Everything Else

Sabres Spotlight: Ryan O’Reilly

By 1263

Let’s say you had a 24-year old center. And let’s say that center had put up three 55+ point seasons in the past four, and in the fourth season he didn’t get to play half of it because you wouldn’t pay him. And let’s say other than that one season, this center missed only 12 games in five seasons. Would you first shift that center to wing? Would you do everything you could to not pay him? And then would you trade him for a collection of hopefuls and spare parts? If you answered yes to all of this, you’re ready to run the Colorado Avalanche.

While the Avs will claim that ROR was never going to be anything more than a third center for them, who willingly gives up on center-depth like this? You’d have to be insane. And luckily for the Sabres, the Avs are completely fucking nuts.

Everything Else

All We Are Saying… Is Give Us The Puck… : Hawks 3 – Canes 1

By 1173 0

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

Natural Stat Trick

Not exactly how you draw it up, morons.

The Hawks got two points in just about the most unconvincing fashion tonight, giving up 44 shots to the Hurricanes (who to be fair, put up 38 in Minnesota not too long ago). And when the Hawks give up that many shots, you know something is structurally or fundamentally wrong.

Tonight, and for the second night in a row, the Hawks decisions with and management of the puck was a few zip codes away from suck. I lost count of how many times in the neutral zone they chose the wrong pass or option, or how many times they simply whiffed on either making or receiving a pass. And it was everyone. Even Toews looked like he was trying to juggle chainsaws on quaaludes at the other blue line tonight.

When the Hawks are this careless and sloppy with the puck, it basically tears down their whole defensive game. Because that is built on them standing up at their own blue line with furious back pressure forcing teams to make plays and decisions a whole lot quicker than they want to. But when the puck is just turned over, they can’t do that because their forwards get caught and beat up the ice, and hence the defense have to sink back and guard against giving up a 4-on-1 or something. They have no support from the forwards so can’t get aggressive. And that’s how they get trapped in their own zone.