Zagrapan, Gerbe pace Pirates

Down on the farm, Marek Zagrapan and Nathan Gerbe each potted a pair of goals as the Pirates extended their record to 4-1 with a 5-4 win over Wilkes Barre-Scranton. The goals were the first points of the season for Zagrapan, who also had an assist on the night, while Gerbe now has five in as many games. Marc-Andre Gragnani scored the first Pirates goal. Mark Mancari added three assists, while Jhonas Enroth made 33 stops to notch his first AHL win. Tim Kennedy racked up another assist, giving him points in all five games this season. The Rundown: Zagrapan: 2 G, 1 A, +1 Gerbe: 2 G, +2, 6 SOG Mancari: 3 A, +2 Gragnani: 1 G, +1 Card: 1 A, +1 Schutz: 1 A, +1 Kennedy: 1 A, -1 Weber: +2, 4 PIM Kostka: +1 Whitmore: 4 SOG Butler: -2 Hunter: left game (foot) Enroth: 33 saves, W

Enroth gets first start; Kennedy streaking

In Portland, Tim Kennedy and Mark Mancari assisted on the only Pirates goal in their 4-1 loss to Providence. From behind the B's net, Kennedy found Mancari who shuttled the puck to Paul Baier at the left circle. His shot beat Tuukka Rask at the 4:03 mark of the first period to give the Pirates the 1-0 lead. Kennedy's helper gives him a point in each of Portland's three games this season and a total five on the year. Jhonas Enroth got his first start out of the way for the Pirates, stopping 26 of 29 shots in defeat. Meanwhile, Marek Zagrapan would like to improve on the 0-0-0 -2 line he's put up in the young season. The Rundown: Kennedy: 1A, +1 Mancari: 1A, +1 Gerbe: +1 Butler: 3 SOG Weber: 3 SOG Card: even Zagrapan: 2 PIM Schutz: 1 SOG Whitmore: -1, 2 PIM Kostka: -1 Hunter: -1 Gragnani: -2, 2 PIM Enroth: 26 saves, L

Gerbe guns for two in Pirates win

Returning to the state where he achieved collegiate stardom, Nathan Gerbe scored a pair of goals to earn the game's #1 star as Portland won their second straight, 3-2 over Springfield. The explosive rookie was active throughout, firing a game-high seven shots on goal to lead the attack. Colton Fretter scored the other Portland goal. All three Pirates goals on the evening came with the man advantage. Gerbe closed a passing play with Tim Kennedy to give Portland a 2-0 lead in the first, then later lit the game winner in the mid-second. Marc-Andre Gragnani added a pair of power play assists for the Pirates, while Adam Dennis made 21 saves to get the win. The Rundown: Gerbe: 2 G, 7 SOG Gragnani: 2 A Kennedy: 1 A Butler: 1 A, -2 Kostka: 1 A Mancari: 5 SOG Weber: 4 PIM Hunter: 2 SOG Whitmore: 2 SOG Schutz: -1 Zagrapan: -1 Card: 4 PIM Dennis: W, 21 saves Look for Jhonas Enroth to get his first AHL start on Sunday when the Pirates do battle with Providence.

Pirates majestic in 6-3 win over Monarchs

Mark Mancari scored a hat trick and two assists to lead the Portland Pirates to a 6-3 season opening win over the Manchester Monarchs. One impressive first impression:

"(Mancari) put some points on the board, and he was a presence," Dineen said. "I think he is very aware he's playing with some guys who have some special skills, and he's embracing that."

The two "guys with special skills" happen to be prospects Tim Kennedy and Nathan Gerbe. Kennedy added a goal and two assists in his first professional game, while Gerbe posted a pair of helpers to propel the Pirates. Adam Dennis made 28 saves between the pipes to secure the win. The rundown: Mancari: 3 goals, 2 assists, Kennedy: 1 goal, two assists, +2 Gerbe: 2 assists, +2 Butler: 2 assists, +2 Gragnani: 1 assist, +1 Hunter: assist, +1 Whitmore: 1 assist Kostka: even Schutz: 2 PIM Zagrapan: -1 Weber: -2 Card: -2

Dennis to start; Funk out indefinitely

The Portland Pirates will kick off their 2008-09 season tonight with a skate against Manchester. The Maine Hockey Journal reports that Kevin Dineen will likely keep Jhonas Enroth in waiting, instead giving the start to veteran netminder Adam Dennis. MHJ has also posted what they feel will the line combos for the contest.

