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ROKHED BUFFALO

BUFFALO SABRES � report card

Offence � B+
What a difference between the Sabres of ROK4 and today! Without adding any more real firepower to the lineup or expensive free agents, the Sabres have begun to score. Some of the new guys have really added some punch, that you may not think so. Erik Cole is a huge addition. His aggressive play and toughness in front of the net has lead to 3 goals in 16 games. The line of Cole, Peca and Blake has been the best for the Sabres, even though they have only played as a line for about 10 games because of injuries to all three at one point or another in the season. (Blake has gone down twice) Recent call up Chuck Kobasew has been playing very well despite his lack of experience. He does tend to get knocked around a lot and needs to add some weight, but has had some glorious chances and potted 3 goals in just 8games. One game he had two. Rem Murray and Denis Hamel (in limited time) have been playing very well. Hamel has scored some timely goals and Murray is tied with captain Mike Peca for the team lead in goals with 6.

The Sabres have gone to an even more aggressive, puck control style of play, and for the most part has worked very well this season. The difference being the team has a little more muscle and size than last season. Guys like Peca, Cole, Wilson, Miller, Delmore, and Nazarov have added some punch to the work in the corners.

Problems in the offense seem to arise, and when they do, the Sabres are lucky to score one goal, thus relying on the goaltender. And with goaltending being fairly weak in Buffalo, these games usually result in a loss. If the team gets in a shootout, like last season, they are very vulnerable. The best scenario is a low scoring, tight checking and tight defensive game. These are the type of games the Sabres thrive on offensively.

Defense �B
Defense has always been the backbone of the Sabres, and this year is no different. Even with a potent scorer like Sergei Gonchar on the blue, the strategy is to still play defense first then offense if you get a chance. The Sabres defense does pinch a bit, but never leaving less than 2 guys on the point. The team gives up very few odd man rushes. Most odd man rushes this season that resulted in a goal have been the result of bad line changes�almost every time. The word around the dressing room is that the team may start to get the defense in the scoring a bit more. When the offense struggles, the defense has to step up. As well as the many injuries so far this season to some of the top forwards, the Sabres need some scoring from the blue. For the most part the defense has been near as good as years past, which has turned a 2-13-2 record from last season at this point to an 8-8-2-1 record so far this year.

Goaltending � C-
Here is where the Sabres have a problem. Freddy Brathwaite does play some very solid games, making some huge saves. The problem seems to be on tricklers. Brathwaite has let in more than a few weak late period goals that just kill the team�s confidence. These weak goals are the difference between Brathwaite and a Brodeur type goaltender. The shots that Freddy faces for the most part are from bad angles or straight on thru a crowd of blockers. The defense does a great job of keeping the shots to the spots where freddy can handle them. Problem with having a goalie like Brathwaite is that as soon as you make one little mistake on defense, the puck is in the back of the net. You have to play PERFECT defense every game to have a chance at winning. This may be stressful for the team and the coach, but it is the way it is. The backup is a real weakness. This JUST in�the Sabres have acquired Tomas Vokoun. SO it seems like the backup problems may be solved.

Intangibles
Erik Cole and Mike Peca. These guys are and will be the heart of the Sabres for years to come. As long as the Sabres can play their puck control type of offense and set plays up, they have a great chance of winning. If some team can throw them off this style, the team struggles.

Biggest Surprise
Rem Murray is a nice surprise, leading the team in scoring playing on the second or third lines. He has an awesome shot and has scored a few tricklers from outside the slot area this season. He is on pace for his best season ever in ROK. Jason Blake is also been a bit of a surprise. The upper management has been high on this kid since his university days, and last season he showed signs of brilliance. This season he exhibits the offensive awareness to be in the right place at the right time, just as last year. The difference is, he has found a bit of a scoring touch this season. Plus on a line with Peca and Cole, Blake has been free to maneuver into the spots he needs to be to get that scoring chance. If Blake can stay of injured reserve long enough, he may have an awesome year. So far he has 3 G and 2 A in just 8 games. Rookie Chuck Kobasew should be mentioned here too. He has 3 G in 8 games and has hit numerous posts. He has some moves, now justhas to learn how to finish.

Biggest Disappointment
Has to be Sergei Gonchar. Came into this season with high expectations on his shoulders and he has let most of his supporters down. Took until the 15th game of the season before he got his first point and the 18th game before he got his first goal. He has taken plenty of shots, 41, but can�t seem to find the net.