You want a player to commit to a long-term deal? Show him the money.
That's exactly what greenhorned GM Marc Bergevin did most recently with the Carey price contract. 6 years at $6.5 million a season makes Carey the most expensive contract ever tendered by the Montreal Canadiens and the third highest paid goaltender in the NHL.
If you want a stable piece in the corner of your team that you don't need to worry about for a number of consecutive summers, that is what you have to do: just ask the Rangers.
What else can we say about this contract?
Carey Price has not yet earned the right to be paid more than Jonathan Quick or Ryan Miller, but contracts are not made that way are they? Players are paid their most lucrative salaries based on the faith and speculation of the GM that faces them in negotiations at exactly Carey's age.
Such is the fear of free agency on a team that has neglected to draft a goaltender in years and has been trading back-ups away as if they were discontinued bank notes.
What's more, there's an element of Montreal-premium in a long-term salary like this. Carey's take home pay is more reflective of his standing in the league than his over-the-counter price. A funny thing in a province where 6 million taxpayers would gladly pay for a free agent instead of a university professor.
The niggling issue, of course is that the long-time coming of Carey Price is still happening. For the impatient Montrealers, the 5 years of ups and downs since those 2008 starts have been a long run. 5 more Cupless years, some more painful than others. Now, Bergevin is paying Price top dollar on the back of a solid, but not top-notch season in the continued hope that the pinnacles of form represent the future, rather than the average form. I suspect there are a couple of learning years to remain, and wonder if the burden of the Gomez number which will now hang on every 4-goal game will take its toll.
There's a positive also in the contract at $6.5 million. Currently that stands at about 9% of the team salary load. Although, I'd be happier if Carey was paid at closer to what I believe to be the market value for a goaltender in the second tier of the top 20 keepers of the league; I'm accepting of paying that allocation for what amounts to 400 full games of service.
Anyway, on balance, we have to be content. We did not lose the only goalie our team has to an offer, and though we likely spent $2 million more in the doing, it's $2 million less to give to Clarke MacArthur or whichever other Leafs retread is next on the list. Plus, it's $2 million of $70 million, not $48 million. On a team of third liners, Carey like his coach will have to ride a few frustrating seasons anyway, so his proving ground will be a few years off. By that time, who knows how many goalies will be paid at higher rate than him.
The price of commitment is steep. But without commitment, the cycle of mediocrity cannot stop. Let's hope that this commitment, like the other 4 year pay bundles handed out look like good sense in time and become recognized as the steps that put the Habs back on a track they once had proprietary rights over.
Happy free agent hunting.
Showing posts with label Miller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miller. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Game #70
Habs Fans Unsure Whether to Celebrate Last-Second Point
Details
Date: 3/12/2012
Opponent: Sabers
Location: Buffalo
Loss 2-3 (OT)
Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Miller (W)
Habs goalscorers: Cole, Desharnais
Opposition goalscorers: Ennis (2), Myers
Play of the game
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome
Forwards
Max Pacioretty
I'm sure we all had a bit of a gasp when we saw him go off in the second after taking a puck to the ankle, but Pacioretty not only came back, he also led the team in shots with 5 in only 15:39 of ice time. Didn't really deserve the penalty he took during the power play in the 3rd in my opinion.
Erik Cole
Scored the opening goal to give some vital breathing room. Again filled his role as the offensive—well, maybe not juggernaut, but about the closest thing we have to one.
David Desharnais
Set up Cole's early goal and scored a beauty himself in the dying seconds. Currently on a 0.8 point/game pace. These 3 players accounted for 11 of our 28 shots tonight, and our defencemen another 10. Is it any wonder these are the only 3 forwards we ever see in the dome these days?
Defencemen
PK SubbanAnother great game for Subban. I really want to see him continue developing at the pace he has over the past 2-3 seasons, and having a mentor like Markov on the ice will help in that respect. Just having another reliable defenceman might have done the trick, and Markov brings far more than that to the table.
Andrei Markov
Head and shoulders above any of our other defencemen. Markov has great hockey sense and a fantastic sense of timing. Even with a -2 finish, he reminded me tonight of what a great player he really is and how happy we should be to have him back. Here's hoping we actually see him for more than a handful of games next season.
