GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[That Aud Smell]

I wonder if Max gets boo'd?

i think the audio will be "mixed."

 

He should get a standing ovation for getting the hell out.

that was frickin' funny.

 

Fifty leather lungs can make it sound like an entire arena is booing.

this is a great point -- i think there will be some folks giving a cheer and a handful of knuckleheads booing for reasons they probably don't understand and/or couldn't identify.

 

for my part, i don't get why people would boo. the guy was who he was, is who he is. he was a lot of fun to watch at times, and infuriating to have on your team at others. what i always go back to is in 2006-2007 when we closed out the season at home against boston and max came back from his broken wrist -- the arena absolutely swelled with noise when he came over the boards for his first shift during a TV timeout (there was this spirit of "this guy's return could put us over the hump for the playoffs!"). you could see that max was jacked up, when the puck dropped he fairly flew around the rink, had a mad dash of a rush into the boston zone, lost the puck, and we gave up a good chance going the other way. that's max in a nutshell.

 

I'd ask what 18,690 people cheering a goal would sound like if it ever happened in Buffalo.

 

i was there - i thought my ears might bleed.

 

They showed the crowd last night after a goal, and I bet 75% of the people were sitting like lumps.

i get out to 2-4 games a year. depending on the company i'm keeping, i yell at people in my section when they don't stand up for a sabres goal (unless they're clearly there for the other team).

[Eleven]

What is perfect about it? The team has had plenty of days off between games. To risk the points is foolish. Hopefully we won't be counting all the lost points at the end of the year trying to find the two that could have gotten them into the playoffs. If Lalime plays like Lalime I'll be putting a star next to this game as two wasted points.I would much rather see the Sabres play with a extra-attacker for 60 minutes.

 

And if Miller gets hurt or runs out of gas down the stretch, I'll be putting a star next to this post.

[Stoner]

i get out to 2-4 games a year. depending on the company i'm keeping, i yell at people in my section when they don't stand up for a sabres goal (unless they're clearly there for the other team).

 

What did Mr. Hawking say?

[deluca67]

And if Miller gets hurt or runs out of gas down the stretch, I'll be putting a star next to this post.

How would Miller playing tonight increase risk of injury? He has had plenty of time off already and has a few days off until the next game. Grab all the points you can now while the schedule is soft and sacrifice the points later when the schedule will me much more condensed.

[Eleven]

How would Miller playing tonight increase risk of injury? He has had plenty of time off already and has a few days off until the next game. Grab all the points you can now while the schedule is soft and sacrifice the points later when the schedule will me much more condensed.

 

Would you have preferred Lalime to have started against tough Detroit? It's an 82 game season, and Miller may be looking at 6 or 7 more games in Vancouver, too. No goalie can handle that. There's never going to be an ideal game to start Lalime. Never. It's a fact of life that one of these guys is a LOT better than the other, and it's also a fact that he can't go every game. The only thing that makes sense is to give Lalime periodic starts and hope the team can overcome. The team should be good enough to pick up 50% of the points available from Lalime's starts; if it's not, then the problem goes beyond weak backup goaltending.

[darksabre]

Would you have preferred Lalime to have started against tough Detroit? It's an 82 game season, and Miller may be looking at 6 or 7 more games in Vancouver, too. No goalie can handle that. There's never going to be an ideal game to start Lalime. Never. It's a fact of life that one of these guys is a LOT better than the other, and it's also a fact that he can't go every game. The only thing that makes sense is to give Lalime periodic starts and hope the team can overcome. The team should be good enough to pick up 50% of the points available from Lalime's starts; if it's not, then the problem goes beyond weak backup goaltending.

 

I think if we can score 4 goals in any game Lalime starts, we should be able to win. If we look back to last season, we know Lalime was left high and dry by our offense quite often. If the offense shows up, Lalime will have a better year.

[shrader]

Max might have been the most popular Sabre over the course of all those years. I don't think I ever remember him being booed. I don't see why it should start tonight.

 

How do you define a crowd booing anyway? Fifty leather lungs can make it sound like an entire arena is booing. I've always thought if 18,690 people decided to boo at once, it would be deafening. I'd ask what 18,690 people cheering a goal would sound like if it ever happened in Buffalo. They showed the crowd last night after a goal, and I bet 75% of the people were sitting like lumps.

 

The best reaction to Afinogenov would be complete and total indifference.

[SwampD]

I think if we can score 4 goals in any game Lalime starts, we should be able to win. If we look back to last season, we know Lalime was left high and dry by our offense quite often. If the offense shows up, Lalime will have a better year.

I would have rather seen him last night, but, oh well.

[That Aud Smell]

What did Mr. Hawking say?

not sure - that was back in the 2000-2001 season. and you know you can't understand anything that guy says anyway. all i recall is he seemed to be concerned about the beer i'd angrily dumped on christopher reeve.

 

:bag:

[SarasotaSabre]

why exactly should max get booed? B/C he was a bust and we dumped him?

 

The GDT from yesterday being commented on, this thread started, my hangover from last night still working itself out and I'm going again tonight.

 

Hockey benders. :thumbsup:

 

I wonder if Max gets boo'd?

[Stoner]

not sure - that was back in the 2000-2001 season. and you know you can't understand anything that guy says anyway. all i recall is he seemed to be concerned about the beer i'd angrily dumped on christopher reeve.

 

:bag:

 

:w00t:

[Stoner]

The best reaction to Afinogenov would be complete and total indifference.

 

Given the right moment, I think some will boo and some will cheer. I don't think there's ever been indifference to Max.

