GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[deluca67]

Why not? You have two penalties. A hook. And a dive. What's the problem?

 

Would a penalty have been called if the player didn't dive? I think that's the problem. It has become a cop out for officials. How many dives alone have been called? I think Roy has half of the league total.

[Corp000085]

I'm pleased with the point. Good come from behind to send it to OT. Can't really complain about any individual player. they all seemed to do ok. Spacek cost us that one goal, but got it back with that sweet diving save. Mair took a bonehead penalty which cost us the goal. The special teams were very "special" today. The PP couldn't score on the syracuse crunch right now, and the PK might as well throw miller overboard. Absolutely no help. thankfully, they're in a league of their own with 5-on-5 play. If not, this team might be hovering around .500 with their crappy special teams. The PP did generate some good chances though, with the late penalty and the OT penalty. It's a confidence thing and its just a matter of time. But, they need to continue to shoot the puck.

 

Hopefully kotalik can come back on wednesday (and possibly lydman). The sabres must role 4 lines to be ultra successful. now we have till wednesday to hash over the special teams and to ponder the return of our injured players. Good road point, and 6 of 8 ain't too shabby for a slumping team!

[inkman]

With the 1 point at least?

Nah...just with life in general.

 

Aww man. I missed the game.

:thumbdown:

 

I didn't watch the game (listened at work), did Ryan have about a half dozen blown scoring chances or what?

[X. Benedict]

 

I didn't watch the game (listened at work), did Ryan have about a half dozen blown scoring chances or what?

 

That kid hits more posts than drunk drivers.

[Saudi Arabia Rob]

I don't remember...what was the Sabres PP and PK looking like when they hit the March slump last year? I'm not really worried at this point, but if this DREADFUL ST play continues into the playoffs, the Sabres are going to make it very hard for themselves.

 

With that said, 6/8 on the road playing poorly isn't bad. With the Devils losing the other day, the Sabres still have a decent buffer.

[Kristian]

 

 

With that said, 6/8 on the road playing poorly isn't bad. With the Devils losing the other day, the Sabres still have a decent buffer.

 

You're right, it's not bad, but the team playing poorly for extended periods of time this year IS bad.

 

I know we got injuries to boot, but they weren't playing all that great either when they were healthy.

 

I'm really hoping these guys are just saving it for the home stretch, otherwise things could get hairy.

[BuffalOhio]

Nah...just with life in general.

:thumbdown:

 

I didn't watch the game (listened at work), did Ryan have about a half dozen blown scoring chances or what?

 

Someone said before, "NHL Speed with AHL Hands."

 

I have to agree. Ryan can fly, he just can't finish.

[Corp000085]

 

Someone said before, "NHL Speed with AHL Hands."

 

I have to agree. Ryan can fly, he just can't finish.

 

 

give him another year and he could be the next vanek. this team is truly blessed with prospects.

[Raelity]

Just back from the game. Great seats in the corner about 20 rows off the ice. Had a good time w my son (though he cheers for Thrashers) til oh about 38 seconds left in OT. Man where the heck is our PP? We had our chances, but never took advantage of them.

 

There was a lot of Sabres fans - probably 10% to 15% of the attendees. A few good rousing "let's go Buffalo" choruses, but the Thrashers fans did a reasonably good job of drowning it out w "let's go Thrashers".

 

Someone mentioned not wanting to play the Thrashers in the playoffs. I look forward to such a series (chance to wipe the glee off those Thrashers fans faces). No one wants an easy road to the Cup!

 

Unfortunately this marks my 7th time actually watching a Buffalo pro sports team in person over a 38 year span. All 7 times they've lost (sigh). Someday...

[RVJ]

I will probably get bashed ,but I'm sick of the announcers faulting the players for breakdowns or mistakes. And Ryan Miller always gets a free pass. To me he is very average and was the reason for todays loss. He made some great saves but he was not screened on some of the goals he should have stopped. If he is average in the playoffs and we need a spark. I hope Lindy has the guts to make a change. Kind of like what Laviolette did with Gerber and Ward in the playoffs.

I may be crazy but I wanted Biron over Miller.

[BuffalOhio]

I will probably get bashed ,but I'm sick of the announcers faulting the players for breakdowns or mistakes. And Ryan Miller always gets a free pass. To me he is very average and was the reason for todays loss. He made some great saves but he was not screened on some of the goals he should have stopped. If he is average in the playoffs and we need a spark. I hope Lindy has the guts to make a change. Kind of like what Laviolette did with Gerber and Ward in the playoffs.

I may be crazy but I wanted Biron over Miller.

 

You're crazy.

 

He was totally screened on the first and third goals. One by Tkachuck, the other by Tallinder and Drury.

