Hockey Rhetoric

The Sabres don’t need to blow this roster up in the offseason, but they do need some changes.

The Sabres are a young team. They have veterans, yes, but the talent on this team is predominately young. The problem with young, raw talent is always consistency. We’ve seen it from every one of the Sabres marquee players they have locked up to long term contracts. They just struggle with consistency. They just are not able to lead, statistically or otherwise, a professional team through an 82 game season all on their own. Maybe someday they can, but right now, the Sabres need more veteran talent. » Read the rest of this entry «

I’ve been out of town the past week and haven’t seen the Sabres play since they beat Florida, March 12^th . I usually don’t miss more than five games a year and when I do, I watch the highlights on the streaming video section of the NHL’s website. A couple things jumped out at me.

* * *

The goal that Dominic Moore scored against the Flyers was one of the most bizarre plays I have ever seen in an NHL game. It wasn’t the play itself so much as the celebration, or lack there of by the crowd in the arena. This guy has had it pretty rough since coming over to Buffalo. He’s not producing the way the team expected and just doesn’t seem to be fitting in. The crowd doesn’t seem to be expecting much from him when he touches the puck. So his proximity to the net, with the puck, obviously didn’t stir up any feelings of hope or anticipation of a goal. When he scored, he was literally the only person to yell for at least a second, and it was noticeable. I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that before. Of course the moment passed and then the building celebrated. To the fans credit, the puck was barely across the line and was almost totally covered from view. » Read the rest of this entry «

I’m a fan of Mike Robitaille, the MSG and former Empire Sports Network studio analyst. He’s knowledgeable about the game of hockey, understands the Sabres organization perhaps better than anyone else in the media, and additionally, always adds some great analogies to the softballs that lifeless Sylvester lobs to him. He also comes on the WGR morning show and I occasionally catch the conversation through the audio-vault, on WGR’s website. He said something interesting the other day about how the market has changed the way general managers evaluate players based on their contracts.

Here’s what I have to add. In the previous summer, Craig Rivet was desirable because of his contract and relative low cap number for a veteran player that is defensively reliable. Along those same lines, Derek Roy’s contract lasts for an additional 4-years with a cap hit of 4.0 million. Is it safe to say that Derek Roy is a huge bargain in terms of talent and production in comparison to his cap number and contract length. He is tied for 24^th in the league in points scored this year. There are more than 100 players with cap numbers higher than Roy. » Read the rest of this entry «

I’m not too sure what Sean Avery did to the players of the Dallas Stars to make them hate him so much. He wasn’t exactly producing extraordinary numbers but he’s never been a very prolific scorer. It certainly didn’t do his reputation any good however when many of the Dallas leaders supported his permanent banishment from the organization just a couple months into his new 4-year contract. At the time of Avery’s publicized departure, the Stars were one of the worst teams in the league. Forty games later, they are battling for the playoffs.

So Avery is now a Ranger again, having been picked up off waivers. What exactly is Glenn Sather thinking? Avery was obviously a cancer to the Stars, a team known for having strong leadership. The Rangers need scoring forwards and capable defensemen and Sean Avery is supposed to be the answer? He’ll give the team plenty of opportunities on the power-play by drawing penalties but he also takes a considerable amount of penalties. Avery is more talented than most instigators but when you have a guy on your team like Avery, he becomes one your team’s figureheads. The other players on your team will watch Avery and match his tempo. Why would you want a guy like Avery emotionally leading your team when you have Chris Drury?

Speaking of Drury, I can’t help but wonder, with all the chaos surrounding the Rangers this season, what Chris Drury is thinking about this. He’s just a role player on this team. There are too many powerful influences directing this team for Chris Drury to be a true difference maker. It’s pretty much the worst situation for him in terms of taking advantage of his potential. Drury is expected to put up numbers first and foremost and lead by example. Do you think he wants to play with Zherdev or Avery? Drury leaves it on the ice every game but he’s not talented like any of the superstars in this league. Drury scores because he works harder and plays smarter than his opponents. He’s been ineffective as a Ranger because there are too many different personalities, not enough unity, and not enough skill in that locker room. » Read the rest of this entry «

I think pretty highly of Ryan Miller. Above all the pedestrian numbers and critics and other nonsense, is the fact that he’s a winning goaltender. He may let in the occasional weak goal, especially late in the game when his team is ahead by safe margin, but when the game is on the line, Ryan Miller always comes through. I’d rather have a goaltender like that, who statistically is not on par with the elite goaltenders of the league, than a goalie who shuts out poor teams and lets in four goals against elite teams. Ryan Miller gives you a chance in every game he plays while still having the ability to steal a game or two. He’s young and getting better.

He’s also a very focused athlete. The guy mediates before games and has a reputation as someone who takes practice very seriously. I can understand why teams would consider bumping Miller to try and take away from his focus. » Read the rest of this entry «