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Just In The Nikita Of Time |
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Ted Nolan is a man of his word. Earlier this week he said that he has liked the way that Nikita Zadorov has been competing in practices. Nolan said that Zadorov is close to making his season debut.
Sitting and watching for seven games when your team is 1-6 can be frustrating to players of all ages. Zadorov doesn't lack for confidence in his own abilities and he feels like he can help the Sabres immediately.
After this morning's skate in Botox City, Zadorov said that he learns better when he is playing. In other words, he doesn't like sitting and watching. His pride should be bruised right now and his feelings should be hurt. Now is the time to throw it all aside and go out and act like a 16th overall pick acts. I like his candid answers because this tells me that the kid is pissed off that he's had to wait his turn this time around in Buffalo. He's been bag skated. He's fired thousands of pucks on the net. He's lifted weights. He's watched video and now, at long last, Zadorov has earned the opportunity to prove himself. If he plays well, his ice time will increase against LA and someone else will lose TOI. However, if he fails to impress Nolan, he'll be relegated to spectator duty as the seventh D. Zadorov is chomping at the bit to wants to show Ted Nolan and Tim Murray that he belongs in the NHL.
Saying is one thing. Doing is another.
Thanks, Sabres.com
We will see tonight. Won't we, Nikita?
Earlier this week, a report broke in Buffalo that Zadorov could not be returned to his junior team in London due to the absence of a transfer agreement between Zadorov and his Russian club team CSKA Moskva. In other words, the story suggested that Zadorov could not play in the OHL, nor the AHL this season. His only options were to play in Buffalo or in Moscow. On Tuesday, Sabres AGM Mark Jakubowski told Kevin Oklobzija of the Rochester D and C that Zadorov could indeed be sent back to OHL London to begin his third season of major junior hockey in the event that he doesn't stick and stay with the Sabres. On his weekly WGR radio show, Nolan said that Zadorov's play in practice has been "okay", however, the team was looking for more out of the hulking skyscraper of defense. Zadorov didn't do himself any favors by showing up to July's Rookie Development camp at less than his best physical fitness levels. Whats more, he was benched by Chadd Cassidy at the Traverse City Tournament in September.
Zadorov will make his season debut tonight. The London Knight product will make his much anticipated debut. The Buffalo blue line has been brutal at times this season. Andrej Meszaros and Andre Benoit have been guilty of poor play. Mike Weber has been better of late, however, he shows a propensity to make D-zone mistakes that lead to chances on Enroth and Neuvirth.
Here are your Sabres D +/- stats:
Andrej Meszaros -9; 18:53 TOI
Andre Benoit -6; averaging 20:12 TOI
Rasmus Ristolainen -5; 15:54 TOI
Mike Weber -4; leads D corps with 24 hits; 16:48 TOI
Josh Gorges -3; leads NHL with 36 shot blocks, has 10 hits; 21:47: TOI
Tyler Myers -2; leads D corps with 17 shots; leads D corps 25:12 TOI
Tyson Starchan (even)
Gorges aside, the other six D who have been getting playing leave a lot to be desired. They are getting playing time, however, they are not maximizing their TOI. Here's Zadorov's opportunity to steal someone's ice time. Nolan isn't playing favorites. Its beyond that after losing 5 of the first 6 games played. The D that compete the most passionately and add value will play. Those that don't will sit in Suite 150; the press box is located 150 feet above the ice surface in NHL rinks.
I like Nolan's thinking in plugging in Zadorov, who bolsters the Buffalo blue line with a snarl and a physical presence. At 6'5" and 240 lbs. the 2013 first rounder can use his dump truck like frame to clear out the sizable LA Kings forwards from the slot and in front of Enroth's net. Zadorov is at his best when he's using his size and strength to win battles around the net and on the walls. Where he gets in trouble is running out of position to find a man to smash down to the ice. Nolan has been preaching patience and persistence the 20 year old who can make a huge impact tonight if he plays within himself. In other words, if he applies pressure without being star struck by Kopitar, Carter, Toffoli, Pearson, Stoll, Williams and the rest of the ultra aggressive Kings forwards. Besides, if Dustin Brown gets fresh with Enroth, Zadorov can put the LA agitator in his place immediately. Zadorov also has an NHL level wrister shot and a heavy clapper from the point. The Sabres need to get more of their point shots through traffic in order to create tips and rebounds for Moulson, Ennis, Stafford, Stewart, Foligno, Hodgson et al to pounce on for put-back chances.
Trade rumors continue to swirl around Tyler Myers. Detroit, Edmonton and Anaheim are the three teams that I'm hearing that are very much interested in Myers. Might Murray trade Myers to open up ice time for Zadorov and/or Pysyk? Absolutely he can, however, Murray is in full control of any trade talks because he has the assets in Myers, Stafford, and Stewart that other GMs want to get their hockey mitts on. Murray won't make a deal unless he can get maximum value for his players. For example, trading Myers to Detroit would mean that Ken Holland would have to send Anthony Mantha or Xavier Ouelett, and a second round pick back to Buffalo. Edmonton would have to trade Eberle or RNH, and a second round to Buffalo for Myers. Anaheim would have to send Jakob Silfverberg and a secomd rounder back to Buffalo. Murray traded Sifverberg from Ottawa to Anaheim in the Bobby Ryan deal.