Goaltender
Peter Budaj - Game Puck
Honestly sorry to not see Budaj play more given the game he had. He made some truly amazing stops and showed smart positioning and a fair amount of agility throughout the contest. I don't think Price would have necessarily stopped anything Budaj didn't tonight – the first Ennis goal in particular was spectacular.
Comments
It's feeling a little like a broken record around here these days. But with only one line producing any offense at all and good goaltending, basically 4 of 6 dome spots are already taken in a given game. And with Gomez forgetting what the second half of "give and go" offense means, we're unlikely to see much from him, Eller or anyone on that wing. Plekanec seems to only be interested in special teams goals, and Bourque seems to be still finding his feet.
Buffalo had strong forechecking and we had a very difficult time getting established in their zone. The unbalanced shot total here really does reflect the zone domination of the Sabers. Once again, Ruff showed why he's such a respected coach and came out with a solid game plan that was very effective in shutting us down.
Much as I hate seeing us lose, I don't know how I feel about pulling a point from the fire with 5 seconds left in the game. Makes for an exciting finish, sure. But I wouldn't be quite so unhappy to lose a position or two in the draft if it means finishing ahead of the Leafs, who are only 3 points ahead in the standings...
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Game #5
Sabres Sheathe Montreal Power Play in Close Loss
Details
Date: 18/10/2011
Opponent: Sabers
Location: Montreal
Loss: 1-3
Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Miller (W)
Habs goalscorers: Diaz
Opposition goalscorers: Leopold, Vanek, Ehrhoff
Play of the game
Sort of a no-brainer tonight, although Price's save on Ennis late in the third almost made the cut. I'm still going to go with a beautiful goal that starts with Kostitsyn skating out of his own end, and dropping the puck off to Pacioretty just before he crashes into a defenseman to open up some space. Pacioretty spots Diaz coming in alone on the other side and snaps a pass right onto Diaz's tape. Miller was far out of his net, and Diaz showed great speed and patience getting almost past him to slip one in easily from a bit of a hard angle.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome
Forwards
Max Pacioretty - Game Puck
Once again, Max was everywhere all at once making slick passes and taking opportunistic shots. He led the most dangerous line again tonight, and I fully expected him to score—and if he hadn't been facing a goalie like Miller, I'm sure he would have. 9 shots and earning first-line minutes with a somewhat surprising trio for the Habs.
Scott Gomez
At one point towards the end of the second I said to myself "Gomez, you're a machine!" He was solid in his own end and frankly amazing in transition play tonight. He carried the puck well, mad smart passes, got into and won a lot of battles, had good forechecking, and even showed signs of offensive competence at times.
David Desharnais
Could just as easily been AK46, since this line really seems to work as a unit. I love the way Desharnais plays without the puck: he's always going to the net for a quick pass or to screen the goalie and pick up a rebound. I think this is something that's been missing from the Habs for quite some time and I hope to see it continue.
Defencemen
Raphael Diaz
Great game for the new guy. Saw him join the rush at some very opportune times and it was patience and a cool head that allowed him to beat Miller with such seeming ease. I really liked the way he took a wicked shot with Price out in the dying minutes of the third, and read the play well enough to be in perfect position to cover the net as Buffalo cleared the puck.
PK Subban
Wasn't that easy picking a second D tonight, as I felt most of the defensive crew played decently but there wasn't much that stood out. I liked Subban making a couple diving plays to break up shots from the side of the net, and using his legendary windup on the power play as a fake before snapping a quick-release one-timer right on Miller the next time the puck came his way.
Goaltender
Carey Price
Well, I don't think Price was really to blame for the goals tonight. The set play off the icing faceoff that earned Buffalo's second goal was a little disappointing, but it was well-executed and Vanek has one hell of a shot. Price had a wicked and timely save on a Taylor Ennis breakaway late in the third, and did some really smart things with the puck throughout the game. He's getting better, though at times I see him doing things fancier than they need to be done. Hopefully that means he's getting more confident with his puckhandling, and has reason to be...
Comments
Despite the loss, I saw a lot of things I liked this evening. We were excellent in transition play, with speed, chemistry and smart passing. We took a lot of shots from some decent places, created good traffic front of the net, and played some fast and aggressive offense. You have to give Buffalo credit for doing a good job of covering shooting and passing lanes and not letting us get too many extended chances despite our domination of the neutral zone.
