Game Discussion Thread GDT: Buffalo at Washington (3/27/2012, 7:00 pm)

[Eleven]

Some day soon there's going to be a highlight reel for the Buffalo Sabres 2011-2012 season, and some of these Foligno-Ennis-Stafford goal celebrations are going to be a big part of it. I don't know what the Stafford-haters here are going to offer to that, but it could potentially be amusing.

 

Watching the game tonight, this line just brought a big-ass smile to my face, and no words needed to be said.

 

I'll still think he's a guy who plays really well every March.

[darksabre]

I'll still think he's a guy who plays really well every March.

 

Yup. They could put Brad Boyes on that line and he'd score.

 

 

I'm just glad we got the win tonight. Guess I have to keep wearing jerseys all day on game day now. :P

[Robviously]

Some day soon there's going to be a highlight reel for the Buffalo Sabres 2011-2012 season, and some of these Foligno-Ennis-Stafford goal celebrations are going to be a big part of it. I don't know what the Stafford-haters here are going to offer to that, but it could potentially be amusing.

 

Watching the game tonight, this line just brought a big-ass smile to my face, and no words needed to be said.

I was willing to trade him last year after he scored 31 goals.

 

Who knows? Maybe Ennis and Foligno have transformed him permanently. I guess I'm still skeptical. He's been red hot before and he's scored amazing goals before.

[DR HOLLIDAY]

I was willing to trade him last year after he scored 31 goals.

 

Who knows? Maybe Ennis and Foligno have transformed him permanently. I guess I'm still skeptical. He's been red hot before and he's scored amazing goals before.

 

But have you ever seen Stafford interact with line mates like he is doing with Ennis and Foligno.......That is something totally new.

[bunomatic]

But have you ever seen Stafford interact with line mates like he is doing with Ennis and Foligno.......That is something totally new.

 

Unless he's jammin in the garage.

[apuszczalowski]

I haven't read thru the thread as its all a lil blurry ;) but we dominated tonight. Who woulda thought in such a pressure filled game that we would come on like this. SEF line on fire, van on board. If we make it into the playoffs, teams best beware of the sabres warpath!!!

 

Now in all reality, there is still 5 games left and we are one loss away from being back in 9th, tough teams coming and I think toronto would love to play spoiler, we can't have a letdown. But for tonight let us celebrate the froth of victory and await our next opponent with baited breath

I'm sure they would, they would also like to make the playoffs and maybe win a cup sometime this century, but none of that is going to happen. The Leafs are a broken team, and I don't think they have it in them to play spoiler. They have been brutal lately if you watch their games, they have already ran for the bus and are signing up to enter the Masters. I would be more afraid of the Blue Jackets right now then the Leafs.

[darksabre]

But have you ever seen Stafford interact with line mates like he is doing with Ennis and Foligno.......That is something totally new.

 

Okay, you're going to move me on this one point. He looks like a different Drew Stafford. If this is the player we always thought he could be, then maybe I can change my mind on him.

[inkman]

Did I just hear that Foligno was born on Buffalo soil? If so that's pretty tight.

I suppose I'll chalk this up to youth but study up my young padawan, the Foligno lineage runs deep in the NHL and in Buffalo.

[bunomatic]

Okay, you're going to move me on this one point. He looks like a different Drew Stafford. If this is the player we always thought he could be, then maybe I can change my mind on him.

 

I agree. You've got to give credit where credits due. And he's not the only one. But based on past performances we can be pretty sure that he'll disappear for long stretches and look disinterested for long stretches. This new line has chemistry and has gelled beyond anyones expectations so lets hope they can keep it up. Ennis makes those around him better and thats the biggest complement an athlete can get.

[darksabre]

I agree. You've got to give credit where credits due. And he's not the only one. But based on past performances we can be pretty sure that he'll disappear for long stretches and look disinterested for long stretches. This new line has chemistry and has gelled beyond anyones expectations so lets hope they can keep it up. Ennis makes those around him better and thats the biggest complement an athlete can get.

 

I guess the question is, do we accept and live with the fact that we wont see this Stafford until it's crunch time every year?

[Doohicksie]

This new line has chemistry and has gelled beyond anyones expectations so lets hope they can keep it up.

Here's my take on Stafford's play with his new linemates: They're talented and energetic. He does well when there is energy on the line. I think that's where the 31 goals came from. But here's the difference: As a "core" player, he's the junior partner. Vanek, Roy, Pommers, all came up a year or two before him. Stafford was always the junior partner on their lines, and as such, it was easy for him to disappear for stretches.

