Midseason NFL Awards

As you may have noticed, by listening to Better Live Than Dead on the GERE Radio Network, we like to talk a lot about the National Football League.

We could sit here, boring you with the details of why we think someone deserves something, but we won’t do that here on the blog version of the Better Live Than Dead podcast. With that being said, we will cut directly to the chase.

Last week in the NFL was the halfway point of the regular season. This means it certainly is time for us to unveil the Better Live Than Dead Midseason NFL Awards.

Whether you agree or disagree with us, let us know! Tweet at us: John – @thejcmoney, Perez – @mrlgperez, and Ryan – @wolfeshc.

To Be Young, Rich, and Stupid

As I’m sure you all have heard about the fast-developing Aaron Hernandez case by now, that is what I am here to discuss. (Just a quick side note, I hope this makes sense, it became more of a rant than a post.)

It’ll be 10 months tomorrow, when Hernandez signed a 5-year, 40 million dollar extension. Today, he was released from that contract, just a few hours before being charged with first degree murder in the death of Odin Lloyd.

Yes, there were other charges levied in court today, but the murder charge is obviously the worst.

Official charges: Murder, firearm w/o a license, possessing large capacity firearm (2 counts), possession firearm w/o FID card (2 counts)

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) June 26, 2013

Aaron Hernandez grew up a troubled kid, as per many different accounts throughout the sports world.

Throughout his childhood, Hernandez grew up and found himself associated with gang activity. When Hernandez began looking at colleges, he had an opportunity to break away from trouble and start new. Did he? Nope.

When he began to attend the University of Florida, he had an opportunity to break away from trouble and start new. Did he? Nope. Hernandez continued to get himself into trouble off the field, mostly with his use of marijuana.

As Hernandez began his descent toward the National Football League, he had an opportunity to break away from trouble and start new. Did he? Nope. He allegedly continued to fail drug tests, including multiple failures with different teams at the NFL Scouting Combine.

See where I am getting at here?

A blessing in disguise occurred for Aaron Hernandez when he dropped to the fourth-round of the draft, due to his numerous off-field incidents, and found himself drafted by the New England Patriots. As you may know, the Patriots are a “take-no-shit” kind of franchise. You shape up or shape out.

For the first time in his life, Hernandez seemed to have shaped up. He found himself as one half of the league’s most dynamic tight end duos and, as previously mentioned, very well off.

For right now, Hernandez leaves behind a fiancee and a seven-month old daughter. Oh wait, there is another chance for Hernandez to change, and did he? Not one bit.

It absolutely pisses me off that Hernandez, a professional athlete, thinks it is OK for himself to take someone else’s life into his own hands. This is not the first time something like this has happened, and I’m sure it will not be the last.

As for the family of the deceased, today is the beginning of redemption for them. If Hernandez is indeed the murderer, I hope the family gets all the justice they deem necessary.

In the first hearing, the prosecution stated that Hernandez was seen walking around his home with a gun following the shooting. They also state that 7-8 hours of video, around the time of the shooting, is missing from his home security system.

As the days continue on, we will surely find out whether or not Aaron Hernandez is in fact guilty of murder, and other gun-related charges, but that almost seems moot at this point.

After accomplishing something millions dream of, in becoming an NFL superstar, Aaron Hernandez could not seem to accomplish something as simple as maturing and growing up. At the young age of 23, Aaron Hernandez will find himself falling under the category of the young, rich, and stupid professional athlete.

To quickly wrap this up, today and these charges are more than just football. If you’re worried about the New England Patriots tight end depth today, not the fact that there is a dead 27-year old man with a suspect in custody, you can go surely go fuck right off.

Sports are not a priority in this situation, and you’re an asshole if you disagree. I am merely using sports to paint a picture about a young man who seems to have split lives on-and-off the field.

Head-In-Ass Trade Talk Running Wild

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

In a little under eight days, the NHL Trade Deadline will have come and passed.

Will the Buffalo Sabres look different or will the stay the same? We have no idea, only time will tell.

When listening to people talk on the radio, Twitter and Facebook, it is clear that many viewpoints are terribly skewed.

Some fans want a complete firesale, some want a controlled rebuild and others want the team to stay the same.

A mixture of the three would be the best option for the Sabres organization, short and long-term.

Super Bowl 47 Preview

Super Bowl XLVII is approaching, a game where we will see two brothers face off for the first time in league history. It is time to sit back and see how both of these franchises got themselves to the pinnacle of the football world.

