Updated:
Alexei Emelin has a hearing set today with NHL Player Safety for his gonging of Brian Gionta.
I predict that Emelin will not play tonight
The Sabres and Canadiens will step back into the square circle tonight for another heavyweight fight in Montreal.
I'm guessing that the NHL Department Of Player Safety is invite Habs D Alexei Emelin to a hearing to answer for the head shot that he delivered to the head of his former captain Brian Gionta.
Emelin clearly violated Rule 48.
I'm expecting the NHL to suspend the aggressor for his careless head hit on Gionta. As of 9:30 am the NHL Department of Player Safety hasn't announced a hearing yet.
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The Montreal Canadiens took the Buffalo Sabres lightly and paid for it.
Canadiens D-man brain cramped at a critical juncyure in the game and the Sabres nbeat the Habs on a Matt Moulson powerp;ay goal.
Inexplicably, Emelin took a head shot at his former captain Brian Gionta in the final two minutes of regulation of a 1-1 game.
As the below video shows, Gionta dumped a puck into Montreal's zone from center ice. The Sabres. Emelin cranked Gionta in the head with an elbow, a clear and distincy Rule 48 violation. The principle point of Emelin's contact was Gionta's head. Emelin was assessed a meager two minute minor. I see supplemental discipline in his futire.
After the game in his English speaking scrum, Habs coach rationalized the Emelin hit as a "big guy hitting small guy hit".
Seriously, Mike?
How disrespectful. A head hit is a head hit, no matter how you slice it.
I hope that Emelin gets 5-8 games suspension for his idiocy.
Matt Moulson's PPG ended the show.
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Chris Stewart and Brandon Prust are heavyweights. They like to fight. They are great at it. They defend the honor of their teammates against acts of atrocity.
When Prust smashed the diminutive Tyler Ennis with a heard shoulder check, Stewart sought out Prust to settle the score.
I loved this fight. The best hockey fight that I've seen in years.
Two honest, respected heavyweights doing what they had to do to ignite the passion in their respective teams.
The Fonzis in the house #heeyyyyy pic.twitter.com/8jfYld8WD5
— SabresBuzz(@SabresBuzz) November 29, 2014
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Sabres haven't had many exciting moments to cherish from this the season of McEichel.
However, this Tyler Ennis beauty will be running on an endless loop in the minds of their fans for years to come.
I love the Ennis going full snow angel at to punctuate the spectacular athletic effort!
Carey Price is no push over. He's one of the best goalies in the NHL.
Everything is alright. Everything is Enzomatic.
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Ted Nolan likes his Soo Greyhounds.
The Sabres have signed rugged winger Jean Dupuy to an entry level deal.
Dupuy is 6'3" and 205 lbs. He has 19 points in 19 games this season in The Soo.
He also has 27 PIMs which suggests that he's not shy when it comes to the sandpaper, in your face, knuckle chucking style of game.
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Francois Beauchemin is now on IR for the next 4-6 weeks, according to the Ducks.
The decimated Ducks D group just got an infusion of depth with the acquisition of veteran D Eric Brewer from Tampa.
Murray will continue to look for D help as his team now trails Chicago 2-0 in the first period.
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I'l be celebrating Black Ice Friday inside First Niagara Center where Jhonas Enroth and the Buffalo Sabres will be hosting Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens. The first overall team in the NHL against the last place team in the league. The Habs don't want to sleep on the Sabres, who too the Habs to the shootout on November 5 in Buffalo.
Former Habs D Josh Gorges will not play tonight, while Tyler Myers will return from his one game absence while he nursed a lower body injury.
More on Le Blue & Gold vs. Le Bleu, Blanc et Rouge later....
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Keep an eye on the Anaheim Ducks as the D corps continues toi be the team's Achilles Heel.
As I write this entry, the Ducks and Blackhawks are about to get it on. The Ducks continue to show their vulnerability as their depth is being tested by a rash of injuries.
Francois Beauchemin will miss the Blackhawks game. Beauchemin had an assist and three hits in 16:29 TOI in Tuesday’s victory vs. Calgary before taking a slap shot off his hand. He did not return to the game. Anaheim is already without the services of Ben Lovejoy (fractured finger), Mark Fistric (lower back) and Clayton Stoner (mumps-like symptoms).
Bruce Boudreau will play three D who were not in the Ducks' opening night roster in Jessie Blacker, Josh Manson and Matt Clark.
The Ducks have now dressed 11 different D-men in their first 24 games played this season.
How long can Bruce Boudreau continue to whistle while walking past the graveyard?
At some point, the Ducks will succumb to their blue line crisis. What happens when Getzlaf, Perry, Kelser and the forwards stop lighting the lamp with regularity? What then?
Seemingly, Boudreau and Murray don't want to see their season get to that level of crisis management.
The Ducks are only a +7 goal differential. They have scored 63 goals and have given up 56 goals against. They enter Friday's games #1 in the Western Conference and #2 overall behind the Montreal Canadiens, who are only a +4 goal differential heading into the Buffalo game tonight. The margin of error between winning and losing in today's NHL is razor thin. The Canadiens would likely love to have Josh Gorges and his NHL leading shot blocking ability back on its blueline. Young D Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi are good but they ain't Gorges. Ditto for the Ducks. There is no substitute for a grizzled vet. Kids are cheap and can be good, but they lose you games with bad mental mistakes and inexperience.
The Anaheim goal differential is a huge concern as they are hiving up far too many goals due to their turnstile of a blue line, to say nothing of their injuries to their goalies John Gibson and Frederik Andersen.
Bob Murray will be desperately seeking a top four D-man.
U.S. Thanksgiving has come and gone. NHL GMs know where the strengths and weaknesses of their teams now lie. Murray should be back on the phone with his protégé and former front office mate Tim Murray regarding the availability of Sabres veteran D Tyler Myers, who at age 24 has already played 6 NHL seasons. He's a 200 foot D-man who uses every centimeter of the rink. He thrives on the PP and PK. He plays top pair minutes (averaging 24 minutes TOI).
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