I think it's a little from column A a little from column B. Do I think the Sabres lack toughness? In certain respects.

I think they do a pretty good job of engaging in physical battles for pucks and going to the front of the net. Now granted, most of my positive observations along the physical lines must be tempered over the past dozen games or so, where I think they're sliding. But I don't think you can say this team is unwilling to pay the price.

I do think a lot of opponents shots are from bad angles and from the outside, meaning you're probably not blocking as many. Could they be better? I suppose. But watching games night in and night out I don't see it as a deficiency. You can throw the stat at me that they're in the bottom of the league, but what I don't see are golden scoring chances against that should have been blocked. PSPs answer that their defensive game plan may contribute to this is a reasonable theory.

Hitting. God, I am so sick of people talking about this. I'll quote Ruff on this. "Hitting doesn't equal winning." Do I love a big hit? Of course. See: Patrick Kaleta. Do I like seeing someone take a run at an opposing defenseman 2 seconds after he releases the puck, way behind the play? No. Pointless hit, in my opinion. I don't care if they dump the puck in and send two guys hard on the forecheck but don't get credited with a hit. If they pressure the D and end up with the puck, I'm a happy fan. Guys scrumming along the boards or behind the net is the epitome of physical play, but it's not going to show up in stat sheets. So long as I see guys like Kennedy, Hecht, Ellis, Gaustad, Stafford and Pominville (yes, Pominville) engaging in battles for the puck, or guys like Gaustad, Vanek, Stafford and Grier take a pounding in front of the net trying to set up position, I feel no deficit. On top of that, hitting isn't a uniform stat. It's measured by someone at the home arena. So maybe the guy in Buffalo just doesn't credit "hits" as easily. Whatever the reason, I really don't care. If the Sabres are playing solid games and using their bodies effectively, so long as they're winning, I don't care what the stats are. See also: goals and points leaders on the team.

The one area I feel they're lacking is in standing up for each other. Miller was run, and Myers was the only one to go after Phillips, and that late. And it's not the first time some retribution was called for. Part of the problem is that for it to be immediate, it's got to be somebody already on the ice. Signing some skill deficient enforcer won't help in that regard. Another problem is that the guys they likely tagged for this aren't living up to it (Rivet, Montador). Mair was never a heavyweight. Goose can't seem to get anyone to agree to drop 'em. Grier, well he was always gritty, but I don't remember him dropping the gloves much.

I don't care about fighting majors or where they rank in that regard, so long as there's hell to pay when the opponents take liberties with some of our players. This has not happened. Maybe it's a team culture thing. I don't know, but it's the one area of toughness I think you're legitimately correct to worry about, ETC.

Ham

_________________
Do you believe yet?

This is the middle ground that Squanto was talking about.

_________________
Wheelhouse

Maybe the first time I've been accused of being a moderate!

Ham

_________________
Do you believe yet?

Not a bad thing. I think it's a great post.

_________________
Wheelhouse

So ETC, you're telling us this teams needs to hit everything that moves, put the players out of position to let them try and make a hit, force your teammates to cover your ass because you missed a hit in open ice or against the wall?

The team is fine in the toughness factor, we have skill where we can set up in the offensive zone fine and cycle the puck, and throw good shots on goal. We are not a team that has to rely on purely hitting the other team as we can burn teams going out of their way to make a big hit. Those are teams that fail at the playoffs and the regular season.

The team just needs a bit of reality check and a bit more emotion, but toughness they do not. When someone punches or runs a guy go after him that shift, I seem to remember hearing Vanek punched Ruutu, Stafford got into a guys face, Myers sticking up, that is all that needs to happen, nothing else, why take unnecessary penalties for payback when you already took alot in the first period.

I say their biggest weakness is the mental side of the game, especially against Ottawa, if they just ignore the chatter and the media and all the "in their head" bullshit they are a great team. They need a break bigtime to re-establish what was making them an amazing team early on. The Olympic break will be that break many of these players need to look back and be like, we've gotten away from that, and we need to play like that again or we won't win the division.

_________________

i agree with everything you said, minus the phillips thing. i dont think he ran miller, just bumped him and knocked him down. a 2 minute penalty, and what myers did was good. but someone was saying mair should run phillips later in the game? hell no. it was over at that point, and myers, as well as the offical, acted accordingly. thats how far it got, and thats how far it should have gotten.

_________________

Not as soft as we have been in years past, but we are pretty soft. Letting Ruutu nail Vanek and Pommers, and watching Phillips maul our goalie is horrendous.

