Bleacher Report - Articles by Sean Martin

AFC East 2009: Much Stronger Than Previous Years

Sean Martin — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:37:37 -0400

Before the 08'-09' season, the AFC was the most predictable division in the league, with the Patriots winning every year and the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins fighting for nothing more than a position in the divisional standing.

Last year, however, a few weird things happened, changing the league for the season.

First, and most importantly, Tom Brady was taken out early in the first game of the season with a year-ending knee injury. And just like Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, they were not a machine! The Patriots struggled to keep up with the rest of the division, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

Second, Brett Favre came out of retirement to join the New York Jets. This acted as a booster shot for a team that struggled the previous year, and almost propelled them to win the division. However, a skid at the end of the season dashed that hope, and ended Eric Mangini's tenure.

The Dolphins, managed by Bill Parcells made some key offseason acquisitions, including importing Chad Pennington from the Jets, and took an old trick from college football playbooks—the Wildcat formation—and used it to keep opponents on their toes the whole season. The Fins ended up going from worst to first in the course of one season, giving them a playoff spot for the first time since 2001.

The Bills were the only team that made no big offseason moves last year. However, they started the season better than the rest of the division, with a 5-1 record near the half-way point of the season.

All of a sudden, the AFC East was relevant again.

The race was heated right 'til the last week of the season, when the Dolphins secured the top spot in the division. They were the only team from the East to make the postseason.

Despite the late-season shortcomings of these rivals, the East's contenders left much to anticipate for this coming season.

The four-way battle, however, seems to have been whittled down to three already, as Jets fans began to cast their doubts about their young team this season.

The Bills made some great off season moves thus far, making the biggest splash by signing Terrell Owens for a year. The Patriots look to revitalize their image with the return of Tom Brady, and the Dolphins are hoping to continue their success from last season.

Once again, it can be predicted that like last season, AFC east teams can expect a heated battle until the end of the season.

Predictions, you say?

If you insist, I will provide.

I do not see the Dolphins repeating last season, because the element of surprise with the Wildcat formation is lost. Teams know what to expect this season in preparation for any trick that may show up on the field.

As for Brady, most quarterbacks usually take time before they can return to form after a devastating knee injury like he experienced—if they ever truly do return. So I believe he will flinch at every low tackle that comes his way, leading to more mistakes.

The Bills honestly have to be the top pick in this division, because not only do they have Terrell Owens on the field for them, but they also have beefed up the line on both sides of the ball. If Trent Edwards gets more time to throw the ball, between Owens and Evans, someone will come up with the ball.

Regardless to if I am correct or not, this will turn out to be an interesting year for the AFC East.

Buffalo Bills Post-Draft Expectations for 09 Season

Sean Martin — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:48:32 -0400

Well, football fans, it is that time of year again; the draftees have been picked and they are already hard at work to make a spot on their first NFL team.

But it is not only the rookies who are breaking a sweat. Many teams are trying to find a way to improve from last season, and the Buffalo Bills are most certainly amongst those.

Last season ending in bitter disappointment showed the NFL that there is talent and heart within this organization. With a shocking 5-1 start to the season, many eyes were focused on the Bills for the first time since the Music City Miracle ended the team's playoff run in 1999.

Coach Dick Juron surely wants to show that ten years has been long enough for this team.

Talent on this team was not incredibly hard to find last year. Marshawn Lynch was expected to be very good, and, despite the teams weaker than expected run game, still ended the season with decent numbers.

Trent Edwards showed his leadership abilities as well as silencing critics about his deep ball, Dante Whitner make a playoff guarantee and it almost payed off thanks to the incredible start, and Lee Evans signed a new contract making him the highest paid player in team history (per year salary). Evans lived up to it by showing fans why he deserved the extension with his route-running skills and catching ability despite his short stature in terms of receivers.

The disintegration took place for many reasons; however, the line on both sides of the ball showed weakness when we were unable to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks frequently, and when we could not protect our own QB. This also was a reason why the potent rushing combination of Lynch and Jackson never shined to their full capability.

