GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[millbank]

also,

 

?If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten?

 

or

 

?Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town.?

 

 

 

I'd like to add:

 

Our backs are against the wall.

 

There is no tomorrow.

 

It's the bottom of the ninth and there are two outs.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[Stoner]

also,

 

"If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten"

 

or

 

"Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town."

 

Thanks Harry!

[millbank]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

I think it would be interesting if old people got anti-Alzheimer's disease where they slowly began to recover other people's lost memories.

 

Thanks Harry!

[Stoner]

that said, i can't agree that the shortie against atlanta was caused by something other than a lack of effort -- which is not to say that pominville was skating back into the zone, felt his lungs and legs burning, felt his stomach rising up to heave, thought about where the team was in the standings, and just said "ahhh, fug it, i'm not going lay it on the line here and pick up that trailer" -- but whatever process was going on in his head, it caused him to stop short of putting forth the effort needed to prevent that goal.

 

I can accept that. Maybe it was more of a brain fart lack of effort than a heart fart lack of effort (I really want to hear a Bostonian read the last part of that sentence). For some bizarre reason, I don't think Jason thought he could get back into the play. He ignored the possibility of a giant rebound, and he certainly ignored the possibility there could be a second rebound, or a third, or a...

[Kristian]

There are no 60-minute efforts. Because fans define effort as guys are running around laying the body, legs churning in the corner fighting for a puck, flying up and down the ice... these moments are relatively rare in any game. A lot of the game is "making sausage." And whenever the other team inevitably turns it on for a bit, goes to "work," the fans will always point to this as lack of effort on their team's part. I dare say players dogging it in the NHL is very rare. (Pominville letting up the other night on the shortie is probably explained by something other than him not trying.) Of course they're TRYING all the time. What you're asking for is a 60-minute performance where there are no mistakes by the Sabres, no good plays by the other team and constant DEMONSTRATIONS of effort. This is just a silly thing to ask for.

 

Very true, however there are times where teams play lazy and undisciplined.

 

A good example of lazy play was the last 40 of that joke of a game they put forth against the Sens.

 

Unfortunately, the Sabres play lazy too often.

 

IMHO you can always see when a team is trying, even if they get outplayed badly.

 

A good example of this would be games 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the series agains the very same Sens in 05-06. We would collapse in our own end repatedly under pressure, letting the Sens control the flow and tempo of the game, yet there was never any doubt that although they seemed to be taking the game to us, every Sabre was giving a 100%.

 

I think those are the "efforts" people are looking for.

 

But no, there are no, or at least very very few, games where one team controls the game for 60 full minutes, you are absolutely correct.

[Stoner]

Very true, however there are times where teams play lazy and undisciplined.

 

A good example of lazy play was the last 40 of that joke of a game they put forth against the Sens.

 

Unfortunately, the Sabres play lazy too often.

 

IMHO you can always see when a team is trying, even if they get outplayed badly.

 

A good example of this would be games 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the series agains the very same Sens in 05-06. We would collapse in our own end repatedly under pressure, letting the Sens control the flow and tempo of the game, yet there was never any doubt that although they seemed to be taking the game to us, every Sabre was giving a 100%.

 

I think those are the "efforts" people are looking for.

 

But no, there are no, or at least very very few, games where one team controls the game for 60 full minutes, you are absolutely correct.

 

That series was razor-thin in margin, as was 06-07. A few plays here or there, and I'm sure you're questioning the Sabres effort in 06 and applauding it in 07. It's the nature of fandom. I am no different, honestly.

[darksabre]

I'm gonna go watch my Tigers take on Mercyhurst at Blue Cross and drink some beers and pretend the Sabres aren't playing. B-)

[carpandean]

Teppo out with ankle infection. What does he think this is, Game 7 against Carolina?

 

Scratched are Peters, MacArthur and Paetsch. So, Butler is in for Teppo (or Teppo is no longer in for Butler ;) ) and Ellis is in for Mair (who should be back next week.) Patty boy gets the start in net again.

[carpandean]

I'm gonna go watch my Tigers take on Mercyhurst at Blue Cross and drink some beers and pretend the Sabres aren't playing. B-)

I'll be watching the Sabres (on TV), but paying attention to how Cornell is doing against Princeton (family battle tonight, since my dad is a Princeton alum and I am a Cornell alum) and how RIT is doing against Mercyhurst (especially since I'm teaching there again this quarter.)

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Sabres are starting to think about golf versus hockey, prove me wrong tonight

[Kristian]

That series was razor-thin in margin, as was 06-07. A few plays here or there, and I'm sure you're questioning the Sabres effort in 06 and applauding it in 07. It's the nature of fandom. I am no different, honestly.

 

Point taken, but I'm really not referring to how close that series was, as a gauge for effort.

 

What I meant was, it was a series where I would sit with my knees up under my chin chewing through a pillow for 50+ minutes a game because it seemed like the Sens would score any second, yet I never felt that we were getting outworked.

