Buffalo Sabres

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day Weekend.  With the NHL and NBA playoffs going strong – please remember exactly what we are celebrating this weekend, and stay safe.  Don’t drink and drive.  Buckle your safety belts.  Keep your legs and arms inside the ride at all times. While the post season was non existent for the Buffalo Sabres – many of their prospects have been enduring a long post season struggle this year.  [Hockey's Future]. Should the Buffalo Sabres be considering moving both Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller this summer?   [WGR550]. The Ottawa Sentors take to twitter on the heals of the end of a good season for them to thank their fans.  [CBC Sports]. The Toronto Star proves that they still know how to write about hockey at the end of May.  [Toronto Star]. The Penguins could know who they are playing as early as today.  [NHL]. The Chicago Blackhawks are on the verge of a collapse after a magical regular season.  [Chicago Tribune]. The Los Angeles Kings are keeping things simple as they have the San Jose Sharks on the brink.  [USA Today]. Are sweeps warranted in the second round and beyond?  Shouldn’t you be good enough to win at least one game if you make it out of the first round?  Here’s looking for a sweep in the Conference Finals! What are your thoughts on the stupidity of eliminating the Vegas Award Show.

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports As the National Hockey League continues to look for ways to rebuild their fan base after another lengthy lockout – they take seven steps backwards. Fans continue to feel alienated with the league and the players constantly fighting and taking the game away from the fans.  They lack a major television deal.  From a hockey standpoint, you have three major news events in the summer, the draft, the awards show, and free agency.  The NHL and NHLPA have successfully eliminated one of those options. What exactly does it do to to further the game by eliminating the awards show?  You took away from the black tie affair by moving it from a National Hockey League market to Las Vegas – giving in to NFL like pro bowl player demands. It doesn’t even appear that the players will be present to receive their awards – which makes me wonder whether or not the actual trophies will be on hand. Whats the point in having hardware if you never get to showcase it?  I for one miss the players being handed their trophy and being able to hold the real thing – being given nothing more than a tiny replica on stage when they receive their award. Eliminating the award show eliminates another event for fans to enjoy their players and recognize them for their achievements. I don’t want to find out who won the Calder Memorial or the Hart Trophy during the Stanley Cup finals – I am only interested in the game at that point.

May 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Boston Bruins player Tyler Seguin Tyler Seguin (19) takes a shot on New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) during the third period in game four of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports Fans of the NHL Playoffs were treated to not one, not two, but three stellar goaltending efforts last night. In the first game of the evening, the New York Rangers found themselves on the brink of elimination, having dug themselves an 0-3 hole against the Boston Bruins.  It’s safe to say that the Rangers might want to address their offense in the offseason – it’s bad.  Not bad, as in “good, in a nasty way.”  No, bad as, “Why are you afraid to score any goals, New York?  Seen too many Friday the 13th movies?!?”  Yeah – as bad as that joke.   Last night their offense was outshot by Boston’s 40-32, but they managed to eke out an overtime win due in large part to Henrik Lundqvist, who made 37 saves and is really the only reason the Rangers even made it out of the first round.  Facing elimination against a Boston squad that would have love to have closed out this team and winning in overtime – that’s some clutch net-minding right there. Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports Detroit’s goaltender Jimmy Howard was not facing elimination last night, but he was facing a desperate Chicago Blackhawks team that was starting to feel the weight of the lofty expectations their stellar regular season has placed on their shoulders.  Chicago did not want to have to return home with their tails between their legs and a 3-1 deficit staring them in the eyes . . . but thanks to Howard’s 28-save shutout performance, that is exactly what the Blackhawks must now do.  What makes this shutout even more impressive is the fact that this was Howard’s 20th consecutive start for the Red Wings!  That’s crazy, and the dude should be exhausted – yet he just posted his first shutout of these playoffs, against the team almost everyone picked to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. And oh, by the way, Jonathan Quick recorded his second shutout in LA’s series against the San Jose Sharks, and his third of these playoffs, leading the Kings to a 3-2 lead over the Sharks.   I hate to be so blase about Quick’s Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports accomplishment, especially since San Jose had defeated the Kings twice in the Shark Tank, and were looking to steal a game in the Staples Center so they could finish off the defending champs back home in the Tank.  But come on – it’s Jonathan Quick.  He has seven shutouts in his playoff career – and he’s only 27.  I want to cry just typing that.  He has faced 330 shots in his playoff career – and stopped 313 of them.  Plus, he was playing at home in the Staples Center last night, where the Kings have not lost yet during this postseason.  I guess you can still vote for him, though! So whaddya think? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Andrey Makarov saw his season come to an end Thursday as Saskatoon was eliminated from the 2013 Memorial Cup with a 6-1 loss to London. The tiebreaker game victory sends the Knights to Friday's semifinal versus Portland for the right to face Halifax in Sunday's final. For Makarov, the season-ender was a mixed bag. He kept the Blades in the game for two periods with some big saves, but it appeared that both he and the over-matched team in front of him simply ran out of gas versus the high-powered Knights. London came out strong with three quick goals in the third period, causing coach Lorne Molleken to give Makarov the mercy pull with his club down by a 6-1 count. The 6-foot-1 netminder finishes the tournament with a 1-3 mark, a 4.09 GAA and .889 save%. On Wednesday, Makarov again made some nice stops to keep the game competitive as Saskatoon closed out the round-robin portion of the tourney with a 4-2 loss to Portland, thrusting the Blades into the Thursday tiebreaker. Overall, the young goaltender played well given the 50+ day break between the WHL playoffs and the Memorial Cup, setting the stage for his first organized Sabres activity when development camp begins in July.

