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Rookie Marcus Foligno, son of former Sabre Mike Foligno, scored his first NHL goal on Saturday in the Buffalo Sabres’ 4-3 shootout win over Ottawa Senators.

Foligno’s tally tied the game at 3-3 with 5:54 left in regulation.

Just as important as his timely goal was Foligno showing his willingness to play a physical style.

Some in the media have speculated that the Sabres felt Foligno was ready to provide that power-forward type of role, which made Zack Kassian expendable.

“It was better timing than anything. Hard work paid off there,” Foligno told the Buffalo News. “I got a lucky bounce and I was really happy to tie the game up for the guys and really happy to contribute. I was hoping I could score. Whenever you could contribute like that, it’s huge.”

Interestingly, Foligno’s brother, Nick, was in the game for Ottawa and was able to see his brother’s first career tally. 

Nick Foligno’s reaction to the goal: “I was happy and [ticked] off at the same time.”

Marcus Foligno will try and stick with the Sabres the rest of the stretch run and avoid a demotion to the AHL’s Rochester Americans, where he had 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points.

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Monday evening’s four NHL games all carried playoff implications, with six of the eight teams either jockeying for better playoff positioning or battling to be included in the second season. 

Here are the top-three highlights from a light schedule of hockey games:

1. Sabres Defeat Canadiens 3-2 (OT), Gain Critical Playoff Ground

It seemed impossible earlier this season, but the surging Sabres are finding ways to win hockey games and hover around the eight seed in the Eastern Conference.

Tyler Myers’ game winning goal 2:59 into overtime Monday night brought the Sabres’ point total to 74, jumping ahead of Winnipeg and now just two points behind Washington for the last remaining playoff spot in the East.

Tyler Ennis scored both of the Sabres’ goals in regulation, set up by Drew Stafford on both occasions.

2. Landeskog’s Effort the Difference Against Ducks

Avalanche rookie Gabriel Landeskog set the tone early with a crushing hit on Ducks defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky and sniped the game winner at the 1:52 mark of overtime to keep Colorado as the eight seed in the West.

Landeskog, the 19-year-old Swedish forward, scored his 19th goal of the season last night and now stands at 44 points on the season. He’s tied with Philadelphia‘s Matt Read for the most goals among rookies and is just two points behind New Jersey‘s Adam Henrique for the most points among all first-year players.

Interestingly enough, Landeskog is taking a page out of Alexander Ovechkin’s book and leads all Colorado forwards in hits this season, as well.

3. Sharks Not Willing to Go Away

San Jose snapped a brutal five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Oilers in Edmonton on Monday night. The Sharks got power play goals from Joe Thornton and Logan Couture and an even-strength tally from Torrey Mitchell to edge the Oilers.

With those two points, the Sharks sit just one point behind the aforementioned Avalanche for the last ticket into the playoffs. San Jose still has 14 games remaining, all but one of which are against Western Conference teams, including three vital matchups against the Los Angeles Kings, who sit in 11th place in the standings.

 

Ryan O’Leary is a writer and researcher for Bleacher Report’s Video Production Department with seven years experience in the sports industry. Ryan covered the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Hockey Tournament with CTV and has spent time covering the IIHF World Championships, NHL and Collegiate Hockey during his career.

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It’s still early in evening and only one of four NHL games are yet to be in the books. However, I am pretty sure we already saw the goal of the night by the Buffalo Sabres‘ No. 63, forward Tyler Ennis.

Ennis picks up a loose puck off the stick of Drew Stafford with speed and enters the Montreal Canadiens zone. He then shakes Canadien defenseman Andrei Markov out of his hockey pants and does the same to goaltender Peter Budaj.

It will be hard to find more than a handful of better goals all season long than Ennis’ Monday night.

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This Sabres‘ team is enigmatic, to say the least. The first half of the year was worst than the fans are accustomed to and the slump went well into 2012.

