GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[nfreeman]

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.

 

I was actually wondering about this. Lorentz stated emphatically that Spacek screwed up and was supposed to play the shooter. This seems reasonable -- otherwise the shooter can just walk right in undisturbed and shoot point-blank, which is what happenned.

 

do any hockey coaches/players out there know the answer to this one? ie on a 2-on-1, is the defender supposed to make the shooter give it up, or is he supposed to guard the pass?

 

Separately, I thought the Sabres played pretty well yesterday, although I am concerned about the PP and I'd like to see Miller a bit sharper.

[Bmwolf21]

As emphatic that Lorentz was, Rayzor was equally emphatic that Spacek played it right. I don't know if there is a clear-cut answer to that - I think it depends on the system, the goalie's preference, who is carrying the puck and who is on the wing, who the defenseman is...

 

FWIW, I thought Spacek played it OK, but it looked to me like he gave the shooter a little too much room, and that Miller misplayed the shooter as well - I think he figured that Belanger(?) was going to try to pass it off (to Hossa?)

[Rock DJ]

As emphatic that Lorentz was, Rayzor was equally emphatic that Spacek played it right. I don't know if there is a clear-cut answer to that - I think it depends on the system, the goalie's preference, who is carrying the puck and who is on the wing, who the defenseman is...

 

FWIW, I thought Spacek played it OK, but it looked to me like he gave the shooter a little too much room, and that Miller misplayed the shooter as well - I think he figured that Belanger(?) was going to try to pass it off (to Hossa?)

 

Not to sound like a know-it-all, but after 40 years of playing/coaching/refereeing, the "IDEAL" situation is to stay in the middle, forcing the shooter outside a little. You don't take the shooter and allow a cross ice that forces the goalie to have to make a sliding/diving save on a cross ice pass.

Also, there was a back checker catching up to the shooter, and Spacek COULD have thought he had help, which would only strengthen his positioning. Miller looked like he was expecting a pass and "cheated" a little bit, and of course it WAS a good shot.

 

Think back to earlier int he season when Buff scored like crazy on those odd man rushes. They were successful getting the cross ice passes through because the speed of the non puck carrying attacker kept beating out or getting behind the defender.

 

You can't chastise Spacek for not taking the shooter in one play, then turn around and say he made a great play taking away a cross ice pass in almost the exact situation later on.

[Bmwolf21]

Not to sound like a know-it-all, but after 40 years of playing/coaching/refereeing, the "IDEAL" situation is to stay in the middle, forcing the shooter outside a little. You don't take the shooter and allow a cross ice that forces the goalie to have to make a sliding/diving save on a cross ice pass.

Also, there was a back checker catching up to the shooter, and Spacek COULD have thought he had help, which would only strengthen his positioning. Miller looked like he was expecting a pass and "cheated" a little bit, and of course it WAS a good shot.

 

Think back to earlier int he season when Buff scored like crazy on those odd man rushes. They were successful getting the cross ice passes through because the speed of the non puck carrying attacker kept beating out or getting behind the defender.

 

You can't chastise Spacek for not taking the shooter in one play, then turn around and say he made a great play taking away a cross ice pass in almost the exact situation later on.

Who is chastising him? I said he played it OK, but he cheated a little too much toward the winger, who was trailing and further out than a normal 2-on-1, and let the shooter pretty much walk in on Miller in a mini-break - he wasn't completely "in the middle." And the guy trying to catch up to the 2-on-1 was Vanek, and he was nowhere near catching any of them, as evidenced by his Louganis-esque dive & swing effort at the end...

 

Given everything that was going on - much more dangerous shooter on the wing, thinking Vanek might get back - I can see why he cheated toward the winger a little, but he could have played it a little better, which was evident later in the game.

[SarasotaSabre]

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.

 

I have made exactly the same point on an earlier post and I got kind of reamed by singling out Kalinin, when, in fact I think it's all our d-men who aren't big/strong/capable enough to clear the front of the net.

How many goals has Miller given up where he had no view (and no chance) or the puck was tipped? I bet we'd see a large % of goals overall scored this way.