GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[deluca67]

This has nothing to do with the point I was making, though. We know what Lalime is, a backup goalie. Which is all the more reason that guys like Pominville have to play smarter and harder. You're right. With Miller in goal tonight we would have beaten a non-playoff team. YEAH! But if we want to be better, then Pominville(someone who people on this board wanted to be captain) cannot make plays like that. Leaders don't pull up on a play that isn't over yet.

 

I blame Pominville more than Lalime tonight. At least Lalime was trying.

I'll give Pominville the benefit of the doubt over a rent-a-scrub like Lalime every time. No play Pominville made was worse than the play Lalime made on the first goal. The Sabres were able to keep the shot to the outside and Lalime kicks the rebound straight down the slot for a empty net goal.

[PotentPowerPlay22]

Anyone catch the postgame interview with Pominville? That boy is a broken soul. This game is totally on his back IMHO.

 

That short handed break should never have happened, then Pominville and Connolly quit skating before that play was over. And Pominville's panic wuss shot at the end there was the pass Atlanta needed to tie it.

 

Pominville needs to sit.

 

 

What a HUGE disappointment Pominville has been this year. You can also add Hecht and Paille and a couple others.

 

The Sabres will be playing golf early this year.

[SwampD]

I'll give Pominville the benefit of the doubt over a rent-a-scrub like Lalime every time. No play Pominville made was worse than the play Lalime made on the first goal. The Sabres were able to keep the shot to the outside and Lalime kicks the rebound straight down the slot for a empty net goal.

So Jason stopped skating to teach Lalime a lesson?

[jad1]

I'll give Pominville the benefit of the doubt over a rent-a-scrub like Lalime every time. No play Pominville made was worse than the play Lalime made on the first goal. The Sabres were able to keep the shot to the outside and Lalime kicks the rebound straight down the slot for a empty net goal.

 

If you didn't watch the game, sure you'd take Pomminstein over Lalime. But Pomminstein flat-out sucked at both ends of the ice tonight. His lack of effort on the last two goals were inexplicable. His blown scoring opportunities could be overlooked if it weren't for his piss-poor play in his own end.

[LabattBlue]

Game thoughts...

 

- Unbelievable! There is no way the Sabres should have lost that game.

 

- Pominville is clearly gripping the stick to tight. He has a major confidence problem right now and it is not a good time for this to be happening.

 

- They got beat by the guy called up to replace Kovalchuk? Seriously?

 

- Stafford after playing well for 3 months seems to have gone back into a funk.

 

- Max may have been the best forward on the ice for the Sabres.

 

- This is one of those maddening games where Gaustad and Mair did nothing from a physical perspective. At least Kaleta knows his role.

 

- I know there are a lot of games left and the teams they are chasing didn't fare any better, but how am I supposed to be excited after a game like tonight?

[bottlecap]

the chicago cubs of hockey and football. :wallbash: why should I care if they don't.

[Stoner]

Game thoughts...

 

- Unbelievable! There is no way the Sabres should have lost that game.

 

- Pominville is clearly gripping the stick to tight. He has a major confidence problem right now and it

is not a good time for this to be happening.

 

- They got beat by the guy called up to replace Kovalchuk? Seriously?

 

- Stafford after playing well for 3 months seems to have gone back into a funk.

 

- Max may have been the best forward on the ice for the Sabres.

 

- This is one of those maddening games where Gaustad and Mair did nothing from a physical perspective.

At least Kaleta knows his role.

 

- I know there are a lot of games left and the teams they are chasing didn't fare any better, but how am

I supposed to be excited after a game like tonight?

 

Good notes. I continue to be perplexed at Paul Gaustad. I don't know what makes him tick.

 

No one's mentioned Moore yet, I don't think. He had a good game.

[FogBat]

Fail.

:huh: You lost me on that one...

[...]

Good notes. I continue to be perplexed at Paul Gaustad. I don't know what makes him tick.

 

No one's mentioned Moore yet, I don't think. He had a good game.

 

 

I can see why the Leafs didn't want to pay Moore what he's asking, but overall I think he's a good player. From what I can tell he hustles and doesn't give up on the play (usually). He just can't find the back of the net like most of the Sabres. He seems to pull a Roy now and again and takes his time getting up after being brought down to the ice. Maybe the smaller guys learned that can be a tactic somehow as they were coming up?

 

Anyway, he had a pretty good game. Max and Paille have stepped up since they came back, Max especially. I still wince a little when he starts to turn around after crossing the blue line; and when he went traipsing just next to the slot, what was it in the third, I got a little nervous, but it ended "okay".

 

Pominville was horrible yet again. A couple of nice set-ups by Vanek, but he still seems clumsy out there.

 

I think the guys must have received confirmation on their May tee times. Must have relaxed them for the game - the pressure was off, don't have to fuss for a spot at the clubhouse.

[deluca67]

If you didn't watch the game, sure you'd take Pomminstein over Lalime. But Pomminstein flat-out sucked at both ends of the ice tonight. His lack of effort on the last two goals were inexplicable. His blown scoring opportunities could be overlooked if it weren't for his piss-poor play in his own end.

