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

[wjag]

Not sure I read this anywhere else yet.. From Today's Buffalo News

 

 

"Joel Armia, the Finnish winger who was Buffalo's No. 1 draft choice last June, is expected to miss the rest of the season in the Finnish elite league's playoffs after suffering a knee injury delivering a check Saturday night."

[North Buffalo]

Derek Roy is flying both ends of the ice.

Roy still needs to learn when to fly and when to stand still. How many times is he going to misread the play and be offsides.

[Jsixspd]

The play of the game had to be Pommer's SH goal to go up 4-1. Dagger in the heart, and made OV look silly in the process. :worthy:

 

Did you see Ovechkin angrily slash at the net with his hockey stick as he skated past a second or two after Pommers scored? Freakin AWESOME!. :)

 

Oh, and the Pommers shorthanded goal is central to ESPN's Cross Checks blog this morning

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/15792/in-a-battle-of-will-sabres-trounce-capitals

 

 

I love this quote...

 

"Does anyone really want to face this team in the first round?" :)

[BarDown]

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.

I saw that too...when players do things like that, you know they're playing with total confidence.

[That Aud Smell]

As much as I think Stafford is a panty waste

 

nothing worse than a guy who wastes panties.

 

:ph34r:

[Derrico]

Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We still have tough games against Pit Philly and Boston. We have to win atleast 2 of 3 against those teams and sweep the make me laughs to get in likely. Having said that, this has been the best this team has looked in awhile (I think we look even better now than we did last year).

 

Two things that jumped out at me that are uncharacteristic for this Sabres group: they didn't fold after one of their best players was injured and despite what the hit count looked like, all of our guys were strong on the puck and winning the physical side of the game.

[spndnchz]

Yeah Buddy!

 

On top of that the Leafs officially eliminated from the playoffs. Nice job Burkie!

[Sabre Dance]

I'm certainly ecstatic with the win last night, but I'm still mighty worried that the team gave up 45 shots. I realize that many of those were from the outside and were not "dangerous". I also realize we played half the game down one on defense, and a good chunk of that down two. That's not the kind of precedent you want to set for these last few games (and into the playoffs, looks like). If Miller has to face 40+ shots in all of the remaining games, his tank will be pretty empty in the first round.

That being said, I am thrilled by the turnaround in offensive play, and with Vanek's "awakening". Foligno continues to impress me with his play at both ends (as noted above, he is not the fastest skater out there, but he reads the play well enough to cover for that). Oh, and Pominville's wrist shot has been deadly lately. The SHG last night was a thing of beauty, compounded by OV being the victim on the play. Simply awesome!

 

If last night was a "must win", Friday's contest against Pittsburgh will be a trial by fire. The Pens lost to the Islanders (yes, you read that right) last night and are sure to be in a surly mood. This will be a good one!

[NowDoYouBelieve]

What a great victory.

 

Pitt, Philly and Boston still remain on the 5 game schedule, so obviously nothing is written in stone for the playoffs. Hopefully Washington hits a skid and takes some pressure off.

[dEnnis the Menace]

get the first goal.. nah get the first three goals...

way to call that haha!

 

Great game! It was more than I could've asked for!

 

A few notes:

• The 82-63-21 line is just ridiculous! I don&amp't know how they do it, but as long as they keep doing it....
  
• Great job by our defense and our forwards backchecking when we went down two defensemen!
  
• It was a great team effort shutting down #8
  
• Pominville came up in the clutch there on the PK, and has been clutch lately.
  
• Hopefully Ehrhoff is not out long, because that is a huge step down going from #10 to #6.
  
• Hopefully Reg is able to play Friday as well.
  

 

And I could care less about Kaleta being out. No loss, in my opinion.

 

Kaleta being out is a loss to our PK. No one is better at it than him, and he can eat the shorthanded time like no one else ('cept Pommers). Plus he brings a ton of energy, and with him in instead of Turnbull, the fourth line can roll a few extra shifts if necessary.

[Weave]

Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We still have tough games against Pit Philly and Boston. We have to win atleast 2 of 3 against those teams and sweep the make me laughs to get in likely. Having said that, this has been the best this team has looked in awhile (I think we look even better now than we did last year).

 

Combine these three games with what we saw against the Rangers and I think we'll have a real good idea of what a playoff series will look like for Buffalo. NYR, W-peg, and those three are all good measuring sticks, and make for a good sample size.

 

Two things that jumped out at me that are uncharacteristic for this Sabres group: they didn't fold after one of their best players was injured and despite what the hit count looked like, all of our guys were strong on the puck and winning the physical side of the game.

 

I noticed this as well and alluded to it upthread. They may not be initiating the majority of the hits but I really think that the bigger bodies on the wings are allowing us to better play through the hits. It is making Ennis in particular and probably Roy as well more effective.

[cdexchange]

Just want to note how classy our Captain is. Check out the 2:45 mark of this interview, where he talks about the shortie he scored.

 

http://video.capitals.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=32&id=168078

 

Dude is the epitome of class.

[Weave]

Kaleta being out is a loss to our PK. No one is better at it than him, and he can eat the shorthanded time like no one else ('cept Pommers). Plus he brings a ton of energy, and with him in instead of Turnbull, the fourth line can roll a few extra shifts if necessary.

 

If Kaleta is out I don't think the PK misses him as much as the 4th line will. The PK will still have Pommer, Roy, Hodgson, and Stafford so I am OK with the PK hit. But at even strength Kaleta can muck and muddle through physical play that Gerbe cannot.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Darcy is looking like a genius, gets Coho and Salzer for MAGs and Kassian. We definitely got the better part of that deal so far and with Ellis out made slot for Foligno and he and tennis seemed to have given stafford new life. I really am liking the lines at this point Tropp seems to have helped Coho and Vanek and as much as I love Grebe kooks like 4th line may be the slot for him.

