Persson bags winner

Dennis Persson scored the game winner for Timra in their 5-4 win over Linkopings on Saturday. Persson's goal came with the man advantage with a little under seven minutes to play. A -1 on the night, the 6'1 rearguard logged a season-high 19:40 in ice time on the Eagle's right side. Rounding out Saturday's action, Tyler Ennis assisted on the game winning goal in Medicine Hat's 6-3 win over Lethbridge. (The rest of Saturday's results can be found below.) ---------------------- In the KHL, Ak Bars defenseman Vjacheslav Buravchikov is now nine games into his season. He's posted a goal, an assist, and an impressive +5 while averaging 17:59 in time as Kazan sits in 11th place in the 24-team league.

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.

2008-09 predictions and projections

I'm not Karnac, but I thought it would be a good idea to lay out some projection targets for the group of prospects this season. (Or perhaps I'm just getting a little cocky after nailing the Adam and Fienhage picks this summer.) Whatever the case, let's put our forecasting cap on and see what the season could look like. Do the Sabres have a potential 50-goal guy this season? The Sabres haven't had a 50-goal prospect since Shawinigan's Jason Pominville back in 2001-02, but this season could see a quartet knocking on the door. Tyler Ennis - 50 goals in 64 games with Medicine Hat. Paul Byron - 47 goals in 62 games with Gatineau. Luke Adam - 46 goals with Montreal. Nathan Gerbe - 44 goals combined - AHL and NHL Dylan Hunter was the last 100 point prospect when he hit it back-to-back in 2004-05 (104) and 2005-06 (117). Can one hit the mark this season? After notching 91 last season with Medicine Hat, Tyler Ennis should land somewhere around the century mark. We'll project 102 points but it's not going to come easy. I'm setting the bar high and hope he goes for it. Jacob Lagacé can do 32-51-83 in Chicoutimi with Nicolas Deschamps and Joel Champagne around him. Fellow Q-men Byron and Adam should fall in a slightly higher 82-88 point window. Who is going to rack up the most PIMs this season amongst the prospects? A healthy, suspension-free season could see Mike Funk sit atop the prospect PIM-meter. After finishing last season with 104, the WHL product still isn't a policeman but will be one of the more experienced blueliners on the Pirates roster. Mike Weber is likely to post big numbers in this category and is the clear favorite, but we don't expect him to be considered a "prospect" much longer. The dark horse here is actually Tyler Myers. The number "144" keeps flashing into my head, so I'm thinking he'll spend at least two hours in the box this season. A safe forecast would suggest that names like Gerbe, Weber, Chris Butler, and Marek Zagrapan could all see time in a Sabres sweater this season. What about a call-up sleeper? Felix Schutz has pro experience and enough shiftiness in his game to sneak up on everyone, including the Sabres - possibly before January. How about a projection for Jhonas Enroth in his first AHL season? The Swede should see plenty of action, going 24-15-4, with a 2.29 GAA, .912 save percentage, and two shutouts. Is Marek Zagrapan going to see his production increase? After seasons of 38 and 40 points, Zagrapan will have more talent around him to help him eclipse the 60 point barrier for the first time as a pro. 24-37-61 -3. Ambitious? He has it in him. Philip Gogulla more than doubled his previous year's output last season in Cologne with 44 points in 51 games. Can he do it again? No. The Sharks are awful this season, and there's a mess waiting for Gogulla when he returns. They have a new coach, and have started the year 0-7 after losing Ivan Ciernik's production to the KHL. Gogulla isn't a dominating figure at this juncture, so he'll be lucky to equal last season's numbers. I'd love to be wrong. Can Corey Tropp achieve the 20-pt sophomore bump that Gerbe and Kennedy did while in school? It's going to be close, but after a 6-11-17 season as a freshman, Tropp projects to 14-26-40 in year two in Spartanville. Which QMJHL defenseman will score more points this season - TJ Brennan or Jordon Southorn? Both will see loads of power play time, and both will be stride-for-stride in terms of offense. Brennan is on the better club and likes to shoot the puck more. I believe that Southorn will have more pressure to produce, landing somewhere between 45-50 points. Brennan, though, should hover in the neighborhood of 48-54 points. How about individual honors? Junior D Alex Biega is set to produce for a solid Harvard squad, projecting to 7-23-30 and +16 to get himself on the ballot for the Hobey Baker. Brad Eidsness has the skills, opportunity, and club in front of him to earn a spot on the WCHA All-Rookie Team. Breakout players: Andrew Orpik will be ready to elevate himself as a senior leader with pre-season #1 Boston College. Much has been made of his checking ability as a forward, but his underrated offensive contributions will surface once 2009 hits. Justin Jokinen will make a bit of a splash, as he's capable of 9-15-24 as a Minnesota State freshman. Other predictions... Underrated as a senior, Matt Generous will post his second consecutive season as a +12 with St. Lawrence. Chris Butler - 6-17-23 +6 with Portland Tim Kennedy - 18-26-44 with Portland. J.S. Allard - 22-52-74 with Quebec. Drew Schiestel 12-33-45 +11 with Niagara. Mike Kostka - 4-12-16 +2 with Portland. Bowling Green goaltender Nick Eno will post big wins against Michigan and Miami this season, finishing the year 14-11-0, 2.56 GAA, and .912 save percentage. Corey Fienhage will engage in a battle for the #6 defenseman in Grand Forks this fall, and should firmly cement himself in the Sioux lineup by Thanksgiving. Marc-Andre Gragnani - 19-44-63 with Portland. Nick Crawford - 5-19-24 +7 for Saginaw. Dennis Persson - 3-9-12, 15:49 TOI average in 46 games with Timra Derek Whitmore - 12 goals in Portland. Mark Mancari will again be named an AHL All-Star. Dylan Hunter - 55 points in Portland. I'd love to see yours, so have at it.

