Jump Into the Fire

Since last writing you things have gone South for the Sabres in a hurry. Losers of 5 of their last 6 including an embarassing 10-4 home loss to Toronto and an even more costly home at home sweep by the Montreal Canadians. The lesser teams in the conference have caught up the Sabres in the standings. If they have any desire to stay in contention for a playoff spot they need to recapture the energy and spirit of the first two weeks of the season. Whether it is a result of teams adapting to the new rules or the Sabres playing poorly, the entertainment value of the games has decreased.
The injuries to Toni Lydman and Ryan Miller have weakened the roster but should not be excuses for the players poor play. Other players need to step up. Dmitri Kalinin has been called out by Lindy Ruff. Teppo Numinen,Rory Fitzpatrick and Jay McKee look slow at times on the ice. The lack of depth on defense is the fault of Darcy Reiger. Reiger has frequently stated that this team was put together to compete in the new NHL. If this is true why was Teppo Numinen signed for 2 million dollars? He is looks slow on the ice at times and is two years removed from playing consistently at the NHL level. Reiger must act now by trading Marty Biron for a defenseman with speed and defensive ability. Mika Noronen can hold his own when given the chance. He has not played consistently to get a feel for the game so he will struggle.
With the timetable for Ryan Miller's recovery shortened by a succesful surgery, the team can cover for Noronen's adjustment period with the adreneline rush of acquiring a new defenseman, someone like Scott Niedermeyer, but cheaper.