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Sabres Sending Their 2 G's To Sochi |
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The Buffalo Sabres now have two goaltenders heading to Sochi to represent their repective teams at the winter Olympics.
Congrats to Jhonas Enroth for his well deserved honor!
Stick tap, Hank Tallinder too.
Here is Team Sweden:
Goaltenders: Jhonas Enroth, Jonas Gustavsson, Henrik Lundqvist.
Defensemen:
Alexander Edler
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
onathan Ericsson
Niklas Hjalmarsson
Erik Karlsson
Niklas Kronwall
Johnny Oduya
Henrik Tallinder.
Forwards:
Daniel Alfredsson
Nicklas Backstrom
Patrik Berglund
Jimmie Ericsson
Loui Eriksson
Johan Franzen
Carl Hagelin
Marcus Kruger
Gabriel Landeskog
Daniel Sedin
Henrik Sedin
Jakob Silfverberg
Alexander Steen
Henrik Zetterberg.
Heavy hitters here!
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Team Finland has announced its Sochi Olympic roster. Buffalo Sabres fans will be surprised to see that Ville Leino's name is not listed on the rpster. Also, 19 year old rookie and WJC gold medal winning goal scorer Rasmus Ristolainen will not be playiong in the Olympics either. Many prognosticators predicted that Leino was a lock to make the team, however, injuries and inconsistent play have limited his playing time in 2013-14.
Ristolainen was a long shot to make the team. The appointment of fellow 19 year old Olli Määttä to the Finnish blue line was a reason why Ristolainen was not selected.
Team Finland will feature the NHL goaltending trio of Antti Niemi, Tukka Rask, and Kari Lehtonen.
In all, 16 NHLers will be on the Finnish team, although Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu underwent ankle surgery on Monday and now his status is unclear. T
Teemu Selänne will become only the second ice hockey player ever to have participated in six Olympics, joining another Finn with the same attendance record, Raimo Helminen.
Team Finland
Defencemen:
Lasse Kukkonen, Kärpät Oulu (FIN)
Juuso Hietanen, Torpedo Nizhni Novgorod (RUS)
Sami Lepistö, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (RUS)
Olli Määttä, Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Sami Salo, Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
Kimmo Timonen, Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Ossi Väänänen, Jokerit Helsinki (FIN)
Sami Vatanen, Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
Forwards:
Juhamatti Aaltonen, Kärpät Oulu (FIN)
Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers (NHL)
Valtteri Filppula, Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild (NHL)
Jussi Jokinen, Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Olli Jokinen, Winnipeg Jets (NHL)
Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild (NHL)
Leo Komarov, Dynamo Moscow (RUS)
Petri Kontiola, Traktor Chelyabinsk (RUS)
Lauri Korpikoski, Phoenix Coyotes (NHL)
Jori Lehterä, Sibir Novosibirsk (RUS)
Antti Pihlström, Salavat Yulayev Ufa (RUS)
Tuomo Ruutu, Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)
Teemu Selänne, Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
Goalies:
Kari Lehtonen, Dallas Stars (NHL)
Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks (NHL)
Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins (NHL)
Source: IIHF
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Congratulations to Buffalo Sabres power forward Zemgus Girgensons who was officially named to Lativia's Olympic hockey team on Tuesday morning. Girgensons turned 20 on Monday.
Sabres head coach Ted Nolan will once again serve as bench boss for Team Latvia at the Olympics.
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The Minnesota Wild can't buy a break these days. Last week, GM Chuck Fletcher placed Zach Parise on injured reserve (fractured foot). On Monday, Fletcher placed captain Mikko Koivu and starting goalie Josh Harding on injured reserve.
Koivu had surgery Monday to repair a fractured right ankle that he suffered in the Wild's recent victory over the Washington Capitals.
Koivu leads the Wild in scoring.
Harding, 1.65 GAA, 18-7-3 record, .933 save %, 3 shutouts was sent to the IR list for reasons unknown. Harding has been dealing with his multiple sclerosis in recent weeks. According to the Star Tribune, Fletcher will speculate at as to why Harding hasn't been feeling well.
"He’s just not feeling well," Fletcher said. "I wish I could tell you more, we’re not hiding anything here. He just doesn’t feel well and whatever that’s from I can’t say. I can’t speculate, I don’t want to speculate. I think he’s feeling a little better, but he’s not able to play right now so we just kept him back and it’s a long flight, so rather than flying to this part of the country – and heat’s not a really good thing for him to be honest with you. But having him travel around the country ... . Hopefully he starts to feel better this week and we can get him back in the lineup soon."
