Tyler Myers has had encountered his fair share of trials and tribulations this season. In st ark contrast to his Calder bedazzled rookie season, Myers is a minus player. He's committed several ghastly mistakes that have led to goals against his team.
Myers' cross check to the back of Ryan Kesler, led to Mikael Samuelsson's game tying goal late in the third period.
On Monday night, Myers slammed the evil forces back into pandora's box, by scoring the OT winner for the Sabres in front of 18.690 fanatics on Seymour H. Knox Plaza.
"I'm thankful that I scored the goal.. it definitely makes up for the bad penalty I took", Myers told me after the game.
Biggest goal of the big man's career!
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It was a wild end to a wide open overtime session in Buffalo on Monday night. The sabres have played the extra session in each of their last five games. in that stretch, the are 4-0-1. They have now earned 9 out of a possible 10 points in their past five outings, as they continue their ascent up the Eastern Conference standings.
Buffalo drew first blood, going up 2-0 in the first twenty minutes, only to have Mikael Samuelsson tie the game at 3s late in regulation. Off to overtime we went, where Thomas Vanek's larceny created the turnover that led to the Tyler Myers game winner.
1ST PERIOD:
Congrats to Thomas Vanekand his wife on the birth of their twins this morning. The couple now have three children together.
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Tyler Myers has a tough first shift. First he flubs an dump in entry at the Couver blueline, then, gets caught on a pinch on the right halfwall which leads to a potential 2 on 1 with the Sedins lurking. What are you, new?
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@ 3:27, Niedermayer gets the lumber up on the Couver dman......
Here comes the 31 PP in the NHL....
Vancouver make even the most disciplined PKers run around and chase the puck. Buffalo have to play a tight box and let Miller see the point shots.
Miller was Buffalo's best PKer, making a nice glove save and corraling a knucklepuck on a golamouth scrum.
Successful kill Buffalo
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Talk about momentum shifters. The Canucks are leading on the shot clock, 9-0 right now....
1-0 Buffalo
@ 11:38 Derek Roy finds Ennis for a quick one time in tight that eludes Schneider. His 5th of the season. Buffalo scores on its first shot of the game. 9 and 26 with the apples.
That was a game changing goal if I ever saw one. The Canucks were controlling the puck in all three zones and it appeared as though the Sabres were shifting into panic mode.
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I'm really impressed with the stones that Goose, Kaleta, and ellis are playing with. They are forechecking the Couver D and backchecking forwards with authority. So much so that Tanner Glass invited Kaleta to dance. Kaleta declined.
@ 13;33, too many men oin the ice.... Vanek serves it
@ 13:47, Daniel Sedin sits two or less for slashing....
4 on 4 hockey.
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@ 14:47, Alex Burrows hooks the hands of a rushing Reggie Sekera.
Buffalo Powerplay:
19, 9,26,29, 63-- all forwards on the first PP unit.
Kesler hammers Vanek just as the buffalo low post man tries to bang in a Connolly saucer pass.
Nice puck movement for Buffalo...
2-0 Buffalo:
@ 17:02 mark, just as the penalty expires......
Nieds feathers to McCormick roaring down the slot. Mc re-directs it behind the sprawling Schneider.
1st Period Summary:
Ennis righted the Buffaklo ship with his goal. at that juncture of the game, Buffalo trailed on the shot clock, 9-0. of the 9 Couver shots, only 3 were scoring chances of note. a week or two ago, Buffalo may have wilted to a surging opponent. On this night, they stiffened, and played better as a unit of 5.
Were it not for a Schneider save on Vanek's point blank snapper and rebound attempt, this game would be 3-0 after twenty minutes.
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2ND PERIOD:
Sabres blocked 4 shots.
Leopold and Montador were +2 apiece in the first period.
Buffalo out hit Couver, 9-7. Kaleta had three body shots for Buffalo.
Buffalo had 4 giveaways to Couver's 2.
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One of my favourite scraps in recent memory!
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Its good to see Matt Ellis winning wall battles and holding pucks in corners. He's a blue collar guy whose prescence id felt when he is in the lineup.
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My NHL scout friend turned to me after the McCormick goal and told me, "Alberts was on the ice for that goal. You jinxed him". Moments earlier I was selling how I thought that Andrew Alberts may just be Couver's best defensive Dman this season.
Whatever.
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@ 6:17, Hecht sits two or less for slashing. dumb penalty. Move your feet, 55!
Here comes the freakshow.
2-1 Buffalo
@ 7:18, Daniel Sedin blisters a low hard laser at Miller, where kesler was parked on the doorstep. No tip. Sedin's PPG. Miller didn't see it til it hit the twine.