Now, the team has turned a corner and the Sabres have re-embodied their warrior spirit and are toiling powerfully towards the playoffs. 

They currently sit at 11th place in the Eastern Conference just three points out of the playoffs.

For the average fan, all of this is good news and the team couldn’t have kicked it into gear at a better time of the year. However, this can be more damaging for the team in the long run.

Teams like the Edmonton Oilers that make Cinderella runs for the Stanley Cup Finals, like the one in 2005-2006, usually end up pretty far down the standings less than a decade later.

The Sabres have been a fringe team for the better part of the last decade and the franchise hasn’t reached the finals since the whole Brett Hull debacle. 

To win now further delays the process of rebuilding that this franchise needs in order to crack the top echelon of the NHL, something that new owner Terry Pegula is adamant about.

Here are four reasons why the Sabres are winning at the wrong time.

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Ryan Miller made his thoughts about the Buffalo Sabres trading Paul Gaustad crystal clear on Tuesday. The star goaltender was upset his close friend and one of the team’s best leaders was dealt to the Nashville Predators for a first-round pick.

Professional athletes speaking their minds has become increasingly rare in recent years because they fear the backlash, so when a player does make pointed comments it becomes a big story. In this case, it shows a disconnect between Sabres management and the players.

John Vogl of the Buffalo News passed along some of Miller’s thoughts. Here’s one snippet:

“Like I’ve said, we don’t make those decisions. That’s more proof because if I had any more influence Paul would still be here. I appreciate the way he plays. He’s been one of my best friends for a long time there. Obviously, that’s going to continue, but it was nice to have him as a teammate and have those other intangibles.”

The Sabres have failed to live up to sky-high expectations this season after spending big money in free agency. When one of the team’s prominent players starts talking about a lack of influence, it’s obviously going to raise some flags.

Buffalo’s roster has featured a bunch of homegrown players in recent seasons, but the team hasn’t been able to get over the playoff hump. So the front office, under a three-year Stanley Cup mandate from owner Terry Pegula, has been trying to infuse outside talent to reach that goal.

It didn’t really hit home for the players until Gaustad, one of those guys who has been in the organization for a long time, was sent packing that things are changing. And clearly Miller isn’t a big fan of the new direction.

What makes it worse for everybody involved is that the trade was actually a good one by general manager Darcy Regier. Getting a high draft pick for a third-line center like Gaustad, who is an impending free agent, was an unexpected treat.

So if Miller is willing to sound off about a move that will help the franchise, what happens when Regier makes a trade that isn’t as savvy? It could get ugly.

In reality, the core Buffalo had in place simply wasn’t good enough to reach Pegula’s ultimate goal, so changes were necessary. That means longtime contributors like Gaustad are going to be expendable, whether Miller likes it or not.

In the business of sports, it isn’t wise to get overly attached to a friend, because they could easily be on a new roster tomorrow. Especially if a team is willing to pay a hefty price to get them.

The days of Sabres management being content to break even with most of the same faces leading the way are over. Gaustad is the first of a couple changes likely on the way before next season starts, so Miller had better be prepared.

And, if he does have concerns, keeping them behind closed doors is still the best option, even if he gets applauded for his honesty.

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The NHL Trade Deadline has concluded with the Buffalo Sabres shipping out Paul Gaustad and a fourth-round pick to the Nashville Predators for a first-round pick, and sending Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani to the Vancouver Canucks for Cody Hodgson and Alexander Sulzer. The much-scrutinized Sabres GM Darcy Regier should be saluted for his work.

Early morning reports stated that Buffalo was looking for a first-round pick for Gaustad’s services and those around the league scoffed at such a notion. Low and behold, Regier was able to get just that as he waited until the last second to pull the trigger.

The Sabres now have two first-round picks and two second-round picks in this year’s draft that can either be used to acquire more young talent or to land a big name through the trading market. After all, most of the larger trades happen over the course of the offseason and not at the deadline. Look for the Sabres to have another active summer. 

