GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[SCSabresFan!]

Ya gotta believe the Toronto faithful are deflated after that one. What a 3rd period!

 

BRING ON CAROLINA!!!!!!!!

[McJeff215]

I would say more like Bills vs. Houston in 1993 playoffs i.e. The Frank Reich miracle. But, I say that because of the nature of the comeback.

 

 

This is what I was referring to =)

[Eleven]

Germans?

 

Forget it....he's on a roll...

 

Nice one....

[BRH]

Find any post from Knightrider.. He has them in his sig..

 

I think US customs should give each Leafs car heading back north a hearty buh bye.. Thanks for making this night so special...

Thankee. This is my favorite post so far:

 

I am absolutely sick to death of the unfair refereeing that is going on in the NHL right now! The Leafs would have won this game handley had it not been for the non calls by the refs! What's the point of such a terrific effort by a team when it's saboutaged in this manner. I am completely disgusted.

:D :lol:

[MBD]

One of them (Denver?) was on a Sunday. I was at a friend's house saying goodbye and leaving for school, saw the score, and figured it was over. Got to school and found out they won.

[Chief Enabler]

Anyone know a good Leafs board? I won't say anything, I promise. I just want to watch. :D

This is a Habs Forum, Anti-Leafs Board, interesting!

 

Snoop around......

[connee]

Okay, I think I remember this. I vaguely remember the Denver game, but I definitely remember the Raiders game where Nate Odoms just ripped the ball out of Willie Gualt's hands and took it for a score. Were both of these games Sunday Night Games on TNT? If someone could refresh my memory, I think I may actually remember the Denver game.

The Raiders game was a Sunday night and the comeback began with a Tasker blocked punt, and the annoncer screaming "They did it again, they did it again!"

[Wacka]

21 points in ~73seconds...

 

September 30th ,1990 . I remember the day because I was telling my father about it the next day visiting him in the hospital. He died about an hour later.

 

If Denver makes the FG it's 24-7 or something like that. We block a FG, Biscuit runs it back. Denver gets ball, we intercept and run it in on the first play. Denver gets tackled on the 5 on the kickoff. Elway fumbles the snap. We get the ball on the 1. Next play TD.

[SCSabresFan!]

I would say more like Bills vs. Houston in 1993 playoffs i.e. The Frank Reich miracle. But, I say that because of the nature of the comeback.

 

Drew Stafford is Frank Reich.

[wonderbread]

If Denver makes the FG it's 24-7 or something like that. We block a FG, Biscuit runs it back. Denver gets ball, we intercept and run it in on the first play. Denver gets tackled on the 5 on the kickoff. Elway fumbles the snap. We get the ball on the 1. Next play TD.

 

 

That was my single greatest memory as a kid being a bills fan it was unreal i went w/ my old man. He said well doesn't look to good then like 5 minutes later the bills were winning it was insanity.

[ExiledInIllinois]

That was my single greatest memory as a kid being a bills fan it was unreal i went w/ my old man. He said well doesn't look to good then like 5 minutes later the bills were winning it was insanity.

 

That was exactly the conversation I had with my 8 year old son...

 

So cool... And so many memories... Thank you Sabres... And Bills!!!

[SabresFan526]

Drew Stafford is Frank Reich.

 

I, personally, would reserve Sabres comparisons to Frank Reich if they win a game coming back from a 5 or 6 goal deficit. Then, I think I would say it is a miracle that they won the game coming back from 5 or 6 goals. I have seen 3 goal comebacks a few times. I don't know why, but they seem to happen quite a bit to the Bruins. As mentioned before, the Sabres won a game by coming back on Boston 3 goals down with 7 minutes left. But, one game I will always remember, was when I lived in Dallas, and I saw the Stars, down by 3 goals to the Bruins, tie the game scoring 3 goals in the last 1 minute 30 seconds of regulation, and then win it in overtime. That was an amazing comeback. No doubt, this was an awesome comeback with 4 unanswered goals, but I don't think it's Reich-worthy yet.

[SCSabresFan!]

