Second Guessing

Maybe goaltending was a problem after all for the U.S. olympic team. With Rick DiPietro looking very medicore at times in the 4-3 elimiation lose to the Finns and with neither Roberet Esche or John Grahame providing stellar performances maybe Ryan Miller would have made the difference for the U.S.
DiPietro played well in the round robin portion of the tournament but when the stakes got higher in the elimination round he failed to make the saves that win the games. Not all of the blame should fall on the goalie. The U.S. defenceman are aging and not even the years of experience could make Chris Chelios or Derian Hatcher fast enough to catch the speedier competition on a larger ice surface.
Chris Drury had an excellent final game of the tournament finishing +1 with an assist. Come on home and rest up for the playoff push. That's what really matters.
Could Miller have been the difference? Maybe, but the rest of the team is in transition right now. In four years we can see Ryan Miller bring the gold back home.

No Miller not the Problem for US Olympic team

As the round robin portion of the olympic hockey competition ends for team USA, there is one Sabre that could have helped this team but was not named to the squad. I am not talking about Ryan Miller, but rather Tim Connolly. Keeping goals out of the net has not been as big of a problem for Team USA as putting them in the net to begin with.
Let's put aside the fact that Connolly is currently hurt from a controversial hit by Darius Kasparitis and imagine this quick handed, smooth skating Syracuse native wearing the Red, White, and Blue in Turin. He has the speed and finesse that thrive in international competition. After spending last year in Europe, he also has a better grasp on the this years cinderella, the Swiss. Imagination in the offensive zone has been the achilles heel of the limp Team USA powerplay. I can't help but wonder what might have been if Tim Connolly has made the team and had been physically able to play.
This calls into question the issue of when rosters can be submitted for the Olympics. With the early submission of potential players at the start of the season, the chances for a breakout star like Tim Connolly are pretty much nil. I understand that drug testing takes time but if they do again at the games anyway why bother with an earlier test. If the roster could have been announced in January instead of December a better gauge of the best players could have been made.

Hasek Out, Biron Value Up

The injury to Dominik Hasek could not have happened at a better time for the Buffalo Sabres. 7 years ago this would be bad news for fans of the sharp knives but in 2006 the story is much different. Now that he is in Ottawa, Hasek has been the Sabres nemesis rather than savior. He has provided the Sens with a reliable steady presence in net as well as a playoff resume of success, something Patrick Lalime lacked.
Right now the Hasek injury helps the Sabres directly and indirectly.
Directly, the Senators are left deficient at goaltender. Even if Hasek can play, he may not be at 100 percent. When Hasek returns he may not be as willing to bend his body in his usual manner out of fear of reinjury. This mental issue has not been a problem for Hasek in the past but he was a younger man than. This means the Sabres have a better chance of catching the Sens in the standings
Indirectly the injury increases the trade value of Marty Biron or whatever goalie the Sabres decide to trade. John Muckler has stated his displeasure with the play of backup Ray Emery and this recent injury maybe what it takes to force his hand and make a deal. With one more team looking for a goalie, the supply becomes that much more valuable. The Sabres will not trade with the Senators but with Kolzig staying put in DC that leaves Cujo as one of the only goaltenders left on the market that is a proven playoff commodity (unless JS Giguere is considered available). Marc Denis is my pick to end up in Ottawa but Muckler is a bold GM and I would not be surprised if Roberto Luongo ended up in Ottawa with Hasek retiring at the end of the year.

