GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[Buffalo Wings]

Yes and no. The Sabres are good enough that the last minute heroics should not even have been necessary. But... I'll tell ya, those were some gutsy calls at the end, pulling Miller during the PP, then pulling him again with nearly two full minutes in regulation.

 

A win is a win.

And at this stage of the season, wins/points are all that matter. I would've been happy to get out of that game with a single point, but they got two - one of them stolen.

[Stoner]

This is all pretty accurate, but that 2nd goal was absolute weak-sauce.

 

Outside of that, though, I thought Miller was fantastic.

 

Glad we agree. The second goal was a weak squeaker between the legs. I saw a long shot go off his glove and float past the far post. I saw more bad rebounds than the last 10 games combined. A highlight reel game for him, but I bet he's not entirely happy with it.

[Stoner]

:lol: Miller was the ONLY reason they even had a snowball's chance in ###### at the end.

I agree. And he looked off his game a bit.

[Stoner]

I'm glad they won, but they sure played poorly. The last 3 minutes they actually showed the desperation that they showed in previous games. I saw guys coasting towards the Habs D-men instead of attacking them and forcing mistakes. I think they played too cautiously in the attacking zone. Tallinder sucked tonight, from the first goal onwards. Would it have been to much to ask that he blast the puck carrier into the boards instead of trying to use his stick to get the puck from him? Just once, perhaps? Without Miller, that game is 5-0 in the third and no comeback happens.

 

Yes, I'm glad they won. Magic number is 10, but I need to see more desperation on every shift. That's how hockey games are won.

I've never seen a team not look desperate with a two-man advantage.

[Stoner]

HAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH, really? Seriously PASabreFan, you always find the dark cloud in the bright sunshine. But even for you this is a stretch. You could have said absolutely ANYONE on the team except Miller stunk and nobody would dispute it. But you go and say Miller "looked off his game a bit"?! The guy had absolutely no chance on either goal really but especially the first. He had one of his top 5 games of the season in my opinion.... Like the TSN (for you Canadians) announcer said, it could have easily been 6-0 in the third if it weren't for Miller!

Good thing I didn't say he stunk!

 

What can I say, Lindy and I are dark cloud people. Ever hear a coach say this after a win? "We'll put it behind us and move on."

[eball]

And now for your moment of zen compliments of LeJournal Montreal:

 

After having gained its medal D money bad cold-heart in Vancouver, Ryan Miller quickly fell down on her shoes. The guard high-speed motorboat of Sabres N did not have time to suffer from post-Olympic blues

 

Its prowesses should ensure the Sabres their first participation in the eliminatory series in three seasons.

Glad I'm not the only one who loves reading these articles.

 

"One sat down on our bottom" is the headline of another.

[LabattBlue]

I'm not sure I follow the glass is half full crowd. What is wrong with stating that the Sabres won, played great for 8 minutes and the shootout, but other than that it was a pitiful performance? What is wrong with that opinion? Do I have to turn in my fan club card because after a win something negative is stated?

 

Bottom line...the Sabres play like that come playoff time and they will get bounced in the first round. This is what is so frustrating as the Sabres head to the playoffs for the first time in 3 years and their play is very reminiscent of 07-08 and 08-09 except for Miller. Capiche?

[Stoner]

Re: various comments on Gaustad. Here's the problem. He was stinking up the joint along with everyone else until he got hit beside the Montreal net. He lost it. Maybe somebody should have told him this was a hockey game and you're allowed to hit people. Maybe he told himself that, because with his lacy panties in a bunch, he was a different player after that. That's Gaustad's career in a nutshell. He brings it when the mood strikes.

[Eleven]

Sorry to see Montreal get the point, but at least the Sabres pulled it out at the end.

 

I don't agree that they played only eight minutes--they only finally scored in the last eight. They had plenty of pressure (42 shots is hardly lack of effort), but shots were at the goalie rather than at the net. Also, there were several instances where a quick one-timer might have scored, but the shooter took an extra second to "make sure" of the shot, thus allowing Price to get into position. Seems Roy is the only one who fires the one-timer anymore.

[Stoner]

Interesting events right after the Hab high-sticked Kennedy with 3+ minutes left. Miller started waving at the bench, like "hellllooo???!!!" Banging his stick on the ice. Ruff looked at Miller, put up one finger, then did the corny two fingers to the eye, "watch me" pantomime. Miller looked back, apparently at Lalime, and did his best WTF wave.