San Francisco, led by young quarterback Colin Kaepernick, will look to win their franchise’s sixth Super Bowl, which would tie the NFL record currently held by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Baltimore, led by an inspirational Ray Lewis and a quarterback-on-fire in Joe Flacco, is looking to win their franchise’s second Super Bowl.

Both these teams will travel to New Orleans to play against each other on Sunday, February 3^rd.

Starting off on the West Coast, you’ll find yourself a handful of great storylines heading into Super Sunday.

When the season began, the San Francisco 49ers were led by quarterback Alex Smith, who brought the 49ers to the doorstep of the Super Bowl last season. Smith, a well-renowned game manager, was expected by many to at least bring the 49ers into another season of contention, which he did.

Smith’s great season was brought to a halt, when he suffered a concussion in a Week 10 tie against St. Louis. Although Smith was third in the NFL with a 104.1 passer rating, he never started another game this season.

Why you ask? Colin Kaepernick is the answer.

Since taking over the helm of the 49ers offense following Smith’s concussion against St. Louis, Kaepernick led the 49ers to a 5-2-1 record, along with a first-round bye, while throwing for over 1,700 yards and rushing for over 300 more.

While the defense has lived up to their usual hype, Kaepernick and the 49ers offense can be given a lot of the credit for their Super Bowl trip.

During the regular season, the 49ers averaged 361.8 offensive yards per game. In two games this postseason, San Francisco has averaged 476 yards per game.

Before we get too deep with San Francisco, let’s take this back to the East Coast and find out a little more about the Baltimore Ravens.

Throughout the past decade, the Ravens franchise has been able to rely on their stout defense to carry their team, which allows them to win without getting a lot of offensive fire power.

This season, that usual lock was far from anything guaranteed.

As players have aged and gotten injured on the Ravens’ defense, the effectiveness of the defense has fallen off. An annual top-ten defense ranked 17^th in the NFL during the regular season.

With this drop off, more was to be expected out of fifth-year quarterback Joe Flacco.

For the first 12 weeks of the season, the Ravens were rolling with a 9-2 record. All was well in Baltimore.

The next three weeks would feature three tough losses, dropping the Ravens closer to missing the playoffs, and the losing streak end up costing their offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, his job.

When Jim Caldwell took over the offensive coordinator job, many would notice a change in the offensive play calling. The only odd part about Caldwell’s promotion is that he had never called plays before at the NFL level.

The Ravens would finish the final two games with a 1-1 record but the stage was set for the postseason.

In three postseason games, Joe Flacco has thrown for 853 yards with 8 touchdowns and no interceptions. This impressive run has helped bring the Ravens back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 12 years.

Both of these teams being in the Super Bowl brings another very interesting storyline to the table, as previously mentioned.

For the first time in National Football League history, a brother will face off against a brother in the Super Bowl. Older brother John Harbaugh, in his fifth season as Ravens coach, will take on younger brother Jim Harbaugh, in his second season as 49ers head coach.

You may recall that this will be the second time we will get to see a Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh matchup. Back on Thanksgiving Night in 2011, John’s Ravens defeated Jim’s 49ers, 16-11, in Baltimore.

On the Ravens side of the ball, defensive stalwarts Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs are finally getting their first shot at immortality, while future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis looks to ride off into the sunset with the Vince Lombardi trophy.

There also is a local tie within the Baltimore Ravens as Rochester-native, and Syracuse University alum, Arthur Jones will be active and playing an important role on the defensive side of the ball.

For the 49ers, this Super Bowl would be vindication that they are truly the best team in the NFL. Since Harbaugh has taken over in San Francisco, the team has recorded an NFL-best 24-7-1 regular season record. A Super Bowl championship could also mean the bow on a Hall of Fame career for wide receiver Randy Moss.

It is very easy for you to root for the Baltimore Ravens or San Francisco 49ers on the 3^rd of February, but no matter the result, you’re guaranteed for one hell of a football game pitting two of the league’s best teams.

Diary of a Madman

Well hello. It’s been a few days since my last post, and I’m feeling the itch to write again.

Now that I am jobless in the blogosphere, it’s a lot more exciting for me because I have quickly remembered that I can write about whatever is on my mind.

Just a few things I want to talk about briefly.

