Buffalo Sabres

After writing about how the Ottawa Senators can beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, the first two games of the series they were dominated by the Penguins. As the series switches to Ottawa, the Sens will be looking for a spark at home. They will hope get that spark back with the return of Jason Spezza for game 3. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports The Senators have been without their star forward since January 27 when he underwent back surgery. There’s no telling what impact Spezza will many assets back to the line-up; Will it boost the Senators? Will Spezza contribute on the scoreboard? Either way for a team that needs to win 4 of their next 5 everything helps. Jason Spezza will provide some veteran leadership for the Senators, having played in 53 playoff games he knows how to play in the playoffs. Getting Spezza back will be big boost for the Senators, but they’ll need to improve their all around game before they can get a leg up on the Penguins. Contain Sidney Crosby In all fairness to the Senators, containing Sidney Crosby is a lot easier said than done. In game 2 Sid the kid potted a hat-trick and took over the game for his team. If the Senators plan to come back in this series they will need to keep Crosby off the scoresheet as much as possible. If Sidney Crosby is scoring, chances are the Penguins are winning. Whether you need to double team him or hit him with just a little more force, the Senators need Crosby off his game. Craig Anderson Needs to Steal A Game The backbone of the Senators team has been goaltender Craig Anderson. When the Senators were decimated with injuries Anderson came up big and kept them in the playoff hunt. In the first round Craig Anderson was a major factor in upsetting the Montreal Canadiens. He stoned the Canadien forwards and shut down their offence. So far in round 2 Anderson hasn’t been able to shutdown the Penguins offence, in fact he was pulled after Crosby’s hat-trick last game. The Senators need Anderson to steal game 3 for them to get back into the series. In the first round Anderson had an almost unrealistic .950 Save Percentage, but in round two he has just a .863 Save Percentage and has been out-goaltended by Tomas Vokoun. Erik Karlsson needs to re-find his game Whether he’s tired or still feeling effects of his injury, Erik Karlsson has not been the same as when he first returned. Sidney Crosby made him look silly in game two and many whether about Karlsson’s health and conditioning. All great players have an “answer” game after a rough game. Erik Karlsson will need a big game in game 3 and needs to step it up this series. His thrilling end to end rushes and blasts from the point have been missing. Karlsson energizes the Senators team and when he’s on his game the Sens usually win. Score more goals With the return of Jason Spezza hopefully the Senators can start scoring more goals. With Milan Michalek, Kyle Turris, Mika Zibanejad, Cory Conacher and Daniel Alfredsson the Senators should have more than just 4 goals through the first 2 games. The Senators need to beat Vokoun and beat him early to get on a roll and hopefully get a key save. If they can score early and score often they should be able to sneak out a win in game 3. The Senators have their work cut out for them if they plan to advance past this round, but it is possible. They will need better goaltending, better offence and better defence. With the return of Jason Spezza the Senators should come out on fire in game 3.

Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports Sunday, Sunday, gotta get down on . . . wait, that doesn’t sound right. It’s Sunday, folks, and I don’t know about you, but I’m not getting down today.  I might actually be down and out, based on my busy schedule yesterday.  If you’re like me, today is going to be a laid-back affair, so take a little time for yourself this morning and see what the World Wide Web has to say about hockey! The folks over at bleacher report present to you what we should all take away from last night’s Stanley Cup Playoffs action. Logan Couture was the hero in San Jose last night, as his OT goal cut the King’s lead to 2-1.  Watch the NHL on TSN crew discuss how he went from being hobbled to hero, as well as other stories from last night’s game. Looking ahead to the offseason?  bleacher report plays a little fact or fiction with some potential trade rumors/buyout possibilities that are swirling about the NHL this morning. The Stanley Cup Playoffs have a way of making fans forget about the surprises and success stories of the regular season.  We get so obsessed with who wins the Cup, we lose sight of how a team like the Montreal Canadiens went from being picked to finish last in their division to winning it during the regular season, as Hockey Buzz reminds us. It wasn’t bad enough that the San Jose Sharks lost Raffi Torres for the entire second round of the playoffs; now they are a little lighter in the pocketbook, too! And I leave you today with a link every Sabres’ fan should visit: an examination of Jhonas Enroth and the success he is having in the IIHF World Championships.  Enjoy!