Olympic Break Provides Rest

The olympic break could not have come at a better time for the long list of injured Buffalo Sabres. Daniel Briere, Dmitri Kalinin, Jochen Hecht and maybe even Tim Connolly will be back following the two week hiatus. It can't come quickly enough. There is a lot to be excited about for this team. If Daniel Briere and Tim Connolly had been healthy, it's very likely the Sabres would have come home Carolina with a 2 points instead of just one. Kotalik and Pominville are not the best choices for a shootout format but they were the only ones available.
More on the olympics. Thankfully, It appears Ryan Miller will be staying home this olympics. It would be a great honor and would give the US the best chance to win the gold, but from a selfish standpoint, he could use the rest. Hopefully Numminen, Drury and Lydman can come home unscathed.
Marty Biron did not get the start against the Hurricanes as I thought he might. It turned out to be a great move by coach Ruff. Throughout the end of the 3rd period and OT, Miller was the only reason the Hurricanes did not win before the shootout started. One more comment on the game, Why did Derek Roy have a bloody nose? Did it just spontaneously start or was he clipped by a high stick? With the parade of Sabres going to the penalty box near the end of the game I don't think the refs would have missed Roy getting hit in the face.

Trades and the Eye of the Hurricane

Today maybe the last time Sabres fans may get to see Marty Biron wear the snorting Buffalo. Assuming he starts today in Carolina, there will be just two more home games before the trade deadline. Will Marty be moved before than? Only Darcy Reiger knows for sure. Why mess with chemistry. Marty is a good team guy but any competitor wants to start and be the guy the team relies on night in and night out. The most popular desitination among hockey prognosticators has Marty moving out West and joining the Edmonton Oilers. The deal would most likely involved Edmonton shipping one of their two recently acquired d-men, Dick Tarnstrom or Jaroslav Spacek to Buffalo. More players would need to be involved because neither one alone is the difference maker Marty can be on any given night.

A Biron start against the Hurricanes is interesting. Marty is considered the "back up" and he is playing against the best team in the East. This may show how much Ruff wanted Saturday's game against the Panthers. With the Ottawa and Florida monkey's off thier backs, only the Devils remain. I can't wait to see the offensive talent the Hurricanes possess on display. This will be an excellent matchup between two of the biggest surprise teams of the year.

Wrong Time for Aces and Blades

I'm sure their hearts are in the write place, but the timing could not be worse for the inaugural fundraiser of the Buffalo Sabres Foundation, Aces and Blades. According to the advertisement on sabres.com, the event will feature "Ice, Hockey, and High Stakes.
A week ago this seems like innocuous fun but with the recent accusation against Rick Tocchet by New Jersey police "for financing a U.S. sports gambling" (tsn.ca), all NHL teams and organizations associated with them may need to think twice before lending their name or taking part in any event that involves gambling.
Aces and Blades ends their annoucnment with the slogan "Where the players are the dealers and you are the star!" There is not much doubt that some gambling-type activity will be involved. If it is discovered that current NHL players or coaches (or their wives) were betting on NHL games this could turn into a scandal of steroid-size proportions.
Although there will most likely be no sports gambling at this event, the Sabres and other NHL teams will have to be careful in the future to avoid associating with gambling, even if it is for a good cause.

Sabres Beat Senators, Does it matter?

For the Buffalo Sabres the 2-1 shootout victory over the Ottawa Senators proved to themselves that they can skate with one of the premier teams in the league. A crisis of confidence had infected the Sabres lockeroom after 3 blowout losses to the Sens earlier in the year. Could the Sabres skate with this team now? Even without two prime offensive weapons, Daniel Briere and Tim Connoly, the Sabres slowed the Sens down and came out on top. Whether it was the "bad ice" as Dany Heatley described it or a smothering Sabres defense, the Pizza line and the Ottawa offense in general was rendered a shell of its previous outings against the Sabres. The Sabres won and they have more confidence for when the teams meet again. Is it really surprising that the Sabres triumphed this time though?
1. The Senators have been about a .500 team since just around Christmas. 2. The Senators do not play well in games they score less than 4 goals.

It would seem the Sabres caught the Senators in one of the mini-slumps all teams have during the season and kept them off the scoreboard. This should not take away from a solid victory over an elite team.
The Sabres have defeated elite teams already this year. Beating Dallas was a huge step forward and a sign the team arrived as a legimate threat. Recent success against the Flyers has also strengthened the Sabres resume.

The Sabres proved they have the mettle and goaltending to triumph in a playoff style game. The Senators still have to prove they can win when the going gets tough.