With the recent signing of John Scott and the trade of Roy for Ott, it seems to me like the Sabres are moving away from the skill game and into a tougher game with some skill mixed in. Earlier I was thinking about the Sabres’ roster and the roster of the division opponents and it hit me:is it possible the Sabres are looking to model themselves after the Bruins? So I decided to compare the current roster of the Buffalo Sabres to that of the Boston Bruins. This each Buffalo player and their equivalent Bruin.
**Disclaimer: I am not comparing stats or debating whether one player is better than the other, I am simply comparing players based on their style of play**
I am listing Buffalo players by position, but their Boston equivalent will not always be relative in terms of position.
Centers:
Cody Hodgson = Patrice Bergeron
– Possess great skating ability and phenomenal hands, they sit between the snipers on the top line and feed them the puck while racking up solid numbers in goals.
Tyler Ennis = Tyler Seguin
– Young, quick, skilled. These two are rising stars in the league, just on the cusp of becoming household names.
Ville Leino = Chris Kelly
– Solid two-way player. They are known to put in some goals on offense but can also lock down the defensive zone when called upon.
Cody McCormick = Shawn Thorton
– Sole purpose is to scare the other players. They play the game on the 4th line and are told by the coach “protect the stars!” and that is what they do.
Left Wing:
Thomas Vanek = David Krejci
– Speedy goal scorer who is always atop the team in scoring. They are the first ones to the front of the net and the guy who is called upon in tough situations.
Steve Ott = Milan Lucic
– Tough guy, with a scoring touch. These two can break the nose of any player they choose to fight and can intimidate the opponents with a bruising hit. They separate themselves from the goons with their ability to put the puck in the net.
Nathan Gerbe = Brad Marchand
-Scrappy and aggressive. These players will get in everyone’s face, no matter what position you play, or how big you are. They will do everything they can to get the puck to the front of the net.
Marcus Foligno = Marc Savard
– Guys who will lead a team with their scoring touch and their defensive play. Known to put up points but also known to take a step back and defend the goal from time to time.
Right Wing:
Jason Pominville = Nathan Horton
– Leader by example. Not always the biggest goal scorer but is a team first type of player.
Drew Stafford = Rich Peverley
– Strong two way forward. Can put up solid points but plays a strong power-forward type of game on both ends of the ice.
Pat Kaleta = Greg Campbell
– You hate him, unless he is on your team. They are the pests, the guys who will fight if need be but just love to get under the skin of the opposition.
Corey Tropp? = Daniel Pallie
-A guy, who, when given the chance will give it everything he’s got. He may not score a lot, but is capable of netting a few each season but he is the guy who works the hardest and finishes each check.
Defense:
Tyler Myers = Zdeno Chara
– Big, strong, leader. These players are massive and their size and height along are enough to intimidate. They are the #1’s and command the blue line while keeping opposing scorers out of the crease.
Christian Ehrhoff = Andrew Ference
– A goal scorer who is looked at to play a lot of minutes each and every game. They are goal scorers.
Jordan Leopold = Johnny Boychuk
– A leader on the powerplay, one who is look towards to get a few in the net from the blue line.
Alex Sulzer = Adam McQuaid
-That surprise guy. He comes into the line-up and shocks everyone with impressive play. They are not considered a top guy on the team but through determination, they earn their spot.
Robyn Regher = Dennis Seidenberg
– A stay at home defender, his job is to prevent anyone from getting close to his crease. They use their large bodys to block shots and passing lanes in an attempt to prevent goals.
Andrej Sekera = Joe Corvo
– A defensive defenseman who is able to put up some points, however, they are incredibly inconsistent.
Mike Weber = Greg Zanon
-A bruising #7, rotational defenseman who is kept on the bench in case of injury or poor play. They play a defensive game and are used to shut down the offensive of any team they play against.
Goalies:
Ryan Miller – Tim Thomas
– Speaks for itself.
Jhonas Enroth – Tukka Rask
-Speaks for itself.
Let me know what you think of my comparisons and if you have any changes, let me know why.