F Mancari – Kennedy – Gerbe Darche – Zagrapan – Murphy Whitmore – Hunter – Bouck Fretter – Schutz – Bonneau

D Weber – Card Butler – Baier Kostka – Gragnani

With Mike Funk concussed, the presence of Mike Weber should provide quite a spark to the Pirates blueline. Per the Portland Press Herald, Weber thinks there might be a natural flicker by no longer sharing an AHL affiliation with the Florida Panthers.

Portland Pirates defenseman Mike Weber had been in town less than 24 hours, but he already sensed a big difference between this AHL team and the one he played on last season in Rochester.

"It's a better setup than what we had in Rochester," Weber said Friday morning. "We had two different (NHL) teams barking at the coaching staff, and there was a divide in the locker room. Here, it's a different situation."

Last spring, the Sabres ended a 29-year relationship with the Rochester Americans after sharing the AHL affiliate with the Florida Panthers for three seasons.

"Florida said they wanted these systems, and Buffalo said they wanted these systems, and the players were in the middle," Weber recalled. "It was a little bit crazy."

In June, Buffalo became the new NHL parent of the Pirates after the Anaheim Ducks ended their three-year affiliation with Portland.

"Everyone's on the same page here," Weber said. "It provides a less stressful environment."

It's safe to say that these comments validate the patience that many have taken with promising talents like Marek Zagrapan. On top of lacking veterans, last year's Amerks lacked any sense of cohesion.

Sabres make Pirates; Ennis interviewed

As expected, the Sabres sent eight more players down to Portland as they get closer to opening the regular season a week from tonight.

Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced today the Sabres have assigned eight players to the Portland Pirates of the American League. Heading to Portland are: forwards Mathieu Darche (pending waivers), Mark Mancari (pending waivers), Nathan Gerbe, Tim Kennedy, Dylan Hunter and Marek Zagrapan; and defensemen Chris Butler and Michael Funk.

No real surprises with the moves. With a consistent, productive carry-over to start the season, Zagrapan seems poised for his first call-up. As rooks, Gerbe, Kennedy, and Butler should greatly benefit from getting their skates wet in the AHL. As of now, Mike Weber, 20, remains with the Sabres. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Worth a look: WHL Web-TV has an interview up with Medicine Hat forward Tyler Ennis. The shifty Alberta native speaks about a busy summer that included the NHL draft, Team Canada's development camp, and his first NHL training camp. The segment also contains some game footage for those who haven't seen him in action. Fresh Rollout: The Burlington Free Press introduced first-year defender Drew MacKenzie to their readers as they profiled the UVM incoming freshman class.

Drew MacKenzie, freshman defenseman, 6-2, 200: Vermont’s young defense has another player of outstanding potential. MacKenzie has size and he offers a combination of defense and offense. With his hands, he could be a critical component on one of the UVM power play units.

10/2 Recap: Gerbe gets another

Nathan Gerbe scored his second goal of the pre-season as Buffalo cruised past Columbus, 5-2. The only prospect to get a point on the evening, Gerbe finished a breakaway with a nifty backhand deke on Fredrik Norrena in the third period to ice the Sabres victory. The speedy forward saw just 9:42 of time, but used it wisely by leading the team with 4 SOG and making noise late with slashing and roughing minors after a scrum with the Jackets' Rick Nash in the final minute. Mike Weber continues to look like a guy ready to stick with the top club, garnering a +1 while logging 20 shifts despite 12 PIM - including a 10-minute misconduct stemming from a fracas near the Buffalo crease. To round out the other Sabres prospects on the ice, Tim Kennedy was +1, while Chris Butler (-1) led the Sabres blueliners with two blocked shots in 16:30 of time. Both are expected to be shipped to Portland later this week as the Pirates camp opened this morning. In SEL action, Dennis Persson was -1 in 18:40 of ice time as Timra stumbled against MODO, 4-3. Persson has averaged 17:00 on the nose in Timra's six games this season after seeing just an average of 7:22 in 21 outings last season with Djurgradens. In the OHL, Drew Schiestel had an assist as Niagara lost in the shootout to Belleville, 3-2. The defenseman has scored a point in all four games he's played for the Dogs, cashing in a goal and five assists to date. Hamburg native John Cullen made 27 saves and looked to be on his way to a 3-0 start for Niagara before the Bulls' Bryan Cameron forced overtime with :15 to play. On Tuesday, Philip Gogulla returned to Cologne in time for the Sharks 4-0 win over Hannover. Further proving how NHL camps can bolster a player's game, the 6'2 forward picked up two assists and was +2 in the win. Gogulla had one assist and was -4 in four games before leaving for Buffalo.

