GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[spndnchz]

Hal Gill was too busy being on his knees during the 5 on 3....he dropped down like 6 or 7 times during that time frame. Must have thought he was back at the team hotel with his roommate...

 

Pretty much made that 5 on 3 a 4 on 2.

[bottlecap]

It was kind of like the Rangers game. I was confident that no matter what, the Sabres were going to win... we were dominating puck possession and the young guys especially are really aggressive. The PPs were the only thing IMO to keep the Habs in the game. And the ref's calls on the some of the penalties were questionable. But the Sabs are mature enough to keep their cool and young and spirited enough to keep attacking. It seems this team doesn't take no for an answer. They were really gushing over Meyers on VS.

[Calvin]

Game thoughts...

- Is River starting to look better without Butler as his partner?

 

GO SABRES!!!

He is isn't he? The last couple of games he's been really strong both on and off the puck, looking pretty good out there.

 

While Butler's in his sophomore slump, maybe we mix things up when he gets back, and pair him with Monty while Sekera goes with Rivet, and Lydman.. the less said about him the better. He's been really atrocious a lot this season!

[deluca67]

I do love TIVO.

 

Watching the game this morning a few things stood out.

 

Montreal did a great job of spreading out the Sabres penalty killers and were able to complete way too many cross ice passes.

 

I didn't like Tallinder's game last night.

 

Kaleta may be the first Sabre in a long while that is actually playing above his talent level. As tough a time Lindy has with Vanek, Roy and Connolly he seems to be pressing all the right buttons with Kaleta.

 

Miller's save on Cammalleri with 20 seconds left is the most shining example of how this team is different than the past couple of seasons. Lydman takes his signature penalty in the final minutes with a one goal lead. Montreal cracks the Sabres PK with what I am sure was the shot and the shooter they wanted and Miller was there. Last season that probably goes in and the Sabres maybe lose in OT or the shootout. Another save to add to the Ryan Miller MVP montage.

 

The most impressive thing about last nights game was the Sabres being able to bailout Miller who is at such a level right now where 3 goal against seems like a off night. He only faced 24 shots but still faced a great number scoring chances. Andrei Kostitsyn spent the entire night seemingly without the Sabres defenders knowing where he was. The tic tac toe play the Habs had in the second was another great save by Miller.

[Kevbeau]

The VS announcers were saying that the Habs were complaining of something...the replay showed Gill mugging Vanek in front of the net. Didn't look like Vanek did anything, except for his job. I think Gill wanted another homer call. The too many men wasn't enough.

 

I continue to be impressed by John Forslund and Daryl Reaugh. They do their required sucking-up that comes with a national broadcast, but Reaugh gives it to you straight and Forslund just calls the game. Reaugh was almost beside himself on the "too many men" penalty.

 

They weren't bad. My only real complaint is that a lot of times they banter on about something and don't provide actual information on what the hell is going on. (see: Metropolit's two penalties.) I'd like a little more detail then "Hey, there's another guy in the box."

[SwampD]

They weren't bad. My only real complaint is that a lot of times they banter on about something and don't provide actual information on what the hell is going on. (see: Metropolit's two penalties.) I'd like a little more detail then "Hey, there's another guy in the box."

I thought they were bad, but at least they were evenly bad. I loved that series when Halak couldn't find the puck and long before the whistle blew, [i think it was Gill] dragged Mair to the ice in a headlock. No call. Then on the very next flurry in our end Mair gets a penalty and you can see the ref explaining it to him clearly making the "headlock" gesture.

[MattPie]

I thought they were bad, but at least they were evenly bad. I loved that series when Halak couldn't find the puck and long before the whistle blew, [i think it was Gill] dragged Mair to the ice in a headlock. No call. Then on the very next flurry in our end Mair gets a penalty and you can see the ref explaining it to him clearly making the "headlock" gesture.

 

I think I'm a little more attuned to announcers having to watch the other teams' homers on Centre Ice, but the VS guys aren't bad in general. They're not always great announcers, but unless there's an NHL signature player out there, they stay balanced. Plus, the VS games are the only ones (other than Flyers) that I get in HD, and it's just so Pretty.

[carpandean]

Do we need to start a Kaleta thread?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yBskvmJECg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7S8OBUyUEE

[SwampD]

I think I'm a little more attuned to announcers having to watch the other teams' homers on Centre Ice, but the VS guys aren't bad in general. They're not always great announcers, but unless there's an NHL signature player out there, they stay balanced. Plus, the VS games are the only ones (other than Flyers) that I get in HD, and it's just so Pretty.

:oops: Hadn't had my coffee yet. Thought the "they weren't bad" was about the refs.

 

I thought the announcers last night were really good.

[MattPie]

:oops: Hadn't had my coffee yet. Thought the "they weren't bad" was about the refs.

 

I thought the announcers last night were really good.

 

The refs in MTL were a little sketchy. Mostly balanced sketchy, but odd calls.

[JujuFish]

Per Elias Sports Bureau:

SABRES FIRST PLAYER IN DOUBLE DIGITS IN GOALS

 

Clarke MacArthur became the first Sabres player to score 10 goals this season with his game-winning tally at the 14:41 mark of the third period in Montreal on Monday night. MacArthur reached double-figures in Buffalo's 31st game. The Sabres never had to wait that many games to have a player score 10 goals in any of their previous 38 seasons. The previous high was Miroslav Satan in 28 games during 2002-03 then J.P. Dumont again in 2003-04.

