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How Do You say "Tiger Blood" In German?

February 18, 2013, 7:56 AM ET [652 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Thanks, Dan Hickling
Thanks, Dan Hickling


Updated 4pm EDT:


TSN Hockey Insider, Bob McKenzie, made a guest appearance on the NHL Network on Monday. He shared his thoughts on Ryan Miller’s frustration level after the 4-3 loss to Paul Martin and the Pens on Sunday.

McKenzie also shined some light on the Colorado Avalanche’s power struggle with their feisty lynch pin, Ryan O’Reilly.


Thanks, NHL Network

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Updated 1:30pm EDT:



Poor Christian Ehrhoff.


Dude can’t catch a break these days. He blocked a shot with his face last week. Ditto Sunday, when he blocked a shot with his upper body. No, he’s getting chirped on Twitter by the king of all bad boys.

After Sunday’s heart-breaking loss to Pittsburgh, Sabres Son Of Anarchy, Steve Ott, propped Ehrhoff for his courage in eating sniper fire to defend Ryan Miller from enemy attacks.

Ott: “I’m sure the cameras can’t see the contusion on his body, but the blocked shot he had sacrificing himself probably speaks for itself. The rest of his game was phenomenal. Getting shots through, creating chances, those are the big things that we need from him and he was very solid.”

Perhaps Otter would like to have a chat with Charlie Sheen. Yeah, THAT Charlie Sheen.
Chuck wasn’t impressed with Ehrhoff’s display of Adonis strength on Paul Martin’s game winning goal on Sunday. He tweeted out to his legion of hundreds of thousands of followers this not-so-flattering salute to Ehrhoff:

“watching the best goalie in the worldRyan Miller,stand on his head,then some dooshy teammategot in his way”. #sux twitpic.com/c4nb4y

@charliesheen, 2/17/13

Why does Sheen give a crap about Ehrhoff anyway? What’s the connection?

Miller’s wife, Noureen DeWulf, co-stars in an ensemble cast with Sheen in the hilarious FX comedy series, "Anger Management".

Something tells me that Ott’s tiger blood is gnarlier than Sheen’s.

It was an unfortunate piece off puck-luck for the Sabres. Even Martin was surprised that the puck eluded Miller:

“The puck just found it’s way towards me and I just put it to the net and it went in. I think it maybe went off Ehrhoff’s hip, I think it moved a little bit when I saw the replay.”

Sheen may want to think twice about attending a Sabres game in the future. Ehrhoff may waste one over the glass as a brush-back slapper to Sheen’s melon.











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After Sunday's disappointing 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh, Ryan Miller was visibly upset. His team had just battled back to score three goals to did out of what seemed like a bottomless pit against Sid, Geno, and the Pens. A couple of third period gaffes cause the red light to spin behind Miller, and he wasn't sugar coating his feelings of frustration about the loss.

“It’s just a (ear muffs) way to lose,” Miller said. “I don’t understand. Your guard has to be up at all times. They get right back in the game. And a broken play to seal it for them. Just preventable and not what we need to be doing right now.”


The Pominville blunder on the Dupuis game tying goal comes to mind. Also, the Ehrhoff screen of Miller on Martin's GWG is front and centre as well. The puck actually kissed off Ehrhoff's pants, and changed direction enough to elude Miller.


Thanks, Sabres.com

My take:


I like what Miller said about the third period collapse. The mistakes and turnovers have to stop. How can thi steam be taking seriously as a conteder is it can't execute a simple break-out play? NHL coaches and scouts are like sharks. When they see blood in the water, they attack in waves. Right now, the Sabres cannot move the puck out of their zone without a litany of breakdowns and false starts. Teams are aggressive fore cheching the Sabres D because they know that the repeated pressure will lead to turnovers in the Buffalo end. Turnovers lead to zone time, which leads to sabres D and forwards running around, which leads to blow defensive assigments in front of Miller, which leads to chances, which in time will lead to goals against. Miller is bang on. His teammates have to protect the puck with their lives in all three zones, however, they need to be much better in Miller's end of the rink.

The Sabres are off today. They play host to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.


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On a day when Miller released some steam about the Sabres and their current state of affairs, Lindy Ruff was revealing his newfound kinder, gentler approach to coaching the Buffalo Sabres.


Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff recently sat down with my friend Adam Benigni of WGRZ-TV in Buffalo. The Sabres GM and head coached shared their views on the changes inside their organization in 2013. Regier and Ruff have changed their approach off the ice in the post lockout, 48 game season.

Its good that Ruff is able to change his approach in such a dramtic manner.Its probably better for his blood pressure.

I remember being at locker clean-out day last April, and standing in Derek Roy's scrum. He was perturbed and had hit his tipping point about his frustration over how Lindy Ruff criticisizes his players in the media and in public. Roy didn't hold back. Four months later, Roy was traded to Dallas for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy. Thomas Vanek rolled with it when he was asked about Ruff's style. Vanek chalked it up to Lindy being Lindy, and that he had become accustomed to the criticism and just learned to roll with it.



Make of it what you will.


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Before Sunday's game, I spoke with an experienced NHL scout on Sunday. I asked him what type of player, in his opinion that the Sabres are missing right now. He told me: another skilled D who can move the puck and provide offense.


Talk about seeing the future. The scout nailed it.

I see TJ Brennan as the answer to this issue.


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The inimitable Adrian Dater of the Denver Post turned me on to this Matt Duchene interview that he conducted with Hockey Night in Canada Radio on Friday 2/15. Duchene has become the alpha dog for the Avs in the absence of the injured Gabriel Landeskog (concussion) and the soon-to-be-traded Ryan O'Reilly.

Duchene dropped a bomb when he told HNIC Radio that he has not talked with O'Reilly and that the guys in the room are only worried about the guys who are in the room.

Translation: See ya later, O'Reilly.

Pretty surprising comments by Duchene considering that O'Reilly technically is still a teammate of the all the guys in the Avs room.

Fast forward to the 9:30 mark of the interview to hear Duchene's not so flattering comments about O'Reilly.



Perhaps the rift between the two players is a by-product of the two year, $7 million bridge contract that Duchene signed last summer. O'Reilly, an RFA, was offered the same two year, $3.5 million per season contract which is now the comparable that the Avs GM Greg Sherman is using to value O'Reilly. Duchene left money on the table. O'Reilly will not be doing so. ROR is asking for 5 years and $25 million. The Avs are not interested.

If I'm Darcy Regier, I'm asking Terry Pegula to gas up the G6 for a flight to Denver to make a face to face trade offer for Ryan O'Reilly. If I'm Regier, I put all my cards on the table. I'd even offer Jason Pominville if that's what it takes to land the studly two-way pivot.

"The Factor" is now persona non grata in the Av's room. He'd be greeted with a hero's welcome in the Buffalo because he is the embodiment of exactly what the Sabres need right now: a skilled, tenacious 200 foot player who can win face offs, wall battles and can score.


According to Dater, he has heard that the Avs asked for mobile D Michael Del Zotto and a top prospect, said to be either Chris Kreider or JT Miller, in exchange for O'Reilly.
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