Sabres

[shrader]

From what I understand, Regier recently traded a fairly highly rated forward for an AHL level goaltender. Could be a precursor to a larger trade of one of the Sabres goalies. I'd guess Biron if anybody.

Cya

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If they were going to trade Biron, he'd be the one in the press box each game instead of Mika. If you're going to keep a guy, you don't completely piss him off like they've done with Noronen.

[Campy]

Anyone know anything about this kid Gaustad?  Slipped under my radar.

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He has 2 goals and an assist in his 5 games in his fill-in duty for Adam Mair. He was supposed to just hold down the center position on the fourth line but has played pretty well. It will be interesting to see what happens when Mair is healthy enough to return - a good problem to have!

 

http://www.amerks.com/PlayerProfile.aspx?ID=5

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/playoffs/teams/playe...tad&hubName=BUF

[Campy]

From what I understand, Regier recently traded a fairly highly rated forward for an AHL level goaltender. Could be a precursor to a larger trade of one of the Sabres goalies. I'd guess Biron if anybody.

Cya

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They picked up Michael Leighton who had been a very good player for the local AHL team, the Norfolk Admirals (Chicago's farm team). He's a very good AHL goalie. The guy they gave up was Milan Bartovic. He has potential, but he's the guy that, IIRC, wanted to play in his native Czech Republic his first year as opposed to playing in Rochester. He also said he wasn't going to return to Rochester if he didn't make the Sabres' roster this season, but reluctantly joined the Amerks for camp.

 

He still has upside but given his demands and desire to play in the Czech league, I'm glad he's gone.

 

The interesting thing asbout this move is that that there are now 5 decent-to-very good goalies in the organization: Tom Askey, Leighton, Mika, Miller, and Marty. Similar to the dilemma they face with Gaustad when Mair returns from injury, it's a good problem to have.

[PTS]

He has 2 goals and an assist in his 5 games in his fill-in duty for Adam Mair.  He was supposed to just hold down the center position on the fourth line but has played pretty well.  It will be interesting to see what happens when Mair is healthy enough to return - a good problem to have!

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Gaustad is here to stay. He earn his spot for the season with his play in the pre-season and especially after he took out Mats Sundin in Toronto and then fought of Pilak.

 

He's continued his great play in the regular season. When Mair comes back, my guess is they don't dress Peters. Mair with Gaustad will be a fun line to watch. Two big guys that can move and hit. Hopefully they force Pyatt to become a better player as well.

 

But Gaustad is going to be a huge fan favorite ... it's already starting. It won't surprise me if he's wearing the "C" a few years down the road. He's that kind of player. Vanek will be the offensive threat but Gaustad will be the guy that can do it all.

 

Plus, it's nice to see US-born players on this team. We have seven Americans on this roster. That's probably more than any other team.

[RuntheDamnBall]

Gaustad is here to stay. He earn his spot for the season with his play in the pre-season and especially after he took out Mats Sundin in Toronto and then fought of Pilak.

 

He's continued his great play in the regular season. When Mair comes back, my guess is they don't dress Peters. Mair with Gaustad will be a fun line to watch. Two big guys that can move and hit. Hopefully they force Pyatt to become a better player as well.

 

But Gaustad is going to be a huge fan favorite ... it's already starting. It won't surprise me if he's wearing the "C" a few years down the road. He's that kind of player. Vanek will be the offensive threat but Gaustad will be the guy that can do it all.

 

Plus, it's nice to see US-born players on this team. We have seven Americans on this roster. That's probably more than any other team.

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Wow, thanks for the info. Personally, I like seeing the "C" stitched on Danny Briere's sweater. He's totally the kind of guy a Buffalo team needs. But sounds like Gaustad should be good, and I'm not a regular Sabres viewer anymore now that I'm out of the broadcast range. Kind of wishing I'd gone for the hockey instead of the football package this season!

[PTS]

Wow, thanks for the info.  Personally, I like seeing the "C" stitched on Danny Briere's sweater.  He's totally the kind of guy a Buffalo team needs.  But sounds like Gaustad should be good, and I'm not a regular Sabres viewer anymore now that I'm out of the broadcast range.  Kind of wishing I'd gone for the hockey instead of the football package this season!

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I didn't mean to imply that Gaustad would take the "C" away from Briere or Drury. But down the road when those guys are gone I see him as the type of player worthy of getting it. He reminds me a lot of Michael Peca minus the huge open ice hits.

[smokinandjokin]

If they were going to trade Biron, he'd be the one in the press box each game instead of Mika.  If you're going to keep a guy, you don't completely piss him off like they've done with Noronen.

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Marty is probably more tradeable and the Sabres can get more value for him, seeing as he has been a fairly successful starter in the league. I am not worried about the time it's taking. Some team's goalie will get hurt, and Darcy will be able to pull the trigger for maximum value. I'd prefer to have Biron, but Noronen is an adequate backup...Besides, from the look of things early on, Miller will be the horse- the backup will probably only get 12 games or so. I can see Miller playing 70.