The physical, hard-nosed center will be missed, but no one can argue with what the Sabres got for his services. But what about that hole at the center position?

Regier wasn’t done. Shortly after the deadline, reports trickled in that Zack Kassian had been dealt to the Canucks. Soon after, we found out that 21-year-old center Hodgson was coming to Buffalo. His 16 goals already this season is the third-most on the roster.

Hodgson will only get better and will fill a major void at the center position. Not only does this move help the Sabres moving forward, but it helps them in the present as they still cling to playoff hopes. They may actually be better today than they were yesterday.

On the flip side, Kassian is heading to Vancouver. The physical forward has been struggling all season long in both Rochester and Buffalo. That mean streak that the Sabres coveted from him seemed to be all but missing and his scoring touch has been nowhere to be found.

While Kassian can certainly turn things around in Vancouver as he is a top prospect, he certainly wasn’t getting much done in the Sabres system. 

Some Sabres fans may not be happy with the deadline moves, but the franchise put their money where their mouth is when they said the goal remains to build a Stanley Cup winner and not just strive for short-term gains. 

The future appears to be very bright in Buffalo. 

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After acquiring forward Jeff Carter from the Columbus Blue Jackets, it appears as though the Los Angeles Kings are interested in dealing captain Dustin Brown. One team that should do anything within reason to acquire him is the Buffalo Sabres.

According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Sabres are one of eight teams with strong interest in acquiring the gritty winger. It’s a bit curious that the Kings would want to trade their second-leading goal scorer when they rank last in the league in scoring, but Buffalo needs to capitalize on the situation.

Brown’s numbers are a bit down this season with 14 goals and 31 points through 61 games, but he’s proven in the past that he is a consistent offensive producer. Prior to this season, Brown has netted at least 24 goals and 53 points in four consecutive campaigns. When you add to that his rough-and-tumble style of play and leadership, he is an ideal second-liner.

The Sabres have played much better of late, but they are ultimately a major disappointment this season. With the offseason acquisitions of Christian Ehrhoff, Robyn Regehr and Ville Leino, Buffalo was considered a surefire playoff team by most. Instead, they are currently seven points out of the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and need a fantastic late-season run to make it.

While Brown may not save their season this year, he is precisely the type of player the Sabres need. The overwhelming sentiment in Buffalo is that the team is suffering from a rotting core, which includes forwards Derek Roy, Drew Stafford and Paul Gaustad, specifically. While all of them have been productive at some point during their career, they haven’t lived up to their billing this year.

Essentially, the only players contributing offensively for the Sabres right now are Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek, as they have combined for 46 of the team’s 150 goals, or roughly one-third. Secondary scoring has been non-existent because neither Roy nor Stafford has held up their end of the bargain with 23 total goals.

Roy had four straight seasons with at least 63 points from 2006-07 to 2009-10, while Stafford was among the NHL leaders in goals per game last year with 31 in 62 games. Most Sabres fans consider Roy and Stafford to be the two biggest on-ice culprits for Buffalo’s struggles this season, and it’s possible that neither will be on the roster by the start of next season.

With that said, a player like Brown, who has a nose for the net and leadership qualities, is the perfect antidote for what ills the Sabres. Brown isn’t afraid to get involved physically and he brings a consistent effort every night, which is something that can’t be said for most of the players currently on Buffalo’s roster.

On top of that, Brown has an extremely friendly cap hit of $3.175 million through the 2013-14 season. Not only would he help the Sabres now, but he could be a big part of a potential Stanley Cup contender over the next couple years if further astute moves are made this offseason.

Although it’s uncertain precisely what Los Angeles will ask for in return, it stands to reason that it would love to get a puck-moving defenseman after dealing Jack Johnson to Columbus for Carter. Luckily for Sabres fans, Buffalo is loaded with offensively-minded defensemen, making a Brown for Andrej Sekera swap quite sensible.

