GAME DISCUSSION THREAD GDT: Ottawa at Buffalo 12-10-13 at 7:00 PM EST

[26CornerBlitz]

GIRGENSONS, MILLER LEAD SABRES IN SHOOTOUT WIN OVER SENS

 

Highlights of Buffalo's 2-1 SOW vs Ottawa

 

Dan Dunleavy recaps the Sabres 2-1 shootout win against the Senators

 

Ted Nolan speaks with the media following the Sabres 2-1 shootout win against the Senators

 

Christian Ehrhoff speaks with Brian Duff following the Sabres 2-1 shootout win against the Senators

 

Ryan Miller speaks with the media following the Sabres 2-1 shootout win against the Senators

 

Zemgus Girgensons speaks with the media following the Sabres 2-1 shootout win against the Senators

[Doohicksie]

Zemgus for President. :)

 

Tonight was the first night I thought the youngins on this team might be good enough, as a group, to play in this league. My man-crush on Pysyk continues. If Girgensons isn't the next captain, I'll be greatly disappointed. He's always been a hard worker, and he's starting to show the spark of leadership. I've been hoping the individuals on this team might some day be worth rooting for. Tonight, I felt it.

[Iron Crotch]

Zemgus for President. :)

 

Tonight was the first night I thought the youngins on this team might be good enough, as a group, to play in this league. My man-crush on Pysyk continues. If Girgensons isn't the next captain, I'll be greatly disappointed. He's always been a hard worker, and he's starting to show the spark of leadership. I've been hoping the individuals on this team might some day be worth rooting for. Tonight, I felt it.

 

I thought all of the d-men with the exception of Tallinder had very good games. And, Hank wasn't terrible or anything.

 

Gus is just brimming with confidence right now. The kid has a ton of potential. I agree that he is showing flashes of being more than just a respectable NHLer.

[Huckleberry]

Couldn't watch the game seeing i was at work, but was nice to read the comments on here today. Good to see some humour coming back to a gdt.

[neverenough]

Zemgus is the kind of player the Sabres have needed for way to long. This guy at 25 years old will be a true stud. Go Sabres!

[inkman]

I like seeing all the love for Gus but his ceiling is still rather low. If he maxes out, I see him as a 20 goal 40 point guy playing tough minutes against other teams top lines. Nothing to be ashamed of but not exactly a franchise type player either.

[Weave]

I like seeing all the love for Gus but his ceiling is still rather low. If he maxes out, I see him as a 20 goal 40 point guy playing tough minutes against other teams top lines. Nothing to be ashamed of but not exactly a franchise type player either.

 

Which, IIRC, was exactly what he was projected to be coming out of the draft, a solid #2-3 line player. But every team needs those and really good teams need really good ones.

[LGR4GM]

Couldn't watch the game seeing i was at work, but was nice to read the comments on here today. Good to see some humour coming back to a gdt.

here is all the humor I can muster... This team couldn't score in a Westerosi ###### house if their name was Jaime Lannister.

 

I like seeing all the love for Gus but his ceiling is still rather low. If he maxes out, I see him as a 20 goal 40 point guy playing tough minutes against other teams top lines. Nothing to be ashamed of but not exactly a franchise type player either.

we have the least goals in the league so any 20goal scorer we have in the works is a good thing. My guess is that with the right center and opposing winger Zemgus could be a solid 60pt player most years. That wouldn't hurt.

[SwampD]

Rule book: "When the team to be penalized gains control of the puck, the Referee will blow his whistle to stop play and impose the penalty on the offending player or goalkeeper." Control is the act of propelling the puck with the stick, hands or feet.

Then they made the right call.

I think I want to revise my answer. As you wrote, the rule says,"When the team to be penalized gains control of the puck, the Referee …" It does not say, "When the team to be penalized controls the puck, the Referee…"

 

I don't know if those are viewed as the same thing, but to me they are different. They may have controlled the puck (by the most basic of definitions), but they didn't gain control of the puck. Should have been a goal.

