Buffalo Sabres

Putting aside the proven fact that the Original 6 teams often get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to NHL Discipline, there are very specific reasons your head should boil over with rage every time some talking head brings up an Original 6 team like a jilted spouse brings up a ten year old argument. The Montreal Canadiens Founded: 1909 (joined NHL in 1917) Logo Most Closely Resembles: An eight year old’s notebook doodle. Biggest Offense: Rampant Xenophobia Why You Should Hate Them: Geez, where do you begin?  If they’re not doing their best to import all the worst parts of French culture and none of the charms, they’re filing police reports against opposing players and finding even newer and more inventive ways to whine.  It’s cool that the Montreal Canadiens have a long rich history, and a ton of championships, but they’ve so watered down their product with pregame delays ceremonies that none of it matters anymore.  The most notable thing they’ve done in the past twenty years was run one of their franchise’s best players out of town.  They’re the New York Yankees of hockey, if the New York Yankees had given up success for lent twenty years ago and then forgot it existed. The Boston Bruins Founded: 1924 Logo Most Closely Resembles: A bicycle tire Biggest Offense: Existing Why You Should Hate Them: Because Boston fans have handled the success of their sports teams about as well as the average lottery winner.  This is what it looks like every time they win even the most meaningless of meaningless games: Or every time one of their gargantuan players beats up on someone five inches and thirty pounds smaller.  They’re billed as a great fanbase even though as few as five years ago they were in the bottom third of the league and they have as many appearances in the top ten since the 05-06 lockout as attendance powerhouses Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, Washington, and St. Louis.  Oh, and they also have the worst home ice advantage in the NHL.  At least they’re not the Red Sox though. The Toronto Maple Leafs Founded: 1917 Logo Most Closely Resembles: Nature’s trash Why You Should Hate Them: On the surface, Toronto almost seems too pathetic to hate.  Up until this season they hadn’t made the playoffs in a million billion years, and they haven’t won a cup since the mesozoic era.  THEN they went and lost to the Boston Bruins in the most ball-kicking way possible.  Plus their ownership constantly bilks their fans out of a ton of money for a terrible product.  I might feel sorry for them if they didn’t send fans over by the truckload to Sabres games to prove that they too cannot handle their liquor.  At least they can probably fill multiple buildings, unlike… The Detroit Red Wings Founded: 1926 Logo Most Closely Resembles: Boston’s Why You Should Hate Them: Ah, the American answer to the Montreal Canadiens’ sense of entitlement and arrogance.  Let’s be clear, ‘Hockeytown,’ isn’t some quaint nickname born out of years of fan support, it’s a marketing atrocity thought up by the team itself that is younger than I am.  The worst thing about the Red Wings is how commentators seem to think they’re some beautiful symbol of American culture.  Which part exactly?  Their mostly European Roster?  The Green Goblin they call their coach, embodying the worst in American villainy?  Their crappy city, high crime, corrupt politicians, and anti-gay partnership?  They’re like the Insane Clown Posse of the NHL, which is perfect because ICP is also from Detroit and also frequently plays to a bunch of empty seats. The Chicago Blackhawks Founded: 1926 Logo Most Closely Resembles: Racism Why You Should Hate Them: I’m sorry, but did everyone convene in 2010 and agree to pretend that the Blackhawks have always been awesome?  From 1999 to 2008, they couldn’t PAY people to watch the games.  Here’s where they

