GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[matter2003]

WHOA!!!!!

 

 

Everyone needs to chill the F out.....

 

It's 1-1

 

If by some miracle these guys go deep....you'll never make it. You'll be beating wives, dogs....not going to work....

 

I'm all for being a smartalec, but guys here are uncharacteristicaly going at each other.

 

Maybe spndchz can calm you all down with a webcam show.

 

Had a 2-0 lead at home with the chance to take a strangle hold on the series and they blew it. Eerily reminds me of the last playoff series they had against Ottawa where they had the same thing happened---took a 2-0 lead in the game(Venek absolutely undressed an Ottawa defender when scoring if I remember correctly), led going into the 3rd period and hadn't lost all year when taking a lead into the 3rd, and lost that game too...were something like 46-0 that year when leading after 2 periods.

 

Disturbing loss...playing the worst scoring team in the NHL you would think you could choke the life out of them or force lots of turnovers as they had to press to try and score, but instead they let them right back in the game...

[Rabbit151]

i was really looking forward to playoffs to see if the team had another gear. they've not struck me as a very hard-working team...and a team that gets pushed off the puck too easy and loses battles.

 

boston is simply playing with a lot more hunger than buffalo. the sabres are still playing like its game 23 or 56 of the regular season. ho-hum

[Stoner]

No offense, but this is what someone says who has never played the game - beer league or not.

 

I didn't compare a bodychecking incident, I made a reference to slashing. Unless you can illuminate us on how getting hit with a stick is radically in beer league, the NHL, lacrosse, or in a back alley then you really have no point. It is only ignorance on your part that can't separate the similarities from the differences.

 

Someone who's been plunked in a recreational softball game has no insight into getting beaned by a 110 mph fastball.

 

I guarantee you've never been slashed hard enough across the leg to have your knee go Theismann on you.

 

I think we've come to the heart of the issue though. You can relate to the slash as an incidental or accidental thing because in a beer league that kind of thing happens. A 40 year old guy who's 30 pounds overweight tries to slash a stick or poke check the puck and gets body instead. Slashes like the one in today's game are no accident. No NHL player misses that badly.

 

I'm fusterated that everyone can't see that slash for what it was. All of a sudden forget that Vanek had to have been a marked man for boarding Wheeler in Game 1?

[Hawk]

I'm going with general body soreness.

 

Everyone sit down. I am going to say something positive and I don't want anyone to fall down and get hurt.

 

Maybe, just maybe, a injury like this will be the wake up call this team sorely needs. The only adversity this team has faced all season has been brought on by themselves. They are facing a team that has punched them in the nose and taken their milk money. Maybe a dose of reality will cause this team to get off of the ground and go get it back.

I always new you were a softy... :rolleyes:

[Stoner]

Um no, it was NOT called for. SDS IS the reason that we are here, end of story.

 

SDS chooses to post here once in a while. The fact that he owns/moderates the board doesn't mean he's wearing the "no touch" practice jersey. He's open to criticism and insults just like the rest of us. I imagine he would agree with that. Besides, it's all in good fun.

[Stoner]

Sounds like there is going to be some sort of update on Vanek at the first intermission of the MTL-WAS game...

 

Let us know what they say. But I'd be surprised if anything new comes out.

[Assquatch]

Let us know what they say. But I'd be surprised if anything new comes out.

 

Your avatar - is it a young RJ?

[LabattBlue]

Connolly...If you are playing poor because of an injury, get out of the lineup. If you are healthy, get your head out of your ######! He was the Sabres worst forward during the first two games.

 

Not far behind him...Gaustad.

[deluca67]

I'm just asking. I'm not hoping.

 

If Vanek is out long term and the Sabres lose this series. Will Regier and Quinn wait until after the playoffs are over before they start pimping the Vanek injury as the reason this team failed in the playoffs?

[ThePebble19]

Let us know what they say. But I'd be surprised if anything new comes out.

 

There was nothing new...Just a bunch of crap about what it will do to the Sabres, and how they will react. They made it seem like there was some info, but there was nothing.

[deluca67]

I always new you were a softy... :rolleyes:

Hey man, I don't know what you heard. But I was drunk and she was not that pretty. :rolleyes:

[SDS]

Someone who's been plunked in a recreational softball game has no insight into getting beaned by a 110 mph fastball.

 

I guarantee you've never been slashed hard enough across the leg to have your knee go Theismann on you.

