Sabres Rookie Replaces Scoring Leader Satan
ATLANTA - The Buffalo Sabres can live with a streaky scorer as long as he keeps working. It's no secret that's what led to Miroslav Satan's departure. The team leaders who arrived the past few seasons refused to put up with 10-game scoreless droughts accompanied by what they perceived as 60 minutes of pirouetting.
Apparently, Thomas Vanek is no Miroslav Satan.
Vanek, looked upon to replace the perennial scoring leader's output, is back on a hot streak. The rookie heads into tonight's game in Atlanta with three goals in the last two games. His goals have come in bunches, as he has four hot stretches to go with four frigid runs.
"Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't. Lately, it's that time again," Vanek said Monday in the Amherst Pepsi Center before flying to Atlanta.
"I think I need to get more consistent, but it's still my first year. I'm getting used to playing every night at the same level. But I can tell I get more comfortable every five games or so, so hopefully I can not be as streaky as I've been in the past and play consistent the next 30-some games."
Before scoring two games ago, Vanek had found the net just once in eight games. That was preceded by a stretch of four goals in five outings. He's also had runs of three goals in three games and three goals in two games, while suffering through droughts of 1 in 12, 0 in 3 and 0 in 14.
"I think a lot of players end up in that category," coach Lindy Ruff said. "You can go through our lineup and you can point to a streak for almost every player, from top to bottom.
"When you get in them, it's how quick a player can get out of them and how they handle it when they're in it. I think that Thomas continued to work through it, and if you keep the work ethic up you'll eventually break through."
The Sabres shuffled their lines when center Tim Connolly's knee was injured last week. Vanek ended up with center Chris Drury and right wing Mike Grier, regarded as two players who don't take a shift off. Satan didn't fit in with them - at all - but Vanek has been able to mesh.
"I think we're still getting used to each other a little bit, trying to figure it out a little," Grier said. "Thomas is very creative with the puck, so we're starting to learn how to read off him."
Vanek's last three goals have come on the power play rather than with his linemates. The five-on-five goals have been tougher to come by because their line often scatters, with Drury and Grier taking off to kill penalties and Vanek and Drury departing in man-advantage situations.
"It's great when he's on because he can find the net," Drury said. "As he gets older, I think he'll be less streaky and just more consistent. But he's doing all right as a streaky guy right now anyway."
The 22-year-old already has been called the all-around most talented player in Ruff's tenure. The statement also was taken as a message to Satan, a supremely talented sniper with occasional effort and defensive deficiencies. The Sabres said Vanek's shown the effort.
"He's starting to realize that's what it takes to play in this league day in and day out - you've got to be ready to play every night and work hard," Grier said. "I think the last month and half, two months, he's really started to turn the corner in that regard."
Vanek has 15 goals and 17 assists, giving him a 25-goal, 28-assist pace. He wants to improve it.
"Every player, no matter where he's at, he always expects to be a little higher," Vanek said. "I do the same for myself. It's not bad where I'm sitting at right now, but I think I might be a little higher than I am."
Ruff, who wanted to go 4-2 on this road trip and enters tonight 3-2, had numbers picked out for Vanek, too.
"He's getting close to them," the coach said. "I think that you've got to keep goals in mind, and I felt he'd be able to get 20 to 30, and I think that's well within reach for him. That along with playing a good two-way game, which I think his two-way game has come a long way."
Grier and Drury know the pressure of numbers can weigh on players, especially a rookie. They like how Vanek has coped with being projected to fill Satan's stat line.
"I think it's hard to project what a guy's going to do, one year out of college, one year in pro," Drury said. "It's a lot of pressure on a kid. But overall he's handled it extremely well."
Apparently, Thomas Vanek is no Miroslav Satan.
Vanek, looked upon to replace the perennial scoring leader's output, is back on a hot streak. The rookie heads into tonight's game in Atlanta with three goals in the last two games. His goals have come in bunches, as he has four hot stretches to go with four frigid runs.
"Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't. Lately, it's that time again," Vanek said Monday in the Amherst Pepsi Center before flying to Atlanta.
"I think I need to get more consistent, but it's still my first year. I'm getting used to playing every night at the same level. But I can tell I get more comfortable every five games or so, so hopefully I can not be as streaky as I've been in the past and play consistent the next 30-some games."
Before scoring two games ago, Vanek had found the net just once in eight games. That was preceded by a stretch of four goals in five outings. He's also had runs of three goals in three games and three goals in two games, while suffering through droughts of 1 in 12, 0 in 3 and 0 in 14.
"I think a lot of players end up in that category," coach Lindy Ruff said. "You can go through our lineup and you can point to a streak for almost every player, from top to bottom.
"When you get in them, it's how quick a player can get out of them and how they handle it when they're in it. I think that Thomas continued to work through it, and if you keep the work ethic up you'll eventually break through."
The Sabres shuffled their lines when center Tim Connolly's knee was injured last week. Vanek ended up with center Chris Drury and right wing Mike Grier, regarded as two players who don't take a shift off. Satan didn't fit in with them - at all - but Vanek has been able to mesh.
"I think we're still getting used to each other a little bit, trying to figure it out a little," Grier said. "Thomas is very creative with the puck, so we're starting to learn how to read off him."
Vanek's last three goals have come on the power play rather than with his linemates. The five-on-five goals have been tougher to come by because their line often scatters, with Drury and Grier taking off to kill penalties and Vanek and Drury departing in man-advantage situations.
"It's great when he's on because he can find the net," Drury said. "As he gets older, I think he'll be less streaky and just more consistent. But he's doing all right as a streaky guy right now anyway."
The 22-year-old already has been called the all-around most talented player in Ruff's tenure. The statement also was taken as a message to Satan, a supremely talented sniper with occasional effort and defensive deficiencies. The Sabres said Vanek's shown the effort.
"He's starting to realize that's what it takes to play in this league day in and day out - you've got to be ready to play every night and work hard," Grier said. "I think the last month and half, two months, he's really started to turn the corner in that regard."
Vanek has 15 goals and 17 assists, giving him a 25-goal, 28-assist pace. He wants to improve it.
"Every player, no matter where he's at, he always expects to be a little higher," Vanek said. "I do the same for myself. It's not bad where I'm sitting at right now, but I think I might be a little higher than I am."
Ruff, who wanted to go 4-2 on this road trip and enters tonight 3-2, had numbers picked out for Vanek, too.
"He's getting close to them," the coach said. "I think that you've got to keep goals in mind, and I felt he'd be able to get 20 to 30, and I think that's well within reach for him. That along with playing a good two-way game, which I think his two-way game has come a long way."
Grier and Drury know the pressure of numbers can weigh on players, especially a rookie. They like how Vanek has coped with being projected to fill Satan's stat line.
"I think it's hard to project what a guy's going to do, one year out of college, one year in pro," Drury said. "It's a lot of pressure on a kid. But overall he's handled it extremely well."
posted by Buffalo Sabres Hockey at
2:25 PM
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