 

I heard Rick Jenarrett (sp?) on the radio yesterday, and he was talking about the way Darcy handled the Chris Gratton trade. The trade deadline was approaching, and there had been rumors for months that Gratton was going to be dumped...Darcy waited it out, until the Coyotes finally bucked up with Daniel Briere and a draft pick. Pretty well handled by DR.

 

Everyone was crying about TD not moving Travis in a timely fashion, but in the end, when the info about Travis' possible drug suspension came to light, it seems Donahoe did pretty well playing the Titans against the Jags and getting a 3rd rounder. Three goalies on the roster is not comfortable, but as long as the Sabres can eventually get fair value, it will pan out.

[RuntheDamnBall]

Marty is probably more tradeable and the Sabres can get more value for him, seeing as he has been a fairly successful starter in the league.  I am not worried about the time it's taking.  Some team's goalie will get hurt, and Darcy will be able to pull the trigger for maximum value.  I'd prefer to have Biron, but Noronen is an adequate backup...Besides, from the look of things early on, Miller will be the horse- the backup will probably only get 12 games or so.  I can see Miller playing 70.

 

I heard Rick Jenarrett (sp?) on the radio yesterday, and he was talking about the way Darcy handled the Chris Gratton trade.  The trade deadline was approaching, and there had been rumors for months that Gratton was going to be dumped...Darcy waited it out, until the Coyotes finally bucked up with Daniel Briere and a draft pick.  Pretty well handled by DR.

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That trade was a coup. Almost makes one forget about Bob Corkum.

[Ned Flanders]

Can you believe it's been 30 years?

 

"We're gonna win that Cup...we're gonna win that Stanley Cup...me and the Buffalo Sabres yeah, yeah, yeah..."

 

Now I got that stupid song in my head!

[shrader]

The interesting thing asbout this move is that that there are now 5 decent-to-very good goalies in the organization:  Tom Askey, Leighton, Mika, Miller, and Marty.  Similar to the dilemma they face with Gaustad when Mair returns from injury, it's a good problem to have.

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Askey isn't in the system anymore. He's playing in Finland.

 

http://tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=431&hubname=nhl

[kasper13]

Gaustad was named "Most Improved Player" on his team in juniors then the next year he was MVP of the team. He was named "Most Improved Player" in Rochester last year.

 

Sabres could be one of the best teams in the league if they make a few moves. TRADE ONE OF THE GOALIES ALREADY. Nine goalies have been injured since the start of training camps and yet we still have three of them. Atlanta offered a 2nd round pick for Norronen and Darcy never called them back. Atlanta is down to their third goalie and are looking at free agents Steve Shields and Felix Potvin. Phoenix is down to their third goalie as well. When will there be a better time to trade Norronen or Biron?

 

Tim Connolly needs to go. He can't score. He was on the point for the two man advantage in OT last night and refused to shoot the damn puck. He f-ed up his shootout attempt as well. How long do the Sabres go before they admit Connolly sucks? Taylor Pyatt and Brian Campbell need to go as well. They are useless. Derek Roy needs to be up here. Sabres need to make a roster move when Mair is activated. Lindy said the fourth line will be Gaustad, Mair and Peters or Pyatt.

 

I admit I am very excited about the Sabres and the style of play in the NHL. It's pretty much just like it used to be in the early-mid 80's minus the fighting and plus the shootout.

[Campy]

Askey isn't in the system anymore.  He's playing in Finland.

 

http://tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=431&hubname=nhl

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I didn't know that (obviously). Good catch shrader.

[brihs2005]

Gaustad was named "Most Improved Player" on his team in juniors then the next year he was MVP of the team. He was named "Most Improved Player" in Rochester last year.

 

Sabres could be one of the best teams in the league if they make a few moves. TRADE ONE OF THE GOALIES ALREADY. Nine goalies have been injured since the start of training camps and yet we still have three of them. Atlanta offered a 2nd round pick for Norronen and Darcy never called them back. Atlanta is down to their third goalie and are looking at free agents Steve Shields and Felix Potvin. Phoenix is down to their third goalie as well. When will there be a better time to trade Norronen or Biron?

 

Tim Connolly needs to go. He can't score. He was on the point for the two man advantage in OT last night and refused to shoot the damn puck. He f-ed up his shootout attempt as well. How long do the Sabres go before they admit Connolly sucks? Taylor Pyatt and Brian Campbell need to go as well. They are useless. Derek Roy needs to be up here. Sabres need to make a roster move when Mair is activated. Lindy said the fourth line will be Gaustad, Mair and Peters or Pyatt.

 

I admit I am very excited about the Sabres and the style of play in the NHL. It's pretty much just like it used to be in the early-mid 80's minus the fighting and plus the shootout.