 

The game winner was a very good player getting into an open spot about 15 feet out. Either it hits you or it goes in.

[Bmwolf21]

Well put, DC. I'd add that Atlanta has some guys - Kovalchuk, Zhitnik - who can really crank it up when they get a chance to step into a shot.

 

As for Marty - well, he had seven years to claim the no. 1 job, and couldn't lock it down. Of the two, Miller is the guy. Biron is playing well for Philly now, but that's because Philly isn't in the playoff race, and the Flyers have basically said that they want him to be their number 1, so he isn't dealing with the same pressure.

 

As for today's game, how can you blame Miller and give the special teams a pass?

[LabattBlue]

You're crazy.

 

He was totally screened on the first and third goals. One by Tkachuck, the other by Tallinder and Drury.

 

The game winner was a very good player getting into an open spot about 15 feet out. Either it hits you or it goes in.

The first one he was screened on. I believe he had a clean look at the 3rd one and just did not have the net covered.

[SabresFan526]

My big problem right now isn't with goaltending, but really with special teams. They had two games in a row where they did not give up any powerplay goals, and then compensate by giving up 3 power play goals today. First one was a 5-on-3, so I guess you deal, but probably we should never have been in that position. Drury sends the puck off the ice in the defensive zone only trying to bounce it off the glass but it goes out. What can you do about it? But, then they give up 2 more power play goals. The penalty kill cannot continue to be this poor. Without Gaustad, I'm beginning to hope that Connolly can come back real soon. They need something on the penalty kill and frankly even on the power play, so we can't get Kotalik, Connolly, and Max back soon enough. Again, we have another night of going 0-5 on the power play. This, too, with a 4 minute double minor. This type of special teams play is absolutely horrible. I don't know what's got to happen, but it has to change before the playoffs or this is going to be a very early golfing season. You can't really put the blame on Miller today because the goals were primarily coming on the power play. Sure maybe he'd like some saves back, but we a.) should be killing the penalties off in the first place and b.) should not be putting ourselves in a position to kill off penalties when the PK is so bad. The Sabres did really well last year because of the special teams. This year, they are doing well despite the special teams. That has got to change. In the end, 6 out of 8 points on a 4 game road trip is definitely a good thing, especially when it was a point in every game. I think if we can get guys back from injury, that are key to the special teams, there probably isn't too much to worry about, but man, they are playing awful special teams right now. Personally, I'd rather them go through all the injuries now and get the poor play out of their system before the playoffs and get everyone healthy come playoff time. We'll see if that happens though.

[deluca67]

How about some credit for the point earned in the third game in four nights.

 

Battling back three times to tie the game on the road. Not too shabby.

[SabresFan526]

How about some credit for the point earned in the third game in four nights.

 

Battling back three times to tie the game on the road. Not too shabby.

 

No doubt. I agree, and I think I said as much in my post with 6 of 8 points on a 4 game road trip being a very good thing. There's definitely some positives to takeaway from today, but man, this was a very winnable game, and that's what's really frustrating. I think they could have gotten the 2 points today with better play on special teams. They stifled the Lightning, and they are a top 6 power play, while Atlanta isn't that great on the PP. Oh well, 6 out of 8 points is still a good thing to build on for down the stretch, but I would have preferred 2 today in a game they should have won.

[SarasotaSabre]

I was at the game and have a few observations:

 

POSITIVES: crisp passing, esp. from the d-men to the forwards; great energy & skating - it did not look like the Sabes were playing their 3rd game in 4 nights; the d-men decisively took whatever was given them, esp. up the middle; voracious forechecking, esp. for sustained periods of time. The Sabes were all over the Thrashers and Lehtonen kept them in the game; resiliency by coming back 3x from 1 goal deficits.

 

NEGATIVES: need I state the obvious? The game was lost on special teams, definitely a glaring weakness. Miller - looked like he had a clean look on Zhitnik's shot...not sure why he missed it. Overpassing, especially on the PP, killed the Sabres.... lack of finish on a few plays.

 

This team better nut it up in the playoffs, or hope for alot of even strength play. Getting a big body back (Kotalik) will help. Getting Gaustad back for ANY games would be a miracle from above. I haven't seen this team grind out many 2-1 or 3-2 games and these are what the playoffs are about. We'll see what the boys are about.......

[Chief Enabler]

I was at the game and have a few observations:

 

POSITIVES: crisp passing, esp. from the d-men to the forwards; great energy & skating - it did not look like the Sabes were playing their 3rd game in 4 nights; the d-men decisively took whatever was given them, esp. up the middle; voracious forechecking, esp. for sustained periods of time. The Sabes were all over the Thrashers and Lehtonen kept them in the game; resiliency by coming back 3x from 1 goal deficits.