Buffalo is physically not a big team. They couldn't out-physical many other teams if they wanted to. They don't need to in order to win though. I'd rather see a positionally sound defense that keeps pressure out of the middle and keeps the shots to the outer edges. Lining up big hits all the time will lead to blown assignments and big time chances against.

The last few seasons we saw many save-save-goal scenarios given up because of sustained pressure right in the middle of the d-zone. I don't remember hardly any of that so far this season. There are an increasing number of odd man rushes given up due to ill timed pinches or TOs given up by d-men while trying to make a play they aren't capable of. As for fights and taking revenge on dirty hits - when has that ever gotten Buffalo anywhere in the past? I'd rather they keep their composure and stay in games. When they actually have players that are bigger, better fighters, and younger that can handle the drama, then they can go swinging away. For now they don't have that kind of team.

The 1st and 3rd lines are doing a good job with the forecheck, and taking punishment to make plays (finally). The problem is that they don't have enough pure goal scoring skill to make the most of that effort. The 2nd and 4th lines don't sustain enough o-zone pressure and miss on too many of the chances they generate. So even though the offense is 11th or 12th in goals/game, they aren't making enough out of their opportunities. If they did it would be the single biggest difference to their Cup chances. Scoring more means playing with the lead more, and putting yourself in a better position to win every night. That's where a legit sniper type forward would do wonders. Not necessarily a Kovalchuk, but any number of more affordable and realistic cap-wise players (Sharp, Whitney). Side note - I really wanted Mike Knuble last summer for a more physical forward in the crease every night...ugh.

With Buffalo earning the most or almost the most PPs this season, a better PP would also be a big improvement. 13th is just average, especially when you get into the playoffs. If they had an affordable PP QB d-man like Foster or Seidenberg it would make a bigger difference than you might think if they keep on drawing penalties at a high rate. Some people think Myers is taking care of that job, but he isn't a natural at it yet. It would be better to have a PP QB for both PP teams anyway. Besides, why not have a PP QB d-man that is also better than Butler, Montador, and Lydman for 5-on-5?

So yeah, I wish they were more physical sometimes, and dropped the gloves a little more (only for when it really matters). They don't have that kind of team though, so I don't expect it. I'd rather see them play to their skills, and improve on what's missing with one or two pin point player acquisitions.

_________________
If it's a tight squeeze, spit on it! - NyI

He's a middling AHL player who had the good fortune of a drunk arbitrator. - The Squanto re: Tim Kennedy

to be fair, on the Vanek hit, Vanek did get his punch in afterwards. A nice little gesture I thought.

I like this bit of nasty we've seen in Vanek the last little while. Little as it is, atleast he's showing some umpf!

_________________
If it's a tight squeeze, spit on it! - NyI

He's a middling AHL player who had the good fortune of a drunk arbitrator. - The Squanto re: Tim Kennedy

Just curious, how do you think Ottawa would have reacted if Mair did that to Spezza? I am pretty confident they wouldn't have all just stood around with their thumbs up their ass watching Spezza try to throw a punch while laid out on his back.

_________________
Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

We could use one nasty player at the deadline - preferably earlier, to be sure. Brad May comes to mind........

_________________
"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

Want to see how you handle things when your star player is getting fucked with? AND THIS IS OVECHKIN, who could kick almost everyone's ass.

_________________
Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

Well illustrated my brother!

_________________
"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

The score of that game was 7-4 with 6 minutes to go in the third.

Any time a team has a chance to win a 4 point game, they aren't going to risk taking penalties.

Ruff was probably screaming at them to back off.

_________________
Wheelhouse

You shouldn't let the player who got hit, the player who is ON THE GROUND, be the one to try to retaliate. Every other Sabre on the ice should have rushed in a pounded Ruutu to a pulp.

Particularly since earlier in the game he nearly killed Pominville with an elbow to the head that went unanswered, and has a long history of bullying the Sabres with cheap shots.

_________________
Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

HSBC PA SYSTEM: Rob Ray, please report to the Sabres dressing room, Rob Ray to the Sabres dressing room, thank you!

_________________
Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

We are definitely in need of at least one player with this mentality. Fuck oh dear do I miss Rayzor!!! I played hockey and lacrosse way to many years to accept the liberties that are taken with our players over the past year or two - might as well put skirts on em!!

MY Two Cents

_________________
-------------------------------------------------------
"I don't feel like Satan, but I am to them"
Neil Young