Roy is Better than Briere

I completely agree when you say Roy is better than Briere.

And yes, I’m one of those you refer to making a case for trading Roy.

Difference is – I was OK when they let Briere go. Frankly, even if all had known that Drury was going to walk, I still would have been OK with letting Briere leave – because you’re also right that most of the complaints about Roy also apply to Briere. I don’t want that type of player as the “face” of my team.

http://hockey-sense.today.com/2009/04/23/tonights-games-and-other-nhl-thoughts/

I think the problem is that Briere made such a name with the Sabres that people find it hard to look past him.

I’m a fresh Sabres fan that started following the team the year after Briere and Drury left. To make a long story short, I’ve lived my whole life in Seattle watching the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, but since Seattle never had an NHL team, I never followed the NHL.

Then I married a Sabres fan! We watch the Sabres every night they are on and thanks to the NHL package, we watch a game or two on other nights.

Needless to say, I can’t figure out what all the fuss about Briere is anyways! He may have been great in Buffalo, but what has he done since he left? In the 07-08 season, Derek Roy played 78 games and Briere played 79. They were fairly even in goals scored, with Roy at 32 and Briere at 31, same with assists and points. However, Briere was -22 while Roy was a +13 in that season!!!!! We won’t even discuss 08-09 as Briere missed much of the season, but I think Roy’s numbers have shown that he better for the Sabre’s.

Sabres fans just need to take a fresh look at things and get over the obsession with Briere (and Drury…and the 06-07 Sabres). It’s a new team and they have the talent…they just have to figure out how to use it!

I agree with you to many extents on this topic. I argue time and again that since Briere has left he has not been the player he was when he was here. However, I think the things that people loved about Briere that Roy has not stepped in and fulfilled are the heroics and the willingness to actually hit someone. I was watching the Flyers-Pens game the other night and Briere finished a check on a much larger (can’t remember who) Pittsburgh defender in the corner and I thought to myself, that is why people love this guy. He’s a little guy who’s not afraid to mix it up once in a while. Derek Roy was not successful this year because of he was afraid to go the the net when it counted, and could not forecheck for his life because he seems utterly afraid of physical contact (a problem much of this Sabres team seems to possess). Briere always scored down and dirty goals near the net and forechecked with authority, and didn’y always shy away from finishing a check on an opposing defenseman. That’s the little man syndrome that Briere and Gerbe possess and Roy does not.
Quinn Kessenich of ESPN says it all the time in lacrosse games, you have to take the extra step to glory. Take the extra stride, get your nose bloody and finish the play. Something Briere does and Roy has not since he was a rookie.

I’ll add as a disclaimer that I don’t want Briere back, nor do I want Roy traded. I just want Roy to play to his potential and play hard.

Roy definitely seems to shy away from checking and needs to become more aggressive in that respect.

I am soooo excited about Nathan Gerbe. The kid can skate and HIT! In this recent playoff series against Providence, we saw him take out Adam McQuaid three times in three games. McQuaid is 6’4 to Gerbe’s 5’6.

After he works out his kinks in the next year or two, I really think he is going to be just as fun to watch in the NHL as he has been in the AHL. He has heart.

That is probably the most important part. Whether it is “little man syndrome” or just plain heart and desire, as long as a guy has something, combined with talent, he’ll do great things.

I think Roy is capable of more as well. Hopefully the disappointment of missing the playoffs again will help him step up his game.