 

I think we've come to the heart of the issue though. You can relate to the slash as an incidental or accidental thing because in a beer league that kind of thing happens. A 40 year old guy who's 30 pounds overweight tries to slash a stick or poke check the puck and gets body instead. Slashes like the one in today's game are no accident. No NHL player misses that badly.

 

I'm fusterated that everyone can't see that slash for what it was. All of a sudden forget that Vanek had to have been a marked man for boarding Wheeler in Game 1?

 

Really, I'm begging you - please stop. Just say you don't know much about Adult Hockey Leagues. There's no shame in it. If you don't play in them, there is no way you would know. Just stop claiming that you do.

 

But, just so you know - in MD we have the largest adult league on the east coast. Something like 70-80 teams. Well over 1000 players. In our club and in pickup, I often play with guys who played in the OHL, Ohio State, U. Maryland, and various other colleges. Some in their 20's, some 30's, some 40, 50, and 60. Your image of fat 40 year olds skating around tapping each other with Sherwood wooden sticks is incredibly misinformed. And no, I'm not claiming to be as good as them, I'm just saying that is the nature of our leagues and open pickups. Many people here have probably played pickup with NHL players on occasion.

 

BTW, hockey has no shortage of douchebags that will two-hand you any day of the week on purpose. Especially in beer leagues. Anyone here will tell you that... not that you would care to listen.

[deluca67]

Adult Hockey Leagues.

Why am I picturing Paul Hamilton with his mullet and porn stash skating up and down the wing dressed like Ned Braden at the end of SlapShot. :beer: :sick: :sick: :beer: :sick: :sick:

[SpikeGelato]

Wow, great update!

 

"Stay tuned for an update on the Thomas Vanek injury situation"

 

20 minutes later...

 

"All we know is that it's a Lower Body Injury"

 

Thanks guys.

[Stoner]

Really, I'm begging you - please stop. Just say you don't know much about Adult Hockey Leagues. There's no shame in it. If you don't play in them, there is no way you would know. Just stop claiming that you do.

 

But, just so you know - in MD we have the largest adult league on the east coast. Something like 70-80 teams. Well over 1000 players. In our club and in pickup, I often play with guys who played in the OHL, Ohio State, U. Maryland, and various other colleges. Some in their 20's, some 30's, some 40, 50, and 60. Your image of fat 40 year olds skating around tapping each other with Sherwood wooden sticks is incredibly misinformed. And no, I'm not claiming to be as good as them, I'm just saying that is the nature of our leagues and open pickups. Many people here have probably played pickup with NHL players on occasion.

 

BTW, hockey has no shortage of douchebags that will two-hand you any day of the week on purpose. Especially in beer leagues. Anyone here will tell you that... not that you would care to listen.

 

First thing you've gotten right in a while. :pirate:

[SwampD]

Just re watched most of the game.

 

The crowd was plenty loud. That's all I'll say. I'm not going to try to convince PA.

 

Too many shots left on the ice. Either with whiffs or passing instead of shooting.

 

I hate the System. For the sake of full discloser, I always have and I said it after game one. It keeps play in our zone WAY too long. When the D gains possession of the puck they have no one to pass it to because everyone is within 5 feet of them and if there is a turnover (and there often is) it happens too close to the net. There is never a lead pass, and I will just never understand how leaving the guy with the hardest shot in the NHL unwatched at the point is a good policy.

 

Gray Cloud has had two pretty awful games. I don't know if Chara was his responsibility or Pominville's, but that second goal was just awful. Another product of the System I guess,..who cares if the guy is wide open as long as the passing lane is closed off?

 

I miss Gerbe's jump.

 

I miss Hecht.

 

0 for 2. That's our record for power play goals per game in these playoffs. If the Sabres score on the Vanek hook PP, there is no way we lose this game.

[ThePebble19]

I don't know about anyone else, but I have been somewhat of an emotional wreck since the end of the game. I have been pissed at everything...I keep coming back to the board every 30 minutes or so just to see what gets posted....as if I am waiting for the result of the game to change.

 

Eh, crappy day. Here's to a fresh day off, and then we'll be right back at it. :beer:

[nfreeman]

Average number of posts for PA and Deluca after a Sabre win 1.34

 

Average number of posts for PA and Deluca after a Sabre loss 27.14

Very nice.

 

WHOA!!!!!

 

 

Everyone needs to chill the F out.....