[LastPommerFan]

Just want to note how classy our Captain is. Check out the 2:45 mark of this interview, where he talks about the shortie he scored.

 

http://video.capital...id=32&id=168078

 

Dude is the epitome of class.

 

I love the part where he says it was luck and a tough bounce for Ovi, and he understands because it's happened to him before. Nice little white lie to make #8 feel better about himself. Nothing bad every happens to Pommer. (his sticks on the otherhand...)

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Also, before the game, do you think Lindy laid down the same challenge to McCormick that he did yo Foligno when we played Ottawa and he said we needed to have the best Foligno on the ice?

 

"Cody, you just need to be the best #8 on the ice tonight."

 

It Worked!

[That Aud Smell]

Just want to note how classy our Captain is. Check out the 2:45 mark of this interview, where he talks about the shortie he scored.

 

Dude is the epitome of class.

 

right you are.

 

also: this was not the first time that pommer has victimized a forward playing the point on a powerplay in order to get a big goal.

[Robviously]

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 like what you're saying but I'm not there yet with the "elder statesman" theory.

1. Ennis was playing great before Stafford was. So if being on a line with Ennis changed Stafford, the change was probably due to Stafford suddenly playing alongside a great center -- not because he realized he was the veteran on a line with two younger players. Foligno also showed up and played great immediately. So maybe Stafford stepped up his game because he was suddenly on a line with two really good players.

 

2. How much of this is because the old core was dysfunctional? Stafford was playing with Roy -- an alternate captain -- most of this season and looked like he wasn't interested in hockey and hated his life. Now he's playing better away from him. The whole team is playing better after we traded Paul Gaustad -- an alternate captain -- for a draft pick. So how much of the team's struggles were because the old core, including guys placed in leadership positions, was awful and reinforced one another's poor play? Maybe Stafford just takes his cues from the guys around him and he finally has some better guys around him.

[spndnchz]

LOL. Nice tweet SDS.

[Claude_Verret]

LOL. Nice tweet SDS.

 

Fill us in?

[That Aud Smell]

LOL. Nice tweet SDS.

 

/squints eyes

 

//c0cks head

 

///googles nom de plume in order to check spelling.

[Doohicksie]

Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We still have tough games against Pit Philly and Boston. We have to win atleast 2 of 3 against those teams and sweep the make me laughs to get in likely. Having said that, this has been the best this team has looked in awhile (I think we look even better now than we did last year).

 

Two things that jumped out at me that are uncharacteristic for this Sabres group: they didn't fold after one of their best players was injured and despite what the hit count looked like, all of our guys were strong on the puck and winning the physical side of the game.

 

FYI, over on the Caps forum, one of the posters projected the Sabres to finish out at 2-3. He also said he expected the Caps to finish 2-3. I want the Sabres to win all their games, but I think they get in with a winning record from here on out. The vibe over on the Caps forum is pretty much identical to the one here back in December and January. They see their team as dysfunctional with no chemistry at the moment, and not capable of beating a confident team.

[Eleven]

"We took their will away."

 

--Jason Pominville. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/buffalo-embarrasses-washington-critical-conference-win-024135534.html;_ylt=ArBjs3MQGdvtvGqRBB.wQyiRbcp_;_ylu=X3oDMTFkbm9pazN0BG1pdANCbG9ncyBJbmRleARwb3MDMTEEc2VjA01lZGlhQmxvZ0luZGV4VGVtcA--;_ylg=X3oDMTFvcGs0cnBnBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANibG9nBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3

 

When is the last time a Sabre said something so dominant? Awesome.

[TrueBlueGED]

"We took their will away."

 

--Jason Pominville. http://sports.yahoo....BHRlc3QD;_ylv=3

 

When is the last time a Sabre said something so dominant? Awesome.

 

I saw that last night, it was awesome to hear. How many times do Sabres players say "We really hung in their and battled it out" or "They had a lot of momentum but we were able to withstand" or "The plan was to withstand the initial pressure and then play a sound game"....it's always the "passive" cliches that get used. Even during the 05-07 run I don't know if I ever heard guys talk like Pommer did last night, I loved it. The great teams don't react to what the other team is doing, they go out and play their game and impose their will on the other team. Do the Sabres have the talent to impose their will on the upper echelon teams? I don't know yet. But I do know that having that aggressive and confident attitude is a prerequisite for making it happen on the ice.

[Derrico]

FYI, over on the Caps forum, one of the posters projected the Sabres to finish out at 2-3. He also said he expected the Caps to finish 2-3. I want the Sabres to win all their games, but I think they get in with a winning record from here on out. The vibe over on the Caps forum is pretty much identical to the one here back in December and January. They see their team as dysfunctional with no chemistry at the moment, and not capable of beating a confident team.

 

I hope you and Caps fans are right but I've been watching some Caps games over the previous couple of weeks and they were going pretty well before the game last night. I wouldn't be surprised if they finish something in order of 4-1. It would be huge if Boston can beat them Thursday and we beat Pitt the next night. Going into a home and home with the leafs up by four points would make me feel a little easier.

[JujuFish]

I'm certainly ecstatic with the win last night, but I'm still mighty worried that the team gave up 45 shots.

Miller is 11-0-3 in his last 14 games facing 40+ shots. Not exactly relevant to your Miller-getting-tired point, but I thought that was an interesting statistic and I'd point it out.