in NHL Articles

Biron playing well

Are the Buffalo Sabres a Stanley Cup contender? Vegas oddsmakers really didn’t think so back before the 2005/06 season began; now they’re not as sold on the Sabres’ also-ran status.

Buffalo began the year at 60/1 odds to plan a Cup route along Lake Erie. After tearing through the league over the past couple of months, that line has dropped to 30/1. We don’t say this too often, but it’s a good time to be a sports fan in Buffalo.

And the secret to the Sabres’ success? It’s certainly not a dominant offense. In fact, not a single Buffalo skater is even close to producing at a point-per-game pace. The quintet of Ales Kotalik, Chris Drury, Tim Connolly, Maxim Afinogenov, and rookie Thomas Vanek have led the way on offense, but those five would have a hard time cracking the top line on other contending teams. And Daniel Briere and J.P. Dumont, two of the team’s bigger scoring threats, have been limited by injuries.

A stifling defense? Not quite. Veteran Teppo Numminen and upstart Brian Campbell have been chipping in with more points than expected, but neither would be considered shutdown guys. Dmitri Kalinin and Henrik Tallinder have struggled at times, and Rory Fitzpatrick is among the league leaders in worst plus/minus. Jay McKee and Toni Lydman, though, have been solid on the back end.

Red-hot goaltending? Getting closer. Ryan Miller opened the season as the team’s starting keeper, supplanting incumbent Martin Biron. Miller then locked himself into the job with a good start, before getting sidelined by a broken thumb. In stepped Biron, who shook off the rust to put up one of the longest win streaks by a goalie over the past decade. However, with Miller now back to reclaim his job it looks like Biron is the No. 2 man again until a trade moves him to another team (a transaction that has seemingly been in the works for years).

So really, the best way to describe the Sabres right now is ‘solid’. There isn’t a Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson caliber line on the roster, but there’s a big group of forwards that can pass around the mantle of nightly hero. There’s isn’t a stud on defense, but there’s a bunch of blueliners that can excel in their specifically-assigned roles. And there are currently two goalies on the roster that have played at a high level at points this season.

And more help could be on the way. Biron has been linked to every team that has experienced goalie woes this season, including the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks. In fact, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if Biron was dealt before the first week of January was over, as his value couldn’t get any higher and the team seems set on having Miller in the crease. A Biron deal, assuming GM Darcy Regier gets full value, would allow the team to upgrade a roster spot or fill in a hole or two where required.

That help could be crucial to the team’s chances in the playoffs, as Briere’s groin injury has not improved and could turn out to be the dreaded sports hernia. Dumont will be out until after the Olympic break with a sports hernia, while Taylor Pyatt has a broken wrist and no timetable for a return. Kalinin has a broken finger and hasn’t been in the lineup for the past couple of weeks.

Regardless, the Sabres are currently riding high in the Northeast Division standings, and are sitting shockingly close to the Ottawa Senators in total points as December winds to a close. Their home record is great, their road record is great, and it’s not by much but they’re potting more goals than they are allowing.

And the buzz is back in Buffalo. Normally, a game at HSBC Arena on the busy day after Christmas would feature holiday wreaths in the lobby, excellent chicken wings in the lounge, and empty rows of seats in the second level. This year, however, the rink was packed for Buffalo’s 6-3 win over the New York Islanders on December 26, a game that saw the Sabres score four times in the third period to pull out the win. No parade route has been officially planned out along Lake Erie, but it might not be long before a few tentative paths are trampled in the snow.

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