A quick continuation of yesterday's thoughts coming up but first a reminder that today (Thursday) is NHL Preview day for the Buffalo News. I know I'm pretty hard on TBN sometimes but they usually do a really nice job with the preview section. It's one of the few days I make sure to buy a hard copy of the paper. And let me just say, I'm pretty sure this is going to be the BEST NHL PREVIEW SECTION EVER! Trust me and click on the link.
CRAIG RIVET
I'm shocked that Craig Rivet is the new captain. I figured he'd be wearing a letter since he wore one for almost the entire preseason but I really thought it would be an A. I'm not gonna lie, I've made fun of teams in the past for appointing the new guy the captain right away. It seems really weird.
The fact that this was the result of a player vote makes me feel better. People like me can ramble on and on about what was missing last season and what needs to happen this season but the only people who really, really know what went wrong are the guys in the dressing room. I don't think you can stress enough that most of the current Sabres team has been playing together for a while now. They know each other very, very well. If they looked around the room and didn't find what they wanted in a captain in each other, I think you have to trust that they know what they're talking about. And really it's not that far-fetched. We've been watching these guys for a few years now so I think we forget sometimes that the core players are all still really, really young. Rivet can wear the C for the next three years and if he moves on after that, one of the kids should be ready. And as an aside, good for Lindy for taking the pulse of the team and appointing one captain.
At any rate, I'm really excited to see what Rivet brings to the team not just on the defensive end - one more dependable body back there can't hurt - but in overall attitude. He's made it clear already that he's not going to hesitate to stand up for his teammates on the ice and he said very straight-forwardly in his most recent interview on Sabres TV that opponents will not take liberties with the team on his watch. The fact that the Sabres are still young can be a bit of a double-edged sword in that some of them are still very influenced by what's going on around them. I think we saw a lot of situations last season where one guy's frustration or panic bled out and affected his teammates. Hopefully if the guy with the C is calm, kicking ass and working hard, everyone else will follow his lead.
And seriously, don't you love that moment when someone new to the area finally says, "Wow, Buffalo gets a bad rap. It's a great place to be."
SPECIAL TEAMS
I was pretty surprised when a stat check showed that the Sabres power play was the 14th best in the league last season and was actually a little bit better than it was in 2006-2007. Of all the struggles we sat through in 2007-2008, the power play is the one thing that absolutely made my eyes bleed. I'll admit, my little pea brain still doesn't understand how it can be THAT hard to score when you have more people on the ice than the other team and especially when you have two more people in which case it felt like we suddenly got a thousand times worse. God bless the 16 fan bases who had to watch a power player worse than ours all season.
Porky mentioned on his blog that the power play was hit by a lot of injuries last season. I hadn't really thought of that but it is true: Tim Connolly, Jaroslav Spacek, Teppo Numminen and Max Afinogenov all missed large chunks of time and that's not even taking into consideration Brian Campbell being traded at the deadline. There were definitely some oddball power plays units out there at times so I don't know, maybe we're lucky it wasn't worse than it was. Hopefully the re-addition of Teppo and the presence of Rivet will help steady things a little. I think a lot will also depend on how Andrej Sekera develops.
On the other side, I'm hoping Teppo will steady the penalty kill a little too. Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman spent a lot of their time on the ice last season killing penalties and while yes, that's what the top defensive pairing should be doing, I think there were definitely times when they were just worn out. The more bodies who can dependably kill penalties, the better. And of course, as they say, your most important penalty killer is your goalie. Ryan Miller struggled last season and there were times when he and the defense looked really out of sync with each other. Better play from him should help a lot when the Sabres are short-handed.
CONSISTENCY
Consistency is such a sports cliche that I kind of hate to even bring it up but it's a cliche because it is important. I think we've all heard that much ballyhooed stat the Sabres had the 4th best offense in the NHL last season and while that's definitely impressive, I think it's a little deceiving. Those numbers are skewed a bit by a number of games where the team suddenly exploded for 6, 7, 8 goals in one game. There were long stretches where the Sabres struggled to score and they had a hard time scoring when it really mattered which was reflected in their 14-18 record in one goal games. Scoring a lot of goals is great obviously but it needs to be more spread out.
Hopefully Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek, probably the two most important offensive pieces, will find a little more consistency this season as well. Vanek, a goal scorer first and foremost, will probably always be a little streaky - I think that's normal - but hopefully he won't disappear for half the season like he did last year. He really started to look more comfortable as the season went on and he had the second most goals in the league in the second half (behind only Alexander Ovechkin who was on a pretty torrid pace) so it'd be nice to see him spread that pace out over the entire season this year. Derek also improved as the year went on and I really think he's the motor that keeps the team running. When he struggles, everything is going to slow down a little so he needs to be working hard every night.
For me, one of the most frustrating things about last season was that parts of the team played well but never at the same time. If the offense was clicking, the defense was a sieve. If the defense stood tall, the offense couldn't score. If the goaltending was good, it was undone by poor defense. If the defense did its part, the goaltending was terrible. There were very few games where everything was working together. Guys, you are all allowed to play well in the same game. Really.
HENRIK TALLINDER
Hank will be totally awesome this season. Seriously. I know it.
Jeez, how did it get to be 1:10 a.m. already? One more post tomorrow should do it. Then we can finally move on to talking about actual games.
Showing posts with label teppo numminen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teppo numminen. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Top Shelf Programming Note and Other Things
A word of warning: Things might be fairly quiet around here for the next few weeks. I'm sure I'll pop in here and there - I'm pretty incapable of not getting on the internet unless someone kills our connection and even then I have my ways - but I suspect it'll be irregular at best.
This coming week is the last week of summer school and while that is definitely a good thing, there's a reason some of us refer to it as Hell Week. The kids are totally off the wall. They're partly excited about getting out of school. Most of their friends and siblings haven't been in school all summer so they're not very happy about those six weeks of summer school. But they're also partly nervous about being at home for two weeks. It's unfortunate but many of them will go home and get no attention - or very negative attention - until school starts back up. And then at this point of the year there are a number of kids who are moving to new classes in September or changing programs altogether and both of these things cause a lot of stress for our kids. Take a bunch of kids who have a hard time recognizing and identifying their emotions and don't always cope with them in the best way and pour a ton of conflicting emotions on them and you have a lot of acting out. A lot of acting out equals tired staff. A lot of acting out with five days till break equals VERY tired staff. We're going to be walking around all week, hands raised and fingers wiggling, yelling, "SERENITY NOW!" Survival is the name of the game.
The following week we'll hopefully be moving into the house. We had a bit of a snafu that made it look for a while like the deal was going to fall apart but we got it all straightened out (and actually ended up paying less so we're not complaining) but it's slowed everything down. Mark called our realtor this week to remind me him that hey, you know, we have NO PLACE TO LIVE once August is over so we're still hoping that everything will pull together so we can move some time over the course of that week. We'll be moving at least all of the small stuff ourselves so I'm going to be making quite a few car trips from the Southtowns to the Northtowns.
The week after that I'll be driving around Pennsylvania with the family. My mom and two of my brothers are flying into Buffalo and we'll then drive to Pittsburgh and pick up my grandmother and my other brother and his family who are coming in from Florida before heading out to Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Hershey and back to Pittsburgh. And maybe Lancaster. I forget if that got dropped or not. I'm totally stoked because it'll be the first time in almost two years that all of my family has been together. My mom, Grandma, and I have done some variation of this trip for quite a few years now but Lee and Chris, the two who still live in Birmingham, have taken turns coming up and John and Sarah haven't joined us since before they got married. And that was before Luke, the world's cutest nephew, joined the team. However, since we'll be on the road for a lot of the trip, I don't know how often I'll have a wireless signal although I will have the laptop with me.
So all that to say, if it's quiet around here for a while, don't forget me. I'll be back. And that's if I actually go away in the first place.
