Die By The Blade

2011-2012 Buffalo Sabres Report Cards: Marc-Andre Gragnani

2012-05-16T14:00:35Z

With the 2011-12 Buffalo Sabres ending in disappointment and after a few weeks for us to gather our thoughts, it's time for us to issue our report cards on the season. Over the next few weeks, we'll grade every player that wore a Buffalo Sabres uniform in 2011 and 2012, from Luke Adam to Mike Weber.

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2011 - Marc-Andre Gragnani (with Buffalo)	1	11	12	10	20

Introduction: After posting seven points in seven playoff games in the 2011 NHL Playoffs with the Sabres, many fans had thought the Sabres had found the puck moving defenseman the team had needed in the past couple of years. Added with Christian Ehrhoff on the power play, the thought was that the two defensemen would be a dangerous combination in an area that needed help.

The one problem with that was that besides the power play, Gragnani was more of a defensive liability than he was an asset. His lackadaisical play during even strength was often derided by Sabres fans to the point that near the end of his tenure in Buffalo, Gragnani was only put in the lineup because of his special teams ability.

Gragnani was mercifully sent to Vancouver as part of the Cody Hodgson deal and played in a total of 14 games for the Canucks during the regular season. In those 14 games, Gragnani had 3 points, one goal and two assists, and never made the lineup for Vancouver in the playoffs.

Key Stat: 63.1% That was the total percentage of offensive zone starts that Gragnani had this season. That would rank as the highest percentage on the Sabres this season, with the next regular player coming in at 57.8%. His offensive zone finishes was at 56%, good for fifth among all Sabres players. Gragnani's strengths came on the offense and the power play and the coaches tried to maximize those strengths.

Key Stat 2: +10. The fact that Gragnani led the Sabres for much of the season in plus/minus shows how biased of a stat that it is. Gragnani was shielded by the coaching staff to play a more offensive role and that tends to lead to more goals scored than someone who is expected to be a shutdown defender.

Thumbs Up: Gragnani scored his lone goal of the season on November 12th as part of the 6-2 drubbing by the Boston Bruins. As a shock to probably no one, the goal came on the power play.

Thumbs Down: Gragnani didn't have much support from the fanbase for much of the season as fans expected his defensive play to match his offensive ability. Calls for his replacement were swift and probably warranted as his offensive ability wasn't helping the team in any significant way. Gragnani is still a young defensemen and with a bit of work could develop to become a top six defenseman. With the glut of defensemen the Sabres have, he just didn't fit in the current system.

Voting: On a scale of one to ten, one being the lowest and ten being the highest, grade Jochen Hecht on his season according to the expectations you had for him. If he met them, give him a five or a six. If he eclipsed them, aim for a seven or beyond. If he failed to meet them, give him a lower number relating to how poorly he missed the target.

2012 Worlds Update: Quarterfinal Stage

2012-05-16T12:15:44Z

The 2012 World Hockey Championships being held in Finland and Sweden has now reached the quarterfinal stage, with the group round complete. Both members of the Buffalo Sabres playing in the competition are still in it; while Jhonas Enroth has been riding the Swedish pine, Andrej Sekera has been proving his worth on the Slovak squad.

Sekera has been impressive so far, with his seven points from seven games tied for the team lead in scoring. He has 2G & 5A with one game-winner on 9 SOGs, and is +5. Aside from the 6 PIM, he has been averaging 18:48 a game, only surpassed by team captain Zdeno Chara.

Enroth seems to be in the Swedish team doghouse right now, having only played two games early on in the competition. Despite the shellacking the other goalie Peter Fasth received in the 7-3 loss against Russia, he has bounced back admirably with two shutouts. Enroth has a .868 SV% with 2.5 GAA, while Fasth has .910 SV% and 2.00 GAA.

More on the rest of the tournament after the jump.

The Canadians finished in first place in the Helsinki-based group and will take on Slovakia in the quarterfinals. In the other game, USA will play against hosts Finland in the other game to determine the final four. During the group phase Canada had beaten Slovakia 3-2 and USA hammered the Finns 5-0.

