Grigorenko showed very little nerves, nor rookie indecisiveness in his first pro scrimmage on Monday night.
He had a mitt full of scoring chances. He pinged a cross bar. His skating was the thing that struck me. His long, strong strides allow him to cover a lot of ice in all three zones. I'm impressed at how much his power skating and explosion have improved.
He was wiped out by a check into the glass and was dropped by a cross check. Didn't seem to faze the young gun.
I spoke to Grigo about his reaction to the wild ride that Adam Pardy delivered to him with a stiff check into the glass in the third period of the scrimmage:
“It’s part of the game. I’m not a hitter, but I am ready to get a hit. Sometimes that happens to me. I’m always ready for someone to hit me. In that situation (Pardy check) I knew 100% that he would be there, I was kind of ready. I couldn’t stay on my feet, but still I knew where he was, which is important”.**
I remarked to Grigo that his skating appears to me to have improved since he attended Sabres rookie development camp in Buffalo back in July 2012. I marvel at how effortless and economical his skating stride is. He gets up to high end speed so quickly that it doesn’t even look like he’s working that hard to get to that high level. It’s really uncanny to watch live and in person, as I have many times.
“Actually, skating is what I was working on the most over the summer, in Buffalo with the skating coach. I mean, I’m a big guy (6’3 200 lbs.) so I can’t move my feet really fast, but I can do it really powerful so, its working for me. I’m happy to see that people see me work hard on my skating and my game”.** Steve Ott, on his rookie centre, Grigo:
“I thought he played even better as the game went along. The plays he makes with the puck for a guy that age is impressive. For only having been here (in his first pro camp) for two days, I would be very impressed if I was on the management side of things. He’s got that star potential”
Ott has taken the 18 year old rookie under his wing in the early days of his NHL career.
“I came up to him right away and said: “If you have any questions, just jump on it”, you know, just to help him. I was lucky enough to have a guy like Billy Guerin, Mike Modano, Brenden Morrow, and guys like this to help me at a young age. For him (Grigo), he’s very well spoken in English. He’s a very well spoken boy in a man’s body (laughs). Those things will come natural to him now the rest of the way. As we learn more systems and as we learn to play with other guys on the team, I really think’s he’s got a lot of upside.
Mikhail Grigorenko flashed played well enough to impress his coach and teammates on Monday night. Grigo's Team White beat Team Blue, 2-1 in the shootout.
He found instant mojo with his line mates Steve Ott and Ville Leino. I really like the 9-25-23 line. They skated extremely well, and the created a bushel basket of scoring chances.
I shot this HD video in the winner's room after the game:
After the scrimmage, the Sabres announced that they have experienced tremendous ticket sales to the tune of only 18.000 tickets remaining for home games this season.
Here's the news:
The Buffalo Sabres today announced that approximately 18,000 tickets remain for the 2012-13 regular season. Four games have sold out and only limited seating is available for the remaining games. The 18,000 tickets that remain will go on sale to the general public tomorrow, Jan. 15, at 10 a.m.
Games that are sold out include the Jan. 20 game against Philadelphia, Feb. 17 vs. Pittsburgh, March 12 vs. the New York Rangers and the game on March 30 vs. Washington.
For the remaining 20 games, only single seats (no two seats together) are available in the 100 and 200 levels. Approximately 18,000 300-level tickets remain and will be available in Tuesday’s general on-sale.
Individual game tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning tomorrow, Jan. 15, at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online at Sabres.com and Tickets.com, via telephone at 1-888-223-6000, and in-person at the box office at First Niagara Center.
The box office will be offering extended hours during the team’s training camp this week. From Tuesday, Jan. 15 through Friday, Jan. 18, the box office will be open from 9 a.m. through 7 p.m. On Saturday, Jan. 19, the box office will be open from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m.
Look for Darcy Regier to make a trade before he has to finalize his roster by 5pm on Friday afternoon. The Sabres GM spoke on the subject of having 9 NHL-quality D in training camp.
Regier said after the scrimmage that he is focused on addressing his blue line in the near future. The team lost Joe Finley to the NY Islanders on waivers on Monday.
I look for Regier to trade Reggie Sekera and then send Adam Partdy to Rochester.
HUGE ovation crowd already assembled in Buffalo for the intersquad scrimmage.
Team White: Vanek-Hodgson-Pominville; Ott-Grigo-Leino;Scott-Sundher-Mancari;Regehr-Myers;Leopold-Sekera;Brenna-Biega;Enroth
Team Blue: Foligno-Ennis-Stafford;Ellis-Hecht;Kaleta;Varone-Adam-Flynn;Sulzer-Ehrhoff;Weber-McNabb;Pardy-Pysyk;Miller
***
Grigo wires one of his patented tricky wristers off the crossbar. Miller didn't see it! The crowd groans "OOOOHHHHHHHH"!!!
***
1-0 Blue:
Luke Adam squeezes a packet of special sauce to Flynn to complete the 2-on-1 against Enroth.
1-1:
Moments later, Sekera with the clean shot from the high slot, Vanek tipped it and it eluded Miller.
***
P1 Summary:
I love the Vanek-Hodgson-Pommer line thus far. Great communication. Vanek found CoHo with a McNabb turnover that was almost converted. Miller with nice paddle save.
Leino-Grigorenko-Ott is an intriguing line featuring a velcro strip iun Leino, a chunk of sandpaper in Ott, and a jewel thief in Grigo.
Potential trade bait Sekera and Adam with strong showings in P1.
***
Period Two:
Grigo carried the puck down left wall, got to corner and threw a dart at Leino's tape in the slot. Too hot to handle #fastball
***
Miller stones Pommer as the captain strips McNabb and darts in all alone
***
Brennan looks composed and cool. His D to D passes are on the tape for quick ups to breaking forwards
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Grigo on first PP, walks off wall and throws a wicked backand wrister at Miller
**
Nice buzz in the rink tonight. Sabres giving away autographed pucks is a nice touch
**
Hodgson joins Vanek on the dancefloor for a goal mouth scramble, Miller busy with 19 and 26 in his greel
**
Regehr hog ties Ellis behind the cage #calgarystampede
**
Grigo fires high off glass on nice drive through neutral zone to Miller's high slot, with Leino trailing #chemistry
**
No hitch in Myers' giddyup. Ankle is fine
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Pardy with the lumber up in Brennan's face
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Vanek hit with puck at end of period. Tape a Tylenol to it
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Period Three:
Both the 100 and 200 levels are full tonight. Looks to be north of 9,000 loyal Sabres in here tonight!
**
Lots of back and forth action.
**
Pardy smoked Grigo on the glass in the offensive zone. Grigo hopped back up and kept working. He found a puck, then Stafford xchecked him to the ice.
The kid acquitted himself well, by adjusting his helmet while fighting to the front of Miller's net.
Thats the type of battle that Lindy wanted to see from Grigo.
**
Take a bow, Hockey Heaven.
10,175 fans in the house tonight.
***
OT
Zilch.
Shootout:
Hodgson wins it with a deft backhander.
White wins 2-1
After the game, both teams huddled at center ice to salute the crowd by raising their sticks!
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