A new year with a few solid draft picks may change everything.

Penn State's Aaron Maybin has already proved to be an effective pass rusher in college, and his early experience in the pros has not slowed him down. In fact, during the workouts and at Rookie Mini-camp, he has been very vocal showing that not only is he still talented, but he will be able to play a leadership role, as well.

Eric Wood and Andy Levitre have been both lined up in the center of the offensive line, making the move of Brad Butler to the right tackle position seemingly imminent. If they can be as effective as many believe, getting to Edwards from the center will be much more difficult than in the previous season.

The Bills also seem happy with TE Shawn Nelson and his ability to catch the ball. He is at a position that the Bills historically have liked to use. However, in more recent years, they have been ineffective at using it. With a threat down the middle of the turf, Evans may see more opportunities coming his way down the field.

Let's not forget why we have popcorn ready in Buffalo, however.

Terrell Owens is now one of the Bills, and that means that opposing teams have multiple players whom they will be forced to cover down field when playing against Buffalo. It does not take a rocket scientist to realize that chances are good that Buffalo will be throwing the ball much more this season. And if Owens keeps with history and has an outstanding first season with Buffalo, we can expect to see a higher average score on the Bills side of the scoreboard.

Owens' presence on the field will open up Evans for more opportunities, and will, more importantly, give our running game some breathing room as the threat of a pass will always loom over opposing coaches' heads.

This will be Turk Schonert's second year as the Bills Offensive Coordinator, and, if we can gauge this years performance on last year's, fans can expect another year of his unique play-calling ability. It's a style that may certainly play to the passing game's advantage since Schonert was a quarterback at Stanford, the same school for which Trent Edwards played.

In 09', I think it is safe to say the Bills can be expected to make a serious run for the playoffs because of improvements to their most needed positions. And the timing could not be any better because of the addition of Owens. The media from around the country will be right here in Buffalo to cover the run.

There are still a few questions regarding important transitions.

The first is the position left vacant with the departure of Jason Peters. Langston Walker started in Peters' spot in the first game of the year when Peters was not allowed to play because of his holdout during the offseason. However, Walker stated that he feels more comfortable on the right side. But if Butler makes the move to right tackle, then Walker may be the only viable man to fill the void.

Second, we have the question of whether or not Edwards can return to form. His play was certainly affected after the hit that left him with a concussion during the Arizona game in week five. Hopefully for the Bills, though, the offseason rest as well as the addition of some offensive lineman will give the young quarterback the opportunity to be as good as he was early last season.

The coaches feel very optimistic about the way things are going with the team, and if everything continues to go the way they are for the Bills right now, Buffalo should expect an end to the postseason drought they have endured this last decade.

Buffalo Sabres Playoff Hunt: Not the End Of the Road Yet, But Action is Required

Sean Martin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:12:56 -0400

Once again, Sabres fans are banging their heads against the wall as inconsistency threatens to dash our playoff hopes once again. Some wanted to mark the inability to beat the Senators as our swan-song, however, you must keep these things in mind.

First, it was our third game in four nights, and second in two; a game that Lindy should have placed newest member, Telqvist between the pipes giving Lallime a brief break from action. The veteran instead found himself tired and berated by shots most of the time not close to being stopped by our horrible play in our end of the ice.

Second, Ottawa has our number this year. Every team, even the best, always will face an opponant who no matter how good or bad their record, you just cant win against them. In the past, the Panthers have been that team for us. This year, as in years past, the Sens have been that team as well.

Also, do not forget that no matter how well the Sens do from this point on, they are not making the playoffs.

The Sabres, despite the current position, are still only three points out of the mix, and still have a game at hand. So despite the current picture, the Sabres are actually in a very good position.

Now, with that being said, they will require continued success against the Flyers tonight, and the other teams that are in the current Eastern mix for the playoffs. Buffalo has been quite good with those teams so far, and I will still predict that the faltering teams of the Rangers, and the Canadians, with their coaching issue, will find themselves out when we get to April.

