Tag Archives: Robyn Regehr

Feb 18 2012

Overreactions, 58th Edition: Where’s the dynamite?

Here we are.

With only ten days until the NHL trade deadline, the Buffalo Sabres aren’t in the position they expected to be. No one expected this.

Buffalo now sits 15th in the Eastern Conference with 24 games remaining as they dropped a 4-3 shootout loss to Montreal at First Niagara Center on Friday night.

“I’m obviously very disappointed,” said coach Lindy Ruff after the game. “Embarassed.”

Twice in the first period, the Sabres grabbed leads on goals by Robyn Regehr and Tyler Myers. Both were cancelled by the Canadiens, who tied the game 2-2 with under 14 seconds remaining in the opening frame.

A second period goal by Montreal’s Chris Campoli gave the visitors what seemed like the deciding lead, but Tyler Ennis’ goal with just over eight minutes left in regulation was enough to get it to overtime.

Failing to capitalize on a truncated powerplay in overtime, Brad Boyes and Jason Pominville were both stopped by Carey Price in the shootout as Montreal’s Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais sealed the win.

“This is a game we should’ve put away but didn’t,” Ruff said.

Ryan Miller made 16 saves on 19 shots for the Sabres. With Carolina defeating San Jose, Buffalo is tied with the Hurricanes at 55 points, but sits last thanks to tiebreakers.

  • Andrej Sekera had a phenomenal game. He was strong and responsible defensively and was a beast in the offensive zone. He made a great play to set up Robyn Regehr in the second period that Regehr couldn’t put away. Sekera was great early in the season, but hasn’t been as good the last couple months. Tonight was a step forward.
  • Zack Kassian’s fumbling of that 3-on-1 rush in the second period that preceded the Campoli goal is a sign of a kid who isn’t confident enough to make a play himself or a passive guy being indecisive. The fact he’s a part of this awful team should be worrisome. He’s got a bright future if he develops right.
  • The Sabres would have the third pick in the NHL Draft if the season ended today, and a 14.2% chance of winning the lottery to move up to #1 overall. Continue reading →
Feb 11 2012

Overreactions, 55th Edition: Turn out the lights

With time winding down on the Sabres’ window to reinsert themselves into playoff contention, there are games that carry more weight than others. Facing a Tampa Bay team two points behind them in the standings, this was one of those games.

That window slid a bit further towards the closed position tonight.

Coming out flat after an inspiring win last night, in front of a lifeless crowd, the Buffalo Sabres couldn’t overcome another two goal deficit, falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 2-1 defeat.

Ryan Miller was solid in net, stopping 26 of 28 shots, but the goal support wasn’t quite there.

Jason Pominville’s third period goal, his 20th of the season, cut the deficit in half, but a late surge, including a shot off the crossbar by Christian Ehrhoff, couldn’t find an equalizer.

“We didn’t play well enough,” said head coach Lindy Ruff after the game.

With the night’s results, Buffalo falls to 14th in the East, eight points behind 8th place Toronto with a game in hand.

The Sabres’ unbeaten-in-regulation run came to an end after going 5-0-1 in their last six. They next face 6th place New Jersey at home on Tuesday.

  • Tyler Myers and Christian Ehrhoff were on the ice and out of position on both Tampa goals. They were eventually split up, and then reunited. Myers led the team in ice time with 23:02.
  • Made mention of it on twitter during the game, but Tampa’s 2nd goal, the eventual game winner is a look at what could be soon. The goal, scored by Steven Stamkos, a #1 overall pick in the draft, was set up by Teddy Purcell, part of the return from trading pending a pending UFA at the deadline a couple years back. A few more losses, and the Sabres might be looking at having guys like that on their team next year.
  • Thomas Vanek looked pretty good, and his efforts set up Pominville’s goal. His unreal goal count in his career against Tampa (23 goals in 26 career games coming in) was not augmented tonight. Continue reading →
Jan 25 2012

Overreactions, 49th Edition: It could happen!

