The Fifth Liners

This article was first posted on  the4thlinepodcast.com In the first article in this series, we looked at the NHL’s 1967 expansion, when the league doubled in size. 1970 brought the addition of two new NHL teams, and the divisions were shuffled. The Chicago Black Hawks (the name change came in 1986) moved over to the West, making space in the East division for the new boys. 1970 Vancouver Canucks The history of the Vancouver Canucks effectively starts in 1945, but ice hockey in BC’s largest city goes back much further than that. The Millionaires (later renamed The Maroons) represented Vancouver in the PCHA and WCHL for 15 years, and in that time brought home the Stanley Cup. A feat that to date, has not been repeated in Vancouver. In 1915 the winners of the PCHA and NHA competed for the cup, the Millionaires defeated the NHA’s Ottawa Senators (the original Senators) to lift the cup for the first and only time. In 1926 the team folded. Fast forward 19 years and hockey ret...

Winners Buffalo Sabres  In two short days, Dan Bylsma 's new reign in Buffalo already seems a lot brighter. Not only did they selected hot prospect Jack Eichel second overall, but they also pulled off an excellent trade with Colorado swapping Ryan O'Reilly and Jamie McGinn for Nikita Zadarov, Mikhail Grigorenko and J.T Compher. The day before they also acquired Robin Lehner and David Legwand in a trade with Ottawa for the 21st pick! Already their depth quality looks far more impressive than last season. With a top line included, Kane, Bogosian and Eichel, this might be a time to scale back on the Sabres related jokes on this blog. Edmonton Oilers Having the first overall pick, selecting Connor McDavid was a guaranteed high point. But new GM Peter Chiarelli also smartly acquired the services of goalie Cam Talbot for New York. While old team the Bruins (we'll get to them later) took a hit, Edmonton is now in the beginning stages of building a team that is actua...

Finally Dan Bylsma 's exodus from the NHL has ended. Today it was announced that he has been appointed the 17th head coach of the Buffalo Sabres . His hiring will no doubt come as positive news to Sabres fan, who are still aggrieved at losing out on Babcock. Here is a statement of intention by Sabres management to improve the dour situation at the First Niagara Centre. But the real question will remain, can Bylsma wring any life out this dying team? Although his previous life at Pittsburgh didn't have a happy ending, Bylsma still gave away with an impressive record. His team took home a Stanley Cup in 2009 and in each of his five seasons in charge, they reached the playoffs. But sadly despite having some of the NHL's elite players, he failed to replicate his cup win and slowly tested the patience of fans and management alike. What the Sabres off him is a completely clean slate and the possibility of having Jack Eichel on the roster. Having coached this same player at the...

Once more fans of the Edmonton Oilers, will be celebrating as their side have received first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery! Seems Connor McDavid will be spending some cold winters over in Alberta in years to come! Buffalo Sabres were no doubt disappointed to land the second overall pick, but will no doubt take consolation that this will probably mean Jack Eichel will be in the state of New York! In what could be one of the biggest depth quality drafts, it could well mean that each team has some great talent for the future. My only real doubt with this decision is that Edmonton has had its fair share of number one picks in the last few years, and still nothing has come of it! People paint McDavid as if he is the next Sidney Crosby of hockey, I just worry that this team is the wrong fit for his talents? Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are starting to show the leadership qualities required for the Oilers- but Nail Yakupov has only shown glimpses of what he is capable o...

Well today's NHL Trade Deadline didn't quite prove to be the Maple Leafs dominated affair that many expected. Princess Dion Phaneuf, Jonathan Bernier and Phil Kessel still remaining in Ontario (at least for now) so it appears Leafs fans will have to wait until summer time for any big changes. But there were still some interesting moves that could well shake up the mix come play off time. Keith Yandle ( Arizona Coyotes to New York Rangers ) At long last Keith Yandle is no longer playing desert hockey and moving to the Big Apple is the shot in the arm his career needs. A long time star of a continually dying franchise, Yandle has shown so much promise for nothing. The Rangers are keen to end their cup drought and grabbing a great blue liner like Yandle is key to that success. John Moore and Anthony Duclar have made the move across in place of this man- which is pretty fair quality for the Rangers to be giving back. We will see if this move pays off come play off time. Ant...

Mike's question this week focuses on a team who bore the brunt of our mocking humour last season, the Buffalo Sabres . "The Buffalo Sabres are pretty much a whole new team, do they have what it takes to make the playoffs next season?"  So far in the post season, Buffalo have been planning ahead for the future and their picks appear to have been wise ones. They smartly selected hot prospect Sam Reinhart 2nd overall at the NHL Draft in Philadelphia. This young centre has put up impressive numbers for Kootenay Ice in the WHL and he gives the Buffalo franchise new talent to be excited about! In the last few years, they have been without a stand out player, but in Reinhart they have a potential superstar in waiting and they have constructed a great sounding board in which to build the team around him. Brendan Lemieux , son of former Montreal and Colorado winder Claude was also selected 31st overall which gives them another future star to work around because on his heri...