Nov 10, 2012; Norman, OK, USA; A military flyover is performed in honor of Veterans Day before the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Baylor Bears at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Sooners won 42 – 34. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports Memorial Weekend is almost upon us, readers, and with it comes the promise of a 3-day weekend for most of us.  I actually have a 4-day weekend, but rest assured, I’ll be working harder outside on my yard than I would be at my paying job, so don’t be jealous!  Once the actual weekend rolls around, though, I’ll be enjoying my time off, and I hope you can do the same! Speaking of enjoying their time off, I wonder if Brad Richards enjoyed having last night’s game against the Boston Bruins off?  Something tells me he did not. And someone who may have time off earlier than almost everyone expected?  Jonathon Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks, who is in some serious hot water according to Garth over at Hockey Buzz. Making the most of their time off right now?  The Colorado Avalanche, who have hired Patrick Roy to be their new head coach. A few teams are closer to having the summer off, thanks to last night’s NHL playoffs action.  bleacher report does their usual takeaways from last night’s action. While you’re over at b/r, you may want to read up on the most impressive statistic for each team that made it into this year’s NHL playoffs.  Interesting stuff, I think. And I’ll leave you today with this funny piece that combines Memorial Day, backyard barbecues, and Raffi Torres of the San Jose Sharks.  Enjoy!

Ville Leino #23 / Right Wing / Buffalo Sabres Height: 6-1 Weight: 190 Born: Oct 06, 1983 GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT 2012 - Ville Leino 8 2 4 6 0 6 1 0 0 11 Contract: $6,000,000 salary, cap hit $4,500,000 through till 2016-17. Report Card Grade in 2012: 2.5 out of 10 Introduction: With the addition of amnesty buyouts to the collective bargaining agreement earlier this year, there was belief that Ville Leino would be bought out by the Sabres. When he wasn't ready to begin the season after suffering a hip injury during training camp, rumors only heightened that he was done in Buffalo. However, the Finn did return to the squad on March 16th, and actually looked pretty good, before injury shut him down for the season after just eight games. Hopes that he would have a bounce back year after his miserable first season in Buffalo will have to be postponed, as once again we face an offseason that should be filled with buyout rumors. Leino looked less hesitant with the puck in the eight games, as if Lindy Ruff's departure had given him more confidence. While the small sample size shouldn't be definitive, he did show more signs of the puck-possession game that he was renowned for previous to coming to Buffalo. Key Stat: Two turnovers in eight games played. Yes, you read that right. The Ville Leino that turned the puck over 0.39 times/game last season is improving. Thumbs Up: Leino's shooting percentage was 18.2%, way up from the 10.3% in the previous season, and more in line with his big year at Philadelphia of 16.2%. Thumbs Down: 8 games played in a 48 game season. That equates to $1.25 million per game ($6 million contract + $4 million signing bonus), $5 million per goal, $1.3 million per point...terrible numbers whichever way you look at them. Voting: Using the good old grade school system of A, B, C, D, F, with A representing a great season, C an average season, and F a very poor season, grade Ville Leino on his performance this year according to the expectations you had for him. Poll What grade would you give Ville Leino for his 2012-13 season? A B C D F 6 votes | Results