Calm yourselves Buffalonians... after all, not only can the Sabres be back in the playoffs this year, but the Bills even have Terrell Owens. So get your popcorn ready Buffalo. It should be a fun time in sports.

Setting the Tables Straight on the "T.O. in B-Lo" Controversy

Sean Martin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:11:55 -0400

It is now Tuesday and many people have already spoken about Terrell Owens signing with the Buffalo Bills. I am going to give you as fresh of a perspective as anyone can on this touchy subject to us inhabitants of Buffalo, N.Y.

Everybody outside of this situation—non-Bills fans—throws us the same generic garbage about Owens and his past issues with the 49ers, Eagles, and Cowboys. This seems to be the popular thing to do when covering Owens on any subject.

What do I mean by generic garbage? I think ESPN’s Jim Rome summed it up quite well when he said, "This is going to be an awesome train-wreck." Why did he say this? Rome said it because T.O. is a “big city” and “big lights” type of personality who begs for attention.

If attention is what he wants, that's exactly what he will get here in Buffalo. His jersey sales will far exceed those of his past teams because this is the biggest thing that has happened to Buffalo sports since the Bills’ 90s runs to the Super Bowl.

But I digress because this is not what I want to focus on.

It is easy for outsiders to look at this and say it will only be detrimental to the integrity of our team because of the way he has been viewed as a cancer in the locker room and a quarterback killer.

But this has been the case in big market teams. T.O. has yet to enter the locker room of a blue-collar, small market team like the Bills. This will have a significant psychological effect on both parties here.

Owens has always had to compete for attention in his past few teams, and this led to the "ego-wars" that we are accustomed to witnessing on television shows every week. In Buffalo, we, and by we I mean the team, will allow him to be the star of the show.

Why?

It’s because our team just wants to win, as does the city. Owens is the player to do that. Beyond the drama, he is still one of the premier athletes in this league, physically and in heart.

Also, I want to point out that bringing drama to the locker room, despite what all outsiders want to believe, is not something new to the Bills. This has happened on many occasions, including the Rob Johnson-Doug Flutie quarterback debacle.

Players that were there, including Marcellus Wiley, will tell you that there was a great amount of decent players in the locker room at that time, and being a blue-collar town, we were able to find a way over that hump.

I keep using the term blue-collar for a reason. When you think blue-collar, you should be thinking of the hard-working ethic that is attached to the term. There is rarely an occasion where one individual will attempt to outshine his peers in a blue-collar crowd, as long as everyone on the whole is content.

White-collar ethic, however, in this case representing the large market teams like the Dallas Cowboys, individuals are always trying to be the standout on the team (or as the term insinuates, in the office).

Without competition for popularity, Owens will be able to focus on football, which is after all, the reason the team signed him. Owens was brought to Buffalo to catch the deep ball and bring the explosive abilities he embodies to this football team that needed that one last piece to be successful.

Lets not forget Owens is a veteran, who also brings leadership to a team that seems to have lacked it for too long now.

Regardless, there may be some drama, but I think on an exclusively football level, Buffalo, "Get out your popcorn!"

Where Do the Sabres Fit in the Tight Race for the Playoffs?

Sean Martin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:21:17 -0500

With what seems to be just another divisional matchup between the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadians tonight in the city of good neighbors, is probably going to give us a good look as to where these two teams belong in the Eastern Conference standings at the end of this regular season.

As of right now, Montreal has the edge up in fourth position with 64 points. However, injuries are still plaguing the Canadians squad as they fight to just hold on to their position.

The Sabres are in seventh position with 59 points, but this weekend, starting with the game tonight, is going to show the fans truly where this team belongs in the postseason rankings.

A win tonight against the Habs will move Buffalo into a tie with the Flyers for sixth spot. The Rangers, having troubles as of late, play a late one in Dallas tonight as well where Buffalo fans will be hoping for a New York loss.