The defense didn't really stand out tonight even though Buffalo had few opportunities for prolonged pressure. There were some changes I was unhappy with tonight: I didn't like us changing on an odd-man offensive rush in the first period while on our second power play, and it might have been an ill-advised change (or stupid attempt at one) that led to someone not getting on Leopold to make that goal at least difficult for him. Our power play was once again uncharacteristically pathetic, and we're now 2/21. The encouraging thing is that we've been great at even-strength, but clearly we have to find a way to make the man advantage work for us.
Overall, it was an encouraging game in many ways and I liked a lot of what I saw, but I didn't like like what I didn't see: some solid finishing. Still, if we can continue to play like that, I can see us with 3 dangerous lines for the first time in a long while, and we can hope that will translate to a few more goals—and a few more wins—this season.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Game #44
Timid Habs Fans Get Timid Display
Details
Date: 03/01/10
Opponent: Sabres
Location: Montreal
Loss: 0-1
Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Miller (W)
Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Connolly
Play of the game
Maybe it was meant to be anticlimactic, maybe we needed a little reminder of what this team was also capable of (besides winning wild games on the back of strong goals and strong saves). In a game with lots of sound poke checks, good coverage and average attempts from both sides, the job of choosing the play of the game was a tall order. Waiting, waiting, waiting for that tying goal that would save me, I started to look down the list of potential plays: the Gomez pass to Pouliot, the pass to spring Plekanec alone, a quick play from Price to poke check away high in the zone. As I pontificated something happened; Marc-Andre Bergeron (to that point silent on the useless line) got the puck during the 6-on-5, and did something creative, something useful. With a step over the blueline, he flipped the puck high in the air over two Sabres defenders. Like a rugby clearance, our forwards hurried underneath the puck and retrieved it, kept it and eventually created what was undeniably one of the best chances of the game. I wasn't about to let the fact the goal didn't go in ruin the beauty of the play itself.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome
Forwards
Scott Gomez
Another strong effort from Scott Gomez. As if he was reading the comments at Lions in Winter during his time on the bench, Scott showed that one needn't put down statistical evidence to have a good game. Apart from very early in the first period, and a couple of random D'Agostini shots, it was my impression that every good chance was going to come from Scott's touch and his interplay with Gionta. He was quick on the play, quick in his thinking and sily with passes. If you do need a stat to feel better about this selection, how about 3 takeaways? On a night when Buffalo were smothering, those were invaluable.
Brian Gionta
Like Gomez, he avails himself well even without points to show for his work. He played the most of any forward only a few games back from injury and shows why his coach has confidence in him in all situations (if not his Olympic GM). There were good moments up front, but his play of the game for me came as he covered a marauding defender with a perfectly calm poke check and reversal of play ten feet from his own goal.
Benoit Pouliot
Like all the Canadiens lines tonight, the search for a third forward was the most difficult. As I said to Tobalev, if we had 10 men on the pitch and I needed a defensive midfielder, Pacioretty would be there. As it happens, I have three forwards and can't afford to ice one in the dome who cannot score if the warm-up siren has sounded. Therefore I choose Pouliot. Pouliot was the best third member of any line by a mile this afternoon, and probably the third best forward outright. His case suffers with missed chances, but his instinct to find positions of threat save him on this occasion. Incidentally, Benoit gives us that very intriguing 6th option we've been seeking for some time, I think. His slightly slower hands (than Gui) are more than compensated for by his quick feet and superior balance around goal.
Defencemen
Roman Hamrlik - Game Puck
One of the reasons writing this summary feels like pulling teeth is that this game was actually a good defensive effort by the Canadiens. Aside from that one goal, they didn't let any shots hit the post or allow (m)any mad scrambles with near misses. It was defence from the textbook, especially compared to what we've been used to. Part of that is down to Buffalo playing into the system, but part of it was due to good defending too. Among our defenders, I thought Roman Hamrlik stood out as the best all-rounder. Unlike his some of his gangly teammates, Hamrlik understands the value of puck possession and that sometimes backwards is the way to go forward. I applaud every time I see him take responsibility for the puck, and get quite excited when he sees a passing lane close and so turns back for a skate. It's intelligent and it's effective. Tonight that play earned him a game puck.
