Tweet
Hockey is back!! My Florida Panthers kicked off the season with a nice 4-2 win of Dallas.. game started out a little, my man Tim Thomas shut the door and they closed it out big with 3 in the 3rd... I FUCKING LOVE IT!! Getting TT to sign here was a stroke of genius by Tallon... last season was a throw-away, I'm looking forward to a big year. GAME ON!!
-
Originally posted by wiseguy -
First major trade of the season, I think the Sabres ate the Islanders lunch, as much as I like Vanek:
LINKSabres trade Thomas Vanek to Islanders
Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports 9:10 p.m. EDT October 27, 2013
The Buffalo Sabres started the final phase of their rebuilding project by trading prize goal scorer Thomas Vanek to the New York Islanders for a package that includes Matt Moulson, a first-round draft pick in 2014 and a second-rounder in 2015.
At some point this season, the Sabres could also trade veterans Ryan Miller and Steve Ott as rental players.
From the Islanders' perspective, they are landing one of the NHL's premium goal scorers, possibly a perfect fit for prized center John Tavares. Vanek has hit the 40-goal mark twice, and generated 20 goals last season in 38 games. He has four goals this season.
The Islanders have shown they can be a factor in the Metropolitan Division, and Vanek has been a difference-maker throughout his career.
The catch is that Vanek will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and Vanek, 29, might simply want to see what's available to him. He owns a year-round home in Minnesota.
From the Sabres' perspective, this is a strong return for a rental player. He has scored 30 or more goals three times in his career and posted 44 points in 47 games last season. Moulson also will be an unrestricted free agent, but the Sabres might feel like they have a reasonable chance to re-sign him.
In the meantime, Moulson, who has six goals in 11 games this season, could partially replace Vanek's offensive contributions.
The key for the Sabres is the first- and second-round picks, viewed as crucial to their hopes of rebuilding the team.Comment
-
captain kangaroo lives!!!sabres announcer rick jeanneret to retire in 2016
by matt brigidi @mattbrigidi on aug 8 2013, 1:35p
toronto, on - november 12: Buffalo sabres broadcaster rick jeanneret arrives for the hockey hall of fame induction ceremony at brookfield place on november 12, 2012 in toronto, canada. - (photo by bruce bennett/getty images)
the buffalo sabres have announced a three-year extension with play-by-play announcer rick jeanneret. It will be his final contract.
The buffalo sabres have come to terms on a three-year extension with play-by-play announcer rick jeanneret, the club announced on thursday. Jeanneret will call a reduced number of games over the course of the deal and will retire following the 2015-16 season.
The broadcaster was contemplating one more complete season with the team and retiring after the 2013-14 campaign. However, discussions with his family and the sabres led to the decision announced on thursday morning. Jeanneret will remain with the club in an honorary role after his retirement.
In addition, the club announced that dan dunleavy will call games that jeanneret takes off. Dunleavy will take over responsibility of the team's play-by-play call starting in 2016-17.
"i am excited and honored to join the sabres organization and its tremendous broadcasting team," dunleavy said. "i'm honored that i get an opportunity to work with and learn from one of the best play-by-play announcers hockey has ever seen in rick. He is the pinnacle of our profession and i'm humbled that i will be following in his legendary footsteps."
dunleavy previously worked on the toronto maple leafs' broadcast team and spent 19 years at sportsnet radio and the fan 590 in toronto.Comment
-
WTF Red Wings?!?! Losing 6-1 to a team coached by a fucking Walrus.Comment
-
Florida is off to a nightmare start.. Guess they picked up where they left off. It's still early, but daaaaaamn!!!Originally posted by wiseguyComment
-
Could we see Chicago vs. Pittsburg in the finals this year? Hawks might be able to repeat, but the playoffs are gonna be tough............Comment
-
Blackhawks vs. Pens outside at Soldier Field tonight... Could be a Stanley Cup Finals Preview!!!!
Comment
-
Miller, Ott additions may be the 11 to push the Blues over the cliff...
Ryan Miller Trade Launches St. Louis Blues to Stanley Cup Favorites
By Mark Jones , Featured Columnist
Feb 28, 2014
The St. Louis Blues added 2014's most sought-after NHL trade target to their arsenal Friday night with the acquisition of Ryan Miller.