[darksabre]

Per Elias Sports Bureau:

SABRES FIRST PLAYER IN DOUBLE DIGITS IN GOALS

 

Clarke MacArthur became the first Sabres player to score 10 goals this season with his game-winning tally at the 14:41 mark of the third period in Montreal on Monday night. MacArthur reached double-figures in Buffalo's 31st game. The Sabres never had to wait that many games to have a player score 10 goals in any of their previous 38 seasons. The previous high was Miroslav Satan in 28 games during 2002-03 then J.P. Dumont again in 2003-04.

 

More proof that Miller is the one winning the games. By those stats, we shouldn't even be close to a playoff pace, and yet here we are.

 

Miro Satan and J.P. Dumont making Vanek, Connolly, Pominville and Roy look like crap. Who'da thunk it?

[Buffalo Wings]

More proof that Miller is the one winning the games. By those stats, we shouldn't even be close to a playoff pace, and yet here we are.

 

Miro Satan and J.P. Dumont making Vanek, Connolly, Pominville and Roy look like crap. Who'da thunk it?

 

My thinking is that Vanek, Connolly, Pominville, and Roy aren't scoring because the opposition is keying on shutting them down. The Sabres aren't getting so much production from the other players that the opponents need to account for them, so they keep shutting down those 4 and challenge the rest of the team to beat them.

 

Even more proof that Miller is the MVP so far.

[carpandean]

Per Elias Sports Bureau:

SABRES FIRST PLAYER IN DOUBLE DIGITS IN GOALS

 

Clarke MacArthur became the first Sabres player to score 10 goals this season with his game-winning tally at the 14:41 mark of the third period in Montreal on Monday night. MacArthur reached double-figures in Buffalo's 31st game. The Sabres never had to wait that many games to have a player score 10 goals in any of their previous 38 seasons. The previous high was Miroslav Satan in 28 games during 2002-03 then J.P. Dumont again in 2003-04.

:sick: Vanek had 24 goals in the first 31 games last year.

 

Pommer and Roy each had 9 and Connolly ... well, Connolly didn't even have 10 games by this point last year. Clarke had a second spurt in mid-Decemeber that took him up to 9 goals.

[...]

I'm not too worried about Vanek; he's been putting in the effort lately. The goals will come for him, too. If the goals come for Kaleta after buying into the team system, then the goals will certainly come for Vanek. Vanek is a much larger head-case than Kaleta.

[Stoner]

:sick: Vanek had 24 goals in the first 31 games last year.

 

Pommer and Roy each had 9 and Connolly ... well, Connolly didn't even have 10 games by this point last year. Clarke has a second spurt in mid-Decemeber that took him up to 9 goals.

 

They're saying the previous high for number of games to reach double-digits in goals...

[SwampD]

They're saying the previous high for number of games to reach double-digits in goals...

I think he knows that. He's just pointing out how bad it is this year (both for the team AND Vanek).

[Stoner]

I think he knows that. He's just pointing out how bad it is this year (both for the team AND Vanek).

 

That's plausible. I took the response as a puky-face rebuke of Elias.

[carpandean]

I think he knows that. He's just pointing out how bad it is this year (both for the team AND Vanek).

What he said.

 

 

The puky face was in reference to how far Vanek's goal production has fallen.

[wjag]

Yeah, Vanek has a great game last night. I'm not sure how anyone could think he was invisible. He also had a couple of excellent keep in's at the blue line, something you rarely see from him because that's not where he normally stationed.

 

On the game winning goal, Hal Gill basically had him in a sleeper hold and Vanek fought it off and held his ground and the cross ice pass went right by Gill. Gill then had the audacity to complain about interference.

He was invisible from my French broadcast viewed on my laptop. If he had a game, I sure didn't see it. I'll take your word for it.

[Kristian]

He was invisible from my French broadcast viewed on my laptop. If he had a game, I sure didn't see it. I'll take your word for it.

 

He may not have showed up on the scoresheet, but he deserved a 3rd assist for making sure Gill was too busy trying to move him to worry about the cross-crease pass that MacArthur put away.

 

My point is, he's contributing right now, even if he's not scoring.

 

Now if it weren't for that contract....

[Stoner]

He may not have showed up on the scoresheet, but he deserved a 3rd assist for making sure Gill was too busy trying to move him to worry about the cross-crease pass that MacArthur put away.

 

My point is, he's contributing right now, even if he's not scoring.

 

Now if it weren't for that contract....

 

I love the idea of subjectively assigning assists on goals. At the end of the season you would have a much better picture of who's really contributing. I'd be surprised if some teams don't already do it.

[Kristian]

I love the idea of subjectively assigning assists on goals. At the end of the season you would have a much better picture of who's really contributing. I'd be surprised if some teams don't already do it.

 

Can't say for sure about the teams, but I have no doubts some agents have done it for years.

[spndnchz]

He was invisible from my French broadcast viewed on my laptop. If he had a game, I sure didn't see it. I'll take your word for it.

 

TV had 19:24 minutes of ice-time, 1 shot on goal (plus 3 blocked shots) and an even plus/minus-rating.

[Trey]

This camera angle is screwing with my eyes...

 

Yeah, I noticed the same thing...glad to know that I wasn't the only one.