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Entries with the tag: Thomas+Vanek
Analyzing The Sabres Streak
by @DaveDavisHockey on 02/06/11 at 03:46 PM ET
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As a public service to numbers geeks and the attention span impaired, we now bring you a quick analysis of the Buffalo Sabres’ current 10-4-1 streak which has allowed them to close to within five points of a playoff spot:
Buffalo’s stellar record as of late can really be attributed to their power play (13-46, 28.2%) and their ability to win the close ones (5-1-1 in one-goal games). More numbers:
Leading scorers: Thomas Vanek (6-13-19), Jason Pominville (6-9-15), Drew Stafford (7-5-12), Tyler Ennis (3-7-10), Jochen Hecht (5-4-9).
Goaltending: Ryan Miller - started all 15 games, 2.71 GAA, .919 save percentage.
Special teams: Power play - 13-46 (28.2%); Penalty killing - 47-55 (85.5%).
Goal differential: In regulation - 47 goals for, 42 against; 5 on 5 - 36 goals for, 30 against.
Location, location, location: 4-2-0 at home, 6-2-1 away.
Against quality opposition: 6-2-0 vs. teams currently in playoff position.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Drew+Stafford, Jason+Pominville, Jochen+Hecht, Ryan+Miller, Sabres+stats, Sabres+streak, Thomas+Vanek, Tyler+Ennis, Tyler+Myers,
No Pity Party In Ottawa Tonight
by @DaveDavisHockey on 01/25/11 at 12:52 PM ET
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The Buffalo Sabres’ lack of sympathy for the misfortunes of the free falling Ottawa Senators should be in full display tonight at Scotiabank Place.
The streaking Sabres need every point they can get, and if that means figuratively kicking their already wounded division rival in the stomach on their way out the door towards the All-Star break, then so be it.
In their last 12 games, the Sabres are 8-3-1 while the Sens are 1-8-3. Ottawa will start Brian Elliott, who is winless in his last 10 starts, in goal tonight.
Still, it’s not like the Sabres don’t have issues of their own. They need to win this one just to get within four points of eighth place. The defense is still shaky. To be honest, not a whole lot of fans and media here are taking the streak too seriously.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Derek+Roy, Drew+Stafford, Nathan+Gerbe, Patrick+Kaleta, Sabres+injuries, Thomas+Vanek, Tim+Connolly,
Resting Miller Would Be Senseless
by @DaveDavisHockey on 01/21/11 at 10:12 AM ET
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Sometimes it’s as simple as your best players being your best players.
The Sabres earned a big 4-2 win in Boston last night, and regardless of what the 3-stars voters had to say, this game was about Ryan Miller (38 saves) and Thomas Vanek (game-winning goal, assist) coming through when it mattered most.
On the subject of Miller, there have been rumblings in the local media that he should get a game off before the All-Star break. The talk after last night’s game was about whether or not Patrick Lalime or Jhonas Enroth should start the following night against the New York Islanders.
This is the same media that reminds us continuously that the Sabres as an organization don’t display enough desperation. Sitting a healthy Miller tonight, when the alternatives are a guy who hasn’t won a single game since Easter and a rookie struggling to be a .500 goalie in the AHL, wouldn’t exactly exemplify a sense of urgency.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Boston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, New+York+Islanders, Ryan+Miller, Thomas+Vanek,
Replacing Roy Would Be Exercise In Futility
by @DaveDavisHockey on 12/28/10 at 03:57 PM ET
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With all of the media and fan obsession in this town over where the Buffalo Bills will be slotted in the NFL draft order this spring, Sabres fans might be interested to know that their hockey team is currently in line for a top 5 overall pick in 2011. The last time Buffalo was in such a position, they drafted a guy named Thomas Vanek.
With leading scorer Derek Roy likely done for the season, and with the gap from here to eighth place in the East ever so painfully widening, it might be time to start habitually looking down on the standings page instead of up.
