make opponents think twice before taking a run at a star player.

Funny, we saw Alex Ovechkin deliver a solid check to Sidney Crosby in the Olympics and didn’t see some joker try to get equal. Good hard physical play is an accepted part of the game, but in a 30-team league there’s bound to be a good population of yahoos who know they’ll earn their keep by being stupid and not respecting their opponent. The proof: GMs keep giving these guys jobs.

Teams can talk about wanting to play with four quality lines, but the reality is that many fourth-line players aren’t really NHL caliber. Yet we know who they are when they deliver a cheap shot and receive their suspension.

On balance, I’d rather see players like Marc Savard every night over ones like Matt Cooke. It’s too bad the NHL, as currently constituted, treats them as equals. The rule change can’t come quickly enough.

………

Steven Stamkos might not have made a huge impact as a rookie in 2008-09, but he’s sure making up for lost time this season.

Stamkos, who posted all of 46 points last year, already has 41 goals and could possibly become the second member of the Tampa Bay Lightning to record a 50-goal season. Vincent Lecavalier netted 52 to lead the league in 2006-07.

But more impressive of late is Stamkos’ points streak. Tuesday, he recorded a goal and an assist to extend his streak to 17 games, the second-longest in the league this season. He’s also the youngest player in NHL history with a streak of at least 16 games – Stamkos reached that level on Saturday against Atlanta, when he was 20 years and 25 days old.

Crosby, during his 19-game streak in November 2007, reached the 16-game milestone at the tender age of 20 years and 95 days.

By the way, Stamkos has also already set the Lightning single-season record with 17 power play goals.

………

Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki also notched a neat achievement Saturday night in the win against the Thrashers.

Niittymaki improved to 17-0-0 in his career against Atlanta, an impressive feat to say the least.

But the Tampa Bay goalie is actually only tied for the NHL’s longest current winning streak against one team. Detroit’s Chris Osgood has also won his last 17 outings against, ironically enough, the Lightning.

Niittymaki, as well as Osgood, will have to wait to extend their respective streaks – Tampa Bay has concluded their season series against both Atlanta and Detroit.

………

My vote for “dumb broadcasting comment of the week” goes to the Washington radio announcer – sorry, I didn’t get his name – who made this statement during the Capitals-Stars shootout on Monday night:

“Here comes (Dallas forward) Brad Richards. He knows Washington, since he played against them quite a bit when he was with Tampa Bay.”

The statement may have made sense during the course of the game, but not during the shootout. Richards was facing Semyon Varlamov, a matchup which had never occurred before. The announcer was prophetic, though: Richards scored.

………

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Buffalo Sabres: What To Love & What To Hate About This Team

nospam@example.com (Joe Pinzone) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:04:51 -0500

By Joe Pinzone

I'm not exactly going to say "what a relief" when it comes to the Buffalo Sabres recent two game winning streak. But hey...two points are two points, and you can't award style points in the NHL. It's funny though, I don't know what's more shocking, the Sabres giving up a 13-point division lead to the Senators or the team somehow finding its way back into sole position of first place? It's not exactly breaking news to figure out what's right or wrong with the Sabres. But, in case you're too wrapped up in Ryan Miller being on the Today Show, here are some reasons to love and hate the Buffalo Sabres.

Showing the Love

1) It doesn't take a genius to figure out what the reason for the Sabres success is. It all starts with the NHL's top goaltender, Ryan Miller. Honestly, I don't know what to write about the guy that hasn't already been written. He's the real deal and is proving that the Olympics haven't effected his recent play. You can tell he's playing with the most confidence he has ever had in his career and he should be. Think about this, including the Olympics and the four games after the break - Miller has allowed 14 goals in his last 10 games. I don't care if it's against the Swiss or the Rochester Americans, that's a sick stat line. The guy's the MVP of the team and is their biggest star attraction since Dominik Hasek.

2) Even though the Sabres let in the game tying goal on the power play against the Rangers, they are still among the lead leaders in penalty killing (Ranking 4th as of today). I don't know how much that's going to help in the playoffs though. It seems more often than not, referees elect to swallow their whistles during the playoffs. But, it's always good to see what makes Lindy Ruff one of the best defensive minded coaches in hockey. His penalty killing units have always been..well..killer. Over the last 10 years the average Sabres PK unit has ranked 9th in the NHL. From Stu Barnes to Mike Grier to Paul Gaustad, it doesn't matter who Ruff puts out there because he teaches his players how to play defense on the penalty kill (Power Play? We will get to that in a bit).

Showing the hate:

1) Hate doesn't describe my attitude towards the top six forwards of this team. Hell, they aren't even considered top six in my book...more like four through 10. Tell me if you haven't heard this one before - "Where was Jason Pominville last night" or "Thomas Vanek should have had a hat trick." It's either the guys show up and can't put the puck in the back of the net or their still on Olympic Break...or summer break for that matter. All you had to do was look at Derek Roy's scoring chance in OT against the Rangers. He was fed a great pass in front of Lundqvist and fired the backhand about three feet wide (almost taking out the stupid "Subway eat fresh" logo). That's the epitome of the Sabres offense this season...they just can't finish.

I know it's taboo to mention Chris Drury or Daniel Briere (Eye roll, I know), but one of these current Sabres needs to look in the mirror and say, "Hey, I'm going to carry this team on my back tonight. I'm NOT going to look for someone else to make a play. I'm the top forward on this team!" When someone can do that, then I'll shut-up about the ex co-captains.

2) Man, for the Sabres sake, they better hope that the referees in the playoffs decide to swallow their whistles, because the power play has been a disaster. Is it too much to ask for the team to just set-up the power play? Hell, it's becoming a moral victory if the team can get three passes off in a row inside the offensive zone. Honestly, maybe the Sabres should consider putting Vanek on the point. Seriously, they've tried everything else and nothing seems to work.