Group Helsinki
Rank	Team	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	CAN	7	6	0	1	0	35	15	19
2	USA	7	4	2	0	1	32	17	16
3	FIN	7	5	0	0	2	21	14	15
4	SVK	7	5	0	0	2	21	13	15
5	FRA	7	3	0	0	4	21	32	9
6	SUI	7	2	0	0	5	16	21	6
7	BLR	7	1	0	0	6	11	23	3
8	KAZ	7	0	0	1	6	11	33	1

In the Stockholm group, Russia has been dominant with a 100% record so far. They will take on the surprise outfit Norway, while the other co-hosts Sweden play the Czech Republic. During the round-robin stage, Russia had beaten Norway 4-2 while the Swedes comfortably beat the Czechs 4-1.

Group Stockholm
Rank	Team	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	RUS	7	7	0	0	0	27	8	21
2	SWE	7	6	0	0	1	29	15	18
3	CZE	7	4	1	0	2	24	11	14
4	NOR	7	4	0	1	2	33	19	13
5	LAT	7	2	0	0	5	11	19	6
6	GER	7	2	0	0	5	14	31	6
7	DEN	7	1	0	1	5	13	23	4
8	ITA	7	0	1	0	6	6	31	2

As far as stats go, Evgeni Malkin (RUS) leads the goalscorers with 7 goals, Patrick Thoresen (NOR) has 6 and tied for third are Ales Hemsky (CZE) and Mats Trygg (NOR) with 5. Henrik Zetterberg (SWE) leads with 11 assists, with Duncan Keith (CAN), Max Pacioretty (USA) and Thoresen tied for second with 10. Thoresen leads all scorers with 16pts, Malkin in second with 14 and Zetterberg third with 13.

Keith leads in defensemen scoring with 11 points, Jonas Holos (NOR) is second with 8 while Sekera is tied with Justin Faulk (USA) and Erik Karlsson (SWE) for third with 7.

Buffalo Sabres Daily Links: FNC Gets A Facelift

2012-05-16T10:00:20Z

Here's your daily roundup of Buffalo Sabres news and notes. Remember Terry Pegula? The guy with lots of money? Just when you're done thinking about him for a little while, he goes and buys 90,000 sq feet of new grass to put outside his F'N Center.

- Terry Pegula is paying for brand new sod and trees to be planted along the waterfront outside the FNC, replacing the current "abandoned lots" that are so reminiscent of Buffalo. Sabres.com]

- The sixth Scouting Session with Jeremy White and Kris Baker looks at what will happen if the Sabres keep both first round draft picks. [WGR]

- We're getting into some serious supplemental discipline changes here. Like, dissertation-level serious. [The Hosers]

- Ubiquitous Twitter presence @FakeDarcy has won Artvoice's Best Twitter Feed Award for 2012. Here is his acceptance speech. [Buffalo Wins]

- BSN is trying to eradicate the last of the slug logo. [BSN]

NHL Playoff News:

- The Kings domination continued last night with a 4-0 rout of Phoenix. [NHL.com]

- The Coyotes may have some suspensions coming for these two hits. [Backhand Shelf]

- The Kings have been finding new ways to dominate with their NHL record 7th-straight road playoff win. [ESPN]

- Coyotes goalie Mike Smith expects more from his teammates. [NHL.com]

- Scotty Bowman knows where the defensive style that is killing the entertainment value of the NHL playoffs comes from but he doesn't know if it can be stamped out. [Globe & Mail]

- The myth of the shot blocking problem. [THN]

Around the NHL:

- The US team is off to its best start in 73 years at the IIHF World Championship. [USA Today]

- Todd McLellan will return as San Jose Sharks head coach with new assistants. [Puck Daddy]

- The offseason game plan for the Winnipeg Jets. [TSN]

- The best and worst homemade Stanley Cups. [MTV]

Buffalo Sabres Daily Links: Rangers Win, Dale Hunter Steps Down

2012-05-15T10:00:12Z

Today's daily links feature last night's action, coaching changes, and an example of Cody Hodgson's great character.