Sekera has a great cap hit in his own right at $2.75 million through 2014-15, so it makes financial sense for both sides. Sekera has developed into one of the team’s most reliable defensemen, and while he only has 10 points on the season, that doesn’t tell the story of how good his offensive skills are.

Unfortunately, you have to give up quality players to get quality players, so the Sabres will need to part with an asset like Sekera to land Brown. Buffalo has plenty of good, young defensemen in the system, though, like Brayden McNabb, Mark Pysyk and Jerome Gauthier-Leduc.

The Sabres would be dealing from a position of strength, so it would be silly for them not to consider the deal if it should come up in negotiations. Buffalo needs a change in culture, and a hard-working yet skilled player like Brown is a piece that the Sabres have been missing for quite some time.

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As is the case with just about every NHL franchise this time of year, the Buffalo Sabres have been a much talked-about entity, as we are just days away from the NHL trade deadline.

A number of Sabres have been linked to trade rumors, including Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford, Paul Gaustad and Derek Roy.

The fascinating circumstance surrounding the blue and gold is that it is yet to be confirmed whether the team will be a buyer or seller. The team, just like everyone else in the NHL this season, is still in striking distance of a playoff spot despite having a disappointing season. Thus, they are in a precarious situation and find themselves pondering their trade strategy.

As February 27th nears, the team should be a seller to ensure long-term success. 

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It’s way too soon for the Buffalo Sabres to give up on Drew Stafford.

Few Sabres players have received more heat for the team’s disappointing season than Stafford. The talented winger hasn’t been able to match his point production from last season after signing a long-term contract extension that pays him $4 million per year.

That has led to rumors about his possible departure from Buffalo. Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reports the Edmonton Oilers could be interested in landing him if the price was right:

If the Sabres really find a willing partner, they might shed a more lucrative deal. Drew Stafford has three more seasons on his contract at $4 million per, and Andrej Sekera has three more at $2.75 million.

There’s continued chatter out of Edmonton, where his uncle was a longtime equipment manager, that the Oilers have interest in Stafford.

It’s impossible to deny Stafford’s contributions this season have been a disappointment, but there are only a couple players on the team’s roster who you couldn’t say that about. The Sabres are struggling because players who they expected to play prominent roles have struggled mightily.

Ville Leino, who was brought in to be Buffalo’s No. 2 center, has moved back to wing and has just four goals in 44 games. Tyler Ennis has just seven points in 21 games after missing a lot of time due to injury. Brad Boyes and Derek Roy have also failed to play like most anticipated prior to the season.

That’s how a team that was projected to finish in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference finds its playoff chances to be virtually nonexistent with two months left. It’s not one player’s fault, it’s a franchise-wide failure.

So fans, as you would expect, have begun to call for radical changes to the team’s roster. Stafford has been one of the main targets, with most considering him a contract-year fluke.

Even though this is Stafford’s sixth season with the team, he’s just 26 years old, which should mean his best hockey is yet to come. He established a 40-goal pace last season before injuries slowed him down, but the talent was obvious.

When he’s playing up to his potential, the North Dakota product can be a dominate power forward. It’s getting him to play with the necessary intensity on a nightly basis which has been a problem. That maturity should come soon.

Trading him now would also pose the traditional problem of selling low. Stafford’s value on the market is unlikely to ever fall lower than it currently sits. He’s in the first year of a new deal, underperforming and is a minus player for the first time in his career.

Whatever the Sabres get back in return, which wouldn’t be much because teams would see a franchise desperate to make a move just for the sake of riding themselves of an underachieving player, won’t be close to Stafford’s potential value in the future to the Sabres.

Buffalo would be much better off holding on to him and hope he, along with many of his teammates, rebound next season instead of trading him on the cheap before the deadline.

It might frustrate some of the team’s diehard fans in the short term, but it will be the right move for the franchise over the long haul.

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