Jaroslav Spacek
Last game, someone remarked that it might be hard for defenders #3-8 to crack the dome from now for the presence of some formidable obstacles. That was right. Tonight, Spacek barely clears Markov. Both of course were part of the same good defensive coverage and both had moments in the offensive zone. Spacek really gets through because he managed to direct 6 shots at Miller, at least a couple of which caused problems and confusion. Markov for his part played the lazy long pass a few too many times in this game when a solid neutral zone skate was required.
Goaltender
Carey Price
Carey Price managed to re-find the save percentage-boosting loss that so angers those who watch Halak in 5-4 wins. In doing so, he played very well. It was hard to tell just how well, because of his calm. Were those easy shots, or was he making hard shots look easy again? I suspect a bit of both. There was never any question of his domehood this afternoon, as a single mistake by a goalie should be enough to allow his team through. In the end, his counterpart had a perfect game. No goals, hardly a rebound and no giveaways (watching that 4 giveaways?), and so a win was a stretch.
Comments
As I said, perhaps we were due the loss. Defensively, it was a vast improvement, so it's not all commplaints. Offensively there were flcikers, but the Canadiens must work out ways to circumnavigate defences that funnel pucks to shooters like Gorges and Pacioretty, they must adapt quicker to the challenge with lines that ask questions. Miller too must have credit, he played the Price game without that one error and with great poise that deflated our forwards at times. In any case, to be dealt this damp squib, as the last morsel of a holiday was hard treatment after all the support we've given through good times and bad. As I return to work tomorrow, there will be nothing to read, no highlights to revisit, nothing to debate. It was a nothing of a game, one that should be forgotten.
One interesting topic did come to mind, however, with the juxtaposition of a 5-4 escape with a 1-0 nothing. Why do the Canadiens generate offense for Jaroslav Halak with regularity, but not for Price? I have a hypothesis, bear with me: Rebound control.
Watching this game, Carey Price was a study in rebound control. All shots from outside absorbed into his gut to be held until a timely whistle. Halak, not so much - even during his "on" games, he is smashing pucks out to the corners rather than holding. Ah, the starting point for a study from here then. My theory is that the Habs have built a defence to allow shots, but clear rebounds. A goalie that allows no rebounds is very good indeed, but may hinder a quick counter, particularly when faceoff prowess is gone asking. A goalie that kicks out to a defender is the first passer in a sequence going the other way.
I propose we have a look and either debunk this nonsense or add observation to the theory. If indeed the Canadiens are failing in this way, I would humbly suggest that they redesign their defence before asking a goalie to be more haphazard. But let's see before handing out prescriptions.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Why Are Buffalo Where We Want To Be?
Take a look at the standings. Your Habs are in eighth position.
Montreal fans don't seem to do well with the prospect of an actual marathon race. They don't mind 82 games, but prefer to sprint out in front and coast home, if at all possible. All this jostling is fraying for the nerves.
So take another look at the standings. There are teams who've sprinted ahead for one reason or another, there are teams that provide their fans with a level of comfort about what will happen in the standings this season, about what will happen any given night.
One of those teams happens to be leading our division – the Buffalo Sabres.
This can't be right, can it? The Sabres? They haven't fired a GM in a decade. Heck, they haven't even fired a coach in a decade. They never get a high draft pick, they never sign big free agents and they often lose their own stars for what usually amounts to nothing.
The Sabres are ahead of us? The Sabres are where we want to be?
One has to ask: Why?
Last summer, the Sabres went the opposite route to the Habs. While Gainey was busy replacing the players that left Montreal with free agents, the Sabres have done what they have done since time immermorial and called the Rochester Americans. Two 41-win teams taking very different routes to start a season. Is this why?
It certainly is tempting to point to this reasoning as the creator of said gap in the standings. Consistency over shuffle, development over hostile acquisition. There are a few who would reach at this to back up their instinct that Gainey lost his mind in the summer. I think that would be wrong. For every Gomez, there has been a Cammalleri in Montreal. The Sabres don't yet have a 10-goal man, you can't tell me they wouldn't have wanted one in place of say Mike Grier? We are in position to know that Spacek can be a good D to have around, even more so when you consider he fit right in Buffalo.