Read more of Joe at Joe in NYC

Connolly almost gives away game, but comes back with OT winner

nospam@example.com (Matthew Ondesko) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:43:52 -0500

By Mike Haim

With the Buffalo Sabres in the throes of an extended funk, the last thing they needed was for one of their go-to players to give away yet another game.

It nearly happened Friday night, as Tim Connolly made a heinous pass at his own blue line midway through the third period. The resulting turnover was converted by Mike Richards into a breakaway goal which put the Philadelphia Flyers up 2-1.

But this wasn’t going to be like those other nights.

Adam Mair scored the equalizer with 5:58 to play and Connolly netted the winner with 2:29 remaining in overtime, giving the Sabres a 3-2 win to move them back into first place in the Northeast Division despite recording just their fourth win in 16 games.

“Whenever you’re on a little bit of a lull, it seems like it’s harder to crawl out and get those wins,” Mair said. “Bounces seem to go against you. We were able to find a way after being down 2-1 in the third. That was a big turnaround for us.”

Connolly’s winner developed after Raffi Torres – making his Sabres debut - got the puck up the left wing to Toni Lydman, whose point shot was kicked away by Flyers goalie Michael Leighton but directly to Connolly in the slot.

“He actually fanned on the puck, trying to go high,” Leighton explained. “He kind of flubbed it into the net.”

“I tried to throw it at the net and hope for a bounce,” Lydman said. “This time, the bounce happened to be perfect. (Connolly) did a great job burying that.”

And just like that, the Sabres established some distance between themselves and the Flyers, who rank sixth in the Eastern Conference race. Buffalo leapfrogged from fifth to third because of their division lead and increased their lead over Philly to seven points.

The win was sweet vindication for Connolly.

“When I got back to the bench (after the bad pass), a lot of the guys told me not to worry about it,” Connolly said. “(They said) we’ll get one back. Mairsy was able to get one back quick, and that gives you a little boost.”

“He came back and focused on his next shift and ended up winning the game for us,” Mair said. “A lot of guys would have hung their head. He went out and rebounded, played his best.”

The first period was rather exciting, featuring 25 shots (15 by Buffalo) but no goals. The scoreboard finally got an update 4:01 into the second, when Philly’s Simon Gagne took a pass from Lukas Krajicek and got just enough momentum off his stick to trickle the puck past Sabres goalie Ryan Miller.

A couple of minutes later, Thomas Vanek got the equalizer after Leighton misplayed the puck in his own end. Vanek recovered the loose puck in the left corner and, with Leighton scrambling back to the net, fired a shot off the hapless goalie. The point was the 300th of Vanek’s career.

………

The win ended Philadelphia’s four-game winning streak at HSBC Arena. The Sabres last win at home in the series was also a 3-2 decision on Dec. 21, 2007.

………

Forward Drew Stafford suffered a first-period groin injury and will be evaluated before it’s determined how any games he’ll miss.

“It looks like he’s going to miss some time,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We’ll wait until we get what the doctors come up with. If he’s going to miss some time, we’re going to need somebody (from AHL Portland).”

………

Torres started for the Sabres on a line along with Jochen Hecht and Mike Grier but spent most shifts with Derek Roy and Jason Pominville.

However, due to Stafford’s injury and Tim Kennedy playing limited time after becoming ill before the game, Torres was matched with at least six different forward combinations.

“He maybe tried to do a little too much at times,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “He was in on the winning goal, which was important for us. It’s going to take time. I don’t think that’s an easy one to step in right away. … He’s got to get used to the system.”

With the overtime assist, Torres extended his point streak to six games to match his career-high set early in the 2005-06 season with Edmonton.

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Buffalo Sabres Trades: Will Raffi Torres Make A Difference?

nospam@example.com (Joe Pinzone) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:51:15 -0500

By Joe Pinzone

Well, Darcy Regier has done the unthinkable. He's actually improved the Buffalo Sabres via the trade deadline...and he did it with a rental. Torres automatically becomes the Sabres top scorer on the stats sheet, and gives the team some muscle with a little bit of a scoring touch. As for sending Nathan Paetsch and a 2nd rounder, it doesn't seem that much to give up.

To be frank, I don't know what the Blue Jackets were thinking in giving up Raffi Torres for garbage like Paetsch and a 2nd rounder. Now Torres is a good player, not a great one, but he's definitely an upgrade over MacArthur. I just wrote the longest blog ever and boasted about Darcy's greatest accomplishments have been his deadline deals. Lets hope that Torres works out like Steve Heinze did. That's all I've been asking for.

As for MacArthur, I actually didn't hate him as much as everybody else did. But this move was long overdue. The guy took too many nights off and he had obviously run his course with Ruff. You know Lindy, you better play both ways or not at all. Clarke didn't get that.

Now, I still think Regier could have been more active. Sorry, but I don't want to hear about the state of the market. You can only get away with the market excuse once in a while. Darcy has overused the excuse way too many times over the years.

I don't get why Toni Lydman is still on the team because he's going to be good as gone for next year. I don't know about you, but I don't think Ryan Miller is going to run into Darcy's office and beg for Lydman to stay on the team. Since Darcy loves the draft more than Corporal Klinger, I would have thought they could have gotten at least a draft pick for him.

The biggest thing that I don't understand from Regier is that he keeps talking about how all these kids from Portland are NHL ready. Then why on earth is Adam Mair still playing and not Tyler Ennis? Forget guys like Ellis and Mair that play five minutes a game. Why not get some of those kids (That you've been praising) actual NHL playing time. Oh, and Darcy, if you're going to say that it's going to be the summer of changes with the Sabres, it better not consist of signing Steve Montador-version 2.0. I'm marking those words down, my friend.

As for keeping the top 6 forwards in tap...Eh. I still think before next season the Sabres have to address a guy like Roy or Stafford. I know they act as if their top 6 forwards are their version of the Edmonton Oilers of the 80's. However, like MaCarthur, these guys just haven't come around to play effective for all 82 games. Plus, the passivity of the top 6 forwards just irks the hell out of me. I don't know what makes the Sabres front office think that Roy is all of a sudden going to see the light and stop being a freelancer on the ice. He hasn't proven he can play in Ruff's system and he's not going to change.