News of the severity of Roy’s injury certainly felt like a skate boot to the stomach. And in timely fashion, disillusioned armchair GM’s are now calling for Darcy Regier to make a trade to bring in a top line center to replace him. You know, something similar to all of the other trades for top line centers that have been made around the league recently.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Darcy+Regier, Derek+Roy, Thomas+Vanek, Top+5+overall,
Video- Thomas Vanek With The OT Winner Against The Capitals
by Paul on 11/13/10 at 09:52 PM ET
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Vanek with a great move to win it in ooooovertime.
Not the best video, but it just the night is early.
Note 10:14pm, Replaced original video with one of better quality.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek,
Sabres Could Use a Heist or Two
by @DaveDavisHockey on 10/28/10 at 09:13 AM ET
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Rewind to three weeks ago: The 2010-11 season is about to commence, and your friends over at Psychic Freaks Network get a few premonitions right for a change. The crystal ball shows the Sabres completing their first 10-game segment with a winning road record, Derek Roy on pace for a 90-point season, and Tyler Ennis delivering pretty much as advertised and battling for the lead in rookie points.
If you’re a Sabres fan you’d be guessing first place on Halloween and hearing pundit predictions of a 40th franchise anniversary party with a happy ending, right? After further review, you might want to throw that crystal ball in the trash along with the Brett Hull trading card your prankster friend got you for your birthday.
Given all of the above, plus the fact that Thomas Vanek, Tim Connolly and Drew Stafford are each on pace to exceed their respective goal totals from last season, how does this team find itself wallowing near the bottom of the pack at 3-6-1?
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Ryan+Miller, Thomas+Vanek, Tim+Connolly, Tyler+Myers,
Sabres Get Big Relief in Blueland
by @DaveDavisHockey on 10/21/10 at 10:14 AM ET
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It’s a mystery why the three strongest performances by Buffalo thus far have been their three road contests, where they’ve averaged over 40 shots per game, but at this stage the Sabres will take points anywhere they can get them - even if nobody is there to see it.
It was an impressive 4-1 win last night in Atlanta in front of a few family and friends at a sparsely populated Philips Arena, and the script for getting some key players going couldn’t have been written much better.
Tyler Myers netted his first goal of 2010-11, and despite an ugly first period turnover he looked much better overall. There’s just too much ability there for the turnaround not to continue. Keep in mind that even when Myers was playing at his best last season he was prone to occasionally coughing up the puck. You must have some talent if you can win a Calder Trophy after leading the NHL in giveaways.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Atlanta Thrashers, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Buffalo+Sabres, Dustin+Byfuglien, Thomas+Vanek, Tyler+Myers,
Sabres Loss Brings To Mind Another Anniversary
by @DaveDavisHockey on 10/16/10 at 04:00 PM ET
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With the excitement of the 40th anniversary ceremonies only to be followed by the Sabres losing a 2-1 snooze-fest to the Montreal Canadiens, you can see why many folks in Buffalo took the liberty of comparing last night’s game to the 3-0 loss to the Habs on 10/15/70.
But there’s a much more recent anniversary that you could say is more suitable for comparison.
It was six months ago this weekend that the Sabres were in the midst of a futile week-and-a-half-long attempt to scrape together some offense in a first round playoff series against the Boston Bruins - a team that for various reasons was supposed to have major goal scoring problems of their own.
There are some striking similarities between Buffalo’s poor playoff performance and the events of last night’s game - and for that matter of this young season. It’s a scary reminder that nothing in the past six months with this team seems to have really changed.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Derek+Roy, Jason+Pominville, Lindy+Ruff, Thomas+Vanek, Tim+Connolly, Tyler+Ennis,
Big Hits, Big Misses, and Bad Coverage
by @DaveDavisHockey on 10/12/10 at 10:07 AM ET
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Some Sabres musings compiled while looking at 29 different angles of the big hit last night, and wondering what they really put in those shoulder pads…
• With an extended absence from Jason Pominville likely, courtesy of Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, the opportunity is there for Nathan Gerbe to cement his place in the starting lineup. But with the way Portland Pirates (AHL) forward Luke Adam is playing, it might need to happen sooner for Gerbe rather than later. There is already talk of Portland commandeering an AHL Rookie of the Year three-peat. Gerbe and Tyler Ennis have won the award the past two seasons.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Jason+Pominville, Niklas+Hjalmarsson, Patrick+Lalime, Thomas+Vanek, Tyler+Myers,
Vanek Will Play Tonight
by Paul on 04/26/10 at 10:30 AM ET
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via John Vogl of Sabres Edge,
Thomas Vanek will be in the lineup for the Buffalo Sabres tonight.