On June 27/28 all eyes will be on the 2014 NHL Draft  at the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia and the big question to all experts will be who is going to be the first name called out by the Florida Panthers. All though there is huge speculation about which player it will, this is one event teams always need to think about carefully because they young men could well be the future of a franchise and will have to be chosen carefully- no one wants another Alexandre Daigle or Patrik Stefan after all! So as we analyse the top picks, which one will great;y benefit which team? Here I will look at the first six picks (partly to include Vancouver). 2014 NHL Draft Order 1. Florida Panthers Sam Bennett: The Panthers badly need an offensive spark as their goal numbers have still remained dangerously low, something that number 2 pick Aleksander Barkov has so far failed to raise. So far 18 year old Ontario kid Sam Bennett has been listed as the top North American prospect in the NHL draft...

Vancouver Canucks Perhaps me being slightly biased being a Canucks fan, but this horn is one that brings back great memories of our Stanley Cup run in 2011. Even today when it sounds at the Rogers Arena, it still succeeds in raising the hairs on your neck! New York Rangers It is fitting that the Rangers still use the same goal horn from their 1994 cup winning season at Madison Square Garden, and it is a good thing to because it is one of the most distinctive and best sound horns in the league!  LA Kings This is one goal horn that is guaranteed to make you sit up and pay attention! Sounding like an oncoming goods train, every time it sounds at the Staples Center, it's a reminder the LA Express is coming. Detroit Red Wings One of the most legendary sounds of the league, the horn at the Joe Louis Arena has become the soundtrack to the Wings success over the years and even today it still stands out. Boston Bruins When the Bruins score at TD Garden, this...

Today a long standing rumour was executed as after almost a year of speculation, the Buffalo Sabres have traded long time goaltender Ryan Miller along with captain Steve Ott to the St Louis Blues in exchange for fellow goalie Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart, young prospect William Carrier along with a first round draft pick at the 2015 draft. The 2010 Veniza trophy winner has been under fire the last couple of seasons as the Sabres' form has declined considerably to the point of being laughable (their standing at the bottom of the Western Conference clearly reflects this point). As one of the prime assets on the market and a Olympic Gold Medalist, Miller has been one of the most sought after players in this trade deadline. But in the press conference when the announcement was made, Miller was visibly upset at leaving his home of the last 11 years. He leaves behind an impressive legacy at the HSBC Arena with 284 wins from 540 games played with a GAA average of 2.60! He also beat ...

The Philadelphia Flyers recovery story took another impressive step forward as after their 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens they increased their home winning streak to 10 games! But incredibly this now lifts the Flyers up to 5th place in the Eastern Conference! In Pennsylvania the gloom seems to be lifting and thanks to the goals of Sean Couturier, Zac Rinaldo and Michael Raffl, the sun may be shining again in the city of brotherly live! Buffalo Sabres take note, this is how you turn a season around- Good luck Tim Murray, who today was appointed the new GM of the franchise. You have one hell of a task ahead!

Brendan Shanahan delivered a lot on the ice during his glorious 21 year NHL career that took in stints with the New Jersey Devils, St Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, New York Rangers and most famously the Detroit Red Wings (where he won three Stanley Cups). But it appears that his legacy is spreading further in his new role as Director of Player Safety. Since his appointment in 2011, Shanahan has taken a hard line on player safety and if someone crosses over with an illegal hit, then the infamous 'Shana-ban' will be enforced. Raffi Torres has twice been on the receiving end as his horrendous hit on Martin Havlat whist playing for Phoenix landed him with a 21 game ban (the longest of the 21st century so far!) and last year whilst a San Jose he his illegal check on LA King's Jarret Stoll landed him with a ban from the playoff second round! Many would use this assignment as a cushy job to keep them in the hockey world, Shanahan however has been praised for his involvement...

Sorry. Couldn't resist.  The Buffalo Sabres are being very thorough when it comes to hiring a new General Manager. So thorough that it's beginning to look like nobody will be hired until everyone who's ever worked in hockey has been considered. Potentially that list includes fictional Japanese candidates . According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, the LA Kings' Director of Amateur Scouting Mike Futa is being considered. Although we don't know if the Kings have given permission for the Sabres to talk to Futa. That said, it's also pretty much a given that we won't see a new GM this side of Christmas, or possibly even the Olympics.  The Sabres' list of targets seems to be focused on people with backgrounds in scouting, as well as coaching. Potentially this is a brilliant plan, given that the only way that Buffalo can become competitive again is to start from scratch. Something that current caretaker coach Ted Nolan is working on.  Anyway, Fut...

It's all go in New York State. Buffalo Sabres today announced that GM Darcy Regier and head coach Ron Rolston have been fired. The decision was made after the team beat the 2012 Stanley Cup winning LA Kings on penalties. Go figure. Long term though, the Sabres have been struggling with suspensions and general ability to not concede goals. The team currently sits bottom of the league and change has been on the cards for a while. Former Sabre captain, legend and current Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine has been hired as director of hockey operations to sort things out. "It's going to take a team from top to bottom and we don't have all the pieces in place." LaFontaine said, confusing hockey with a Puzz 3D. He also said that he won't be taking the GM job, but will head the search.  Ted Nolan has been appointed as interim coach, tasked with changing the culture within the squad. Nolan last coached the team in 1997 when despite winning the Jack Adams award, he was ...