9/26 Recap: Schiestel gets a Gordie

All junior prospects but one (Tyler Myers) were returned to their clubs this week, and the result is the first full slate of Friday action in the CHL. Coming off their high paced pro experiences, it was a very productive evening statistically for those in uniform. QMJHL action saw all of the Sabres prospects hit the score sheet, while a contest in Oshawa saw the first Gordie Howe Hat Trick of the season fall. Luke Adam (+2) posted a pair of goals and an assist to earn the game's #1 star as Montreal cruised to a 6-3 home victory over Saint John. Adams first goal came on the power play while his second was a top-shelf snap off a Matt Fillier feed. Not only did he dominate play with a game-high eight shots on goal, but the 6'3 pivot blocked eight shots as well. 2007 second rounder T.J. Brennan picked up an assist on Adam's first goal while finishing +2 for the Juniors. Defenseman Jordon Southorn (+2) returned to PEI in a big way, pacing the Rocket with a goal and two assists in their 5-2 win over Halifax. The game's #1 star, Southorn's empty netter capped the Rocket's first win in five tries this season. Jacob Lagacé (+1) scored the overtime winner in Chicoutimi's 4-3 win over Baie-Comeau. The Beloeil, Quebec native also had an assist and a game-best six shots on goal for the Sags. In Gatineau, forward Paul Byron picked up two assists as les Olympiques defeated Rouyn-Noranda 3-2 in OT. J.S. Allard notched an assist as Quebec needed a shootout to defeat Drummondville, 4-3. In the OHL, Niagara's Drew Schiestel (+1) racked up the Gordie with a goal, two assists, and a fight in a frustrating 6-4 loss to Oshawa. Schiestel was the Dogs best player, earning the games #2 star for his offense and pugilist ability in a fight with Rochester native John Padulo. With Alex Pietrangelo, Josh Day, and Scott Fletcher still in NHL camps, the dog days look to continue on the Niagara blueline. Nick Crawford was even with no points as Saginaw defeated struggling Sarnia, 4-1. Not looked to for offense, his veteran presence helped steady the blueline according to coach Todd Watson. The Spirit returns to action tomorrow against Sault Ste. Marie. Closing things out, Medicine Hat's Tyler Ennis was -1 with 2 PIM in the Tigers 1-0 overtime loss to Lethbridge. Tomorrow in Buffalo, Myers will make his first preseason appearance for the Sabres when they take on the Leafs.

9/25 Recap: Schiestel ready to fire

Niagara's Drew Schiestel (+1) appeared in his first game after returning from Sabres camp, assisting on the first Dogs goal in their 3-2 overtime loss to Oshawa. Top 2009 prospect John Tavares had a goal and an assist for the Generals. The two clubs will play it back tomorrow in Oshawa. Relative to Schiestel's return, the St. Catherines Standard followed up on his camp experience with an article in yesterday's run.

Schiestel felt he more than held his own, particularly in the skating department where he finished third overall in an obstacle course drill designed to measure speed and agility.

"That turned out well, I was happy with that," he said. "I tried to show a little more this year. It was my second year and you want to make a bit of an impression."

Now that he's back with the IceDogs, Schiestel will attempt to do exactly what the Sabres have asked of him -- strive to get better each shift and each game.

That shouldn't be an issue for the mobile rearguad who has increased his points total each of his first three seasons in the OHL. He had eight goals and 37 points in 68 games last season.

"I think being well rounded and becoming a better player translates into better stats," he said. "If you pay attention to everything on the ice, you'll get more points and your plus-minus will go up. If you become a better all around player, it will help you in every other situation."

Niagara general manager Dave Brown has seen Schiestel make huge progress in a number of areas since drafting him in the third round of the 2005 OHL draft.

"When he came to our team he was a 160-pound, thin kid with his eyes wide open," Brown said. "He's improved head and heels physically and his maturity is helping him as well. It's just a matter of honing in on his hockey skills and developing more pro-like hockey skills."