A few quick thoughts before I call it a night:
- I'm super happy that Teppo Numminen has officially re-signed and I think $1.1 million is a great deal for him even if he does end up being a 7th man who takes a night off every few games. (Though I'm totally fine with him being in the top six too.) I'm not sure how that means the rest of the defense shakes out. I'm guessing Henrik Tallinder, Toni Lydman, Jaroslav Spacek, Craig Rivet, Teppo and Andrej Sekera start the season in the top six with Nathan Paetsch acting as the 7th. I'd really, really like to see Mike Weber playing up with Sekera since I think Sekera played his best hockey last season when Weber was up with him, but I'm just not sure there's room and Weber is definitely better off playing every night in Portland than sitting in the press box in Buffalo. Plus I think Teppo will be a wonderful partner for Sekera on and off the ice. I've said it before and I'll say it again: The Sabres missed Teppo desperately last season and his loss might have been the death knell of the season. The kids came into camp girded for the season without Chris Drury and Daniel Briere but they fully expected Teppo to be with them. Losing him so unexpectedly, right before the season, for such serious reasons had to have an effect. I love Teppo.
- All that said, I think Hank and Toni are the key to the defense. If they struggle the way they did last season, the whole group is going to struggle. If they return to previous form, the defense should be very solid if unspectacular. Hopefully Teppo can soothe their nerves and frustration when they don't play well. And hopefully the don't need that very often.
- Another reason Mike Harrington is the best guy at the Buffalo News? Check out that headline on his post about Teppo's return. I have a soft spot for punny/jokey headlines to begin with but a headline that's also a Seinfeld shout-out? Awesome.
- Speaking of Sabres Edge, on Thursday Bucky Gleason writes about how he thinks it's a terrible idea to re-sign Teppo. On Friday the Sabres announce that they've re-signed Teppo. I'm pretty sure Darcy Regier and co. held out all these weeks, waiting for Bucky to go on the record about this. Of course, in my world, everyone does everything to spite Bucky.
- While we're on the subject of TBN, the one sports blog I never, ever read unless someone points me there is Jerry Sullivan's blog. I don't think Jerry Sullivan likes blogs. I don't think he likes people who write blogs. I don't think he likes people who read blogs. I don't think he understands blogs at all. How he ended up with a blog of his very own is a mystery to me. I'd rather read the opinion of pretty much everyone else in the sports department. But I knew he was going to Beijing to cover the Olympics and I was pretty curious to see how often he would blog from there so I've been keeping one eye on things and you know, he's done a pretty good job so far. He's updated often and he's shared some really interesting things. And kudos to him for coming out in support of softball which, despite what anyone says about the lack of competition, got voted out of the Games because of an unfair association with baseball and its steroid scandal. It's a shame because the Olympics are pretty much the height of a softball career. Little boys who grow up playing baseball dream of playing in the Majors. Little girls who grow up playing softball dream of playing for Team USA. Hopefully the push for reinstatement is successful. Anyway, if you're a fan of the Olympics I'd check out Sullivan's blog. I'd get out as soon as they're over though.
- I was all geared up to watch the Cubs on Fox this afternoon so I was pretty disappointed to find the friggin' Yankees. I understand that I'm in the minority in the Buffalo market but just once I would like to get a national game that doesn't involve the Yankees or the Red Sox. Is that too much to ask? Really? It was shortly after that that I discovered the Ultimate Sports Road Trip's tribute to Yankee Stadium. Beautiful. In this case, a picture really does say a thousand words.
- So I have a steel plate on the outside bone of my ankle, I don't know, 3 or so inches long. When I first went back to work, people asked me if I could feel it when it rains. The last time we got a lot of rain it was hard to tell because my ankle was still hurting a lot, especially at the end of the work day. Well, now I can tell you definitely, yes, I can feel it in my ankle when it rains. Sometimes it really hurts, sometimes it doesn't hurt so much as I'm just really, really conscious of the plate's presence. I feel like a robot.
This coming week is the last week of summer school and while that is definitely a good thing, there's a reason some of us refer to it as Hell Week. The kids are totally off the wall. They're partly excited about getting out of school. Most of their friends and siblings haven't been in school all summer so they're not very happy about those six weeks of summer school. But they're also partly nervous about being at home for two weeks. It's unfortunate but many of them will go home and get no attention - or very negative attention - until school starts back up. And then at this point of the year there are a number of kids who are moving to new classes in September or changing programs altogether and both of these things cause a lot of stress for our kids. Take a bunch of kids who have a hard time recognizing and identifying their emotions and don't always cope with them in the best way and pour a ton of conflicting emotions on them and you have a lot of acting out. A lot of acting out equals tired staff. A lot of acting out with five days till break equals VERY tired staff. We're going to be walking around all week, hands raised and fingers wiggling, yelling, "SERENITY NOW!" Survival is the name of the game.
The following week we'll hopefully be moving into the house. We had a bit of a snafu that made it look for a while like the deal was going to fall apart but we got it all straightened out (and actually ended up paying less so we're not complaining) but it's slowed everything down. Mark called our realtor this week to remind me him that hey, you know, we have NO PLACE TO LIVE once August is over so we're still hoping that everything will pull together so we can move some time over the course of that week. We'll be moving at least all of the small stuff ourselves so I'm going to be making quite a few car trips from the Southtowns to the Northtowns.
The week after that I'll be driving around Pennsylvania with the family. My mom and two of my brothers are flying into Buffalo and we'll then drive to Pittsburgh and pick up my grandmother and my other brother and his family who are coming in from Florida before heading out to Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Hershey and back to Pittsburgh. And maybe Lancaster. I forget if that got dropped or not. I'm totally stoked because it'll be the first time in almost two years that all of my family has been together. My mom, Grandma, and I have done some variation of this trip for quite a few years now but Lee and Chris, the two who still live in Birmingham, have taken turns coming up and John and Sarah haven't joined us since before they got married. And that was before Luke, the world's cutest nephew, joined the team. However, since we'll be on the road for a lot of the trip, I don't know how often I'll have a wireless signal although I will have the laptop with me.
So all that to say, if it's quiet around here for a while, don't forget me. I'll be back. And that's if I actually go away in the first place.
A few quick thoughts before I call it a night:
- I'm super happy that Teppo Numminen has officially re-signed and I think $1.1 million is a great deal for him even if he does end up being a 7th man who takes a night off every few games. (Though I'm totally fine with him being in the top six too.) I'm not sure how that means the rest of the defense shakes out. I'm guessing Henrik Tallinder, Toni Lydman, Jaroslav Spacek, Craig Rivet, Teppo and Andrej Sekera start the season in the top six with Nathan Paetsch acting as the 7th. I'd really, really like to see Mike Weber playing up with Sekera since I think Sekera played his best hockey last season when Weber was up with him, but I'm just not sure there's room and Weber is definitely better off playing every night in Portland than sitting in the press box in Buffalo. Plus I think Teppo will be a wonderful partner for Sekera on and off the ice. I've said it before and I'll say it again: The Sabres missed Teppo desperately last season and his loss might have been the death knell of the season. The kids came into camp girded for the season without Chris Drury and Daniel Briere but they fully expected Teppo to be with them. Losing him so unexpectedly, right before the season, for such serious reasons had to have an effect. I love Teppo.
- All that said, I think Hank and Toni are the key to the defense. If they struggle the way they did last season, the whole group is going to struggle. If they return to previous form, the defense should be very solid if unspectacular. Hopefully Teppo can soothe their nerves and frustration when they don't play well. And hopefully the don't need that very often.
- Another reason Mike Harrington is the best guy at the Buffalo News? Check out that headline on his post about Teppo's return. I have a soft spot for punny/jokey headlines to begin with but a headline that's also a Seinfeld shout-out? Awesome.
- Speaking of Sabres Edge, on Thursday Bucky Gleason writes about how he thinks it's a terrible idea to re-sign Teppo. On Friday the Sabres announce that they've re-signed Teppo. I'm pretty sure Darcy Regier and co. held out all these weeks, waiting for Bucky to go on the record about this. Of course, in my world, everyone does everything to spite Bucky.