The Philadelphia Flyers, the Florida Panthers and the Buffalo Sabres aren't exactly having seasons to write home about. Going into last night's games, the teams had collectively only won 12 games (the same amount as the Phoenix Coyotes). Last night was a reminder that in the NHL, any team can beat any team on the night. Even Buffalo. Buffalo Sabres All three of the Buffalo Sabres' wins had come on the road and welcoming the in-form LA Kings to the First Niagra Center, it didn't look like a home win would be on the cards.  At the end of the first period, the 2012 Stanley Cup champions were a goal to the good after Justin Williams slipped the puck past Ryan Miller in the second minute of the game. The Kings held the lead until just over half way through regulation when Cody Hodgson found an equaliser for Sabres.  Hodgson became the Sabres two-goal hero when he took advantage of Justin Williams' hooking penalty to score a powerplay goal and give the Sab...

I think the Internet is angry at the goings-on in Buffalo. In case you can't make out the naff quality pic (sorry), it says: General manger - Fire Darcy Regier Head Coach - Fire Ron Ralston Hell hath no fury like an internet scorned.

The Patrick Kaleta issue is turning into a story which won't go away. After Kaleta's ten game suspension for his hit 'n Jack Johnson ran out, the Buffalo Sabres decided to place him on waivers, rather than allow him to return to the team. No other teams were in the market for the 27 year old so today he was assigned to the AHL's Rochester Americans. So what's next for the suspension prone forward? Aside from a big slice of humble pie, Kaleta has a good chance to turn his career around, although taking Matt Cooke's offer of help is probably best avoided.  This is mixed news for the Amerks, currently 11th in the Western Conference. Kaleta, when he's on his game is a handy right winger. The Angola, NY native last plated for the Amerks in the 07/08 season. Scoring one goal, and 109 penalty minutes in 29 games.  For Kaleta to turn over a new leaf, he's going to need to perform like an angel game after game. This here presents an issue. The Ame...

I'd almost forgotten about  John Scott's challenge on Loui Eriksson  that earned him some quality time with NHL disciplinarian-in-chief Brendan Shanahan.  The seven game ban was given because of the illegal check to the head, injury and Scott's no history of supplemental discipline. Because no history is somehow worse than a history of bad hits.  Scott has already missed three games and will give up $26,923.05. This is more bad news for the Buffalo Sabres, who are currently last in the league, having only won two of fourteen games. 

On Sunday, New York Islanders GM Garth Snow made a shock announcement when it was reveal that Islanders future star Matt Moulson had been traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a  Tomas Vanek! Despite the Islanders going 4-4-3 so far and gaining 8 points, Snow has decided the shake the tree and this decision has left widespread shock amongs each member of the Nassau Coliseum- particularly captain John Tavares who was close friend with Moulson. Moulson has made a great star to new life in upstate New York and last night he bagged two goals on his Sabres debut in a 4-3 loss to Dallas Stars! But Islander fans have been demanding an explanation for Snow's actions, finally now the GM has broken his silence. Click here to see Snows explanation

Goaltender Martin Biron announced his retirement today. Martin Biron  ‏ @ martybiron43 After thinking about it it with my family, I've decided to retire as a player and move on to a new chapter. Thank you all for your support. Biron had most recently played for the New York Rangers but last week was placed on waivers and assigned to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack. The Quebec native first made his NHL debut in 1995 when he was drafted 16th overall by the Buffalo Sabres. He spent five years in the juniors and in 2000, became the Sabres main goalie once Dominik Hasek was traded to Detroit. After the 2004-05 lockout, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, finding success, especially in the postseason. Unfortunately for Biron, the Flyers had signed Ray Emery and Brian Boucher, leaving Biron surplus to requirements. Biron spent three seasons in Philly before being traded to the New York Islanders. After a mixed season at the Isles, he made the short journey to the Rang...

Is it time for Sabres fans to be worried? After six games the team is sat at the bottom of the league, division and conference. Their one solitary point came from an overtime loss hosting Tampa Bay. The New Jersey Devils are currently the only other team without a win under their belts but they've forced three games to overtime. Let's have a look at some numbers: Buffalo Sabres League Leader Goals Per Game (Avg) 1 4.80 (SJS) Powerplay 9.5% 37.5% (STL) Faceoff 44.5% 58.4% (MIN) There's some worrying stuff there, the biggest concern has to be the number of goals be scored (or not scored). Thomas Vanek is the team's leading goalscorer and he has two from six games. Compare that with Tomas Hertl who has seven from five games. The powerplay stat is also a worry. This season; teams are living and dying by how they take advantage of the extra man offered by the powerplay. To be converting less than 10% of those opportunities is not a recipe for success. The stat...