In the SEL, LD Dennis Persson (2 PIM, 2 SOG) continued his steady increase in shifts, logging a total of 16:15 of time as Timra fell to Brynas, 3-2. Much of tonight's spike is likely the result of Timra's other defensemen combining for six minor penalties. The loss drops the Eagles to 2-1 on the season.

Butler impressing early

Readers of the Buffalo News now know what followers of this space have known all along: Chris Butler is going to be a good one. The News' Bucky Gleason had nothing but nice things to say about the St. Louis native as he cruises through his first pro camp. Sabres' Butler catches on quickly to new team, city

Butler played his first professional game Tuesday night and looked like he had been with the Sabres for years. He played a quiet game that suited his style. He was solid in his own end, made smart decisions and effectively moved the puck. He played so well that Sabres coach Lindy Ruff barely noticed him in a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

“It’s always a good thing,” Ruff said. “Usually, a young defenseman gets noticed for a terrible giveaway or he gets beat. He showed a lot of composure. His positioning was sound. When you don’t notice a guy or you’re not worried about who you have him out there against, you’re pretty happy with the way things are going.”

Nathan Gerbe and South Buffalo native Tim Kennedy also played well against the Habs. Gerbe scored his first goal of the exhibition season when he nuked a slap shot into the top corner. Kennedy looked more comfortable as the game went along and was particularly effective on the penalty kill.

You know Gerbe and Kennedy. The book on Butler is as simple as his style. He’s not going to dazzle anyone with his speed or puck-handling, although he’s very good in both areas. He’s not going to overwhelm anyone physically, but he’s strong enough and plenty tough at 6-foot-1, 202 pounds. He’s also not one to make glaring mistakes.

Gameday Lineup: Sabres vs. Canadiens

Faceoff coming shortly... (40) Gogulla - (41) MacArthur - (21) Stafford (24) Darche - (19) Connolly - (29) Pominville (42) Gerbe - (9) Roy - (61) Afinogenov (17) Gragnani - (58) Kennedy - (25) Mancari DEFENSE (5) Lydman - (10) Tallinder (34) Butler - (33) Card (4) Weber - (38) Paetsch GOALTENDING (40) Lalime (53) Dennis ------------------------------------------------------------------- Interesting that Tyler Myers stays in camp but does not dress...Keep your eyes peeled for a Butler/Weber pairing at some point....Gerbe is set up for a big night riding with Derek Roy and Maxim Afinogenov....Nice to see Gragnani playing left wing instead of D.

Juniors returned; Myers remains

As expected, the Sabres today announced the return of eight players to their CHL clubs. Kelowna Rockets defenseman Tyler Myers will however remain with the Sabres as they ready themselves for a pre-season match-up this evening with the Montreal Canadiens. Look for the 6'8 defenseman to get into the lineup, as this should be viewed as a signal from the team that they want to see what the 18-year old can do with live bullets before sending him back to the WHL. From the Sabres:

BUFFALO, N.Y. (September 23, 2008) --- Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier announced today the team has returned the following eight players to their respective junior clubs: forwards Luke Adam (St. John’s, QMJHL), Paul Byron (Gatineau, QMJHL), Tyler Ennis (Medicine Hat WHL) and Jacob Lagace (Chicoutimi, QMJHL); defensemen T.J. Brennan (St. John’s, QMJHL), Nick Crawford (Saginaw, OHL), Drew Schiestel (Niagara, OHL) and Jordon Southorn (Prince Edward Island, QMJHL). This leaves the Sabres with 49 players still in training camp.

As a side note, this author wonders if Lindy Ruff wants to get another look at Marek Zagrapan and Philip Gogulla this evening. Zagrapan looks poised to further his camp statement, and the club will benefit from as many views of Gogulla as possible given his contract situation with Cologne of the DEL. How the two react in a back-to-back setting can start to frame in their utility moving forward. Other prospects expected to dress tonight include forward Nathan Gerbe and defenseman Chris Butler.

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.

Goal for Gogulla

Clarke MacArthur just picked up his second assist of the night, setting up a well-positioned Philip Gogulla to make it 4-2 Toronto with about 14:00 to go in the third. The overhead camera on the feed was key, as it showed how Gogulla drifted about the goal mouth to get into his scoring angle to the right of Justin Pogge. Gogulla has played very well throughout the night, earning his keep after getting smoked by Carlo Colaiacovo early in the second period. The second period was a bumpy one for the Sabres. Pogge was fantastic in the Leafs net as the Sabres were outchecked for most of the twenty. Minutes in, an Ales Kotalik cough-up resulted in a Coaiacovo goal to make it 3-1 Leafs. Moments later, Robbie Earl emerged from the penalty box, getting behind the Sabres to go in alone to beat Jhonas Enroth for the 4-1 lead. The shot was the first action for the Swedish netminder in a Sabres uni.