The Checking Line | Awesome Hockey Discussion Since 1875. Hockey News, Blogs and Forums!

Filters:

Blogger

by kmf418

on 09/02/2010 - 10:20

There has been a lot of criticism of Craig Rivet’s play over this past season, and let’s be honest: most of it had merit. There has also been some recent unrest in his captaincy and leadership of the team. Should Rivet be the Captain? How has he done so far? And who could take his place? Let’s take a look.

Craig Rivet came to the Sabres in the summer of 2008 after Darcy Regier pulled a “just kidding” on the San Jose Sharks and got a mulligan on the Steve Bernier trade.

Comments (1)

Is Eliminating Shootouts the Answer?

by kmf418

on 08/22/2010 - 10:06

This Summer, the National Hockey League has been looking at ways to improve the game. From moving the faceoff circles to eliminating shootouts, NHL officials have targeted a few ideas that could be beneficial to the entire league.

After the NHL lockout, the shootout came into effect and many fans were excited about it, as expected. The shootout was something rarely seen in real-life, and with the number of superstars around the NHL, it sounded like a promising idea.

Now, five years later, the idea has not panned out as hoped.

Comments (1)

Atlantic Division Preview

by kmf418

on 08/18/2010 - 16:42

New Jersey- The Devils made some great moves in the offseason to already improve a team that finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference last season. The Devils added Anton Volchenkov and former Sabre Henrik Tallinder. Along with those two big defenseman, the Devils also acquired Johan Hedberg, who will backup Martin Brodeur, and Jason Arnott, who is now in his second stint with the club.

The Devils remain a dangerous team with Brodeur in net, even though he is past his prime. Brodeur is still one of the best in the league at 38 years old.

Add a comment

Southeast Division Preview

by kmf418

on 08/16/2010 - 18:08

With training camp right around the bend in another month, I decided to do a division by divisionpreview and what to expect from each team this season. Here is the Southeast Division outlook:

Washington: Look for the Capitals to dominate the weak Southeast division again this year. Alexander Ovechkin and the high powered offense of the Caps is still there and will continue to own the South East, and perhaps the Conference.

Comments (1)

Sophomore Slump For Myers?

by kmf418

on 07/30/2010 - 06:49

It’s no secret that Tyler Myers had a terrific rookie season last year with the Buffalo Sabres. He recorded 11 goals and 37 assists and played in all 82 games. To complete the phenomenal season, he was awarded with the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year.

The 20 year old towering defenseman played just as big as his height as he lead the team in ice time per game. Myers is considered significantly ahead of his game and has been compared to guys like Chris Pronger and Zdeno Chara but far better for his age then they were.

Many NHL players have struggled coming off of their rookie season.

Add a comment

Northeast Division Up For Grabs

by kmf418

on 07/28/2010 - 10:48

Predictions for the upcoming NHL season are already being posted around the web, and many teams are not done making moves. At this point, are the Sabres good enough to win the division again?

Mike Corcoran, a Tampa Bay radio host, posted his Eastern Conference predictions with Buffalo finishing in fifth place. Corcoran stated this about the Sabres:

"Some will make the claim that a winning team starts from the net out, and the Buffalo Sabres have one of the best in the Eastern Conference in Ryan Miller. He can and will single handily steal games.

Comments (1)

Buffalo Sabres Contest

by kmf418

on 07/18/2010 - 21:06

If you're a Sabres fan, you probably find yourself predicting the outcomes of games before they start. Well, now you have the chance to submit your predictions and win prizes based on how well you do.

Sabreshockeycentral.com has introduced a Buffalo Sabres prediction challenge that will test the knowledge of many fans.

All you have to do is predict the winner and score of each Sabres game this season. If you finish near the top, you will win Sabres tickets, jerseys, gift cards, cash, and other prizes.

The cost is only $5.00 for the entire season!

Add a comment

Regier: Nowhere Near Done

by kmf418

on 07/12/2010 - 14:34

Darcy Regier has made a few moves this offseason, but he is far from done. Buffalo still has about eight million left to spent before it reaches the maximum salary cup.

Everything has slowed down around the NHL recently, due to the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes. Once that is over, expect Regier and the Sabres to make a few more moves.

Buffalo has already seen the addition of Jordan Leopold and Rob Niedermayer, two solid signings that should help the team. The Sabres also re-signed Patrick Lalime for another year.

Comments (1)

Is Kovalchuk Worth The Price?

by kmf418

on 07/12/2010 - 14:16

As we sit here waiting for the Kovalchuk sweepstakes to end, the rumors continue to circulate the NHL. Once he is signed, the dominoes are expected to begin falling. Teams will be trading and signing free agents again, filling up the roster with any unused cap space.

For now, General Managers are sitting still, waiting for someone to sign the Russian forward. How much is Kovalchuk actually worth?

Signing a long term contract is a huge risk for any team. The Islanders singed Rick DiPietro to a 15 year contract, but we have yet to see that pay off at all.

Comments (1)

Regier Has Fans Fired Up

by kmf418

on 07/02/2010 - 11:23

Many Sabres fans, including myself, became furious over the fact the Regier hadn't made any moves on July 1st. With every signing, it seemed like the Sabres chances of improving became slimmer.

Before free agency even began, the only thing Regier did was re-sign Mike Grier, which is a solid move. That still left six unrestricted free agents on the team, leaving around $14 million of space left to sign players.

Martin Biron was one of the first moves on Thursday, signing with the New York Rangers for under $900,000 for two years. Are you kidding me?!

Comments (1)