Even more tantalizing, tomorrow night Buffalo plays against the debilitated Senators, while the Flyers have a tough match against the red hot Bruins. Another win by Buffalo tomorrow, as well as a loss by Philly (which has a great possibility of happening), will move Buffalo up to fifth position, and only a point under the Canadians.

It seems that Buffalo has finally hit their stride this season, something Sabres fans knew they were capable of doing, and their performance this weekend will be the determining factor. These are games that Buffalo has the talent to win, but if they come out to play for only one or two periods instead of the entire 60 minutes, they can find a way to lose.

What exactly do I mean by finally hitting their stride?

Vanek, Connolly, and Stafford have been on fire, while Miller has been cutting down on bad goals allowed. In fact, he is now on a shutout roll, now up to five on the season, something I felt Miller had a large problem with but is now overcoming.

The defense has tightened up their game, making life for Miller much easier, holding the Leafs to only nine shots after two periods of play two nights ago.

All the pieces are there, they just have to march forward without faltering or looking farther down the road than the next game.

If Buffalo is to win out this weekend, the east had better keep a watch on their doorstep, because the Sabres have always been known for their late season pushes, and when they make the playoffs as an underdog, they can easily make it deep.

So Sabres fans, get up and be loud, because this is the homestretch, and your hometown team is getting hot. Now it's playoffs or bust!

Buffalo Sabres Play on the Ice Gives Us a Real Look at the Team

Sean Martin — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:41:30 -0500

Alright, so last night the Sabres surprised the Stars right out of their hockey, as they came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat Dallas on the road in a shootout. This shows us that they can still come back from a large deficit to rally to a victory like they had done in the last three years. It surely leads to exciting hockey games!

The two games prior to the Dallas victory the Sabres lost to the Blackhawks and the Red Wings, arguably two of the top three Western teams in the league right now.

So what does this tell us about the team's future this season and into the playoffs? Quite simple actually. Buffalo hasn't had too bad of a problem when it comes to defeating the Eastern teams, even Goliath-like Boston as well as the Rangers and Capitals. So if Buffalo were to make the playoff's, even if they had to play the top seed in the first round, I could visualize an upset win for the Blue and Gold.

Now, I am saying all of this is tongue-in-cheek of course because the Sabres have to step up their play a little bit in order to keep themselves beating teams inferior to themselves. But they have shown that they are a playoff team, who when making an appearance in the post-season, usually can go deep. So I can see the Sabres making it to the Eastern Conference Finals again IF they can keep in the top eight spots.

But I can tell you now, if one of the three monsters in the west make the Stanley Cup this year, do not expect a win out of your hometown Sabres. Although they were able to score the first goal in both the Chicago and Detroit games, that first goal was their last, allowing the opponent to go unanswered until the end of regulation. That is not going to get you even one game against those teams.

The Sabres have the talent on their roster, that is for sure. They have shown that they have great speed, still they are much stronger this season as they are hitting more than usual, and most importantly, they are more durable.

There have been bare minimum injuries to affect the teams performance and that is a bright spot when looking past the regular season (A team like Montreal will have problems now because of their loss of top players).

The Sabres have shown the city of Buffalo that we just might be able to start preparing for another exciting post-season run, but I believe that they need to get back some grit, and that old blue-collar, hardest working team in hockey thought process in their heads.

If they can do that, I think this will be a good year. I don't think anyone would oppose to a run to the Finals then losing against a team like Detroit or San Jose because in the end, nothing is more exciting then Playoff hockey!

Go Buffalo!!!

Sabres Mid-Season Awards

Sean Martin — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:41:15 -0500

So here we are, at the halfway mark of the NHL 08-09' season, and that means it is time for some mid-season awards for a team that may or may not deserve much recognition at this point. I will not waste too much time with idle talk though, so lets get right into it.