No, it's not the summer strategy...
Perhaps then it is the Sabres balanced approach to team offense and defence that sets them apart from the Canadiens.
Another low-hanging fruit, and certainly one the media spins out to no end. You know what though? Buffalo as a team has been allowing more than 30 shots a game this year just like Montreal. Their 30.5 shots against vs. our 31.6 for every 60 minutes is probably not the cause of the 7-point spread with games in hand.
Nor is offense their secret. They've scored more goals per game than the Habs, but fewer overall thus far. We have a better PP than them as well.
Look again at the standings. One thing might stand out more now: goals against. That check for the supposition above showed that it wasn't Rivet and his amazing compatriots guarding the Buffalo net in unison, yet the Sabres have allowed 30 fewer goals in 30 fewer games.
Ryan Miller...
Now I'm done with my silly introduction, I bring you to the answer all hockey fans knew as soon as they read the title. Ryan Miller is the answer.
To this point in the season, Ryan Miller is leading the league with a 1.83 GAA and an unworldly 0.939 save %. He has 18 wins in his 26 starts, to go along with 4 shutouts. 2 games ago he shutout the mighty Capitals who directed 35 shots his way.
The Canadiens for their part have Carey Price, who is indeed hot again. I thought it would be interesting to show you the difference between a goalie playing very well (Carey) and a goalie playing absolutely out of his head (Ryan). For fairness, I have only taken games from November 1st on, since before that time Carey was a bit of a basketcase – thereby making a comparison of their better play.
Impressed yet?
So as you settle in to watch Buffalo tonight be kind to Montreal skaters. They are facing a Buffalo opponent not seen since the late 1990s with a save percentage like that. Perhaps it is a bubble waiting to be burst, perhaps not.
Let's also hope Carey gets plenty of time to sit back and watch while his teammates test Miller adequately. He could use the rest and might learn some important lessons from a guy who has been showing that clicking on all cylinders for an extended period is possible.
Montreal fans don't seem to do well with the prospect of an actual marathon race. They don't mind 82 games, but prefer to sprint out in front and coast home, if at all possible. All this jostling is fraying for the nerves.
So take another look at the standings. There are teams who've sprinted ahead for one reason or another, there are teams that provide their fans with a level of comfort about what will happen in the standings this season, about what will happen any given night.
One of those teams happens to be leading our division – the Buffalo Sabres.
This can't be right, can it? The Sabres? They haven't fired a GM in a decade. Heck, they haven't even fired a coach in a decade. They never get a high draft pick, they never sign big free agents and they often lose their own stars for what usually amounts to nothing.
The Sabres are ahead of us? The Sabres are where we want to be?
One has to ask: Why?
Last summer, the Sabres went the opposite route to the Habs. While Gainey was busy replacing the players that left Montreal with free agents, the Sabres have done what they have done since time immermorial and called the Rochester Americans. Two 41-win teams taking very different routes to start a season. Is this why?
It certainly is tempting to point to this reasoning as the creator of said gap in the standings. Consistency over shuffle, development over hostile acquisition. There are a few who would reach at this to back up their instinct that Gainey lost his mind in the summer. I think that would be wrong. For every Gomez, there has been a Cammalleri in Montreal. The Sabres don't yet have a 10-goal man, you can't tell me they wouldn't have wanted one in place of say Mike Grier? We are in position to know that Spacek can be a good D to have around, even more so when you consider he fit right in Buffalo.
No, it's not the summer strategy...
Perhaps then it is the Sabres balanced approach to team offense and defence that sets them apart from the Canadiens.
Another low-hanging fruit, and certainly one the media spins out to no end. You know what though? Buffalo as a team has been allowing more than 30 shots a game this year just like Montreal. Their 30.5 shots against vs. our 31.6 for every 60 minutes is probably not the cause of the 7-point spread with games in hand.
Nor is offense their secret. They've scored more goals per game than the Habs, but fewer overall thus far. We have a better PP than them as well.
Look again at the standings. One thing might stand out more now: goals against. That check for the supposition above showed that it wasn't Rivet and his amazing compatriots guarding the Buffalo net in unison, yet the Sabres have allowed 30 fewer goals in 30 fewer games.
