Flashback to '06?

It looks like the Flyers' Braydon Coburn will miss tonight's elimination game against the Penguins because his left eye is still swollen. Philly is also without its other top defenseman, Kimmo Timmonen, who is out with a blood clot in his ankle. Do you think Daniel Briere and Martin Biron are having flashbacks to the 2006 conference finals, when the Sabres lost four defensemen to injury?

Just wait. If the Flyers manage to win at home tonight, it's only a matter of time before one of their defensemen goes out with a rare strep infection in his leg.

Comments

[ElmaGolf]

Tom - I apologize for obtaining "support" for this, but your assertion that the "Miller Annointers" have a slective memory is a little off-base.

Yes, Marty can get on a Hot Streak. You know who else can get on a hot streak? Max Afinogenov (but I'm sure that wasn't your point). But really - there is someone else who can also get on a hot streak - Ryan Miller.

You know who can get in a "cold streak"? - Marty Biron (and also, Ryan Miller, to be fair).

You are certainly using some pretty selective memory when you say "people forget that Biron had a big stretch that kept the Sabres in a good position in '06." Actually, that's not true - I do remember it very clearly - he won something like 11 straight starts (with that d@mn San Jose game in the middle where Noronen lasted all of 15 minutes). But even with that great "hot streak", Marty still had a GAA that was .28 higher and a save percentage that was .09 lower than Miller. So, are you selectively forgetting that Marty had some "bad games" or that Miller must have played some decent hockey somewhere in there?

Marty had 35 games that season to show his stuff, compared to Ryan's 48 games.

So now because Miller had a sub-par March and Marty had a good finish to this season, fans who support Miller are the ones with "selective memory?"

Yes, Marty had a good playoff (nice timing on his streaks). He ended up with a 2.98 and .904.

In case you forgot, Miller had a 2.22 and .922 in last year's playoffs.

In some regards, you are correct - it was too bad that Marty had to play back-up here - he obviously is a starting goalie. But I'm scratching my head trying to figure out your suggested solution.

Would you have benched the Goalie with better stats because Marty "doesn't feel pressure?" (BTW, that "easy going style" is a fickle thing. People love it when he's winning, but are probably annoyed by it when the chips are down. The same probably can be said of Miller's "intensity.")

Would you have traded Miller and kept Marty (because he would have beat Miller's 2.22 and .922 playoff performance?). Or would you have kept Marty and signed him as a $3MM "back-up" or "co-starter?"

As for your "love of baby Jesus" wish - I suppose that's a matter of speculation. Who knows how good an owner he'd be just because he's "passionate." Dan Snyder was "passionate" and blew all his money on over-the-hill free agents with no return, except for significantly inflated ticket prices.

[Tom]

Sully is right...and the other Tom is right. McKee had a Staph infection, but a Strep infection is just as possible in a knee.

I hope Philly finds a way to get Pittsburgh to buckle in the knees. Say what you want about Marty, but he can go on a hot streak at any time. All the fans that wanted to annoint Ryan Miller the savior seem to forget that Biron had a big stretch that kept the Sabres in a good position in '06. For all the crying about JP Losman not getting a fair shake to be the starter on the Bills end of things, Marty wasn't really given a great chance either. He played behind one of the top goalies in the history of the game, then was thrown into the muck of a pre-lockout Darcy Regier team which averaged 2 goals a game on a good night. He never had a chance in the playoffs until now. I say good for him, and watch out!

One thing about Biron is that he doesn't feel pressure. He laughs it off. If Philly can get a fast start in game 5, some of the young studs on the Penguins might let doubt sneak in, and Marty will know how to stoke the flames.

For the love of the Baby Jesus, please let Basillie buy the Sabres. I would like to see a playoff game in Buffalo sometime soon and not a bunch of Quinn/Regier/Ruff approved purse swingers on the ice.
If the local catburglers are smart, they'd go rob the houses of the Sabres defensemen. I bet you Tallinder would tell you where the good jewelry was and then turn his back and whistle as you go James Hardy on Mrs Tallinder.

[Tricky Dick]

Typical sulliness.

[Tricky Dick]

Typical sulliness.

[Matt]

Yeah what a stupid post, even beyond using the wrong term for the McKee injury. It's a totally different situation: Philly is down 3-0 and is toast, but in '06 the Sabres were competitive down to the last period of Game 7.

[Tom]

McKee had a staph infection... strep is what you get in your throat!