- While we're on the subject of TBN, the one sports blog I never, ever read unless someone points me there is Jerry Sullivan's blog. I don't think Jerry Sullivan likes blogs. I don't think he likes people who write blogs. I don't think he likes people who read blogs. I don't think he understands blogs at all. How he ended up with a blog of his very own is a mystery to me. I'd rather read the opinion of pretty much everyone else in the sports department. But I knew he was going to Beijing to cover the Olympics and I was pretty curious to see how often he would blog from there so I've been keeping one eye on things and you know, he's done a pretty good job so far. He's updated often and he's shared some really interesting things. And kudos to him for coming out in support of softball which, despite what anyone says about the lack of competition, got voted out of the Games because of an unfair association with baseball and its steroid scandal. It's a shame because the Olympics are pretty much the height of a softball career. Little boys who grow up playing baseball dream of playing in the Majors. Little girls who grow up playing softball dream of playing for Team USA. Hopefully the push for reinstatement is successful. Anyway, if you're a fan of the Olympics I'd check out Sullivan's blog. I'd get out as soon as they're over though.
- I was all geared up to watch the Cubs on Fox this afternoon so I was pretty disappointed to find the friggin' Yankees. I understand that I'm in the minority in the Buffalo market but just once I would like to get a national game that doesn't involve the Yankees or the Red Sox. Is that too much to ask? Really? It was shortly after that that I discovered the Ultimate Sports Road Trip's tribute to Yankee Stadium. Beautiful. In this case, a picture really does say a thousand words.
- So I have a steel plate on the outside bone of my ankle, I don't know, 3 or so inches long. When I first went back to work, people asked me if I could feel it when it rains. The last time we got a lot of rain it was hard to tell because my ankle was still hurting a lot, especially at the end of the work day. Well, now I can tell you definitely, yes, I can feel it in my ankle when it rains. Sometimes it really hurts, sometimes it doesn't hurt so much as I'm just really, really conscious of the plate's presence. I feel like a robot.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
A Few Things
First, the fact that, in the end, the loss to Montreal didn't really matter as far as elimination goes makes me feel better. Okay, it doesn't really. But let's pretend!
Second, regardless of what happens tonight I am so, so, so happy about seeing Teppo Numminen on the ice again. I don't care if he's old, slow, decrepit or whatever else people want to say, I love him. I've said this before and I'll say it again: I think the affect his loss had on the team - on the ice and off - has been desperately underrated by just about everyone.
And thirdly, I think next season the letters should stay exactly where they are right now. Jason Pominville with the C, Jochen Hecht and Derek Roy with an A. (Agree? Disagree?)
I'm hoping to have the first part of my Western Conference playoff primer up later today. If you want hard hitting, stat-based analysis, well, you might want to try somewhere else. Otherwise you won't want to miss it!
Second, regardless of what happens tonight I am so, so, so happy about seeing Teppo Numminen on the ice again. I don't care if he's old, slow, decrepit or whatever else people want to say, I love him. I've said this before and I'll say it again: I think the affect his loss had on the team - on the ice and off - has been desperately underrated by just about everyone.
And thirdly, I think next season the letters should stay exactly where they are right now. Jason Pominville with the C, Jochen Hecht and Derek Roy with an A. (Agree? Disagree?)
I'm hoping to have the first part of my Western Conference playoff primer up later today. If you want hard hitting, stat-based analysis, well, you might want to try somewhere else. Otherwise you won't want to miss it!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Teppo
Two entries in one day! It's been a while since I did that. Make sure you read both of them!
For anyone who wants to hear a little more about the Teppo Numminen situation, there's a really interesting interview from this morning with Paul Hamilton up in WGR's Audio Vault. Considering that one of you pointed it out to me (hi, Meg!), chances are good that some of you have already listened to it but for those of you who haven't, here's a brief breakdown:
- Despite people's eagerness to compare the Sabres' dealings with Teppo to the Canadiens' dealings with Saku Koivu, the situations are not really that similar. When Koivu was diagnosed with cancer, he was already into an insured multi-year contract. Teppo was beginning a new contract and that contract did not officially kick in until he passed his preseason physical which, of course, he didn't do. (And while Hamilton didn't say this, I'm pretty sure his contract wasn't insured anyway because of his pre-existing heart condition.) The reason the Canadiens didn't suspend Koivu is because there was no reason for them to do so. It wouldn't have made any difference to them. They weren't paying his salary, the insurance company was. That would not have been the case for the Sabres.
While it's kind of crappy, at times like this hockey's a business. If Teppo was going to be out for an extended period of time, the Sabres were likely going to have to pick up another d-man. And while they were able to pick up Nolan Pratt for a very reasonable price, they might have been in a situation where they had to pay someone a lot of money in which case it made sense to clear Teppo's salary from the books.
- Hamilton also addressed the quote from Darcy Regier that made it sound like the Sabres are not allowed to pay Teppo for the rest of the season. Thank goodness because I was dying for clarification on that and no one seemed to be getting it. He said that Darcy seemed reluctant to go on-record because he didn't want to sound like he was being critical of the league but that he implied that the Sabres were willing to pay Teppo from this point on and were prepared to do so but that the NHL stepped in and said they couldn't, that at this point they have to wait for the arbitrator's ruling. I was glad to hear that because while I can justify the initial suspension it seemed pretty petty to dither over his prorated salary for the last two weeks of the season especially since they do have cap room.
- Totally unrelated but I was happy to hear Paul Hamilton pick apart Al Strachan's diatribe on Sabres management on a recent Hockey Night in Canada Hot Stove.
- Also unrelated, but I love the re-design WGR has done to its Audio Vault. I never understood why there wasn't a search feature. (Now let's get some Henrik Tallinder interviews up there, people!) I also really like the way some of the interviews are earmarked where different topics start, allowing you to skip over topics you're not interested in. Very nifty.
- Still unrelated, but wow, Teppo looks great. I am so glad that it appears he's quit slicking his hair back! I don't always like longer hair on men but his is very pretty and full and the old dog is handsome enough to pull it off. It also helps that unlike Ryan Miller's former Jesus haircut it doesn't look like it was trimmed by a drunk teammate wielding nail clippers.
For anyone who wants to hear a little more about the Teppo Numminen situation, there's a really interesting interview from this morning with Paul Hamilton up in WGR's Audio Vault. Considering that one of you pointed it out to me (hi, Meg!), chances are good that some of you have already listened to it but for those of you who haven't, here's a brief breakdown:
- Despite people's eagerness to compare the Sabres' dealings with Teppo to the Canadiens' dealings with Saku Koivu, the situations are not really that similar. When Koivu was diagnosed with cancer, he was already into an insured multi-year contract. Teppo was beginning a new contract and that contract did not officially kick in until he passed his preseason physical which, of course, he didn't do. (And while Hamilton didn't say this, I'm pretty sure his contract wasn't insured anyway because of his pre-existing heart condition.) The reason the Canadiens didn't suspend Koivu is because there was no reason for them to do so. It wouldn't have made any difference to them. They weren't paying his salary, the insurance company was. That would not have been the case for the Sabres.
While it's kind of crappy, at times like this hockey's a business. If Teppo was going to be out for an extended period of time, the Sabres were likely going to have to pick up another d-man. And while they were able to pick up Nolan Pratt for a very reasonable price, they might have been in a situation where they had to pay someone a lot of money in which case it made sense to clear Teppo's salary from the books.
- Hamilton also addressed the quote from Darcy Regier that made it sound like the Sabres are not allowed to pay Teppo for the rest of the season. Thank goodness because I was dying for clarification on that and no one seemed to be getting it. He said that Darcy seemed reluctant to go on-record because he didn't want to sound like he was being critical of the league but that he implied that the Sabres were willing to pay Teppo from this point on and were prepared to do so but that the NHL stepped in and said they couldn't, that at this point they have to wait for the arbitrator's ruling. I was glad to hear that because while I can justify the initial suspension it seemed pretty petty to dither over his prorated salary for the last two weeks of the season especially since they do have cap room.
- Totally unrelated but I was happy to hear Paul Hamilton pick apart Al Strachan's diatribe on Sabres management on a recent Hockey Night in Canada Hot Stove.
- Also unrelated, but I love the re-design WGR has done to its Audio Vault. I never understood why there wasn't a search feature. (Now let's get some Henrik Tallinder interviews up there, people!) I also really like the way some of the interviews are earmarked where different topics start, allowing you to skip over topics you're not interested in. Very nifty.
