By: Joe Pinzone
Look, whether you're an apologist or pessimist, we can all come to an agreement that the Buffalo Sabres have hit a brick wall. Now, this isn't crisis mode...yet. But losing eight of your last 10 games is definitely a cross road for the team.
To me, this all started during the Sabres western road trip. This is exactly what I said when the trip ended:
"We may look back at this trip as a time when the Sabres found a bit of their offense and brought it back to Buffalo to cure their scoring ineptness against the Eastern teams. However, the trip could be a time when we say that the Sabres stay at home defense was exploited."
The offense has shown some life, but the recent skid has everything to do with Ryan Miller and the defense playing out of sync. I always laugh at the notion of fans thinking that it wasn't just Miller who was responsible for the team's success. Um, sorry, but remember all those 2-1 games that the Sabres won earlier this year? That was all due to goaltending my friends.
I think Miller knows that his team's fortunes fall directly on his shoulders. That pressure I think is making Miller crack. People can say all they want about Miller being tired, and that may be true, but seriously It's February, not May. I said it before the season started, Miller is his own worst enemy. I have always felt that throughout Miller's career there were times when he would get so down on himself after letting in a soft goal that he would lose his concentration and goals would just start piling in.
Well, over the last 10 games he's let in some bad goals and it has been snowballing ever since. People can talk all they want about how great Tyler Myers is and about Tim Connolly's point streak, but if Miller fails, so do the Sabres. Without Miller's outstanding play, the Sabres are the exact same team they were from 2007-2009. A team that has an average psyche with overrated talent that can't overcome the ups and downs of a hockey season. Let's not forget they play hard about 70 percent of the time (AKA,the Randy Moss motto).
If Miller doesn't play like he did earlier this season, the Sabres will be one and done for the playoffs.
Of course, it would help if the Sabres D-men would actually help the poor guy out. Since early January, Chris Butler, Craig Rivet and Steve Montadour have been disastrous. If I'm the Sabres I think it's time to cut Rivet loose . I understand he's the captain of the team but that has never stopped the Sabres from getting rid of one of their leaders. He's hitting the wall and has aged faster than Tom Hanks in the movie Big
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-Remember when the Sabres' third and fourth lines were the driving force for the team's offensive production? For the last month, Adam Mair and Matt Ellis have been terrible. It boggles my mind why Lindy Ruff continues to play Mair. It's as if he's the John McCargo of the team. Hell, you cut the guy so why not bring up Tyler Ennis or Nathan Gerbe? Sorry, but if your philosophy is being able to roll four lines and your fourth liners are playing five to eight minutes a game then maybe it's time to get new blood in from the minors. Of course a trade would help, but Darcy doesn't believe in that-
-Someone please get Mike Grier an oxygen mask. Every time I see the guy on the ice it looks as if he's about to have a heart attack after each and every shift. As much as I like Grier, he's not the same guy he was four years ago. On a side note, besides Tallinder, Hecht, Connolly and Miller, can you name a player who has improved this season? Sorry, but I'm not buying the Sabres' youth as an excuse. Playing in the NHL for more than five years means you're a veteran-
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By Jeff Barnes
Look, there's a silver lining in everything. The Sabres offense has played well the last three weeks, with Connolly and Thomas Vanek showing signs of life. If the team can somehow find the defense and goaltending that they had during the first part of the season and mix it in with their current offense, they will be in good shape.
However, I just can't get over the recent losing streak due to the fact that they have lost games in every imaginable way. They have lost against top tier competition as well as against the 14th and 15th ranked teams in each conference. Lets not forget the Senators taking a run at Ryan Miller and Jarkko Ruutu declaring war on Vanek and Jason Pominville.
It's definitely gut check time for the team. When you start hearing reporters mention that players are leaving right after the games without answering questions it shows a lack of accountability. It's also telling me that it's the same old soft immature Sabres who don't know what it takes to be an adult in the NHL world.
If the Sabres continue this sort of losing streak going into the break it's going to be time for Regier to jettison some of his top six forwards. I'm not talking about making a trade for the sake of a trade, I'm talking about giving guys like Ryan Miller and Tyler Myers the tools to win. I'm talking about losing guys who give a halfhearted effort every other night. Or better yet, how about sending a much needed message to the locker room and Lindy Ruff?
Benching Matt Ellis and Toni Lydman does not send the necessary message. That move has been done a 100 times before. I don't care if Lindy Ruff has become a teddy bear. I don't care if his new teaching technique he learned from Team Canada over the summer has made him understand reverse psychology or sociology or whatever Bucky Gleason says that he's unearthed. It's time to change methods for everyone.
If Regier keeps talking about how he's counting on players from within to get over the hump I have news for him, it's not going to come from Derek Roy or Jason Pominville. Don't let these guys become the Afinogenov's and Kotalik's of the world by overstaying their welcome. Get help and more importantly get it now.
Read more of Joe at Joe in NYC