Team MVP: Thomas Vanek. How can you deny him this award? For the majority of the season he has been up with the rest of the goal scoring leaders in the NHL, while keeping the sabres offense moving at full steam.

Pack-rat Trash: Max Afinogenov. How much worse do you have to be for the Sabres management to get rid of you?. Max is proving that it must take much worse than two goals in 41 games to get tossed into free agency. Max is so bad at this juncture, that Portland wouldn't want him if they decided to ship him off to the minors.

Last minute saving grace: Ales Kotalik. My buddy will roll his eyes when he sees this pick, but honestly, it is the only recognition this man deserved right now. Kotalik has been nearly a "gimme" in the shootout helping the Sabres roll back to being a dominant shootout force in this league. And this isn't the first time it has happened; the last three seasons he has been one of the best at this spot in the league. Though I love him, it may be the only thing keeping him on this team this season.

Back-seat driver: Tim Connolly. What else is there to say; he plays 20 games or so a season, watches from home for the rest, yet still makes a full-season's worth of pay in doing so. Sorry Timmy, but your talent is not worth that much money for only 20 games.

The "WHAT?!" Award: Ryan Miller. I am sure people will want an explanation, and it is very simple: you sit on the couch and watch Miller let a soft goal over his glove when nobody is standing between him and the puck and the first word out of your mouth is WHAT?! You do not know what Ryan Miller is going to show up on any given night keeping our mouth's gaped open without any sound being omitted. He simply needs to step up his play more often. But all in all, not a bad season for him so far.

Breath of Fresh air award: Chris Butler and Matt Ellis. It seems like every season we get a couple of solid new-comers onto this team, and these youngsters are those guys this year. Though critics still remain in doubt of Ellis' talent because of a not-so-great showing in Los Angeles before being acquired by the Sabres. But so far, he has showed his work ethic and it is making a difference on the ice for the Sabres.

While on defence, the Sabres are still recovering and rebuilding to get a bigger, stronger corps. Together, Butler has simply been stellar so far. He leads all defensemen with a plus four, making him the ONLY defensemen on the team with a +/- rating in the positive.

Better Late than Never Award: Derek Roy. So the kid decides to not play the first half of the season (virtually) and just as of late switched on the after-burners. Beginning in December, he has been averaging over a point per game making him the hottest player on the team right now. Imagine how good he would have been if he started this when the season began?!

The "Ramone in the Stands" Award: Chinzilla. That's right, I am guessing that I am not the only person in Buffalo who encountered this guy and all of his glorious chin wonderment in the stands of HSBC Arena. He is a Canadian from Ontario who came for at least a few games in Buffalo simply so he can get into arguments with Buffalo fans attempting to tell us all that Vanek is a lazy player. REALLY, LAZY?!

He has been on at the top in goals all season with choice others, and you, Lord of the Chin's, have the nerve to assert this near-retarded statement? But I Digress, I know that there are at least a few handful of fans who have run into this chin-disaster (and no, it wasn't just an old Quentin Tarrentino you saw), and had their share of "No, You Suck" rebuttals. So congratulations you Prince of all that is Chintastic, you got yourself recognized, now go back north of the border.

So There it is... Remember, these are personal assessments, however, I would love to hear some responses from fans on these choices, and any others you may want to add in.

As Always, GO SABRES!!!!! Lets make the playoff's this year!!!!

Rangers-Sabres: Great Last Effort Against New York Keep Buffalo On Fire

Sean Martin — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:29:16 -0500

Well, they did it to the city of Buffalo again!

After an abysmal first half of the game, the Sabres rallied on the momentum of a beautiful Derek Roy goal with under ten minutes to go in the second period to tie the game at one apiece.

The Rangers, despite shaky play during the last month or so, came into Buffalo to prove that they are as good as their record insinuates. They kept the Sabres to only seven first period shots, and over 14 minutes would tick by before Buffalo would even record their eight shot of the game.