- Still unrelated, but wow, Teppo looks great. I am so glad that it appears he's quit slicking his hair back! I don't always like longer hair on men but his is very pretty and full and the old dog is handsome enough to pull it off. It also helps that unlike Ryan Miller's former Jesus haircut it doesn't look like it was trimmed by a drunk teammate wielding nail clippers.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Dear God, When Will It End?
Okay, I've calmed down a little bit so I think it's safe to talk about the game for real. And while Ryan was terrible on both Clarkson's goal and in the shootout - what has happened to him in the shootout? - I know he's extremely tough on himself and I doubt he went to bed very happy after that game. That said, Ryan has to be great when his team needs him to be great. It was a big deal that the struggling offense managed to put two by Martin Brodeur. He needed to lock it down and he didn't.
In his postgame conference Lindy said, "We have not had ham and egg. We've had a lot of ham, had a lot of egg but we haven't mixed it up very well." While his choice of metaphors is... interesting, I get what he's saying and I actually said the same thing not that long ago. For whatever reason, the Sabres just cannot get every part of the game clicking at the same time. If the defense plays well, the offense struggles. If the offense looks good, the defense or goaltending struggles. It's so frustrating to watch because we've seen that both units can play well but the ineffective unit just completely kills what the other unit is doing.
Okay, I can't talk about this game anymore. Let's move on. Some random thoughts:
I was glad to see that Lindy Ruff finally kind of called out some players by praising the guys who have been killing themselves the last few games - Daniel Paille, Clarke MacArthur, Adam Mair, Mike Ryan - and saying that the guys who are not currently in the line-up - Derek Roy, Tim Connolly, Maxim Afinogenov - need to play better than they have been. I thought it was curious though that Brian Wheeler said on his blog on Sabres.com that Lindy was not saying "some guys need to play better or they're benched" but was saying "players need to play better for us to be successful." Now I'm willing to admit that Brian Wheeler probably has a better feel for Lindy since I'm assuming he actually talks to the man and I, unfortunately, do not, but that seems like an interesting interpretation of his words. Of course maybe I'm blinded by the fact that I hope that Lindy did mean "some guys need to play better or they're benched." Is Clarke MacArthur a better player than Roy, Connolly, or Afinogenov? No, probably not. Is a hard-working, enthusiastic MacArthur more valuable on the ice than a lazy Roy or an overly dipsy-doodling Connolly? Yeah, I think so. If they're playing hard and just not connecting - Jason Pominville and yes, Thomas Vanek - fine. If they're making the same mistakes over and over and over because they refuse to do something different, show them the pressbox for a game or two and see what happens.
I love them. I do. I'm really tired of all of them. I'm so tired of them that I changed my desktop wallpaper to a non-Sabre which is unprecedented during hockey season. At this point I would be fine with Lindy, Mike Robitaille, Rob Ray, and James Patrick starting the next game.
What was up with Brian Campbell getting the C for the game instead of one of the guys wearing the A? Although I will say - and it pains me a little to do so - he did have a couple of really nice defensive plays tonight.
Speaking of which, while Campbell probably deserves to be the All-Star rep for the Sabres - I'd say Jochen Hecht has been our best player but I know he doesn't stick out enough compared to the rest of the league - I think that a) he wouldn't have made the squad if there didn't have to be a rep from every team and b) he wouldn't have made the squad if there was more appreciation for what defensemen are primarily supposed to do which is, of course, play defense. How else do you explain Anton Volchenkov sitting at home? And yes, I am partly complaining about this because I know fans and some media are going to use the All-Star selection as ammo in the on-going "WE MUST SIGN CAMPBELL NOW!" arguments and that's ridiculous. Yes, it's very nice that he was selected by the players, I'm glad everyone knows who he is but that said, All-Star games mean nothing and don't belong in a discussion about how valuable a player is or isn't.
Why is Paul Hamilton the only guy who ever asks questions during postgame interviews with players? There are tons of people standing there with microphones, but Paul's the only one who ever talks. Is he pushy? Are other guys happy letting him handle that? What's the dealio?
And how badly did Paul Hamilton want Teppo Numminen to say he was angry with the Sabres and/or the Sabres' doctors in the most recent interview up on Sabres.com? Every question ended with, "Are you angry with the Sabres?" (Okay, it was two questions but still!)
And speaking of Teppo, while I know everyone is up in arms about the possibility of the Sabres mistreating yet another player, I think when you're talking about a guy's sternum healing, it's best to err on the side of caution. That's, you know... kind of serious. Geez.
In closing, I would just like to announce that I hate that frakkin' Reebook Edge pop-up ad on NHL.com. While trying to get the Sabres blog link for this post I inadvertently rolled over it atleast six times. I'm not buying your stupid jersey, Reebok. Leave me alone.
(For the curious, my new wallpaper.)
In his postgame conference Lindy said, "We have not had ham and egg. We've had a lot of ham, had a lot of egg but we haven't mixed it up very well." While his choice of metaphors is... interesting, I get what he's saying and I actually said the same thing not that long ago. For whatever reason, the Sabres just cannot get every part of the game clicking at the same time. If the defense plays well, the offense struggles. If the offense looks good, the defense or goaltending struggles. It's so frustrating to watch because we've seen that both units can play well but the ineffective unit just completely kills what the other unit is doing.
Okay, I can't talk about this game anymore. Let's move on. Some random thoughts:
I was glad to see that Lindy Ruff finally kind of called out some players by praising the guys who have been killing themselves the last few games - Daniel Paille, Clarke MacArthur, Adam Mair, Mike Ryan - and saying that the guys who are not currently in the line-up - Derek Roy, Tim Connolly, Maxim Afinogenov - need to play better than they have been. I thought it was curious though that Brian Wheeler said on his blog on Sabres.com that Lindy was not saying "some guys need to play better or they're benched" but was saying "players need to play better for us to be successful." Now I'm willing to admit that Brian Wheeler probably has a better feel for Lindy since I'm assuming he actually talks to the man and I, unfortunately, do not, but that seems like an interesting interpretation of his words. Of course maybe I'm blinded by the fact that I hope that Lindy did mean "some guys need to play better or they're benched." Is Clarke MacArthur a better player than Roy, Connolly, or Afinogenov? No, probably not. Is a hard-working, enthusiastic MacArthur more valuable on the ice than a lazy Roy or an overly dipsy-doodling Connolly? Yeah, I think so. If they're playing hard and just not connecting - Jason Pominville and yes, Thomas Vanek - fine. If they're making the same mistakes over and over and over because they refuse to do something different, show them the pressbox for a game or two and see what happens.
I love them. I do. I'm really tired of all of them. I'm so tired of them that I changed my desktop wallpaper to a non-Sabre which is unprecedented during hockey season. At this point I would be fine with Lindy, Mike Robitaille, Rob Ray, and James Patrick starting the next game.
What was up with Brian Campbell getting the C for the game instead of one of the guys wearing the A? Although I will say - and it pains me a little to do so - he did have a couple of really nice defensive plays tonight.
Speaking of which, while Campbell probably deserves to be the All-Star rep for the Sabres - I'd say Jochen Hecht has been our best player but I know he doesn't stick out enough compared to the rest of the league - I think that a) he wouldn't have made the squad if there didn't have to be a rep from every team and b) he wouldn't have made the squad if there was more appreciation for what defensemen are primarily supposed to do which is, of course, play defense. How else do you explain Anton Volchenkov sitting at home? And yes, I am partly complaining about this because I know fans and some media are going to use the All-Star selection as ammo in the on-going "WE MUST SIGN CAMPBELL NOW!" arguments and that's ridiculous. Yes, it's very nice that he was selected by the players, I'm glad everyone knows who he is but that said, All-Star games mean nothing and don't belong in a discussion about how valuable a player is or isn't.
Why is Paul Hamilton the only guy who ever asks questions during postgame interviews with players? There are tons of people standing there with microphones, but Paul's the only one who ever talks. Is he pushy? Are other guys happy letting him handle that? What's the dealio?