 

Now he's the elder statesman with Ennis and Foligno. He has to be the responsible one, the one that cleans up the messes, the one who plugs the holes, the one who back checks. I think in the offensive zone he's more positionally aware than he's been in the past. To make sure he's in the right position, he's skating more. When he skates more, he's a better player. When he's a better player, he scores. Bang. Chemistry.

 

I think there's a similar effect on Vanek. He's also the elder statesman of his line. I hope they leave Tropp right where he is, because he's a good player, but also because there's chemistry there between Tropp, CoHo and the Austrian Assassin.

 

Amazing how, after being through the blender that has been this season, the Sabres can end up with such wonderful chemistry, huh?

[shrader]

It's your perfect Murphy's Law scenario that I brought up the other day: never rely on a team you hate to do you any favors (or something to that effect).

 

Screw help. Take care of things yourself. No one is going to help them if they do make the playoffs.

[chileanseabass]

I'm sorry I missed this one, but had a game of my own tonight. I did, however, bring my cell phone to the bench and checked in on the Sabres app between shifts :thumbsup:

[Cereal]

Screw help. Take care of things yourself. No one is going to help them if they do make the playoffs.

 

Probably would have been easier if they had just won their previous 76 games this season, honestly.

[inkman]

Weber and McNabb are the two that could step up.

Brennan and Morrisson give the Sabres good depth there as well. Not worried(can Shoane be called up without issue, not sure about implications cap wise).

[dudacek]

When was the last time Buffalo played that well in a must-win game?

Drew Stafford is filling the net. Derek Roy is flying both ends of the ice. Pommers with yet another clutch goal.

Ryan Miller has lost ONCE! In his last 20!

This game was billed as gut-check time for the core.

It wouldn't have meant a thing if it wasn't for all the gut-checking that has been done during the past six weeks.

It's there, now bring it home. I want the Bruins.

[nfreeman]

Great game. Outstanding effort. They hung in there when the D pairings went all to hell and things got dicey and buried their chances to take momentum away. I thought that the Caps could've had this game if they wanted it after we went 2 D down. If I'm a Cap fan I am pissed at Ovie today. His selfish play really helped seal the win for Buffalo. Too much dangling and those offsides when he was barreling in without regard for what the puck carrier was doing should be unforgiveable

 

I hate to do the thread bleed but I really think that the extra size we have in the lineup right now is a big benefit. The refs appear to be in playoff mode already. I like the way the bigger guys are fighting through the muck and making things easier for our skill guys.

 

Good post. The bolded part is a very good observation. And Ovie is really a shell of his former magnificence.

 

Pretty good showing by the core, eh?

 

Yes it was. They stepped up in a critical situation. Well done by them (and I mean that with zero sarcasm).

 

Now if they can deliver something like that in the playoffs against a team with some guts and ferocity, we might be on to something.

 

When was the last time Buffalo played that well in a must-win game?

Drew Stafford is filling the net. Derek Roy is flying both ends of the ice. Pommers with yet another clutch goal.

Ryan Miller has lost ONCE! In his last 20!

This game was billed as gut-check time for the core.

It wouldn't have meant a thing if it wasn't for all the gut-checking that has been done during the past six weeks.

It's there, now bring it home. I want the Bruins.

 

Good post. I want them too. Now that's an opportunity to slay some demons.

[TheMatrix31]

I want them too. ###### it. If we get bounced in the first round, might as well have some fun and exercise some rage with it. And if we win, well...even sweeter. Plus they're not so hot at the moment.

[LGR4GM]

For once a game lived up to the hype. This team played magnificently tonight. They kept a lot of the shots to the outside and all but eliminated second opportunities. Our defense certainly rose to the occasion considering the injuries that piled up. I hope Ehrhoff is just bruised and nothing worse.

 

This sudden show of strength and control by this team is amazing. 2 months ago every team seemed to dictate how the game was played and the Sabres reacted. Now they shove their game down other teams throats and go for the kill. I think it has a tremendous amount to do with Ennis and Hodgson at center. We knew that we needed pivots and by some minor hockey miracle we ended up with 2 guys who seem to be pretty good. Ennis can literally control a shift and although he needs to make sure he is covering up on defense his offense skills (like on Stafford's second goal) are scary good. Hodgson is suddenly stickhandling a little more and shooting a little more and controlling the play a little more. The kid is starting to find his grove with Vanek and I have noticed Vanek is also responding.