 

Now, whether he was making a comment on Ruff's decision or didn't understand WTF the coach was communicating, I don't know. As play resumes, I think you can hear Lalime yell something like, "One left on the PP." So apparently Ruff had decided to pull Miller with one minute left on the, uh, PP.

 

Bad communication between the bench and Miller.

 

Shortly after that, long before a minute had expired, the Sabres got that D zone faceoff and Ruff called timeout. Miller came to the bench and again expressed his confusion to Lalime. Whether Ruff changed his mind, or Miller changed it for him, Ruff pulled Miller right then, and the rest is history.

 

So, what was the banging and the gesture all about? Miller "calling out" his coach, or the Sabres not having a good communication system in place in a situation like that? Or both?

[Patty16]

They're synonymous in the sense that everyone knows what "card shark" is supposed to mean, but that doesn't make said term correct.

 

or bc thats what the dictionary said. My friends had a bet on this a while back and had to resort to webster's to determine the winner.

[wjag]

If you didn't take anything but pleasure out of that hockey game last night, you're never going to enjoy hockey again. 2 goals in under 2 minutes and a shutout in the shootout. That's good stuff. Enjoy it.

[Eleven]

I think this sums it up the best:

 

“I already withdrew our guard with nine minutes to be made in the match. We had not marked on the sequence, but planes be able to change the momentum and to level the chances before the end of the part. It is so difficult to gain today. The matches are tightened so much, sometimes that it is necessary to play of chance. This evening, that smiled us”, commented on the trainer-chief of the Sabres."

 

http://66.163.168.225/babelfish/translate_url_content?.intl=us&lp=fr_en&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyberpresse.ca%2Fsports%2Fhockey%2F201003%2F24%2F01-4264017-ruff-a-parie-les-sabres-ont-gagne.php

 

I love reading the translations after games against Montreal.

[shrader]

Lindy Ruff: Trainer-Chief

[Stoner]

If you didn't take anything but pleasure out of that hockey game last night, you're never going to enjoy hockey again. 2 goals in under 2 minutes and a shutout in the shootout. That's good stuff. Enjoy it.

 

Fundamental disagreement. But hey, allow the difference to be the vivacious.

[Stoner]

I think this sums it up the best:

 

“I already withdrew our guard with nine minutes to be made in the match. We had not marked on the sequence, but planes be able to change the momentum and to level the chances before the end of the part. It is so difficult to gain today. The matches are tightened so much, sometimes that it is necessary to play of chance. This evening, that smiled us”, commented on the trainer-chief of the Sabres."

 

http://66.163.168.22...s-ont-gagne.php

 

I love reading the translations after games against Montreal.

Lindy was talking about pulling his goalie one time in Atlanta with nine minutes to go. He said they didn't score, he put the goalie back in, they scored on the next shift and tied it up late. I don't remember that one.

 

Lindy said last night "was late for him" to pull a goalie. He's certainly not known for doing that. If anything, he waits too long. But he seems to be right in the neighborhood of most typically conservative hockey coaches.

[Stoner]

Watched the highlights on RDS. You could hear the ref yell at Montador, "No way, get up!" when Montador took a cross check moments before his goal and went down. Good thing he got up!

 

Why do MSG and RJ-HN make us constantly guess about penalties?

 

I did feel sorry for Harry last night. After the Sabres tied it, he was clearly joking about keeping Miller on the bench and going for the win. Rob and Rick took him seriously. I guess we've all been conditioned to expect the worst.

[shrader]

I did feel sorry for Harry last night. After the Sabres tied it, he was clearly joking about keeping Miller on the bench and going for the win. Rob and Rick took him seriously. I guess we've all been conditioned to expect the worst.

 

There's definitely a hint of sarcasm in a lot of what he says. It's too bad most people out there always have trouble picking up on sarcasm no matter what the source.

[deluca67]

If you didn't take anything but pleasure out of that hockey game last night, you're never going to enjoy hockey again. 2 goals in under 2 minutes and a shutout in the shootout. That's good stuff. Enjoy it.

Listening to the coach and player comments after the game I got the sense they didn't take "pleasure" out of last nights win. They just took the two points. It was a exciting 8 minutes and a highlight reel moment for the team. They got the two points which is great. The fact that they played poorly for 57 minutes against another non-playoff team is a concern. If Lalime is in net that game is 5 or 6-0 going into the third period. Miller held his team close enough until Montreal found a way to lose the game. For some reason, maybe they felt the game was over, Montreal stopped doing what they had been doing all night. Clearing out the rebounds Price was giving up all night.