First of all, if you don’t get why I have this blog or why I write about the most random things I can think of, don’t expect me to apologize. Everybody on the face of this Earth has their own ways of personal expression and I have chosen writing, specifically blogging, to whoever wants to read.

Secondly, if you have any questions or want to talk about anything, I am quite accessible through my Twitter account.

Follow @rwolfe09

(Would you look at that. I did all the hard work for you. What a nice guy I am!)

Oh, and I am not a madman. I just play one on television.

Now, it’s time to transition smoothly onto some more random thoughts that are currently floating through my large head.

– Penn State: I’m glad to see they got what they deserved. Paterno losing his record for all the years he hid the scandal is exactly what happens when a college pays a player to pay (see: USC/Reggie Bush). The loss of scholarships and money is something I haven’t really looked into but it seems very severe from what I’ve heard on the interwebs. Also, the lack of bowl games is a great thing. Don’t give the school any extra television time because they do not deserve it. To me, this seems like a modern-day death penalty, without completely shutting down the program (see: SMU Death Penalty).

– Red Sox: Oh man. What a rollercoaster season it’s been, and it’s only July. The team has yet to field it’s projected Opening Day lineup, and won’t until later this week (at the earliest). The pitching staff has not been excellent and the offense has been to spotty, although they have scored the most runs in MLB. The team makes my head hurt, but I am not giving up hope. The second wild card/one-game playoff will allow many more teams to feel like they are in the race for the playoffs. A few pitching additions, or additions by subtraction, and this Red Sox squad could be very tough to beat.

– Rick Nash to NYR: This just happened today, so I will touch on it. I lol’d when I saw the trade, to be completely honest. NYR seemed to be the only team that was genuinely interested in Nash for the past few months. Teams dabbled, and did their due dilligence, but New York wins the Nash “sweepstakes.” The issue I see here is that Nash has only scored more than 70 points once in his NHL career. Yeah, he was playing for Columbus but this is obviously a win-now move. The Rangers needed a scorer with Gaborik out until at least December and Nash fit the bill. The Rangers will continue to be a scary team but I honestly don’t think they were a Rick Nash away from the Stanley Cup.

– Pete Rose: I met Pete on Saturday morning at a signing in Depew. He was quick to jump on the fact that I was wearing Red Sox items and let me have it, in a joking way. Rose was a great sport and he had a handful of people cracking up at his demeanor. As you can tell by the photo below, he was having his fun talking to me. In the picture, I went to turn around to get a picture, and he squeezed on my hand to screw with me. Just a quick side note, he says that Adrian Gonzalez “can hit the ball real well.” I love going to meet athletes at signings, they’re always great.

The ranting and raving is over.

Here’s a quick life note for all of you, in wake of what happened on Thursday night. Enjoy yourselves as much as you can. Spend time with the people you love, whether it’s friends or family. Life’s too short to sit around and waste it.

I’m out. Until next time my friends.

Over and Out

(Very cliche, I know)

I come here, blogging on my personal blog, for the first time in 10 months, with many different things on my mind.

To start things off, I have officially resigned from my position as Administrator/Writer/Editor over at Sabres Hockey Central.

As you may or may not know, over the past year, I had obtained many responsibilities at SHC. For the past six months, I had essentially ran the site myself with input from the owner.

As I worked harder, adding more features to the blog, I felt like I was met with much hesitation. Not doubt of ability but a seeming resistance of power. I don’t know if this was the case but I felt challenged.

It seemed to me that the owner of the blog felt as if I was out to take over his blog, which is completely absurd. I was given an excellent opportunity at Sabres Hockey Central, and every day I made sure I put in as much as I possibly could to make SHC the best blog it could be.

For me, the issue was that the blog began to lose its fun. I used to enjoy spending my free time making pages for readers to look at while they browsed throughout the blog. More recently, it has seemed like a job. That is not the reason I originally started writing for SHC. When it comes to journalism, nothing should ever seem like a job because it is something I am very passionate about.

Although I have no piece of paper to that labels me a legitimate journalist, I consider myself to be one. For a very long time, this is what I’ve wanted to do and I continue to chase that dream every single day.

Creative differences encountered throughout the previous few months have also played a huge role in my decision. With the aforementioned increase in responsibility came increased power in decision making. Having previous experience in the journalism field, as well as being educated on the subject endlessly, I somewhat have an idea of what people look for when they click onto a news site or blog. That being said, it seemed as if my decisions were always being changed behind my back. Whether it was something as minor as a table of information or something as major as the page’s background, I grew tired with the lack of communication when it came to decision making.

