GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[notwoz]

What does this have to do with this game?

Shall we start with the final score?

[SDS]

Come on, it wouldn't be Buffalo sports if there wasn't some conspiracy! I'm usually alone out on the grassy knoll on these things, so I was heartened to hear that Roby also thought the correct call was made.

 

Funny. CNC said it was a BS goal and went as far as to pull out and quote the rulebook to back it up.

[SDS]

Shall we start with the final score?

 

Sure go ahead. When you get around to making a point - let me know.

[SDS]

That's just funny.

 

I thought it was douchy thing to say. Tim had a nice game and produced our only point. But, let's cheap shot him anyway.

[notwoz]

Sure go ahead. When you get around to making a point - let me know.

He let in the winning goal in overtime -- which is exactly when he needs to stand on his head and stop every damn shot that comes his way. He is a decent goalie, but not someone who can be counted on to pull a game out of his ass to bail out a team that has far too much mediocre talent and far too many underachievers.

[SwampD]

I thought it was douchy thing to say. Tim had a nice game and produced our only point. But, let's cheap shot him anyway.

It was actually a shot at people's perception of him. He's pretty good but it seems the longer he stays off the ice, the higher his points/game gets.

[SDS]

It was actually a shot at people's perception of him. He's pretty good but it seems the longer he stays off the ice, the higher his points/game gets.

 

No, it was just another tiresome post in his long-standing crusade against him.

 

Tim had our only goal of the night and was probably the best forward on the ice for us. Of all the things to complain about tonight - he's not one of them.

[carpandean]

Connolly? Connolly's greatest production comes when he is out of the lineup. Being the NHL's all-time leader in imaginary points.

You didn't hear? He's a superstar:

The Sabres were hoping it was a good omen when their captain, their leading scorer and their superstar combined for the first goal of the season. Tim Connolly scored a power-play goal at 2:40 of the first period off a great pass into the slot from captain Craig Rivet, the second assist going to Derek Roy, who led the Sabres last season with 70 points.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2009020011

 

Sorry, SDS, couldn't resist fanning that fire.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

You didn't hear? He's a superstar:

 

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2009020011

 

Sorry, SDS, couldn't resist fanning that fire.

[SwampD]

No, it was just another tiresome post in his long-standing crusade against him.

 

Tim had our only goal of the night and was probably the best forward on the ice for us. Of all the things to complain about tonight - he's not one of them.

Still funny.

[Team Strike Force]

Just finished watching the game on DVR. Here are some quick observations that may or may not have been made (I suppose some are obvious, but that's never stopped some of us from posting before).

 

Sabres outworked Habs, I thought, just unable to bury one more scoring chance.

 

I liked Connolly's play. I also liked seeing Grier back more than I thought I would.

 

Fluke shorty and a bad bounce + nice play by Gionta led to Montreal win. Price kept them in the game as well. If the Sabres get an 18 shot advantage, 90% of the time they'll win (scientifically proven in my mind). Tonight wasn't their night.

 

Fire Dick Jauron. Before 4:00.

[VansTheMans]

Was at the game.

 

The Sabres seemed lazy, sloppy and uninspired for the majority of the game. They weren't into the game the way they should have been.

 

I threw up in my mouth several times.

 

Tallinder needs to get the #%^$#! off the team in the worst way possible.

 

Myers had a SUPERB night and was extremely, extremely impressive. Chatted with a Montreal fan, and even he pointed out how smooth and experienced Myers looked on the blueline. He stated, "I knew he was good...but I didn't know he was THAT good at THAT speed." I agreed.

 

To me, seemed like a very flat performance with scoring chances coming few and far between. The Sabres may have "outworked" the Habs in several points of the game, but that's not saying much. Montreal looked like a dead horse most of the game too. The crowd was not that into it. Several people around me in the 300's complained about the overall quality of the game.

 

I left with very bitter feelings, and I pray this is not an indication of things to come.

[VansTheMans]

Also, Im disappointed that Lindy Ruff didn't shuffle the lines sooner than he did. The team was extremely flat 2nd period; lines should have been greatly addressed then. I didn't see major line adjustments until the middle of the third period.

 

Vanek was invisible most of the game, minus a few interesting scoring chances. He needs to play like the elite player he can be.

[Kristian]

 

 

The fluke goal and a bad call were unfortunate, but to say that they are the reason we lost is almost laughable.

 

I would agree, there just aren't that many teams able to win games 1-0 these days.

 

If a single goal is all the offense you can muster, don't expect to win the game.

 

I'm not saying it can't be done, but more often than not you're just adding to your "L" column.

[Corp000085]

Well, I may be one of the few, but I thought it was a decent effort except for the 2nd period at times. Sabres did a lot of good things last night including bringing the toughness, fighting for their goalie, and getting involved in the rough stuff without regard to a roughing penalty. They had plenty of chances to win the game but didn't. Montreal simply capitalized on a bounce. As for the defense, wow!! After one game, Myers looks as good as you can look at age 19 in your first game. I like Kennedy's speed, but he's gotta work on the finish. All in all, very disappointed that we lost, but I'm happy with the overall game. Much more exciting than any of the crap we went through last year. I was ambivalent, now i'm optimistic on this season.