Approaching this game, the most feasible explanation for how the Sabres could end their 12-game losing streak on the road against a goaltender they’ve had trouble with would be simple: Don’t let the other team score.

(Ed note: The least feasible would be a team of angels assisting them in exceeding their capabilities.)

For the most part, Buffalo took care of that. And it worked.

Riding a horrible stretch of play into the final game before the NHL All-Star break, the Sabres found a way to get it done, stealing a 2-1 shootout victory in New Jersey.

“This is huge for us,” said Sabres defenseman Jordan Leopold, who scored in regulation. “The past few week have been tough and challenging and we capped off a long, long road trip with a win. It was not a perfect game. We got outshot and outchanced but in the end we got a couple of big saves from Ryan. He kept us in the game and we were able to win in the shootout.”

Leopold’s fluky goal late in the first period was all the cushion Ryan Miller needed to get them a point, as he stopped 27 of 28 shots through 65 minutes. Jason Pominville scored in the third round of the shootout to extend it, and Nathan Gerbe scored the walk-off winner in round 4.

Buffalo pulled out two points despite registering a mere 14 shots on goal through regulation and overtime.

The Sabres hit the mid-season siesta sitting 14th place in the Eastern Conference, ten points out of a playoff spot with 33 games remaining.

  • Ryan Miller, when he plays like this, is worth every penny. He needs to be surrounded with talent. I truly think, as bad as this team is, that he can be part of the solution instead of being considered a problem.
  • In the talk about what’s wrong with the team, and how injuries can’t be an excuse, the one valid argument in this recent run of horrible play is how much the absence of Christian Ehrhoff hurt. Tyler Myers is clearly not in a position to carry this team as a #1 defenseman, and without Ehrhoff, the team suffered. Ehrhoff played a team high 24:27 in his first game back. Having him in the lineup makes this team remarkably better defensively.
  • Thomas Vanek’s pressing hard and the results aren’t there. The team’s going nowhere if he can’t start getting the results.
  • Robyn Regehr’s return was also a big help. He was incredibly solid. Having the veteran presence on the back end was missed.
  • With 33 games remaining, the indispensable Sports Club Stats has the Sabres with a 0.6% chance of making the playoffs. To earn a playoff spot, they’ll need to get approximately 95 points. They have 45. It’s going to take at least 23 wins in 33 games. Pack it in, guys. No need for a heroic run to 10th. Continue reading →
Jan 15 2012

Overreactions, 44th Edition: Roadtrip of doom starts with disappointment

Opening a seven-game road trip, one would think it’d be prudent to snag what points you can in the games that should be deemed “winnable.”

Facing the 15th-best team in the Eastern Conference should fall into that category. Saturday night’s game in New York didn’t fall into the “win” category, though.

Despite another phenomenal performance from rookie Jhonas Enroth, Buffalo couldn’t get the goal support or the defense it needed, dropping a 4-2 defeat to the last place Islanders.

“When you don’t execute exits out of your zone, you have a hard time generating much at the other end,” Ruff said. “On the bright side, I did think Jhonas was terrific.”

Enroth’s 36 saves were in most instances timely and crucial to keeping the game close. The Sabres got goals from Patrick Kaleta and Derek Roy, but a late goal by New York’s Michael Grabner was the deciding marker.

Buffalo got a chance to tie the game, as Thomas Vanek got a penalty shot with just 1:24 left, but the team’s leading scorer rang a shot off the post behind Isles goalie Evgeni Nabokov. New York added an empty netter with 30 seconds remaining to seal it.

Next up for the Sabres is a trip to Detroit, where they face the Red Wings on Monday night, winners of 14 straight of Joe Louis Arena. Oh boy.