Within my year and a half at the blog, I saw the site grow in numerous different and exciting ways. From topping 1,700 Facebook likes to hitting over 10,000 page views a month to team accessibility, the site never stopped growing. More recently, the blog was rewarded by the Sabres for being one of the top five fan-run Sabres blogs. That reward was a full season of locker room access for the blog.

A quick message for everyone over at Sabres Hockey Central. Continue to have fun with everything that you do on the site. Blogs are meant to be fun, not meant to be work, no matter how serious you make it. Enjoy the accessibility that you have because that will help your writing in the long run.

With that being said, I have no idea what is next for me, and that thought is amazingly exciting. I am just going to continue down the path that I am headed when it comes to writing. I’m sure you’ll hear a lot more from me on this blog and if another opportunity presents itself, I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

Until next time my friends.

Remembering the 2011 Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox 2011 season came to an abrupt end this evening. A Jonathan Papelbon blown save and loss, coupled with Evan Longoria hitting a walk-off home run in Tampa within a three minute span spelled the offseason for Boston. It is now time to take a brief look back at the 2011 season, and a brief look at what is ahead for this franchise.

Most Valuable Player/Comeback Player of the Year – OF Jacoby Ellsbury
Following a season in which Ellsbury played in 18 of 162 games, where he batted .192, 2011 was a year for Ellsbury to put all the doubts to rest. Last offseason, many people throughout baseball had written off Ellsbury, going as far as saying he was a bust. In the 2011 season, Ellsbury put up a season for the ages. Here are his final stats.

158 games played, .321 batting average, 212 hits, 46 doubles, 5 triples, 32 HR, 105 RBIs and 39 stolen bases.

Along with setting career-highs in hits, total bases, doubles, home runs and RBIs, Ellsbury also became the first 30/30 man in Boston Red Sox history. Not only was Ellsbury the MVP of the Boston Red Sox, he is also in the discussion for AL MVP.

Cy Young – RHP Josh Beckett
After suffering through a terrible 2010 season in which Josh Beckett was 6-6 with a 5.78 ERA, 2011 was a perfect opportunity for Beckett to turn the tide. Beckett recorded seven more wins this season, while dropping his ERA substantially. Beckett also reinforced the thought that he is the Red Sox ace. Here are his final stats for the season.

13-7, 2.89 ERA in 30 starts. 1 complete game, 1 shutout, 193.0 innings pitched and 175 strikeouts. The Red Sox were 20-10 when Beckett started.

Least Valuable Player – RHP John Lackey
What? Were you expecting someone else? Granted, Lackey has gone through all sorts of reported family troubles (from his wife getting breast cancer to their eventual divorce), it’s hard to excuse his less-than-stellar season when he was paid around 15 million dollars. Here are his final stats for the season.

12-12,  6.41 ERA in 28 starts. 203 hits, 119 runs and 108 strikeouts in 160.0 innings. The Red Sox were 14-14 when Lackey started.

The big question here is whether or not Lackey will ever be dominant like he was from 2007-09 (Lackey went 42-22 with a 3.53 ERA). The odds are that Lackey will continue to be a mediocre pitcher throughout the duration of his contract with the Red Sox. Two years into Lackey’s mega deal and it’s been nothing to write home about. Two years in Boston, two years of missing the playoffs. This contract will most likely continue to haunt the Red Sox until it expires after the 2014 season.

Looking Back
The Red Sox can look back on the 2011 season as a disappointing one but there were many different things to be excited about. Jacoby Ellsbury’s breakout season is the first thing to be excited about. The second would have to be Adrian Gonzalez’s first season in Boston. He ended the season with 27 home runs and 117 runs batted in, along with a career-high .338 batting average. Alfredo Aceves was another great surprise for the Red Sox. After being released by the Yankees in the previous offseason, the Red Sox were unsure in what they were getting in Alfredo Aceves. His value would quickly become known. The final stats for Aceves are as follows: 55 appearances, 10-2 record, 11 holds, 114 innings pitched, 80 strikeouts.

Looking Ahead
What comes next for the Boston Red Sox? Many rumors are surrounding General Manager Theo Epstein. There have been talks about Epstein possibly heading to Chicago to be the President of the Chicago Cubs. On top of those rumors, many people in the baseball community are talking that Red Sox manager Terry Francona could be losing his job because of the team’s historic collapse. Too much speculation right now to even know what exactly is going on. I can assure you of this though, keep your eyes peeled and your ears wide open because the Red Sox could be heading into a very, very busy offseason.