Boston Bruins at New York Rangers, Game 4 In the first game of the NHL Playoffs on Thursday night, the Boston Bruins skated into Madison Square Garden with the New York Rangers on the brink of elimination. Down 3-0, another loss would have sent the Rangers home for the off-season, and possibly signal the end of the road for coach John Tortorella. Keep in mind, Sabres fans, that Lindy Ruff is still unemployed. Prior to the game, Tortorella finally scratched $60 million dollar man Brad Richards, he of one point in 10 playoff games. For the initial two periods, the Bruins controlled the game and the tempo. The Rangers came out seemingly uninterested, uninspired, and relegated to accepting their fate. New York fired a measly 4 shots on goal in the opening period, and relied on Henrik Lundqvist to pick up the pieces, making 12 saves in period one. After power play goals by Nathan Horton and Torey Krug in the second stanza, it was clear that the Rangers were on the ropes. Then, Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask granted the gift of life, as he fell on his backside and watched as a weak backhand from Carl Hagelin trickled by in slow-motion, making the game 2-1 and giving the crowd some motivation. In the 3rd period, a different Rangers team skated out. Derek Stepan picked slow-moving Zdeno Chara’s pockets behind the Bruins net, and stuffed a beautiful wrap-around behind Rask to knot the score, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Tyler Seguin worked to calm the momentum, grabbing his first goal of the playoffs with 12 minutes remaining. Yet, 2 minutes later, Brian Boyle had an answer, taking a perfect Stepan pass alone in the slot and firing it past Rask, giving the Rangers a much-needed power-play goal. In overtime, the Bruins initially had a few great scoring chances, but Lundqvist was there to snuff them out. Entering the game, Lundqvist was only 4-10 lifetime in playoff overtime games, including 0-3 this season. Then, out of nowhere, Rick Nash sent a pass to a streaking Kreider, who deflected the puck into the top left corner past Rask, giving New York a 4-3 win, and a little life in this Round 2 matchup. Game 5 will take place on Saturday in Boston. Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit Red Wings, Game 4 The Detroit Red Wings style is typically defined as full of finesse and flash. So far in this series, the Wings play can be summarized as feisty and physical. It seems to be something that the Chicago Blackhawks had not game-planned for, as they have seemed stymied and stunned throughout this series. The Hawks took to the ice in Detroit down 2 games to 1. Entering the game, Chicago had not lost 3 games in a row all season long. The dirty, grinding play of the Red Wings continued in Game 4, and in conjunction it kept the Blackhawks and their captain Jonathan Toews looking confused and flustered. At one point, Toews took silly consecutive penalties in the second period, leading the Wings to the only goal that they would need. Jakub Kindl scored a power-play goal halfway through the second period, and from there, Detroit was able to hang on, eventually getting an empty net goal from Daniel Cleary to make it 2-0. Until the Kindl goal, the Hawks had been a perfect 30-for-30 on the penalty kill in these playoffs. Chicago could never get their game going, as the redshirts always seemed to have 2 men on any Blackhawk carrying the puck. The top-seeded Blackhawks never seemed to be in sync, and their shot totals reflected their deterioration as the dogged determination of Detroit in this game wore on: 14 shots in the 1st, 8 shots in the 2nd, and 6 shots in the 3rd. Jimmy Howard continued his playoff brilliance, earned a well-deserved shutout. Detroit will have a chance to close out the series in Game 5 Saturday in Chicago. San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings, Game 5