Great fore-checking and loads of discipline kept New York in control throughout most of the game. In fact, they went through the entire game without any penalties. The effort that they showed on the ice proved to critics that it is not a lack of discipline that is hurting their team right now.

However, the real problem seems to be New York's lack of endurance, which fails to take them past the first half of the game. Every game that the Rangers have lost in the past month seems to show the same thing—strong starts tapering off as the game progresses.

The Sabres, though, are now 4-0 entering the New Year, and all those wins were against Eastern Conference rivals. They are now looking to chase down the streak they began the season with as Buffalo now begins to look up the playoff ladder with hopes of earning a better spot for the postseason.

Ryan Miller recorded 43 saves on 44 shots, easily making him the MVP of the game. He once again carried the load for Buffalo to help them into the overtime.

Now that the game is over, we see that the Rangers clearly are in trouble of losing precious points, and if the downward spiral keeps going on, they may even be jeopardizing their postseason hopes altogether.

As for Buffalo, they still showed that they are not playing a full 60 minutes of hockey, placing a heavier burden on Miller's shoulders. If they can play every period like they played the third period in this game, it will be hard for any team to compete with their dynamite offensive skill.

The Sabres' next game is against the Red Wings while New York finds themselves facing the Senators. Both games are on Saturday.

Sabres-Rangers: A Battle for the East

Sean Martin — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:16:58 -0500

While it is only the halfway mark of the NHL season, tonight's NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers will be a sign of things to come later this year.

Even though the Rangers are six points ahead of the Sabres in the standings, it really doesn't define how the teams have played in recent games.

On Tuesday night, the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-2 in a more convincing fashion then the score insinuates. This was Buffalo's third-straight victory against a division rival, which included a 4-2 win against the powerhouse Boston Bruins. The three victories make the Sabres undefeated since the new year began.

The Rangers, on the other hand, have been singing a different tune. While they were winning games left and right since the season began, they are now losing to teams that should have no chance of winning in Madison Square Garden.

On Wednesday night, the Montreal Canadians came to the Big Apple and embarrassed the Rangers on home ice with a 6-3 victory. On Jan. 3, the Washington Capitals defeated the Rangers 2-1 after a 5-4 overtime victory against the team on Dec. 23, arguably one of the toughest losses for the Rangers in 2008.

If these streaks for both teams continue, the Rangers will quickly find themselves struggling to even make the playoffs—while the Sabres might be able to land the fourth seed in the playoffs if they can stay disciplined.

A win for the Sabres will mean that the series between the two teams will even up at one-a-piece, with two points entering Buffalo's column. This would be a detrimental setback for the Rangers as the large lead they once had narrow even further.

If the egos in New York's dressing room do not begin to focus on one goal as a team instead of the typical "out there for myself" attitude that is constantly seen in their team, they might as well surrender now and get the golf clubs out. Early season golfing begins in May and June.

Buffalo, however, cannot afford to slack their efforts. With a less than stellar season to this point, every point counts. If they can put themselves into a winning groove in January, the team can find themselves competing for rock-solid playoff spots, not seventh or eighth-seeded positions that are won by having the most overtime losses.

For both teams, one thing can be said prior to game time—a serious playoff team needs to win games before the final buzzer.

Otherwise, NHL fans are going to find them a waste of time.

Will the Buffalo Sabres Have New Life in 2009?

Sean Martin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:50:44 -0500

Here's a recap of the first half of the Buffalo Sabres season:

The Sabres had a great start to the season, winning eight before tallying a regulation loss. Thomas Vanek has been hot placing himself in second place for total goals in the league (and finally living up to his absurd contract). Ryan Miller started better than he finished last year, and at the end of 08'. Buffalo can still be found in the top eight playoff spots (if it were to end today).

However, at 19-15-5, the young Sabres are still miles off of their pinnacle season when they won the Presidents Trophy just two seasons ago, or their run to the conference finals the year after the lockout, despite a badly injured team.