9/27 recap: Allard fuels comeback; Myers debuts

Jean-Simon Allard (+1) had a goal and an assist as Quebec came from behind to defeat Gatineau 4-3 in overtime. Trailing 3-2 heading into the third, Allard tied the game on the power play at the 10:56 mark. He then set-up the game winning goal just :32 into OT to seal the Remparts win. Paul Byron (-2) had an assist for Gatineau in the loss, and has yet to score a goal in his three games. He'll give it another shot against familar faces as les Olympiques do battle with Montreal (Luke Adam, TJ Brennan) tomorrow. Drew Schiestel had a power play assist in Niagara's 4-2 defeat of Brampton. Continuing to exhibit a more physical tone, the 6'2 Schiestel also picked up slashing and roughing minors in the home-ice win. Schiestel now has a goal and four assists through his first three games. Also in the OHL, Nick Crawford scored his first goal of the year as Saginaw fell to Sault Ste Marie, 6-2. In NHL pre-season action, Tyler Myers made his blue and gold debut in the Sabres 3-2 OT win over Toronto. He logged twenty shifts for a total of 15:59, going even with a tripping minor. He showed good recovery speed after a neutral zone miscue in the first, and reacted positively to the game speed and physical play. The Kelowna Rockets defender will likely be returned this week as the Sabres start paring things down to their opening night club. Philip Gogulla (17:29) and Marek Zagrapan (14:59) also put in quality minutes tonight, while Felix Schutz (6:56) was used in a limited role. Zagrapan made a few sacrifices to advance play, but won just one of ten faceoff attempts. Mike Weber was ejected in the first period after earning five and ten for a cross-check on Matt Stajan. Tyler Ennis and Medicine Hat are a period deep in their game with Lethbridge. We'll have an update when it finishes.

Leafs upend Sabres, 7-4

It was a back-and-forth third period, but in the end the Sabres didn't have enough as they opened the 2008 pre-season with a 7-4 loss to Toronto. (see previous posts for 1st and 2nd period scoring notes). Trailing in the third, Mark Mancari one-timed a Marek Zagrapan shovel past Justin Pogge to cut the Leafs lead to 5-3. Jaro Spacek also received an assist on the play. The Leafs would come right back short-handed, as a crashing Dominic Moore slid to the ice, in the process causing the puck to escape Jhonas Enroth and enter the net for a 6-3 Leafs lead. Jochen Hecht later buried a Drew Stafford pass to make it 6-4. A Toronto empty netter would end it. Zagrapan - 1 goal, 2 assists, -2 MacArthur - 2 assists, -3 Sekera - 23:00, 1 assist, -2 Weber - 20:41, EVEN Mancari - 1 goal, -3 Gogulla - 1 goal, -2 Card - 17:08, -3 Hunter -- Jhonas Enroth stopped 10 of 13 shots in relief of Ryan Miller, who stopped 8/11.

Weber in perspective

With the arrival of Craig Rivet essentially replacing Dmitri Kalinin on the Sabres blueline, GM Darcy Regier yesterday suggested that his club is still looking at bringing Teppo Numminen back for one more season of NHL action. The argument of quality blueline depth will always make sense to Sabres fans. Bringing Numminen back at a reasonable price would accomplish that, but one should wonder if the dollars need to be spent given the fact that Maxim Afinogenov and his $3.5MM salary (3.3 cap) are still idling on the roster. As is, the financially responsible Regier would be wise to wait until training camp to further evaluate his defensive corps and really find out if Teppo is needed. The "wait" isn't all about the dollars. It's about icing your best team. If Andrej Sekera has advanced himself into Buffalo's top-6 ahead of current #7 Nathan Paetsch, it would seem that a Numminen signing would automatically send 21-year old rearguard Mike Weber to Portland (AHL) to start. Weber played well in his 16 games with Buffalo last season, averaging 16:40 of ice time while topping all blueliners with a +12 rating. The healthy bodies of Rivet, Henrik Tallinder, Jaroslav Spacek, and Toni Lydman could indeed mean that Weber's greatest amount of ice time would be had in the AHL. However, the organization as a whole needs to ice their six best defensemen every night in the NHL. Weber's brief audition revealed a guy who was just about there, and you can bet he'll be ready to fight for it moving forward. On the surface, Weber is still young and developing. He emerged as a leader early during his first season with Rochester in 2007-08, mixing responsible play with a little old time hockey to set the pace in the Amerks +/- and PIM columns. Adding him to the group of Mike Funk, Mike Card, Mike Kostka, Chris Butler, and apparently Marc-Andre Gragnani (we still prefer him as a LW) makes the Portland blueline crop more formidable and experienced. At the same time, re-signing Nolan Pratt primarily for AHL duty could offer leadership on the farm, and a chance for Weber to continue growing with the big club. With improved footwork making him more effective at both ends, he's big enough and strong enough to make it happen in camp this fall. The below puts Weber's immediate NHL impact into perspective more than anything else.

