When the 2011/12 NHL season began in October, you had the Buffalo Sabres pegged to be the sole occupants of last place in the Eastern Conference standings on January 24.
Not such a good morning, is it?
The Carolina Hurricanes threw another log on the Buffalo rivalry fire by beating the Winnipeg Jets last night. By virture of the Canes win, the Sabres are now the 15th and final team in the Eastern standings.
The Sabres have become a risk on the roads. They've chewed their tires down to the cables. No traction. Poor control on icy roads.
Wasn't that long ago that educated NHL pundits and prognosticators were rationalizing and predicting that the Sabres would be a top four team in the East this season. The team had all the sexy ear markings of a winner with its veteran core, its improved back end, and its usually reliable, stellar goal tending. Add in the Ehrhoff, Leino, and Regehr and Buffalo looked like a shoe in to finish high in the Eastern standings.
Here's the Sabres season in a nutshell:
* 19-24-5 record
* Only 43 points
* 117 goals for, 148 goals against. -31 goal differential.
* 11-9-5 home record
* 8-15 road record
* 2-7-1 last 10 games
* Have lost 12 straight on the road.
I was at the practice rink yesterday, watching the team prepare for its game in Newark tonight. To the naked eye, in drills and in scrimmages, this team looks like the team that we all wanted it to be in the preseason. The skill is evident in the forward ranks. The size, speed, and offense is there on the back end. The goal tending looks formidable. The special teams are fluent and efficient.
I don't get why this team is can't play on game nights the way that it practices on non-game days. This team reminds of the student who studies for a solid week before the unit test. The student knows the subject matter chapter and verse before the exam is given. Then, the moment the professor hands out the exam and its go-time, the student clams up, loses confidence and breaks out in a cold sweat.By doctor calls it "white coat syndrome", when I walk into his office with normal, low blood pressure, and the minute the nurse puts me in the exam room, by blood pressure climbs to 200/100.
Doctor Ruff's "patients" are suffering from a similar paralysis by analysis. In practice, they demonstrate their aptitude for "the system". They know where each other are supposed to be positioned on the ice. they know the play. They know what they have to do to execute to a successful completion. So why are they failing so many assignments once the puck drops on game night? How can the players have all the right answers in their pre and post game, yet they make the same mistakes inside of games? Forwards continue to lose battles. They fail to come back and help out the D. Not burying chances. Defensemen continue to turn pucks over in Miller's end of the rink. sloppy breakouts. Poor passes up the middle of the ice. Soft back pressure and net-front support. Sloppy goal tending. Missed saves. The same mistakes continue to kill this team. Add up all the mistakes and you'll see one greatest common denominator: a lack of confidence.
I've wondered for some time now what this team would be like with Mike Grier on the bench. I think the failures of the Sabres boils down to two things: confidence and leadership. A vet like Grier would nip a lot of the mistakes in the bud. Grier was all business, all the time. He paid close attention to all details. He knew his job and he performed it well. He knew the other guy's jobs, and he would coach them on the bench. Grier's not here anymore. He is sorely missed. The Sabres have some guys in the room who have Grier-like qualities, however, they also have some guys who think that they are leaders just because they've been in the "core" for five plus seasons. Sayin' is one thing. Doin' is another.
Management should have recognized the lack of leadership and should have addressed it long ago.
****
Health changes everything.
Lindy Ruff told Howard Simon this morning that Robyn Regehr told he after yesterday's skate that he feels well enough to play tonight. Regehr's upper body injury looked good to me as I watched his handle pucks, make passes and absorb contact in practice yesterday.
Ruff says that Regehr will take the skate in Jersey and he'll likely draw back in tonight with Christian Ehrhoff.
Ruff also said that McNasty is exercising now and he is making progress.
Paul Gaustad and Tyler Ennis will likely play in Montreal next Tuesday night.
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