GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[SabresFan526]

This team has looked pretty bad over the last few games, even the ones they've won. They've been playing a little flat, no passion, and very loose in the defensive zone, which was the case tonight. They had no heart and no passion tonight. They carried the play statistically, but they got destroyed because Columbus scored on their chances and Buffalo did not.

 

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that streaky Vanek has become awfully quiet recently and that has coincided with some of the poor play from this team? They need Vanek to get scoring again. And, I've noticed in the last two games he's had some great open net chances that just have not gone in. These are goals that normally would go in for Vanek, but are not going in and I'm noticing the slide of the team is coinciding with his lack of scoring recently. I hope it's not a trend.

 

If Peters is going to play and he's not going to rally the team with hits or a fight, then he's not playing within his role and he probably shouldn't play. I'd rather see Kaleta than Peters, especially tomorrow since Laraque no longer plays with the Pens.

 

I know Lindy planned on going with Miller tomorrow night, but why do you pull Lalime only to play him back in the third? You're basically accepting defeat tonight so that you can hope for a win tomorrow against Pittsburgh. If you're going to do that, you may as well make Miller a scratch and call-up Enroth or Dennis in that case.

 

Overall, very poor play in the defensive zone tonight and Lalime did nothing to help his own cause by making many saves. I can't really pinpoint any one player as I felt like the entire team played like trash the entire night. I did not like the way Sekera played, especially how he totally missed Nash on his goal and did nothing to take the man. Just throw it away and get back tomorrow is all we can hope for. One concern I do have is based on the way Lalime has played in his last two outings, I'm very very concerned this is going to be another 76 game season for Miller which I do not want to see happen again.

[cilevel]

I want ten.

 

They showed that they can skate when they want to. But tonight they waited until they were 4 goals down. Hopefully this will be their wake up call.

 

Exactly my thoughts, I would certainly hoped they don't need to be even more humiliated before they realize they have to play 60 minutes to win.

[carpandean]

I feel really, really bad for Lalime. He did not make this game 6-1. I'll give him the bad communication with Lydman on the fourth, but the rest were far more on the rest of the team (not to mention some really great plays/shots by Columbus when they got their chances) than on him.

[FogBat]

Can someone tell me why they hired Hrry Neal? That guy is a real assclown....

I don't think it will be long before we see a changing of the guard in the broadcast booth. RJ appears to be holding out hope that he'll call an SC winner. From what I've seen of Harry Neale this year, maybe he should go back to working for TML.

[Claude Balls]

Lucky for me I missed watching the debacle. One question though, how many of the goals went in over Lalime's glove hand?

[cilevel]

Overall, very poor play in the defensive zone tonight and Lalime did nothing to help his own cause by making many saves. I can't really pinpoint any one player as I felt like the entire team played like trash the entire night. I did not like the way Sekera played, especially how he totally missed Nash on his goal and did nothing to take the man. Just throw it away and get back tomorrow is all we can hope for. One concern I do have is based on the way Lalime has played in his last two outings, I'm very very concerned this is going to be another 76 game season for Miller which I do not want to see happen again.

 

Both of Lalime's last two games the team did not play well in front of him, Ottawa was actually a lot worse than tonight as far as the team's play. I was fine with Lindy putting Lalime back in, better that he play through it and that the team do it's best to play well in front of him. I also think he would do well to get Lalime back in soon (not saying tomorrow). If he starts spreading out his starts too much we may end up with a T-Bo situation. But there was really just the one bad goal in the second that I put on Lalime alone. The rest of it had more to do with the team IMO.

[carpandean]

One concern I do have is based on the way Lalime has played in his last two outings, I'm very very concerned this is going to be another 76 game season for Miller which I do not want to see happen again.

When the team has played poor defense, both goalies have been blown out; when the team was playing great defense, both have put up great numbers. Lalime stole a point for the Sabres in the first OT loss to Atlanta. His next two outing were two of the worst defensive efforts by the team. Don't forget that Miller didn't look any better against the Lightning than Lalime did against the Sens. This team has far worse problems right now than their backup goaltender and, based on Lindy's post-game comments, I'm certain he is thinking the same thing.

 

 

Edit: Cilevel said a lot of what I was thinking and wrote.

[cilevel]

Lucky for me I missed watching the debacle. One question though, how many of the goals went in over Lalime's glove hand?

 

I may be wrong, but I believe it was only one (that he actually had some kind of chance on).

