Fine Rein Wine (sabres)

The Sabres lost properly in Ottawa on Monday night. The loss leaves Buffalo in 28th place ( 31 points) in the NHL standings.

Carolina in 29th place with 24 points and Edmonton is dead last with 21 points.

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Samson Reinhart, take a bow!

The Anthony Duclair-Samson Reinhart- Max Domi trio collected six points and made life miserable for the Finns at the World Junior Hockey Championships on Monday night.

Thanks, IIHF

Duclair-Reinhart-Domi have accounted for 14 points in the first three preliminary round games. The power trio has been causing fits for its opponents. Team USA will have its hands full trying to contain the Reinhart line on New Year's Eve.

Reinhart showed the fans of the Buffalo Sabres why their GM Tim Murray opted to select the 19 year old center with the second overall pick at the 2014 NHL Draft.

Reinhart scored two goals, one in the first period and the other in the second period, including the gamer winner power play. The Kootenay Ice star now has 2 goals and 3 assists in 3 games at the WJCs in Montreal. He's +6 and is playing with oodles of confidence.

Duclair scored as well.

Reinhart was appropriately named the Player of The Game for Canada

Canada's Captain Curtis Lazar scored the other dagger that sent the defending WJC champion Finns to an ugly 0-3 record in the preliminary round.

Finnish captain Artturi Lehkonen got his first goal of the tournament for Finland. It was the first goal against that Canada has allowed in three games. Canada has now out scored its opposition by a combined 16-1.

Canada now takes a perfect record into its ever-popular New Year’s Eve battle with the undefeated Americans.

The winner of Canada-USA will earn first place in Group A and preferential seeding for the cross-over quarter-finals on Friday.

The Finns remain winless after previous losses to both the United States (in a shootout) and Slovakia. They matched up decently with Canada in the physical department, but the defending champions have struggled to score in Montreal, with just three goals in three games. If this trend continues, coach Hannu Jortikka’s crew won't be defending another title at next year's tournament in Helsinki.

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The Sabre scould have used Reinhart's offensive and defensive prowess in Kanata on Monday night.

The Sabres D allowed Bobby Ryan too much time and space and he scored the Sabres for the hat trick.

The Sabres got goals Mark Pysyk and Zemgus Girgensons, the leading vote getter in the NHL All Star balloting.

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Patty Kaleta is a real beauty.

The Sabres agitator took exception to Senators D Jared Cowen cranking Johan Larsson with a stiff body check so PK36 took the law into his own hands and proceeded to feed Cowen a buffet of lefts jabs and hooks.

Midway through the scrap, Kaleta decided to punch himself in the face.

Was it done deliberately to screw with Cowen's head?

Thanks, @PeteBlackburn

Five minutes into the third period, Kaleta was assisted off the ice by Buffalo trainers after Cowen tipped him down to the ice and he was driving the puck to the Ottawa net. Cowen's used his stick to defend Kaleta. Both players slid violently into the end wall at a high rate of speed. Cowen's body was on top of Kaleta as the two men slammed into the boards.

Kaleta's head and right leg absorbed the collision.

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Oh, Nikita!!

The big, nasty Russian is only 19 years old, however, he is already dummying opponents with Scott Stevens like body checks.

OUCH!!!

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Why on Earth would the Edmonton Oilers TRADE for Derek Roy when they could have simply claimed him off waivers for FREE on Tuesday at Noon EDT?

Typical day of dysfunction and confusion in Edmonton as they have traded Mark Arcobello to Nashville in exchange for Derek Roy.

Roy was traded from Buffalo to Dallas for Steve Ott in July 2012. He failed in Dallas, St. Louis, Vancouver, and Nashville.

This may be his last shot to impress in the NHL. Its too bad. I covered Roy for many years when he was in Buffalo and I always considered him a difference maker and a solid player.

Personally speaking, foot speed is not Roy's strong suit. He has lost a step over the years and I think that he will have difficulty in being able to keep up with Hall, Eberle, RNH, Yakupov, et al.

Earlier in the day on Monday, the Bruins claimed forward Matt Fraser off waivers from Boston.

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