GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[SabresFan526]

Good win. A win is a win even if it's against a pretty bad team. I'll take it. What concerned me is that every time the Sabres scored, they let the Lightning get back in it on the next shift. But, the Sabres played a very good third period. Didn't allow a shot on goal until 5 minutes left in the third. Excellent third and need to play like that consistently.

 

I enjoyed the fights. I felt that the Sabres won all three fights tonight. Gaustad gets the take down on a quick fight. And Mair really hit Downie with some big punches, and Hecht gave Lecavalier a real nice shiner. I really love seeing Hecht stand up for himself and get a big win against Lecavalier. Good team effort tonight and need to play like that every night.

 

I liked the way Gerbe played tonight. I like the dwarf line with Roy and Gerbe.

 

Let's get another in Pittsburgh.

[SwampD]

:unsure:

 

How so?

 

I saw a guy hustling whose stick is too short to get to any pucks.

He broke up a lot of Tampa's flow, got shots on goal and was on the ice for 2 of our 4 goals. That's pretty good for his first NHL game.

[Eleven]

It's ok to be happy with a win and not happy with the team, right? I'm very happy with the win. With some of what I saw (and some of that was between the pipes, Mikka--I mean, Ryan), I normally wouldn't be thrilled. But the team, and we, needed a W, no matter how.

[LabattBlue]

Game thoughts...

 

-I saw little of the game. Sabres win!

[Bmwolf21]

It's ok to be happy with a win and not happy with the team, right? I'm very happy with the win. With some of what I saw (and some of that was between the pipes, Mikka--I mean, Ryan), I normally wouldn't be thrilled. But the team, and we, needed a W, no matter how.

Absolutely. I think there are a lot of people who feel the same way right now.

[Claude Balls]

He broke up a lot of Tampa's flow, got shots on goal and was on the ice for 2 of our 4 goals. That's pretty good for his first NHL game.

It looks like Gerbe can see the ice really well when he's out there, although how can you not see it when you're that close to it. But seriously, he really seems aware of where his teammates are when he's out there and made some really nice tape to tape passes. In his first NHL game he's already better than Max at passing.

[Bmwolf21]

It's ok to be happy with a win and not happy with the team, right? I'm very happy with the win. With some of what I saw (and some of that was between the pipes, Mikka--I mean, Ryan), I normally wouldn't be thrilled. But the team, and we, needed a W, no matter how.

You know how you can tell that people are not happy with the team, despite the win? A quiet board after a win. I know it's Saturday night, but usually there is some postgame discussion going on. Very quiet right now...

[Eleven]

In his first NHL game he's already better than Max at passing.

 

You see what you want to see, sometimes, you know? Gerbe didn't do much at all tonight. I am looking forward to the kid doing something, but it wasn't tonight.

[Eleven]

You know how you can tell that people are not happy with the team, despite the win? A quiet board after a win. I know it's Saturday night, but usually there is some postgame discussion going on. Very quiet right now...

 

Huh? Can't hear.

[shack & duff]

Whether there is a strategy behind it or not (put some fire under the regulars), it's nice, and surprising, to see the FO call up the youth movement from Portland. It's good to see that the FO noticed that there's someting happening down there that isn't up here.

[carpandean]

And why use Gerbe on the wing? Why not put Gerbe with Hecht and Pominville? Its just dumb.

I don't read the GDTs until after the game (don't ask me why; it's like Miller's circle before going off the ice), but I figured I'd answer this ... again. Gerbe is not a center. He doesn't play center for Portland and he didn't play center for BC (unless it was earlier in his tenure there.) Gerbe is a winger.

 

I definitely liked what I saw of him, considering that was his first NHL game and only his 22nd professional game. He's still got some growing (as a player, not physically ;) ) to do, but I think he demonstrated that he will be an full-time NHLer in the not-so-distant future (not now, but possibly as a starter next year.) Anyone else notice that Lindy had him on the ice in the final minute of a one-goal game?