I, personally, would reserve Sabres comparisons to Frank Reich if they win a game coming back from a 5 or 6 goal deficit. Then, I think I would say it is a miracle that they won the game coming back from 5 or 6 goals. I have seen 3 goal comebacks a few times. I don't know why, but they seem to happen quite a bit to the Bruins. As mentioned before, the Sabres won a game by coming back on Boston 3 goals down with 7 minutes left. But, one game I will always remember, was when I lived in Dallas, and I saw the Stars, down by 3 goals to the Bruins, tie the game scoring 3 goals in the last 1 minute 30 seconds of regulation, and then win it in overtime. That was an amazing comeback. No doubt, this was an awesome comeback with 4 unanswered goals, but I don't think it's Reich-worthy yet.

 

I'll let him know you think so. :D

[BuffalOhio]

Okay, I think I remember this. I vaguely remember the Denver game, but I definitely remember the Raiders game where Nate Odoms just ripped the ball out of Willie Gualt's hands and took it for a score. Were both of these games Sunday Night Games on TNT? If someone could refresh my memory, I think I may actually remember the Denver game.

 

The Denver game was a day game at the Ralph, and the Raiders was definitely a TNT game.

[ExiledInIllinois]

I, personally, would reserve Sabres comparisons to Frank Reich if they win a game coming back from a 5 or 6 goal deficit. Then, I think I would say it is a miracle that they won the game coming back from 5 or 6 goals. I have seen 3 goal comebacks a few times. I don't know why, but they seem to happen quite a bit to the Bruins. As mentioned before, the Sabres won a game by coming back on Boston 3 goals down with 7 minutes left. But, one game I will always remember, was when I lived in Dallas, and I saw the Stars, down by 3 goals to the Bruins, tie the game scoring 3 goals in the last 1 minute 30 seconds of regulation, and then win it in overtime. That was an amazing comeback. No doubt, this was an awesome comeback with 4 unanswered goals, but I don't think it's Reich-worthy yet.

 

True.

 

But this was 4 goals in about 14 minutes... And to win in regulation... Most of the time these types of comebacks go to OT... Even the Bills v. Oilers went to OT...

 

Unusal that the Leafs just collapsed and couldn't muster enough energy to force OT... Again, which is the norm... Then again, Miller pistol whipped Sundin... Mats is still probably wanderering around HSBC looking for his jock!

[SabresFan526]

What's amazing is that for some reason, this team seems to do this kind of stuff a lot this year. This team has so much heart and is so resilient, it's phenomenal. I don't know who our resident stastician is here, PA maybe, but how many times have the Sabres won a game this year after being down heading into the third period? Somehow, this team has the ability to comeback and either win or get a point out of games that they have no business getting points out of. It's just amazing how much heart and how, when these guys turn it on, there is not a single team in this league that can compete with them. It's just freaking amazing.

[Guest Sloth]

All I have to say is that I'm getting plastered tonight! What an unblievable comeback! When Toronto, after that bull #%^$#! goal, I was thinking about heading home, but the Sabres showed their desire to win. In order to celebrate their desire, I'm getting wasted. Who wants to join me?

[Bmwolf21]

So this was clearly a tale of four different teams playing in this game - as good as the Sabres were for the last few minutes of the 2nd and most of the 4rd, they were equally awful throughout much of the 1st half of the game. The laffs, OTOH, came out flying but once the Sabres grabbed some momentum in the 3rd, they did what most "good" Toronto teams do, and fell apart.

 

Positives:

Miller - Idiots will look at the scoresheet and see that he let in 4 goals. While the scoresheet gives some indication of how poorly the Sabres played for large chunks of the game, it can't adequately translate the number of big saves and good scoring chances Toronto had in the 1st and 2nd. Miller was sharp throughout, and he kept the Sabres in the game longer than they deserved, which allowed them to push for the comeback...

 

Vanek - every time it looks like Vanek is loafing, not working hard, whatever - he turns it on and burns the opponents. I've realized that he is like a shark - circling, stalking his prey - waiting for the opportunity to strike, and when he smells blood in the water, look out. Give him too much room and he'll pick you apart, and his slapshot goal instantly flipped the momentum in Buffalo's favor, and it was all downhill from there...

 

Kalinin - solid in both ends, looking like he is playing with more confidence each game, which is a good thing heading into the playoffs...

 

Roy - fiesty throughout, making plays and banging bodies as best he could...

Briere/Pommer - made some big plays to get the Sabres back into it.

 

Negatives:

Effort: Poor, poor, poor through the first half of the game. Did someone tell the Sabres the game didn't start until 930?