Nathan Gerbe #42 / Left Wing / Buffalo Sabres Height: 5-5 Weight: 178 Born: July 24, 1987 GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG SOG PCT 2012 - Nathan Gerbe 42 5 5 10 -3 14 0 1 0 64 7.8 Contract: $1.45 million cap hit through 2013-14 Report Card for 2012: 4.6 Introduction: Nathan Gerbe has been a fan favorite for a few years now mainly because of his diminutive size. He came onto the scene during the 2010-11 season after playing a total of 20 combined games from 2008-2010. During that 2010-11 season, Gerbe had 16 goals and 15 assists in 64 games. In the 104 games since that season, Gerbe hasn't been able to match that total as of yet. In the shortened 2013 season, Gerbe registered just 5 goals and 10 points in 42 total games. Gerbe bounced around among linemates and actual lines all season. Key Stat: Nathan Gerbe scored six of his 10 points this season at home. Of those six points scored, only one of them was a goal. Thumbs Up: Even though Gerbe's offensive production is down over the past couple of seasons and his playing time is being diminished, people still like him. That has to count for something, right? Thumbs Down: After having high expectations coming off the 2010-11 season in regards to his offensive production, Gerbe has mainly been relegated as a fourth line player for much of the 2013 season. He registered just 12:30 of average time on ice this season which 50 seconds lower than the last career low that came in the 2010-11 season. Gerbe's 64 shots this season was the lowest career average shots/game total he has had in his five seasons in the NHL. Voting: Using the good old grade school system of A, B, C, D, F, with a A representing a great season, C an average season, and F a very poor season, grade Nathan Gerbe on his performance this year according to the expectations you had for him. Poll How would you grade Nathan Gerbe's 2013 season A B C D F 6 votes | Results

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The May long weekend has finally arrived and after making the long 7 hour drive to my cottage I’m ready to celebrate by watching some more playoff hockey. Of course I’ll leave my couch eventually but for the most part my eyes will be glued to the TV. What do you have planned for your May long weekend? Whatever you have planned make sure you stop by SabreNoise for the daily dashboard. It’s the perfect way to get all caught up on the latest NHL news. Sit back, enjoy your coffee and take a stroll around the NHL world. While fans are still holding out hope that Thomas Vanek will remain with the Buffalo Sabres, let’s take a look at where he could possibly land if his future is not in blue and gold. [The Hockey Writers] Are fans to blame for all the drama around the Buffalo Sabres? [Sabres 101] Feel bad that your team isn’t still in the playoffs? Check out the biggest weakness’ of the final 8 teams so you can exploit them. [Bleacher Report] With his latest suspension will this be the end of Raffi Torres in the NHL? [Puck Stops Here] Could we see Jason Spezza back with the Ottawa Senators for game 3? [Ottawa Sun] See what the New Jersey Devils can use as an excuse for being eliminated. [Down Goes Brown]

Andrey Makarov stopped 30 of 33 shots Friday as the Saskatoon Blades opened the 2013 Memorial Cup with a 3-2 loss to the London Knights. The Blades, who hadn't played since being eliminated from the WHLplayoffs back on March 27, took a bit to get into a groove but were kept in the game by some excellent saves by Makarov. The score was knotted 2-2 until 2013 draft eligible Nikita Zadorov buried a power play rebound with 5:45 left in the third period to give the Knights the victory. Despite the outcome, the effort earned Makarov the game's number one star. The tournament continues Saturday with the much anticipated match-up between WHL champion Portland and kings of the QMJHL, Halifax. The game features the top three North American skaters in Winterhawks defender Seth Jones and the dynamic Mooseheads duo of Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, along with Central Scouting's top-rated netminder in Zachary Fucale. Makarov and the Blades return to action Sunday versus Halifax.