The Wild are currently tied with the Phoenix Coyotes for 8th place in the Western standings, just two points ahead of the Dallas Stars ninth place.
The Wild have been struggling to score goals and are 4-6 in their last 10 games.
Their offense will suffer tremendously for the next month without the benefits of Koivu's 35 points and Parise's 27 points.
Do not rule out a trade that will see Fletcher acquire UFA-to-be Thomas Vanek from the NY Islanders. Last Thursday, Fletcher waived veteran winger Zenon Konopka to open up a roster spot in order to pursue a trade. Buffalo claimed Konopka off waivers.
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I'm counting on both Buffalo Sabres representing their respective teams at the Sochi Olympics.
Ryan Miller will be front and center for Team USA. I'm calling my shot now by saying that Jhonas Enroth will be rewarded with an appointment to the Team Sweden Olympic roster.
Throw his Buffalo Sabres win/loss record out the window. Enroth is a great goalie and has more than proven himself on the international 200 by 100 ice sheet.
When Jhonas Enroth delivered a gold medal to his Swedish countrymen on home ice last May, my mind immediately jumped to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Back in May, I had already appointed Enroth to Sweden's Olympic squad.
In my opinion, it would be a travesty if Enroth were not one of three goaltenders on the Swedish Olympic team.
Enroth earned the best goalie honors at the 2013 IIHF World Championships in his hometown, Stockholm. Enroth back stopped Team Sweden to a gold medal win over Team Switzerland. It was Sweden’s first gold medal since 2006, when they won gold in both the Olympics and the IIHF World Championship. The same opportunity is knocking for Enroth and Sweden today.
Enroth finished the tournament with a 5-1-0 record, a 1.15 GAA, and a .956 save %. He also pitched two shutouts. Enroth was lights out in yielding only eight goals against while making 175 saves in the seven games that he competed in. What he lacks in height, he more than makes up for in cat-like reflexes and agility. He's a battler and is a master at playing the angles, and cutting off shooters by anticipating shots before they are taken.
In a short tournament like the Winter Olympics, superior goaltending is imperative. Riding a hot goalie can be the difference between earning a medal and being sent home empty handed. Remember when Dominik Hasek stunned the world at the 1998 games in Nagano? How about Henrik Lundqvist's heroics in 2006 at Torino? What about Ryan Miller's brilliance at the 2010 games?
Speaking of Lundqvist, he's my choice as starter for Sweden. I'm willing to forgive his erratic, inconsistent play this season with the NY Rangers. Blame his nagging injury for that. Also, the shrinkage in NHL goalie gear can be cited as a reason for Hank's struggles. The 10% reduction in thigh rise certainly didn't help taller goalies Lundqvist and Ottawa's Craig Anderson. Fear not, Lundqvist can wear his "old" gear at the Olympics.
Enroth is my back-up of choice.
My third goalie is Detroit's Jonas Gustavsson, who was superb in his starts while Jimmy Howard was struggling or injured in November and December.
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Thanks, NHL.com
Sabres Tyler Myers has been suspended for three games, without pay, for an illegal check to the head of New Jersey Devils forward Dainius Zubrus Saturday night's game in Buffalo.
The incident occurred at 7:02 of the third period. Myers was assessed a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and based on his average annual salary, Myers will forfeit $84,615.39. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
My takeaway:
I don't mind that Myers hit Zubrus with oomph and authority. Thats how he should be playing all the time. He's 6'8 for crying out loud. Its not like he low-bridged an opponent and caused an injury. Chris Pronger never apologized for the way that he played and the way that he finished checks on opponents. I like that Myers is getting a reputation around the NHL. I'd rather he be branded a guy who hits high rather than a guy that doesn't hit at all. Opponents should think twice before taking a Sunday stroll down the wall on Myers' half of the ice, with puck on stick. They are liable to get cranked by the more confident, more aggressive Myers. Hell, he may even throw his gloves down and fight an opponent again like he did with Patrice Bergeron on 12/21..
Thanks, Hockey-Fights.com
After Monday's practice and before he had his 1pm phone hearing with the NHL Department Of Player Safety, Myers addressed his aggressive style. Good on him for saying that he will not be changing his style of play just because he's 6'8" tall.
Thanks, sabres.com
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