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C'mon Kasper, you are hating too much. Connoly's game has been re-invented with two years off of hockey. He has been playing and skating well. Yes the 5 on 3 was sad last night, but he wasn't the only one on the ice at the time that wasn't shooting. He also has taken more shots so far this year instead of looking for the perfect pass. I don't understand the hatred for Pyatt (maybe it is just him being involved in the Peca deal that makes people cringe) but he is a solid 4th line winger and still young and cheap, he shouldn't be expected to have 40 goals... give me 15 goals 20 assists out of him and that is a very solid year from a 4th liner. I will admit i haven't seen much or heard much of Campbell this year so far positive or negative. I was at the game on monday and his spin move to create a scoring chance was a play that you rarely see from a defensemen. Yes i think our D needs to be improved, but i like Kalinin, Numminen, McKee, and Tallinder. Lydman is gaining the most ice time of all Sabres at the moment (why i don't know), Fitzpatrick, Jillson (if he ever suits up) and Campbell are all trying to get ice time as the sixth defender. I wish we were more solid in that area, but a 4th line winger, and our 5-6 Defensemen isn't going to make me lose sleep at night.

[shrader]

   I didn't know that (obviously).  Good catch shrader.

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I knew he was gone, but I was having trouble finding where he went. Thank god for tsn.

 

As for Kasper's comments about Connolly, he has looked pretty good so far. He's playing well but hasn't scored (last time I checked, Vanek hasn't either). You can fault him for the powerplay all you want, but he's not the only point man who won't shoot the puck. It's been an ongoing trend for years with this team now. They are always trying to setup that back door pass, but aren't able to improvise when it's not there. I also noticed that Connolly was on the ice for one of the penalty kills last night (2nd period, if I remember correctly). I think that says it all about what Ruff thinks of him.

[Campy]

I knew he was gone, but I was having trouble finding where he went.  Thank god for tsn.

 

You can fault him for the powerplay all you want, but he's not the only point man who won't shoot the puck. 

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I saw a stat during the game that Bflo hasn't scored in 18 powerplay tries. That's more than just one player's refusal to shoot the puck. That said, they are getting bunches of opportunities on most of their man advantages, so it's just a question of time before they start finding the net.

[Alaska Darin]

I saw a stat during the game that Bflo hasn't scored in 18 powerplay tries.  That's more than just one player's refusal to shoot the puck.  That said, they are getting bunches of opportunities on most of their man advantages, so it's just a question of time before they start finding the net.

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Actually, there are plenty of players currently on the PP who are guilty of it. Plus, in the Pens game they rang the bell about six times on the PP.

[Spun]

I saw my first NHL game (against Pittsburgh) Monday on OLN since the Finals two Junes ago. I certainly noticed differences. The Sabres seem to be getting away from that treacherous dump and chase style in lieu of quick, short passes up the ice. I do not miss the clutching bs. I would also like to see Derek Roy back on the Sabres but the playing time with Rochester will help him when he finally does come up. The two goals Miller let in against the Pens were crappy but the Sabres played well.

 

This was the first that I have seen of Sidney Crosby. He wasn't hard to notice. Quick, good stick handler, good on the draw, great acceleration and gets up and goes after he gets mopped. The rule changes came along at the right time for the kid from the Maritimes.

 

As for OLN, I appreciate their covering the NHL but they have some things to work on. I was watching the game in a sports bar with the baseball playoffs and Monday Night Football so I wasn't getting the hockey audio. So info such as goals, assists, shots on goal weren't available to me because they weren't showing this data with graphics. Also, OLN has this annoying habit of running an interview while the game is going on that shows the interviewee along with a shrunken down version of the game.

[Taro T]

I saw a stat during the game that Bflo hasn't scored in 18 powerplay tries.  That's more than just one player's refusal to shoot the puck.  That said, they are getting bunches of opportunities on most of their man advantages, so it's just a question of time before they start finding the net.

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I've got it up to 0-20 (0-7 Sens, 0-5 Pens, 0-8 Bolts). They scored on their last pp vs Boston.

 

For the record - Home 4-23 (14th) Road 0-16 (Tied for last w/ 4 others).

[BRH]

That trade was a coup.  Almost makes one forget about Bob Corkum. 

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For my money it's the Michal Grosek to the Blackhawks for Doug Gilmour and JP Dumont deal that still makes me laugh. Friggin GROSEK and we get Killer and Dumont? Granted, I'm still mad at Killer for not catching up to Kasparaitis, but Dumont has more than tilted that deal in our favor many times over.

[BRH]

I've got it up to 0-20 (0-7 Sens, 0-5 Pens, 0-8 Bolts).  They scored on their last pp vs Boston.

 

For the record - Home 4-23 (14th)  Road 0-16 (Tied for last w/ 4 others).

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I have a better stat... 4-1 in five games.

 

The PP will come around.