  • Robyn Regehr left with an upper body injury and was deemed as out for the coming games by Lindy Ruff. With Andrej Sekera ready to come back, it won’t necessitate a call-up, but the defense has struggled mightily. Mike Weber has been alright, but right now he’s getting #4 minutes. Marc-Andre Gragnani and Joe Finley looked like a dumpster fire in their own zone for much of the night. Sabres need to get Christian Ehrhoff back badly.
  • Derek Roy came through with a big goal to tie the game right after the Isles made it 2-1. The second line finally chipped one in. Oddly enough, it was on a night where the top line wasn’t making an impact on the scoresheet.
  • The lack of production from the first line can be correlated with Thomas Vanek getting drilled in the side of the head by a Jochen Hecht shot. Vanek has been taking a beating lately. They can’t afford to lose him. If he’s done, they’re done. Continue reading →
Dec 23 2011

Overreactions, 34th Edition: Sabres fall to Leafs

The NHL shuts down for the holidays at this time every year. It’s a safe bet Sabres fans are looking forward to the two days off as much as the players are.

It was another excruciating result for Buffalo, falling 3-2 to Toronto and losing Thomas Vanek to injury midway through the game. Vanek is reportedly day-to-day with an upper body injury.

Ryan Miller was fairly solid, making 28 saves in the loss. He was spectacular in the first period and seemed to get hung out to dry on a couple occasions.

Jason Pominville and Derek Roy scored for Buffalo, who have just one win in their last six.

The Sabres took a second period lead as Pominville opened the scoring, but the Leafs answered with two quick goals. Roy tied it early in the third period, but a goal by Nazem Kadri was enough to give Toronto the win.

Buffalo is now 1-4-1 in their last six games.

  • Seriously, if Thomas Vanek misses any time, or this is a nagging injury, this team is screwed.
  • Brayden McNabb had a really good game. Created a lot offensively, played solid defensively and made an impact physically. If he can string a few of these games together, he should be able to stay in the lineup even after Tyler Myers returns. Being the only defenseman who’s waiver-exempt, he’s going to have to play his way in every night.
  • After a strong debut, Derek Whitmore wasn’t as effective tonight. He didn’t seem to be on the same page as linemates Paul Szczechura and Drew Stafford. The team’s lack of centers renders any discussion about whether Whitmore or Szczechura is next to head down the 90 moot. Continue reading →
Oct 25 2011

Overreactions, 8th Edition: Sabres fade early, fall to Lightning

It looked like the homestand was off to a fast start. Too much, too soon.

After jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first two and a half minutes of the game, the Sabres let Tampa back into the game before the first period was out, and the Lightning ended up leaving Buffalo with two points as the home team lost 4-3.

Thomas Vanek and Brad Boyes scored early for the Sabres, who fall to 5-3-0.

Tampa got a rebound goal from Vincent Lecavalier and Nate Thompson was credited with a late first period goal that went off a defenseman’s skate to tie it. A second period Steven Stamkos tip-in and a late Ryan Malone insurance goal were enough, as Nathan Gerbe’s last minute marker didn’t change the outcome.

Lightning goalie Mathieu Garon was able to bounce back from the rough start and earn the win, stopping 36 shots. Ryan Miller made 19 saves in the loss.

While the team looked underwhelming at times, the Sabres created a lot of pressure in the third period in an effort to tie it up. Buffalo outshot Tampa Bay 17-7 in the final 20 minutes.

  • If you had a “what Sabre will score a goal tonight” pool, and you didn’t take Thomas Vanek, you’re a mess. It’s almost like he just wanted to get the first one out of the way. He had a bevy of chances, including a second period breakaway, but failed to convert.
  • Robyn Regehr was a beast. Whether that’s a carryover from something that happened Saturday, or the man just deciding that he’s going to beat the crap out of anyone wearing white, the guy had an impact. The hit on Lecavalier was spectacular. Continue reading →
Oct 23 2011

Overreactions, 7th Edition: Lights out.