 

It's 1-1

 

If by some miracle these guys go deep....you'll never make it. You'll be beating wives, dogs....not going to work....

 

I'm all for being a smartalec, but guys here are uncharacteristicaly going at each other.

 

Maybe spndchz can calm you all down with a webcam show.

Same.

 

I'm going with general body soreness.

 

Everyone sit down. I am going to say something positive and I don't want anyone to fall down and get hurt.

 

Maybe, just maybe, a injury like this will be the wake up call this team sorely needs. The only adversity this team has faced all season has been brought on by themselves. They are facing a team that has punched them in the nose and taken their milk money. Maybe a dose of reality will cause this team to get off of the ground and go get it back.

Again!

 

I'm just asking. I'm not hoping.

 

If Vanek is out long term and the Sabres lose this series. Will Regier and Quinn wait until after the playoffs are over before they start pimping the Vanek injury as the reason this team failed in the playoffs?

You ruined it.

 

I don't know about anyone else, but I have been somewhat of an emotional wreck since the end of the game. I have been pissed at everything...I keep coming back to the board every 30 minutes or so just to see what gets posted....as if I am waiting for the result of the game to change.

 

Eh, crappy day. Here's to a fresh day off, and then we'll be right back at it. :beer:

OK, another good one.

 

My 2 cents:

 

- It is indeed gut-check time. It might also be a great opportunity for Gerbe, with Vanek, Hecht and Stafford all out.

 

- It would be nice to see Torres step up too, and Stafford when he returns.

 

- At the risk of getting hit by shrapnel, I think the slash on Vanek was a dirty play, but not a particular message about feeling free to take liberties with the Sabres. I think you could see the same slash in any of the playoff series going on right now.

 

- Pominville's goal was very sweet.

 

- The power play continues to stink.

 

- Give credit to the Bruins for playing a tough game.

 

Let's go, Buffalo!

[FearTheReaper]

Man, i cannot get over the Vanek injury. It has pissed me off for about 10 hours. It was clearly an intent to injury. We cannot afford to lose him.

 

Us without Vanek makes us almost exactly the same as Boston without Savard.

 

The PP is horrible, as it has been for ages now. Something needs to be done about the PP soon. Perhaps changing it from an Umbrella to an Overload??? Something! Is is possible for one unit to consist of all skill guys and Overload, while another consists of all Grinders and crashes the net?

[Chief Enabler]

 

- Give credit to the Bruins for playing a tough game.

 

Let's go, Buffalo!

Dare I say the Sabres were outcoached in game 2?

 

-Kennedy covering Lucic?; then called on hooking penalty :blink:

-Bruins had consistent offensive pressure in all 3 periods

-B's trapped the blue line on the vertically challenged

-interfered Miller early

-Even after Vanek gone, what positive adjustments were made?

 

Julien executed most objectives

 

Regroup, get a plan, screw your head-on straight and come out on Monday screamin'.

 

I would like to see more from all d-men, I thought Montador was supposed to be tough? Tallinder and Loods with key blowout brainfarts, and then we have Rivet & Sekera. I was giving Andrej some credit for leading the Slovaks in the Olympics, but it does not translate here.

 

Ryder turning in a good series so far. <_<

[Kristian]

Dare I say the Sabres were outcoached in game 2?

 

-Kennedy covering Lucic?; then called on hooking penalty :blink:

-Bruins had consistent offensive pressure in all 3 periods

-B's trapped the blue line on the vertically challenged

-interfered Miller early

-Even after Vanek gone, what positive adjustments were made?

 

Julien executed most objectives

 

Regroup, get a plan, screw your head-on straight and come out on Monday screamin'.

 

I would like to see more from all d-men, I thought Montador was supposed to be tough? Tallinder and Loods with key blowout brainfarts, and then we have Rivet & Sekera. I was giving Andrej some credit for leading the Slovaks in the Olympics, but it does not translate here.

 

Ryder turning in a good series so far. <_<

 

I think the key to winning this series is our passing.

 

Pressure or not, the passing HAS to be better.

 

I remember Torres being put off-side late in the third streaking down the wing because a completely un-hassled centerman put the puck in his skates instead of on his stick. That's a 15ft pass people, those simply HAVE TO CLICK.

 

Kudo's to the B's putting pressure on the Sabres, but at least some of that pressure was increased tenfold by the Sabres's own poor passing plays.

[Eleven]

I think the key to winning this series is our passing.