Looking towards next season, it’s time for my personal wrapup. I can confidently say that the bullpen and starting rotation need some fine tuning. Also, the entire Red Sox roster needs to engage themselves in some sort of hardcore offseason conditioning program because injuries were the story of this season, as they were in 2010. Whether it was Kevin Youkilis with his balky hip/sports hernia or Clay Buchholz with his stress fracture in his back, it was always something. Time for some name dropping! Carl Crawford looked lost in left field and at the plate this season. He might be headed for a position switch to right field, as J.D. Drew will be a free agent. Also, Daniel Bard needs to fix his mechanics. There is nothing acceptable about finishing the season with a 2-9 record, 0-4 in September with a 10.64 ERA in 11 innings, when you are a setup man. That being said, closer Jonathan Papelbon will most likely get a monster contract from the Red Sox due to Bard’s inability to show that he is ready to be the team’s closer. And John Lackey, please stop sucking. Sincerely, Red Sox Nation.

Pending Free Agents
C – Jason Varitek
DH – David Ortiz
RHP – Tim Wakefield
RHP – Jonathan Papelbon
RF – J.D. Drew
LHP – Erik Bedard
RHP – Dan Wheeler (Red Sox hold a 3 million dollar club option)
SS – Marco Scutaro (holds a 3 million dollar player option, Red Sox hold a 6 million dollar club option with a 1.5 million dollar buyout)

Arbitration Eligible
OF – Jacoby Ellsbury
SS – Jed Lowrie
C – Jarrod Saltalamacchia
RHP – Matt Albers
RHP – Alfredo Aceves
LHP – Rich Hill
LHP – Franklin Morales
RHP – Andrew Miller
SS – Mike Aviles
OF – Joey Gathright

What’s Wrong with John Lackey?

Many Red Sox fans have been asking the same question for awhile now, “What is wrong with John Lackey?”

Most people remember that the Boston Red Sox signed John Lackey to a 5 year/82.5 million dollar contract at the end of the 2009 season. At that point in his career, Lackey’s career line was: 102-71, 3.81 ERA, 1501 IP, along with 1201 K’s.

A lot of people around the baseball world felt that although Lackey might have begun his career decline, he could still be a very important part of the Boston Red Sox rotation. A year-and-a-half into his tenure with the Sox, Lackey has seemed to do the complete opposite.

In 46 starts, including today (July 4th), the Red Sox are 21-25 when Lackey starts. To put that into comparison, here is how the Red Sox have fared when the rest of the rotation has started (since the beginning of the 2010 season).

Beckett: 22-15
Buchholz: 28-14
Lester: 30-19
Wakefield:  12-17

The only pitcher with a sub-.500 record in the past one-and-a-half seasons is veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. That is expected, but not acceptable long-term, as Wakefield’s type of pitching is often unpredictable.

Lackey’s 2011 season did not get off to a great start. He allowed 9 runs in 3.2 innings in his first start of the season versus the Texas Rangers, a game in which he took the loss. In his second start of the season, Lackey allowed 6 runs in 5.0 innings against the New York Yankees and the Sox picked Lackey up, allowing him to record his first win of the season. Lackey recorded a decision in each of his five starts in the month of April, finishing the month with a 2-3 record and a 5.65 ERA.

The month of May would be a tough month for Lackey. In two starts, Lackey recorded a 0-2 record with a 14.34 ERA and finished the month on the disabled list.

In June, Lackey returned and again recorded a decision in each of his five starts of the month. Lackey’s June numbers were: 3-2 with a 5.28 ERA.

John Lackey started off the month of July with another game to forget. Lackey allowed 7 runs in 2.1 innings.

On the season, Lackey’s current stats are as follows: 5-8, 7.47 ERA, 72.1 innings pitched, 91 hits, 60 runs, 10 HRs, 10 hit batters, and 45 Ks.

There have been rumblings throughout the Red Sox clubhouse that John Lackey’s wife is currently fighting breast cancer. When asked about personal issues after a start back in May, Lackey stated, “Everything in my life sucks right now, to be honest with you.”