Its food for thought.
Samson Reinhart will be a healthy scratch tonight, his second scratch in the past three games. I don't see the value in skating the 2014 second overall pick between Cody McCormick and N ic Deslauriers. I've been banging the drum hard for the Sabres to send Samson back to juniors where he can dominate kids in his own peer group. I'd also love to see Reinhart as captain of Canada's IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships team.
The Sabres should give the kid one more start in San Jose on Saturday afternoon, then send him northwest to Kootenay. Let him parlay his NHL experiences into another 100 point season in the WHL. He needs to skate 25 minutes TOI per game, not 5-6 minutes TOI on the fourth line. He thrives on the PP, so let him have at it in juniors.
Per the team, Nolan will dress 11 forwards and 7 D.
Jhonas Enroth will start in goal.
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Originally drafted by Buffalo in the third round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Brayden McNabb was acquired by the Kings on March 5 of last season for prospects Nic Deslauriers and Hudson Fasching. McNabb cracked the Kings’ lineup out of training camp, and has played in all six regular season games so far this season. McNabb played 37 games with the Sabres in parts of two seasons, tonight will be the first time he faces his former club.
Ted Nolan, will be coaching against his son as he man’s Buffalo’s bench. The Sabres hired Nolan on November 13 of last season, just after the Kings finished up their season series with Buffalo. Nolan also coached the Latvian national team during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. This will be the first time Jordan Nolan faces his father as the opposing team’s coach.
The Sabres have scored just eight goals in the seven games they’ve played.
They are 0-24 on the PP.
The Kings faced Enroth once last season, beating Buffalo’s goaltender for two goals on 28 shots in the Kings’ 2-0 win last November.
Thanks, Kings.com
***
So, I clicked off the TV and then went to bed at 1:27am EDT on Thursday morning.
So ended a 19 hour work day. I put in a full day at the office and then invested heavily in a full night at the rink and watching the Sabres play the Ducks.
The Sabres had just lost 4-1 to The Band Perry in Anaheim. Country music fans will get that joke. Others won't. I don't care.
So, my alarm went off at 5am EDT. Needless to say, I'm dragging butt today. The hockey hangover is well worth it because I got to see one of the stupidest, one-of-a-kind hockey masterpieces performed before my very eyes. Talk about visions of sugar plums dancing in my head. McDavid's magical moves have been playing on an endless loop in my cranium all day long. Its been a long time, since 1991 actually, that I was this inspired and impressed by an athlete or musician. The last time I felt this way about an artist is when I sat in the front row to watch Slash and the original Guns-n-Roses literally melt the steel girders that erected CNE Stadium in Toronto. Hearing the original members tear through "Appetite For Destruction" live in concert made me a fan for live. The hype surrounding G-N-R back in the day was mayhemic. I had to see for myself the band play live in order to see if all of the hype was indeed warranted. I'm thrilled to say that yes, it was.
I felt the same way on Wednesday night about McDavid. Having never seen him play live in person before, I needed to watch him live so that I could measure whether he was all that. Boy, is he ever!
What made the night extra special for me is that I got to see a virtuoso performance by the "Next One". Forget about the fact that he pumped in a goal and added three assists in the 8-4 win over the Niagara Ice Dogs. The play that I'm most impressed with the day afterwards in this incredible one-on-one rush that didn't result in a goal. Poor Vincent Dunn. The Ice Dogs D-man thought that he had McDavid contained and covered. Little did he know that McDavid was just toying with him the whole time.
This is an exquisite hockey play because its a microcosm of McDavid's many gifts. He uses his speed to drive the D wide, while shielding the puck at top speed. He showed the keen vision, presence of mind and an active imagination to wait for the D to finally commit to advancing toward him then he deftly passed the puck through the D's in order to advance unencumbered on the Ice Dogs' goalie. Mind you, the Otters were shorthanded when McDavid's instincts led to him attack the opponent with his full suite of sick skills.
You can't coach this kind of skill and instinct.
Just WOW!
Thanks, @ckanal
In the post game presser, my good man Dan Hickling asked McDavid to describe what he thinks about while he's galloping at full speed down the rink while on the rush.
Former Sabres pugilist turned radio broadcaster Andrew Peters had some fun with McDavid as he called shenanigans on McDavid's answer. Petey made the kid describe his thought process and his line of thinking on this filthiest of filthy hockey moves that I've seen in a long time.
Just press play on my HD video below. Sory for the shaky camera at the beginning. I was shooting video with one hand and taking pix with the other. I'm talented like that.
This kid could easily score 60 points in the NHL this season with this type of unbridled creativity and supreme skills.
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