And how badly did Paul Hamilton want Teppo Numminen to say he was angry with the Sabres and/or the Sabres' doctors in the most recent interview up on Sabres.com? Every question ended with, "Are you angry with the Sabres?" (Okay, it was two questions but still!)
And speaking of Teppo, while I know everyone is up in arms about the possibility of the Sabres mistreating yet another player, I think when you're talking about a guy's sternum healing, it's best to err on the side of caution. That's, you know... kind of serious. Geez.
In closing, I would just like to announce that I hate that frakkin' Reebook Edge pop-up ad on NHL.com. While trying to get the Sabres blog link for this post I inadvertently rolled over it atleast six times. I'm not buying your stupid jersey, Reebok. Leave me alone.
(For the curious, my new wallpaper.)
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
State of the Union
In honor of NaBloPoMO, I'll be attempting to post something every day in November. If you're not checking in every day, make sure you're catching all the posts!
So I guess we should shake things up and talk about the Sabres, huh? Okay.
Honestly, I have a hard time picking on them too much right now because most of them have worked really hard the last few games. The effort is definitely there now, they're just not getting the puck in the net. A few random thoughts that have been percolating in my brain:
- Thomas Vanek is not Miro Satan, okay, Sabres fans? I think it's killing him that the team is losing and he's not contributing. We went to one of the Boston games last week (the OT win) and watching him on the ice and the bench made it pretty clear that he's extremely frustrated and pressing way too hard. As much pressure as we're putting on him, he's putting way more on himself.
And this is exactly why a third year player shouldn't be making so much money. I'm not blaming the Oilers - what they did was within the rules of the CBA. I'm not blaming the Sabres - no one would've extended Vanek to a long-term deal after his rookie season and once there were rumors about offer sheets, his agent clearly wasn't going to let the Sabres anywhere near him. I'm just saying, it's a very unfortunate situation. Vanek doesn't have much experience with long slumps and he has no experience with being the go-to guy at this level. Now not only does he have to work himself out of this scoring drought, he has to do it while knowing that every single person watching him is thinking about how much money he's making. At this point I'm really just crossing my fingers and hoping he comes out of this in one piece. (I think he will.)
- It's not helping Vanek's case that he's playing with the two worst players on the team. Derek Roy and Maxim Afinogenov are playing wretched hockey right now, turning over the puck like crazy with fancy passes and extra stick-handling. Max is particularly frustrating to me. He finally seemed to put everything together last season - he used his linemates, he became a good playmaker, he figured out how to effectively use his speed to create space for himself and his team. To see him go back to his more selfish, careless bad habits is disheartening. Max isn't quite as young as the other forwards and he's been at the NHL level much longer. He should know better.
- So along those lines, let's break up RAV, PLEASE. I guess I understand Lindy's inclination to keep them together. They have played well in the past and Derek and Vanek have to get used to being centerpieces of the team. But with young players I think there comes a point where you have to worry a little bit about where they are mentally. Right now I think the most important thing is getting them jump-started no matter what it takes. When Tim Connolly comes back - hey, when is Tim Connolly coming back, by the way? - I'd flip-flop him and Derek. Tim has brought out good things from Max in the past and then you have Vanek with a playmaker who's actually playing well right now which might help get him back on the scoresheet. Tim would also bring a little responsibility and a level-head to that line, two things which are desperately needed at the moment. He doesn't seem to panic or press when things aren't going smoothly and in Vanek-Afinogenov-Roy you have three guys who are trying too hard to make things happen. Maybe Tim's more laid-back patience would soothe Max and Van a bit.
Derek tends to have a symbiotic relationship with his linemates. As they go, he goes. I hope that he'll eventually be able to bust out of that and impose his will a little more on his line but for now, putting him between Jochen Hecht and Jason Pominville might be beneficial. Jochen and Jason are busting their butts every night
and playing strong at both ends of the ice. Maybe being surrounded by their hard work would bring out more of the fiery dynamo I love and less of the whiny turnover machine I hate.
- Tom L. made this point over at Sabre Rattling but I think it bears repeating: This team desperately misses Teppo Numminen. I'm sure he was partly re-signed because of his dependable defensive play but I'm also sure he was partly re-signed because he was a veteran who the younger guys on the team clearly like and respect. I really think Teppo's leadership was supposed to be a bridge from last year's team to next year's team. The d-men - Campbell and Kalinin in particular - have talked openly about how calming Teppo always was for them on the ice. I can't help but think that if he were around, he'd be able to help the younger guys get out of their heads a bit.
- The defense has looked better, especially considering that Kalinin is still out. Sekera still makes me a touch nervous but I do think he's much improved. Ryan Miller also seems to be finding his game. He hasn't stolen one yet but you can't really nitpick much about his last few starts.
- Seriously, what's up with Timmy? I get nervous when he's out and everything's hush-hush.
Come back later tonight/early tomorrow for some thoughts on Ottawa!
So I guess we should shake things up and talk about the Sabres, huh? Okay.
Honestly, I have a hard time picking on them too much right now because most of them have worked really hard the last few games. The effort is definitely there now, they're just not getting the puck in the net. A few random thoughts that have been percolating in my brain:
- Thomas Vanek is not Miro Satan, okay, Sabres fans? I think it's killing him that the team is losing and he's not contributing. We went to one of the Boston games last week (the OT win) and watching him on the ice and the bench made it pretty clear that he's extremely frustrated and pressing way too hard. As much pressure as we're putting on him, he's putting way more on himself.
And this is exactly why a third year player shouldn't be making so much money. I'm not blaming the Oilers - what they did was within the rules of the CBA. I'm not blaming the Sabres - no one would've extended Vanek to a long-term deal after his rookie season and once there were rumors about offer sheets, his agent clearly wasn't going to let the Sabres anywhere near him. I'm just saying, it's a very unfortunate situation. Vanek doesn't have much experience with long slumps and he has no experience with being the go-to guy at this level. Now not only does he have to work himself out of this scoring drought, he has to do it while knowing that every single person watching him is thinking about how much money he's making. At this point I'm really just crossing my fingers and hoping he comes out of this in one piece. (I think he will.)
- It's not helping Vanek's case that he's playing with the two worst players on the team. Derek Roy and Maxim Afinogenov are playing wretched hockey right now, turning over the puck like crazy with fancy passes and extra stick-handling. Max is particularly frustrating to me. He finally seemed to put everything together last season - he used his linemates, he became a good playmaker, he figured out how to effectively use his speed to create space for himself and his team. To see him go back to his more selfish, careless bad habits is disheartening. Max isn't quite as young as the other forwards and he's been at the NHL level much longer. He should know better.
- So along those lines, let's break up RAV, PLEASE. I guess I understand Lindy's inclination to keep them together. They have played well in the past and Derek and Vanek have to get used to being centerpieces of the team. But with young players I think there comes a point where you have to worry a little bit about where they are mentally. Right now I think the most important thing is getting them jump-started no matter what it takes. When Tim Connolly comes back - hey, when is Tim Connolly coming back, by the way? - I'd flip-flop him and Derek. Tim has brought out good things from Max in the past and then you have Vanek with a playmaker who's actually playing well right now which might help get him back on the scoresheet. Tim would also bring a little responsibility and a level-head to that line, two things which are desperately needed at the moment. He doesn't seem to panic or press when things aren't going smoothly and in Vanek-Afinogenov-Roy you have three guys who are trying too hard to make things happen. Maybe Tim's more laid-back patience would soothe Max and Van a bit.
Derek tends to have a symbiotic relationship with his linemates. As they go, he goes. I hope that he'll eventually be able to bust out of that and impose his will a little more on his line but for now, putting him between Jochen Hecht and Jason Pominville might be beneficial. Jochen and Jason are busting their butts every night
and playing strong at both ends of the ice. Maybe being surrounded by their hard work would bring out more of the fiery dynamo I love and less of the whiny turnover machine I hate.