Play with fire, you're gonna get burned.
WHY GIVE THE #1 PP UNIT IN THE NHL ANY CANNON FODDER?
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@ 11:00 minute mark, Couver out shooting Buffalo 6-2 in the period. 21-15 Couver overall.
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3-1 BUFFALO
Thomas Vanek absolutely posterized Kevin Bieksa with a sick, inside out deke. 26 drove the puck into the Couver zone and through bieksa's wickets. A play reminiscent of Saturday night's OT game winner. Van kicked the puck to roy, then played a game on the halfwall, drawingthe Couver D coverage to him. Vanek slipped a tape to tape pass to Montie at the point for the scoring one-timer.
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Buffalo PP
Cory schneider makes three four-bell saves on Connolly and Vanek to keep this a two goal game.
Delayed Penalty
@ 17:04, edler sits two minutes or less for tripping
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2ND PERIOD Summary:
Sabres get loose, give up PPG to Daniel sedin. Then, Vanek went to work to manufacture Buffalo's third goal. A beauty in every sense of the word.
Shots are 24 apiece after 40.
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3RD PERIOD:
Vanek tries the 'hello-how-do-you-do" move on Dan Hamhuis. same move, much different result as Hamhuis closes the barn door on the Lippazaner Stallion.
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@ 4:29, Ryan kesler crushes Tyler Myers while finishing a check. Myers takes exception and cross checks kesler to the ice.
Myers sits 2.
3-2 BUFFALO
@ 4:48 , the Couver PP scores AGAIN. Its second of the night.
Edler from the Sedins.
Stupid penalty, just like the Hecht one that led to a PPG.
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@ 5:58, Bieksa off for boarding.... need a PPG here....
Couver successfully kills the penalty off.
Back to 5 on 5 hockey.
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* Caveat: Buffalo have to be wary of taking chincy penalties in the remaining nine minutes.
The Canucks PP is lethal. They already have two PPG in this game.
Control your empotions.
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3-3
@ Mikael Sameulsson buries his chance all alone in front of Miller.
The two goal cushion has been erased by a very good team. The Canuckas started the Laf game the same way saturday night, going down 2-0 early on the road. They roared back to win it by three pucks.
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Raffi Torres destroys Tyler Myers with a thundering body check, sending Myers' bucket flying. Big Hit!
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Pat Kaleta has an upper body problem and will not return tonight.
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Last three minutes, look for the sedins to double shift the rest of the way.....
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@ 18:20, Cody McCormick sits for boarding.... GULP!
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Vancouver will start the OT 4 on 3, with McCormick still in the sin bin......
Buffalo have won three of their last four O.T. games.
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Sabres kill Mc's boarding penalty.
Vanek selling out looking for the winner.....
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Hecht blows in all alone on Schneider with 2:30 remaining in OT.. schneider save...
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Couver cannot convert on their 3 on 1 on Miller.... Myers misses point blank on Schneider....
Maple Leaf fans are a loyal bunch. they jam this barn when their team rolls into town.
Canuck fans travel just as well, and are just as passionate.
I counted 15 Kevin Bieksa sweaters on the walk from between my rig and the Ted Darling Memorial press box. Canuck honks, in sweaters of every vintage are here tonight.
Look, there's a Tony Tanti. Two Harold Snepsts. Even a Don Lever to boot.
I've always loved the 1970 vintage Nucks sweater with the single twig adorning the heart.
Its classic for its simplicity and metaphoric strength. One team, united by the one twig.
Transports me back to the Gilbert Perrault or Dale Talon debate that raged on four decades ago.
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A veritable plethera of NHL scouts are en la casa to take in this game.
Calgary, Tampa, Washington, Detroit, Atlanta, Tronna, Anaheim, Carolina, San Jose, St. Louis, Florida, Edmonton, Colorado, Boston, Philly, and Montreal.
Now that the GM Meetings have ended, its time to get serious. With U.S. Thanksgiving a chip and a putt away, teams know where they stand in terms of on--ice talent and prospects in the pipeline.
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Cranbrook, B.C native, Rob Niedermayer will skate in his 1,100th career regular season game. He becomes only the 15th active NHLer to accomplish the feat. nieds has 181 G and 273 assists in his 17 NHL seasons.
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I spoke with Canuck forward, Ryan Kesler, earlier today about his team's #1 Powerplay ranking.
"Danny and Hank help us to get the other team's penalty killers chasing."
Memo to Sabres PKers: do not take the cheese from the mousetrap, or else, you will get lit up like a Christmas tree!
Kesler repsects his former Team USA teammate, Mr. Miller.