As for Darcy...still not a fan. I think he completely overvalues his top 6 forwards. He has built a mostly soft team through his vision, without consulting Lindy Ruff's system of rugged forechecking. I also don't like the fact that the teams around the Sabres have gotten extremely better. Hell, the Caps who are light years away from the competition in the East aren't satisfied. Makes me think back to the 05-07 years, when Darcy didn't really feel fit to make the team better. Yeah, I know...get over it, and Hossa never guided the Penguins to the Cup.

Even still, I'd like to think that with Ryan Miller in net, Regier could have at least given up youth for effective players. Miller is your wild card here. As long as he plays like this the Sabres shouldn't be on the outside looking in for the next 7 years. BTW- I'm still waiting for that email about a deadline deal where the seller ripped off the buyer.

But, I do understand what Darcy is trying to build. He's building the team through youth and drafting. "His" way is extremely boring and makes me want to punch a wall. I guess you have to admire his moxie for sticking to his plan when everyone else questions it. I still think the general public has overrated his ability to scout talent. There have been times when I think Darcy uses his prospects as a crutch to not make moves. I'll say this, those guys he's been touting in Portland better be as good as they have been advertised. If one or two of them become Tyler Myers types I'll be eating crow. However, if Ennis becomes Derek Roy...not even the biggest Regier apologist will have a leg to stand on.

All in all, it wasn't a great deadline day, but it was a lot better than what I had envisioned in the morning. Still, the Sabres will lose in the first round if they play the Penguins regardless of this trade.

Read more of Joe at Joe in NYC

NHL notebook: Sabres make modest gain at trade deadline; league should take lessons from Olympics

nospam@example.com (Matthew Ondesko) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:18:07 -0500

By Mike Haim

Imagine going shopping with a list of what you want, and for the most part you get it at a nice price. That’s what Sabres general manager Darcy Regier did Wednesday at the NHL’s trade deadline.

Regier shipped underused defenseman Nathan Paetsch and a second round draft pick to Columbus for winger Raffi Torres. With 19 goals, the 28-year old Torres with a $2.75 million salary immediately becomes the Sabres’ leading scorer.

While the Sabres took a little salary hit, this is a trade that if offered 100 times, I would accept it 100 times. I’ve liked Torres since his days as a consistent 20-goal scorer with Edmonton.

Regier made another deal later, sending underachieving forward Clarke MacArthur to Atlanta for third- and fourth-round draft choices. By the time the deadline passed, the only thing remaining on the proverbial wish list was a proven power play quarterback.

“We looked at three different players,” Regier said. “In one case, the price was way too high. One player did not get moved. We tried, but in the end the ability wasn’t there.”

The Sabres weren’t alone. Without any marquee trades, it proved to be an underwhelming deadline day, with the biggest names getting dealt being Torres, Peter Mueller and Wojtek Wolski, the latter two being the principals in a Phoenix-Colorado trade.

“This is not the time of year to make big-player acquisitions,” Regier said. “The summer is when you need to make the big changes. It’s not at the deadline. … There are so many teams in the playoff hunt and very few sellers.”

Regier gave no indication about a desire to ink Torres, an unrestricted free agent after this season, to a new deal. The dressing room, however, appears to be glad to get some bolstering.

“Hopefully he comes and fits in here,” Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller
said. “We needed to shore up that wing a little bit. He’s certainly a great player and what we need now. We need a little bit of a presence and be good around the net.”

“I think he’ll help,” added Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. “He’s a power forward who’s having a good year. He’s a bull around the net. He’s got a great shot. It’ll be a little adjustment period, but he’s going to help us.”

………

Short of scaling the league back to 12 teams, it’s wishful thinking that the NHL can match the pace and intensity of Olympic play in its regular season games.

To put it simply, there are too many slugs on the 30 NHL rosters to make every game truly interesting. If there will ever be talk of contraction (and I’m not holding my breath on that one), a video collection of the 2010 Olympics should be Exhibit A.

The NHL, however, should take a closer look at a couple of things used in Olympic play. One is making every game worth three points. In the Olympics’ preliminary round, a regulation win earned a team the full three points. In games requiring overtime (or a shootout), the winning team got two points, with the loser receiving one.

Especially as the NHL gets into the playoff stretch run, it’s absurd that some games are worth more points than others just because there was a tie after three periods.

The other Olympic rule which should be implemented is four-on-four overtime in playoff games. Sure, people love games that go three or four extra periods, but folks deserve the opportunity to see a decision within the first overtime period. That would be much more likely in the wide open style accommodated by four-on-four play.

Plus it really isn’t fair to expect teams who played the equivalent of two full games in a Game Six, for example, to come back strong for a series-deciding game two nights later.

………

www.twitter.com/mikehaim

Sabres waste Miller's triumphant return

nospam@example.com (Matthew Ondesko) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:16:42 -0500

By Mike Haim

He’s still the same goaltender who toiled in relative obscurity before the Olympics, but it’s possible that Ryan Miller elevated his game in the wake of his silver medal performance in Vancouver.

Wednesday night, Miller made 37 saves - including many of the outstanding variety – but gave up a decisive one-time goal to Mike Green midway through the third period in the Buffalo Sabres’ 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals at HSBC Arena.

Other than the outcome, it was a fitting return to NHL action for Miller, who was rested Tuesday night in a 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh, the team’s first game following the Olympic break. His teammates, as well as the Caps (in their first game since February 12) looked a little tired.

“It was a chess match,” Miller said. “In the playoffs, every game will end up being a chess match. It’s all about who’s going to crack.”

Miller was frustrated with his teammates abandoning the system, a development which has seen the Sabres win only three of their last 15 games.