Another possible answer to the ever-growing question is Lackey’s balky elbow. Lackey spent three weeks on the disabled list back in May due to right elbow inflammation. This is the same elbow that Lackey has had issues with throughout his career. After a start against the Philadelphia Phillies at the end of June, Lackey and Red Sox management consistently brushed off the topic of surgery.

“Again, first off, I think almost every pitcher has — by most definitions, by standard definitions — a tear of some sort of another in a shoulder or elbow ligament,” stated Red Sox General manager Theo Epstein. “That’s just the nature of throwing a baseball overhand. I think it’s accurate to say he had an elbow injury earlier this year and got a shot for it and that alleviated some symptoms, and we’re going to monitor it closely.”

The media also asked John Lackey about the possibility of surgery.

“You never know. I don’t know. What did it look like tonight?”

Lackey went on to say that his elbow felt, “Pretty good. Probably not as good as some, better than others.”

Whatever the issues may be, family/elbow/unknown issues, I’m sure I speak for a good chunk of Red Sox fans who hope that Lackey can get everything settled down so the fans can see the full potential that he brings to the table.

Speaking of that potential, Lackey has shown it at different times throughout his short Red Sox career. Here are some of Lackey’s best starts in a Sox uniform.

May 5, 2010 – Win vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 7 IP, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 4 Ks.
August 22, 2010 – Win vs. Seattle Mariners: 8 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 10 Ks.
September 22, 2010 – Win vs. Baltimore Orioles: 7 IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 4 Ks.
April 24, 2011 – Win at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 8 IP, 6 hits, 0 runs, 6 Ks.

Who knows what the future holds for John Lackey as a member of the Boston Red Sox but Red Sox Nation can only hope that Lackey can figure out the issues, whatever they may be, because he is a very important part of the Red Sox rotation for the 2011 season and beyond.

It’s Been Awhile..

Well, welcome back! It’s been almost a month since my last post on this “Better Live Than Dead” blog. In the past month, two big things have happened. The Buffalo Sabres made the NHL Playoffs and the Boston Red Sox season began.

Granted, the Sabres absolutely marched into the playoffs where the Red Sox stumbled on their faces when the season began.

Sabres: Week in Review (3/21-3/27)

(Photo courtesy of Yahoo Sports)

With another successful week of Buffalo Sabres hockey in the book, it is time for the Buffalo Sabres: Week in Review!

Games Played
– 3/22/11 – Sabres defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 2-0.
– 3/25/11 – Sabres defeated the Florida Panthers, 4-2.
– 3/26/11 – Sabres defeated the New Jersey Devils, 2-0.

Points Earned
– The Buffalo Sabres earned six out of six points this week.

Who’s Hot
– Goaltender Ryan Miller: 3-0-0 record this week. Recorded two shutouts, tied career-high with his 5^th shutout in a single season. Allowed two goals on 93 shots.
– Forward Drew Stafford: 2 goals, one assist (3 points), plus two rating in three games.
– Forward Nathan Gerbe: 3 goals (3 points) in three games.
– Forward Jason Pominville: 1 goal, 2 assists (3 points) in three games.
– Defenseman Andrej Sekera: 2 assists (2 points), along with a plus four in three games.
– Defenseman Tyler Myers: 0 points but a plus five in three games.

Who’s Not
– Forward Mark Mancari: 0 points, minus one rating and four penalty minutes in two games. Mancari was a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game against the Devils.
– Forward Cody McCormick: 0 points, zero rating and two penalty minutes in three games.

Current Injuries
– Defenseman Jordan Leopold suffered a hand injury, rumored to be a broken hand, after crashing into the post during Friday’s win against the Florida Panthers. He is expected to miss the rest of the regular season and may miss the playoffs as well.
– Goaltender Patrick Lalime suffered a knee injury during practice. He is expected to “miss some time.”
– Forward Patrick Kaleta suffered a bone bruise to his knee on 3/6 against the Minnesota Wild. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said that Kaleta will miss “a few weeks.”
– Forward Derek Roy is targeting a return “in the second-round of the playoffs” from his torn quadriceps tendon.

Current Standings

(Courtesy of NHL.com, “X” stands for “Clinched Playoff Birth”)

What’s on Tap
– 3/29/11 – Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs (34-32-10, 78 points).
– 3/30/11 – Sabres versus New York Rangers (41-30-5, 87 points).
– 4/2/11 – Sabres at Washington Capitals (44-22-10, 98 points).
– 4/3/11 – Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes (35-30-10, 78 points).

Until next time.