Sabres and Amerks...WOW
This entry was posted on 10/22/2006 5:25 PM and is filed under Hockey.
Who would have thunk?
The Buffalo Sabres 8-0...maybe.
The Rochester Americans 6-0...no way!
Hard to believe that they Sabres and their farm team are a combined 14-0 but both team are doing it in different ways.
Buffalo is a fast-skating, high-scoring machine that uses good goaltending to get the job done. It was expected, but 8-0. I would have been plelased at 6-2 especially with a rather tough opening slate of games.
The Rochester Americans are doing it with super goaltending and just enough offense.
Craig Anderson and Adam Dennis are the Rochester goalies and both saw more rubber this weekend than a worker at a Firestone Tie plant. Anderson turned aside 51 shots in a 3-1 win over the Peoria Rivermen Friday evening while Dennis has 54 saves in a 3-1 victory over the homestanding Toronto Marlies on Saturday night. Many of Dennis' saves were point-blank.
A total of 105 shots and only 2 goals against for Rochester is like playing Russian Roulette. I worry this might catch up to the Americans soon.
But what I do like is Dennis looks like the real deal for Rochester and the Buffalo Sabres. Give him a year to develop in Rochester and then we can bid bon voyage to Martin Biron and his over-priced $2.3 million contract for the 2007-08 season. That savings can go directly to Chris Drury's new contract..one he truly is earning and is deserving.
But is stopping 54 shots in a game pushing Dennis' development? Yes, but I guess with those kind of numbers, maybe his one year of development will seem like three.
The Americans play at always-tough Grand Rapids on Wednesday night. The Griffins are an elite AHL team and if they put over 50 shots on goal, it won't be pretty and the big win streak may come to an end. But who knows? The Americans have surprised us and the rest of th AHL thus far.