“If you don’t commit to it and don’t respect it, you’re not going to win consistently,” Miller said. “For whatever reason, early on in the season, we totally bought into it. We got great opportunities and won games. … Now we’re looking for an easier way to play our system and it doesn’t exist. Our system is built to be worked at and worked hard. It becomes difficult to sustain sometimes over the course of a whole season, but we should have the energy coming off the break like this. It’s very disappointing.”

Meanwhile, Washington got what it needed on a couple of goals from the slot. They broke a scoreless deadlock with 4:37 left in the second period when a Jeff Schultz slapshot from the point deflected off Eric Fehr and finally Jason Chimera.

In the third period, Green snapped a 1-1 tie with 9:32 to play, converting a pass from the right side by Tomas Fleischmann.

“Those are the only goals that go in on that guy,” Green said. “He made some great stops that really kept their team in the game. It’s always a tough challenge against him.”

The score could have easily been 5-1 or even 8-1 if not for Miller.

Buffalo was outshot 40-24 and didn’t really provide a test for Caps netminder Jose Theodore.

“If they had two chances in the third period and he makes the saves, that’s what wins you the big games,” Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said. “That’s what Miller does for them and we got it from Jose.”

“We tried a lot of individual stuff and turned a lot of pucks over,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, who hinted he will look at changing his forward lines.

“It might be time to shuffle the deck,” Ruff said. “Give everybody a new start … get away from where we’re at.”

………

Buffalo’s goal was scored by Jochen Hecht, who netted the 400th point of his NHL career on a snap shot from the right circle 60 seconds after Chimera’s tip-in.

………

In a pre-game tribute to various Olympic medalists with Buffalo ties, Miller received the largest ovation, lasting nearly a minute. The fans were already standing by that time, however, because Miller’s introduction followed a long period of applause for Ruff, who was an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning Canadian team.

………

None of the players acquired by either team at Wednesday’s NHL trade deadline participated in the game. (Look for a separate posting for Metro’s coverage of the deadline.) Raffi Torres did not arrive in time for the Sabres, who dressed seven defensemen. Buffalo played without Paul Gaustad, who suffered an upper-body injury in Pittsburgh, and were further shorthanded at forward with the trade of Clarke MacArthur.

The Capitals picked up four players, but three were for draft picks. The only traded player, defenseman Brian Pothier, was replaced by minor-league callup John Carlson, who scored the gold-medal winning overtime goal for the U.S. team two months ago in the World Junior Championships.

………

Ruff coached in his 964th NHL game, tying him with Jack Adams for third-most in league history with one team. Ruff will pass Adams on Friday night against Philadelphia.

After that, Ruff will trail only Billy Reay (1,012 with Chicago) and Al Arbour (1,500 with the New York Islanders).

………

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Buffalo Sabres Ready to Roll & Trade Deadline Looms

nospam@example.com (Joe Pinzone) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:07:13 -0500

By Joe Pinzone

1) I don't want to hear about the Olympics effecting Ryan Miller down the stretch. Hell, he just lost the game of his life and was laughing like a little kid at the closing ceremony. He's going to be just fine. Besides the two games against Canada, Miller didn't really break a sweat against the opposition. If anything, this could work for him. I've always had some doubts about Miller's psyche when it came to handling the burden of his team's fortunes on his shoulders. Sorry, but the pressure of playing against Canada in that environment proves to me that he can handle a nuclear or economic crisis. Miller's performance in the Olympics should give him nothing but extreme confidence for the rest of the season.

2) I wouldn't want to be in Darcy Regier's shoes for the next 48 plus hours. He may be under the most pressure ever to make a trade at the deadline. Within the last two weeks, Buffalo Sabres fans have gone from thinking that this team had no shot at making a legit run to thinking that if Miller can do it for the USA, why can't he do it for us? It's not about building your youth, Darcy. It's about building a legit team around the best goaltender in the world. Lets give the guy a little help.

If you need some advice Darcy, I'm here for you:

Memo to Darcy I: If you want to resign Henrik Tallinder, that's fine with me. However, don't go on TV and claim that resigning him is equivalent to a deadline deal, like you did with resigning Tim Connolly last season.

Memo to Darcy II: You better not tell me that Pat Kaleta returning to the line-up is your trade deadline move.

Memo to Darcy III: Save the Dominic Moore and Bob Corkum-4th line trades for the offseason.

Memo to Darcy IV: Sorry, but I'm not for Marty Biron or any other back-up goalie coming to Buffalo. I know fans will jump for joy to see Biron's smile and hear his 40 minute interviews. Lalime is just fine in my humble opinion. Lindy just has to stick to a legit schedule and play Lalime once every 5-6 games. Lets not forget that Lalime gave up just one goal against the Penguins and Blackhawks.

Memo to Darcy V: Lets NOT repeat having an elite goaltender demanding a trade because you failed to provide the tools to win. Look, everyone can have their issues with Hasek all they want. But when you have players like Brian Holzinger and Dixon Ward on your team, you definitely have a legit beef. Of course, Miller doesn't seem like the guy to demand a trade, but he did say that his teammates played like fragile kids. I think Ryan's trying to tell you something, Darcy. Lets not try and waste Miller's career by having him play with mediocre talent like you did with Hasek. For god sakes, just look at how sad Miller was after losing...do it for him at least!

Memo to Darcy VI (I'm sure the fax machine is jammed): Call Toronto and see if they would be willing to offer Tomas Kaberle. Just tell Ron Wilson and Brian Burke that if it wasn't for Ryan Miller, they would have came home with nothing but a couple of free t-shirts and an autograph from Donald Sutherland.

BTW- How much do you wanna bet that Tom Golisano makes a cameo in the owner's box on Wednesday when fans welcome back Ryan Miller? We all know that Tom's never missed out on a cool photo-op. I'm just saying.

Read more of Joe at Joe in NYC

Olympics: Miller leads U.S. Hockey to Silver, NHL Players in 2014?

nospam@example.com (Joe Pinzone) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:58:50 -0500

By Joe Pinzone

I don't really have the words to describe what I saw over the last two weeks. I saw hockey at its finest. I saw NHL players cry and leave it all on the ice. My heart bleeds for Ryan Miller and Team USA. I even got emotional when Lindy Ruff shook Ryan Miller's hand and whispered "good job" into his ear.

