The Sabres have not won a game since 12/22 vs. Philly.
They've now lost 5 straight games.
This slump is about more than just burying chances and getting pucks to the net. Its not about clutch goaltending. In my opinion, two things are killing the Sabres these days:
1). They are not able to land the knock out punch. I'm not talking about Andrew Peters vs. Brian McGrattan-- thats a punchline to a joke for another time. I'm talking about three Buffalo forwards finishing the other team's three forwards. The Sabres are struggling and their offensive zone pressure is a cause for concern. They'll eat the other guy's jab, they'll recover and counter-punch, however, they cannot knock the other guy out. Ever see Arturo "Thunder" Gatti box? His fights with Irish Mickey Ward are legendary! The guy is all heart and he has tremendous charisma and talent. His problem is that he takes as many shots to the face as he lands on the other guy's button. Works well in the short term, however, it can rattle the brain over the long haul. Right now, the Sabres, in my opinion, are that guy-- they are not dominating opponents and they are not closing the show.
Tonight, they had a shaky Ray Emery on the ropes for more than forty minutes, and they could not close the show. Emery was a ball of confusion all night long.
I spoke with Emery in the Ottawa room, minutes after the game. He wore a wide grin on his face because he knew that his D men saved his bacon tonight. They cleared the crease, ran a clean breakout, and denied Buffalo sustained drives in the attack zone. Emery's D stayed home and they battled in front of him. Anton Volchenkov, Andrej Meszaros, Chris Phillips, and the rest of the Ottawa D jumped in shot lanes and blocked shots for their wobbly goalie. Hard to believe that this was Volchenkov's first game back after missing 15 with a broken finger. How'd you like the bell ringer he laid on Dan Paille? It was a text book check and he separated the man from the puck. Did Buffalo Dmen apply such body pressure in their own end tonight? The Ottawa D corps were the diffrence in the game. On a night when Emery did not have his best stuff, his mates came to his defense.
Ryan Miller's D did not do the same.
The result: an early shower for Miller.
Miller had never been pulled from his cage in a home game in his career-- until tonight.
2). Their D is passive aggressive these days, and they are too quick to give up body position and throw the weak stick check at opponents in the Buffalo end. These days, the Sabres Dmen seem to be using their time in their D zone as an opportunity to take a breather, catch their breath, before they take off on another offensive rush up the ice. Its nice that guys like Campbell, Spacek, Tallinder and Paetsch want to lug the mail and join the rush, however, they are not striking fear in the hearts and minds of guys like Crosby, Armstrong, Malkin, Heater, Spezz, and Alfie-- in their own end. Its almost as if the Buffalo D have this false feeling of security that Ryan Miller will make the HUGE save-everytime- and pull their collective fat out of the fire. That works on some nights. Not against Ottawa. You give those guys a seam or a inch downlow, and they'll kill you.
You saw what Heatley and Alfredsson did at the end of the game.
*************
Ottawa coach John Paddock assessed his team's play after the game:
"I think we turned the puck over at their blue line too many times and we were lackadasical. It really cost us in the third period. In the second period, we were really slow. Poor plays with the puck and we let them keep counter-attacking, and they are a great counter-attack team. They ended up getting like 30 shots in the last two periods".
Translation: Buffalo had the opportunities to bury us, but, they didn't. "We let them back into the game" is what I heard at leat 6 times in the Sens room.
The Sens coughed up a 3-0 lead in the third, and they were close to losing their lead. They weathered the Buffalo barrage and their star players-- Heatley, Spezza, and Alfredsson responded when they needed to.
"It looks like you're not fazed because we came back and won the game. But, thats what you have... ya know wevery team wants to, and ,most teams do have stra players. I don't know howmany chances Heater had before that (the GWG), but, he comes down and buries one. Thats what those guys have to do at those times if you're going to be a successful team. Thats certainly a goal scorers goal when you throw a wrister from 30 feet. Ya know, it just changed the game back".
Ottawa had the MOMENTUM at 3-0. They lost it for a while. Then, like a thief in the night, Heatley picked Buffalo's pocket-- AGAIN!
I asked Heatley what it is about him scoring key goals late in games against Buffalo in HSBC Arena.
" This place is a place I like to play. The fans are great and I really get up foir these game in here".
It would be nice to hear a Sabres forward say the same thing.
********
Ryan Miller had never been given the hook by his coach inside HSBC Arena, that is, until tonight.
"We didn't get many shots on goal after he was pulled. It was a bit surprising, maybe, but maybe in the end we were glad he wasn't in. He (Lindy Ruff) got a response right way when they scored a goal", Kotalik scored 15 seconds after Spezza's goal ran Miller to the showers. " I think it was more that his team was flat and he needed that spark and they got a goal right away", Paddock said.
******
Paddock liked Ray Emery's effort tonight:
"I think he was pretty solid. There was a lot of shots that came his way, especially in the third period. We turned the puck over in our zone and got some forwards who don't want to get in the way of the pucks from the points. Also, shots were getting blocked and not getting through. I think he was fine. "
************
I spoke with Chris Neil after the game. He loves playing the Buffalo Sabres.
" You have two good teams playing aginst each other. We don't take Buffalo for granted. Thye've got a good team and they skate well, they never quit and they just keep comin at ya. its an exciting game, its always back and forth. If you're up by three goals, you can't let up, like we did tonight, or they'll get right back in it".
Neil told me that he thought that the move to lift Miller at 3-0 was a good idea.
"Sometimes, you make a little change in net, and ya know, it fires the guys up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It worked for them tonigt and it got them back in the game. Ya know, Heater came down and made a great shot , and it was huge, It took the momentum away (from Buffalo)."
Neil on Emery's play in Buffalo:
Ray hasn't had a chance to play lately. I think that he showed that he wants to play and he wants to play a lot. His work ethic ws there tonight, which was good to see, and he made some big saves for us".
*******
Ray Emery was asked if he thought tonight as one of his better games this year, to which he deadpanned:
" One of the best five that I've won, you know?"
Emery would like to get more action in the second half of the season:
" I like to play. I'd like to string some games together"
********
******
Join the Discussion:
»