G Wolly
05-13-2007, 02:27 PM
According to Bucky Gleason, these are 6 ways we could improve on our next two games and try pull something out of it. I personally agree with all of them.
http://www.buffalonews.com/111/story/74608.html
Only now must the Sabres and their deflated fan base face this fact: The Senators are better. Buffalo can chew on a few suggestions with the series shifting back to Ottawa for the next two — the final two? — games.
1) Check players for ID. The Sabres look like world beaters one period and bottom feeders the next. It happened between the first and second periods Saturday night. They dominated most of the first 20 minutes and had a 2-1 advantage before going into a funk, coughing up momentum and the lead entering the third. Did Ruff recognize the players he sent out there?
2) Pepper Ray Emery. The Sabres scored twice on five shots in the opening period and had 15 going into the first intermission, matching their total for the first 30 minutes of Game One. Emery serves up more rebounds than a fifth-grade three-point shooting contest. They came up with five shots in the second period. Buffalo’s response on the power play in the final three minutes? None. They had six shots on goal in the third before Briere forced overtime. Emery might be 10-2 in the playoffs, but he’s average.
3) Bench Jaroslav Spacek or Dmitri Kalinin. The Sabres’ lone big-ticket free agent has exactly zero points in the playoffs, which is the same number as press box regular Nathan Paetsch. The only difference is that Paetsch has fewer giveaways, which is zero in zero games. Is it really that much of a gamble? At least Paetsch can hit the net from the point. Kalinin’s confidence appears all but shot for a reason. He’s been less dependable with the puck than Spacek.
4) Play smarter. Buffalo continued trying making the pretty play rather than the intelligent one. Derek Roy blew a scoring opportunity in the second period when he had the puck on his stick as a trailer, held on too long and gave it away. Later, Brian Campbell took an unnecessary roughing penalty about 100 feet away from the play. Dainius Zubrus trumped Campbell’s gaffe by taking an obvious hooking penalty on Dany Heatley. Sure enough, the Sens scored on the ensuing two-man advantage with 16 seconds left in the period.
5) Fix the special teams. Yes, the Sabres moved the puck better on the power play, but they still aren’t scoring. Ruff made some adjustments and moved his point man to the middle, getting his shooters along the wall. The Senators scored twice on the power play. They scored three times in Game One on special teams, including Mike Fisher’s shorty. It’s been the difference in the series.
6) Dust off Adam Mair. Wasn’t he the guy who set the competitive tone against the New York Islanders? The rugged forward has a goal and four assists in the playoffs despite playing more than 10 minutes only twice in 12 games. Roy has a goal and four assists while playing with Thomas Vanek and Maxim Afinogenov. Mair would be getting more points by accident while wearing down the Sens. At least he’ll show up.
http://www.buffalonews.com/111/story/74608.html
Only now must the Sabres and their deflated fan base face this fact: The Senators are better. Buffalo can chew on a few suggestions with the series shifting back to Ottawa for the next two — the final two? — games.
1) Check players for ID. The Sabres look like world beaters one period and bottom feeders the next. It happened between the first and second periods Saturday night. They dominated most of the first 20 minutes and had a 2-1 advantage before going into a funk, coughing up momentum and the lead entering the third. Did Ruff recognize the players he sent out there?
2) Pepper Ray Emery. The Sabres scored twice on five shots in the opening period and had 15 going into the first intermission, matching their total for the first 30 minutes of Game One. Emery serves up more rebounds than a fifth-grade three-point shooting contest. They came up with five shots in the second period. Buffalo’s response on the power play in the final three minutes? None. They had six shots on goal in the third before Briere forced overtime. Emery might be 10-2 in the playoffs, but he’s average.
3) Bench Jaroslav Spacek or Dmitri Kalinin. The Sabres’ lone big-ticket free agent has exactly zero points in the playoffs, which is the same number as press box regular Nathan Paetsch. The only difference is that Paetsch has fewer giveaways, which is zero in zero games. Is it really that much of a gamble? At least Paetsch can hit the net from the point. Kalinin’s confidence appears all but shot for a reason. He’s been less dependable with the puck than Spacek.
4) Play smarter. Buffalo continued trying making the pretty play rather than the intelligent one. Derek Roy blew a scoring opportunity in the second period when he had the puck on his stick as a trailer, held on too long and gave it away. Later, Brian Campbell took an unnecessary roughing penalty about 100 feet away from the play. Dainius Zubrus trumped Campbell’s gaffe by taking an obvious hooking penalty on Dany Heatley. Sure enough, the Sens scored on the ensuing two-man advantage with 16 seconds left in the period.
5) Fix the special teams. Yes, the Sabres moved the puck better on the power play, but they still aren’t scoring. Ruff made some adjustments and moved his point man to the middle, getting his shooters along the wall. The Senators scored twice on the power play. They scored three times in Game One on special teams, including Mike Fisher’s shorty. It’s been the difference in the series.
6) Dust off Adam Mair. Wasn’t he the guy who set the competitive tone against the New York Islanders? The rugged forward has a goal and four assists in the playoffs despite playing more than 10 minutes only twice in 12 games. Roy has a goal and four assists while playing with Thomas Vanek and Maxim Afinogenov. Mair would be getting more points by accident while wearing down the Sens. At least he’ll show up.