" Ryan is their #1 penalty killer. He's a great goalie.We will have to move it around quick to beat him".
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4 games in 6 nights begins with a dandy against my choice to win the West, The Vancouver Canucks.
Playoffs Week for Sabres. Nucks, Caps, Kings, and Lightning on the docket.
How much you wanna bet that Miller starts all four? I don't trust Lalime against any of these tough opponents. Just sayin.
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Cory Schneider was first goalie off the ice for Couver. He'll start tonight against Ryan Miller. Roberto Luongo gets the night off.
Count the Nucks in the same group as the Caps, Rangers, and Devils who give their starters the night off vs. Buffalo.
***
Raffi Torres had a pile of reporters around his stall after the skate. The question on everyone's mind was "what happened to you in your short stay in Buffalo"?
Torres brought his 19 goals with him from Columbus to Buffalo at the 2010 trade deadline. The Buffalo management, coaches and fans thought they were getting the Torres of the Brampton Battalion-Edmonton Oiler vintage. Instead, they were displeased with the "bob Corkum" vintage Torres who toiled in anonymity from February to April. Torres in non to pleased with his Buffalo performance, either.
The UFA went home for the offseason. Little did he know, his phone would not ring until August. The scouts and GMs who were tracking Torres during his Buffalo days, had filed their season ending reports on Torres. They obviously believed what they had read. "Out of shape". "Injured". "Disinterested". Perception had become reality, and now the word had gotten out that Torres was on the decline. The man who had so much promise in Edmonton and CBUS was now being banished to NHL Siberia. Torres was miserable.
"You know, it was tough. it took a long time, ya know with my wife and family.. they were great support for the Summer. I would call my agent and say 'whats going on? I need a job.... the thing is he kept saying "keep waiting, keep waiting, and when the right oportunity presents itself, it will come".
Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Total silence.
Its enough to drive an unemployed NHLer inane. Torres grew anxious wondering if he would ever get another NHL job again.
"It was tough, ya know? It was frustrating at some points. I had a good training group that really pushes each other every day... its tough training for the Summer when you don't know whats gonna happen come September".
Torres had resigned himself to the conclusion that he wpoudl have to be patient, and that whichever team signed him, he'd have to work his ass off to restore the equity in his personal brand.
So, what happened in Buffalo?
"I came here (to Buffalo) and it seemed like things were more faster, quicker. I probably could have done more-- extra-- when I was in Columbus, waiting for the (trade) deadline... I wouldn't say that I was out of shape, but, I wouldn't say that I was in my best shape".
' It sucks, you know what I mean? It was a bad move. It did not make them look good. It didn't make me look good. I think they know what I can do out there. I think it would have been nice if I could have helped their team".
Stand up words, from a stand-up guy.
Conditioning was an issue. and admittedly, his wrist that he had injured taking a routine shot, was also a factor in Torres' stagnant play in Buffalo. He also admitted that the wrist rattled him mentally.
For Torres, he looks within himself with introspection as he looks back on all that went wrong in his career.
"Spending the summer without a team to play for is difficult. Then, you come to a team where you are wanted and at the end of the day, I am Its fun for me to get up in the morning and to just go to the rink and play hockey againenjoying just going to the rink again. Its been a few years since I've had that feeling".
Torres credits his teammates and his linemates for his recent success. He was named the NHL's first star of the week for the week of 11/1. He has 7 goals and two assists and is once again the one man wrecking crew thalt he was in juniors in Brampton and in Edmonton. Torres has become a brahma bull on skates once again, and his teammates and coaches LOVE his passion!
" You know, allpeople want to talk about is my points, and our line's points, but, we are not doing anything differently". Torres' mates, malhotra and hansen, are perhaps the most difficult line to play against in the NHL today. They can kill you onm the walls and wear you down. they create time and space, and they can finish.
"Its reall basic hockey, you know? If anything, I'm a lot more pleased with my play defensively. I'm a lot more comfortable in my own zone. i don't mind coming back to our zone to play a shift. What we do is simple: cycle, throw pucks on net, and drive the net. No cute tick-tack plays, we have the players on this team that will do that. We get in trouble when we try to do too much so we keep it simple".
torres looks forward to getting in Buffalo's face tonight. its no secret, the guy can be a real sh@t disturber.
"Thats what I've surrounded my career around, just finishing hits, going to the net, and keeping the game as simple as possible. I make the plays when I have to make 'em. I get in trouble when I try to do too much. They (Buffalo) got some guys over there who like to bump around a little... they will be ready. Around the league, people know that you have to stay out of the box. they don't want our Powerplay unit to kill them. Buffalo will be ready for us"..
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