- Tom L. made this point over at Sabre Rattling but I think it bears repeating: This team desperately misses Teppo Numminen. I'm sure he was partly re-signed because of his dependable defensive play but I'm also sure he was partly re-signed because he was a veteran who the younger guys on the team clearly like and respect. I really think Teppo's leadership was supposed to be a bridge from last year's team to next year's team. The d-men - Campbell and Kalinin in particular - have talked openly about how calming Teppo always was for them on the ice. I can't help but think that if he were around, he'd be able to help the younger guys get out of their heads a bit.
- The defense has looked better, especially considering that Kalinin is still out. Sekera still makes me a touch nervous but I do think he's much improved. Ryan Miller also seems to be finding his game. He hasn't stolen one yet but you can't really nitpick much about his last few starts.
- Seriously, what's up with Timmy? I get nervous when he's out and everything's hush-hush.
Come back later tonight/early tomorrow for some thoughts on Ottawa!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
You Gotta Have Heart
I'm not going to comment too much on last night's game because I missed it due to work. Because I didn't see it, it's hard to separate the reality of the game from the standard Buffalo crazy. I did also promise myself I was going to give the team 20 games before I made too much criticism of how they were playing because I do think it's going to take them time to get settled into new roles on and off the ice.
But I will say this: The lack of effort at important times the last couple of weeks is disheartening. At the very least I expected this team to play hard. They should have a chip on their shoulders about the way people seem so eager to credit all the success of the last couple of years to Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. They should be chomping at the bit to show people they're not devastated or rebuilding. They went from pressing a little too hard in the first couple of games to looking pretty disinterested in the last couple. I'd much rather watch a marginally talented team that plays hard than an extremely talented team that coasts so hopefully this gets straightened out quickly. Right now this isn't about Darcy Regier, Lindy Ruff, Chris Drury, or Danie Briere. The Sabres are not losing because they're getting out-muscled or out-skilled. It is about the players on the ice deciding they really want to win more than the other team. It's lovely that they're saying all the right things but at some point you have to stop talking about working harder and start to do it.
A few random thoughts:
- I can't believe how dismissive some people are being about Dmitri Kalinin's injury. He's been our best d-man so far this season (which is damning with faint praise, I know) and outside of the Ottawa series, I'd say he was probably our most consistent d-man last season too. If Tallinder and Lydman don't pull it together quickly, our defense could be extremely ugly without Tri in the line-up.
- I also think it's time for the Teppo haters to admit that our defensive group - if not the whole team - misses him and his steadying, veteran leadership. And while we're being honest, let's also admit that Nathan Paetsch was not ready to step seamlessly into Teppo's minutes. I'm not going to come down on him too hard right now since it's early and everyone is playing like crap, but he's looked very overwhelmed in his own end.
- I understand that Ryan Smyth was in Edmonton for a very long time and that the fans there loved him, but I do not get the concept of a pre-game video tribute to an active player on the opposing team. In fact, it's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Oilers fans, Smyth could've taken $100,000 less and stayed in Edmonton. He also could've come back to Edmonton as a free agent. Also did I mention that he's there to play on the other team? As in, against your team? I can't wait for the Jay McKee video tribute next month!
- “The Sabres have asked the NHL “to wear white jerseys at home for the month of November so that fans could differentiate divisional games from non-divisional opponents,” Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn said.” Thank you, Larry. How would we know the difference otherwise, especially since we play the same three teams 27 times in November?
I'm going to miss tomorrow's game too but I'm going to hope the 20 minute closed door team meeting involved someone flipping benches and throwing chairs and that we'll see a different team in Florida. I do not want to go sit in my freezing car during my break and turn on the radio just in time to hear the opponent score its fifth goal and our enforcer take yet another stupid, poorly timed penalty. So here's hoping!
But I will say this: The lack of effort at important times the last couple of weeks is disheartening. At the very least I expected this team to play hard. They should have a chip on their shoulders about the way people seem so eager to credit all the success of the last couple of years to Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. They should be chomping at the bit to show people they're not devastated or rebuilding. They went from pressing a little too hard in the first couple of games to looking pretty disinterested in the last couple. I'd much rather watch a marginally talented team that plays hard than an extremely talented team that coasts so hopefully this gets straightened out quickly. Right now this isn't about Darcy Regier, Lindy Ruff, Chris Drury, or Danie Briere. The Sabres are not losing because they're getting out-muscled or out-skilled. It is about the players on the ice deciding they really want to win more than the other team. It's lovely that they're saying all the right things but at some point you have to stop talking about working harder and start to do it.
A few random thoughts:
- I can't believe how dismissive some people are being about Dmitri Kalinin's injury. He's been our best d-man so far this season (which is damning with faint praise, I know) and outside of the Ottawa series, I'd say he was probably our most consistent d-man last season too. If Tallinder and Lydman don't pull it together quickly, our defense could be extremely ugly without Tri in the line-up.
- I also think it's time for the Teppo haters to admit that our defensive group - if not the whole team - misses him and his steadying, veteran leadership. And while we're being honest, let's also admit that Nathan Paetsch was not ready to step seamlessly into Teppo's minutes. I'm not going to come down on him too hard right now since it's early and everyone is playing like crap, but he's looked very overwhelmed in his own end.
- I understand that Ryan Smyth was in Edmonton for a very long time and that the fans there loved him, but I do not get the concept of a pre-game video tribute to an active player on the opposing team. In fact, it's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Oilers fans, Smyth could've taken $100,000 less and stayed in Edmonton. He also could've come back to Edmonton as a free agent. Also did I mention that he's there to play on the other team? As in, against your team? I can't wait for the Jay McKee video tribute next month!
- “The Sabres have asked the NHL “to wear white jerseys at home for the month of November so that fans could differentiate divisional games from non-divisional opponents,” Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn said.” Thank you, Larry. How would we know the difference otherwise, especially since we play the same three teams 27 times in November?
I'm going to miss tomorrow's game too but I'm going to hope the 20 minute closed door team meeting involved someone flipping benches and throwing chairs and that we'll see a different team in Florida. I do not want to go sit in my freezing car during my break and turn on the radio just in time to hear the opponent score its fifth goal and our enforcer take yet another stupid, poorly timed penalty. So here's hoping!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Random Musings of a Cluttered Mind
A collection of subjects that have very little to do with each other:
- First up, I need to make sure that everyone knows Sportsquee's Buffalo Sabres Squee-View is now up. Margee's blog is one of the funniest, most entertaining blogs on the internet and one of my very favorite reads. And I'm not just saying that because she named Henrik Tallinder the team's MVSquee.
- During a postgame conference during the playoffs, Lindy Ruff mentioned that he had a theory about why Maxim Afinogenov was struggling and said maybe he'd share that theory after the season was over. Today, he finally let us in on it. You can read the whole story here, but here it is in a nutshell:
“Max, while warming up playing soccer in the playoffs, flipped over backwards and hit his head on the concrete before Game Three in Long Island,” Ruff said, “and I don’t think he was right for a little while after that.”
With the knowledge that Max didn't really do any permanent damage to himself, I have to say this is one of the funniest things I've ever heard. It's been many years since I've played soccer so I could be fuzzy on how the game works but how the heck do you land on your head playing a game that's about keeping the ball in the air? I desperately need someone to do a little more investigating into this story. And the quote from Vanek - "He fell straight back on his head,” Sabres winger Thomas Vanek said of Afinogenov’s spill. “Once he went down, we quit immediately" - cracks me up for some reason. In my head, Max decides to get all showy, ignores the fact that they're playing on concrete and attempts one of those upside down bicycle kicks. He lands head first and the other boys start freaking out, trying to figure out what to do. And then they hear Lindy coming and freeze for a long second before scattering in every direction, leaving Lindy to find a moaning, barely conscious Max with a soccer ball at his feet. Sometimes I'm just overwhelmed by affection for these guys.
- Mark and I went to the scrimmage tonight along with his mom, sister, and nephew. Mark was rooting for the Blue Team since that's where Drew Stafford was while I was pulling for Team Gold. Alas Team Gold got shellacked, 10-4 although they did win the shootout. I don't really have much to note about the game itself other than the fact that the Kotalik-Connolly-Pominville line looked really good. They didn't connect for any goals but Timmy just sent them beautiful set-up after beautiful set-up. Timmy, Hank may have knocked you off the Favorite Sabre pedestal, but I'm still super happy to see you back on the ice.
