The Oilers have recalled D Colton Teubert and C Josh Green from their AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City.
RNH and Tom iolbert will not play in Buffalo.
****
Danny Gare's brother-in-law, Tom Renney explains the Oilers injury conundrum:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the first overall pick in the 2011 NHL draft, sustained an upper body injury in the Edmonton Oilers' game vs. the Chicago Blackhawks.
Nugent Hopkins fell and smacked the wall. He was not tripped or obstructed with.
The Edmonton Oilers announced the injury during the second period of the game. Exact details are not known at this time.
RNH has been outstanding for the Oilers this season, scoring 35 points on 13 goals and 22 assists. He leads all NHL rookies with 38 points in 35 games..
As if losing your second leading scorer wasn't bad enough, the Oilers will dealh another crippling injury blow when D Tom Gilbert was demolished by Blackhawks bad ass, Dan Carcillo. Carcillo was given a 5 minute boadring and a game misconduct. Gilbert's right knee is in serious distress.
Looked to me like Car Bomb was looking to send a message to Gilbert and not play the puck.
You make the call. Carcillo has been suspended five times in his NHL career. He is the new Matt Cooke. I'd sit him for 10+ games. You?
Former Sabre Raffi Torres was suspended for two games on Monday for a similar hit on Dallas Stars D Nate Prosser.
The Oilers blue line has been decimated by injuries to key personnel this season. They need help in a bad way.
Perhaps their GM, Steve Tambellini, is talking trade with Darcy Regier. If they are not in serious talks now, they should have lunch at the Anchor Bar on Tuesday. The Oil need " D". The Sabres need "O".
Oilers need a puck mover in the worst way with Ryan Whitney, now Tom Gilbert injured. Whitney likely cannot play in Buffalo as he is still recovering from his lower body injury. The Oilers will have to recall a D from Oklahoma City to take the place of Gilbert in Buffalo.
On a positive note, the Oilers survived a Blackhawks blitz in the final 10 minutes. They gut out an impressive 4-3 victory. Chicago entered the game with the NHL best home record.
The Oilers are scheduled to land in Buffalo between 3-4am EDT. With the time change, the Oilers will be exhausted. Their 11:30 am skate will be optional.
Henrik Lundqvist slammed his five hole closed on Danny Briere's questionable penalty shot with 19.6 seconds remaiand thus, ning in a one goal game. Thus, the Flyers were the losers of the Winter Classic.
Here's a dejected Briere in the Flyers room after the game.
Thanks, csnphilly.com
I predicted a Rangers 4-2 win before the game.
****
Earlier today, Sabres President, Ted Black, addressed the current Time Warner Cable/MSG dispute
Black's message to Time Warner and MSG:
Get this stupid "misunderstanding" settled immediately before hundreds of thousands of Sabres fans lose their Sabres on MSG.
Thanks, Sabres.com
****
Tyler Myers skated at today's practice as the seventh Dman.
The Oil Rig is nearing his return to the Sabres lineup after suffering a broken scaphoid bone in his wrist on Movember 19.
Myers has been leaning more on his stick and engaging in more physical play. Very good news for the down trodden loyalists in Pegulaville.
Myers will be seeing the radiologist for another CT scan on the wrist on Tuesday morning.
Cross your fingers...
Thanks, sabres.com
***
Rockin Robyn Regehr is ready to leave the failures of 2011 in the rear view mirror. New year brings new energy.
Thanks, sabres.com
****
Watching the Winter Classic pre-game shows, I have a strong opinion;
Buffalo has earned the right to host the next NHL Winter Classic. Here are a few reasons why I feel strongly about Hockey Heaven getting the next "Ice Bowl":
* The first ever WC sold 75,000 seats. Huge economic and PR impact for the NHL
* Buffalo-Toronto is the NHLs top TV market with 7+ million households.
* Record ratings on NHL NBC affiliate, WGRZ-TV. Sabres games fetch huge ratings, while non-Sabres games routine earn top three overnight Neilsen ratings.
* '11 World Juniors sold out.
* Buffalo sold out the 2004 NCAA Frozen Four Championships.
Mix in some " Pegula Magic" to an already successful model, and you've got the makings for the biggest and best Winter classic in NHL history.
I've reached out the the Sabres and to the management at WGRZ-TV. Lets create a HUGE hockey buzz and demand that the NHL deliver the Winter Classic experience back to Buffalo, NY.
Are you ready, Hockey Heaven??!
