Gameday - Canucks at Sabres
Oct 17, 2008 NHL
The unbeaten Buffalo Sabres square off against the Vancouver Canucks tonight at HSBC Arena, with a 7:30pm start time. Vancouver played an OT game against the Red Wings last night in Detroit, winning 27 seconds into extra time, so they may be a bit tired coming in. They are 3-1, having beaten their rival the Calgary Flames twice also. Vancouver’s one loss came against the Washington Capitals, with Luongo getting pulled out of mercy (D allowed a crapload of shots).
There will be a few familar faces coming back to Buffalo tonight, as Steve Bernier is with the Canucks. He has the sweet assignment of skating with the Sedin twins. Taylor Pyatt returns as well. On the injury front, I haven’t seen anything about Tim Connolly yet, but this would be the ’seven day’ timeframe Lindy gave for his back injury. We’ll see. If Tim doesn’t go, we’ll probably seen more of Ellis just because he’s already here.
Barring a spur of the moment ticket purchase, I’ll be manning the PC tonight while the game is on. Let’s see 4 and 0!
Tags: buffalo, canucks, connolly, ellis, Hockey, injury, luongo, NHL, no the other sedin, pyatt, sabres, sedin, Steve Bernier, vancouver
HNIC - Order Is Restored
Oct 12, 2008 NHL
Now, THAT was the Leafs team we expected to see this year, am I right? Does this mean our PK is otherworldly (to keep Montreal off the board) or just that Toronto is so bad that they can’t stop anybody’s power play? We’ll find out.
Don Cherry was in mid-season form last night. He called out Ron Wilson for having his young defensemen keep two hands on the stick at all times, and showed a couple of times where skilled players in front of the net could spin off of that and get a point-blank shot. He also mentioned that Steve Bernier got 2, 5 and 10 for trying to protect one of the Sedin twins…what the fuck? I watched part of that game but missed all the extra penalties. Skilled players are getting slew-footed, punched and speared and the league is doing the discipline in the wrong direction. Think about everything the NFL does to try and protect QBs, and compare that with the beatdown Sid the Kid gets every game.
He finished up railing against John Tavares dropping out of the 1 spot for prospects, believing that he is being watched too critically after he got put in that spot. It went off in a tangent about the Leafs ignoring Ontario prospects. I love that Ron MacLean used the point against him, as the last all-North American team won the Cup, against his Bruins.
Tags: calgary, Canadiens, canucks, don cherry, flames, Hockey, maple leafs, Montreal, NFL, NHL, no the other sedin, sedin, Steve Bernier, toronto, vancouver, wilson
Random Buffalo Sports Stuff
Donte Whitner guarantees the Bills make the playoffs. Please do, while home playoff games are still played here, okay?
Steve Bernier, now of the Vancouver Canucks, signed an offer sheet with the Blues. The Canucks matched it, sparking, uh, nothing like the war of words between Lowe and Burke.
Jason Smith is off the list, and he’s with the Sens. Time to call Teppo! (my son is hopeful)
Tags: bills, blues, buffalo, canucks, Hockey, NHL, numminen, ottawa, sabres, senators, signing, smith, st. louis, Steve Bernier, vancouver, whitner
Big Bear Gone for Picks
Jul 4, 2008 NHL
The Buffalo Sabres have traded forward Steve Bernier (acquired as part of the deal that sent Soupy to the Sharks) to the Vancouver Canucks for a 2010 second round pick and a 2009 third. Bernier had 9 points in 17 games with the Sabres last season. It’s not the player fans wanted to be traded, despite his uneven play when he came over (really only had one or two impressive games), but sometimes teams just don’t want your cast-offs. I mean, I suppose the Lightning had already done too much this FA period.
Tags: buffalo, canucks, Hockey, NHL, sabres, Steve Bernier, trade, vancouver
Sabres Extend Qualifying Offers
Jun 25, 2008 NHL
Darcy Regier and the Buffalo Sabres announced that they have extended qualifying offers to all 5 of their restricted free agents. Steve Bernier, Paul Gaustad, Dan Paille, Mark Mancari and Clarke MacArthur are the players in question. In case you are wondering what that means:
By extending an offer, Buffalo retains the rights to each player and can match any offer extended to those players by other teams. Under NHL rules, other teams are allowed to make offers to restricted free agents. If the Sabres were to refuse to match the offer, they would be entitled to draft picks as compensation.