Anyway, I was pretty distracted by this:
I realize this might sound a little hypocritical coming from a girl who took the time to Paint Shop hearts all over a picture of Henrik Tallinder but... this is pathetic. Maybe - maybe - I could excuse a 14-year-old girl, but the woman wearing this jersey was definitely old enough to know better. Seriously, how do you place an order for that jersey without feeling ridiculous much less actually wear it in public? My favorite thing is that I feel pretty sure that if Ryan Miller saw this, he'd immediately assume this woman was a freak. I gave Mark very strict instructions: If I ever come home with a jersey that says MRS. HANK, punch me in the head until I come to my senses.
- And finally... I've been pretty mum about the Teppo Numminen suspension here, mostly because I feel like I've been talking about it ad nauseum on other blogs. But I will say this: I understand that it was a business decision. No matter how many other examples people give - Lemieux, Fisher, Pisani - this situation is different and it has different salary and cap ramifications. I seriously doubt that the parties involved hadn't discussed Teppo's health problems and how they would affect his contract if a problem came up. Honestly, the only opinion I'm that concerned with is Teppo's and while he certainly has other things to worry about right now, he doesn't seem particularly surprised or upset by the suspension. He's talking very openly about returning to the Sabres if and when he's cleared and the Sabres are talking very openly about welcoming him back. It doesn't sound like any relationships have been soured or damaged. If Teppo's okay with it, then everything else is just noise.
That said...
I love that joke!
Seriously... I really like Teppo. Anyone who's cool enough to go to a Justin Timberlake concert with his much younger teammates - and cool enough that his much younger teammates would want him there - is aces in my book. I'm very nervous on his behalf. My father died of a heart attack when he was very young (38) and because I was so young (4) I only have very vague memories of him. Heart problems make me twitchy. Teppo gets razzed for being an old man, but in the real non-hockey world he's still a pretty young guy with a very young family and a lot of life left to live. My prayers and thoughts are definitely with you, Old Man, especially today.
- First up, I need to make sure that everyone knows Sportsquee's Buffalo Sabres Squee-View is now up. Margee's blog is one of the funniest, most entertaining blogs on the internet and one of my very favorite reads. And I'm not just saying that because she named Henrik Tallinder the team's MVSquee.
- During a postgame conference during the playoffs, Lindy Ruff mentioned that he had a theory about why Maxim Afinogenov was struggling and said maybe he'd share that theory after the season was over. Today, he finally let us in on it. You can read the whole story here, but here it is in a nutshell:
“Max, while warming up playing soccer in the playoffs, flipped over backwards and hit his head on the concrete before Game Three in Long Island,” Ruff said, “and I don’t think he was right for a little while after that.”
With the knowledge that Max didn't really do any permanent damage to himself, I have to say this is one of the funniest things I've ever heard. It's been many years since I've played soccer so I could be fuzzy on how the game works but how the heck do you land on your head playing a game that's about keeping the ball in the air? I desperately need someone to do a little more investigating into this story. And the quote from Vanek - "He fell straight back on his head,” Sabres winger Thomas Vanek said of Afinogenov’s spill. “Once he went down, we quit immediately" - cracks me up for some reason. In my head, Max decides to get all showy, ignores the fact that they're playing on concrete and attempts one of those upside down bicycle kicks. He lands head first and the other boys start freaking out, trying to figure out what to do. And then they hear Lindy coming and freeze for a long second before scattering in every direction, leaving Lindy to find a moaning, barely conscious Max with a soccer ball at his feet. Sometimes I'm just overwhelmed by affection for these guys.
- Mark and I went to the scrimmage tonight along with his mom, sister, and nephew. Mark was rooting for the Blue Team since that's where Drew Stafford was while I was pulling for Team Gold. Alas Team Gold got shellacked, 10-4 although they did win the shootout. I don't really have much to note about the game itself other than the fact that the Kotalik-Connolly-Pominville line looked really good. They didn't connect for any goals but Timmy just sent them beautiful set-up after beautiful set-up. Timmy, Hank may have knocked you off the Favorite Sabre pedestal, but I'm still super happy to see you back on the ice.
Anyway, I was pretty distracted by this:
I realize this might sound a little hypocritical coming from a girl who took the time to Paint Shop hearts all over a picture of Henrik Tallinder but... this is pathetic. Maybe - maybe - I could excuse a 14-year-old girl, but the woman wearing this jersey was definitely old enough to know better. Seriously, how do you place an order for that jersey without feeling ridiculous much less actually wear it in public? My favorite thing is that I feel pretty sure that if Ryan Miller saw this, he'd immediately assume this woman was a freak. I gave Mark very strict instructions: If I ever come home with a jersey that says MRS. HANK, punch me in the head until I come to my senses.
- And finally... I've been pretty mum about the Teppo Numminen suspension here, mostly because I feel like I've been talking about it ad nauseum on other blogs. But I will say this: I understand that it was a business decision. No matter how many other examples people give - Lemieux, Fisher, Pisani - this situation is different and it has different salary and cap ramifications. I seriously doubt that the parties involved hadn't discussed Teppo's health problems and how they would affect his contract if a problem came up. Honestly, the only opinion I'm that concerned with is Teppo's and while he certainly has other things to worry about right now, he doesn't seem particularly surprised or upset by the suspension. He's talking very openly about returning to the Sabres if and when he's cleared and the Sabres are talking very openly about welcoming him back. It doesn't sound like any relationships have been soured or damaged. If Teppo's okay with it, then everything else is just noise.
That said...
I love that joke!
Seriously... I really like Teppo. Anyone who's cool enough to go to a Justin Timberlake concert with his much younger teammates - and cool enough that his much younger teammates would want him there - is aces in my book. I'm very nervous on his behalf. My father died of a heart attack when he was very young (38) and because I was so young (4) I only have very vague memories of him. Heart problems make me twitchy. Teppo gets razzed for being an old man, but in the real non-hockey world he's still a pretty young guy with a very young family and a lot of life left to live. My prayers and thoughts are definitely with you, Old Man, especially today.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Agony and Ecstasy Pt. II: The Internet Hates Me
My internet connection has been crap all day so who knows when this will finally post. For the record, I wrote this Sunday night.
I missed most of regulation because of my second job – curse you, credit card debt! – but I'm not as upset about that as I'd usually be because I hate watching our struggling power play more than anything else. How, how, how can a power play be so good one season and so darn crappy the next season when there wasn't a drastic change in personnel? Did J.P. Dumont really make that much difference? Are we missing Jay McKee? (Kidding.) I don't get it. I'm ready to blow up the whole thing and start all over. Throw guys who have never played on the power play before out there. Let Ryan play the point. I don't know. I do know this: One, it can't get much worse. Two, we're not going to beat Ottawa/Jersey/Anaheim/San Jose by going 1 for 10 every night.
A few random thoughts:
- Despite the loss, I feel pretty good. It sucks to play for that long and lose but I don't think anyone really expected us to take both games at MSG. Kudos to the boys for pulling themselves together and battling as long and hard as they did – I do love that you can't ever really count them out – but it's probably about time we lost a game like this. We've been living dangerously.
- I can't believe yet another goal review went in our favor. That alone is almost enough to make me believe it's our year. Honestly, I could've seen that review going either way and I'll admit I'm fine with it because it favored my team. But I do agree with Ray Ferraro that the kicking rule should be done away with. Is there really that much difference between a guy using his foot and using his stick? If it goes in the net, it goes in the net. The skater could head it in for all I care. I think Ferraro lost his mind a little with the whole "a review shouldn't take more than 2 minutes" argument though. What are they supposed to do at the end of two minutes, Ray? Poll the war room? Flip a coin? I can't believe Brett Hull was the voice of reason but he was absolutely right – take as long as it takes if it means getting the call right. Incidentally, you should've seen the look on my husband's face when he realized he was agreeing with Brett Hull. I'm sure minds across Buffalo were short circuiting at the sudden disconnect with the usual Hull related thoughts.
