GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[JJFIVEOH]

And this afternoon everybody was calling for the heads of Ruff and Regier and to trade half the team. Is that still on, or does that wait until the next loss? :lol:

[JujuFish]

He has I think physically burned out in February/March the last two years.

Two years ago, sure. Last year, Miller was injured from late Feb to late March. His record from Feb to the end of the season was 10-4-2.

[themaze2332]

I hope Lindy gives more playing time to Lalime. Better to keep Miller fresh and Lalime will be sharper with more action. He's shown he can win games too.

 

PTR

 

 

I agree! Patty has gotten a bad rap even though his team flat out didn't play around him and Lindy never gave him the time. I think he is 1) a good guy and 2) had shown he is capable of taking on more than one game every 2.5 months!

 

go patty go!

[Eleven]

And this afternoon everybody was calling for the heads of Ruff and Regier and to trade half the team. Is that still on, or does that wait until the next loss? :lol:

 

Not everybody. Lots of folks aren't.

[carpandean]

While I would never claim that Stafford has nearly the talent of Kovalev, I think Drew may have a chronic case of Kovalevitis. His talent far exceeds his usual performance and when he decides to turn it on, he is very effective. That second goal of his was probably the most composed puck handling that I've seen from a Sabres player in a while. He just nonchalantly took the rebound to the backhand, then back to the forehand and lifted gently into the net. Fleury was scrambling back and even got his stick across, but you would have thought Drew was playing all alone in the rink. Impressive ... wish we saw it more.

 

Lalime has definitely been in the zone. I hope that he keeps it up, so that he and Miller can continue to be an effective 3-1-3-1- ... tandem.

 

All-in-all, great f$%&ing comeback. They need to work on not getting into those situations in the first place, but the second half of the game was great!

[Eleven]

While I would never claim that Stafford has nearly the talent of Kovalev, I think Drew may have a chronic case of Kovalevitis. His talent far exceeds his usual performance and when he decides to turn it on, he is very effective. That second goal of his was probably the most composed puck handling that I've seen from a Sabres player in a while. He just nonchalantly took the rebound to the backhand, then back to the forehand and lifted gently into the net. Fleury was scrambling back and even got his stick across, but you would have thought Drew was playing all alone in the rink. Impressive ... wish we saw it more.

 

Lalime has definitely been in the zone. I hope that he keeps it up, so that he and Miller can continue to be an effective 3-1-3-1- ... tandem.

 

All-in-all, great f$%&ing comeback. They need to work on not getting into those situations in the first place, but the second half of the game was great!

 

Reminded a bunch of us at the game of Danny Briere. A lot of patience and confident calmness. A great goal-scorer's goal.

[carpandean]

Anyone see something wrong with this picture?

 

[repster]

Before the Olympic Break, I would play Patty against Colorado, @Anaheim, @Vancouver, @Pittsburgh, and @Columbus. Ryan would still get 16 starts, but those 5 I think would fit nicely for Lalime.

[end the curse]

Lindy showed tonight just how good of a coach he is, and how lucky we are to have him. Perfect timing for pulling Miller, perfect decision to give Stafford the penalty shot, outstanding job of keeping the team focused after trailing 3-0, and a critical benching of Stafford pays off with a 2 goal, 1 assist masterpiece.

 

Cheers, Lindy! :beer:

 

PA has to be sick to his stomach right now.

[darksabre]

Glad to see them pull this game out of their . The bar was getting pretty depressed after those first couple of goals, but Patty Lalime and Drew Stafford single-handedly put this team back in the game.

 

Just some quick thoughts:

 

-I guess I like Montador.

-Stafford needs to play like that all the time. Maybe Lindy should bench everyone else too and fire em up (I'm looking at you Pominville.)

-Who needs Derek Roy?

-Kennedy, Grier and Vanek is a great line. And subbing in anyone in place of Vanek on that line also seems to work well. Kennedy and Grier just feed off of each other and make the third winger better by association.

-DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GO TO THE NET? Please guys, try to remember how well it worked tonight.

-Slap shots from the point need to be banned until this team learns how to take them.

 

Overall, happy with the comeback. This team can be good when it wants to. We just need to find a way to keep the fire stoked more steadily.

[nucci]

So when is the next 'must win' game?

[ROC Sabres]

So when is the next 'must win' game?

That would be Friday. At least I'm sure 2 or 3 people will think that anyways. I think against the Thrashers they need to show they can keep it up but I wouldn't say a must win.

[ROC Sabres]

Anyone see something wrong with this picture?

 

Guastad is listed as Captain???

[tasker48b]

Was at the game - an exciting comeback with a penalty shot to boot!

 

The TSN highlights I saw when I got home didn't do Buffalo's third goal justice - sure, they showed Stafford's great move along the goal-line and the Sabres crashing the crease - but they didn't show that the play started with a beautifully executed breakout from deep in the Buffalo zone (Myers cross ice pass to Tallinder while under pressure and tape-to-tape passes from there to gain the Pens'zone).

 

This was a welcome change from the first period where the Sabres looked like they wouldn't have been able to execute a breakhout against a peewee team.

 

Myers has been impressive with his puck and skating skills and he is an imposing physical presence (great hit on Malkin late in the game).