2007-08 Top 5 D-men in hits/game* Mike Komisarek - 3.55 (75 gp) Brooks Orpik - 3.07 (78 gp) Zdeno Chara - 2.89 (77 gp) Mike Weber - 2.81 (16 gp) Stephane Robidas - 2.68 (82 gp) *players who appeared in more than one game

Taking it all in, the usually patient Sabres are going to have a hard time sending Weber to Portland if his physical play reflects his first 16 games. Numminen has been an admirable performer for the Sabres, but Buffalo is a blue collar town in need of a blue collar D.

The Butler, in the library, with the deal?

On Sunday, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post speculated on the future of Pioneers junior rearguard, Chris Butler:

Two big question marks, and a smaller third one, exist with the Pios. One, will junior defenseman Chris Butler be back? DU’s best two-way player had a nice summer camp with the Buffalo Sabres last year and will probably have a tough decision to make. If he stays, he’ll be the WCHA’s top D-man and possible team captain. I talked to him briefly about it after Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the Badgers, and he didn’t say much — other than the loss could inspire him to come back and give it another shot. But once he’s offered a contract and the Sabres present a plan for him next season, certainly the sting of the season-ending loss will be history. My take: 70-30 he signs.

Chambers says 70/30 he signs. I'll say 89/11. Other than winning a college championship, which is a dangerous motivator for a player reknowned as a "team guy", there isn't a whole lot left for Butler to prove in the WCHA. Of course, completing his education has to be a primary goal, but that can always be done over the offseason. Developmentally, the St. Louis native is good to go as a professional hockey player. Andrej Sekera is certain to be on Buffalo's blueline next season, and it looks like Mike Weber is on the verge of joining him. With a twice-concussed Mike Card engaged in rehabilitation, and still-defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani showing chops best served as a left wing, Mike Funk and Mike Kostka could be the only defensive prospects under contract for the Sabres AHL affiliate in 2008-09. (The recently signed Kostka will attend training camp after leaving his Amerks ATO to finish his UMass coursework.) Enter Butler, 21, and perhaps even 2006 first-rounder Dennis Persson. Butler would obviously be an early signing, while the Sabres are inside of 60 days away from a decision on Persson. 2007 picks T.J. Brennan and Drew Schiestel both would benefit from another junior season, and as 19-year olds, would have to make the Sabres roster outright (unlikely) since they won't meet AHL age requirements. Harvard sophomore Alex Biega and St. Lawrence junior Matt Generous are expected to return to college, while '07 Drew MacKenzie hasn't even glanced at his first campus co-ed. SabresProspects is still keeping tabs on unsigned Miami D Mitch Ganzak, who recently completed his senior season with the Redhawks after attending Buffalo's prospect camp over the summer - the same camp that put Kostka on the radar.