- How about Old Man Numminen stopping that shot from going in? NBC's 1800 replays might've been overkill, but it was a heads-up play nonetheless. I love Lydman and Tallinder and I think they've done an outstanding job this series (glove tap to NBC for giving them a little love), but I was a tad disappointed that no one got a stick on the goal that rolled lazily between Ryan's legs and across the goal line. I loved Emerick and Olczyk going on and on about Teppo's "homemade" sticks. Guys, he owns a stick company. He's not whittling them out of the trees in his backyard. Anyway… maybe the Teppo haters will back off for a day. I haven't decided how I feel about Teppo coming back for another season when Nathan Paetsch is waiting in the wings, but I don't understand how anyone can criticize Teppo for what he's done in Buffalo these last couple of years. I don't think it's any coincedence that a couple of our young defensemen have really come along while playing with him.
- Good lord, enough with Jaromir Jagr. If I had to listen to anyone on NBC rave about how much Jagr seems to be enjoying the playoffs this year and how involved he's been in the play this year, I might've put my fist through the TV screen – and I missed the first two periods of regulation. Guess what, NBC? Jagr is not a 19-year-old kid who's playing over his head. He's a 35-year-old veteran who is in the 16th season of his NHL career. We shouldn't be jumping with excitement and praising him for finally playing with a little passion. We should be wondering what the hell took so long! You can tell me he's grown-up and matured all you want. I'm not buying it. It looks to me like he's in a situation where the organization and coach have given him whatever he's asked for. I'm not impressed that he's suddenly happy and excited. Jagr absolutely had a good game today and he's had a very good career but I can't help but feel that he's wasted a lot of talent over the years. If you put his skill into the body of someone with the heart and passion of Chris Drury then you'd have a player worth celebrating. I'm almost afraid to imagine the career that guy would have. Until that happens, shut up.
Even though we lost, I was reminded today that there really is nothing else in all of sports like overtime in the playoffs in the NHL. Nothing. I've mentioned before that I grew up in Alabama, not exactly a hockey-centric area. The Sabres' playoff run in 1999 was my first real dose of the NHL, and the excruciating, agonizing excitement of overtime really helped suck me into the sport. I'll never forget totally ignoring my babysitting duties during the first OT of Game Six, scooting to the edge of my seat every time the Sabres took the puck into the offensive zone and leaping up with every shot or sinking into the couch and covering my eyes every time Dallas had the puck in our zone. I'll never forget jumping in the car and breaking every speed limit between the Hamilton's house and mine in an effort to get home before the second OT started. I'll never forget the knot in the center of my stomach and the devastating suddeness of the loss. Things were going, going, going and boom! Just like that it was all over. Even though the Sabres lost, it was largely the memory of the fun and agony of that night that led me back to hockey when the next season started. Basketball's overtime scoring goes back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Baseball's extra innings are, with the exception of a walk-off homer, long and slow. Runners move progressively around the bases, the other team often has a chance to tie the game back up. You can see it coming. Same with football. Even though it's sudden death, play generally moves slowly down the field. Overtime hockey isn't like that. Guys fight and scrap, leaving everything they have on the ice, and with one shot, it's all over. Someone's a winner and someone's a loser. It's an amazing high when you're the winner and completely heart-breaking when you're the loser, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
I missed most of regulation because of my second job – curse you, credit card debt! – but I'm not as upset about that as I'd usually be because I hate watching our struggling power play more than anything else. How, how, how can a power play be so good one season and so darn crappy the next season when there wasn't a drastic change in personnel? Did J.P. Dumont really make that much difference? Are we missing Jay McKee? (Kidding.) I don't get it. I'm ready to blow up the whole thing and start all over. Throw guys who have never played on the power play before out there. Let Ryan play the point. I don't know. I do know this: One, it can't get much worse. Two, we're not going to beat Ottawa/Jersey/Anaheim/San Jose by going 1 for 10 every night.
A few random thoughts:
- Despite the loss, I feel pretty good. It sucks to play for that long and lose but I don't think anyone really expected us to take both games at MSG. Kudos to the boys for pulling themselves together and battling as long and hard as they did – I do love that you can't ever really count them out – but it's probably about time we lost a game like this. We've been living dangerously.
- I can't believe yet another goal review went in our favor. That alone is almost enough to make me believe it's our year. Honestly, I could've seen that review going either way and I'll admit I'm fine with it because it favored my team. But I do agree with Ray Ferraro that the kicking rule should be done away with. Is there really that much difference between a guy using his foot and using his stick? If it goes in the net, it goes in the net. The skater could head it in for all I care. I think Ferraro lost his mind a little with the whole "a review shouldn't take more than 2 minutes" argument though. What are they supposed to do at the end of two minutes, Ray? Poll the war room? Flip a coin? I can't believe Brett Hull was the voice of reason but he was absolutely right – take as long as it takes if it means getting the call right. Incidentally, you should've seen the look on my husband's face when he realized he was agreeing with Brett Hull. I'm sure minds across Buffalo were short circuiting at the sudden disconnect with the usual Hull related thoughts.
- How about Old Man Numminen stopping that shot from going in? NBC's 1800 replays might've been overkill, but it was a heads-up play nonetheless. I love Lydman and Tallinder and I think they've done an outstanding job this series (glove tap to NBC for giving them a little love), but I was a tad disappointed that no one got a stick on the goal that rolled lazily between Ryan's legs and across the goal line. I loved Emerick and Olczyk going on and on about Teppo's "homemade" sticks. Guys, he owns a stick company. He's not whittling them out of the trees in his backyard. Anyway… maybe the Teppo haters will back off for a day. I haven't decided how I feel about Teppo coming back for another season when Nathan Paetsch is waiting in the wings, but I don't understand how anyone can criticize Teppo for what he's done in Buffalo these last couple of years. I don't think it's any coincedence that a couple of our young defensemen have really come along while playing with him.
- Good lord, enough with Jaromir Jagr. If I had to listen to anyone on NBC rave about how much Jagr seems to be enjoying the playoffs this year and how involved he's been in the play this year, I might've put my fist through the TV screen – and I missed the first two periods of regulation. Guess what, NBC? Jagr is not a 19-year-old kid who's playing over his head. He's a 35-year-old veteran who is in the 16th season of his NHL career. We shouldn't be jumping with excitement and praising him for finally playing with a little passion. We should be wondering what the hell took so long! You can tell me he's grown-up and matured all you want. I'm not buying it. It looks to me like he's in a situation where the organization and coach have given him whatever he's asked for. I'm not impressed that he's suddenly happy and excited. Jagr absolutely had a good game today and he's had a very good career but I can't help but feel that he's wasted a lot of talent over the years. If you put his skill into the body of someone with the heart and passion of Chris Drury then you'd have a player worth celebrating. I'm almost afraid to imagine the career that guy would have. Until that happens, shut up.
Even though we lost, I was reminded today that there really is nothing else in all of sports like overtime in the playoffs in the NHL. Nothing. I've mentioned before that I grew up in Alabama, not exactly a hockey-centric area. The Sabres' playoff run in 1999 was my first real dose of the NHL, and the excruciating, agonizing excitement of overtime really helped suck me into the sport. I'll never forget totally ignoring my babysitting duties during the first OT of Game Six, scooting to the edge of my seat every time the Sabres took the puck into the offensive zone and leaping up with every shot or sinking into the couch and covering my eyes every time Dallas had the puck in our zone. I'll never forget jumping in the car and breaking every speed limit between the Hamilton's house and mine in an effort to get home before the second OT started. I'll never forget the knot in the center of my stomach and the devastating suddeness of the loss. Things were going, going, going and boom! Just like that it was all over. Even though the Sabres lost, it was largely the memory of the fun and agony of that night that led me back to hockey when the next season started. Basketball's overtime scoring goes back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Baseball's extra innings are, with the exception of a walk-off homer, long and slow. Runners move progressively around the bases, the other team often has a chance to tie the game back up. You can see it coming. Same with football. Even though it's sudden death, play generally moves slowly down the field. Overtime hockey isn't like that. Guys fight and scrap, leaving everything they have on the ice, and with one shot, it's all over. Someone's a winner and someone's a loser. It's an amazing high when you're the winner and completely heart-breaking when you're the loser, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
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