- An article diving into Cody Hodgson's character, and the fallout from his departure from Vancouver. [Cave]

- Here's what the Sabres should do this offseason. Boy, I hope Darcy reads this before the draft! [The Hockey Writers]

- Jhonas Enroth talks about what it's like playing in the IIHF World Championships for the home team. [Sabres.com]

NHL Playoff News:

- The Rangers took Game 1 with a 3-0 shutout of New Jersey. [NHL.com]

- Ever wonder what the book is on Henrik Lundqvist? Here it is. [Backhand Shelf]

- Your giant infographic for the second round. [Puck Daddy]

- Coyotes goalie Mike Smith hasn't cut his hair in over a year. Why? [Globe & Mail]

- The semifinals are a battle between two old enemies and two Cinderellas. [Grantland]

- With Kings, Clippers, Lakers still playing, LA’s Staples Center prepares for unprecedented weekend. [Puck Daddy]

Around the NHL:

- Dale Hunter has stepped down as coach of the Washington Capitals. Too much work dealing with Ovie? [SB Nation]

- Home is where Hunter's heart is. [Globe & Mail]

- Who are the candidates that might replace Hunter? [NHL.com]

- The Blue Jackets are keeping Todd Richards as their head coach, signing him to a to-year contract. [NHL.com]

- Bob McKenzie's thoughts on all the coaching moves. [TSN]

- Prepare for Round 2 of the Rick Nash Sweepstakes! [THN]

- Looks like Alexander Semin will be hitting the free agent market. [ESPN]

2011-2012 Buffalo Sabres Report Cards: Nathan Gerbe

2012-05-14T11:00:25Z

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2011 - Nathan Gerbe	62	6	19	25	2	32	0	0	2		137	4.4%

Introduction: Nathan Gerbe has always been a fan favorite in Buffalo, a city that loves to root for the underdog, the big heart, and - in this case quite literally - the little guy. However, Gerbe has failed to live up to his lofty collegiate accomplishments while playing in the NHL. 2012 was another year filled with injury and disappointment for the diminutive forward from Boston College, but let's look at things a bit more in depth after the break.

Key Stat: Nathan Gerbe was sixth on the team in shots attempted, and that number happens to be how many goals he scored - 6. Gerbe's abysmal shooting percentage of 4.4% ranked 20th on the team, just ahead of offensive superstars Brayden McNabb and Matt Ellis. For a guy who takes so many shots, even raising his shooting percentage to 10% (close to Jochen Hecht and Ville Leino) would put him near the 20 goal mark and would elevate him to more than just a fourth line hustler.

Thumbs Up: It's cliched, but even though Gerbe is the smallest player on the team, he seems to have the biggest heart. Nobody works harder or gives more on the ice than he does, and Buffalo fans will always appreciate that. Ranked 9th on the team with 53 hits, and is more willing to get in the faces of his opponents than many of his teammates are. Gerbe has good short-line quickness (but not great speed) and his short stature combined with quick hands make him effective along the boards.

Thumbs Down: Gerbe is strictly an even-strength guy - he doesn't really play on the power play or the penalty kill. Is unwilling or unable to block shots, blocking only 13 all season. We've covered the dismal shooting percentage above, but his 6 goals are still a disappointment. Had more giveaways (18) than takeaways (17) this season. Finally, Gerbe remains the shortest player in the league at 5'5''.

Voting: On a scale of one to ten, one being the lowest and ten being the highest, grade Nathan Gerbe on his season according to the expectations you had for him. If he met them, give him a five or a six. If he eclipsed them, aim for a seven or beyond. If he failed to meet them, give him a lower number relating to how poorly he missed the target.

Buffalo Sabres Daily Links: Pysyk's Oil Kings Win WHL Championship

2012-05-14T10:07:38Z

Here are your daily Buffalo Sabres links to jump-start your Monday morning.