Shouldn’t be any blockbuster offers for any of these guys this year, so it shouldn’t be a stretch to think all will be back. I’ll be happier when Goose, Big Bear, The Little General and Key Lime are signed, though.
Tags: buffalo, gaustad, Hockey, macarthur, mancari, NHL, paille, sabres, signing, Steve Bernier
Max Factors In To The Playoff Picture
Apr 2, 2008 NHL
The Buffalo Sabres managed to survive in the playoff race one more day thanks to a timely shootout goal from Maxim Afinogenov, winning 4-3 in the skills comp. It looked bleak after the first minute of the game though, as jerkwad Darcy Tucker scored to put the Leafs up 1-0. Kaberle increased their lead to 2-0 on the power play at the end of the first.
Derek Roy cut the lead in half in the second period, sweeping in a rebound of an Afinogenov shot (which probably should’ve been a pass anyway) from his knees. The Sabres tied it at 2 on a contested goal by Steve Bernier. Big Bear tipped the puck underneath Raycroft (who had a great game after not playing since late January, stopping 38 in regulation and OT) as he crashed the net, and the video review showed it was over the line before the net came off the moorings. Steen put Toronto back on top a few minutes later, but Thomas Vanek had one of his patented tip-in goals on the PP to send the game to OT.
Miller made some great saves in OT, but the Sabres failed to capitalize on a power play and the game went to a shootout. Ryan got faked out on the first shot, unable to recover in time to stop Kaberle, but Kotalik had his back, notching his 5th shootout goal. Miller stopped all other Toronto shots as Sabre after Sabre rang shots off the post, until Max finished it with a great deke.
The Sabres’ playoff hopes now rest in the hands of New Jersey and Pittsburgh, who can help out by beating Boston and Philly tomorrow night. It will be a tense night of scoreboard watching for sure.
Tags: B-Lo Sports, Hockey, kaberle, kotalik, maple leafs, Maxim Afinogenov, NHL, raycroft, roy, Ryan Miller, sabres, steen, Steve Bernier, Thomas Vanek, toronto, tucker
Gameday - Sabres at Penguins (updated)
Mar 12, 2008 NHL
The Buffalo Sabres travel to the Igloo to face the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, and they do so without Andrew Peters. Peters was suspended for one game for hitting Colton Orr while he was on the bench. Peters was retaliating for a hit that Orr put on a Sabres player that put him into the bench as regulation time expired. On the injury front, Steve Bernier and Michael Ryan both practiced but at this point their status for tonight is uncertain. Kalinin is out for 1 to 2 weeks, and Spacek longer, so Mike Weber will be on the ice.
Buffalo currently sits 4 points behind Philly in the standings, and Philly plays the Maple Leafs again tonight for the back-end of a home and home. You can just go ahead and fill in al the typical sports cliches about it being ’crunch time’ or ‘must-win’ on your own, don’t need my help with that by now.
Update: No Sidney Crosby tonight, he is sitting with that ankle injury that kept him out the past several weeks. Connolly may sit with the continuing hip soreness, getting The Kaleta back in. Bernier will play.
Tags: connolly, crosby, Hockey, injury, kaleta, kalinin, NHL, orr, penguins, peters, pittsburgh, ryan, sabres, Spacek, Steve Bernier, the kaleta, weber
Gameday - Rangers at Sabres
Mar 10, 2008 NHL
[singlepic=15,160,120,,right]The Rangers are in town tonight, facing a Sabres team that is hurting, both physically and for points. According to WGR, Paetsch practiced (leg laceration), but Bernier (groin), Tallinder (shoulder), and Connolly (lost his purse) all sat out and probably won’t play. The Sabres are 4 points out of the playoffs right now and can close in on Philly with a win tonight. The game is on Versus tonight, 7pm. Get your radios out if you are tiring of the lackluster play by play the VS team gives us.
