GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[SabresFan526]

Why can't this team hold a lead? I just don't get it! How is it they cannot hold a 2 goal lead in the third period? They've given up so many effing multi-goal leads in the third period. It is beyond frustrating. This team needs to get some heart and hold on to a lead. Last year, we did this to other teams, this year, we can't hold a lead to save our lives. Where is the leadership? Where is the confidence? Why can't this team close out games? Why?

[jrsarkov]

what is going on. what just happened. i #%^$#!in can't believe it

[Bmwolf21]

well four goals against isn't going to win you many games. Goal tending / defense was the difference tonight. On the 3rd goal if Miller doesn't try to clear the puck on his own (something that never works) that game probably never goes to overtime. I don't know how many points Miller has cost us, but he just hasn't been the goalie he was the past two years. His confidence has been lacking and it shows. I won't blame him for the overtime goal, but it is a save I would like to see him make. Ow well maybe next year.

This post is ridiculous all over. Miller didn't cost us a damn thing tonight. To suggest so is patently absurd. That play around the boards - if you watch the replay and not listen to Neale, you'll see Plekanec coming behind him. Miller leaves the puck as Harry suggests and Plekanec takes it and Miller's stuck behind the net.

[matter2003]

Nice job tonight losers...

 

How many teams have blown 3-1 leads with less than 8 minutes to go in a game twice in a week??

 

This team has the mental strength of a freaking person in a vegetative state.

 

They fully deserve to miss the playoffs and have noone to blame but themselves in the end...

[jrsarkov]

is it a mancard violation to cry after a regulation season loss.

[Bmwolf21]

is it a mancard violation to cry after a regulation season loss.

They make me want to cry a lot lately...

[SabresFan526]

They make me want to cry a lot lately...

Me too. Since I watch the game on Center Ice Online, twice this week, I have been ready to just throw my laptop against the wall, but then I realize it's my company's computer and I can't do that. I'm so freaking pissed. How can they just give up a 2 goal lead twice in the third period in one week? I just don't get it. Where is the confidence? Where is the leadership? Where is the mental strength? Did it all leave last summer? This team has talent, but no leadership and no mental strength. I have no other way to explain them blowing 2 2 goal leads in the third period in the same week. Well, 5 back of Philly and 4 back of Boston after tonight. Got to hope for Boston to lose tomorrow and we win on Sunday. We lose to Boston on Sunday, the season is officially over. And, if we give Boston a point in and win in OT or SO, the season is over as well.

[shack & duff]

Greater explanations later but the short comment is defensive shortcomings.

[carpandean]

This was one of the best games that I've seen them play until Kotalik took a lazy trip. I said to myself, "great, that's two powerplay chances for the #1 powerplay in the league: one now and one 6-on-5 with the empty net." They scored and things look a little shaky and Pommer misses the empty net (man, I want that back!)

 

On the good side, as I said, for the first 56+ minutes it was one of the best games that they've played. It was physical, they were taking it to the net and they were shutting down Montreal's offense. Our forwards were hitting hard and backchecking, and the kid pair on defense looked amazing. If that's what we will be seeing next year, then I'm excited.

 

On the bad side, Tallinder and Lydman still suck and Kotalik shows once again why he will never be a great player.

[mrjsbu96]

Me too. Since I watch the game on Center Ice Online, twice this week, I have been ready to just throw my laptop against the wall, but then I realize it's my company's computer and I can't do that. I'm so freaking pissed. How can they just give up a 2 goal lead twice in the third period in one week? I just don't get it. Where is the confidence? Where is the leadership? Where is the mental strength? Did it all leave last summer? This team has talent, but no leadership and no mental strength. I have no other way to explain them blowing 2 2 goal leads in the third period in the same week. Well, 5 back of Philly and 4 back of Boston after tonight. Got to hope for Boston to lose tomorrow and we win on Sunday. We lose to Boston on Sunday, the season is officially over. And, if we give Boston a point in and win in OT or SO, the season is over as well.

 

you know what is really sad, is that we are 4 back of Boston and we have two games with Boston that could wipe out that deficit. i realize washington has to falter and then we still probably have to make up a game or two, but after watching this game and the OTT game, it is so Fuggin sad that these pussies still have a chance to make the playoffs...

[tom webster]

well four goals against isn't going to win you many games. Goal tending / defense was the difference tonight. On the 3rd goal if Miller doesn't try to clear the puck on his own (something that never works) that game probably never goes to overtime. I don't know how many points Miller has cost us, but he just hasn't been the goalie he was the past two years. His confidence has been lacking and it shows. I won't blame him for the overtime goal, but it is a save I would like to see him make. Ow well maybe next year.

 

WTF are you talking about. This game has nothing to do with Miller. Its the same crap. Terrible play by our top d-man on first goal. Lazy ass penalty by the great Kotalik. How points has he cost them this year? Thank they keep icing the puck at the end because they are too gutless. Than finally, Derek Roy, the new leader, wants nothing to do with the puck at the end. Watch the end again. Watch that lame play him tipping that puck back to Paetsch behind the net. Waht a coward.

[jrsarkov]

how. how. how do we give up 2 goals in less than 3 minutes. we really gave up 3 goals in less than 6 minutes. AT F----- HOME. i have been critical of miller the past 7 days, but it is hard to pin this one on him.

[matter2003]

This years Sabres team= Complete numnuts

[Bmwolf21]

Not that anyone needed confirmation, but Lydman and Tallinder were on the ice for both of Montreal's 3rd-period goals and Tallinder was on the ice for three of their four tallies.