“All indications point to him playing,” coach Lindy Ruff said before the Sabres took the ice for the 11:30 morning skate.
“The only decision I can make is whether I think his conditioning will be enough to get him through a game,” Ruff said. “I think it will be. He indicated yesterday that he felt he was ready to play.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek,
Vanek Doubtful For Game 3
by Paul on 04/18/10 at 12:40 PM ET
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from Mike Harrington of Sabres Edge,
Thomas Vanek and Lindy Ruff reached the same conclusion Sunday after the Sabres’ optional workout: Vanek will likely play again in this series against the Boston Bruins although it’s highly doubtful the star winger plays in Game Three Monday night in Boston, as he was walking with a pronounced limp in his left foot.
But testing showed Vanek has no broken bones and no major damage. The Sabres are classifying it as a lower-body injury, but you and I can likely call it a severe ankle sprain. Vanek did travel with the team to Boston.
“I’m sore obviously from what happened there,” Vanek said of his crash into the boards after getting slashed fby Boston’s Johnny Boychuk. “Overall, it could be worse. It sucks but it’s better than it could be. Nothing is broken.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek,
Vanek Takes A Slash To The Knee Today
by Paul on 04/17/10 at 01:23 PM ET
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Word is he will not return to the game today after taking this slash from Johnny Boychuk.
added 2:35pm, Looking at the video again, he may have also hurt his left leg/ankle when sliding into the boards. Sabres are just saying lower-body injury.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Johnny+Boychuk, Thomas+Vanek,
Vanek May Return Earlier Than First Thought
by Paul on 10/14/09 at 01:43 PM ET
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from Erin Pollina of BuffaloSabres.com,
Lindy Ruff delivered some good news regarding Thomas Vanek on Wednesday afternoon.
The Buffalo Sabres Head Coach said the winger may only miss a few days - not weeks - after sustaining an upper body injury in Tuesday’s 6-2 win against the Red Wings….
“They thought he would feel a lot worse today, but he’s actually feeling a lot better,” Ruff said following practice on Wednesday. “He’s doing remarkably well which is good.. I wouldn’t even rule him out maybe for a game on the weekend, as well as he’s doing today.
“It’s a stretch but it’s something I won’t rule out now.”
more on the Sabres…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek,
Vanek Out With Upper Body Injury
by Paul on 10/14/09 at 07:22 AM ET
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from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News,
Thomas Vanek left for good with 7:14 to play in the second period after scoring his second goal in the 6-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Coach Lindy Ruff revealed Vanek will miss several weeks with an undisclosed upper body injury.
Vanek slid hard into the end boards after scoring the goal on Derek Roy’s third assist in a 4½-minute span, but Ruff said the injury actually occurred before that play. Television shots of Vanek on the bench before the shift showed Vanek grimacing while moving his neck/shoulder area.
Vanek’s shoulder was not in a sling when he left the locker room about 40 minutes after the game was over, and he was believed to have undergone X-rays on his ribs.
