Happy Friday, everyone! Plenty of thoughts on the All-Star draft, plus a few mid-season reports in today's batch of links.

Roenick:Sabres Not Playing For Each Other - WGR 550
"I know Ryan Miller is one of the best goaltenders in the game but there seems to be something missing chemistry wise in the locker room" Roenick said. They’re just not playing together, playing hard for each other when they get onto the ice."

It's Complicated - The Goose's Roost
It's easy to forget just how much you forget over time.

Kennedy traded again, this time to San Jose - Sabres Edge
Tim Kennedy is on the move again. The South Buffalo native (left) who has hopscotched from Buffalo to New York and Florida in the last two years with some AHL spots in between, was traded again Thursday by the Florida Panthers to the San Jose Sharks .

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While the Sabres are off, there is the all-star game festivities that kick off with the All-Star Fantasy Draft tonight. Will Jason Pominville get picked last and win the car this year? Will Zdeno Chara just show his true side and go Godzilla on everyone?.. Will someone else cry because they were picked last?

The Fantasy Draft starts at 8pm on NBC Sports Network in the states and TSN in Canada.

The Sabres are off for a few days, and if you haven't already let us know how you'll spend your hockey break, check out yesterday's post.

Fans' fury deserves an answer - The Buffalo News
Bucky Gleason responds to fans.

A Smattering Of Thoughts - Black & Blue & Gold
A whole bunch of topics here including Luke Adam's shrinking ice time, Fail for Nail, and Hecht's concussion.

Ruff love - Buffalo Wins
Why Sabres fans are scared to let go of Lindy Ruff.

Still Standing - Dear God Why Us Sports
Even after a win, it is difficult to write about this Buffalo Sabres team.

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Six full days off. Just when I was getting used to this whole winning thing! It's been a rough season for loyal fans of the Buffalo Sabres. Trust me, it's been just as rough trying to generate meaningful posts about the team as well. Sometimes I just stare at the keyboard, as the tears fall to my desk. The end result is usually some whacked out piece like a fictional Christmas story about Ryan Miller, or Christian Ehrhoff meeting David Hasselhoff. You see? This team has literally driven me to insanity.

So with that said, I think my brain is looking forward to a week or so off, simply to regroup and catch my breath. How my winter plays out can usually parallel what the Sabres are doing. If the Sabres are winning, driving in the snow and shoveling the damn driveway don't seem too bad. If the Sabres are tied for last place in the Eastern Conference, however...well, let's just say the empties next to the fridge are starting to pile up. This is starting to feel like it's going to be one of those long winters.

So the main question is, how do you plan on spending your six day break from watching this train wreck of a hockey team? I'd like to hear about it in the comments, but take the jump to hear from the Sabres themselves!

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The Buffalo Sabres actually won a professional hockey game last night!. WE DID IT EVERYONE!! JIMMY, RELEASE THE BALLOONS!!! WOOOOOOOO!!!!

Devils Hoisted By Their Own Petard, Lose 2-1 In Shootout - In Lou We Trust
Devils lose 2-1 in a shootout against the Buffalo Sabres.

Sabres go break dancing - The Buffalo News
There was a strange noise coming from the Sabres' dressing room Tuesday night. It was, believe it or not, laughter.

Another concussion sidelines Hecht - The Buffalo News
Hecht visited with doctors, who diagnosed him with his second concussion of the season and third in less than a year.

Ryan Miller: Does Correlation Imply Causation? - The Hosers
Is it just a coincidence that Ryan Miller's worst season has come amidst such a dismal season for the team? Is he the cause of the problem or are his numbers the result of the problem?

Kassian added, McNabb subtracted for AHL All Star Game roster - Sabre Noise
The AHL announced several roster changes for its upcoming All Star Game, including two moves including Buffalo Sabres prospects.

1/21-22 Recap: Armia on tear; Knapp stellar - SabresProspects.com
Armia's offensive spike, marked by a variety of goal celebrations, has resulted in 13 points (7+6) in his last 10 games to up his season line to 36GP 12-12-24.

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It's no secret that the Buffalo Sabres have been struggling as of late. The team has gone win-less in their last 5 and they haven't won a road game in the last 12 attempts. Injuries have plagued the team this year with only 3 players that started the season not missing at least a game due to injury. The management has been vocal that these injuries are the cause of their last place in the East standing but what if there is more to it?