3/14 Recap: Bye week good for Gerbe, Biega, Kennedy

In the opening game of their Hockey East quarterfinal series, Nathan Gerbe scored the final two Eagle goals as Boston College cruised past Providence, 5-1. Gerbe scored his 25th when a Benn Ferriero shot went wide, bouncing off the end boards to the waiting winger at the right side of the Friars cage. He later cemented the win by scoring his 26th on a crisp wrister with under seven minutes to play in the third. Gerbe's fellow junior, Andrew Orpik, returned to action from a shoulder injury, abandoning his usual RW spot to center the Eagles fourth line. Tim Kennedy potted his 19th goal and added an assist as Michigan State opened their playoff season with a 5-1 win over Northern Michigan. Kennedy's helper came on a cross-ice feed into Justin Abdelkader's wheelhouse, with the Red Wings prospect uncorking a one-timer for the game winning goal. Spartan freshman Corey Tropp skated on the fourth line, registering a shot on goal. Alex Biega had three assists as Harvard embarrassed Quinnipiac, 11-0. A week after Quinnipiac hung 14 on Brown, the Crimson scored more goals than they did in the entire month of November for their most lopsided win since 1993. Entering the WCHA tournament as the #3 seed, Denver met success in their opener at Magness with a 6-3 win over Duluth. Defenseman Chris Butler was even with three shots on goal for the Pios. After winning the decisive game three last weekend, Flames prospect Jimmy Spratt got the start for Bowling Green in their 4-1 loss to Miami in the CCHA playoffs. It is possible that 2007 pick Nick Eno gets the nod tonight as the Falcons look to even the series. In game two of the DEL play-in round, Felix Schutz was held scoreless as Ingolstadt fell to Hamburg in overtime, 5-4. Schutz took a minor penalty in the extra session, and Hamburg capitalized on the ensuing PP to even the series at 1-1. In the opener, Schutz assisted on the first Ingolstadt goal in their 5-3 win. The deciding game three will be played on Sunday. In the QMJHL, Jean-Simon Allard scored his 16th goal of the season on the power play, and T.J. Brennan added an assist as St. John's lost to Acadie-Bathurst, 5-3. The goal was Allard's first in 15 games, while Brennan's assist extends his current point streak to six games. Paul Byron was +2 with five shots on goal as Gatineau lost to Rouyn-Noranda, 7-4. The active center also blocked three of his team's eight shots in the loss. Benjamin Breault was -1 with four shots on goal as Baie-Comeau was downed by Chicoutimi, 4-2. The 5'11 center saw his nine-game point streak (10-9-19) end in the road loss. Drew Schiestel was -1 with a roughing double minor in Niagara's 5-2 win over the Majors. The contest evolved into a rough-and-tumble affair, and as it turns out, the two clubs will face each other in the first round of the OHL playoffs beginning next week. Niagara will close out the regular season on home ice Sunday versus Peterborough. Waterloo rearguard Drew MacKenzie picked up an assist in their 5-2 win over Omaha. In his first USHL season, the Vermont recruit now has 14 points, 84 PIM, and is +5 in 41 games. In AHL play, Rochester was shutout by Syracuse 3-0. And then there were six, as in the number of Sabres prospects left playing with the Amerks as injuries riddle the co-parent. With Andrej Sekera, Mike Weber, Mike Funk, and Patrick Kaleta all skating in the Sabres 7-1 trouncing of the Canes, the Amerks dressed just 16 players, including a shift for Marc-Andre Gragnani back to D from LW, in the loss. The Rundown: MacArthur- 3 SOG Mancari - 4 SOG, 2 PIM Hunter - 2 SOG, 2 PIM Zagrapan - 2 SOG, 2 PIM Gragnani - 1 SOG, -2 Dennis - DNP

3/9 Recap: Byron flyin' at right time

In a key QMJHL match-up, Paul Byron (+4) scored a goal and three assists in Gatineau's 6-1 trouncing of top-ranked Baie-Comeau. The four-point effort gives the explosive center 27 points in his last 14 games. Five days after Byron's 11-game point streak came to an end, Drakkar center Benjamin Breault extended his run to nine games (10-9-19) with an assist in the loss. T.J. Brennan (+1) continued his solid run by scoring the only Fog Devils goal in a 3-1 loss to Lewiston. The goal was Brennan's 16th of the season, with four of those coming on his current five-game point streak. 2007 5th round pick J.S. Allard had a shot on goal in the St. John's loss. Drew Schiestel notched an assist and helped control the game late in Niagara's 4-3 shootout victory over Oshawa. The comeback victory by the Dogs was teeming with OHL talent, as three of the top-four league scorers (#2 Brett MacLean and #3 John Tavares of Oshawa, and #4 Luca Caputi of Niagara) joined Schiestel in action, along with highly ranked 2007 defensive hopefuls Alex Pietrangelo and Michael Del Zotto. The assist gives Schiestel points in his last six games (1-5-6), raising his season sums to seven goals and 29 assists. Brad Eidsness made 31 saves, but Okotoks couldn't get it going in 5-1 loss to Drumheller. The loss puts the Oilers in a 1-0 hole in their AJHL second round series with the Dragons. In the final weekend of DEL play, Ingolstadt's Felix Schutz registered two shots on goal in a 4-2 win over Frankfurt. The victory coupled with a Krefeld loss puts Ingolstadt in the tenth and final playoff spot. The DEL Rookie of the Year, Schutz compiled 12 goals and 13 assists in his first season back in Europe after two QMJHL campaigns. Philip Gogulla was +1 as Cologne closed their regular season with a 4-1 win over the Metro Stars. Entering the postseason, the 2005 2nd round pick has 11 goals and 33 assists for the third-place Sharks. Last season, Gogulla scored eight goals and 21 total points. Dylan Hunter tied the game in the third, but the Amerks couldn't make it to a shootout in a 3-2 overtime loss to Houston. Adam Dennis made 29 saves, while Marek Zagrapan, Marc Mancari, and Mike Weber were all credited with assists. Combos of note: MacArthur-Zagrapan-(Globke) Gragnani-(Brine)-Hunter Funk-Weber The Rundown Hunter- goal, +1, 4 SOG Zagrapan - assist, +1 Mancari - assist, +1 Weber - assist, +2, 4 PIM Gragnani +1 MacArthur - 0-0-0 0 0 E Funk -1 Dennis - 29 saves Keep it here as we'll have updates following a pair of deciding games in college tourney action featuring St. Lawrence defenseman Matt Generous and BGSU's Nick Eno. For now, the update looks like it'll be limited to just Generous, as Bowling Green coach Scott Paluch has given the nod to Jimmy Spratt in the Falcons net after Eno gave up four goals on 24 shots in last night's loss.