Tags: connolly, Hockey, injury, new york, NHL, paetsch, rangers, sabres, Steve Bernier, tallinder, wgr
Gameday - Canadiens at Sabres
Feb 29, 2008 NHL
Montreal is in town tonight for a 7:30pm game at HSBC Arena. The Sabres are coming off their first win of the post-Soupy era, with a huge contribution from Steve Bernier. Bernier has fallen in love with Buffalo, and after that game, the feeling is mutual. If he can keep the energy up like that more often than not, he will be a great contributor.
Adam Mair has a knee injury and may sit out tonight. Thankfully, Angry Eyebrows (Stafford) and Max return to the lineup tonight, with Clarke MacArthur as a healthy scratch. Hecht left practice early yesterday and is out again. Montreal is now relying on young goalie Carey Price after trading Huet away.
Taking a look at the standings, Montreal can take over second place in the East (and first in the Northeast) with a win, which the Sabres need the points to get back into a playoff spot after Boston, Philly and the Rangers all won last night. Montreal is a sterner test than Nashville was but at least they most likely will not try to sucker-punch our team.
Tags: angry eyebrows, B-Lo Sports, campbell, Canadiens, Drew Stafford, hecht, Hockey, injury, macarthur, mair, Maxim Afinogenov, Montreal, NHL, price, sabres, Steve Bernier
Sabres Pounce on Predators 8-4
Feb 27, 2008 NHL
Steve Bernier didn’t take long to make an impression on Buffalo Sabres fans, scoring the first two goals of the game and adding an assist as the Sabres pounded the Preds 8 to 4. Bernier’s hard charging play set the tone for the team, as they played one of their most physical games of the year.
Paille had the third goal of the game shortly into the second period after Miller stopped Scott Nichol on a penalty shot, but then a scary play in front of the Sabres net gave the Preds some life. Marek Zidlicky ripped a point shot square off Ryan Miller’s mask, causing part of it to dislodge and smack into his nose. Newly acquired Predator Jan Hlavac put home the rebound before the play was whistled dead. Jocelyn Thibault let two goals in during his time in relief, but to be fair they were both tough shots. Lydman got down to block the first but then inexplicably got back up and let the shot through, eluding T-bo. The Preds then got several chances at a rebound in front of the net and put it home.
Andrew Peters had the next goal for the Sabres, thanks to serious work behind the net by Mair and Kaleta. The Kaleta made a sweet backhand pass to the slot and Peters put it in like he’s done it way more than the 4 times in his career. Arnott scored a PPG to cut the lead back to one, but Pominville and Roy scored to finish off the second period and put things back out of reach. Legwand for the Preds, and Connolly and Kotalik for the Sabres finished the scoring in the third.
There was no love lost between the teams, thanks to their last game wherein Scott Nichol sucker-punched Spacek and earned a suspension. Nichol ran The Kaleta into the boards early, garnering a penalty (and further attention later on). Roy and Fiddler jousted as well, but the true rough stuff came in the third. Andrew Peters took on Darcy Hordichuk, and Adam Mair fought Jordin Tootoo one second later on the next faceoff.
The big scrum came toward the end of the game, as Kaleta and Fiddler got into it well behind the play. Radulov had an elbowing major in there somewhere too. Scott Nichol came in as the third man in and sucker-punched Kaleta in the back of the head. All bets were off then as Kalinin stepped in to pull Nichol out. Gaustad sought Nichol out on the next faceoff where Nichol was on the ice and slammed him to the ice, challenging for the fight but getting separated before it could happen. It was basically insanity out there, but you have to LOVE the boys standing up for themselves all night and pushing back as much as they were pushed. A very well deserved two points.
Tags: B-Lo Sports, connolly, fiddler, fight, gaustad, hlavac, Hockey, hordichuk, Jason Arnott, kaleta, kotalik, legwand, mair, NHL, nichol, paille, peters, pominville, roy, Ryan Miller, sabres, Steve Bernier, thibault, tootoo, zidlicky