Ryan Miller...
Now I'm done with my silly introduction, I bring you to the answer all hockey fans knew as soon as they read the title. Ryan Miller is the answer.
To this point in the season, Ryan Miller is leading the league with a 1.83 GAA and an unworldly 0.939 save %. He has 18 wins in his 26 starts, to go along with 4 shutouts. 2 games ago he shutout the mighty Capitals who directed 35 shots his way.
The Canadiens for their part have Carey Price, who is indeed hot again. I thought it would be interesting to show you the difference between a goalie playing very well (Carey) and a goalie playing absolutely out of his head (Ryan). For fairness, I have only taken games from November 1st on, since before that time Carey was a bit of a basketcase – thereby making a comparison of their better play.
| Carey Price | Ryan Miller | Miller differential | |
| Games played | 16 | 16 | 0 GP |
| Record | 7-6-3 | 10-5-1 | 3W, 4 Pts |
| GA | 40 | 29 | -11 GA |
| GAA | 2.46 | 1.82 | -0.64 GA/G |
| SA | 517 | 486 | -31 SA |
| S% | 0.922 | 0.940 | 0.018 (=9 GA) |
| S0 | 0 | 3 | 3 SO |
| GF by team | 41 | 41 | 0 GF |
| 1-goal wins | 3 | 3 | 0 W |
| ≥30 SA | 0.500 | 0.667 | +0.167 |
| <30> | 0.625 | 0.643 | +0.018 |
| Best S% | 0.977 | 1.000 | +0.023 |
| Worst S% | 0.833 | 0.783 | -0.050 |
Impressed yet?
So as you settle in to watch Buffalo tonight be kind to Montreal skaters. They are facing a Buffalo opponent not seen since the late 1990s with a save percentage like that. Perhaps it is a bubble waiting to be burst, perhaps not.
Let's also hope Carey gets plenty of time to sit back and watch while his teammates test Miller adequately. He could use the rest and might learn some important lessons from a guy who has been showing that clicking on all cylinders for an extended period is possible.
Monday, November 05, 2007
The visitors' section: Buffalo Sabres
Part of blogging is getting to debate and share with your readers and fellow bloggers. Habs bloggers until now, but I thought it was time to reach out to those blogging our rivals.
Sometimes we focus on our own team so much that we forget there are 14 other teams vying for the 8 playoff spots we are (well 7 if Ottawa doesn't slow down and give everyone else a chance). Sometimes that means we lose to a team that's better than we are. Sometimes we lose to a team who wants to win more than we do.
The Buffalo Sabres have had a couple of super seasons and have stumbled thus far. Although i can't say I am completely shocked about their predicament. The city of Buffalo (and Ontario commuters) sure are.
Here's a summary of what David at Die by the Blade had to say about his Sabres so far this year:
Recent form
The Buffalo Sabres have been very inconsistent this season, searching for an identity after losing Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. At times they look like the team we all saw last year, but at other times they seem to struggle. The Sabres are coming off of a 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers, in which they allowed the Panthers to score three times in five minutes.
The players
The team is led by Derek Roy, Brian Campbell and Tim Connolly (who is returning from a season long head injury). Ryan Miller is still the backbone of the team, although he has not been as consistent as in years past.
The Sabres have also been soft in their own zone through the first 11 games and have relied on minor league defensemen due to injuries to Jaro Spacek, Dmitri Kalinin and newly signed Nolan Pratt.
I agree with David about the consistency issue. But that, as we know, is the bane of every team that doesn't collect 116 points. Welcome back to the pack (at least for a month or two) Sabres fans. As I said in my weekly review, I think we are well matched with Buffalo, and we each play about the same way the others would like to. I think on current form and hopefully a little desperation born out of a Leafs loss, this game should reflect the standings and we should win. And I stand by Spacek and Afinogenov as my Sabres to keep your eyes on.
I think our guest might have the same opinion of his own team's circumstances if you asked. But even if we're being nice to other bloggers - this is a Habs blog afterall.
Sometimes we focus on our own team so much that we forget there are 14 other teams vying for the 8 playoff spots we are (well 7 if Ottawa doesn't slow down and give everyone else a chance). Sometimes that means we lose to a team that's better than we are. Sometimes we lose to a team who wants to win more than we do.