“It was before the goal, when I collided with [former Sabre Brad] May,” Vanek told The Buffalo News. “I went to hit him, and it happened there. I just finished the shift and felt it after. I knew right away and just tried to tough it out. After the shift, I just got it checked out.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek,
Save Of The Night
by Paul on 03/13/09 at 07:22 AM ET
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Tomas Vokoun of the Panthers with a great glove save on Thomas Vanek of the Sabres. Buffalo did defeat Florida 3-1.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek, Tomas+Vokoun,
Vanek Expected Back For Sabres Next Game
by Paul on 03/02/09 at 07:05 PM ET
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from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News,
Vanek, who has missed the last nine games with a broken jaw suffered Feb. 7 in Ottawa, skated fully in contact drills Monday and proclaimed himself ready to take the ice against the Habs.
“That’s the plan for right now,” Vanek said. “It’s always tough to watch the team, especially when they’re not winning. That makes it even tougher. If you’re watching the game and you’re out injured or a healthy scratch, you hate watching your team struggle and lose. It’s nice to get back and hopefully help out.”...
Ruff said winger Maxim Afinogenov is “definitely a possibility” to make the lineup Wednesday as well if he’s not traded. Afinogenov, who was battling groin and hip injuries, has been healthy for two weeks and reiterated for reporters Monday what he told The News Saturday on Long Island—he wants back on the ice or he wants out of Buffalo.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek,
Vanek Not Sure When He Will Return
by Paul on 02/19/09 at 08:26 AM ET
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from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News,
Thomas Vanek is back doing some light exercise but the Buffalo Sabres’ leading scorer says returning in 3-4 weeks from his fractured jaw may be an overly optimistic timetable.
“I hope that I haven’t lost too much of my fitness but we’ll see about that once I start skating again,” Vanek wrote in a diary entry posted on his official Web site for fans in his native Austria. “The doctors said that I would miss at least four weeks altogether but it also could be five to six weeks. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek,
Vanek Out With Fractured Jaw
by Paul on 02/08/09 at 06:17 PM ET
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BUFFALO, NY (February 8, 2009)—- Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier today announced that Thomas Vanek fractured his jaw when he was hit in the face with a puck during last night’s game vs. Ottawa. Vanek had successful surgery on his jaw today in Buffalo, and will be sidelined for at least 3-4 weeks.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek,
If Vanek Were In Edmonton
by Paul on 02/04/09 at 04:11 PM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
We can’t help but harp back to the Edmonton angle. Not only would the Oilers not have Penner on their hands right now if the Sabres had not matched, but they would have an elite forward to play with star winger Ales Hemsky, something the local Edmonton media has pointed out as a major issue with right now.
For as much heat as former Oilers GM/now team president Kevin Lowe got around the league in the summer of 2007, give him credit on this point—he was right about Vanek being worth the money.
more and some Pogge talk too…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek,
All Thomas Vanek
by Paul on 10/20/08 at 02:45 PM ET
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The First Star of the Week, Thomas Vanek took part in a tele-conference today….
Q. When you’re a goal scorer, is there a lot more weight put on you than if you’re a point producer? Is there a lot more pressure on guys who are known as goal scorers?
THOMAS VANEK: Sure, I mean, just like you said, I mean, it’s a good label and a bad label at the same time. I think if you’re known as a goal scorer, you want to be the one putting up the goals. Guys who are just known as point guys sometimes get away with I think a lot of maybe second assists or so.
But at the same time I think it is a team sport. Like myself, I’m not too worried about goals and points. Always at the end of the year you look back and you obviously want to be up there in the top 20 or top 15 in goal scoring.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek,
A Different Year For Vanek
by Paul on 10/17/08 at 04:39 PM ET
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from Matt Higgins at Slap Shot of the NYT,
Asked if he is faster this year, Vanek laughed. “I feel the same as the year before,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with confidence. Right now I feel good about myself. I’m getting my ice time. Any time you’re getting the ice time, gaining the coach’s trust, you feel better.
“Maybe the years before you had a couple bad shifts and all of a sudden you’re not playing anymore,” he said.
