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Miller Can Sleep On Jet To Sochi |
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The Sabres skated at Bud Bakewell rink in Buffalo before they departed for the balmy -51 climate in tropical Winnipeg.
Rayn Miller spoke after the skate about his current work load at this crucial mid-point in the NHL season. He will backup for Jhonas Enroth in The Peg on New Year's Eve. Miller said that he's totally cool with giving the net to Enroth will he rests and recovers. Miller will get a shot at redemption against Jason Pominville's Minnesota Wild on Thursday night. On October 14 in Buffalo, the former Sabres captain scored the game-winner on the power play with 9.7 seconds left in the second period.
Besides, Miller can get caught up on his sleep in February when he's flying over to Russia.
Buffalo, NY is 5366 miles from Sochi, Russia. Miller will have plenty of time to read the financial sections and to watch box set after box set of his favorite comedies.
Oh, speaking of the Olympics, Miller addressed all of the speculation and hub bub surrounding him playing for his country at Sochi. Team USA will unveil its Sochi hockey roster on Wednesday immediately following the Winter Classic in Ann Arbor..
Miller has a convincing poker face.
Thanks, sabres.com
Better believe Miller will be on the Team USA roster. Personally, I'd start him over Jonathon Quick, who has not played since he suffered a Grade 2 groin strain in Buffalo on November 12, the night before the Sabres fired Ron Rolston and Darcy Regier.
My Team USA Goalies:
#1: Miller
#2: Quick
#3: Bishop
Sorry to Howard and Anderson
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Looking back, the worst thing that could have happened to Nazem Kadri this season is the injury to centers Dave Bolland and Tyler Bozak. The Leafs were playing well in October, then, the serious injuries to Bolland and Bozak upset the delicate balance within the forward ranks. The Leafs were relying on Bolland and Bozak to provide skill, grit, and defensive prowess this season. However, both suffered long term injuries and missed a whack of games. In the case of Bolland, he's done for the season. A huge loss. Bozak recently returned to the starting lineup and has 5 points in his last three games.
Therein lies one of the issues in Toronto.
While Bolland and Bozak were on LTIR, Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle bestowed #1 minutes upon Kadri and the kid has failed to live up to his coach's lofty expectations of him. Rather than elevate his game and to bring his game to the next level, Kadri has regressed in all areas of his game. He's not scoring, he's sloppy in his own end as well as in the neutral zone, and he's become a bakery~ huge turnover maker.
Kadri, 23, has struggled this year after a his coming out party in the lockout shortened season in 2013 when he piled up 44 points in 48 games. Carlyle expected more of Kadri this season and rightly so. Is it too much of the head coach to ask the kid to produce more offense in the wake of two gaping holes down the middle of the ice for the Leafs? No, it isn't. Hell, Kadri spent the summer telling everyone who was willing to listening how he deserved to be paid in the $4 million per season salary range. The Leafs slapped a two year bridge contract on him as a reminder that he still needs to prove himself to Carlyle and to his teammates.
A few weeks back, desperate for a center who could score and defend, the Leafs traded Jessie Blacker to Anaheim for Toronto boy Peter Holland, who hasn't disappointed Carlyle. The kid is rock solid at center. More so than Kadri is right now. In 19 games since the trade, Holland has scored 5 goals an d has added 4 assists. Nice work for a young kid.
Kadri's 11 goals and 23 points in 37 games are ok number, however, Carlyle wanted, and still does want more out of him offensively. Kadri has only 3 PPG. He's a -7. He showed so many flashes of brilliance last season and the Leafs want that guy to return. They sure could use a shot in the arm offensively. Its not like they are asking for him to score from the 4th line. Hell, they gave him the minutes and played him in all key situations. He's failed to convert on his chances and his confidence appears to be shot right now. That happens to youngsters. Its not juniors or the AHL. The NHL is a grind. The great players get their rest and recovery and they prepare their bodies and minds for the dog days of January, February, and March. To be the best, you've got to beat the best.
Last summer, the Leafs told him to takle or leave $5.8 million over two years. He took it. Bad feelings developed between the then-RFA and his hometown team. Kadri wanted more. The Leafs said prove yourself. Then, during the months of November and December, when his team needed him most, his head coach gave him a top line center's role, the type of minutes and responsibilities that Kadri had been waiting for.
They wanted more. He's given them less.
On Monday, Carlyle ripped Kadri and linemates Joffrey Lupul and Mason Raymond.
Where's the production, boys? Where's the jam? Where's the tenacity and leadership?
