OOOO... Ennis with Gerbe! I'll definitely be tuning in to this game tonight... potential line combo for the future, but also a potential bowling pin line. Tons of skill... not so much size. I'd like to see some early chemistry!

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10tm Dynasty Lg - $70M CAP
G A PTS +/- PIM PPP SOG W GAA SV% SO

C: J. Carter, H Sedin, E. Staal
RW: P. Kane, Stewart
LW: Semin, Couture
D: Pietrangelo, Hamhuis, Subban, Carlson
G: Lundqvist, Price
UTIL: Plekanec, Ennis, Perron, D. Brown


Farm
D: B. Smith, Morrow
F: Brassard, Williams, Niederreiter, Little, Okposo, Whitney, Nyquist, Kesler
G: S. Mason, Ward

Prospect:
F - Z. Kassian, Spooner, Kuznetsov, Tatar, Teravainen, Stone, Connolly
D - Matt Dumba

Man, what's wrong with Connolly this year? ): Any insight?

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Lurker.

This year?!? Pfffft....no different than any other, unfortunately. You'd think he'd be playing lights-out for the team that was kind enough to sign his fragile self to a two year extension at the peak of his oft-injured career. Had the Sabres not signed him to that deal, he'd be playing for the Inuit Whalers of the Greater Yukon Pee-Wee League.

With but few and recent exception (post-Pegula), he doesn't go to the corners, nor does he battle for the puck. Second, while his puck moving abilities are good they are not great/elite. His is a 65pt forward, but has been somewhat overvalued in the past due to being on a team full of mediocrity (see: $5 mil salary for Pommer to play on the third line)

Now...since Roy's injury it's been Stafford and more importantly Vanek who have stepped up to plate to carry the team. More evidence to the fact that Connolly is not a clutch guy (as if 2009-2010 playoffs weren't enough evidence). Interestingly, Roy has more points than Connolly, despite not having played since.....

Connolly needs people to finish for him. He's not a goal scorer; he's the set up guy, and a mediocre one at that. Largely due to his lack of puck pursuit. Consequently, he'll be moved by the start of next season. Regier made it clear he hung onto him post-deadline only because of Roy's injury.

Hope that helps, cataclysm.

A wrap up of last nights game....later today. (not much to brag about, anyway)

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Four out of three people have difficulty with fractions

Commish - Twisted Wrister Fantasy Hockey League

12 team, $$$, 24 players, Weekly, H2H, limited keeper (8), multi-cat (G, A, PIMs, Hits, SOG, HT/ W, GA, SV%, SO)

Start: 2C, 2RW, 2LW, 4D, 2G

SABRES UPDATE 3/09/2011

Well not much to really report today due to a rather uneventful loss last night vs the Pens. Let's give it a shot anyway...shall we?

• They lost last night but still remain in the eighth overall spot. They're now even in games played w/ the 'Canes, and still two games up on the Rangers
• 'Canes play tonight, so we shall se....
• The lone Sabres goal produce by Rob Niedermayer. If you listen closely you can here the stampede of poolies racing to the waiver wire to snag this sleeper.
• That was a joke
• Hmmmm....let's look at prospect Luke Adam: TOI/7mins; 2 PIM; and a -2 on the night. Not really giving the Powers That Be anything to consider.
• Speaking of...Mancari, Adam and Parrish have returned tp Portland. Implying Grier, Hecht and Vanek will be playing Thurs eve vs the Bruins
• REMINDER: Enroth has not returned to Portland. All sources indicate that he will be playing a game over the weekend (Sat or Sun), so keep this in mind if you're planning to use Miller in a weekly league.
• Sabres really need a pure goal scorer and more scoring depth generally. See my Connolly rant below.
• If McCormick can get more ice time he can be a very good multi cat acquisition. Maybe not quite stud-like, but possibly.
• Sabres had waaaaaaaay too many damn penalties, and while they managed to kill them all (yay Mike Weber!) they prevented the Sabres from gaining any offensive momentum - just 15 SOG in both the second and third periods, collectively
• Lalime and Morrisonn were healthy scratches

In closing (in case anyone made it this far)...

Mancari, Stafford, Pommer and Sekera - 3 SOG each
Montador, Niedermayer, Myers, Ennis, Gerbe and Adam - 2 SOG each
Connolly - zero

What's that tell ya?

Until tomorrow....