Craig Anderson was near perfect as the Ottawa Senators snuck out a win in game 3. It took nearly 2 overtime periods but the Senators managed to get their first win of the series. When Erik Karlsson took a slashing penalty with 90 seconds left with the Senators down by 1, it looked like the Pittsburgh Penguins would take a 3-0 series lead. Cue Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson. With 30 seconds left in the third period and the Senators down a man, Alfredsson snuck behind the Penguins defence to deflect a pass behind Tomas Vokoun. With 30 seconds left the game was tied and the Penguins were left stunned. Instead of capitalizing on their late power play, they tried to play in a lockdown mode to solidify the win and it cost them the game. Game three proved just how exciting and intense playoff hockey is. As the game advanced to overtime you could sense the tension. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports Everyone sitting on the edges of their seats watching each goalie make save after save. Both Tomas Vokoun and Craig Anderson put on a goaltending clinic, stoning shooters point black. In the end Anderson got the last save and the Senators now have life in the series. Before the game I talked about what the Senators needed to do to get back into the series and win game 3. Get better goaltending, score more goals and keep Sidney Crosby off the scoreboard. The Senators managed to accomplish all three of those things and it resulted in a game 3 win. While they didn’t have an offencive outburst, they did manage to outscore the Penguins. The key to winning a hockey game is to score more goals than your opponent before time runs out, the Senators managed to do that. Game Notes Craig Anderson stopped 49 of 50 shots through 5 periods for the win. He stood tall all night, stopping rush after rush from the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and James Neal. With Anderson stopping virtually everything he saw, all the Senators had to do was score some goals. While he hadn’t been great through the first two games of the season, he looked stellar tonight. If Anderson plays as well as he did in game 3, there’s no reason the Senators can’t upset the Penguins. Aside from exciting hockey the other thing the playoffs are famous for is turning some-what unknown players into heroes. Remember Trevor Lewis and Dwight King from the LA Kings Stanley Cup win? They were virtual nobodies before the Stanley Cup Finals. Last night Colin Greening scored the overtime winner which gave life to the Senators. Greening is a player who has come alive during the playoffs. He’s scored 3 goals in his last 3-playoff games. Greening may not be a star like Kyle Turris or Jason Spezza but when he’s contributing it only helps the Sens. Jason Spezza played his first game since January 27th and looked pretty decent. He played just under 19 minutes registering 4 shots and winning 60% of his face-offs. Spezza’s return provided some offencive depth for the Senators and allowed them to play two top lines. After the game everyone was upset with the officiating. While no game will ever be officiated perfectly, the referees have not been great through the first two rounds of the playoffs. The call everyone is most upset about is a missed high-stick to the face of Erik Karlsson. Matt Cooke attempted to clear the puck but instead nailed Karlsson right in the face. There was no call on the play and Karlsson was not a happy camper. Should there have been a penalty on the play? Yes, but Erik Karlsson is beginning to get a bad reputation for diving. He was even given a penalty for diving in this game. It’s a shame because Karlsson is a fantastic young defenceman, but the book on him is that he’ll go down pretty easily with minimal contact. If Karlsson wants to get some of those close calls, he’ll need to stop diving, snapping his head back and yelling at the officials. With game 4 set to go on Wednesday night, the Se

