Press Clips December 31, 2013 Sabres-Jets Preview by Nicolino Debenedetto Associated Press December 30, 2013
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Buffalo Sabres Daily Press Clips December 31, 2013 Sabres-Jets Preview By Nicolino DeBenedetto Associated Press December 30, 2013 Ryan Miller may be providing a spark for the NHL-worst Buffalo Sabres at home, but he's not expected to get a chance to carry that success onto the road. With Jhonas Enroth scheduled to spell Miller, the Sabres will try to win on the road for the first time in almost two months Tuesday night against the Winnipeg Jets. Miller is 5-1-1 with a 1.65 goals-against average over his last seven games, and all of those victories have come at home behind a 1.34 GAA and .962 save percentage. The 2010 Vezina Trophy winner was fantastic again Sunday, making a season- high 49 saves before turning aside all six shootout attempts in a 2-1 win over Washington. That's expected to be Miller's final performance before the United States roster for the Olympics is revealed Wednesday. "You have to project further out and we need Jhonas to be ready," Miller told the team's official website of his scheduled day off. "And it's an Olympic year. We're factoring in the possibility of more travel and playing time for maybe both of us. The idea is to balance it out a little more." Enroth, a likely selection for Sweden at Sochi, hasn't been nearly as effective as his teammate. He's 0-5-2 with a 2.87 GAA in eight games - seven starts - since making 44 saves in a 3-1 win at Florida on Oct. 25. Interim coach Ted Nolan, though, isn't putting much blame on Enroth. "If you look at the goaltending we have, we have pretty good goaltending," he said. "So if we play honestly in front of them, we'll have good chances (to win)." Buffalo hasn't done that on the road since beating San Jose 5-4 in a shootout on Nov. 5. Since then, the Sabres have been outscored 30-12 during a nine-game skid (0-7-2) away from home. Visiting Winnipeg (18-18-5) may not end their troubles, either. The Sabres have lost four in a row on the road to the Jets, including all three meetings in Winnipeg after they relocated from Atlanta. However, Buffalo rallied with four unanswered goals to beat the Jets 4-2 at home Dec. 17. Enroth has a 2.00 GAA while losing both of his meetings, but this will be his first appearance at MTS Centre. The Jets are aiming for a three-game winning streak and some consistency. Blake Wheeler came up with the heroics Sunday, scoring with 1.1 seconds left in overtime for a 2-1 win at Colorado. That came two days after Winnipeg beat Minnesota 6-4 following a 2-5-1 stretch that included the defeat at Buffalo. "I think we've definitely learned from the past that we're going to treat every game as if we're going to play the best team in the league," left wing Eric Tangradi said. "We know that if we don't play our best game, we're not going to win hockey games in this league. "We have to play a full 60 minutes." Another big performance from Wheeler would also help. The right wing's 10 goals are among the league leaders for this month, and he's scored seven of them in four straight games at home. A goal Tuesday would make him the first Jets/Thrashers player to score in five straight home games since Slava Kozlov did it with Atlanta from March 16-April 1, 2009. Wheeler has one goal in each of his last two home meetings with the Sabres, but came up empty on two shots at Buffalo earlier this month. Depressing cloud over Sabres is clearing By John Vogl Buffalo News December 30, 2013 It’s difficult to say which is harder to believe: all the stuff that happened to the Sabres in 2013 or the fact they’re ending the year feeling good about things. This calendar year was as mind-blowing as they come for Buffalo’s hockey team. In order, there was: • The lockout. • The firing of coach Lindy Ruff. • The trades of numerous veterans, including captain Jason Pominville. • Booing. • A 23rd-place finish. • An organizational policy of “suffering.” • Historically bad hockey. • More booing. • The trade of Thomas Vanek. • The firing of General Manager Darcy Regier and coach Ron Rolston. • The return of coach Ted Nolan and Pat LaFontaine as newly created president of hockey operations. “A lot’s happened,” defenseman Tyler Myers said with a laugh and eye roll Monday. The most shocking development was the appearance of three coaches behind the Buffalo bench. The Sabres had only one in the previous 16 years. The move from replay-watching Rolston to hockey-playing Nolan is why the Sabres headed toward tonight’s game in Winnipeg bubbling like champagne. The players were drowning in video and skating on egg shells while Rolston was in charge. Nolan’s doctrine that good things come to those who work hard has reminded everyone that hockey is supposed to be fun. “It’s refreshing,” center Tyler Ennis said after practice at Riverside Park. “You could see the change in our play. We’re competing. We’re in games. We’re playing well, and it can only get better. There’s lots of room for improvement, but we’re moving in the right direction.” The Sabres are 5-2-2 in their last nine games, which qualifies as a torrid run during 2013. Buffalo has won just 32 of 87 games this year, going 32-45-10 with an 11-24-4 record this season. Though they remain in last place in the NHL, they’re no longer acting like a bottom-dwelling club. They’re smiling and having a good time, which is a night- and-day departure from the brooding that went on when the primary goal was the No. 1 draft pick. “Even with the position we’re in right now, it seems to be quite a positive room,” Myers said. “The direction we’re headed is one I think everyone is excited about. “It’s a completely different feel in the room. I don’t think we’ve had this feeling in the room for quite some time now, not even just looking at this year but last year was a tough year as well. The atmosphere right now within the group, all the guys are pretty happy about it.” So many changes happened at once, including the recall of veterans to replace unprepared teenagers, that it’s tough to say what had the biggest impact. The safe money is on Nolan. “It’s almost like he’s been a breath of fresh air,” Myers said. “With as many changes that occurred, it almost gave us the feeling of a new beginning. We’ve really embraced that, and it’s helped out a lot.” Nolan says the attitude on the team now and when he walked in the door Nov. 13 is “like two totally different people.” “We’ve adjusted the feel-good part,” he said. “They’ve been putting their time and effort in. When you do that you feel good about yourselves. I think they feel good about themselves. “We’ve got a long ways to go.” The Sabres still have flaws, with an inability to score at the top of the list, but at least depression is no longer of them. “You can still have a bright future and have the pain not be not as much,” Ennis said. “We’re moving in the right direction. We’re looking forward to a really good 2014.” Jets host Sabres in search of third straight win By Jon Lane NHL.com December 30, 2013 SABRES (11-24-4) at JETS (18-18-5) TV: TSN, MSG-B Last 10: Buffalo 5-3-2; Winnipeg 4-5-1 Season series: The Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets will play for the final time this season. Buffalo won the first game 4-2 on Dec. 17 at First Niagara Center. Big story: The Sabres have been on a roll on home ice, winning their past four games, including a 2-1 shootout win against the Washington Capitals on Sunday, and are 5-2-2 overall in their past nine. Interim coach Ted Nolan believes the two-game road trip, which takes them to Winnipeg and St. Paul for a game against the Minnesota Wild, will say a lot about their recent development. "We've got a long ways to go. We adjusted [to] the feel-good period part. Now we just have to pay a little bit more attention to details," Nolan said. "If you look at the goaltending we have, we have pretty good goaltending. So if we play honestly in front of them, we'll have good chances [to win]." The Jets play host to the Sabres looking to generate momentum of their own. They have won two straight for the first time since Nov. 25-27; they beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Sunday and the Wild 6-4 on Friday. "What I'd like to see more of in the second half is to see us build off the two games we just played," Jets coach Claude Noel said. "The games I've seen in the last two games makes me believe we're heading down the right road in the second half of the season." Team Scope: Sabres: Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week ending after going 2-0-1 with a 1.55 goals-against average and .961 save percentage to help the Sabres earn five out of a possible six points.