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Game Day Thread: 2013 home opener -- Ottawa vs. Buffalo 10/4/13


nfreeman

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Posted

That spot will be reserved for Girgensons.

 

Looking forward to tonight's game to see how the Sabres handle a different style of team. Hopefully they have the jump of the home opener and get it done. I'm just looking for continued improvement.

 

One interesting item of note.. this morning on WGR550 Jeremy White mentioned that Ennis had the highest puck possession numbers and Leino was second. In the GDT for Detroit I believe they were getting blasted as being turnover machines. It appears that the stats said otherwise.

 

For Ennis I believe that. He did hold the puck for long times. The problem was he zigged and zagged with it for long time, but he would eventually hold it too long and Detroit would catch him and take it away. So yeah he had puck possession but it ended with a turnover. Someone dubbed him Max 2.0 and I think that is dead on.

Posted

For Ennis I believe that. He did hold the puck for long times. The problem was he zigged and zagged with it for long time, but he would eventually hold it too long and Detroit would catch him and take it away. So yeah he had puck possession but it ended with a turnover. Someone dubbed him Max 2.0 and I think that is dead on.

 

I've never had a guy go from my favorite player to watch on the team to a guy who I can't bear to watch. Unreal.

Posted

I'll be there. Looking forward to it.

 

I'm hoping that there's a stronger level of compete, and, frankly, a better ability to compete against a team that, with any luck, won't be quite as adept at making us look like an AHL team (that Red Wings game appeared to be little more than a glorified scrimmage for Detroit).

 

 

 

Now, now.

 

Larsson would be better than Drew on that top line. Mark it down. That line won't do anything until Stafford isn't on it anymore.

Posted

Well single the GDT rules were not so carelessly broken ;)

 

We should win this by the powers that be..... Or, we could have less offense that Jeff tuel again against a good ottawa team.

 

You don't reach a deal with the heart of your team and then let it sit on your desk for 2 months, driving him to change his mind and leave in FA.

 

You don't offer your other co-captain, who leads the entire league in playoff scoring over the past 8 years, half of his market value, driving him to leave in FA.

 

You don't wait 8 months to offer your best defenseman the contract he's been asking for the whole time, which by the time you finally offer it to him, is half his market value, driving him to leave in FA.

 

You don't let the defenseman with the most heart on your team and the forward with the most heart on your team walk because you think you don't need them.

 

You don't give a bunch of mediocrities "upper middle class" contracts, thus tying up all of your cap space and boxing you out of the chase for the 1-2 elite players that pop up every year.

 

You don't gouge your fans who have stuck with you through plenty of lean years by introducing a hideous new jersey when the team finally becomes a contender again.

 

And you absolutely DO NOT start the first GDT of the year before midnight of game day.

 

Hockey gods, we humbly beg your forgiveness.

Posted

Larsson would be better than Drew on that top line. Mark it down. That line won't do anything until Stafford isn't on it anymore.

 

This team won't go anywhere, as long as Stafford is on it.

 

He's the very last, and probably the biggest bust, of the notorious "core".

 

I don't count Vanek as a "core" player, mostly because he always found himself on the bad side of Lindy's mood swings, whereas Roy and Stafford could do no wrong, no matter how horrible they were.

 

The fact that Stafford is still on the team, makes me doubt Darcy truly realises how huge a clusterf*ck his beloved "core" indeed was, and until he realises that, I have absolutely no faith in him not making the same mistakes all over again.

Posted
Larsson would be better than Drew on that top line. Mark it down. That line won't do anything until Stafford isn't on it anymore.

 

well, that's definitely true.

 

i don't think larsson slots as a RW, though. the gaping hole at RW was apparent when pominville was traded. the staff is an infection for which we don't yet a cure. armia's injured, but didn't look ready anyway. leino's injured (again). flynn still has some time to show his upside, but i think he projects, at most, as a competent third-liner on an average NHL team. kaleta is who he is and does what he does. tropp's snake-bitten and doesn't crack the top 6 in any case.

 

so, yeah. RW is a total mess in this organization.

Posted

 

 

well, that's definitely true.

 

i don't think larsson slots as a RW, though. the gaping hole at RW was apparent when pominville was traded. the staff is an infection for which we don't yet a cure. armia's injured, but didn't look ready anyway. leino's injured (again). flynn still has some time to show his upside, but i think he projects, at most, as a competent third-liner on an average NHL team. kaleta is who he is and does what he does. tropp's snake-bitten and doesn't crack the top 6 in any case.

 

so, yeah. RW is a total mess in this organization.

 

Things that I hope will change as the season goes on:

 

- Various players make Drew expendable

- Various players make Ennis expendable

Posted

I'll be there. Looking forward to it.

