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Makky Struggles, Lieuwen Succeeds |
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Team Russia’s U-20 head coach, Mikhail Varnakov, had some pointed words for that were directed at his ultra-talented team’s lackluster performance in a WJC tune-up game vs. MHL Red Stars. After his Team Russia lost the game 5-4, Varnakov cited two reasons for his team’s failures: a). No commitment to play “the system”: dogged, determined, D-first style for the full 60 minutes ; b). Wonky goaltending.
Sabres goalie prospect, Andrei Makarov (Saskatoon Blades) could not escape the ire of his head coach after the game.
“Not quite the level, unfortunately, has shown our goalie Andrei Makarov. Couples missed goals were avoidable”, Varnakov said.
Russia enter this WJC with the red bullseye affixed to the front of their sweaters. Their team is big, fast, physical, and highly skilled. They played Canada extremely well at the recent Subway Super Series, and in the August Summit Series.
Led by Sabres stud, Mikhail Grigorenko and Edmonton beauty, Nail Yakupov, the Russians will not be suffering from goal scoring droughts. Sigarev, Khokhlachev, Kucherov, and Shepyshev will likely be joining Grigo and Nail in the top 6. The Russian D are big, skilled and mobile. What they lack in pugilism, they’ll more than make up for in offensive production. Which places more of an onus on Makarov and Vasilevski ( 1st round, 19th overall 2012 Tampa Bay) to keep the puck out the Russian net.
Makarov will battle with Vasilevski to see which proud goalie will earn the starting job for Russia. A strong performance in the next exhibition game by Vasilevski may drop magnify Makky’s poor performance all the more, thus bumping him down to the back-up role.
Makarov struggled in the early going in Saskatoon this season. In the past month, he has picked up his game, and his team has found its winning way. He presently sits with a 15-13-1 record, with a .908 save % and a 2.84 GAA.
Makky will have to wipe away the bitterness of the ex-game defeat and have a winning bounce-back effort, if he's to unseat Vasilevski, who happens to be a great goalie himself.
Here's Vasilevski's resume:
Drama in the Russia net can only help to intensify the pressure taht tehse kids will be feeling while trying to win WJC gold on their home soil...errr...snow and ice.
Source: Sport Express
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Speaking of future successors to Ryan Miller...
Nathan Lieuwen has been recognized for his prowess in the nets.
Miller become an unrestricted free agent after the 2014 season, and the Sabres have a solid talent pool of capable replacements in Enroth, Knapp, Leggio, Makarov, and Lieuwen.
Nathan Lieuwen of the Greenville Road Warriors (on loan from Rochester Amerks) is the Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for Dec. 10-16.
The 21-year-old went 2-0-0 with one shutout, a 0.50 goals-against average and a save percentage of .983 in two appearances last week helping the Road Warriors extend their winning streak to four games.
Lieuwen made 26 saves to record his first pro shutout in a 6-0 win at South Carolina on Tuesday and followed that up with 31 saves in a 3-1 victory against Gwinnett on Thursday. He had a shutout streak of 147:20 snapped with 36 seconds remaining in the game.
A native of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Lieuwen has appeared in 19 games for Greenville this season posting a record of 10-7-1 with one shutout, a 3.01 goals-against average and a save percentage of .900. He ranks third in the ECHL with 506 saves and is fourth with 1,116 minutes played.
Under contract to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League, Lieuwen spent the previous five seasons with Kootenay of the Western Hockey League. He appeared in 178 career games with the Ice posting an overall record of 85-59-15 with nine shutouts, a 2.77 goals-against average and a save percentage of .903.
Thanks, echl.com
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The Buffalo Sabres are hosting an event today that will help provide relief to areas of downstate New York that were hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy in October.
More than 200 volunteers will gather at First Niagara Center to package 3,500 hygiene kits that will be transported and delivered to Freeport, New York on Long Island. Former Sabres and New York Islanders forwards Pat LaFontaine, Clark Gillies and Benoit Hogue will help to personally deliver and distribute the kits on Long Island this week.
The kits contain hygiene products such as shampoo, soap, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, deodorant, razors, shaving gel, toothbrushes and toothpaste – all intended to help residents of Long Island that are still struggling to rebuild after the widespread destruction caused by the hurricane. After the kits were assembled and packaged, they were loaded on trucks that will drive them to Long Island.
Partnering with the Sabres to help purchase and assemble the hygiene kits are First Niagara Bank, National Grid, New Era Cap Co., CoBank, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Hodgson Russ, UNYTS, the Carlos & Elizabeth Heath Foundation, the Mulroy Family Foundation, the Sabres Alumni Association and the Sabres Foundation.
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