According to the team's website, the Blues acquired goaltender Miller and center Steve Ott from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for goaltender Jaroslav Halak, winger Chris Stewart, prospect William Carrier, a 2015 first-round pick and a 2016 third-round pick.
Mark Buckner/Getty Images
The Blues, already second in the Western Conference entering Friday with 84 points (39-13-6) in 58 games, should immediately jump to the top of the list of Stanley Cup favorites.
Netminding has long been considered a shortcoming of this stacked St. Louis roster, which currently ranks second in the league in goals for and third in goals against. Jaroslav Halak, while a solid backstop overall, was simply never going to be able to keep up with the likes of Jonathan Quick or Tuukka Rask.
That final hole has now been filled by Miller, the 33-year-old veteran who has recorded terrific numbers on a largely bottom-feeding Sabres squad for a decade now. In an equal number of starts (40) in 2013-14, Miller has already made 384 more saves (9.6 more per game) than Halak.
Miller vs. Halak by Season Season Miller Save Percentage Halak Save Percentage
2009-10 .929 .924
2010-11 .916 .910
2011-12 .916 .926
2012-13 .915 .899
2013-14 .923 .917
Per NHL.com Stat Database
Unlike many of their fellow top-of-the-standings competitors, the Blues have found success through balance.
They boast a whopping five players with 14 or more goals and nine players (including three defensemen) within 12 of Alexander Steen's team-leading 46 points.
Such even distribution of production not only reduces the potential effects of injuries but also provides remarkable consistency to the team overall—the Blues are the only team in the NHL to have earned at least a point (24-0-3) in every game when leading after the first period.
Ott, who ranked sixth on the Sabres with 20 points in 59 games prior to the deal, will now join the offensive cast as a highly capable third-line center. He has plenty of leadership experience, having served as Buffalo's captain since the Thomas Vanek trade in October, and led Buffalo in both hits and faceoff percentage.
While Miller will surely capture the headlines Friday, the impacts of 28-year-old Ott should not be overlooked in the months ahead.
Yet defense remains the Blues' ultimate staple: they've allowed the fewest or second-fewest shots against for three consecutive campaigns.
Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk and Jay Bouwmeester together comprise the most unheralded and arguably the best trio of rearguards in North America.
Now, at long last, an undeniably elite goaltender will be standing tall behind them.
In 24 appearances since Nov. 20, Miller has posted a save percentage of .903 or better on 21 occasions. He also sports the experience of two Conference Finals in 2006 and 2007, along with the motivation supplied by spending roughly the last seven years on an utterly horrendous team.
St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong will surely hope that Miller can guide his new club deeper into the playoffs than Halak and Brian Elliot have the previous two springs, as the Blues have been eliminated by the Los Angeles Kings short of the Conference Finals in back-to-back postseasons.
No matter what the months ahead reveal, however, it remains undeniable that Armstrong and the Blues have made their splash and their statement at the trade deadline.
If the Blues weren't already Cup favorites yesterday, they most certainly are now.
Bleacher ReportComment
-
That is huge for the Blues.. If they can keep their heads and stay out of the penalty box, they should go far in the playoffs.Comment
-
Miller is already facing a lot less shots. I think he had like an average of 60 in a recent three-game stretch. Both Sabres goalies, Enroth and Neurvith, faced nearly 90 in two games...Comment
-
The 3 game suspension that Seabrook got is total bullshit. He should only have gotten fined as he is not a repeat offender. The Hawks better get their act together tonight and play their asses off.Comment
-
So, Seabrook gets blindsided in the head and misses 2 games in a prior playoff series by Torres and the only call is a minor penalty on the ice. League issues no suspension.
Comment
-
Yep...should have been 4 or more for sure. 5 games would be a minimum in my book
You can't launch yourself off your feet into someone's head...especially when they never touched the puck...or have possession...an inadvertant touch does not constitute possession.
I don't like Duncan Keith's stickwork either. He is a great player but knocked down a dozen notches in my book for that unecessary stuff and his comment to Backes as he lay there after that hit: "Wakey wakey"
Unreal.sigpicRoth Army CanadaComment
Comment