In the case of Kadri, he's more known this season for getting crap-talked by Sidney Crosby on HBO's "24/7" for being "a joke".
Speaking of "24/7", here's a glimpse into Kadri's head space. The HBO "24/7" cameras love guys like Kadri and Ilya Bryzgalov who love the camera back, and, who like to bump their gums. Look how it turned sour in a hurry for Bryz in Philly. Kadri should take heed that history has a way of repeating itself.
Listen to Carlyle. He said on camera that Kadri thinks he's a number one center.
Less "24/7" face time, and more production and leadership, Naz.
Nick Kypreos has confirmed that the Leafs may in fact be shopping Kadri.
Kadri now joins Jake Gardiner and John Michael Liles as players that the Leafs might be trading away in order to acquire scoring and offense.
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Ondrej Pavelec is searching his soul for answers right now. On Friday night, he allowed Minnesota to score three goals on their first six shots he faced.
His head coach sent him to the showers in a 3-2 games versus Minnesota, which prompted Pavelec to hop the boards, then dart up the gang-plank to the locker room and in a fit of rage, destroy his goalie stick.
The next morning at practice he didn’t
"If you don't have that emotion, there's something wrong with you," he said. "First of all, I didn't know anybody saw me. It was just for me. Sometimes enough is enough and (that) happened last night. It's behind me.
"I don't think it's about showing somebody emotion. It's the way I am and I try to stay calm, but sometimes it's enough and that's what happened (last night)."
Jets backup tender Al Montoya beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Sunday night and will likely get the tux-n-pux game vs. Buffalo on New Year’s Eve on the frozen tundra, aka: The Peg.
Noel told the Winnipeg Free Press that he doesn’t mind that Pavelec got upset at his premature benching on Friday night.
"Doesn't bother me," "It's OK. Sometimes you've got to let that stuff out. Then the next day you put in the work and get yourself focused on releasing some of this negative emotion and channel it in a place where you can help yourself”
Pavelec is struggling mightily right now. Overall this season, his record is 11-16-4, with a GAA of 3.03 and save % of .902.
Putrid is a great way to describe how Pavelec has played in his last nine starts this season. He is 1-6-1, and is the owner of a 4.10 GAA and a save % of .848 in his last nine starts.
Pavelec spoke with Winnipeg media on Saturday. He clearly isn’t about to pat Noel on the back for giving him the heave-ho in a one-goal game.
"Of course I don't like to get the pull, especially at 3-2 and especially the way played the last two games," he said with a frown. "I didn't like it but that's the coach's decision….Nothing you can do about it."
Nothing? Try stopping the 8oz. frozen, black vulcanized rubber thing.
Thanks, Jets TV
Claude Noel:
"We'll give him an opportunity to practise and get some rhythm down," the coach said. "It's no knock against “Pavs”. He's our go-to goalie and these things happen. Players go through these things.
"We'll look to repair and help him and we have to be better in front of him. That'll be the first thing to help him."
My takeaway:
Pavelec has fallen on some black days. Its not uncommon. All NHLers have their slumps. How long will it take him to snap out of his funk? That’s anyone’s guess right now. The issue at hand is that the Jets are in 11th place in the ultra-competitive Western Conference playoff race. They trail 10th place Minnesota by 4 points (41 to 45), however, they only lead 12th place Nashville by 3 points (41 to 38 points).
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Speaking of NHL coaches who are not afraid to yank or healthy scratch a star player, Dallas Eakins is back in the cauldron. Guess who he benched on Monday? Yup. Nail Yakupov.
"Yak won’t play next game," Eakins said. "We had a very long in-depth conversation this morning probably a good 40 minutes, longest I’ve had with any player. Him and I have sorted out a few things, it was a good conversation and we have a definite plan moving forward. I have some things I want to do and he’s agreed to do some things from his end so we’ll see how that goes."
Thanks, Oilers TV
Yakupov to media: “Don’t ask me about my defensive game”?
Why not? Offense get a star player into the NHL. Defense keeps him there for a long career.
Or, not.
Alrighty then, Yak. How’s the weather in Edmonton these days? Frigid?
Courtesy, Oilers TV
My takeaway:
Wouldn’t it be best for all parties concerned for Oilers GM Craig MacTavish to take control of his touchy situation? Mac T can do one of two things to help all parties concerned:
1). Demote Yakupov to Oklahoma City to get him out of the frying pan.
2). Trade him to a team that really wants to harness his unparalleled skill set.
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