Is it time for Lindy to go?- This seems to come up every year when the team hits a bump but this year that bump is the deepest it's been since the lock-out. Game after game it seems as if this team is skating around like they all have something better to do. Sure, you can place the blame on the players themselves but don't you think Lindy should be making sure they give it 100% every night? If they don't shouldn't they be benched? When Leino loses the puck after a bone-headed between the legs pass shouldn't he sit for a bit? Isn't that the job of a coach, especially at this level? This team isn't exactly over-flowing with extra players due to the injury issues but the guys getting called up seem to be playing well and I'll take Finley skating at 100% over Gragnani at his usual 40% any night. Without this accountability where's the motivation to play at their best, especially when they're tied for last in the East? There's no denying that Lindy hasn't had at least some success here in Buffalo but if a coach went 13 seasons without a cup in any other city, do you think they'd still be behind the bench?

Now a coaching change isn't guaranteed to change this team around. We all know it hasn't worked in Anaheim for example, and things didn't get much better in Washington either. However we can hope for a turn-around like the Blues have seen since Hitchcock took over. Whether or not this team can turn a 180 with a new coach is certainly up for debate but it probably would be the biggest shake-up this team has seen in it's history, and maybe that's just what they need.

What about the front office?- It seems like Regier takes the most heat out of anyone associated with this team when things aren't going well. It might still be the sting from losing both Drury and Briere or the lack of any big moves year after year (I suppose this off-season was a change from that though). However, under the previous ownership, his arms were tied, lacking the funds needed to keep or acquire all-star talent. I find it hard to fault him in years past as he managed to pull in some impressive young talent (Gerbe, Ennis, Myers, Enroth, Adam). With some extra cash this off-season his big name acquisitions gave us reason to believe this new team was different and they could bring in that already developed, veteran, talent. However, those contracts have yet to live up to the hype. Ehrhoff seems to be doing the best out of the bunch and even with that it's hard to argue he's worth the money spent. Maybe Regier is just better at finding young talent that will develop than he is at getting veteran players here and performing well.

Could have Pegula been a bad thing?- I, along with most of the fan base, was ecstatic when the ownership of this team changed last year. We had hope that things were going to be different, money would be spent to pick up and keep those star players we let slip through our grasp prior years. He spent money on rugs, the locker room, etched some glass, added more staff, and was actually a hockey fan instead of a politician. It was a big shake-up and just as those sweeping changes can have positive effects, these quick changes can carry negatives also. This team was decent last year, a young group meshing together well and winning games through hard work and not raw, all-star-level talent. Yes, they fell short but with one of their stars out of the game (Roy) a lot of young talent stepped up and pushed this team to a game 7 in the first round of the playoffs. It was disappointing for sure but it gave us hope they would be better this year after more development and more players getting closer to that veteran status. On top of that we'd have money in the off season to bring in some much needed "imported" talent...it was going to be a good season.

Of course, that's wasn't the case. What if, this new money that led to these "star" player signings messed with the dynamics of this team. We all know you can create your dream team of talent but without some sort of deeper relationship within the team you're no better than the team with no stars. Just look at the Miami Heat. Adding these new veterans to the team is sure to have changed the dynamics in the locker room and maybe that's what the problem is. This team that's worked and developed together for so many years now has to find spots for these new players to fit.

My opinion? I think it's a result of all the above. Injuries are hard on a team and when you have half the team coming back from injuries you have a team that's only capable of so much. Add to that a coach that may have lost his touch and a GM that has trouble bringing in big name talent the owner demands but that still works with your current roster. It might not be too late for this team but we're almost to the point of no-return. Confidence is hard to find when you've dropped as many games as these guys have but a few wins can turn that around. Perhaps that coupled with the all-star break helping get this team a bit healthier is what they need. Throw in a trade before the deadline that will help this team find the back of the net and maybe they can make a borderline-miracle comeback. Of course isn't it what a Buffalo sports fan wishes for every year? Just a simple miracle?

After a few merciful days off, the Sabres will take the ice once again in New Jersey for what promises to be another thrilling tilt with the Devils. On the bright side, Christian Ehrhoff should return tonight, and has promised to tell a joke in the locker room. A whole mess of extra Sabres links after the break.

Struggling Sabres hope to snap road slide - NHL.com
Your official preview for tonight.

NO JOKE: THE HOFF IS BACK - Buffalo Sabres
Christian Ehrhoff has been out of the Sabres lineup for the past three weeks, and the team has gone 2-7-2 in his absence.

Sabres on road to nowhere - The Buffalo News
The Buffalo Sabres returned home late Saturday night but it was only a pit stop.

Derek Whitmore: In Between A Dream And A Dream Deferred - WGR 550
A very nice (and long) article by Matthew Collard that details Derek Whitmore's career and life in hockey.

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