 

NEGATIVES: need I state the obvious? The game was lost on special teams, definitely a glaring weakness. Miller - looked like he had a clean look on Zhitnik's shot...not sure why he missed it. Overpassing, especially on the PP, killed the Sabres.... lack of finish on a few plays.

 

This team better nut it up in the playoffs, or hope for alot of even strength play. Getting a big body back (Kotalik) will help. Getting Gaustad back for ANY games would be a miracle from above. I haven't seen this team grind out many 2-1 or 3-2 games and these are what the playoffs are about. We'll see what the boys are about.......

Get some sleep! See you on Wednesday.

[Rock DJ]

I'm pleased with the point. Good come from behind to send it to OT. Can't really complain about any individual player. they all seemed to do ok. Spacek cost us that one goal, but got it back with that sweet diving save.

 

I beg to differ. Spacek did not cost us the goal. He played in between the two rushers to take away the cross ice pass, which is exactly what he should have done. It's Miller's job to play the shooter.

 

 

On the Zhitnik goal, replays weren't great, but did anyone else catch the two sabres in the high slot?

 

Looked like they bumped into each other, then flew apart and down just as Zhitnik's shot passed between them. One looked like Drury, couldn't tell the other. It looked like the parting of the red sea.

[deluca67]

I was at the game and have a few observations:

 

POSITIVES: crisp passing, esp. from the d-men to the forwards; great energy & skating - it did not look like the Sabes were playing their 3rd game in 4 nights; the d-men decisively took whatever was given them, esp. up the middle; voracious forechecking, esp. for sustained periods of time. The Sabes were all over the Thrashers and Lehtonen kept them in the game; resiliency by coming back 3x from 1 goal deficits.

 

NEGATIVES: need I state the obvious? The game was lost on special teams, definitely a glaring weakness. Miller - looked like he had a clean look on Zhitnik's shot...not sure why he missed it. Overpassing, especially on the PP, killed the Sabres.... lack of finish on a few plays.

 

This team better nut it up in the playoffs, or hope for alot of even strength play. Getting a big body back (Kotalik) will help. Getting Gaustad back for ANY games would be a miracle from above. I haven't seen this team grind out many 2-1 or 3-2 games and these are what the playoffs are about. We'll see what the boys are about.......

 

It's funny. I remember last season when the Sabres had a top power play we were posting how the lack of of 5 on 5 scoring was going to hurt this team in the playoffs. :D

 

Not sure what it means. It's just funny.

[inkman]

give him another year and he could be the next vanek.

You so crazy. :lol:

[wjag]

I think the real problem in this game beyond the special teams was the guys ran out of gas. You could see the way the game changed from the first period on. Give both teams and equal amount of rest and I'd bet dollars to donuts that the Sabres don't lose that game. Sure the ST aren't clicking, but their odd man rushes today were pretty damn good. They can beat teams five on five. Yeah you'd like to see the PP chip in, especially on a four minute double or on the 4-3 in OT, but hey, it just isn't there at the moment. It'll come around. The PK, I'm more concerned about.

 

The Vanek to Roy to Stafford goal was AS GOOD AS IT GETS in hockey. Vanek feathered a pass off the boards to Roy who went flying into the zone. Vanek trapped the D-men with the pass. Stafford came zipping through center ice and took the pass from Roy and just plain smoked Lehtonen.

[Stoner]

 

It's funny. I remember last season when the Sabres had a top power play we were posting how the lack of of 5 on 5 scoring was going to hurt this team in the playoffs. :D

 

Not sure what it means. It's just funny.

 

It is a glaring weakness, and I don't think it should be poo-poo-plattered. You need the power play to click in the playoffs when you're getting shut down five on five. The Sabres scored 26 goals in the 11 games after Connolly went out, just 18 even-strength.

[Claude Balls]

The Sabres biggest problem is that the defense is horrendous at clearing out the front of the net. On one Atlanta goal the Thrashers had 3 guys in close to Miller with no Sabres near them. PP or not, you don't let 3 players get in that close. One or two, maybe, but three. These guys are so soft in front of the net it's pitiful.

[hopeleslyobvious]

It is a glaring weakness, and I don't think it should be poo-poo-plattered. You need the power play to click in the playoffs when you're getting shut down five on five. The Sabres scored 26 goals in the 11 games after Connolly went out, just 18 even-strength.

 

I will once again point out that last season Carolina was 17.9% on the PP in the regular season and 24% in the playoffs.

 

Our PP has been terrible this year, but there have been times where it showed signs of life. Hopefully they can get it together for the playoffs.