 

Long live Afinogenov!

[deluca67]

Would you have preferred Lalime to have started against tough Detroit? It's an 82 game season, and Miller may be looking at 6 or 7 more games in Vancouver, too. No goalie can handle that. There's never going to be an ideal game to start Lalime. Never. It's a fact of life that one of these guys is a LOT better than the other, and it's also a fact that he can't go every game. The only thing that makes sense is to give Lalime periodic starts and hope the team can overcome. The team should be good enough to pick up 50% of the points available from Lalime's starts; if it's not, then the problem goes beyond weak backup goaltending.

I don't want to see Lalime until the schedule dictates it. Actually, I don't want to see him at all. If Miller had played tonight that is 6 games over 14 days. If he can't handle that light of a work load? I have no use for him as a starting goaltender. It's too early and the schedule has been way too light to worry about fatigue in March. If he is that fragile what does it say about him as a professional athlete.

[Eleven]

In any event, Ruff appears to have made up his mind. According to John Vogl, Lalime starts tonight:

 

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2009/10/lalime-to-get-first-start-of-season-tonight-vanek-out-again.html

[NowDoYouBelieve]

I don't want to see Lalime until the schedule dictates it. Actually, I don't want to see him at all. If Miller had played tonight that is 6 games over 14 days. If he can't handle that light of a work load? I have no use for him as a starting goaltender. It's too early and the schedule has been way too light to worry about fatigue in March. If he is that fragile what does it say about him as a professional athlete.

 

You're right. As the old saying goes; if it ain't broke don't fix it. Of course, Lalime has to play sometimes to give Miller a rest and make sure Lalime doesn't get rusty...but for now, Miller's workload has been altogether light and he gets 3 full days of rest after tonight's game too.

 

Lalime is ok at times, but Miller gives us the better chance to win by far, especially since he's off to a hot start. Why wouldn't Lindy do everything in his power to ride this wave as far as it will take the team? Hard to criticize anything about Lindy's decisions thus far, but I'd put Miller out there tonight.

[deluca67]

You're right. As the old saying goes; if it ain't broke don't fix it. Of course, Lalime has to play sometimes to give Miller a rest and make sure Lalime doesn't get rusty...but for now, Miller's workload has been altogether light and he gets 3 full days of rest after tonight's game too.

 

Lalime is ok at times, but Miller gives us the better chance to win by far, especially since he's off to a hot start. Why wouldn't Lindy do everything in his power to ride this wave as far as it will take the team? Hard to criticize anything about Lindy's decisions thus far, but I'd put Miller out there tonight.

I like Ryan Miller as the Sabres starting goalie. I would like to believe that he hasn't even warmed up yet let alone that he may be overtaxed so early in the season.

 

If he is a little sore from getting banged around last night that would be a different story. The Sabres should only play Lalime out of necessity.

[Kristian]

I like Ryan Miller as the Sabres starting goalie. I would like to believe that he hasn't even warmed up yet let alone that he may be overtaxed so early in the season.

 

Very true, but Miller has shown in the past that he becomes a different goaltender if he's played 65 games come March 1st, than he would be had he only played 55.

 

So how he feels right now really isn't the issue, it's how he may end up feeling down the stretch if he doesn't get a rest once in a while.

 

That said, Lalime sucks, but at least he's not T-BLO.

[Mbossy]

Mair is activated and Reggie's on IR.

[deluca67]

Very true, but Miller has shown in the past that he becomes a different goaltender if he's played 65 games come March 1st, than he would be had he only played 55.

 

So how he feels right now really isn't the issue, it's how he may end up feeling down the stretch if he doesn't get a rest once in a while.

 

That said, Lalime sucks, but at least he's not T-BLO.

Valid and true points. My major issue is that there are going to be times where the schedule is much tougher. THis is not one of those times. Playing back to back in Oct coming off of multiple days rest and followed by multiple days rest is not one of them. Tonight's game should have no effect come March. He would not be more taxed or more rested.

[Two or less]

I'm with DeLuca on this one. Miller should play tonight. I don't think playing back to back nights late in the season makes much sense but early on, i don't see why it's an issue, especially since our next game isn't until Wednesday. He has a lot of time to recoup from the game and be rested for his next start. I figured Lalime would play tonight, which was my prediction, but i hoped i was wrong. I was just going based on what Ruff has done in the past on back to back nights early on.

 

That said, the team played like garbage last night and were totally out skated by the young Islanders team. Miller saved us last night and the team needs a strong effort tonight like Myers said in the post-game last night.

 

And Max won't get boooed and he shouldn't.

[wjag]

Drury is god retrospective is on MSG now...

[bob_sauve28]

Valid and true points. My major issue is that there are going to be times where the schedule is much tougher. THis is not one of those times. Playing back to back in Oct coming off of multiple days rest and followed by multiple days rest is not one of them. Tonight's game should have no effect come March. He would not be more taxed or more rested.

I want to see Miller, also, but, when do we get Lalime some playing time? If he doesn't play at all, or very little, that can be a problem in several different ways. So if Miller's ready to play every game and handle the playoffs I'm ok with that. But if Lalime is going to be needed he is going to have to play some games.

[wjag]

This team NEEDS two goalies. This is the spot to play the back up. They are playing well enough to win with either goal tender in goal. Trashers have the Sabres numbers these last few years starting with ending the winning streak a few years back. I'd like to see them whip up on Atlanta. I won't truly believe until I see them play some quality games against Ottawa....

[North Buffalo]

So you are right, Lalime is in net!

[North Buffalo]

Game ON!