Sabres Lose Important Game
By Tim Redinger
The Buffalo Sabres lost an important game against the Philadelphia Flyers. It wasn’t important so much in the fact that the Buffalo Sabres confirmed possible new owner Terry Pegula was at the arena today, it was important because the two teams Buffalo was chasing in the standings were also playing.
The Boston Bruins padded their division lead tonight by laying waste the Ottawa Senators, who have taken a harder tumble from the top than the Buffalo Sabres. The Montreal Canadiens held on against the New York Rangers to further distance themselves from teams in the non-playoff category.
Just after Cody McCormick scored to make it 2-0, my response on Twitter was
"Is it a problem when your energy line has all your offense? Dont care really….Sabres up 2-0! Hope your enjoying the show Terry Pegula!"
At the time I was quite happy that the “energy” line had netted two goals and it looked like the Flyers were going to take a rare night off this year – and the Sabres were going to get their first three game winning streak against another backup goaltender.
Instead, they collapsed in on themselves, and let the much more talented Philadelphia Flyers run the tables on them, and pickup the win – pushing the Sabres two more points away from the top eight. With Montreal winning, the Sabres now sit four additional points behind the Montreal Canadiens. The Buffalo Sabres are now ten points out of the playoffs, and twelve points off the division lead.
It’s a good thing that Terry Pegula was in town on today of all days to see exactly what is wrong with the team that he is going to hopefully still by after watching the dismal attempt at a hockey game tonight (like one game is going to change his mind, especially when he is in the business to change hockey culture).
1. Ryan Miller is not the perfect goaltender that Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier make him out to be. I am not saying that Ryan Miller is not a good goaltender, I am just saying that there is no reason to anoint him sole number one goaltender. If you can go out and get a better goaltender on free agency to back up Ryan Miller, and he happens to have a better year and takes the number one spot away, too bad so sad Mr. Miller, here is a seat on the bench, Patrick Lalime kept it warm for you.
2. Craig Rivet is useless on this hockey club. To that list of names you can add Tim Connolly. If there agents call, either hang up, or have your secretary help you dodge their calls.
3. Current managerial style allowed the player that killed you tonight to walk of their team. The whole we don’t negotiate during the season is a crock of shit and needs to be thrown out the window. Same can be said about a certain two defensemen this past off season.
4. Thomas Vanek had two shots on goal tonight. Through the first fifteen minutes of play Cody McCormick had eight of Buffalo’s twenty four shots. There is a problem on this offense, and its name is Tim Connolly, Drew Stafford, Jochen Hecht, Jason Pominville, and Mike Grier.
The biggest difference between the Sabres and Flyers tonight? Anytime I looked at the television I saw orange and white sweaters skating to the puck, and blue and gold sweaters waiting for the puck to come to them.
The Buffalo Sabres will have to start again in trying to string together three wins for the first time this season when they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.