News and Notes: Rough week for Weber

It's been a rough week for Amerks defenseman Mike Weber. First, he returns to the lineup on Sunday after a two game suspension, only to carry his physical play into penalty box, costing his team two goals against.

"He just wanted to make an impact in his return," Cunneyworth said. "We want him physical and playing the body, but not that way."

Then, he gets a call on Tuesday afternoon with news that his good friend Mickey Renaud had collapsed and died. Weber and Renaud were teammates last season in Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League.

"He was like a little brother to me," said Weber, a rookie defenseman for the Rochester Americans. Renaud, the son of former Amerks defenseman Mark Renaud, was captain of the Ontario Hockey League's Windsor Spitfires and Weber's teammate the past two seasons. He was drafted in the fifth round, 143rd overall, by the Calgary Flames in June. "You find yourself asking, 'Why?'" Weber said following practice on Tuesday. "He was my workout partner. Here's a healthy, 19-year-old kid, getting ready to sign a contract with Calgary, and he's gone in a second." Weber has asked for permission to attend Renaud's funeral and could miss Friday's home game against the Binghamton Senators. The Amerks are home tonight to play the Albany River Rats at 7:05 p.m. "It's all business (tonight)," Weber said. "He's a hockey player so he'd want me to play. He should have been right here in my shoes next season, playing his first pro season.

USCHO is running an article about Bowling Green's goalie tandem of Freshman Nick Eno (2007, 7th round), and junior Jimmy Spratt (CAL). It's a pretty unique situation for a NCAA club to have two NHL draftees between the pipes. NHLers in waiting, Eno and Spratt have created a formidable duo in net

Eno, on the other hand, probably couldn't wait to escape his doomed fate with an Eastern Junior Hockey League team called the Green Mountain Glades. He finished his lone year in juniors with nine wins in 25 starts. "Last year [in juniors], we didn't have the best team, so there were a few times when I'd see 40 or 50 shots a night," Eno said. Even with that amount of pucks flying at him some nights, Nick Eno ranked in the top 10 in save percentage and goals against average in the EJHL last winter. Thus, when Eno started out 4-0 with the Falcons in 2007, and has now continued to a 10-6 mark with two weekends to go, it surely is a refresher for the freshman goalie.

As expected, some suspensions were handed out after the melee at the end of the second period of Saturday's DU-UND contest. Chris Butler wasn't penalized in the fracas, but there's still a nice shot of him looking for a piece of the action in the Denver Post. The Niagara IceDogs recently held an open skate with the public that also featured a skills competition. Sabres 2007 second-rounder Drew Schiestel took home first place in the puck relay portion of the event. 2008 draftniks get out your clipboard: Alex Pietrangelo's slap shot clocked in at 96 MPH. Finally, don't look now, but Nathan Gerbe has some company in the national points-per-game race. Senior Ryan Cruthers of Robert Morris picked up three points at Bemidji over the weekend to tie him with the Sabres 2005 pick at 1.52 ppg. Michigan's Kevin Porter is right behind at 1.5 ppg. Gerbe will need to keep pace as #7 Boston College has a key home-and-home battle with #3 New Hampshire this weekend.