Well, that was, to borrow a line from Jim Lahey, “shit-tacular.”

With a four game road-trip winding to a close with a Saturday night tilt in Tampa Bay, the Sabres, winners of three straight, came out flat and played easily their worst game of the campaign to date. The Lightning cruised in handing Buffalo a 3-0 loss, winning the first half of a home-and-home set which concludes Tuesday at First Niagara Center.

Tampa goalie Mathieu Garon, who entered the game with a 1-7-0 career record, .878 save percentage, and 3.61 goals against versus Buffalo, pitched the shutout, stopping all 21 shots.

Ryan Miller stopped 23 of 25 shots for Buffalo, grabbing his second loss of the season.

“It’s one of those nights where we didn’t deserve the points, and we didn’t get them because we didn’t create enough,” Buffalo right wing Jason Pominville said.

Buffalo failed to generate much offensively, as indicated by the score. The powerplay went 0-for-3 and trailing heading into the third, managed just five shots in the final 20 minutes.

It was also the first game away from the 716 area code that the Sabres lost this season.

  • The worst loss of the night may be Tyler Ennis. The dynamic forward, while pointless on the season, can be a huge part of the team’s offensive threat. Although he has been languishing in the black hole of suckage known as “whatever line Ville Leino is centering” for most of the season, he looked great as soon as he was rescued to a line with Derek Roy and Drew Stafford. Ennis played just 35 seconds before getting hurt, and it’s unknown whether it will be long-term as of now.
  • Lindy Ruff had maintained since Jhonas Enroth’s win in Pittsburgh that the backup would get another start on the roadtrip. At least until Ryan Miller pitched a shutout in Florida. I said it before the game, and even with the lackluster effort from the skaters, I still maintain that Enroth should’ve started. Continue reading →
Oct 16 2011

Overreactions, 4th Edition: Back in the win column

No Crosby? No Malkin? No problem.

With injuries sidelining the Penguins’ superstars, the Buffalo Sabres rebounded from a disappointing home opener with a solid 3-2 win in Pittsburgh.

Backstopped by Jhonas Enroth, who made 29 saves in his first start of the season, Buffalo got goals from Nathan Gerbe, Luke Adam and Drew Stafford to earn their first win in Pittsburgh since December 2009.

“Jhonas kept us in the game all game long,” Adam added. “He gave us a great effort back there, and when your goalie is playing well in front of you, it gives the guys a lot of confidence.”

It was another solid effort from the young Swede in net. Only a deflected James Neal shot and a rebound goal by Jordan Staal found their way past him. Dating back to last season, Enroth is now 8-0-1 in his last nine decisions.

  • If Enroth is going to play 20 games this season, like many have discussed would be optimal, he’ll have to play once every four games. This was the first opportunity, and natural, being the second game of a back-to-back. Buffalo doesn’t have another back-to-back until November 4-5, so it’ll be interesting to see if/where Lindy gives Jhonas another start.
  • Thomas Vanek had some great opportunities and did a good job stretching the ice, but he must’ve made a bet that he’d score on a slap shot tonight, because he wouldn’t get away from it. He had missed the net on odd-man breaks multiple times. You’re allowed to deke, Thomas.
  • The powerplay had somewhat of a rebound. In only one opportunity, they moved the puck very well and generated a lot of pressure, but failed to convert. They looked good and didn’t allow any shorthanded opportunities.
  • It was mentioned here after the Carolina game that Nathan Gerbe didn’t have a great Friday night. He more than made up for it in Pittsburgh. Gerbe was phenomenal, creating a lot of opportunities and working the puck well. Nate was rewarded with a goal in the first, and made a slick drop pass to set up Drew Stafford’s game winner. Great effort from the little guy. Continue reading →
Oct 8 2011

Overreactions, 1st Edition: That’s Quacktastic!

Nice way to start a season, I’d say.