[nucci]

Well, I may be one of the few, but I thought it was a decent effort except for the 2nd period at times. Sabres did a lot of good things last night including bringing the toughness, fighting for their goalie, and getting involved in the rough stuff without regard to a roughing penalty. They had plenty of chances to win the game but didn't. Montreal simply capitalized on a bounce. As for the defense, wow!! After one game, Myers looks as good as you can look at age 19 in your first game. I like Kennedy's speed, but he's gotta work on the finish. All in all, very disappointed that we lost, but I'm happy with the overall game. Much more exciting than any of the crap we went through last year. I was ambivalent, now i'm optimistic on this season.

Good points except for the exciting part. I thought it was a bit sloppy and boring. Pomminstein and MacArthur just don't do it for me.

[deluca67]

No, it was just another tiresome post in his long-standing crusade against him.

 

Tim had our only goal of the night and was probably the best forward on the ice for us. Of all the things to complain about tonight - he's not one of them.

I guess you didn't watch the game. To say Connolly was the best forward last night is a joke. The entire "first line" was invisible for about 90% of the game. He scored the Sabres one goal. Great. How many scoring chances did he create? Not many if any at all.

 

All of that is beside the point that was made. The point made was that this front office failed to provide a legitimate 40-50 goal-scorer in this league a legit play-maker at center. You go ahead and continue to ignore the point because you have nothing to say to refute the point.

[deluca67]

Well, I may be one of the few, but I thought it was a decent effort except for the 2nd period at times. Sabres did a lot of good things last night including bringing the toughness, fighting for their goalie, and getting involved in the rough stuff without regard to a roughing penalty. They had plenty of chances to win the game but didn't. Montreal simply capitalized on a bounce. As for the defense, wow!! After one game, Myers looks as good as you can look at age 19 in your first game. I like Kennedy's speed, but he's gotta work on the finish. All in all, very disappointed that we lost, but I'm happy with the overall game. Much more exciting than any of the crap we went through last year. I was ambivalent, now i'm optimistic on this season.

It was exactly the same. :(

[Stoner]

Funny. CNC said it was a BS goal and went as far as to pull out and quote the rulebook to back it up.

 

Did they quote this?

 

"If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by a defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact."

[Stoner]

It was exactly the same. :(

 

True dat. I think a lot of people were just starved for hockey. If this is Game 10, or Game 50, people would be howling.

[Stoner]

You really think Vanek will do that c mon no way you guys got to stop trying to come up with stuff to talk about you look in to stuff to much. Sabres will be ok d will be better this year with Butler getting better and Myers being here. And they will be around 8 to 5 in the east just be lucky we got a team that can win some games there is alot worse teams out there. AND ITS ONLY THE FIRST GAME

 

Fair enough. I think you fit perfectly into the current Sabres culture in Buffalo. The organization, the players, the media and most of the fans are pretty comfortable with the status quo.

[SDS]

Did they quote this?

 

"If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by a defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact."

 

No, this:

 

69.3 Contact Inside the Goal Crease - If an attacking player initiates contact with a goalkeeper, incidental or otherwise, while the goalkeeper is in his goal crease, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.

 

and they showed the replay about 6-7 times and every time they showed it they became more adamant that he was not pushed.

[X. Benedict]

 

Several people around me in the 300's complained about the overall quality of the game.

 

I left with very bitter feelings, and I pray this is not an indication of things to come.

 

I wouldn't say sloppy or uninspired. This look is by design. In other words, it is the new normal. I think that the wide-open hockey days of 2006 are gone. This team is going to Dump, chase, grind out points. Not my favorite style, but I really think this opener is going to be typical of the product over much of the NHL.

[Eleven]

Just finished watching the game on DVR. Here are some quick observations that may or may not have been made (I suppose some are obvious, but that's never stopped some of us from posting before).

 

Sabres outworked Habs, I thought, just unable to bury one more scoring chance.

 

I liked Connolly's play. I also liked seeing Grier back more than I thought I would.

 

Fluke shorty and a bad bounce + nice play by Gionta led to Montreal win. Price kept them in the game as well. If the Sabres get an 18 shot advantage, 90% of the time they'll win (scientifically proven in my mind). Tonight wasn't their night.

 

Fire Dick Jauron. Before 4:00.

 

That's what I saw, too. VansTheMans's post concerns me, though, because you always see a little more when you're actually at the game. But from what I saw on TV, the Sabres were the better hockey team, by far, in every aspect of the game except for the one that counts most. That was real hockey from the Sabres last night, and the "we gotta get tougher and grittier" crowd has nothing to complain about this morning.

 

But they have to put the puck in the freaking net!

[LabattBlue]

I will defend Vanek here. Who is he playing with out there? Roy? Roy is a decent second line center. Connolly?

Vanek has to work hard just like every other goal scorer to be effective. It has very little to do with who his center is. Vanek is never going to change. He has all the talent in the world. I've seen him make great passes and I've seen him when he is skating hard. Unfortunately, those games are not often enough. He will score 35-45 goals a year and not bring much more to the table. Sorry, but for 7 mil a year, I expect more.