****
****
Corey Tropp suffered a concussion while playing for the sabres on 12/9. Since then, he's ben with the Sabres, recovering from his injury. His NHL salary has been counting against Buffalo's cap due to the fact that he was injured while skating with the NHL club. Ditto Colin Stuart (foot).
Today, the Sabres sent Tropp back to Rochester, which signifies that the winger is healthy and ready to resume playing. Nathan Gerbe was activated for the Sabres' Saturday game vs. Ottawa. Zack Kassian was the healthy scratch so that Gerbe could play.
Zack Kassian has not been returned to Rochester.
Tyler Ennis has been skating with the team, and is nearing his return from his ankle injury.
Tyler Myers likely will make his return to the starting lineup this week, too.
Coach Ruff will skate his team at 11:30am at First Niagara Center. Ryan Nugent Hopkins, Taylor Hall and the Edmonton Oilers will be in town on Tuesday night.
Its long overdue for the Sabres to piece together a 5-7 game win streak. They dangle precariously from the precipice of the brink of The Falls. They are closer to the basement tan they are to a Playoff spot.
*****
I'm hearing the name Sam Gagner associated with trade talks. Buffalo and Chicago are real possibilities for the former London Knight.
Gagner is only 22, however, has played the past five seasons for Edmonton. He's a 5'11 190 centreman with soft hands and fast feet.
Gagner was originally drafted by the Oilers along with Andrew Cogliano to add skill and scoring to their lineup. The Mississauga native's career started out strong for the Oilers, however, has tailed off lately. His offense has suffered at times recently due to his role changing on the team. He's played with new linemates on a regular basis. The emergence of young guns Hall, Eberle, and Nugent-Hopkins to name a few.
Gagner will score you goals 5 on 5 and on the PP. Gagner makes $2.275 million this season and he will become RFA on 7/1.
Gagner tore up the OHL with his London Knight bro, Pat Kane.
Another Oiler who's name is connected to the Sabres is Shawn Horcoff. The big centerman played with Ryan Miller at Michigan State University. Horcoff is all business.
Horcoff has scored 8 goals and added 13 assists in 37 games this season.
He has scored 150 goals in the past 10 and a half seasons in Edmonton.
Horcoff is 6'1 and 210, and he earns $5.5 million this season. Ditto the next three seasons.
Horcoff has leadership skills and has scored 23 points in 35 NHL playoff games in his career. He was a key contributor on the 2006 POilers team that lost the Stanley Cup to the Carolina Hurricanes.
******
The Sabres played 14 games in December, tying November for second-most in a month this season.
Buffalo’s 53 December wins are the most the team has had in any month since the lockout.
The Sabres are 53-33-10 (.604) in December in those years.
The injury riddled Sabres ran the physical and emotional gauntlet in Decemeber.
14 games. 8 at home. 6 on the road.
Lindy Ruff's team limped out of Movember and into December, sporting a 13-10-1 record.
When Butler beat Enroth in the shootout on Saturday night, the Sabres ended the month of December with a mediocre 17-17-4 record.
For all their toil, trials, and tribulations, the Sabres were are less than acceptable 4-7-3 in December. Ten points earned out of a possible 28 is dreadfully unacceptable.
You can't win a Playoff seeding in December. However, NHL teams surely can lose a Playoff berth with a crappy month of December.
They finished Movember 7-6-1 (15 points earned), and 6-4 (12 points earned) in October.
2-6-2 in their last 10 ain't gonna get this team in the Playoffs
Wonder why the team is in a world of hurt right now? It cannot score goals. Factor out Vanek and Pominville, and what do you have? Zero goal support for the goaltenders. Enroth's 44 save gem on Saturday night was worthy of a two points in the standings. instead, the team struggled to score two goals to support Enroth.
Vanek and Pominville are currently tied for 9th overall in NHL scoring with 39 points apiece.
Vanek has 18 goals and 21 assists, while Pommer has 12 goals and 27 assists.
In December, Vanek scored 6 goals and added 6 assists.
Pommer scored 3 and added 10 assists.
26 and 29 accounted for 9 of Buffalo's 28 goals scored in Decmeber. They'd have scored more had it not been for opposing scouting reports which read like this:
Stop Vanek and Pominville, and you will beat the Buffalo Sabres.
No secondary or tertiary scoring has been killing Buffalo. Roy, Stafford, Adam, Hecht, Boyes, Gaustad have been quietly inconsistent and it puts added pressure on the D corps and goal tending.
The Sabres need to make a move for a closer. They are in desperate need of a goal scorer who can light the lamp against all odds.
Join the Discussion:
»