May 14, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi (31) reacts during game two of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center. The Kings defeated the Sharks 4-3 to take a 2-0 series lead. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Things were looking pretty good for the San Jose Sharks last night. Having been shutout in game one of their NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Los Angeles Kings, the Sharks had found a way to put three pucks past All-World goalie Jonathan Quick and were up 3-2 over the Kings.  All they had to do was hold on, and they would have stolen home ice advantage away, no mean feat considering how hard it is to go into the Shark Tank and win as the road team.  San Jose was tied for the best home winning percentage this year in the NHL with Chicago and LA, at .813, and only lost 2 games in regulation on their home ice the entire regular season. Game winding down, San Jose looking to head home tied 1-1 . . . plenty of upside for the Sharks. Yet here we are, discussing a series that LA currently leads 2-0.  Hmmm.   How, exactly, did this happen?  What made Sharks’ Coach Todd McLellan leave his team alone in the dressing room following the defeat? The good news: San Jose did not suffer a late-game meltdown anywhere near as historic as the Toronto Maple Leafs in game 7 of their first-round match-up with Boston.  Phew. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The bad news: with under two minutes left in the game, San Jose coughed up two goals within 22 seconds of one another, transforming their 3-2 lead into a 4-3 deficit which they failed to overcome.  How?  Two words: stupid penalties. A tripping penalty with under three minutes to go.  A delay of game penalty 22 seconds later.  Giving the Stanley Cup-defending, home-team Los Angeles Kings a 5-on-3 advantage with just over two minutes to go in a one-goal game? Yep; that’ll do ‘er. For the second straight game, the San Jose Sharks have been the better 5-on-5 team, but they have nothing to show for it, which goes to show you how thin the line between a good team and a Stanley Cup Championship team can be.   Mental fortitude, the belief that the game is never over until the horn sounds, possessing the discipline required to stay out of the penalty box when it most matters – no amount of talent in the world will help a team win a championship if it doesn’t possess the sort of intangible qualities that I just listed.  Hello, last year’s Pittsburgh Penguins: I’m pointing the finger at you.  So listen up, San Jose: when you say things such as this blurb from Brad Stuart - “I think 5-on-5, we were the better team. We keep doing those kinds of things, we’ll get our wins. That’s what we have to do” - well, you’re actually wrong, guys.  Because, in addition to the good “kinds of things” you’re doing, you are also doing bad “kinds of things,” like, you know, COMMITTING PENALTIES LATE IN THE GAME. Sorry to get forceful there,  but it’s true.  The better team doesn’t always win, San Jose, so you can tell yourself that things will start going your way if you just keep plugging away, but that won’t keep you warm at night when you’re sleeping in your beds two weeks from now.  Talent enough won’t win you the Cup, San Jose, and the LA Kings are currently schooling you in that regard.

May 16, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand (63) scores the game-winning goal against New York Rangers goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist (30) during the overtime period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Michal Ivins-USA TODAY Sports It’s hard to blame a Vezina winning goalie for losing a game in front of anemic offense, but somehow it feels like the Rangers could have won this game in regulation if Henrik Lundqvist hadn’t allowed a couple duffers. Whether Rangers fans want to admit it or not, it seems like this has become a regular occurrence in the playoffs. With a weak power play and an inconsistent offense, the Rangers need their netminder to not only stand on his head, but do a few spins while he’s at it. It may not be fair, but it’s the reality for the Rangers and their goalie, who now trail the Boston Bruins 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The first goal comes to mind as one The King would like back. I get it was Chara taking the shot, but the shot was point blank, with no screen, and it went through Lundqvist’s gut. It was an ugly one to give up in this tight game. Take that away and the Rangers are up 2-0 14 seconds into the third period. With the way the Rangers play defense, who knows what happens? That said, the Rangers could have Ken Dryden and Henrik Lundqvist playing in net at the same time and if they don’t get more offense going in this series, they will lose. They gave up 48 shots, including 16 shots in 15 minutes of overtime play. They were on pace to give up 60 shots in three overtimes of play. Considering how many others they blocked, the Rangers have issues all over the ice keeping up with the Bruins speed and intensity. You can compliment their defense for keeping things to the outside, but that only gets you so far. Consistent offense takes more pressure off a goalie Credit them for playing their usual tough defense, but their offense has to give them more of a break if they’re going to win this series. The Rangers cannot count on 1-0 wins and disappearing superstars from their opponent this time around. As for the Bruins, they’ll mostly look to not have the same drop off from Game 1 to 2 that they did in the first round. As good as they should feel after that dominating overtime, this team was a minute away from being dispatched by the Leafs. The Rangers haven’t lost at home this playoffs so the Bruins need to hold their home ice advantage in this series. Tuukka Rask’s second goal was nothing pretty to give up either so he’ll need to stay sharp. The biggest challenge for this team will be to maintain its level of play as opposed to the Rangers, who know they must excel beyond what they’ve shown in the playoffs thus far. Three Stars: Third: Ryan McDonagh – First for that laser with one second left in the second to tie things up. That shot changed the complexion of regulation and gave the Rangers a chance to steal this game. That goes along with his continued improved play in his own end. McDonagh stumbled out of the gate this season, but those days are long past him. The Rangers need more from their blue line, but fortunately they’re getting plenty from this guy. Second: Brad Marchand – Better late than never for his first goal of the playoffs. He showed great speed as always in getting to the slot and putting away the winner. Now he needs to carry on that success. Jaromir Jagr has been a floating log on the ice with him and it’s tough to blame Marchand for not thriving with the shaken up chemistry. Perhaps this goal knocks a few things into place. First: Zdeno Chara – He logged over 38 minutes, scored the opening goal of the game, and well he’s Zdeno Chara. He plays half of every game at this point and he looks no worse in the last minute than the first. Truly an all-time gamer in the playoffs. Cory Buck is an NHL writer for Sabre Noise. You can like Cory on Facebook (after you’ve liked Sabre Noise itself) or follow him on Twitter @TheBuckMopsHere.