However, Team USA shouldn't hang their heads down in defeat. After being an afterthought before these games, they were able to steal the collective heart of a nation for one week. Chris Drury said it best, "No one knew our names. People know our names now." Indeed they do. For Hockey fans, there were no losers today, only winners.

================================================

I have to admit, I didn't think Ryan Miller would become a household name if Team USA went deep into the medal rounds. I was completely wrong and underestimated the popularity of the Olympics. Miller played out of his mind during these games. Hopefully, he gets rewarded with some endorsement deals and maybe gets an upgrade on the Hollywood actress girlfriend...whatever her name is.

All kidding aside, I have never been prouder of an individual player with Buffalo roots. I'm talking along the lines of what Frank Reigh did during the greatest comeback game. Over my years as a Buffalo fan, I've always been trained to mainly cheer for the front of the jersey, rather than the back of it. I've also never been the type of fan to cheer for someone just so I could feel good about my city. For this week, I think I can make an exception for Miller.

I think you can put him with the likes of Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Gilbert Perreault in the annals of Buffalo sports prestige. It was so cool to get messages from people who don't watch hockey to say "Wow, that Miller guy plays for you?" Hell, yeah he does! If anything, these games taught me not to take anything for granted when you have stars playing for your home team. I'm definitely going to enjoy watching Miller play for the next seven years in the blue and gold. I'm never going to roll my eyes when the Sabres play a 2-1 boring ass game. OK, that's a lie..but I'll look more closely towards Miller to be my entertainment value.

But you know what the best part is? Even if Miller was torched in the Olympics, he would have still been able to come home to Buffalo and get a huge ovation against the Capitols. However, after this performance, Miller went from being the most popular player in town to being the third franchise in Buffalo...and it doesn't take a genius to figure out who I'll be rooting for the most.

=================================================

One more retract on my end: As much as I think the Olympics should be for amateurs, these NHL players kind of work for me. I think after these games, I'm for college kids staying in school and learning calculus.

=================================================

I'm real happy that Ryan Miller was able to stay for the closing ceremony. You wouldn't be able to tell from the expression on his face that he just started the biggest game of his life and lost. It's definitely a moment in his life that he won't ever forget.

BTW-couldn't the NHL decide to go back to work on Tuesday instead of Monday? Talk about raiding the party too early.

=================================================

Look, I understand the reasons why Gary Bettman may NOT want NHL players participating in the 2014 Games. Besides the work stoppage, you would be watching live hockey games at 3:30 in the morning. Plus, it's not like NBC is putting their best foot forward in promoting hockey. Hell, they can't even distinguish Ryan Miller's real voice. Better yet, they couldn't even present Miller a trophy for being named the MVP of the tournament. I guess they must have had a private ceremony at the airport or are in the process of FedExing the trophy to his home.

However, how can you NOT send over the pros to Russia? Olympic Hockey in the USA took a huge step during these games. How many times did Ryan Miller become the number one trending topic on Twitter? Finally..the Olympic audience was watching something on ice that didn't involve dancing or bad costumes. It's not about marketing the NHL, Gary. It's about having the biggest platform in the world to watch the greatest hockey players. It's about the fans to be more precise.

The American fans' lasting memory is going to be Sidney Crosby scoring on Ryan Miller. I don't think seeing a bunch of college kids getting destroyed in 2014 will erase that memory. Trust me, you can totally market the games in 2014 as "unfinished business" for Team USA. Don't try and be a bad cop here, Gary. The IOC can sell the Olympics on Ice dancing and the Flying Tomato without the NHL's help.

BTW-Real classy of the Vancouver Sun to put a photo on the front page of Ryan Miller laying down on the ice after letting in the game-winning goal. If you ask me, that's bulletin board material for the Games in 2014.

================================================

Now, did this year's Olympic hockey tournament make the NHL more popular? I'm willing to say no..for now. Look, I've said all along that American fans have too short of an attention span when it comes to sports. There are just so many options to choose from and it's only going to get tougher with the NCAA Tournament and MLB starting. I just don't see Team USA's performance as motivating the casual fan to turn on a Panthers vs Blue Jackets game. Lets also not forget that the games will be on Versus, which still doesn't have a deal with Direct TV...which is probably the least of the network's worries.

Plus, look at the type of hockey we just saw. You're going from seeing HOF talent on four lines for the Canadians to seeing whoever the Florida Panthers have to roll on the ice. God help someone who decides to tune in for a Sabres vs Devils game. Sorry, but it's a step down in play if you ask me.

Look, if there's a bright side, it's that the NHL and Team USA are extremely young. It's not like the 2002 Silver medal USA team that had aging stars, like Mike Modano and Jeremy Roenick. Youth definitely sells in sports. The NHL needs to do what the NBA did for Lebron James and Dwayne Wade. They have to shove guys like Crosby, Miller, Kane and Ovechkin down our throats. I don't care if it's seeing Ryan Miller on Celebrity Apprentice or Patrick Kane getting arrested with Vince Vaughan in a taxi cab. Just get these guys in the spotlight.

The NHL isn't going to become an overnight sensation, but the Olympics were definitely a step in the right direction. So please, NHL..Don't screw this up (Or just don't have Tampa Bay vs Calgary in the Finals again.

Read more of Joe at Joe in NYC

Rough side will give NHL second thoughts on future Olympics

nospam@example.com (Matthew Ondesko) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:19:51 -0500

By Mike Haim

It took one hit, six minutes into Tuesday night’s Olympic game between Slovakia and Norway, to make the hearts of all 30 NHL general managers skip a beat.

Slovakia’s Lubos Bartecko, who played in the NHL in the early 2000s, was elbowed in the head by Norway’s Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, a member of the Detroit Red Wings. The hit made Bartecko’s helmet fly off and he stayed on the ice for several minutes as a pool of blood formed beneath his head.