At no point have I defended Pominville's play. He is a better player than he has shown for a while now. However, Pominville was not the difference tonight. The difference was that the Thrashers got the goaltending when they needed it and the Sabres didn't.

[FearTheReaper]

At no point have I defended Pominville's play. He is a better player than he has shown for a while now. However, Pominville was not the difference tonight. The difference was that the Thrashers got the goaltending when they needed it and the Sabres didn't.

 

I think this loss is far from all Lalimes fault. The d was far from perfect tonight. To many times i seen Tallinder wiff on oppurtunites to clear the zone. And i'm not pinning it all on Hank,but rather using him as an example. Weak play in the corners by are d does not set Lalime up well to stand tall in net.

 

Lalime made his share of big saves tonight. While it wasn't his best performance by a landslide,ther were plenty of other guys that contributed to this squandering.

[FogBat]

:lol:

I was tempted to say something about that.

Thanks for the compliment.

 

OT Warning: Sometimes I'll be so audacious as to say something that will catch someone way off guard that their pride may be so wounded that they don't know what to say.

 

Kinda like the time when several drivers, including me, drove by a SWIFT truck on I-77 in VA when he was doing <55 in a 65 on a downhill. SWIFT trucks are notorious for being slow (62 mph governed) and their drivers are well-known in the industry for being incompetent. I said to him on the CB, "It's ok, SWIFT. You can do 65 out here". Another driver heard that, laughed, and said, "I was thinking about saying something".

 

At any rate, I hope that Max fan figures out really quick how to change his username. Otherwise, inky may have a field day with him.

[BuffalOhio]

Because he's a backup, and when the backup plays the rest of the team has to protect him by eliminating give-aways in the zone and backchecking, two things that the Sabres have sucked at for 38 years.

 

Fixed.

[frisky]

I have no more words to add about this team. Very frustrated. And, PO'd. That is all.

[FogBat]

This is Darcy's team. Soft, stupid, lazy and weak. Get rid of Darcy and replace him with a GM who can identify hockey players who have talent, grit and determination (that means no max, no pominville, no paille) and we'll have a team we can be proud of. Not a team that spend the last two weeks of the season "fighting" for that last playoff spot. We have seen this scenario play out too many times. you get to be the number 8 seed and you're one and done. Why even bother. Build a team that has a realistic chance of winning. This team needs reqal hockey players, not the girly men that darcy favors.

It has been said that when you dig around long enough, you find something. You just might not like the outcome.

 

Here's the problem as I see it: Darcy Regier was a cup of coffee player in the NHL. He spent most of his playing career in the minors. He was an assistant coach with the then-Hartford Whalers (which was a mostly hapless franchise). He served as assistant GM at NYI under Don Maloney (who is now the Coyotes GM) and took the interim GM spot when Maloney was fired during the 95-96 season. The rest is history.

 

I know that some of us know these details. Here's the thing: what names are missing from this list? Kevin Lowe, Bob Gainey, and Lou Lamoriello, to name a few. Darcy does not know the essence of success like those men do, nor has he spent long periods of time in a team environment with them. Darcy may go to GM meetings and discuss things between them. However, given the mediocrity that has surrounded Darcy throughout his entire life, things will never change in the Sabres FO unless he either resigns or gets fired. Am I being pessimistic? No, I am being realistic.

 

It pains me to say this, but this is a prime example of misery (or in this case, mediocrity) loves company. :wallbash:

 

As harsh as this may sound, does Darcy miss Merv Griffin?

 

BTW, TG, get ready to eat that microphone...

[Anzaloha]

Good notes. I continue to be perplexed at Paul Gaustad. I don't know what makes him tick.

 

No one's mentioned Moore yet, I don't think. He had a good game.

I watched the Atlanta feed of the game and they thought Moore was awesome.

You also should have heard them after the Connelly penalty, they basically wanted him suspended

for his vicious hit.

[Bmwolf21]

At no point have I defended Pominville's play. He is a better player than he has shown for a while now. However, Pominville was not the difference tonight. The difference was that the Thrashers got the goaltending when they needed it and the Sabres didn't.

I didn't see the game live last night, and when I got back on here and saw the outcome and read the GDT I held off on watching the highlights at NHL.com. I broke down and watched it a few minutes ago, and now that I did, I can't believe that Lalime isn't getting more grief for his play. He gave up big, juicy rebounds on the Thrashers' first two goals, the third goal trickled through his pads, and he was beat badly on the lone SO goal he surrendered. Maybe Lindy will give Tellqvist a start so Lalime can refocus and get back to the level of play he had in games 2-5 since Ryan went out.

[deluca67]

I didn't see the game live last night, and when I got back on here and saw the outcome and read the GDT I held off on watching the highlights at NHL.com. I broke down and watched it a few minutes ago, and now that I did, I can't believe that Lalime isn't getting more grief for his play. He gave up big, juicy rebounds on the Thrashers' first two goals, the third goal trickled through his pads, and he was beat badly on the lone SO goal he surrendered. Maybe Lindy will give Tellqvist a start so Lalime can refocus and get back to the level of play he had in games 2-5 since Ryan went out.

Lalime seems to have a real problem with shots from the outside. The Sabres have done a good jobs keeping the shots to the outside which is where if you are going to give up shots that's where you want them taken.