[Buffalo Wings]

Interesting events right after the Hab high-sticked Kennedy with 3+ minutes left. Miller started waving at the bench, like "hellllooo???!!!" Banging his stick on the ice. Ruff looked at Miller, put up one finger, then did the corny two fingers to the eye, "watch me" pantomime. Miller looked back, apparently at Lalime, and did his best WTF wave.

 

Now, whether he was making a comment on Ruff's decision or didn't understand WTF the coach was communicating, I don't know. As play resumes, I think you can hear Lalime yell something like, "One left on the PP." So apparently Ruff had decided to pull Miller with one minute left on the, uh, PP.

 

Bad communication between the bench and Miller.

 

Shortly after that, long before a minute had expired, the Sabres got that D zone faceoff and Ruff called timeout. Miller came to the bench and again expressed his confusion to Lalime. Whether Ruff changed his mind, or Miller changed it for him, Ruff pulled Miller right then, and the rest is history.

 

So, what was the banging and the gesture all about? Miller "calling out" his coach, or the Sabres not having a good communication system in place in a situation like that? Or both?

 

I noticed the same thing. It looked to me that Miller wanted to get the extra man on right then & there - it was at the beginning of the power play, right?

 

Miller was trying to get Lindy's attention - at least to know when he should come to the bench, if not right then. When he gave that look to Lalime when he arrived at the bench, I just thought he didn't like the decision to stay out on the ice. If I remember right, the Habs got control of the puck at one point and sent it into the Buffalo zone before he came out. Had Miller been on the bench, Montreal could've iced the game.

[shrader]

Listening to the coach and player comments after the game I got the sense they didn't take "pleasure" out of last nights win. They just took the two points. It was a exciting 8 minutes and a highlight reel moment for the team. They got the two points which is great. The fact that they played poorly for 57 minutes against another non-playoff team is a concern. If Lalime is in net that game is 5 or 6-0 going into the third period. Miller held his team close enough until Montreal found a way to lose the game. For some reason, maybe they felt the game was over, Montreal stopped doing what they had been doing all night. Clearing out the rebounds Price was giving up all night.

 

Non-playoff team? You do realize that they've been on a pretty good role lately, right? They would probably be in first place if Markov never got hurt.

[Pville29]

Now this team have to take the momemtum and focus on those damn sens cause if they play like that against the sens it will be another lost against them and i do not want to see this

[Buffalo Wings]

There's definitely a hint of sarcasm in a lot of what he says. It's too bad most people out there always have trouble picking up on sarcasm no matter what the source.

I know when I'm in a grumpy mood or if I don't care for the person talking, I don't pick up sarcasm very well, if at all. I knew Harry was joking, so I actually chuckled at it.

 

I would have thought Rick & Rayzor wouldn't have taken it seriously, so maybe they don't like Harry anymore. :unsure:

[NowDoYouBelieve]

Listening to the coach and player comments after the game I got the sense they didn't take "pleasure" out of last nights win. They just took the two points. It was a exciting 8 minutes and a highlight reel moment for the team. They got the two points which is great. The fact that they played poorly for 57 minutes against another non-playoff team is a concern. If Lalime is in net that game is 5 or 6-0 going into the third period. Miller held his team close enough until Montreal found a way to lose the game. For some reason, maybe they felt the game was over, Montreal stopped doing what they had been doing all night. Clearing out the rebounds Price was giving up all night.

 

Yeah, but I'd argue it's their job to approach the results with sobered reality. If they were always content with grabbing 2 points, complacency would set in.

 

As fans, we have the luxury of giddily enjoying the "miracle comeback" variety of win. As professionals, they may be obligated to feel like they stole one.

[Claude_Verret]

Now I don't have to say it. I will say this -- we've seen this same exact lame-###### performance at home from Lindy Ruff teams probably 100 times in his tenure. Once in a while, they pull off a mini miracle. It doesn't change the truth here. And the truth, to me anyway, is that despite some terrific saves, Miller looked off his game a bit.

 

I agree the Sabres put in a poor effort for the bulk of the contest and if they bring this game to the playoffs they will exit in short order. BUT....Miller a bit off his game? WTF? If by some miracle the Sabres manage to hoist the cup one day, after I'm done with the celebration for the ages I'm going to be interested to come here to find out how you spin it into a negative. Unbelievable.