After 11 weeks of the season, those who are performing are sticking out from those who aren’t. Ryan Miller is obviously doing his part, most of the defense has been solid, and the bottom six forwards for the Buffalo Sabres (21-10-3) are doing the jobs they’re supposed to do. Who does that leave? If you’ve followed the team at all, you know it’s the top six.
Thomas Vanek is leading the team in goals (well, he’s tied…with Clarke MacArthur). But he only has 10. That’s not even half of league leader Marion Gaborik’s 24. Point leader Derek Roy only has 26, as compared with Joe Thornton’s 48. If you take a glance at the team’s +/- leaders, you have to go down to Jason Pominville in 6th place before you find someone who you’d call a top six forward. The Sabres are in the bottom third in the league in goals for with only 89. The Washington Capitals have 127.
Labatt USA announced today that the third annual Labatt Blue Buffalo Pond Hockey Tournament has been filled. One hundred and twelve teams, ranging from novice, intermediate, advanced and elite players from around the region will descend upon Buffalo’s waterfront on Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28, 2010. Teams comprised of four to six players, 21 years of age and older, will play a four-on-four format, absent a goalie. Each division will be broken down into two brackets of four teams competing in a round robin format. The winner of each bracket will play each other in a divisional championship game on Sunday. Division teams were assigned based on the skill and experience level of the players.
The Buffalo Sabres resume a preposterously hectic December this evening when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre tonight at 7pm. It marks the Sabres 11th game this month and their 6-3-1 December record has helped them gain some flexibility in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Last season when Turner Gill was in the middle of the Auburn fiasco and UB was getting attention as a the Cinderella story of the decade in college football Warde Manuel flew mostly under the radar. I do remember seeing a few interviews with Manuel, one in particular sticks in my mind. He discussed how he could not find anybody to take the job, how Buffalo was perceived to be nothing but a shot in the dark opportunity for division II coaches.
The University at Buffalo wrestling team captured a pair of victories at the Buffalo Duals held at Alumni Arena on Sunday afternoon. The Bulls opened with a 36-8 victory over Niagara County Community College followed by a dominating 37-3 victory over Findlay University. The Bulls concluded the day by falling to Bloomsburg, 21-16 in a close match.
The Canisius College men’s basketball team (4-5) opens a three-game in three-day stretch Monday at 5:30 p.m., when the team takes on North Florida (1-7) in Gulfport, Miss. The Golden Griffins and the Ospreys will be meeting for the first time