[Stoner]

I don't think it will be long before we see a changing of the guard in the broadcast booth. RJ appears to be holding out hope that he'll call an SC winner. From what I've seen of Harry Neale this year, maybe he should go back to working for TML.

 

Both of these guys sounded totally senile tonight. Neale couldn't think of the word "Buffalo" for about 10 seconds. Jeanneret said a player fell on the net, then said ice. Then he said the 5-1 lead for Columbus was their first four-goal lead of the night. I'm just surprised Neale didn't call the game over when it was 3-0. A bad night made worse by the broadcasters.

[FogBat]

Lucky for me I missed watching the debacle.

Same here. I know I'm a "Johnny come lately" to the thread after the game is over, but this :bag: doesn't feel so bad. Just reading a sampling of posts was enough bad news for the night.

[stenbaro]

We won't even remember this in april when we are leading the division.

Just got back from that debacle..It was a bad game but what stands out to me more than anything is our defenses habit of backing up and not making the offensive player dump the puck in man up..It cost us 2 goals tonight..

[cilevel]

When the team has played poor defense, both goalies have been blown out; when the team was playing great defense, both have put up great numbers. Lalime stole a point for the Sabres in the first OT loss to Atlanta. His next two outing were two of the worst defensive efforts by the team. Don't forget that Miller didn't look any better against the Lightning than Lalime did against the Sens. This team has far worse problems right now than their backup goaltender and, based on Lindy's post-game comments, I'm certain he is thinking the same thing.

Edit: Cilevel said a lot of what I was thinking and wrote.

 

I so miss being able to watch the post-game shows, and Lindy's comments, the same night! I have to wait until the next day now when it is on Sabres.com but believe me I will be watching tomorrow. He has got to be beside himself.

[carpandean]

Lucky for me I missed watching the debacle. One question though, how many of the goals went in over Lalime's glove hand?

Over?

Just Peca's diving deflection of the point shot and Paille's tip-in (yes, Paille tipped the centering pass over Lalime's glove hand)

 

First: stick-side, top-shelf on a 3-on-1

Second: really nice stick-out diving deflection by Peca

Third: off the far post (yes, glove side, but more to the side than above) and in.

Fourth: stick-side, top-shelf

Fifth: Paille's point-blank tip

Sixth: passed across to Nash who lasered it behind Lalime, glove side

[Stoner]

Lindy called out Vanek after the game. Maybe he can bench him, juggle the lines again, have a bag skate tomorrow morning. The guy's got a golden touch! How he has mucked up a team that looked so good two weeks ago is beyond me. Lindy likes things stirred up I guess. In the words of Roby, he has a hound's breakfast on his hands now.

[carpandean]

Then he said the 5-1 lead for Columbus was their first four-goal lead of the night.

In all fairness, he said "the largest lead of the night", which only implies that it was the first time that they've had such a lead. Technically, it was (tied for) the largest lead to that point.

[WayneGibbous]

That effort made me wanna puke. Worst outing I've seen in awhile. NOTHING went their way tonight. What a game to treat the home crowd to.

[FogBat]

Both of these guys sounded totally senile tonight. Neale couldn't think of the word "Buffalo" for about 10 seconds. Jeanneret said a player fell on the net, then said ice. Then he said the 5-1 lead for Columbus was their first four-goal lead of the night. I'm just surprised Neale didn't call the game over when it was 3-0. A bad night made worse by the broadcasters.

I feel your pain.

 

RJ talked about hanging it up a couple of years ago, but probably came back at the behest of the fans. On the other hand, I do miss Jim Lorentz, but he probably did the right thing instead of getting himself into the predicament that RJ and HN are in right now.

 

Even Mike Lange will have to hang it up down in Pgh. eventually.

[FogBat]

That effort made me wanna puke. Worst outing I've seen in awhile. NOTHING went their way tonight. What a game to treat the home crowd to.

I see you're out in Afghanistan. This game wasn't on AFN, was it?

[thesportsbuff]

This could just be because I'm all over Connolly's jockstrap, but did it seem like (at least for the first half of the game) every time his line was on the ice, he was creating all sorts of chances? Sometimes he got too fancy and gave an extra pass, sometimes the shots got blocked, one time it was just out of Pommers reach of what would have surely been a goal, and then on the off occasion Leclaire just made the save.. but at least they were getting opportunities. It sure seems like Connolly and Pominville have good chemistry going, and they were really the only two players that had a decent night imo.