[CallawaySabres]

I feel good about this one tonight. Miller is going to have a nice one while the power play succeeds for a second game in a row. 4-3 Buffalo

 

I almost bumped this at 3-0 and I wish I had (maybe not the Miller part)

 

Anyhow, anyone who is calling for Ruff's head better take a GOOD HARD look at what was done between the benching of Stafford (while showing him all the positives he has done) and the pulling of Miller.

 

Lalime, Stafford AND Ruff won this game. The 3rd period was the best of the year and the passing was just superb!!This win is going to go a LONG way for this team and I love it.

[LabattBlue]

Game thoughts...

 

- Great comeback. For a team that is offensively challenged, it makes it even more impressive.

 

- I was ready to rip Lindy/Darcy for not calling up Ennis and instead playing Paetsch at forward. Oops!

 

- Glad to see Lalime play continue to play well. Knowing Lindy, one bad game and we won't see Lalime for a few weeks or more.

 

- Hey Pittsburgh...how's that taste. I heard Crosby being interviewed after the game. "I thought we deserved a better fate". Blah, blah, blah. No you didn't. Your team fell apart with a 3-0 lead, you ran the best goalie in the NHL this year out of the game and you still lost. YOU GOT JUST WHAT YOU DESERVED.

 

- There was a PP in the 2nd period that had me cracking up. Kennedy had the puck behind the Penguins net and Gaustad was between Kennedy and the net. If I didn't know better, I'd swear Gaustad was defending Kennedy. :lol:

 

- I think Butler's play was better last night, but I still don't know if Sekera deserved to come out of the lineup.

 

- Stafford doesn't have to become a 30+ goal scorer to be successful. 20+ goals and 50+ points along with an honest effort most nights would suffice.

 

- I even saw Pominville throw a check or two. Maybe Kennedy is rubbing off on some of the softer players on the team.

 

- Speaking of Pominville, see what can happen when you put your goal scorers down low on the wing during PP. This is exactly where Vanek should be playing instead of doing tip drills.

[wjag]

 

- Speaking of Pominville, see what can happen when you put your goal scorers down low on the wing during PP. This is exactly where Vanek should be playing instead of doing tip drills.

I so agree with this. The whole concept of the Buffalo PP needs a serious overhual. It starts by putting someone else besides Vanek at the net for tips.

 

I like Rivet and Myers up top with Vanek Left, Gaustad Middle, Pominville Right..

 

for the second one I'd go with

 

Roy and Hechts up top with Stafford Left, Grier Middle and Kennedy Right

 

I know folks will jump all over that second one especially, but I like the potential of it...

[cdexchange]

And this afternoon everybody was calling for the heads of Ruff and Regier and to trade half the team. Is that still on, or does that wait until the next loss? :lol:

 

 

Nah, PA went off his meds and got a few of the inmates riled up is all...

 

[wjag]

Nah, PA went off his meds and got a few of the inmates riled up is all...

 

 

:worthy:

[end the curse]

I really don't get how MacArthur is a -10; it must be a fluke stat. He plays so hard, and seems to always give positive, aggressive shifts. I think he may be our most improved player this season.

[LabattBlue]

And this afternoon everybody was calling for the heads of Ruff and Regier and to trade half the team. Is that still on, or does that wait until the next loss? :lol:

Posts like this crack me up. Where was this "I told you so" post when the Sabres were down 3-0 and it looked like they were going to lose in a big way?

 

It's always easy to be a nostradumbass after the fact.

[wjag]

The Penguins will remember this game for some time to come:

 

1. Plane forced to land in Niagara Falls when snow prevented Buffalo landing.

2. Had to wait for buses to get them to their hotel.

3. Had to push their bus when it got stuck.

4. Gave up a three goal lead and lost

5. Had to endure the press and the what happened questions

6. Had to fly to NJ for a stint with the Devils.

[That Aud Smell]

Myers flattening malkin behind the net with 20 secs left or whatever it was. ... this guy is a star in the making.

fixed. ;)

 

 

Yes. I think the only decent thing to do is let the guy go out on a high note.

:lol:

 

 

While I would never claim that Stafford has nearly the talent of Kovalev, I think Drew may have a chronic case of Kovalevitis.

the comparison is an apt one -- a pens fan might have seen this game and thought "holy sh#t, that guy is a force of nature", but for fans of the home team it's more like a maddening anomaly.

 

That second goal of his was probably the most composed puck handling that I've seen from a Sabres player in a while. He just nonchalantly took the rebound to the backhand, then back to the forehand and lifted gently into the net.

it was quite a goal, to be sure. i've never played the game at any level other than street hockey, so i'm in no position to criticize, but what popped into my head when i saw the highlights was: why not just bury that rebound on the backhand?

[end the curse]

Posts like this crack me up. Where was this "I told you so" post when the Sabres were down 3-0 and it looked like they were going to lose in a big way? It's always easy to be a nostradumbass after the fact.

LOL! Talk about a sore loser with no comeback! Did that take a long time to formulate?

 

"Oh yeah, well, well...the jerk store just called and they ran out of you!"

 

:lol:

[Calvin]

The Penguins will remember this game for some time to come:

 

1. Plane forced to land in Niagara Falls when snow prevented Buffalo landing.

2. Had to wait for buses to get them to their hotel.

3. Had to push their bus when it go stuck.

4. Gave up a three goal lead and lost

5. Had to endure the press and the what happened questions

6. Had to fly to NJ for a stint with the Devils.

Hopefully they do forget all about this game come Feb 1st, when we travel to the armPitt