calling out The Captain...

(note: apologies for the ranting-aspect of this post. I tried to spend all day yesterday flushing all hockey knowledge from my brain and so catching up on ranting emails and websites about the Sabres/Sens series this morning has me back in a bad mood. Oh yeah - Happy Mothers Day!)

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Co-captain Daniel Briere has been called out at length this post-season; he's taken some cheap-shots in the media in my opinion. But nobody ever calls out the other captain, "Mr. Clutch" Chris Drury. He has been a non-factor in the first two games against the Senators, but all the Versus broadcast team can bring themselves to do late in the game is declare that this is "his time" or some such nonsense.

Drury is an outstanding and highly valuable player - as a Sabres fan I love having him on the team. Yet he is somehow blessed with getting the Derek Jeter treatment by the media and fans - potentially overstating positive contributions while ignoring failures. When this player has a bad game, and especially in the postseason, instead of focusing on that very fact and perhaps pointing out some specifics instead in late-game situations tired bromides are spewed forth about how every team should be lucky enough to have a player like Drury to lean on in tough times.

Is it so hard to actually critique a good player? How about something simple and obvious - things like...lack of strong forecheck / poor puck pursuit. missed defensive assignments in his own zone. Even an admittedly deceiving stat like shots taken - he only took 3 in four+ periods during game 2 - can at least begin to paint a picture here.


I'm not trying to be anti-Drury. It just galls me to see Briere take a whole host of shit that Drury doesn't get.

game 3 tonight in Ottawa, 7pm EDT. Sabres look to find some semblance of quality special teams play at either end of the rink, or the dream is dead.

Briere questionable for game 2

NHL Bylaw 20.06: If it's the playoffs, then the Sabres must not remain healthy:

AMHERST, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres may be without their co-captain and top scorer, Daniel Briere, for the second game of their playoff series against New York Islanders.

Briere limped out of HSBC Arena on Thursday night after the Sabres’ 4-1 win in the opener of the National Hockey League playoff series and did not take part in Friday’s practice.

The nature of his injury is not known, but it could be a foot or ankle problem.

The Sabres downplayed his absence on Friday, saying he was just given the day off.

But he was spotted hobbling painfully down the hall at their practice arena.

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said Briere was merely sore from being hit by a shot in Thursday’s game.

“We decided to keep him off the ice,” Ruff said, indicated Briere may play on Saturday night.

courtesy Globe and Mail

Why Pominville's success could mean Buffalo saying goodbye to Drury.

Hockey fans (especially Buffalo Sabres fans) are aware of the big dilemma the Sabres front office will have in this off-season, with both Chris Drury and Daniel Briere to be unrestricted free agents and in line for big paydays. If a choice has to be made, and it certainly seems like it will be, how do you choose? The electricity of Daniel Briere, or the leadership and intangibles (not to mention a likely 40 goals) of Chris Drury?

With Jason Pominville burying two more even strength goals Friday night in Tampa, giving him a league-leading 27 on the year (tied with Vincent Lecavalier), is it possible that his success this year will help steer the Sabres into leaning more towards Daniel Briere? Without Briere, Pominville would no longer have his main set-up guy. Re-signing Briere might be the equivalent of retaining two players rather than just one.

Just a thought.

Briere drives away a new truck

...but this quote from the impending unrestricted free agent has to worry Sabre fans (and get the ears of John Muckler):

''It's really hard to explain but whenever we've played together we always have a real nice connection'' Briere said of his chemistry with Heatley.

His average salary for next year just jumped at least $1 million.