 

Pressure or not, the passing HAS to be better.

 

I remember Torres being put off-side late in the third streaking down the wing because a completely un-hassled centerman put the puck in his skates instead of on his stick. That's a 15ft pass people, those simply HAVE TO CLICK.

 

Kudo's to the B's putting pressure on the Sabres, but at least some of that pressure was increased tenfold by the Sabres's own poor passing plays.

 

I remember that Torres play too. Between the horrible passing and the whiffs on the puck, I think it was the players who were responsible for that one. But they did have effort, and they were hitting. They just couldn't handle the puck to save their lives yesterday.

[Dave Dryden]

I don't know about anyone else, but I have been somewhat of an emotional wreck since the end of the game. I have been pissed at everything...I keep coming back to the board every 30 minutes or so just to see what gets posted....as if I am waiting for the result of the game to change.

 

Eh, crappy day. Here's to a fresh day off, and then we'll be right back at it. :beer:

That's interesting, I do the same thing. And thinking on something Swamp and Ghost wrote, I have the following observation.

 

This board is more interesting now for its psychological profile, than it is for sharing information(which seemed to be more the case back in the 90s). Obviously, at some level, we are all Sabres fans. But seeing how people react to a loss, or other adversity, really gives insight into people.

 

After a loss, there is a sadness to everyone--and a certain amount of anger. But the reactions are then different. You have the very vocal group, I want to blame everyone for this--management, coaching, the soft players, the crowd at the game etc. These folks want to fire everyone, and start over immediately. Bucky Gleason is a good spokemen for this group--if only they were in charge the result would be different.

 

Then you get people who try and remain hopeful, even thought they grow weary-- rooting for the Sabres, or any Buffalo team, they have passion, but they have seen this movie many times and they know how it ends. Less anger, more resignation that they can't do anything to affect the outcome. You hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. This is basically me.

 

Then you get folks who are much more optimistic, that "the boys will shape up" and make a deep run. I'd like to be here, but I'm not.

 

It's also interesting that these different reactions put people at odds with each other here. At bottom, it is all about how people cope with situations totally out of their control--including myself. It's as if they can "control" the board--so to speak--it will perhaps give them some control over what happens on the ice. It is just your own personal way of letting your feelings out--and releasing that emotional pain is a good thing, and the board is important for that.

 

Realizing that, there is no right or wrong response to situations like these--it is just your makeup amd what works best for you. We all need to let people just react their own way--not try and persuade them "how to feel." So I am putting all this aside for now, and locking arms with everyone here to cheer this team going forward--no matter how each fan expresses their fandom in times of difficulty. If we, the most rabid fans cannot come together, what chance does the team have? We win, we win together. We lose, and we do that together too.

 

It's 1-1. Things swing wildly in terms of emotion and momentum in the playoffs. Up one day, down the next. I agree that this team is fragile sometimes, and did not react well to the Vanek injury yesterday. But the fun of this is to see whether with a little time to regroup, they can dust themselves off and bounce back. And we can fight like cats and dogs here about whether they will, but deep down we all want them to do it. So as the great leaders of Animal House said--"LET'S DO ITTTTTTTTTTTTTTT." GO SABRES!!!

[Eleven]

 

It's 1-1. Things swing wildly in terms of emotion and momentum in the playoffs. Up one day, down the next. I agree that this team is fragile sometimes, and did not react well to the Vanek injury yesterday. But the fun of this is to see whether with a little time to regroup, they can dust themselves off and bounce back. And we can fight like cats and dogs here about whether they will, but deep down we all want them to do it. So as the great leaders of Animal House said--"LET'S DO ITTTTTTTTTTTTTTT." GO SABRES!!!

 

Every series in the NHL is 1-1, except for Chicago-Nashville, which Nashville leads 1-0. No team has held its home ice advantage. Yet I still think most of the favorites, including Buffalo, will win their series.

[Kristian]

Every series in the NHL is 1-1, except for Chicago-Nashville, which Nashville leads 1-0. No team has held its home ice advantage. Yet I still think most of the favorites, including Buffalo, will win their series.

 

I believe.

 

Like I said - Get the passing going, and you'll see Boston having a much harder time getting their forecheck going, plus you won't see them being as physical either as a good chunk of their hits came on players struggling with a bad pass.

 

The passing has to be better, it's as simple as that.

 

Fix that, and you'll have a totally different game.