May 19, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins center Brad Marchand (63) celebrates a goal during the third period in game two of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New York Rangers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports The Boston Bruins once again proved to be too much in the later stages of the game, and now lead their playoff series 2-0 against the New York Rangers. We said after Game 1 that the Rangers needed more from Lundqvist and they didn’t get it. Add on the fact that their offense once again couldn’t finish when it had to, and you have a New York team that needs to look for more than the simple assurance that they lost the first two games last series against the Washington Capitals. If they’re going to get out of this hole, they need something tangible to draw on, and they need it soon. While the Rangers certainly put more pressure on goalie Tuukka Rask, especially in the second period, they simply couldn’t come up with the quality chances necessary to beat the Bruins, or even keep it close late. Outside of two rushes by top players and a few Boston giveaways, the Rangers were hardly a threat to Boston, especially in the third period. Odd-man rush goals by Ryan Callahan and Rick Nash were the lone bright spots in a game where Bostons’ defense dictated the play for the Rangers, while the speedy forwards were too much for a flat-footed Rangers team. Outside of Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi, this core looks outmatched by the top six of Boston when it counts the most. Brad Marchand has been a lightning bolt on the ice after a sterile first round. If he can keep clicking with Patrice Bergeron, this could be a short series. Three Stars of  Game Two: Third: Milan Lucic – He was havoc in the middle of the ice for much of the game and his goal to seal the win was a textbook Lucic goal. Power to the net, clean up the mess. If he gets rolling, the Rangers’ battered D-core will only look worse. Second: Tuukka Rask – The second period might have been the best of Rasks’ career. He held off several big chances, withstood a loud post ring by Ryan Callahan, and held down the fort until the Bruins forwards could seal the game in the third. First: Brad Marchand –  A goal, an assist, and a big target on his back. Marchand has kept his mouth shut and let his play do the talking this year, and it’s finally paying dividends in the second round. No forward is putting more pressure on the Rangers right now than the speedy Marchand. It’s not just the points either. He’s a menace on the forecheck and his skating ability puts constant pressure on the defense. It appears Marchand’s scoring slump is well behind him. Keys for New York in Game Three: Get an early lead – If the Rangers have to improve, they need to find a way to get in front before the Bruins can hit the brakes on the game’s flow. They’ve lead for a mere 3:31 out of the first 136 minutes of the series. This Boston team is simply too good with a lead. They don’t look for breakaways with a lead, and instead they clog the neutral zone and the middle of the ice for the Rangers. This means that the Rangers essentially have to luck into a goal with a point shot or something similar. The Rangers might want to look at using Rick Nash more in front of the net as opposed to the wing on the power play and at even strength. As it is, they have few big bodied skill players who can take a beating and tip a long shot. Henrik Lundqvist – The Rangers are a team that’s constructed to steal games with its goalie. Lundqvist looks like no caper from up here, so the Rangers defense needs to be better in front of its own net. You’d think after that overtime goal that they wouldn’t let Brad Marchand free in front of the net as Bergeron streaks down the wing. You’d be wrong. Henrik said he should have read the play in Game One, yet there he was in Game Two, not reading the play. The Rangers might have to get one of those ugly 1-0 w

The Buffalo Sabres announced this morning that they have re-signed enforcer John Scott. In his first season with the Sabres, Scott recorded no points but racked up 69 penalty minutes in 34 games. Following his pointless 2013 season, John Scott owns the Sabres record for most games played in franchise history without recording a point. In 180 career NHL games, Scott has 5 career points (1 goal, 4 assists) and 305 penalty minutes. According to the Buffalo News’ John Vogl, Scott will make $750,000 in the 2013-14 season. Stay tuned to Sabres Hockey Central for the latest on this and every Sabres breaking news stories. // //

In this episode, Ryan is joined by The Defenseman to talk about Toronto mayor Rob Ford, Gawker, and crack cocaine. We talk about Ford’s past controversies and the journalistic ethics of Gawker, while also touching on the Leafs’ implosion against the Bruins and the Stanley Cup playoffs in general. Download audio file (RoostCast-95.mp3) To download this episode, click here and right click anywhere in the window. You can also subscribe to RoostCast in the iTunes music store, which also has our other podcasts ready for download as well. The music for today’s podcast is as follows: Bambi — Tokyo Police Club Crack Rock — Frank Ocean

Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports The Buffalo Sabres resign John Scott and the second round of the playoffs continue.  Here are some links from around the hockey world. Everyone loves a good power rankings, and the final teams are power ranked.  [Bleacher Report]. There will be no sweep in the second round of the playoffs for the Pittsburgh Penguins, as the Ottawa Senators scored late and won in overtime.  [CBS Sports]. The San Jose Sharks get in on the action as well, stopping the bleeding against the Los Angeles Kings.  [ESPN]. Team Sweden wins gold, Switzerland gets Silver, team USA gets bronze at the IIHF World Championships.  A Swiss player wins MVP honors for the first time.  [SB Nation]. Speaking of IIHF – the class of 2013 Hall of Fame class was inducted.  [IIHF]. Are the Buffalo Bills showing enough to OTAs to be a contender this season in the AFC East? [Bleacher Report]. Jhonas Enroth was given top goalie honors at IIHF World Championship tournament as his country wins Gold with him in net.  [Sabres 101]. Jim Roque will not be joining the staff of Head Coach Ron Rolston this season.  {Queen City Sports]. Yes, John Scott will be back with the Buffalo Sabres next season.  [HockeyBuzz}. In 34 games last season Scott had no goals, no assists, no points, and 69 penalty minutes.