Maybe each of those NHL managers breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Bartecko wasn’t on their roster, but it’s the kind of play dreaded by any professional league whose players go to the Olympics.

Bartecko currently plays for Farjestads in the Swedish league, so surely his team is now relieved that the injury wasn’t as severe as first feared.

“I don’t think it’s anything threatening to Lubos’ health in the future,” said Slovakia general manager Peter Bondra.

Even still, it’s a scenario that could drive many teams to rethink the strategy which now allows the NHL to shut down and, in turn, risks injuring its elite players.

When being interviewed on Sunday night following the USA’s 5-3 win over Canada, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said: “In addition to the fact that we disappear for two weeks, we have some NHL teams that send eight or nine players to the Olympics and we have other NHL teams that send one or two. The teams are going to come back from these two weeks in a whole lot different condition than when they left.

“Teams that have had major Olympic participation are going to come back maybe a little more nicked-up, maybe with some injuries and a lot more tired that teams which have, for the most part, have had their rosters rest. That will have an impact as we go down to the end of the regular season and the playoffs.”

It’s a fine line between trying to expand the audience for the league and doing so at risk of impacting the regular season once it resumes. It’s especially difficult to gain traction when NBC, the only major American network carrying NHL games, continually farms out marquee Olympic matchups to its cable-only properties.

USA general manager Brian Burke, always good for a blunt opinion, added: “For the owners, this makes no sense to shut down their business at a peak time. We get no pop out of this, except when the Olympics are in North America. We got nothing out of Nagano, nothing out of Torino and we’re going to get nothing out of Sochi (site of the 2014 games). But I don’t think the NHL can only go when it’s in North America.”

………

I’ve got to admit, I was a little torn by last Saturday’s foray by the American Hockey League in joining the outdoor game trend.

The Syracuse Crunch beat the Binghamton Senators 2-1 before the largest crowd in league history, a throng of 21,508 at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.

The skeptic in me thought this game was a gimmick, a lame attempt by a minor league to gain some equal footing with the NHL, whose three Winter Classic games have transfixed fans on both sides of the border.

On second thought, however, minor league hockey doesn’t have a large number of followers nationally, and this was a way for a regional game between nearby rivals to spark a little more interest. With the added benefit of timing – scheduling it during the NHL’s Olympic break - fans of both teams were able to make the day unforgettable. Bottom line: it’s not a bad thing.

“It couldn’t have been any better,” AHL commissioner Dave Andrews said. “It was a remarkable showcase for the league (and) a remarkable accomplishment for the Crunch.”

But don’t look for a wave of outdoor AHL games any time soon. The estimated cost to the Crunch for the experiment ran around $1 million.

………

www.twitter.com/mikehaim

USA Hockey: Miracle On Ice II? Ryan Miller Steals Win For USA

nospam@example.com (Joe Pinzone) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:43:57 -0500

By: Joe Pinzone

Wow. To think we still have about another week left of Olympic Hockey. America may not watch the NHL that much, but they sure will get into a great hockey game. When you have Ryan Miller being the number one trending topic on Twitter, you know that you have something going. Even Alysaa Milano twittered about Ryan Miller making her want to be a Sabres fan. Ryan, six words to Alyssa: My people will call your people (That's showbiz talk)-

-As a hockey fan I definitely needed that. I'll be honest, hockey and myself have kind of a love/ hate relationship. There's just so many games I watch that can bore me to tears. However, having a game like this makes me want to stay up late and watch every single hockey game ever played on skates or roller blades.

When Gary Bettman came on MSNBC after the game and tried to do a commercial for the NHL, the one thing he should have pushed on the American public was how much hockey players play for their country. This is something that NHLers will always have an advantage over the other major sports. A lot of hockey players talk about how winning gold is bigger than winning the cup. Well, they just proved it. That was an all-star game with passion.

Maybe, we are all missing the boat on what Olympic hockey should do for the American public. Instead of making new fans, it should just try and make hockey fans love their product more. Tonight, that game definitely did that for me-

-Darcy Regier, you don't like me and I don't like you. We haven't agreed on anything for a very long time, but you were absolutely right when you said that Ryan Miller is our superstar. He was unbelievable in this game and proved that he may..scratch that.. is the best goaltender in the world. Breakout the thesaurus when you're talking about Miller's performance. He's the backbone of USA hockey. Yeah, he's a tad better than Mike Richter (Sarcasm).

I can't even think of the pressure of being the USA goaltender and playing against Team Canada in Vancouver. That's going into the biggest lion's den, battlefield, eye of storm..whatever horrible place you can think of that exists on planet Earth. Sabres fans, tell me if this doesn't sound familiar: Without Ryan Miller, Team USA would have been blown out.

Mark my words: That was the greatest game Ryan Miller has ever played. He just beat arguably one of the greatest hockey teams ever created. Sure, it wasn't a shutout..but to turn away 45 shots against those guys... in that country?Remarkable. These weren't throwaway shots either. These were point blank saves. The save Miller made on his stomach on Jarome Iginla in the third period was amazing. If RJ was calling that game he would have lost his voice yelling "MILLLLLLLLERRR." Like I said..Miller's greatest game ever-

-Memo to The Sabres TV Producers: You need to put together a video package of Ryan Miller being touted by broadcasters and celebrities outside of Buffalo. Trust me, Regis and Kelly will be talking about this Monday morning. That would make a cool opening video at Sabres games. Just don't use Goo Goo Dolls music for the video -

-Memo to the rest of the world: Yeah, we are taking all your sports!? First we took Canada's dream of hockey and destroyed it. Next, we are going to take out England and bend Beckam over to kiss his own a$$ goodbye at the World Cup. Then we are going to visit Australia and kick the Aussie's asses in rugby. And then we are going to Russia and Brazil and China and Antarctica!! Then we are going to the White House and place all the medals and trophies on President Obama's desk! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!..OK, that was just me channeling Howard Dean-

-Mark this down too: Ryan Kesler's effort on the empty net goal was one of the greatest empty netters I've ever seen-

-So, you still think Paul Gaustad should be playing over Chris Drury? Look, this isn't about whether you hate the Sabres for getting rid of Drury or you're laughing at his struggles in NYC. It's about the guy being absolute clutch. Yes, he's not Chris Drury from three years ago. But you know what? He knows what his role is suppose to be. He does little things like penalty killing, blocking shots and leading. He's a winner and I would kill for guys like that on my team. Lets be honest, when he scored the 3rd goal of the game, even the biggest Drury hater had to smile and remember the good times from 05-07.