[SDS]

You see what you want to see, sometimes, you know? Gerbe didn't do much at all tonight. I am looking forward to the kid doing something, but it wasn't tonight.

 

 

that was my feeling. E very young kid hustles, but patting him on the back for a nice cross ice pass is almost patronizing considering the non-factor he was. If speed and skating is his game, then color me less than impressed because I didn't see even a hint of above average anything tonight.

[thesportsbuff]

You see what you want to see, sometimes, you know? Gerbe didn't do much at all tonight. I am looking forward to the kid doing something, but it wasn't tonight.

 

agreed 100%. after i've been hyping the kid up for a year and a half, i was real excited to see him play... but there wasn't much to it. he chased the puck pretty well in his first few shifts, and he showed some speed to be the first man into the corners, but he didn't really do anything special.

 

no mistakes either though!

[SDS]

I definitely liked what I saw of him, considering that was his first NHL game and only his 22nd professional game. He's still got some growing (as a player, not physically ;) ) to do, but I think he demonstrated that he will be an full-time NHLer in the not-so-distant future (not now, but possibly as a starter next year.) Anyone else notice that Lindy had him on the ice in the final minute of a one-goal game?

 

what did you see?

[thesportsbuff]

I don't read the GDTs until after the game (don't ask me why; it's like Miller's circle before going off the ice), but I figured I'd answer this ... again. Gerbe is not a center. He doesn't play center for Portland and he didn't play center for BC (unless it was earlier in his tenure there.) Gerbe is a winger.

 

I definitely liked what I saw of him, considering that was his first NHL game and only his 22nd professional game. He's still got some growing (as a player, not physically ;) ) to do, but I think he demonstrated that he will be an full-time NHLer in the not-so-distant future (not now, but possibly as a starter next year.) Anyone else notice that Lindy had him on the ice in the final minute of a one-goal game?

 

noticed, but also noticed he was unable to make a change 'cause of an icing. he was heading off and had to turn around.

[SwampD]

that was my feeling. E very young kid hustles, but patting him on the back for a nice cross ice pass is almost patronizing considering the non-factor he was. If speed and skating is his game, then color me less than impressed because I didn't see even a hint of above average anything tonight.

And yet he had more impact on the game than Pomminstein.

 

(Sorry Vanek-Man, I'm just down on him lately. He should be doing more)

[Bmwolf21]

I don't read the GDTs until after the game (don't ask me why; it's like Miller's circle before going off the ice), but I figured I'd answer this ... again. Gerbe is not a center. He doesn't play center for Portland and he didn't play center for BC (unless it was earlier in his tenure there.) Gerbe is a winger.

This needs to be pinned or something.

[Eleven]

that was my feeling. E very young kid hustles, but patting him on the back for a nice cross ice pass is almost patronizing considering the non-factor he was. If speed and skating is his game, then color me less than impressed because I didn't see even a hint of above average anything tonight.

 

Right ('cause you were agreeing with me anyway), but I also didn't see anything that makes me want him back in Maine immediately. I'm ok if this is the first game of a three-game tryout, or whatever, but Gerbe was not impressive tonight. Wasn't awful, either. He kind of was just there. (Like the other 17 skaters.)

[SDS]

And yet he had more impact on the game than Pomminstein.

 

(Sorry Vanek-Man, I'm just down on him lately. He should be doing more)

 

 

ummm. How so? No goals. No assists. No big hits. A handful of weak shots on goal. No real setups to great scoring chances.

 

You can proclaim how well he played all night, but until you start laying down the specifics - it's just rose-colored glasses to me.

[SDS]

Right ('cause you were agreeing with me anyway), but I also didn't see anything that makes me want him back in Maine immediately. I'm ok if this is the first game of a three-game tryout, or whatever, but Gerbe was not impressive tonight. Wasn't awful, either. He kind of was just there. (Like the other 17 skaters.)