In fact, a general consensus around the city is that they are back to the 'Sabres of old'; a barely over .500 team that either just misses or squeezes in the playoffs at the last minute. And in the NHL with teams like the Sharks and Red Wings, and I hate to say it, but even Boston, that mediocrity will not take you very far.

So how does 09' look like it will treat the Sabres? Lindy Ruff became quite heated with the team after it's loss to Washington at the end of the year and threatened to bench the big players that are not producing.

"This is not an idle threat" said the coach.

Fans were quite upset, though not surprised, when the next game nobody but the typical were scratched. The result however, did catch the fans off-guard when they defeated Toronto 4-1. This was not a shocker though because the Leafs have had their issues in the past few seasons and still have not found their stride this season yet. So this game was a typical win for Buffalo.

The real shocker came when Buffalo out-played the red-hot Boston Bruins to end Bean Town's 14 game home winning streak, and 10 game overall winning streak to an abrupt end. This opened up some eyes, mine included.

Does this mean a complete turn-around for the lackluster Sabres? Probably not, however, historically, the Sabres have been called the "Hardest working team in hockey" because of their last half of the season hot streaks.

If Buffalo can continue to play like they have started this new year, they do have a great chance of making it back to the playoffs. That in itself is not enough though. If you are going to make it to the post-season and make it past the first round, the Sabres need to make a few changes.

First, we need to see consistent play out of Ryan Miller. The last few seasons, we have seen Ryan Miller's play go down the tubes. I find him making rookie mistakes, putting himself out of position, and allowing bad goals that he would not have allowed just three years ago. He needs to take a deep breath, and stop thinking out there on the ice, and just react.

He needs to keep his focus on the play as it evolves, never lose sight of the puck, make sure he can cover post-to-post, and adjust when play wraps behind his net. The most basic of all goaltending rules, let the shooter make the first move. All too often you will find Miller falling down far before a shot is released leaving an open net for the shooters.

Next, Lindy has to scratch the dead weight from the lineup—not just for a game or two, but for the season. The main target for this category would be Maxim Afinogenov. Two goals all season has been all he's contributed to a team that relies on a potent high octane offence to win games.

That won't cut it!

Tim Connolly is another, however his case does not match that of Max's. In fact I think Tim is one of the most talented players in the NHL. His problem though is that he cannot play through an entire season. On average, it seems like he is good for about 20 games a season.

The rest of the season he cannot dress for the games. With the money we spend on Timmy, we need more out of him. If he is healthy enough to give us some more games this season, or even in the post-season, GREAT! He will help us.

But when the season is done, or even when the trade deadline arrives, if there are players out there that are even half as good as Connolly, but are dependable to play an entire season, I believe we need to deal him and save the team some much needed money.

Thirdly, consistency!

This team has been streaky since it's inaugural season. There have only been a few occasions, most of which more recently, when the Sabres were expected to win this game and the next. This season follows suit, and you never know what team is going to show up on any given night.

The Sabres have always been a team who lose the games they should win, and win the games they should lose. That needs to change. We need our top players and the leaders on this team to play their hearts out on every single shift, and the rookies should be playing like it is their last chance in the NHL.

Finally, Buffalo has got to start winning the five-on-five games. Our special teams, though not perfect, seem to have improved greatly since last season. However, they are being drastically out scored during even-strength battles, and seeing a majority of all games are played this way, it is something we need to improve on now.

So back to my main question: will the new year bring the city of Buffalo new hopes for a Stanley cup?

I wouldn't go as far as talking about Lord Stanley right now, but I think if the Sabres can make it to the second round of the playoffs, it will have been a successful year. Is it possible, SURE!!! But do not go into a drunken depression if we are eliminated like the entire city did after we won the Presidents Trophy and then played horrible, somehow sliding past two bad teams just to get eliminated by Ottawa in the Conference Finals the season before last.

Let's just enjoy some good NHL hockey, and remember, it's a long season that usually comes down to the last few games, so don't lose faith Buffalo.

Sean R. Martin