Chuzwazza
Registered User
Its still early days, but it's been easy to see that the buffalo sabres have been struggling this season. After facing one of the toughest 1st half schedules in the league, the team looked more like one that was going to add yet another high draft pick than one in a playoff race. it took about 10 games for the coaching staff to work out that their lineups simply weren't working. After splitting up rookies Tuomo Ruutu and Alexander Frolov and scorers Daniel Briere and Rick Nash in an effort to balance the team's scoring lines (which were in a pretty fragile state following the retirement of team MVP Adam Deadmarsh) management went for broke and placed nash and Briere together on a line with Scott Hartnell, and let the only player who had been playing above expectations at that point (Shawn bates) run with a pair of rookie wingers. The result? a team that started 3-8-1-0 has gone 3-1-2-1 since, knocking off the Bruins amd Capitals, and drawing with the Senators in that run. Rick Nash has been the key, lighting the lamp in each of his last six games. Hopefully the team will be able to continue on their slow climb up the ranks, but with their next six games being on the raod at western conference opponents Anaheim, Columbus and Edmonton, while hosting the Islanders devils and the Senators yet again, this is definitely no sure thing. If the teamis still within reaching distance by the all-star break then look out bottom playoff teams, but the entire focus right now is simply about survival, and stealing points from the big guns.
Thats all...for now
Buffalo Bill
Hockey Editor for The Buffalo News
Thats all...for now
Buffalo Bill
Hockey Editor for The Buffalo News