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Four out of three people have difficulty with fractions

Commish - Twisted Wrister Fantasy Hockey League

12 team, $$$, 24 players, Weekly, H2H, limited keeper (8), multi-cat (G, A, PIMs, Hits, SOG, HT/ W, GA, SV%, SO)

Start: 2C, 2RW, 2LW, 4D, 2G

This article seems to have been written to promote Connolly, but all I kept thinking while reading it is that Ruff deserves coach of the year if they make the playoffs:

http://www.hockeyrhetoric.com/2011/03/08/connolly-now/

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Points-only, Full Keeper Dynasty League
Active roster (no starts, just total points): 12 FW, 6 D, 1 Goalie

Forwards: Ovechkin, D. Sedin, Stastny, Nash, Kesler, Ribeiro, B. Richards, Selanne, Hossa, Fleischmann, Whitney, Lecavalier, Alfredsson, Okposo, Plekanec, Doan, S. Kostitsyn

Defense: Goligoski, Campbell, Gonchar, Bergeron, Liles, McBain, Vatanen, Timonen, Visnovsky, Giordano, Wideman

Goal: Luongo, Holtby

Hey, thanks, STONE...just skimmed over it, and while I almost gave a knee-jerk response, I think I would like to really give this some more thought and provide a more detailed rebuttal.

Might be my weekend project...I like this kinda stuff. Thanks, man.

__________________

Four out of three people have difficulty with fractions

Commish - Twisted Wrister Fantasy Hockey League

12 team, $$$, 24 players, Weekly, H2H, limited keeper (8), multi-cat (G, A, PIMs, Hits, SOG, HT/ W, GA, SV%, SO)

Start: 2C, 2RW, 2LW, 4D, 2G

Yeah, I'm not an expert on the Sabres, but I was a frustrated Connolly owner this year (just dealt him at our deadline). I was a bit surprised to see this so strongly in his defense.

I'm more impressed with what the Sabres have done this year (and most years for that matter):

Battling for a playoff spot with Connolly, Gaustad and Gerbe down the middle?
Roy starts the season PPG, but only plays 35. Stafford and Pominville have missed pretty decent blocks of time too.
After Myers, it's hard to get excited about any of their d-men really.

Vanek probably deserves a lot of credit for his solid season, and Miller is always a game-changer, but considering this team doesn't LOOK like a playoff team -- yet they're always in the mix.

__________________
Points-only, Full Keeper Dynasty League
Active roster (no starts, just total points): 12 FW, 6 D, 1 Goalie

Forwards: Ovechkin, D. Sedin, Stastny, Nash, Kesler, Ribeiro, B. Richards, Selanne, Hossa, Fleischmann, Whitney, Lecavalier, Alfredsson, Okposo, Plekanec, Doan, S. Kostitsyn

Defense: Goligoski, Campbell, Gonchar, Bergeron, Liles, McBain, Vatanen, Timonen, Visnovsky, Giordano, Wideman

Goal: Luongo, Holtby

Yeah, and I don't want to bash the article right off....which is why I want to read it again and digest it a bit more...but I'm a little perplexed as to what the author's point is.

Sabres should thank Connolly for...???
Connolly is in the Sabres long term plans because...???

I dunno...

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Four out of three people have difficulty with fractions

Commish - Twisted Wrister Fantasy Hockey League

12 team, $$$, 24 players, Weekly, H2H, limited keeper (8), multi-cat (G, A, PIMs, Hits, SOG, HT/ W, GA, SV%, SO)

Start: 2C, 2RW, 2LW, 4D, 2G

I own Gerbe in a deep 30 team league - what can you tell me about him, his game and realistic expectations?

I know Dobber rambles about him once in a while, but it would be nice to hear it from someone who follows the Sabres.

Also, what do you expect from Roy next season given the streak he was on pre-injury and the arrival of Boyes. Will they be dynamite (along with Vanek)?

Thanks!

__________________
Gates Imbeau
Assistant Manager - DobberSports.com
Writer - Fantrax.com
Regular Guest - The York Report via NextSportStar.com
Email: gates@dobbersports.com
Twitter: @GM_Gates

STONE (or anyone else), you can go back to the site you provided, and look at the exchange between myself and the author of that blog. If I have time over the weekend to critique his original post, I will set it up here Sat or Sun.

Gates, big guy, I'll get to your question later. And a good one at that!

Thanks, gentlemen.

__________________

Four out of three people have difficulty with fractions

Commish - Twisted Wrister Fantasy Hockey League

12 team, $$$, 24 players, Weekly, H2H, limited keeper (8), multi-cat (G, A, PIMs, Hits, SOG, HT/ W, GA, SV%, SO)

Start: 2C, 2RW, 2LW, 4D, 2G