With their mission to get tougher and bigger last offseason, the Buffalo Sabres signed 6 foot 8, 270 pound enforcer John Scott to a one-year deal. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports Whether Scott helped the Sabres actually change their identity and become a tougher team is up for debate. But with 69 penalty minutes in 34 games with no goals, you could argue the experiment didn’t work. Despite that, the Sabres decided to give the enforcer at least one more year to make his mark. Darcy Regier announced today that John Scott had been re-signed to a one-year deal for next season. With 7 fighting majors and 69 penalty minutes, there’s no doubt Scott brings some added grit to the Sabres offence. But considering he got knocked down by a much smaller Colton Orr, how intimidating is he to opponents? If Orr can “slay the giant” then you better believe that other team’s tough guys can do the same. The downside with a player like Scott is his inability to score or contribute on the scoreboard. It’s great that he’s ready and willing to drop the mitts and stand up for anyone in blue and gold, but at some point he’s got to contribute. Whether you like John Scott or not he’ll be wearing blue and gold for at least one more season.

Andrey Makarov stopped 29 shots Sunday to help Saskatoon to a 5-2 upset of Halifax at the 2013 Memorial Cup tournament. The Blades defense did a good job keying in on the Mooseheads top line, holding the high-powered offense off the scoresheet for two periods before allowing a pair of third period goals. Nathan MacKinnon scored the second tally with a quick release shot from between the circles to cut the Blades' lead to 4-2. Both Saskatoon and Halifax are 1-1 through their first two tourney games. If Portland can defeat London on Monday, all four teams will be an even 1-1 for just the second time in tournament history. The Blades close out the round robin on Wednesday versus Seth Jones-led Portland.

After a relatively easy summer in the RFA department last season, the Buffalo Sabres will have their hands full re-signing their restricted free agents both this summer and next. Taking a look at this summer's RFA crop, GM Darcy Regier will find that many of the guys he's expecting to be main contributors on the team next season will be needing new contracts. Among those whose deals are up, we have: Cody Hodgson - The team's current #1 center and, if Thomas Vanek is gone next year, the man who will likely lead the team in scoring next season Brian Flynn - An AHL/NHL rookie who proved he could handle a third line role with strong possession numbers and high-motor play Corey Tropp - Tropp sat out almost the entire 2012-13 season with a knee injury, but he was a player who seemed destined for the role that Flynn and Kevin Porter eventually earned. He'll get another shot next season, and should start the season in Buffalo Luke Adam - Although he's fallen out of favor with most fans, Rolston knows what he's capable of thanks to their work together in Rochester. He could get another shot to crack the roster next season, especially if the Sabres fully commit to rebuilding Mike Weber - Solid #4/5 defenseman whose role could expand next season, both on the ice and in the locker room Jhonas Enroth - He proved himself a worthy backup with a strong end to the season, and if the Ryan Miller trade rumors prove true, could be Buffalo's #1 tender in 2013-14 Matt Hackett - The man who could eventually replace Ryan Miller as future #1 goalie was acquired from Minnesota in the Pominville trade. At the very least, he should challenge Enroth for the backup spot next fall Other players in the Sabres organization who will be impending RFAs include Drew Schiestel, Nick Crawford, and Jacob Legace. Most, if not all of the players listed above should receive new contracts from the Sabres this summer; everyone listed will likely be a significant contributor for the 2013-14 Suffering Sabres. However, do you think there's anyone in that list who shouldn't be brought back? Should anyone other than Hodgson be target #1 for Regier and company? Let us know in the comments.

Sabres Links Ron Rolston should change Steve Ott's role [WGR 550] Jhonas Enroth named IIHF Tournament's best goalie, leads Sweden to gold [IIHF.com] Prospects Report: Andrey Makarov in the Memorial Cup [Sabres Prospects] Around The League Eric Stall suffers MCL Sprain [TSN] Sharks GM thinks Raffi Torres' hit was clean [Chicago Tribune] Islanders possibly could play six games on the island after they move [New York Post] Is Thomas Vokoun the key for the Penguins? [Fansided]