 

I'm hoping that there's a stronger level of compete, and, frankly, a better ability to compete against a team that, with any luck, won't be quite as adept at making us look like an AHL team (that Red Wings game appeared to be little more than a glorified scrimmage for Detroit).

 

The Redwings didn't do that, the guys upstairs in the head office did it on their own by putting AHL players out there

 

@BuffNewsVogl Sabres' defense stays same: Tallinder-Myers, Ehrhoff-Pysyk, Weber-Ristolainen. Jamie McBain is healthy scratch.

 

@BuffNewsVogl

It looks like John Scott replaces Cody McCormick for Sabres tonight against Senators. Fourth line: Scott-Kevin Porter-Patrick Kaleta.

has the NHL already sent a fine to Rolston for selecting Scott to play in tonights game?
Posted

I pity the person anywhere in the nation who has to deal with a Buffalo sports fan today.

 

yeah...a Giant's/Rangers fan and a Pats fan both just gave me a look this morning...and it was all that was needed. They just understood. Me and the other two Bills/Sabres fans have been left to our own devices today.

Posted

 

 

Things that I hope will change as the season goes on:

 

- Various players make Drew expendable

- Various players make Ennis expendable

 

Their play alone should make them expendable. I could care less who replaces them.

Posted

The Detroit game was an eye opener. Buffalo was clearly outclassed. I'm having trouble finding optimism after the 1st game.

 

Duh. It's a new system for a quarter of the Sabres team, many of them playing on lines with people they've never played with before, in a league that is a level above anything they've ever seen before, against one of the elite teams in that league before the old guys on that elite team have been beaten up. The kids will come up to speed, they will be fine, and the team as a whole will gel. I'm not that worried about it. Also, we have to see this for the rebuilding year it is. Making the playoffs would be a major accomplishment.

 

Just sit back and watch the kids grow up.

Posted

I've heard a ton of chatter on message boards regarding Larsson. My first time really seeing him play so I am pretty pumped for that. I thought the rookie line of Girgs Grigs and Flynn was our best offensive line last game. Let's let these kids continue to learn the game. Hoping for a win but I have a feeling we will need another huge game from Miller to make it happen.

Posted

 

 

You don't reach a deal with the heart of your team and then let it sit on your desk for 2 months, driving him to change his mind and leave in FA.

 

You don't offer your other co-captain, who leads the entire league in playoff scoring over the past 8 years, half of his market value, driving him to leave in FA.

 

You don't wait 8 months to offer your best defenseman the contract he's been asking for the whole time, which by the time you finally offer it to him, is half his market value, driving him to leave in FA.

 

You don't let the defenseman with the most heart on your team and the forward with the most heart on your team walk because you think you don't need them.

 

You don't give a bunch of mediocrities "upper middle class" contracts, thus tying up all of your cap space and boxing you out of the chase for the 1-2 elite players that pop up every year.

 

You don't gouge your fans who have stuck with you through plenty of lean years by introducing a hideous new jersey when the team finally becomes a contender again.

 

And you absolutely DO NOT start the first GDT of the year before midnight of game day.

 

Hockey gods, we humbly beg your forgiveness.

 

This was quite well thought out, and I sacrifice Stafford to the hockey gods for forgiveness on this matter, I hope they like lame duck.

Posted

For Ennis I believe that. He did hold the puck for long times. The problem was he zigged and zagged with it for long time, but he would eventually hold it too long and Detroit would catch him and take it away. So yeah he had puck possession but it ended with a turnover. Someone dubbed him Max 2.0 and I think that is dead on.

 

I guess I thought that perhaps the possession stat also included the ability to not give it away somehow. If not then I am a learned man and agree. It didn't seem right because I thought he had turned it over a lot. He did have those few moments however.

 

I just want to watch Girgensons play. There are times out there where he looks like the puck is glued to his stick and that he can be knocked in a million different directions at once and still maintain control. It's a beautiful thing.

Posted

Duh. It's a new system for a quarter of the Sabres team, many of them playing on lines with people they've never played with before, in a league that is a level above anything they've ever seen before, against one of the elite teams in that league before the old guys on that elite team have been beaten up. The kids will come up to speed, they will be fine, and the team as a whole will gel. I'm not that worried about it. Also, we have to see this for the rebuilding year it is. Making the playoffs would be a major accomplishment.

 

Just sit back and watch the kids grow up.

 

good post

Posted

This game... which I won't get to watch today... I will be looking specifically at Risto and Grigs. Both players had good and bad moments last game. I want to see if they change anything or show more poise today. Risto especially needs to calm down and be unafraid to play the game, no more panicking.

 

A game at a time. A game at a time.

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