Now that the dust has settled on another disappointing Buffalo Sabres season, it’s time to pick out some of the positives from the past year. While the team as a whole may have fallen short of expectations, there were several players who stepped up to the plate and answered the bell. Today we here at SabreNoise are handing out the Buffalo Sabres team awards. Team MVP, Best Forward, Best Rookie, Unsung Hero and so on. Sit back and reminisce in the good times from last season. Team MVP- Ryan Miller Finalists- Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek and Steve Ott This was a tough award to give out as both Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek took turns carrying the team this season. Unfotunately Vanek spent a little too much time on the IR and went cold in the middle of the season. While Miller didn’t have the best season statistically speaking he stole at least 6 games for the Sabres in which they had no business winning. Heck if the Buffalo Sabre players voted Ryan Miller as their team MVP, that’s pretty tough to

Once again, it’s time to dissect more of Darcy Regier’s career. After analyzing Darcy Regier’s trade deadline moves in Part One, I decided to dig right into the main portion and look through his success in the NHL draft, which has been a mixed bag for Darcy Regier. Buffalo Sabres fans are likely torn on whether Regier and his scouts have been successful in the draft during his tenure. Before we determine that though, we need to decide what exactly can be measured as a success in a league where we can’t judge drafts until at least five years afterwards. It’s easy to see that your team averages between six and nine draft picks per year and assume at least half of those players will end up in the NHL one way or another. Unfortunately that’s not the case. Not even close. In truth, if you examine each team’s draft over the past decade or so, you’ll see that at least 4 out of every 5 drafted prospects taken outside of the top 20 or so will never see an NHL game. In fact, if a GM can pull more than

Last month, we gave away a $300 worth of Sports Memorabilia…This month, FanSided and Sabre Noise have teamed up with Deals2Buy.com to give away a LG Electronics 42-Inch LED TV!!! This LG Electronics 42-Inch LED TV is provided by Deals2Buy, a leading website for deals, discounts and close-out inventory offers. Focused on delivering best-of-web pricing, Deals2Buy is known among tech-savvy consumers as the one stop shop for deals on items like laptops, cameras, televisions and other technology products – as well as apparel, accessories, travel, and even credit card offers. Sign up for the Deals2Buy Hot Deal Alerts newsletter and follow them on Twitter and Facebook to stay in the know about the hottest deals every day! To enter, simply like us on Facebook and sign up for our daily email newsletter, FanSided Daily. It is completely free and customizable to your unique rooting interest. Then earn additional entries by sharing the contest with friends! #contest { width: 560px; color: #333; font-size: 2