Goodbye Captain...

Well Jason Pominville is now officially a member of the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Regier has already given multiple interviews following the trade and he keeps using the words "we" "we're" and "us"... Attaching himself to the future of our team, whilst he butchers the roster and rips the heart out of the fan base. The core of this team is gone, Lindy Ruff and Jason Pominville are just the first 2 of what is sure to be a BIG change in Sabre's hockey for years to come. There is no return or recovering from this, and the audacity of Terry Pegula to leave this man in charge and parade himself in front of the media is a perfect example of a young owner who is making rookie mistakes. Ted Black and Mr. Pegula are no where to be found, yet just a few months ago he was grinning like child meeting his idols soaking up camera opportunities with Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier. Pominville gave his heart and soul to this hockey team and community, and this is how you repay him? By telling him first that there is no deal in the works and then that your just doing your job. How do you expect to sign top free agents in the future He's willing to trade the leader of his team to save his own job? Players are surely losing respect for the aging tenured GM and quite frankly this fan base is near lynch mob. He also claimed in his press conference tonight that the way to win is build around the draft and then add talent specialties through free agency and trades, saying that the sabres had never followed that formula before. When a reporter posed the fact that the sabres had done this with pominville, vanek, stafford, briere, drury, he thought about it and bashfully admitted they had used this formula before and it didn't work. So what leads anyone to believe that this story has any other ending?

CoHo last minute dangles not enough .. car 4-3 buf

CAR 4-3 BUF

CoHo dangles not enough

          The sabres were back to their old ways Tuesday night and even a slick dangle from Cody Hodgson was to little to late. Being sloppy in their own end and only showing up for half a game isn't what won them 3 games in a row, or what sparked them to score a shorthanded goal against the Rangers down 2-1 in the 3rd to tie it up, stealing a point. Ryan Miller looked exhausted he needs to rest, 14 straight starts including 3 games in the past 4 nights have taken their toll on the goaltender. But the team can't continue to take shifts or entire periods off, and expect things to turn around on their own. Twice tonight poor shifts right after scoring lead to goals for the hurricanes and took away any momentum that appeared to be building. Ron Rolston has his hands full trying to deal with the poor decision making that usually ends up in the back of our own net. Rotating D-men in and out every game doesn't help, whether due to injury or coaches decisions. 

        That said the Sabres are 3-1-1 in their last 5 and have been playing better. Vanek returned from injury and appeared to hurt his hand in the game, no mention in the post game though. TJ Brennan who recorded a 108 mph slap shot during the AHL skills competition, netted his first of the season at the end of a 5-3 powerplay. I'd like to see him quarterback the powerplay more often as Myers has proven to be ineffective in that role. Sabres will hop a flight to NJ and get right back at it Thursday, maybe playing a team they recently beat will give them confidence going into the game. And lets not forget Ryan Miller and devils forward Adam Henrique chirping at each other just a few nights ago.

The wheels haven't fallen off.. yet

       So somehow the Sabres held it together this weekend, it wasn't perfect by any means, but we beat the Devils, then went into MSG and stole a point. We totally should've lost the game even though we out played the Rangers most of the game. We took a penalty and Pat Kaleta sneezed on Brad Richards sending him violently into the boards making it a 5 on 3 and earning a misconduct. The rags scored 2 on the ensuing powerplay and the Sabres were down a goal. Nathan Gerbe would pull the Sabres back even short-handed with nine seconds left in the penalty. Sending the sabres into their 2nd extra period in 2 nights. Sabres got a powerplay in OT but could not capitalize. Ryan Miller playing his 13th straight and 2nd of back to back shootouts did not have the gas left, and the shooters did nothing to help his cause as lundqvist made saves on Pominville and Ennis. I like that the team showed the grit to get back in the game after taking the bad penalties and allowing 2 goals. This team is learning how to roll with the punches, and possibly face another one as we're waiting to hear about the Kaleta hit, Brendon Shanahan and him will have a phone conversation at 3pm EST.

      

          More important was the first game of the weekend against the New Jersey Devils, the last home game before a road trip the Sabres wanted to impress. The game was alot more physical than expected, Kaleta got under Kovalchuk's skin right away and forced him to take a bad penalty, how ever the 2 times the Sabres got on the powerplay in the first we took penalties and nullified them. The team played better in the 2nd which we're known for going to sleep during and stuck it out to OT. Captain Jason Pominville scored twice and really carried us, Hodgson assisted on his 2 goals. Adam Henrique got a break away shorthanded on Ryan Miller early in the third and burried it. In the shoot out Pominville scored, Illya Kovalchuk missed and Ennis scored. Leaving it up to Henrique who had beat Miller earlier in the night, not this time though, as Miller would bait the Glove and take it away. He even had a few words for Mr. Henrique.. I think it went something like this, Music coutesousy of Ryan Millers subconscious.

      

      

Don't come around here no more Mr. Henrique... Next time were coming to you. Sabs will be in Carolina Tuesday and in New Jersey Thursday 2 winable contests, I'd really like to see the point streak continue..