 

This was a very complete game from this team. I never felt like they were on their heels or panicking. When they got hemmed in their own end a few times they played good zone defense and chipped the puck out. On the PK they were the perfect amount of aggressive/smart/defensive and Jason Pominville reminded all of us that he can and has scored some clutch goals. He made Ovechkin look like a fool and then proceeded to bitch slap him with a shorthanded goal. It was reminiscent of years long since past.

 

Ryan Miller has been the Vezina Caliber netminder we all new he was. 7 consecutive years of at least 30 wins, you got to give him credit for being so good. With him in net our goal differential has dropped to -8 and I checked a mere week and half ago and it was -25... If he maintains this pace going into these final 5 and hopefully the postseason, I would have to honestly say I think they could survive round1...

 

The quote of the night comes from Drew Stafford who amazingly has resurrected his season with the help of Tyler Ennis. "“Obviously with them being right there with us in the standings the stakes are a little bit higher, but we’re not done yet,” Stafford said. “We’re in the position we want to be, but we know the road is just going to get tougher.” They are finally saying the right things.

 

Great win, great effort, and great attitude. I am so hesitant to buy into them doing something this postseason but Ennis, Miller, and Pommers are making me think anything is possible.

[JujuFish]

Ryan Miller has lost ONCE! In his last 20!

6 times. 14-2-4.

[wjag]

How good was that game last night.... I was actually "bored" in the third period. After that SHG, that game had zero, nil, nada, none, zilch suspense left in it. Can I have more of that please?

[kishoph]

I was willing to trade him last year after he scored 31 goals.

 

Who knows? Maybe Ennis and Foligno have transformed him permanently. I guess I'm still skeptical. He's been red hot before and he's scored amazing goals before.

 

This is the best I've seen Stafford play, he has scored more, but his overall play has never been better, he's been battling for pucks and making and finishing plays. The 2 on 1 with Foligno yesterday where he so wanted to set up Foligno was a Stafford that I've never seen before, on the 1 shift, the cycling between him and Ennis was amazing and on the 3 on 1, I was never so sure that the Sabre were going to score, as soon as they broke, I felt sure that there was going to be a goal. The confidence on that line has to be soaring and they look like they're loving playing with each other, hopefully it will continue. Stafford has been a huge part of this run the Sabres have been on.

[Knightrider]

But have you ever seen Stafford interact with line mates like he is doing with Ennis and Foligno.......That is something totally new.

 

Excellent point. I wanted him gone... badly. I did not think my opinion on him could change, but... Wow.

 

Great win, great effort, and great attitude. I am so hesitant to buy into them doing something this postseason but Ennis, Miller, and Pommers are making me think anything is possible.

 

Amen... After last year, I have tempered my expectations... However...

 

How good was that game last night.... I was actually "bored" in the third period. After that SHG, that game had zero, nil, nada, none, zilch suspense left in it. Can I have more of that please?

 

Yup. It was so boring, that I was half asleep by the post game show.

[wjag]

This is the best I've seen Stafford play, he has scored more, but his overall play has never been better, he's been battling for pucks and making and finishing plays. The 2 on 1 with Foligno yesterday where he so wanted to set up Foligno was a Stafford that I've never seen before, on the 1 shift, the cycling between him and Ennis was amazing and on the 3 on 1, I was never so sure that the Sabre were going to score, as soon as they broke, I felt sure that there was going to be a goal. The confidence on that line has to be soaring and they look like they're loving playing with each other, hopefully it will continue. Stafford has been a huge part of this run the Sabres have been on.

 

Here's an interesting thought. Does Buffalo have the makings of a Alfredsson, Heatley, Spezza type line with Foligno, Ennis and Stafford? What I always remember about those three from Ottawa was the absolute fear they put in opposing teams when they came into the zone. Their ability to play together made them one of the best lines I have seen in recent memory. Foligno is like Alfredsson in that he is hard to get off the puck when he has it. Ennis is like Heatley in that he is always driving hard into the zone and dictating the play. Stafford is like Spezza in that he is a sniper with the puck. Make one mistake against the PIzza line and it was going back the other way three on one or three on two. That seems to be happening these last few weeks with the Ennis line. Make a mistake and an odd man rush with true scoring touch is heading the other way.

[North Buffalo]

But have you ever seen Stafford interact with line mates like he is doing with Ennis and Foligno.......That is something totally new.

 

As much as I think Stafford is a panty waste, I have to agree, I don't think I have ever seen him play this well for this long, night in and night out. Guess we will see and hopefully he keeps it up. I think not expecting him to be the toughest guy on a line with mighty mites really helps him and he and Ennis have something special going on. Foligno needs to take some speed skating lessons to keep up with these boys.