Well, it looks like the Red Wings put the final dagger in the heart of the Blue and Gold last night with a 4 to 1 win over Buffalo. The Sabres really did put up a great fight, but it is time to come to the sad realization that this is not an elite team anymore and it may not be an elite team for a very long time.
I applaud Darcy Regier for keeping the team together for the last couple of years, but this team is still recovering from the gutting it withstood three seasons ago. Go ahead Sabre fans, say it with me, “We still miss Briere and Drury.”
The Sabres played with determination last night but there were no playmakers to get the job done. The Gaustad/Mair/Paille line had the right idea by working their tails off in the corners and crashing the net every chance they got, but in the end the Red Wings were too much for the Sabres and the door was closed yet again on a chance at the Sabres making the playoffs.
Oh Max, with all of your speed and determination you still could not find a way to make it work here in Buffalo. I still hope that Moore and Max get a chance at one full season together next year because it really looked like Dominic Moore could skate with Max and was actually on the verge of figuring out how to play on a line with Max. But something tells me we will never get that chance.
And what of Dominic Moore? What about our only real trade deadline acquisition?
What do we do with Dominic? I say we keep him. He has only scored one goal so far in a Sabre uniform, but he has shown more heart than most guys on the roster and we need guys that are willing to play every night.
And what of our lord and saviour Ryan Miller? Anyone that still does not consider Ryan Miller an elite goaltender missed this entire season. Ryan Miller stepped up not only as a leader on this team, he also stepped up as one of the premier goaltenders in the NHL. He singlehandedly stole his fair share of games this season, and did the work of Brodeur in keeping the Sabres in some of these games. It could be said that Miller’s injury right when the playoff run started was the reason the Sabres missed the playoffs. It could be said like that if it were not for the fact that Lalime played out of his mind for his first 3 or 4 starts and the Sabres in front of him looked like they could have cared less.
What do we do with Lindy? This could be the first professional sports team where I completely agree with the notion that we fire many of the players but keep the coach. Players like Hecht, Pomminville, Paille, MacArthur, and Rivet have failed to live up to expectations and consistently let the team down with horrid play or by not really showing up at all. Sack ‘em all and give Lindy a team to work with that wants to play.
With the exception of Jaro Spacek, the entire defensive corps can be traded to far off lands never to be heard from again. Lydman tries but he always seems a step behind, and the promise offered by Sekera has waned away. Butler is learning but we need depth and experience on the blue line to win. Rivet was a bust except when it came to kicking the hell out of the other team in a fight. Rivet is a lunatic when the other team tried to manhandle his teammates, but he is not captain material and he started to fade noticeably towards the end of the season.
My suggestions are to keep Lalime as the backup to Miller but give Lalime more playing time next season. Save Ryan for the playoff stretch. Give the captain’s “C” to Jaro Spacek. I would give it to Roy but his habit of diving and whining makes him much less of a role model that Spacek. Get rid of Hecht, Pomminville, Paille, and MacArthur. Let’s give guys like Mancari, Kennedy, and Gerbe a chance. They could not play any worse. Make sure you sign that Kaleta kid to a multi year contract and keep him around for a while. Take the $500K we are paying Andrew Peters every year and invest it in a tough guy who can actually play. Finally, we need real on ice leadership. The kind of leadership Drury and Briere gave. We have not replaced that leadership element since they left and it shows on the ice every night. Right now we don’t have anyone that can live up to the standards of a Briere or Drury and, if we want to make the big dance next season, that is what we desperately need.
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