 

He needs one of three things to make it in this league, given his size:

 

1. The hands of Vanek

2. The vision of Crosby

3. The speed of Max

 

He has to be upper-echelon in one of those three areas or he won't make it. You can't give up that much in size and reach and not absolutely be heads and shoulders above everyone else in one of the 3 categories above. I didn't see anything like that tonight, so given his size - I would say he added less to the lineup than Mancari.

[SwampD]

ummm. How so? No goals. No assists. No big hits. A handful of weak shots on goal. No real setups to great scoring chances.

 

You can proclaim how well he played all night, but until you start laying down the specifics - it's just rose-colored glasses to me.

We're up by one near the end of the game, he breaks up a Tampa rush AND gets a shot on goal in doing so. Probably killing 30 seconds in their zone. And on the two goals that he didn't get an assist, he was a part of the play leading up to them and kept it alive in their end. If you are going to get on anyone, how about Paille, -1 and no shots.

[carpandean]

what did you see?

I only saw the second and third periods, but he didn't look like an out-of-place career AHLer, like some callups we've had in previous years. He seemed defensively responsible, his passing seemed crisp and he got involved in the plays. I wouldn't necessarily say that I was wowed (like he's a star now wowed) - and maybe you are right that with his size, he will have to wow - but he looked better than you'd expect from a guy (other than maybe some of those top-5 draft picks) to look after just 21 AHL games.

 

Let's not forget that he hasn't really even practiced with the team yet (just a skate earlier in the day.) Assuming he stays up for a few games, we'll see what he looks like with some time to get to know everyone.

[Claude Balls]

We're up by one near the end of the game, he breaks up a Tampa rush AND gets a shot on goal in doing so. Probably killing 30 seconds in their zone. And on the two goals that he didn't get an assist, he was a part of the play leading up to them and kept it alive in their end. If you are going to get on anyone, how about Paille, -1 and no shots.

I think people here were expecting the smallest kid in the NHL to have a Gordie Howe hat trick in his first ever NHL game. The kid made no mistakes that cost the team goals and aside from one bad penalty he was just what you might expect in this situation. But whatever, he played one game and I guess that's enough for some people to think he's a bust. He wasn't impressive, but he wasn't a liability on the ice either.

 

Besides, if you listened to Darcy tonight, his size will not keep him from having a productive NHL career. And we all know DR is spot on when scouting players. :thumbsup:

[Saudi Arabia Rob]

I was at the game tonight and watch Gerbe a bit. He really didn't have much of an impact. He did have one nice play where he was on the left wing near the circle and did a quick spin move and fired it at the net. He didn't seem out of place, but he didn't have much of an impact.

 

One thing which was good to see, was even though the team seemed to let down after each of the first three goals, they tightened up the game a bit and really came out in the third. The only qualifier is the Bolts are an awful team, so beating them, while nice, needs to be carried into the Penguins game.

 

Miller was really great the last ten minutes or so when the Lighting had the PP and continued on. You could tell he was going to shut it down the rest of the way.

 

As an atmospheric, about 20% of the Forum tonight was filled with Buffalo fans, as usual. It's quite a shock to be able to listen to rock bands outside and have your kids bouncing on a jumpy thing in December.

[SDS]

I think people here were expecting the smallest kid in the NHL to have a Gordie Howe hat trick in his first ever NHL game. The kid made no mistakes that cost the team goals and aside from one bad penalty he was just what you might expect in this situation. But whatever, he played one game and I guess that's enough for some people to think he's a bust. He wasn't impressive, but he wasn't a liability on the ice either.

 

Besides, if you listened to Darcy tonight, his size will not keep him from having a productive NHL career. And we all know DR is spot on when scouting players. :thumbsup:

 

Spare me the straw men. That method of arguing is for kids. People said he was impressive, I asked them to back it up because many of didn't see anything out of the ordinary. So, while you are criticizing statements that were never made, you went ahead and reaffirmed what many of us stated. Thanks for agreeing with me.