2/15 Recap: Kennedy, Persson "back"; Gerbe snaps

Friday was rather stacked in terms of the Sabres prospects schedule. Let's take a trip around the rinks for an update on over twenty Sabres properties to hit the ice in fifteen different games. Marek Zagrapan scored his 16th goal of the season in Rochester's 4-2 win over Hershey. Marc-Andre Gragnani assisted on the Zagrapan goal to extend his point streak to five games while the Amerks won their third straight. Adam Dennis made 29 saves for the win, and has now been in net for 13 of the team's 16 victories. Andrej Sekera was a game-best +3. Earlier in the week, it was learned that Amerks defenseman Mike Weber was suspended for two games following a checking him from behind major in the final minute of play on Sunday. He'll again sit out tomorrow's contest with Syracuse, then return to the lineup on Sunday against Hamilton. Elsewhere, Tim Kennedy scored a short-handed goal and added an assist in Michigan State's 3-0 shutout of Western Michigan. Kennedy's third period goal ends a career-long thirteen game drought. 2007 third rounder Corey Tropp, who was re-united with Kennedy and Justin Abdelkader (DET) for this one, did not register a point. The win gives the Spartans a first-round bye in the CCHA tournament. The two clubs will play it back tomorrow at Western. Dennis Persson scored his first goal of the season and assisted on another in Nykopings' 4-3 loss Nybro. The Sabres first round pick in 2006, Persson now has three points in his last two games after a quiet offensive season to date. Gatineau's Paul Byron had a goal and an assist the Olympques pounded Shawinigan, 8-1. The 5'10 center, who had five blocked shots to go along with his power play marker, was named the game's #3 star. Harvard sophomore Alex Biega followed a nice showing in the Beanpot final on Monday with two assists tonight in the Crimson's 3-2 win over Princeton. The Montreal-born defenseman has a goal and four assists in his last three games. Nathan Gerbe and Andrew Orpik were both held scoreless as Boston College lost to Lowell, 3-1. In the second period, Gerbe lost his cool by punching a Lowell player in the head to earn a roughing minor. On his way to the box, a few choice words for the official earned himself another ten minutes of "time out". With the Eagles trailing, the frustrated Gerbe has to know better than to hurt his team's comeback chances with a senseless misconduct. In the DEL, Philip Gogulla assisted on the game-tying goal as Cologne went on to defeat Sinupret, 3-2 in overtime. Under contract with Buffalo, Gogulla now has 28 assists and 37 total points this season with the Sharks. Chris Butler was -1 as Denver stumbled in a 5-4 loss at North Dakota. Butler was beaten late on a great wraparound play by T.J. Oshie (STL) to set-up the game winner. North Dakota trailed the Pios 4-1 in the second before scoring four unanswered goals for the win. Matt Generous was -1 as St. Lawrence lost to Yale, 4-3. T.J. Brennan and J.S. Allard both were without points as St. John's fell to PEI, 4-1. Brennan was +1 with five shots on net, while Allard was only able to muster one of the Foggies 52 shots on goal. Benjamin Breault was -1 with five shots on goal in Baie-Comeau's 4-1 loss to Halifax. In the AJHL, Brad Eidsness made 40 saves in a 4-3 OT loss to Olds. The loss was the Sioux recruit's fourth on the year against 26 wins. Drew MacKenzie had three shots on goal in Waterloo's 4-2 win over Des Moines. Drew Schiestel was -3 as Niagara put forth a disappointing effort in their 5-2 loss at Erie. Nick Eno had the night off in Bowling Green's 5-3 loss to UNO.

2/10: Dennis blanks Griffins

Adam Dennis made 33 saves to post his 2nd shutout in a week and third of the season as Rochester eeked out a 1-0 win over Grand Rapids. Scoreless after two periods, Marc-Andre Gragnani stole a puck at the Amerks blueline and sprinted down the ice to bury his own rebound against Adam Berkhoel for the game's only goal. The shorthanded marker would hold up, giving the Amerks their first winning streak since late November. The line: Gragnani goal (6), 4 PIM Zagrapan 4 PIM Hunter +1 Weber -1, 15 PIM, checking from behind major Mancari, Sekera, Funk - 0's Dennis 33 saves, shutout In Camrose, the Kodiaks finally caught up with the league's top goaltender, Brad Eidsness, to defeat Okotoks, 5-2. Eidsness made 26 saves in the loss, as his Oilers now trail Camrose by five points for the top spot in the AJHL's South Division with just five games remaining. Drew Schiestel continued his solid defensive play with a +2 as Niagara rode another Michael Swift (undrafted) hat trick to a 5-2 win over the Mississaugua-St.Michael's Majors. Philip Gogulla picked up another assist at the Skoda Cup in Germany's 4-1 win over Slovakia. German C Felix Schutz failed to get on the score sheet for the second straight game. Gogulla played in all three games for Germany, collecting three assists. With the Slovakia loss, Switzerland takes the title in the round robin tourney.

