GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[deluca67]

Didn't think the D played that bad. A fluke goal off Myers' skate followed up by a Montador-moment for Tyler, but after that it really came down to, like Roby said, missed assignments on the back check.

I watch Rivet play and the only thing that crosses my mind is how they are throwing away $3.5 million on this guy.

[matter2003]

they looked tired tonite and just out of sorts. I'll chalk it up to being early in the season and not being in hockey shape yet to play on back to back nights especially after traveling and facing an opponent sitting there and waiting for you. Lots of blow assignments, missed passes, passes directly to the Rangers and shoddy work by the forwards coming back to help the D made for a long night and I asked myself several times "how are they losing to a team like that, this badly?"

[SwampD]

On a positive note, Roy is on pace for 123 on the season.

[CallawaySabres]

Just got back from the game and WOW, real bad. The good thing is that there were not just a couple guys that didn't show up tonight, nobody showed up. No legs, tired and I honestly think they put a lot into last nights game. It even sounded like from Miller after the game that this team was still in Ottawa (it happens). Good to see the Leopold get two goals - only bright spot.

 

I think even more so than a couple weeks ago that Connolly and Stafford have zero prayer of being on this team next year which is good....

[Eleven]

It's not like we haven't seen this effort about 50 or so times the past three years. The Home Opener and they come out like it's just another Wednesday night game in February. I shouldn't be shocked. When you don't make any changes why would expect a different result? Yet I am still shocked at how they didn't come out to play. With the performance tonight I expect to hear Donte Whitner crying and swearing in the Sabres locker room.

 

Hey there, DeLuca! Where were you last night? Oh, they won last night.

 

On to tonight. That sucked, bigtime. The major culprit, and I hate to say it: Tyler Myers. What a dog of a game for the kid. He'll turn it around, we all know, but wow, this one is on him.

 

The Leopold-Montador pairing is working very nicely.

 

Gaustad tried to pick fights with just about everyone in the second, to get some energy in, but there were no takers. (Other than that, he was a little on the absent side.)

 

The pregame was amazing (at the arena), the crowd was way into it in the first, and well, you really can't blame the crowd for being a little deflated after.

 

Gerbe plays like he's Stafford's size; Stafford plays like he's Gerbe's size. Henceforth, Gerbe is "Hefty Smurf," or "Hefty," for me.

 

Stafford is "Barbie."

 

EDIT: No. Stafford is Skipper.

[kishoph]

Just got back from the game and WOW, real bad. The good thing is that there were not just a couple guys that didn't show up tonight, nobody showed up. No legs, tired and I honestly think they put a lot into last nights game. It even sounded like from Miller after the game that this team was still in Ottawa (it happens). Good to see the Leopold get two goals - only bright spot.

 

I think even more so than a couple weeks ago that Connolly and Stafford have zero prayer of being on this team next year which is good....

 

 

You'd think that maybe with them being in the last year of their contracts that maybe they would give a little more.

[Kristian]

You'd think that maybe with them being in the last year of their contracts that maybe they would give a little more.

 

By all means, I hope both keep up their floating ways all season.

 

Darcy simply cannot be given an excuse for re-signing either, even if it means the Sabres missing the playoffs.

 

Yes, I am that sick of them.

 

And BTW Lindy, way to have the guys show up last night :thumbsup:

[deluca67]

Hey there, DeLuca! Where were you last night? Oh, they won last night.

 

On to tonight. That sucked, bigtime. The major culprit, and I hate to say it: Tyler Myers. What a dog of a game for the kid. He'll turn it around, we all know, but wow, this one is on him.

 

The Leopold-Montador pairing is working very nicely.

 

Gaustad tried to pick fights with just about everyone in the second, to get some energy in, but there were no takers. (Other than that, he was a little on the absent side.)

 

The pregame was amazing (at the arena), the crowd was way into it in the first, and well, you really can't blame the crowd for being a little deflated after.

 

Gerbe plays like he's Stafford's size; Stafford plays like he's Gerbe's size. Henceforth, Gerbe is "Hefty Smurf," or "Hefty," for me.

 

Stafford is "Barbie."

 

EDIT: No. Stafford is Skipper.

If you must know I wasn't home. I did comment the following morning though. Which makes your comment ridiculous. Not as ridiculous as your assessment of Leopold-Montador. They are by far the weakest pairing and are showing to be a liability over the first couple of games.

[CallawaySabres]

Look at the Bruins, Senators and Devils last night - you think their fans are happy? It's one crappy game, so what. There are 80 left and I truly think this team poured everything they had into that Ottawa game. NY had their first game of the season and they came out flying. Does it stink to have them play like that? Yes, especially for people that paid. It's going to be a good, long season though.....

[Kristian]

Look at the Bruins, Senators and Devils last night - you think their fans are happy? It's one crappy game, so what. There are 80 left and I truly think this team poured everything they had into that Ottawa game. NY had their first game of the season and they came out flying. Does it stink to have them play like that? Yes, especially for people that paid. It's going to be a good, long season though.....

 

Sorry, seen this team play way too many of those games over the past 10 years to buy into that belief.

 

That said, there's always a chance you could be right, though it's gonna take a hekcuva lot more than a single win against the Sens to convince me this leopard has changed it's spots.

