Now would be the most ideal time for the Sabres to string together a few wins in a row to get themselves out of the icy ditch that they careened into. While the positivity of the Bruins win is still in the hearts and minds of the players, the opportunity exists for the Sabres to improve their status in the Eastern conference standings . The sledding in the week to come won't be easy, however, I feel like the Sabres can win all four games ion the slate.
Pittsburgh today. Winnipeg Tuesday. Toronto Thursday. The NY Islanders on Saturday.
To put together a multi-game winning streak, the Sabres will need primary and secondary goal scoring to go along with dominant defensive zone play. Goaltending will have to be better than average, too.
Ryan Miller has a lot of skin in the game these days, as he is playing out of his skull right now. His teammates will have to carpe diem (seize the day) to elevate their play on a shift-to-shift basis in order to maximize Miller's superior level of play in the Buffalo net. Miller will have to be spot-in once again today against 87, 71, and the Pens. He's up to the the task.
Miller has stopped 136 of 144 shots (.944 save%) in the Sabres’ last four games.
That's the kind of goal tending that inspires winning hockey. Now is the time to win every shift, every period and every game this week. If the Sabres can go 4-0 or 3-0-1 this week, the sky is the limit.
Peguins bench boss, Dan Bylsma, knows a thing or two about evaluating the play of world-class hockey players. He makes his livelihood coaching Sidney Crosby and Geno Malkin. I tend to respect Bylsma's opinion because he's a former NHL grinder who has morphed into one of the finest coaching minds in the National League.
Late Saturday afternoon, after the Pens skated at First Niagara Center, Bylsma spoke glowingly of the recent play of the NHL's leading scorer, Thomas Vanek.
Vanek has scored 23 points in 15 games (1st overall), 11 goals (tied 1st), 12 assists ( tied 7th), 4 PPGs ( tied 4th), 52 shots on goal (9th overall)
Buffalo’s 4-2 win over Boston was the Sabres' first win without getting a point from Thomas Vanek or Jason Pominville since March 23, 2012 at NYR (4-1 win).
The Penguins coach also cited the the aggressive mobility of the Sabres D and how he expects them to join the rush to create units of five in the offensive zone.
So sayeth Glenn Healey of Hockey Night In Canada regarding the asking price for soon-too-be-former Colorado Avalanche difference maker, Ryan O'Reilly.
On the CBC HNIC "Hot Stove" segment on Saturday night, host Elliotte Friedman cited an example of how the NY Rangers explored the O'Reilly Factor with the Avs earlier this week. Friedman cited that the Avs asked for offensive D-man, Michael Del Zotto, among other pieces. The Rangers reportedly said "Thanks, but no thanks" and hung up the phone.
There is a school of thought afoot that the price of poker for O'Reilly right now is two roster players, a prospect, and a draft choice.
To me, this bounty doesn't seem to be an outlandish ask for the second coming of Jonathon Toews. O'Reilly is big, strong, skilled, disciplines, and is battle tested. Don't let his age (22 years of age) fool or mislead you. This kid is the real deal. The Sabres are said to be involved in the small group of eastern teams who are interested in landing O'Reilly.
Denver Post columnist Adrian Dater suggests that the Avs are seeking a package fin exchange for O'Reilly that includes an offensive D-man or proven forward, plus a draft pick. Dater reports that the Avs are not necessarily interested so much in getting a centre back in return in any deal for O'Reilly. The thinking is that the Avs want a valuable forward, be it a wing or pivot. It seems the onus is on receiving a solid offensive D. The draft pick will be the cherry on top of the banana split.
With respect to the Sabres, they would have to pony up a couple of gold nuggets of their own home grown talent in order to land O'Reilly. Would Darcy Regier be willing to trade Reggie Sekera or TJ Brennan, and Stafford or Ennis in order to win the O'Reilly deal right now? Vanek, Hodgson, Pominville, and Foligno are off limits right now. Ott and Grigorenko are keepers too. The Avs are not interested in Kaleta, McCormick, Hecht, and Scott. Gerbe may be used to spice up a deal. Veteran D Jordan Leopold is also a useful player that Buffalo can use to sweeten the pot as he is making $3 million this season and will be UFA in July.
The Avs have offered O'Reilly the same two years, $3.5 million per season deal that they signed Matt Duchene to last summer. o'reilly isn't interested in signing a "bridge contract" with the Avs. He wants 5 years at $5 million per season. The Avs have dug in their edges and said no way. O'Reilly is ready to move his services to a new team.
O'Reilly is an RFA. The Avs technically hold his rights for the next four seasons. There seems to be a mutual consent that he wants out of Denver and that the Avs are willing to oblige his demands. Avs GM, Greg Sherman, is poised to maximize the return for his prized asset. The price of poker will be high, and well it should be for a player of O'Reilly's ilk and skill set. Personally, I feel like Sherman has set the bar so high in terms of his ask of a a top flight puck mover, an established forward, and a draft choice as a deterrent against tire-kickers. I think Sherman is only talking to serious buyers, not window shoppers. I'm told that the Sabres are serious shoppers for O'Reilly and as such, they will have to trade several key elements in order to acquire O'Reilly.
The Sabres and the other suitors may well submit an offer sheet to the Avs for O'Reilly.
Either way, it seems like O'Reilly's days in Denver are done.
Now would be a great time for Avs GM, Greg Sherman, to trade O'Reilly for defensive help. His team blew 3-0 and 4-1 leads in Edmonton on Saturday night en route to a 6-4 loss to the Oilers. Semyon Varlamov made 50 saves on 56 Oiler shots in the loss. This is totally unacceptable for the Avs to give up nearly 60 shots on goal in a game where they owned the scored board with two, three goal leads.
House hockey teams have better D play then the Avalanche do right now. They were awful in Edmonton. The Avs D corps have been brutal all season long.
Trading Ryan O'Reilly now will go a long way to securing the necessary players to bondo the back-end and to provide offense from the rear.
Watching the Avs mess on Saturday night, I'd be inclined to offer Leopold (a one time Av) and Sekera, plus a forward prospect to Colorado for O'Reilly.
Sabres D Reggie Sekera is doubtful for the Pens game on Sunday afternoon, according to Lindy Ruff.
Sekera suffered a leg injury when he was checked innocently by Boston's Shawn Thornton on Friday night.
Mike Weber was a healthy scratch vs. Boston. Weber will no doubt draw back in to the starting six D against his hometown Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon.
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