In front of a raucous crowd in Helsinki, Finland, the Buffalo Sabres kicked off the 2011-2012 season by defeating Anaheim by a score of 4-1.

Thomas Vanek scored twice for Buffalo, registering both on the powerplay.

“The puck was bouncing for us a bit tonight and we played a good first period with the two-goal lead,” Vanek said. “We tried to get pucks to the net and it paid off early on.”

Vanek also added an assist later on a goal by new captain Jason Pominville.

But the hero of the day was Ville Leino, making his Sabres debut in the arena where he spent season with renowned Finnish club Jokerit. Leino scored late in the first period, his first goal on his first shot as a Buffalo Sabre and the eventual game-winner.

“I have done it for every team where I’ve played, and was lucky to do it again,” Leino said. “It was cool to do it here in Finland.”

Ryan Miller got the win for Buffalo, making 29 saves.

  • Good for Ville Leino, starting off his Sabres career with a goal. It was a very nice play by Brad Boyes and Andrej Sekera to set up the play in the slot.
  • Speaking of other new guys, Christian Ehrhoff continues to look like a good pickup. He made a great play to set up Vanek’s second goal, bringing the puck down low and letting the play develop through patience.
  • On the other-other new guy, Robyn Regehr, he is as-advertised. Played with a nice edge. He’ll be fun to watch.
  • It’s a bit surprising that Lindy Ruff has gotten away from the Nathan Gerbe-Paul Gaustad-Patrick Kaleta line that has looked so well since camp opened. With Cody McCormick taking Gerbe’s place, the line was on the ice for Anaheim’s only goal. Continue reading →
Sep 22 2011

Overreactions, Preseason Edition #2: Que?

This Christian Ehrhoff acquisition may turn out alright.

On the strength of a two-point night from one of Buffalo’s new defenseman, the Sabres moved to 2-0 in the exhibition season with a 3-1 victory over Montreal at the Bell Centre.

Ehrhoff tallied the game-winner with 13:53 remaining in the third period, wristing a shot from along the boards past Canadiens goalie Robert Mayer.

“He’s got a really good shot,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “I thought probably again tonight there were some opportunities we passed up, we passed some plays around, but you don’t usually have to tell him to shoot. He’s a shooter and he can sling it with a wrist shot and he can hit it pretty hard with a slap shot.”

Jason Pominville scored in the first on a beautiful Ehrhoff play. After Derek Roy won the offensive zone draw back to the point, Ehrhoff skated the puck down the boards to the corner and threaded a beautiful backhand pass to a wide open Jason Pominville camped in front of the Canadiens net. An excellent play from start to finish.

Tyler Ennis added the empty netter to get Buffalo the win. Ennis’ tally was assisted by newcomer Ville Leino, his first point as a Sabre in his second appearance.

Ryan Miller made 11 saves shutting out Montreal before he gave way for Jhonas Enroth, who allowed one goal but made 12 stops for the win.

Important observations:

  • Apparently, I don’t understand French. One day we’ll look back and laugh that back in the day not every preseason game was broadcast. We’re not there yet. But a stream of RDS coverage on a Wednesday night is going to be enough for now.
  • Luke Adam took a couple bad penalties, including the one that led to Montreal’s goal. He hasn’t been doing much to force his way onto the roster like some hoped he would. He’s still got about a week to make something happen, but looks like he better find a place in Rochester.
  • Speaking of that powerplay goal, I’m not a fan of Nathan Gerbe killing penalties. He’s got the sense and tenacious spirit to do it, but he simply doesn’t cover enough ground. P.K. Subban walked right around Gerbe’s stick check and ripped a shot past Enroth. Anyone with more of a reach might’ve been able to poke that off his stick or get Subban to make a different play.
  • The leader in hits for the game, both teams: Sabres defenseman Robyn Regehr.
  • The top line of Thomas Vanek-Derek Roy-Jason Pominville looked quite good. They were all +2 on the night and each tallied a point. Continue reading →