Byron nets winner; Amerks take shootout

A quick update on a pair of afternoon contests... 2007 sixth-round pick Paul Byron scored the game winning goal on the power play and assisted on another in Gatineau's 3-0 shutout of Quebec. The goal was Byron's 26th on the year, and only his fifth with the man advantage. The Ottawa native also won 80% of his draws this afternoon, and has kept his shooting percentage above 20% all season. Adam Dennis stopped 16 shots, and four of five in the shootout, as Rochester defeated San Antonio, 3-2, in a matinee at the BCA. Sabres properties Andrej Sekera (+2), Marc-Andre Gragnani (+1), and Mark Mancari (+1) all picked up assists as the Amerks came from behind to win their fourth game in their last 30 tries. The rest: Hunter +1 Funk even Weber -1 Zagrapan -1 Keep it here for updates as seven games featuring nine Sabres picks are just getting underway.

Dennis cracks Marlies code

In a late afternoon game, the Rochester Americans rode a 28-save shutout performance by Adam Dennis to defeat the Toronto Marlies, 3-0. Mark Mancari had a hand in all three goals, scoring the game winner in the final minute of the second period, and setting up two others in the third to cement the win. Skating as a forward, Marc-Andre Gragnani scored off a Mancari pass to make it 2-1 at 11:03 of the third. Dylan Hunter potted an empty netter with with :23 left on the clock. Dennis bounced back well from his last outing, which saw him pulled by Randy Cunneyworth after allowing goals on the first three shots of the second period in a 7-2 loss to Cleveland. Playing in front of his hometown crowd, Dennis entered today's game 0-9 with a 4.11 GAA since the beginning of December. RUNDOWN Dennis - 28 saves Mancari - goal, two assists, +3 Hunter - goal, assist, +3, 2 PIM Gragnani - goal, assist +2 Sekera - assist, +3, 4 SOG Weber - +1, 2 PIM Zagrapan - 4 PIM Three Stars 1. RCH - 53 Adam Dennis 2. RCH - 26 Mark Mancari 3. RCH - 21 Marc-Andre Gragnani Rochester ended a nine game losing streak with the win. They'll look to begin a streak of a different flavor at the BCA on Wednesday against Syracuse.

Amerks pick up where they left off

Rochester returned from the All-Star break Friday at the BCA, losing in overtime to Toronto, 3-2. The loss was the Amerks' ninth in a row, and 25th in their last 27 games. Down 1-0 at the end of two, Marek Zagrapan knotted the score 2:48 into the third. The Slovakian pivot took the return feed from David Brine on the give-and-go and deposited a shot over Justin Pogge's shoulder for his 15th goal of the season. Just over five minutes later, Mark Mancari would crash and bury a loose puck for an unassisted goal to give the Amerks the 2-1 lead. As is the case recently, the Amerks couldn't hold on to it. The Marlies would eventually tie the game, and later score off a turnover 1:20 into the extra session to seal the deal. Michael Funk didn't play tonight due to the infamous upper-body injury, and is out for at least a week. Mike Card remains out due to a serious concussion. The Amerks line: Zagrapan: goal Mancari: goal, 2 PIM Sekera: +1 Gragnani: +1 Weber: -1, 2 PIM Hunter: zeros Tomorrow afternoon, Rochester will attempt to beat the same Marlies club for the first time in seven tries.

Amerks Lose Basement Battle

The frustrating season for the Rochester Americans continued in Des Moines with a battle of last place teams. The result, another 4-2 loss to the Stars, is no longer shocking. The Amerks closed out a four-game road swing, securing one of a possible eight points while away from the BCA. They're now 1-8-1-1 in their last eleven contests. It was close through two, with Iowa scoring the only goal of the game in the second period. The third opened with three goals in the first 7:30. The problem is that two of them were scored by the Stars. The sole noteworthy event fitting this space's purpose is the assist picked up by Mike Funk on the first Amerk goal. I can only hope that Marek Zagrapan and his -3 was still feeling the effects of the bug that kept him out of yesterday's game. The rest: Sekera - even Gragnani -2 Weber -2 Mancari -1 Hunter +1 The Amerks are a hard-working group of kids, but they're simply not strong enough to compete night-in and night-out. To be fair regarding the title, Iowa's point total would be good for third place in the North Division. The Amerks return home for games Wednesday and Friday night.