 

I still question Lindy's decision to put Lalime back in the net. Could have been just resting Miller for Pittsburgh, but at 4-1 the game wasn't over. You can't really blame Lalime for all 6 goals, but regardless one can assume Miller would have stopped some of them, whether it be by skill or chance.

[SabresFan526]

Both of Lalime's last two games the team did not play well in front of him, Ottawa was actually a lot worse than tonight as far as the team's play. I was fine with Lindy putting Lalime back in, better that he play through it and that the team do it's best to play well in front of him. I also think he would do well to get Lalime back in soon (not saying tomorrow). If he starts spreading out his starts too much we may end up with a T-Bo situation. But there was really just the one bad goal in the second that I put on Lalime alone. The rest of it had more to do with the team IMO.

Yeah, I agree. I don't want to make it seem like I'm putting all the blame on Lalime for this one because the play in the defensive zone by the team was pretty bad. Sekera allowing Nash to streak through the slot uncovered is beyond me and then looking up and questioning as though it wasn't his fault is just absurd. Paille's tip-in is kind of bad luck and I'll give Peca credit for sprawling out and getting that tip-in goal. I don't think Lalime gave up any real soft goals aside from the one in the second period where he just turned the puck over, but I do think he does need to make some difficult saves to bail the team out when they are not playing well, which was clearly the case tonight, and he didn't do that. No doubt, the team was not very good in the defensive zone and the Sabres to me looked flat and disinterested in playing defense tonight and Lalime didn't do much in terms of making any big saves to bail the team out and compound all of that and you get what happened tonight. The troubling thing is that Lalime didn't face all that many shots and the ones he did face, most of them went in. Not saying it's his fault, but he does need to make some big saves when things are not going well around him. Columbus played much better in the defensive zone and supported their goalie and prevented the Sabres from getting any rebound opportunities by tying up players and sticks and the Sabres did not play as well as Columbus in their respective defensive zone tonight.

[LabattBlue]

Game thoughts...

 

-I just got home from the game and really want my money back. <_<

 

-I don't care what the shots on goal say, that was a piss poor effort at home before a sellout crowd.

 

-Sitting Stafford 3 games in a row is a joke when you have plenty of floaters out there who could ride the pine.

 

-The Kotalik and Max era can't end soon enough for me.

 

-To the idiot next to me who had to do a running commentary ALL GAME long with such gems as "line change" & "dump & chase", STFU!

 

-Peters swinging at a puck with his stick completely over his head. Are you even thinking when you are out on the ice.

 

-What happened to the defense first Sabres.

 

-I hope Rivet's knee is bothering him because if not, he has no excuse for his very average play.

 

 

Very disappointing loss! :(

[thesportsbuff]

-Peters swinging at a puck with his stick completely over his head. Are you even thinking when you are out on the ice.

 

i was laughing that one too. wtf? haha

[carpandean]

but I do think he does need to make some difficult saves to bail the team out when they are not playing well, which was clearly the case tonight, and he didn't do that. No doubt, the team was not very good in the defensive zone and the Sabres to me looked flat and disinterested in playing defense tonight and Lalime didn't do much in terms of making any big saves to bail the team out and compound all of that and you get what happened tonight. The troubling thing is that Lalime didn't face all that many shots and the ones he did face, most of them went in. Not saying it's his fault, but he does need to make some big saves when things are not going well around him.

He did stop Nash's breakaway. :thumbsup:

[SabresFan526]

He did stop Nash's breakaway. :thumbsup:

By that point, you have to admit it was too little too late.

[stenbaro]

Game thoughts...

 

-I just got home from the game and really want my money back. <_<

 

-I don't care what the shots on goal say, that was a piss poor effort at home before a sellout crowd.

 

-Sitting Stafford 3 games in a row is a joke when you have plenty of floaters out there who could ride the pine.

 

-The Kotalik and Max era can't end soon enough for me.

 

-To the idiot next to me who had to do a running commentary ALL GAME long with such gems as "line change" & "dump & chase", STFU!

 

-Peters swinging at a puck with his stick completely over his head. Are you even thinking when you are out on the ice.

 

-What happened to the defense first Sabres.

 

-I hope Rivet's knee is bothering him because if not, he has no excuse for his very average play.

Very disappointing loss! :(

I got tix for free so I cant complain..However had I paid for that crap I wouldve been pissed off..Every time I see Peca play I wanna puke..He still plays large..