 

I can handle Sekera and Paetsch making mistakes but guys like Roy, Tallinder, Lydman - they have got to knock that crap off.

[VABeachSabresFanatic]

It's almost as if the hockey gods are making the Sabres pay for all the 2-goal deficits they overcame to pick up wins last year and the year before.... :(

[kingcongkorab]

I would not play Kotalik with 10 minutes or less in the game, he makes too may mental errors. Well we folded like a lawn chair in the third period-again :angry: What is it with this team. Blowing a two goal lead with 4 minutes left? Still can't belive I just witnessed this for the second time in the week.

[shack & duff]

Nobody wants this bunch to go to the play-offs more than me.

 

With that said, gritty, defensive defensemen do not give up 2-goal, third period leads with the consistency that we seem to do. What do low scoring, gritty defensemen cost on the free agency market?

 

We have a good group of young forwards, a good goalie we lean on way too much and a corps of defensemen who seem to come up short too often.

[Bmwolf21]

I would not play Kotalik with 10 minutes or less in the game, he makes too may mental errors. Well we folded like a lawn chair in the third period-again :angry: What is it with this team. Blowing a two goal lead with 4 minutes left? Still can't belive I just witnessed this for the second time in the week.

Same here. I am absolutely stunned, disgusted, frustrated, enraged.

 

I'm angry! I'm spitting angry! I'm like a tornado of anger, swirling about!

[kingcongkorab]

Same here. I am absolutely stunned, disgusted, frustrated, enraged.

 

I'm angry! I'm spitting angry! I'm like a tornado of anger, swirling about!

My wife was surprised that I did not swear once during the end of game collapse.

[carpandean]

I can handle Sekera and Paetsch making mistakes but guys like Roy, Tallinder, Lydman - they have got to knock that crap off.

While it's easy to forget with the way he plays, Roy is closer to Sekera and Paetsch in age and experience than he is to Lydman and Tallinder. He also did enough in the rest of the game to get the second star, so I am willing to cut him a little slack for one mishandle. Lydmand and Tallinder have no more excuses in my book.

 

On a side note, didn't Lindy say that the season was on Kotalik's stick two games ago when he had the chance to put them up 4-1 against Ottawa and didn't score? When I saw Kotalik take that penalty, I thought "the season really is on Kotalik's stick."

[SabresFan526]

You know Kotalik took a really dumb penalty. There is no excuse for it. However, if you see the replay, Hamrlik clearly dove. It bothers me that they call Roy for diving, but not others in the league. Watch the replay. Kotalik taps Hamrlik on the shin guard with his stick. Kotalik's stick is in the general vicinity, but it took a good 1-2 seconds for Hamrlik to start his dive forward. Kotalik should never have had his stick there in the first place, but wow Hamrlik dove.

 

Regardless, this team has no guts. They just cannot hold on to a lead. To be honest, it's a damn good thing that the Sabres end the season on a 3 game road trip because a.) they seem to play better on the road this year than at home (the numbers may not proof this out, but the way they play is certainly better) and b.) the people in Buffalo do not deserve to see this team give up any more multi-goal leads in the third period. The people and fans in Buffalo deserve much better than these heartless performances the last two games at home.

[jrsarkov]

in case anyone is into math, or time, or whatever

 

we blew 2, 2 goal third period leads at home within 72 hours. NICE #%^$#! JOB GUYS.

[Bmwolf21]

While it's easy to forget with the way he plays, Roy is closer to Sekera and Paetsch in age and experience than he is to Lydman and Tallinder. He also did enough in the rest of the game to get the second star, so I am willing to cut him a little slack for one mishandle. Lydmand and Tallinder have no more excuses in my book.

 

On a side note, didn't Lindy say that the season was on Kotalik's stick two games ago when he had the chance to put them up 4-1 against Ottawa and didn't score? When I saw Kotalik take that penalty, I thought "the season really is on Kotalik's stick."

I'll give you the age comparison, but Roy's got over 300 career games (267 regular-season NHL games and 34 playoff games) on his resume compared to 34 for Sekera and 121 for Paetsch. So he's a little more experienced than those two and needs to be a better leader and make a better play in his own end at crunch time. He's usually pretty reliable in his own end and he did have a pretty good game overall before that, so I can cut him some slack.

 

Tallinder and Lydman, however...they get no quarter from me. Tallinder has made several boneheaded plays in the last few games - some he has gotten away with and some have ended up in his net.

[SabresFan526]

I'll give you the age comparison, but Roy's got over 300 career games (267 regular-season NHL games and 34 playoff games) on his resume compared to 34 for Sekera and 121 for Paetsch. So he's a little more experienced than those two and needs to be a better leader and make a better play in his own end at crunch time. He's usually pretty reliable in his own end and he did have a pretty good game overall before that, so I can cut him some slack.

 

Tallinder and Lydman, however...they get no quarter from me. Tallinder has made several boneheaded plays in the last few games - some he has gotten away with and some have ended up in his net.

I think that pretty much sums up his whole season, not just the last few games. Tallinder and Lydman have been absolutely awful this year. Not sure what it is. Maybe they miss Teppo to calm them down. I don't know what, but I'm not sure I want them out on the ice anymore in critical situations. Honestly, I'm not sure we could do any worse playing Weber and Sekera during those critical moments at the end of the game. Why not?

[jrsarkov]

remember game 1 against the sens in 2006; remember drury last may in game 5 against the rags. hockey gods are getting us back.

i am so pissed right now. so pissed off.