May 20, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) reacts after game three of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Detroit won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports The Detroit Red Wings host the President Trophy-winning Chicago Blackhawks in game 4 of their NHL Playoffs series tonight. While the series currently stands at only 2-1 in Detroit’s favor, there is an awful lot of buzz around the web considering the mindset of the Chicago Blackhawks. Over at SI.com, for example, there is a link labelled “Hawks seeing Wings in their Sleep,” and clicking on said link will take you to the Truth and Rumors article, “Red Wings are winning mind games.”   Reading this article, you will see that the Detroit Red Wings view the five consecutive penalties that the Blackhawks committed in the third period of game 3 as a sign that they are “absolutely” in the heads of the Hawks right about now.  Furthermore, according to Detroit defenseman Jonathan Ericsson, the Red Wings see tangible benefits from playing these mind games: “If we can get them frustrated, that’s almost 1-0 for us right away,” Ericsson said. Reading through the fan comments that follow the article would indicate that a lot of fans agree that the Red Wings have damaged the Blackhawks’ psyche, and word has it that Chicago was tinkering with its lines at yesterday’s practice, which people want to see as an act of desperation. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are taking a different approach: “This year, with how well it’s gone for us,” winger Brandon Saad said following the workout, “it’s about time we faced some adversity.” Oh no – not the adversity angle.  Yikes.  Well, what did head coach Joel Quenneville have to say? Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports “I don’t think we’ve been against it in any areas, as far as many stretches in games being down, and definitely in a series we haven’t been down. It’s a great test for us. It’s a good challenge for us. The adversity we’re in right now, we have to find a way to overcome it, and that’ll be a challenge at the end of the day, to find out about everybody.” More of that adversity stuff.  Whenever I hear a team start talking about adversity, I get nervous, since they are already halfway to making excuses about why they lost.  Still, the Blackhawks insist being down 2-1 is a source of motivation, not frustration.  Let’s not forget, either, how both Boston and Pittsburgh have responded to the challenges they had to face in the first round of these playoffs.  Is Chicago about to follow suit? What is your take on the situation?  Have the Red Wings gotten Chicago off its game?  Or has Detroit merely provided the Blackhawks with the inspiration the Blackhawks need to think, and win, like a champion? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Patrick Kaleta #36 / Right Wing / Buffalo Sabres Height: 6-1 Weight: 206 Born: Jun 08, 1986 GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT 2012 - Patrick Kaleta 34 1 0 1 -4 67 0 0 0 34 Contract: $1.25 million cap hit through 2014-2015. Report Card for 2012: 5.38 out of 10 Introduction: It was pretty much a lost season for Patrick Kaleta, who continued his trend of missing large chunks of games due to injury, appearing in just 34 games. Kaleta also found himself on the couch again, continuing to be the poster boy for the NHL's suspension policy, after cross checking Brad Richards in March. Worse still, Kaleta reacted poorly when he was designated as a healthy scrath at one point, saying he was "pissed off", which prompted Ryan Miller to say he needs to "grow up". So, yeah. Cool season, bro. Key Stat: ONE GOAL, on 34 shots. That's good for a 2.9% shooting percentage. I know, he's not out there to score goals, but at one point early in Kaleta's career he at least showed the nose for grabbing a goal here or there (especially shorthanded) and showing better instincts on when to pick and choose his spots than he did this year. Thumbs Up: He's at least affordable, with his $1.25 million salary not presenting too much of a detriment to the team. He also lead the league by a long shot in penalties drawn per 60 minutes for players with over 20 games played. He's always at or near the top of this category, which leads to more power plays every year for Buffalo. He also remains a great penalty killer and has shown more of a willingness as his career has developed to block shots and to fight when the situation calls for it. At this point, Kaleta is a known commodity. It's up to you to decide whether or not you consider him a value to the team. Thumbs Down: That shooting percentage ranks him dead last on the team for anyone that took more than 15 shots. We're not short on guys with "heart" on this team ("Heart" in this case meaning "Pretty bad at hockey"), so Kaleta will need to carve some sort of extra value on this team for me to look at him as any more than a below average hockey player who is there to carry the hometown banner. He also had a down year in hits, thanks to yet another injury that only allowed him to play 34 games. At this point in his career, you can only bank on 50-60 games per season from Kaleta. Is that enough for what he brings? Voting: Using the good old grade system of A, B, C, D, F, with A representing a great season, C an average season, and F a very poor season, grade Pat Kaleta on his performance this season compared to the expectations you had for him. Poll How would you grade Pat Kaleta's 2013 season? A B C D F 8 votes | Results

Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports It was a busy Wednesday afternoon in the NHL. Wednesday started with the news that Alain Vigneault had been fired as the Vancouver Canucks head coach. After the Canucks were swept in the first round for the second season in a row everyone knew changes were coming. Unfortunately for Vigneault, he takes the blame and Mike Gillis gets to stick around. Wednesday night ended with the Pittsburgh Penguins dominating the Ottawa Senators and taking a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Senators backs are now against the wall, it’s either make history or be history. As you kick off your Thursday morning sit back, enjoy your coffee and join me in a stroll around the NHL world. With the news of Vigneault’s firing, let’s take a look at the most likely candidates to replace him as Canucks head coach. Can anyone say Lindy Ruff? [Bleacher Report] When looking for stylish NHL players one doesn’t have to search much farther than Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist may top the list but see what hockey players know how to clean up. [Sharp For Men] With the Chicago Blackhawks reeling and needing a spark down 2-1 in their series with the Detroit Red Wings, could we see Ray Emery get the call between the pipes anytime soon? [Blackhawk Up] If you’ve ever watched a hockey game on CBC especially during the playoffs you’ve had the pleasure of seeing some pretty amazing montages. Meet Tim Thompson the genius behind those montages. [National Post] What would a Daily Dashboard be without any Buffalo Sabres news? Check out what we learned about Cody Hodgson this season as he makes the grade. [Die By the Blade] Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakub Voracek crashed his Ferrari while visiting his home land. The car is a mess but Voracek escaped without injury. [Pro Hockey Talk] Still holding out hope that Ryan Miller will return to the Buffalo Sabres next season? Check out the latest rumours to see if they’re fact or fiction. [Bleacher Report]