Honestly, I've been a Drury supporter for a long time and have come to grips with him getting hosed by the Sabres. Maybe, Drury's goal tonight will make Sabres fans who have taken pride in laughing at his struggles get over the hate for him-

-BTW, I'd take Drury over Roy, Pominville, Stafford..I could keep going if you'd like? I kid, I kid...maybe-

-Look, I know everyone is pissed off about hockey not being played on NBC. Honestly though, I don't mind making MSNBC our little own Olympic hockey channel. Having a one hour post and pregame show wouldn't happen if the game was on NBC-

-Kind of ironic that people are calling this the biggest upset since the Miracle on Ice. The biggest similarity is that even after the Americans beat Russia, they still had to beat Finland for the gold. What am I trying to say? There's still a lot of hockey left, boys. Something tells me that we may have not seen the last of those pesky Canadians-

Read more of Joe at Joe in NYC

NHL Notebook:Sabres mix leisure with preparation during Olympic break

nospam@example.com (Matthew Ondesko) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:38:01 -0500

by Mike Haim

The recent unearthing of a nearly 50-year old letter brilliantly shows how far conditioning has progressed for NHL players.

In correspondence dated August 2, 1962, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Punch Imlach advised his team that in order to defend their Stanley Cup championship, players would need to report to training camp “not more than 7 lbs. over your playing weight, with a minimum of being able to do 20 push ups, 20 sit ups, and 30 knee bends.”

That sort of regimen is laughable today, especially because players can probably do all of those requirements while asleep. Needless to say, it’s a given that the players who are not participating in the Vancouver Olympics are doing more to keep themselves in shape during the league’s current two-week hiatus.

In the days before last Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks, members of the Buffalo Sabres had already consulted with strength and conditioning coach Doug McKenney about their individual diet and workout requirements.

“Everyone has their different things they need to focus on to get ready and stay in shape,” center Derek Roy said. “(During the break) you’re not burning as many calories as during the season. You have to be smart in taking calories and getting a bike ride in or doing something active.”

“I’ll be doing a few (weight) lifts mixed in with some cardio exercises, some running or biking or swimming, whatever I feel like,” said defenseman Steve Montador, who planned to go south for a few days before traveling north to a lakeside locale. “I’ll go snow-shoeing one day. It’ll be a mix. It’s kind of like summer training. We keep pretty fit with the workouts we have. It’s not like getting back into certain workouts will be too much of a transition.”

Mike Grier, who is in his fourth Olympic break, feels he has learned a lot from his experiences in 1998, 2002, and 2006.

“I kind of have an idea of what works for me,” Grier said. “(McKenney) is pretty good as far as leaving me alone. I let him know what I need to do.”

Tyler Myers, however, despite never experiencing such a large in-season gap between games, still didn’t overanalyze how he would deal with it.

“It’s always nice to have a little time off, especially with the schedule we’ve had this year,” said Myers, who admitted he did not consult with any of the veterans about how to handle the break. “We have a workout schedule that (McKenney) put together. ... I’m sure when everyone’s back and we’re practicing, we’ll get back in skating shape.”

Even with the long spell before the Sabres’ next game – March 2 at Pittsburgh – the team will actually only have a 10-day break from organized activities. The club returns to practice on February 24. It still leaves enough time for players to find a balance between leisure and preparation.

“It’s what we’ve got, so let’s make the best of it,” Montador said. “Personally I’d like to have a less compressed schedule and no break, but it’s just the way it is. I’m certainly going to enjoy the time we have and gear up for the final 20 or so games after.”

“As you get older, having some time off is not bad for the body,” Grier explained. “At the same time, it makes the schedule hectic. A lot of weeks we’re playing four (games) in six (days) and it’s a grind. They’re kind of squeezing the games in. It’s a little of a double-edged sword.”

Grier, however, would never give up the idea of having NHL players participate in the Olympics.

“It’s good for the game to have (us in) the Olympics,” he said. “Especially when it’s in North America and you can see it (live) on TV. It’s something the league needs to keep.”

………

www.twitter.com/mikehaim

Sabres beat Sharks to end losing streak in time for Olympics

nospam@example.com (Matthew Ondesko) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 08:49:06 -0500

by Mike Haim

Strange as it sounds, it appears as if the Buffalo Sabres needed the San Jose Sharks in town in order to get back on track before the Olympic break.

The Sabres ended their six-game losing streak with a convincing 3-1 win over the Sharks, who entered the game tied with the Washington Capitals atop the NHL standings.

Buffalo improved to 13-1 all-time at home against San Jose, and did it behind three second-period goals against Evgeni Nabokov, who hadn’t lost a road game since Nov. 15 in Chicago.

Nabokov had his NHL-record 11-game road winning streak snapped because Paul Gaustad, Thomas Vanek, and Jason Pominville all capitalized on their chances.

“We were consistent,” said Gaustad, who started things at the 5:25 mark with a tuck-in after charging the net. “We kept attacking.”

On Gaustad’s goal, Henrik Tallinder delivered a crisp feed from the left corner.

About seven minutes later, Vanek also charged the net and took a pass from Jochen Hecht before deking to his forehand to get Nabokov out of position and going to his backhand for an easy flip.

Pominville scored with 2:37 remaining, jamming at a loose puck along the right goalpost and getting it to deflect off defenseman Niclas Wallin and trickle under Nabokov.