“You start thinking about things too much. Instead of doing the obvious thing and jumping into holes and going after loose pucks, you sit back and make sure you don’t do anything wrong.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Thomas+Vanek,
Vanek Set Up for Failure
by Alanah McGinley on 01/10/08 at 12:06 PM ET
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From Brian Duff at The Hockey News,
At 23-and-a-half, he had the world by the tail. Six months later, his family’s finances secure for generations to come, the world of hockey is spinning him by the tail, in a tale of too much too soon for a player who has yet to complete his third NHL season.
On Jan. 19, Thomas Vanek will turn 24. And try as he might to live up to the pressure of a seven-year pact worth $50 million, nothing on the ice is going his way.
You know, it’s funny. When Vanek signed his long-term deal, a lifelong supporter of the team suggested to me “a contract like this could kill his career.” Sadly, her foreshadowing has been accurate so far.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: thomas+vanek,
Three Sabres Coming Together
by Alanah McGinley on 12/18/07 at 11:56 AM ET
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From Mike Harrington at The Buffalo News,
“At times I wasn’t playing well and the other two guys were playing good,” Vanek said after practice Monday in the Amherst Pepsi Center. “Then maybe I had a few better games. Right now, we’re just finally playing all three on the same page, playing well at the same time and that makes a difference.”
Roy, in fact, is tied with Calgary’s Daymond Langkow for the best December plus-minus in the league at plus-10 and Vanek isn’t far behind at plus-7. Roy has 11 points in eight games this month, just three off the league lead.
“As a line, we’re getting to know each other and where we’ve got to be,” Roy said. “Team-wise, we’ve clamped down on things, we’re collapsing in the defensive zone, guys are blocking shots and Ryan [goaltender Ryan Miller] is making some great saves.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Derek+Roy, Drew+Stafford, Thomas+Vanek,
More Money Doesn’t Mean More Ice Time
by Paul on 12/01/07 at 08:25 AM ET
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from the Buffalo News,
No one in the NHL is getting a bigger paycheck this season than Vanek. His $10 million salary ties him with Philadelphia’s Daniel Briere and the New York Rangers’ Scott Gomez. Yet of the 10 highest-paid forwards, Vanek lags way behind in time on ice.
Gomez (19:58) and Briere (19:13) are much busier. Tampa Bay’s Brad Richards, fifth on the pay scale, leads forwards at 24:56 per game — eight minutes more than Vanek. The only player in the top 10 of pay who’s relatively close to Vanek is New Jersey’s Patrik Elias, and he still gets 1:14 more per game at 18:02.
Vanek’s total ice time of 386:27 is tied for 139th among NHL forwards.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: buffalo+sabres, Thomas+Vanek,
Vanek Feeling Pressure
by Paul on 11/09/07 at 08:09 AM ET
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from the Buffalo News,
With the Sabres’ record at 6-7-1, it’s clearly become bothersome for Vanek. His coach has noticed, his teammates have noticed and so has anyone who’s been watching.
“Sometimes, his emotions are right out there for everyone to see how frustrated he is,” Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller said. “It’s going to be part of his maturing process. You can’t let the other team see that. There’s little talks with him, but I think that’s part of his personality. I’m kind of OK with him doing it. I think he plays his best hockey when he’s holding himself accountable. It’s just you don’t want to get to the point where you’re beating yourself up.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: buffalo+sabres, goalies, ryan+miller, Thomas+Vanek,
Sabres Looking For Consistent Vanek
by Paul on 10/02/07 at 09:13 AM ET
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from Sabres Edge at the Buffalo News,
“I need Thomas to play like he’s a $900,000 player because it seemed to do pretty good last year,” Ruff said with a laugh after this morning’s practice in HSBC Arena. “That’s my analogy. Just because you’re making more money doesn’t mean you have to change as a player. My expectations of him don’t change.”...
“If he can be consistent with last year, that would be a darn good year for Thomas,” Ruff said. “Is it realistic to think he can go from 25 [goals] to 44 to 70-something? I don’t think so. But if we can keep him in that consistent area and have him be that 40- to 50-goal scorer, that would be pretty good.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: buffalo+sabres, Thomas+Vanek,
