Hey, its Bobby Ryan in Buffalo!
Thanks, senators.com
Dare to dream, Sabres fans!
**
Props to two of Buffalo’s brightest star prospects.
The Saginaw Spirit named their captains for this season. Sabre/Amerk Eric Locke was named team captain today. Justin Kea was given one of the “A’s”.
Locke and Kea were standout players at the Sabres’ Prospects camp in Buffalo in July. Both played exceptionally well at the Traverse City tourney in September.
Here's the release from the Saginaw Spirit website:
With veteran forward Eric Locke’s return to the Spirit announced, it did not take long for the team to reveal its captain for the 2013-14 OHL season. Locke has been appointed the captaincy after an extended stay with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres and its primary affiliate, the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
Locke returns to the fold having come off one of the most prolific offensive seasons in the history of the Spirit. His 97 points a year ago ranked fourth in the OHL, and it represents the second highest total in a season by a Spirit player. Locke also ranked fourth in goals, and fourth in the plus minus category league wide, and his 17 game point streak last season was one of the longest in the circuit.
Meantime the team has also announced that veteran forwards Justin Kea and Kristoff Kontos have been named alternate captains. Kea, like Locke a draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres, will continue his role as an assistant captain dating back to last season, while Kontos is beginning his first season in Saginaw after being acquired from Mississauga.
“As an organization we are looking for players who epitomize what we are about,” commented Saginaw Spirit Head Coach Greg Gilbert. “We believe in high compete levels, work ethic, commitment, and sacrifice for the team. We felt that these three young men exemplif
y these values and what we stand for.”
***
Updated 11:35am:
Deliberate move or mere oversight?
Ron Rolston chose to create a heavier-than-normal lineup for tonight’s encounter with the Ottawa Senators by inserting Battleship USS Big John Scott into his starting lineup. Rolston is scratching center Cody McCormick in order to play the more robust and beefy Scott, who will ride with center Kevin Porter and rascally-winger Pat Kaleta tonight. Scott sat out the season opener so that Cody McCormick could center the fourth line.
I don’t have access to Ron Rolston’s mind, however, I’m guessing that he started Scott as a pre-emptive strike against a MacLean starting his cage fighter.
Ottawa head coach Paul MacLean has chosen to turn the other cheek by scratching his brawler, Matt Kassian.
Earlier this week, MacLean commented that fighting has its place in hockey.
“I truly believe we need fighting in the game:
“Only about 15% (of players) fight”.
So, why not dress Kassian to combat Scott?
Who’s Scott going to dance with now? Chris Neil?
My guess is that MacLean is saving Kassian's knuckles for Ottawa's trip into Toronto on Hockey Night In Canada.
FYI, Buffalo’s Top 9 forward group:
Vanek-Hodgson-Stafford
Ott-Larsson-Ennis’
Girgensons-Grigorenko-Flynn
D Corps:
Ehrhoff-Pysyk
Tallinder-Myers
Weber-Ristolainen
Bar Tenders:
Miller vs. Anderson
____________________________________________________________________
Two teams with questionable goaltending are winning for now. However, they may be Ryan Miller fans in the future.
Embattled Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc Andre kept the wolves at bay by posting an impressive 27 save shutout over the NJ Devils.
“The Flower” looked like his 2009 Stanley Cup winning self in the opening night shutout win. Is this the new normal for Fleury, or, will he revert back to the dreadful form that found him benched in the Penguins-Islanders playoff series in April?
Earlier this week, Fleury was promoted to the starting role when 37 year old Tomas Vokoun had to undergo surgery to correct a blood clotting issue. Vokoun, who will be out of the Pens’ lineup for the next 6 months, if not more, was going to be the starting G in Pittsburgh.
**
Adam Oates has his offense right where he wants it atop the NHL statistical standings.
Look out NHL! Alex Ovechkin is leaner, meaner, and his kill switch is fully engaged.
Ovechkin now leads the NHL with 3 goals and 2 assists in the first 2 games of the season. His fellow Russian teammate Mikhail Grabovski also has 3 goals and 2 assists, while teammate Nik Backstrom has four points in the first two games.
The Caps are 1-1, however, their goaltending is a huge question mark right now. The Caps haves cored 9 goals while allowing 10 (-1 goal differential).
Oates cannot have shoddy play from his goalie Michal Neuvirth and Brayden Holtby undermining the offensive brilliance of the Caps.
**
Ryan Miller was Buffalo's best player on Wednesday night in Detroit.
Miller's 12th NHL season began with him making 32 saves on 34 shots faced in Detroit in Buffalo's season opener..
Miller was brilliant in the 2-1 loss. Jimmy Howard was one save better than Miller.
On Friday night, the Team USA goalie prospect Miller will host fellow American Olympic team hopeful Craig Anderson and the Ottawa Senators.
Miller is one of six goalies at the Team USA orientation session. Miller will be challenged by Jonathon Quick, Jimmy Howard, Corey Schneider, Craig Anderson, and John Gibson.
Miller is in great company. Nothing is a given for him to make the Team USA roster. Its not a popularity or schmooze contest. The winning goalies will earn the three jobs in Sochi, Russia, The other three goalies will be laying on a Florida beach for the two week Olympic break.
Many of you have asked me whether or not Miller will be selected to represented his country at the Sochi Olympic games. Nothing is a given.
Last month, it was announced that former Toronto Maple Leafs GM and former Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell will be scouting Team USA players in their NHL games. Burke and Waddell, Team USA veterans, will be grading the performances of Miller and all of his Team USA player candidates. They will report their findings directly back to the executive group.
The better the grades a player achieves, the higher the probability that the player will be playing for Team USA in Sochi. Lowest grades, not so much.
When asked about Ryan Miller's chances of making the Sochi squad, Burke said that Miller in "in the mix" of goalies being considered for Team USA. Burke also said that Miler isn't owed anything as a result of the silver medal that he earned for his Team USA squad at teh Vancouver Olympics in 2010.
Team USA GM David Poile told the assembled media that he is going to have a tough time selecting three goalies and sending three goalies home.
“We are going to have some really tough decisions on who will be our three guys.”
Will reputation and past performance play in to Poile's final decisions?
Doesn't sound like it.
"Body of work is important. Equally if not more important is what you do in October, November and December.
Pole said that Team USA's final roster will be announced on or around January 1, 2014.
Bottom line:
If Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres struggle in October, November and December, its safe to say that Miller will not be selected for the team USA Sochi squad.
Conversely, Miller could tip the ice in his favor by winning the majority of his starts in the first three months of the season.
Brian Burke and Don Waddell will be in attendance, live and in person, with their clip boards and score cards in hand to grade Miller's performances.
The onus is on Miller to prove to Burke, Waddell, and Poile that he belongs on the Team USA roster.
Miller is going to have a lot on his plate in the early going this season. His first priority is to be the best goalie that he can be for his Buffalo Sabres teammates. The Team USA selection is just the cherry on the hot fudge sundae. He's being paid $6.25 million this season to win more games than he loses, and to get his Buffalo Sabres back in the playoffs. The Sabres have missed the playoffs the past two seasons.
Whats more, Miller is entering his contract year. He will become UFA on July 1, 2014.
Nothing like a little pressure.
Join the Discussion:
»