“I don’t know what happened,” Nabokov said. “We gave up a few odd-man rushes and they took advantage.”

“We wanted to get off Nabokov’s back side,” said goaltender Ryan Miller, who made 27 saves in his first win in six starts. “He likes the front plays and trusts his team. We got loose a few times.”

Vanek’s goal came after Buffalo gave San Jose back-to-back power plays in a 3 ½ minute span, and it proved to be the difference, according to Sharks coach Todd McLellan.

“If you put one of (the power-play opportunities) in, you’re in good shape,” McLellan said. “You build it in the game that they're going to score, but to do that two times in a row really took a lot of life out of us.”

The only uncertainty after the second period was whether Miller could record his personal season-best sixth shutout. That hope was stymied by Kent Huskins, who wristed in a shot from the left circle 5:28 into the final stanza after Drew Stafford made an errant cross-ice pass just inside the San Jose blue line.

Either way, the Sabres were finally able to bask in the afterglow of a win going into the two-week Olympic break.

“We had a tough couple of weeks,” Sabres forward Jochen Hecht said. “Against one of the best teams in the league, we played in their end a lot. It shows how good a team we have if we’re on our game.”

“For a while, it didn’t seem like a lot was going quite my way after pretty much nothing went wrong in the first 40 games,” Miller said. “I’d prefer we struggle at some point so we can test our mettle and see what kind of attitude we have. … The teams I’ve been with that have performed at the highest levels have always had something to overcome. I’d rather have it now that later.”

………

Miller was serenaded by the sellout crowd at HSBC Arena with chants of “USA! USA!” in the game’s final minute.

“I’m glad the puck stayed out," deadpanned Miller, who stopped four shots in the final 90 seconds with Nabokov pulled. “I appreciate that they’re behind me.”

“It was great for him,” admitted Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff, who will be an assistant coach for the rival Canadian team. “That pushes him off in a real good mood and on the right track. He really wanted to get that win before the break, especially in our own building.”

………

In a pre-game ceremony, the Sabres’ five Olympians received the jerseys they will wear at the Vancouver games.

Along with Miller, representing the U.S.A., will be Hecht (Germany) and defensemen Tallinder (Sweden), Toni Lydman (Finland), and Andrej Sekera (Slovakia).

Ruff also received a Canadian sweater. The Sabres will also be represented by minor-league forward Philip Gogulla, currently with AHL Portland, who will also play for Germany.

………

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Team USA hockey embraces the role of underdogs

nospam@example.com (Matthew Ondesko) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:28:50 -0500

By Charles Roberts, Sports Reporter

Team USA general manager Brian Burke doesn’t want to hear about his team being underdogs – he’s well aware. He doesn’t care what the international perception is, or what the odds-makers in Las Vegas think.

“We are underdogs,” Burke said. “You go to Vegas the week before the tournament, there isn’t going to be a penny on us. Everyone’s going to be betting on and talking about Russia and to a lesser extent, Sweden. We are not manufacturing underdog status, that’s what we are. We are the youngest and maybe smallest in the field. But we are going there to win. We picked the team and the coaching staff that we think can win.”

The foundation of this year’s team is entirely different than year’s past. It was a changing of the guard; out with the old, in with the new. Veteran players like Mike Modano and Bill Guerin gave way to rising stars such as Patrick Kane and Zach Parise.

“We contacted every player that was a former Olympian,” Burke said. “I did not speak to Mike Modano, I left him a voicemail. I did not speak to Bill Guerin, I left him a voicemail. I got a wonderful voicemail back from Bill Guerin, typical class.”

Burke went on to emphasize that a few of the veteran players that have played for Team USA in the past were upset about being left of this year’s roster, but that for the most part, they understood the reasoning.

“I think the roster that’s been assembled is sensational,” said Dave Ogrean, the executive director for Team USA. “It’s obviously a new generation roster.”

“I’m very excited about this team,” said Ron Wilson, Team USA’s head coach. “I think we’re going to be a very quick team and obviously solid in goal.”

As for the goaltender situation, all eyes will be on Buffalo Sabres net-minder Ryan Miller. The 29-year-old native of East Lansing, Michigan will need to be on top of his game, because from the looks of it, he’ll be seeing quite a bit of action.

“In general, I would in my mind tend to, for consistency, play one goalie – ride the hot goalie,” Wilson said. “This is about going to Vancouver to win a gold medal. Generally speaking, the teams that have won the gold medal have played one goaltender.”

The good news for Team USA is Miller sees more than a bulk of the action in Buffalo, so playing back-to-back games or more really shouldn’t be altogether taxing on him. Miller said he’s up for the challenge and talked a bit about what it has taken to transform his game into a world-class goaltender.

“It definitely comes down to preparation,” Miller said. “My summer was spent focusing on things that would allow me to get through my season and make improvements on the ice. I feel like I can be a top goaltender in this game, night after night.”
I’ve worked a lot on my footwork and positioning, just trying to simplify the game so I can commit to something and execute the saves so there’s not a lot of wasted movement.”

Looking at the range of talent spread across the tournament, mental focus and the ability to not get overwhelmed or overly anxious will be crucial for this youthful bunch. Like Burke said, this team is most certainly an underdog before the first puck drops.
Yet still, there seems to be a genuine sense of pride on this team and a belief that chemistry and coming together is easier than one might expect.

“I think in general it’s pretty easy to come together,” Miller said. “Good group of guys, all quality people. It’s a lot of fun getting to know some of the guys and now that we’ve finalized the roster it’s going to be a really great life experience.”
I am really excited to be wearing my countries’ colors.”

“We’re going up there for one reason and a lot of the off-ice stuff will be dealt with by other people, so we’re just there to play hockey,” Parise said. “Mentally I don’t approach it any differently, but obviously there’s going to be a little more intensity with single-game elimination. As far as I’m concerned, right now, trying not to get too worked up or too excited about it.”

Time will tell what this self-proclaimed underdog squad is capable of. Does Disney have a ready-made script for Miracle II? We shall see.