First Game I watched all season

[Tolstoy]

Folks,

 

I don't have cable, and live out of town, but I followed the Sabres all season, watching the game progress online, checking scores and stats nearly every day, etc. Today we stretched our budget to get cable so we could watch the Sabres in the playoffs. Here are my observations:

 

That was bad hockey--really ugly and boring, especially in the 2nd period.

 

This Sabres team is a far cry from the teams we had 5-6 years ago. Maybe the game has changed back to a clutch and grab neutral zone trap game. Or maybe the Sabres really miss players like Briere and Drury. Whatever, the team looks slow, uncoordinated, and generally lacking any scoring prowess. I know Vanek was out, but does he make that much difference?

 

Connolly was the only offensive player who seemed comfortable with the puck, the only one.

 

The announcers were very pro-Bruins. Every remark was about what the Bruins were doing well, or what they needed to do better, or how they get cheated on a call. I had to check that I wasn't watching NESN. I couldn't believe it.

 

It seemed the Bruins beat us to every puck, even the ones we were much closer to. The Sabres didn't seem to want the game very badly.

 

What aggravated me the most was the hesitation: players in our end holding the puck, and then getting stripped. Or maybe it was the bad passes. Or the give-aways. Whatever the case, it was depressing to watch.

 

Give some credit the Bruins, I guess. But they don't seem that talented either. If this is NHL hockey now, yuck. Go back to the rules after the lockout ended.

 

I still think the Sabres can beat the Bruins (just based on the Sabres record of play all season, though not against the Bruins), but I have no illusions that they will go far in the playoffs. There just doesn't seem to be enough scoring talent on this team. Pretty dreadful, in fact.

[LabattBlue]

See GDT.