[deluca67]

Sorry, seen this team play way too many of those games over the past 10 years to buy into that belief.

 

That said, there's always a chance you could be right, though it's gonna take a hekcuva lot more than a single win against the Sens to convince me this leopard has changed it's spots.

That is the biggest disappointment about last night. Fans look for signs even if it's early in the season. For them to come out and completely sh!t the bed like they did last night is inexcusable. All they need to do is have a players only meeting today and it will exactly like the 50 or so similar performances over the last three years.

 

It's not the loss that bothers me, it's the familiarity with the effort that is disturbing.

[spndnchz]

If you must know I wasn't home. I did comment the following morning though. Which makes your comment ridiculous. Not as ridiculous as your assessment of Leopold-Montador. They are by far the weakest pairing and are showing to be a liability over the first couple of games.

Last night sucked, yes. But Sekera and Rivet were clearly the worst d-line out there. They didn't work together at all, chasing the puck all night.

[deluca67]

Last night sucked, yes. But Sekera and Rivet were clearly the worst d-line out there. They didn't work together at all, chasing the puck all night.

I haven't had any problem with Sekera over the first two games. Maybe I give him a pass because he is burdened with Rivet. I think this defense won't be close to it's full potential until Butler and Weber are in the lineup and Montador and Rivet are in the press box or elsewhere.

[Eleven]

I haven't had any problem with Sekera over the first two games. Maybe I give him a pass because he is burdened with Rivet. I think this defense won't be close to it's full potential until Butler and Weber are in the lineup and Montador and Rivet are in the press box or elsewhere.

 

Rivet was a mess. Montador wasn't, though.

[SwampD]

Rivet was a mess. Montador wasn't, though.

That was my take as well.

 

I liked the PP last night. Good movement and having another set of hands (Ennis) on it is refreshing to see.

 

I think they are and will be better than they showed last night.

 

I also think that Lindy should switch Stafford and Grier. I think Drew is a head case and playing with Niedermayer would do him some good. Grier couldn't do any less than Staff on the higher line either.

[repster]

Last year, this team dominated the month of October. The game against Ottawa, they looked sharp like they did when they started the 09/10 season- it just should have been a bigger margin of victory. Last night, it looked like the team of April that was ousted by Boston because they didn't measure up. They were sloppy and didn't want it as much as the Rangers did. I thought that Rivet would look better after his surgery but it's his skating that makes him look old and slow (see Pominville) and he has no hands. Paging Connolly and Vanek - you are supposed to be the key forwards on this team. Hello? Frustrating to see no finish from V in that first game. He already looks snakebitten. But hey - it's only 2 games in, but then again - we're not blind and last night was not a good sign.

[repster]

 

Henceforth, Gerbe is "Hefty Smurf," or "Hefty," for me.

 

 

If Gaustad is Goose, then Gerbe is Gerbil.

[bunomatic]

Will the real Sabres please stand up. Hard to tell if the team we saw in Ottawa or this sad sack bunch we saw against the rangers will be the real edition of the team this year. If its a case of being tired on back to back nights look out,there are a whole lot of these this year thanks to the schedule makers. To be fair everything that could go wrong for us did and hopefully the hockey gods don't hate us that bad.

[bob_sauve28]

I watch Rivet play and the only thing that crosses my mind is how they are throwing away $3.5 million on this guy.

He made one really bad play where he turned backwards on the puck and didn't play it and the Rangers got a good chance.

[bob_sauve28]

I haven't had any problem with Sekera over the first two games. Maybe I give him a pass because he is burdened with Rivet. I think this defense won't be close to it's full potential until Butler and Weber are in the lineup and Montador and Rivet are in the press box or elsewhere.

I like Sekera a lot, but I think he had a bad game last night. He makes bad decisions with the puck sometimes. His passing needs to improve and his clearing plays need to be either shot harder or off the glass better so they can't be intercepted.

[Two or less]

What was up with the ceremony? It was horrible. For a 40th ann. it was pathetic.

[spndnchz]

What was up with the ceremony? It was horrible. For a 40th ann. it was pathetic.

 

Did u see the hawks Cup ceremony. it was sweet. handing over the banner from the 1961 team to the 2009 team then up to the rafters, it's online.

[Two or less]

Did u see the hawks Cup ceremony. it was sweet. handing over the banner from the 1961 team to the 2009 team then up to the rafters, it's online.

 

No i didn't, but i did see Vancouver's because i taped it and saw it this morning, just wanted to see what they were gonna do and wanted to have a game to watch for my hangover. They had it classy. They came out in whites with names and old timers handed them jerseys with no names, just like it was 40yr ago.

 

But, after i posted my post, i learned, the true 40yr celebration will be held NEXT friday, 10-15, which is 40yr to the day of their 40yr, and they play Montreal, just like they did 40yr ago.

[Cereal]

Ennis has looked like a rookie

 

Agreed! I noticed it more in the Rangers game than the Sens game. Does anyone else think this kid could benefit from another season in the AHL?

[Cereal]

But, after i posted my post, i learned, the true 40yr celebration will be held NEXT friday, 10-15, which is 40yr to the day of their 40yr, and they play Montreal, just like they did 40yr ago.

 

Oh good! Thanks for the heads up. Do you have a link?