 

Officiating - from refs setting up goals, to linesmen missing offsides, to a wildly inconsistent penalty standard, these officials were just awful. For those in the peanut gallery - it is possible to complain about the refs, even if you think the bad calls "evened out" (which they may or may not have.) Piss-poor officiating is no joke heading into the postseason - it will have a huge effect on a lot of teams' playoff chances.

 

Laffs fans - still waaaaaay too many Laffs fans in HSBC. I can (somewhat) understand selling some season tix to Laffs fans earlier in the year, but a frigging late-March game, heading into the playoffs? WTF????

 

All that said, I am looking forward to tomorrow night - another playoff atmosphere, and we can embarrass the Laffs on their own ice... :thumbsup:

[carpandean]

Was out at a bar tonight for my friend's birthday and after Toronto's 4th goal he said something along the lines of "no worries, lots of time, we're definitely not out of this one." I laughed knowing that there was some truth to his words, but not really thinking it would happen. At the end of the game we were all laughing, giving high fives and he says "I told you! Best birthday ever!"

 

So, I say "happy birthday Casey!" The boys one a great one for him tonight (or at least I like to think it was for him).

[hopeleslyobvious]

Just watched the game on the DVR...Wow. It's weird, after the Toronto scored the 4th goal, it just seemed to fire the Sabres up. Maybe because Miller was having a great game, but things weren't going his way and the team wasn't playing well in front of him? As soon as they dropped the puck after that goal, it looked like a completely different game. It actually looked like after that terrible bounce they went out to get a win for him. As soon as Vanek scored, I knew tonight was going to be a W.

 

I thought the officiating was pretty poor tonight. Say that the bad calls even out all that you want, but when one of the more questionable calls gives one team a 5 on 3, it has an effect on the game.

 

Glenn Healy...just terrible. I can't stand to listen to him. However, if it doesn't work out for him with TSN, I'm sure he can find a home on the NESN broadcast. He's right up their alley. I love his analysis of the 2nd goal, trying to show us that it was onside. Rather than use the camera angle along the blue line which would give us the best view, they give us the behind the net angle zoomed way out...very helpful.

 

Finally, I think a lot of credit needs to be given to Miller. I think tonight we saw a huge example of how he is maturing as a goalie. Last season, and even earlier this season if he gave up a goal like the 4th one, he would have lost his focus for the rest of the game and maybe even longer...tonight was a completely different story. It seemed to make him even more focused. If he can continue to do that, it could take his game to the next level.

[inkman]

there was nothing wrong with how he hit him, but o'neal didn't have the puck. that's interference.

The puck was 5 feet from his skates, as we have been taught by Mr. Bettman, if the puck is still in the rink after you touched it at some point in the night, you are eligible to be beaten like a rented mule.

[blugold43]

Denver? :blink:

i thought it was '91? but i am getting old/...

[LabattBlue]

I was at the game last night and I will sum it up in a few sentences...

 

 

I walked into the arena last night hating all the Sabres fans who sold their tickets to Leaf fans. I've never seen more Leaf fans at the arena. My blood was boiling more with every goal the Leafs scored. Combine this with the fact that the Sabres(with the exception of Miller) SUCKED for the better part of 45 minutes. Then...

 

 

UNBELIEVABLE. The joy of scoring 4 straight goals to erase a 3 goal deficit, combined with the fact that 6000-7000 Leafs fans sat there stunned and looking dumbfounded was a beautiful thing. The Pominville and Stafford goals were things of beauty and sent the fans into a frenzy you don't see very often.

 

To the Sabres fans who decided to keep their tickets I say...this is one game that you will remember being at for a long time :beer: and to those who sold them...sucks to be you. :nana:

 

The chants of GOLF LEAFS GOLF AND BLOW LEAFS BLOW heading down Washington St. were a perfect way to end the night. I can only hope that the bridge delays were brutal.

 

 

GO SABRES!!!!

[inkman]

Don't be a stroke an hex them... Be nice! TOR is a good neighbor and the city is great!

...and the Bills will be playing there soon enough. :nana:

[LabattBlue]

Negatives:

Officiating - from refs setting up goals, to linesmen missing offsides, to a wildly inconsistent penalty standard, these officials were just awful. For those in the peanut gallery - it is possible to complain about the refs, even if you think the bad calls "evened out" (which they may or may not have.) Piss-poor officiating is no joke heading into the postseason - it will have a huge effect on a lot of teams' playoff chances.

You are right on the money with your officiating comments and the linesmen were just as bad as the refs.