- Mark Pysyk has captained the Edmonton Oil Kings to the WHL Championship, now it's on to the Memorial Cup. [Sabres Prospects]

- Vulgar Statistics for the Conference Finals. [Black & Blue & Gold]

NHL Playoff News:

- The Kings took Game 1 from the Coyotes 4-2. [NHL.com]

- Coyotes’ Derek Morris beats Jonathan Quick from center ice in Game 1 (VIDEO) [Puck Daddy]

- The Devils and Rangers are unfriendly neighbors. [The Buffalo News]

- An American-Born Captain Hoisting The Stanley Cup? Chances Are High. [SB Nation]

Around the NHL:

- Rumor roundup - will the Preds keep Shea Weber or Ryan Suter? [THN]

Conference Finals: Die By The Blade Pick n' Mix and Brackets

2012-05-13T05:11:01Z

With both the Conference Finals upon us, it's time to get your picks in for both the Fantasy games we're running here on Die By The Blade. In the Western Conference Finals starting Game 1 tomorrow, #3 seed Phoenix Coyotes host #8 Los Angeles Kings. The Eastern Conference Finals start on Monday, with #1 New York Rangers starting off at home against the #6 New Jersey Devils in the subway series.

For the Brackets competition, make your pick for the winner of each Finals matchup. For tiebreaker points, also pick the series scores for both Finals as well. Each correct pick will garner you one point, and the person with the most points after the Stanley Cup Final is played wins it all.

In the Pick n' Mix competition, the rules are the same as always. For each of the series, we will need you to pick -

Series winner [winner] - give the team name
Series score [score] - score of the best-of-seven series
Series top goal scorer [goals] - give the player's last name
Series top assists scorer [assists] - give the player's last name
Team with most PIMs [PIMs] - give the team name

Once again, each correct pick gains you one point and the winner is whoever has the most points after the Stanley Cup Final ends.

Buffalo Sabres Daily Links: NY-Washington Game Seven Tonight

2012-05-12T15:35:51Z

It's your daily dose of Buffalo Sabres links for this hockey-tastic weekend. Washington and NY have a Game 7 tonight, and then Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between Phoenix and LA is tomorrow.

- The Sabres goal of the year is down to the Final Four. [Sabres.com]

- Talkin' about RFA's Alex Biega and TJ Brennan. [Sabre Noise]

- Steven Shipley is finished in the playoffs [Sabres Prospects] but Mark Pysyk is heating up, scoring the GWG on Thursday. [Sabres Prospects]

NHL Playoff News:

- The Rangers and Caps are ready for Game 7. [NHL.com]

- How is Alex Ovechkin actually being used. [Backhand Shelf]

- Five reasons Capitals vs. Rangers is a bigger Game 7 draw than the NBA’s Lakers vs. Nuggets [Puck Daddy]

- The Flyers GM Paul Holmgren is disappointed with Ilya Bryzgalov. [ESPN]

- Transforming Jonathan Quick into an NHL goalie took some time. [NHL.com]

Around the NHL:

- The fight that changed hockey. [Globe & Mail]

- Was the Toronto Maple Leafs Centennial logo just leaked? [SB Nation]

- Apparently there is a bikini hockey league. [Two In The Box]

Die By The Blade

2011-2012 Buffalo Sabres Report Cards: Marc-Andre Gragnani

On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, how would you rate Nathan Gerbe for his 2011-12 season?

2012 Worlds Update: Quarterfinal Stage

Buffalo Sabres Daily Links: FNC Gets A Facelift

Buffalo Sabres Daily Links: Rangers Win, Dale Hunter Steps Down

2011-2012 Buffalo Sabres Report Cards: Nathan Gerbe

On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, how would you rate Nathan Gerbe for his 2011-12 season?

Buffalo Sabres Daily Links: Pysyk's Oil Kings Win WHL Championship

Conference Finals: Die By The Blade Pick n' Mix and Brackets

Buffalo Sabres Daily Links: NY-Washington Game Seven Tonight