Sabres Tuesday Massacre

Tuesday started out like any normal day. Unbeknownst to the hockey world, Kim and Terry Pegula planned on upending the Sabres organization. With a list of managers, coaches, and staff to be fired in-hand, the Pegulas picked up the phone and called general manager Jason Botterill. That’s when they uttered their two favorite words —… Continue Reading

Playoff Primer, Nylander Update, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jacob Bryson Join the Team

The first round of the AHL playoffs are set and the Rochester Americans will face the Toronto Marlies. Any doubts I had about the Amerks playoff preparedness were erased during yesterday’s practice. For the first time since I started covering the Amerks this team looks like they genuinely want to make a deep playoff run…. Continue Reading

Recapping Last Night’s Overtime Loss

Last night the Rochester Americans lost to the 31st place Binghamton Devils by a score of 4-3 in front of 8,367 fans. The game-winning goal came courtesy of atrocious officiating. 3:12 into overtime, Taylor Leier was called for tripping. Binghamton had gotten in on net with little resistance and Leier was following through to the… Continue Reading

The Housley Problem

I could explain how the players have given up on Phil Housley. I could explain how his method for selecting which players to scratch and which to suit up is wrong. I could explain why his defense doesn’t work. I could layout why most of his coaching decisions are flawed. I could pick apart his… Continue Reading

The Amerks Are Burning Down The House

Last night the Rochester Americans faced the Utica Comets in a lightly attended Friday night home game at the Blue Cross Arena. A kitchen fire left Utica’s goalie Richard Bachman in a haze during the 2nd period, but it was the Amerks who smoked Bachman scoring 2 goals on just 3 shots in the 3rd… Continue Reading

Amerks Look To Avoid Repeat of an Attrocious Opening Night

Amerks fans that missed portions of Friday night’s game due to long security and concession lines were the lucky ones. Following a playoff showing last season and lots of roster changes in the off-season, expectations were high. The Amerks failed to deliver, losing 6-2 to the Charlotte Checkers. While fans in Buffalo booed the Sabres… Continue Reading

Opening Night — New Scoreboard Shines, Bad Hockey, and An Arena Management Disaster

The Rochester Americans opened their 2018-19 season against the Charlotte Checkers in Rochester Friday night. Expectations were high following a somewhat successful 2017-18 season that broke a multi-year playoff drought and returned the Amerks to a winning record for the first time since 2013-14. The new season brought lots of changes in tow. The arena… Continue Reading

Pegula’s Awarded NLL Expansion Team In Rochester — New Scoreboard — Blue Cross Arena Upgrades Outlined

Today’s press event at the Blue Cross Arena served two purposes. First, to announce that the Pegula’s are being awarded an NLL expansion team for the 2019-20 NLL season. Second, to announce additional improvements and funding for the Blue Cross Arena. The Pegula’s NLL expansion team will retain the Rochester Knighthawks name and its history…. Continue Reading

Botterill Reshapes Goalie Landscape – Signs Carter Hutton and Scott Wedgewood

This morning marked the beginning of the 2018-19 NHL Free Agency Hunger Games. As expected the Sabres have had their hand in the cookie jar and what they pulled out is deals with two solid goalies. The Sabres signed Carter Hutton as their first-string goalie and Scott Wedgewood as the Amerks first-string goalie. Linus Ullmark… Continue Reading

How The Amerks Can Beat The Crunch, Observations From Practice, MacWilliam Suspension, Nelson Injury Update

As Tuesday’s practiced drew to a close, Coach Taylor called the players into a half-circle. Taylor’s message was clear — the only game that matters is game 3. It doesn’t matter what happened in Syracuse, just focus on winning the game in front of you. The players responded with enthusiasm. Having lost the first two… Continue Reading

Game 1 Recap: Syracuse Dominated, Amerks Looked Lost

Last night’s game against the Syracuse Crunch started on a positive note. Porter carried the puck down ice, held the puck until his defender committed to him, and chipped the puck over to Bailey who was wide open in the middle of the ice. The pass missed its mark but Bailey managed to scoop it… Continue Reading

When the Amerks Season Started to Fall Apart…and Why

The Amerks have been in freefall since the second week of January. After winning 12 out of 17 games, they were shutout by the Syracuse Crunch on January 13th by a score of 4-0. Since that shutout loss the Amerks have won just 3 of their last 15 games. The Amerks are currently 4th in… Continue Reading

Ullmark Proved He’s Ready For The Top Job

Photo credit: Sabres PR There’s little hope for the Sabres this season. Having won just 11 of 44 games there is only one team with a worse record – the Arizona Coyotes. As poorly as this season has played out, Ullmark’s performance in last night’s win over the Columbus Blue Jackets offered Sabres fans a… Continue Reading

Here Comes Buffalo…?

If you would have told me the Buffalo Sabres would be 3-7-2 after 12 games I would’ve called you crazy. To find a record worse you have to go back to the tank year of 14-15 when the Sabres started 2-9 (including any OT losses). Phil Housley and GM Botterill have their work cut out… Continue Reading

What Went Wrong Last Night? The System Isn’t Broken, The Players Are.

Ask a dozen fans about what went wrong last night and you’ll get a dozen different answers. Some have already been quick to blame “the system.” Blaming the system might be the easiest excuse but is it actually the problem? Not from where I stand. Housley and Taylor aren’t asking for anything revolutionary. They’re not… Continue Reading