Call the Erie County Sheriff's office.
Vanek. Roy. Pominville.
Missing in action.
This is getting to be ridiculous. The Sabres top line has been silent for the past 6 games. Luckily for the team that it is getting secondary and tertiary scoring from other sources, like Ville Leino's two goals in Vancouver, or, Corey Tropp banging in the loose change that Brad Boyes and Matt Ellis helped to create.
Greasy goal from Buffalo's fourth line in the must-win game of the season. Whatever it takes, right?
Where was the passion and production from Buffalo's top line ? A win in The Peg would have pulled the Sabres into an eighth place tie with The Jets. The loss drops the Sabres back to four points behind the Jets.
Why did the fourth line out-score the first line? I'll tell you why. Because the Tropp-Ellis-Boyes line moves its feet for all 45 second of its shifts. Vanek-Roy-Pominville can't say the same.
Lindy Ruff met individually with 26-9-29 on Sunday in Winnipeg. The coach demanded more from his highest skilled, highest paid trio. Sounds like the message went in one ear and out the other.
Roy had one shot on Pavelec in 16:58 of TOI, Vanek had two shots in 16:29, and Jason Pominville had three shots in 16:36 TOI.
On the defensive side of the puck, Vanek-Roy-Pominville were a combined -6 in Winnipeg.
Totally unacceptable.
Time for Lindy to shake up his top line. The road trip is now over. The team home to play Carolina on Wednesday night. I'm think that Cody Hodgson between Vanek and Pominville will be experimented with in the upcoming practice sessions. Roy can slide down with Ennis and Stafford. Gerbe-Leino-Kaleta is working well right now, as is Tropp-Ellis-Boyes.
Buffalo played error free hockey in impressive wins at Anaheim, San Jose, and Vancouver.
On Monday night, the Sabres committed 15 giveaways and lost 67% of its face offs.
Its time for change.
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