Vanek, Gerbe, Kennedy, Mancari: All-Stars

By Chris

Thomas Vanek will make his first appearance as an NHL All-Star when the event takes place in Montreal at the end of the month. It's no surprise as Atlas is enjoying one of the most spectacular individual seasons in recent Sabres history. Vanek will be the Sabres' lone representative on the Eastern Conference squad.

Full Roster here.

Also, down on the farm, Pirates forwards Nathan Gerbe and Tim Kennedy will represent Team PlanetUSA in the AHL All-Star Game. Gerbe is slated to start in the game. Mark Mancari will play for Team Canada.

Other notables with Buffalo ties that will take part in the event: Drew Miller, Rory Fitzpatrick and my personal favorite, Mike Ryan (MJ over at My Safety Is Harvard should be thrilled).

Full rosters here and here.

Owning Up

by Ryan

If you are upset about the Sabres' fortunes, take solace in the fact that the Montreal Canadiens are having a similar go off it this year. Both teams started off very fast and have struggled as of late. That means two very angry teams playing determined hockey tonight.

One of the big reasons the Sabres have looked so good recently has been the play of Mark Mancari. I will be the first to say I was completely wrong about bringing him up to the big show, and he's played his heart out since putting on the blue and gold. My main concern with his game was that he wouldn't be able to keep up.

Chris and I both saw the Amerks play last year and were blown away by the things he was doing down there. He was outplaying everyone on the ice, and looked ready to make the leap to the NHL and be a solid performer. Yet when he got his chance he looked... slow.

Mike Weber was another one like that. His first time up he looked tentative and nervous, but he was playing great hockey when I saw him in Hamilton a month later. Some players just can't adjust to the pro speed quick enough, and it takes a few cracks at a roster to make it. There are a few players like that, they show all the talent in the world but the whispers of "he's not going to make it" make the rounds and you worry.



Those were the kind of worries I had about Mancari, and they are all but gone now. He plays every shift with a desperation rarely seen in the other players on this roster, and his defensive responsibility has been there to boot. No dumb penalties, no tentative shifts, and great forechecking. He has been one of the best Sabres on the ice in every game he's played, and I'm excited to see what he can do if he gets the chance to stay up.

So there, I was wrong, but like I said before I hoped I would be. This team needed a boost and Mark has stepped in and played the part perfectly. Being physical may not be his game, but he's shown he's willing to do whatever it takes to stay in this league. That's the kind of player you want on your team, and we need more guys to play like that if we want to see hockey this spring.

Looks like the same lineup is going tonight. I'd be satisfied with the same result.

Keep the Car Running

by Ryan

This has been one of the worst sports weeks in recent history. I grabbed lunch with a friend today and we were both still crushed by the Monday Night Game. Seriously. It wasn't a teary-eyed meeting as much as a depressing one. The more we talked it over it seemed to become okay, but there was a serious amount of tension involved in tonight's game for us both.

Are you getting that feeling, too? That nervous worry about losing, yet at the same time that hopeful bit of optimism a new game can bring. You don't want to see another loss, but you just know how badly this city needs a win. A Friday night game against Philly should be cause for celebration, but I just don't know what to say about Sabres hockey anymore.

Sports fans are supposed to be dim-witted and unintelligent by stereotype, but anyone reading this clearly knows otherwise. Sports can be taken as intellectually as anything in the world with the right amount of effort, and I take pride in just how involved I've become in the sports world. However, tonight is going to be about pure emotion.

I look outside to see a pitch black street. It's getting dark earlier and earlier, and it seems as the weeks have passed our collective mood has followed. People just don't smile when our teams lose, and the colder it gets the most people stop smiling altogether. In an environment like this, in a city like this; we need a distraction to keep us going.

Kevin's right in a way, we need a spark. I need something to cheer me up after all the terrible news I've heard this week, and maybe Mark Mancari can give the boost we need. This whole sports thing is supposed to help us forget the bad times, not add to them. Even after all I've seen this week, I'll be in the crowd once again. I'm still waiting for the spark we've needed all month.

Let's go.

The RFAs are signed

Some signing news as we wait for the partial schedule to be released:

Clarke MacArthur and Mark Mancari have accepted their qualifying offers and Dan Paille has agreed to a multi-year deal with the Sabres.

We'll post the figures as they become available but it's good news to have Paille locked up for a few years. This is MacArthur's year to make the leap so expect him to have a more prominent role with the big club this year as well.

UPDATE:

The Buffalo Sabres have announced the signing of forward Daniel Paille to a two year contract.

Paille will earn $900,000 in the first year of the deal and $1.35 the following season.

A very good deal for the Sabres. By the time is contract is up, the make up of the team will be different (right now only Vanek, Roy, Hecht and Gaustad are under contract in 2010-11) so the money should be there to give Paille a significant raise if he earns it.