 

As an example of the opposite, the series against the Isles in 07, whom we beat in 5 games also, I never felt the Isles were a threat even though I felt we only gave 100% for a few minutes a game in that series.

 

And you're right, effort is so much more than running people through the boards, or making diving swipes at the puck to clear the zone.

 

Effort is also to interfere with the guy on the opposite boards when the puck gets shot in, it's getting up the second after you get tripped up behind the net without as much as thinking about calling for a penalty, and it's taking the extra second with the puck to wind down the clock when the opposition pulls their netminder in the last minute.

 

Lots of little things I'd like to see the Sabres do much more of.

[ThePebble19]

The time for talking is done...all of this "we must do better" and "learning experience" crap ends tonight. All year long its been the same sorry excuses. "The check's in the mail..." Well, its time to pony up the dough, or get out of the house.

 

With that said, when I looked at the last 15 games, I said it would take 10 wins to get us there, with ott,phi,was,det and nj being our losses. With us losing a point against atl the other night, we need to make it up somewhere. It starts tonight.

 

I really think that Philly game last year where we blew the 3-0 lead was the turning point. Let's make this game the turning point towards the playoffs this season.

 

I'll be watching...

[Stoner]

Point taken, but I'm really not referring to how close that series was, as a gauge for effort.

 

What I meant was, it was a series where I would sit with my knees up under my chin chewing through a pillow for 50+ minutes a game because it seemed like the Sens would score any second, yet I never felt that we were getting outworked.

 

As an example of the opposite, the series against the Isles in 07, whom we beat in 5 games also, I never felt the Isles were a threat even though I felt we only gave 100% for a few minutes a game in that series.

 

And you're right, effort is so much more than running people through the boards, or making diving swipes at the puck to clear the zone.

 

Effort is also to interfere with the guy on the opposite boards when the puck gets shot in, it's getting up the second after you get tripped up behind the net without as much as thinking about calling for a penalty, and it's taking the extra second with the puck to wind down the clock when the opposition pulls their netminder in the last minute.

 

Lots of little things I'd like to see the Sabres do much more of.

 

Excellent response. On the latter points, doesn't the absence of those finer points of the game point directly at coaching?

[Kristian]

Excellent response. On the latter points, doesn't the absence of those finer points of the game point directly at coaching?

 

Yes, I believe it does.

 

And if it's not coaching, or lack thereof, it's the closest thing you come to hard evidence that the team has tuned the coach out.

 

In both cases, letting said coach go would be the standard response, seeing as purging an entire roster just doesn't happen.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Yes, I believe it does.

 

And if it's not coaching, or lack thereof, it's the closest thing you come to hard evidence that the team has tuned the coach out.

 

In both cases, letting said coach go would be the standard response, seeing as purging an entire roster just doesn't happen.

replacing a coach is alot easier. Look at how Ottawa turned it around after a coaching change.

[SwampD]

Excellent response. On the latter points, doesn't the absence of those finer points of the game point directly at coaching?

Yes, I believe it does.

 

And if it's not coaching, or lack thereof, it's the closest thing you come to hard evidence that the team has tuned the coach out.

 

In both cases, letting said coach go would be the standard response, seeing as purging an entire roster just doesn't happen.

You know you're in trouble when the GDT points to firing the coach before the game has even been played.

[Stoner]

You know you're in trouble when the GDT points to firing the coach before the game has even been played.

 

haha. Why wait for the Christmas rush?

[ROC Sabres]

haha. Why wait for the Christmas rush?

I already bought a shovel and two snow brushes for next winter 80% off. Which unfortunately proved useful this morning. YAY FIRST DAY OF SPRING! :thumbdown:

 

Hopefully we see some spring in the sabres step tonight.

 

Other than Ellis,Moore and Kaleta (enough spring to go around).

 

And I think I'll go ahead and branch off of deluca's idea for reason for losing (and I'll directly quote ruff):

"We had our chances we just didn't finish. They had the same chances and made us pay for them"

[bob_sauve28]

I'll watch, hell ya. I think it will be like 6-2 Philly, but I don't care.

 

Go Sabres!

[Chief Enabler]

I don't think I've ever started one of these. Maybe it will do some good. (But it probably will have no effect.)

44 posts with over an hour until they drop the puck, you must be doing something right :thumbsup:

[wjag]

They will win tonight.. Home blue unis... book it.

[ROC Sabres]

Why did we trade Biron??? :blink:

[bob_sauve28]

Ok, if and when the Buffalo Sabers are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs I am going to want this Philly team to win the cup. I like a lot of their players. Not sure they can beat the Devils or Capitals, though.

[ThePebble19]

46 posts before the game...3 posts 1 period in.

 

I can feel the love around here.

 

Great period, unfortunately, its ugly on the scoreboard.

[stenbaro]

46 posts before the game...3 posts 1 period in.

 

I can feel the love around here.

 

Great period, unfortunately, its ugly on the scoreboard.

whats the score??Watching House on USA