The Buffalo Sabres have had a couple of super seasons and have stumbled thus far. Although i can't say I am completely shocked about their predicament. The city of Buffalo (and Ontario commuters) sure are.
Here's a summary of what David at Die by the Blade had to say about his Sabres so far this year:
Recent form
The Buffalo Sabres have been very inconsistent this season, searching for an identity after losing Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. At times they look like the team we all saw last year, but at other times they seem to struggle. The Sabres are coming off of a 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers, in which they allowed the Panthers to score three times in five minutes.
The players
The team is led by Derek Roy, Brian Campbell and Tim Connolly (who is returning from a season long head injury). Ryan Miller is still the backbone of the team, although he has not been as consistent as in years past.
The Sabres have also been soft in their own zone through the first 11 games and have relied on minor league defensemen due to injuries to Jaro Spacek, Dmitri Kalinin and newly signed Nolan Pratt.
I agree with David about the consistency issue. But that, as we know, is the bane of every team that doesn't collect 116 points. Welcome back to the pack (at least for a month or two) Sabres fans. As I said in my weekly review, I think we are well matched with Buffalo, and we each play about the same way the others would like to. I think on current form and hopefully a little desperation born out of a Leafs loss, this game should reflect the standings and we should win. And I stand by Spacek and Afinogenov as my Sabres to keep your eyes on.
I think our guest might have the same opinion of his own team's circumstances if you asked. But even if we're being nice to other bloggers - this is a Habs blog afterall.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Emery, Miller, Toskala, Fernandez and Huet
Slow time for Habs news, but there was some divisional rival news which is always important for us.
Emery signed with the Senators yesterday and avoided arbitration. This probably isn't a surprise, but it can't really be viewed as good news for the Habs, that's for sure. He is now a Stanley Cup finalist, he wrestled a job from a defending Stanley Cup champion goalie and managed to post the 7th best save % in the league last year. He's also pretty good against the Habs.
Apart from that, it does bring up one question: Is the Northeast Division now the best division for goalies in the NHL?
Every starter had a save % over .900 – all in the top 20 of the league last year. We have the perennial Jennings winner, a Stanley Cup finalist, two all-stars and Toskala (who isn't so shabby either).
Only the Northwest has better overall calibre based on reputation with Kiprusoff, Luongo, Backstrom, Roloson and Budaj.
If I had to choose, I'd say Northwest their group is better, but then again, so are their defenses (bar Edmonton).
Thankfully for the Habs, we don't even play those teams this year. Unfortunately, there will be no easy mark in our 32 inter-division games. It would be nice if there were, as our scorers aren't exactly prolific.
Maybe we can look to taking a lot of shots as the way to go, since the defenses of our divisional rivals fall well below the level of league's best. Or, maybe we can hope that the Emery contract forces a trade, so we get a few Gerber "flu" games throughout the year.
What I wouldn't give for 8 games against a Biron, Norrena or LA.
Emery signed with the Senators yesterday and avoided arbitration. This probably isn't a surprise, but it can't really be viewed as good news for the Habs, that's for sure. He is now a Stanley Cup finalist, he wrestled a job from a defending Stanley Cup champion goalie and managed to post the 7th best save % in the league last year. He's also pretty good against the Habs.
Apart from that, it does bring up one question: Is the Northeast Division now the best division for goalies in the NHL?
Every starter had a save % over .900 – all in the top 20 of the league last year. We have the perennial Jennings winner, a Stanley Cup finalist, two all-stars and Toskala (who isn't so shabby either).
Only the Northwest has better overall calibre based on reputation with Kiprusoff, Luongo, Backstrom, Roloson and Budaj.
If I had to choose, I'd say Northwest their group is better, but then again, so are their defenses (bar Edmonton).
Thankfully for the Habs, we don't even play those teams this year. Unfortunately, there will be no easy mark in our 32 inter-division games. It would be nice if there were, as our scorers aren't exactly prolific.
Maybe we can look to taking a lot of shots as the way to go, since the defenses of our divisional rivals fall well below the level of league's best. Or, maybe we can hope that the Emery contract forces a trade, so we get a few Gerber "flu" games throughout the year.
What I wouldn't give for 8 games against a Biron, Norrena or LA.
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