 

 

Oh, and Pysyk had a hell of a game. He was fun to watch last night.

[Sabre Dance]

A couple of observations after last night's game:

 

Even though the Sabres worked hard and stayed with the Sens, the forwards almost to a man have no idea how to position themselves to score goals.

They also have a penchant for hitting the goalie right in the crest when they take a point blank shot instead of aiming for the corners.

 

Apparently, shoot-outs aren't the big draw the NHL hopes they should be. After the 5 minute overtime last night, it looked like half of the fans in the building left. Also, it is a little silly when you have to go to 10 shooters to get a "winner". Perhaps the time has come to forget about the shootout (and maybe the overtime as well) and let a tie be a tie. It worked in the NHL for many decades...why not now?

[Derrico]

Minny asked for Vanek first. DR battered to give them Pommer instead

 

Link?

[Drunkard]

A couple of observations after last night's game:

 

Even though the Sabres worked hard and stayed with the Sens, the forwards almost to a man have no idea how to position themselves to score goals.

They also have a penchant for hitting the goalie right in the crest when they take a point blank shot instead of aiming for the corners.

 

Apparently, shoot-outs aren't the big draw the NHL hopes they should be. After the 5 minute overtime last night, it looked like half of the fans in the building left. Also, it is a little silly when you have to go to 10 shooters to get a "winner". Perhaps the time has come to forget about the shootout (and maybe the overtime as well) and let a tie be a tie. It worked in the NHL for many decades...why not now?

 

Because ties suck. I would be fine with seeing overtime extended to 10 minutes though in order to have fewer shootouts overall. It'll hurt the Sabres though since we fair so well in them but that will only last until Miller leaves I imagine.

[26CornerBlitz]

Senators' Cowen to have hearing Wednesday

 

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jared Cowen will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety Wednesday for a hit on Buffalo Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons Tuesday night at First Niagara Center.

 

At 18:02 of the third period, Cowen came across the ice to hit Girgensons as he entered the Ottawa zone. No penalty was called on the play. Girgensons remained in the game.

 

The following grounds are being considered for supplemental discipline: illegal check to the head. However, the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to the infraction upon review.

 

Buffalo won the game, 2-1, in a shootout.

[CallawaySabres]

I like seeing all the love for Gus but his ceiling is still rather low. If he maxes out, I see him as a 20 goal 40 point guy playing tough minutes against other teams top lines. Nothing to be ashamed of but not exactly a franchise type player either.

 

He does not have to be a franchise guy but I see him as an integral part of a Stanley Cup team similar to Lucic......

[dudacek]

I like seeing all the love for Gus but his ceiling is still rather low. If he maxes out, I see him as a 20 goal 40 point guy playing tough minutes against other teams top lines. Nothing to be ashamed of but not exactly a franchise type player either.

 

You are probably right, but there is something about this kid that says he will never stop getting better.

He may surprise us.

[nfreeman]

Perhaps the time has come to forget about the shootout (and maybe the overtime as well) and let a tie be a tie. It worked in the NHL for many decades...why not now?

Because ties suck. I would be fine with seeing overtime extended to 10 minutes though in order to have fewer shootouts overall. It'll hurt the Sabres though since we fair so well in them but that will only last until Miller leaves I imagine.

 

Beat me to it. It did not "work in the NHL for many decades." It was a joke in the NHL for many decades.

[SwampD]

Beat me to it. It did not "work in the NHL for many decades." It was a joke in the NHL for many decades.

I liked having ties. And it's a crap-ton better than having these manufactured winners.

[darksabre]

I liked having ties. And it's a crap-ton better than having these manufactured winners.

 

But Joe Blow who buys tickets likes the shootout. So it'll stay.

[Doohicksie]

I think I want to revise my answer. As you wrote, the rule says,"When the team to be penalized gains control of the puck, the Referee …" It does not say, "When the team to be penalized controls the puck, the Referee…"

 

I don't know if those are viewed as the same thing, but to me they are different. They may have controlled the puck (by the most basic of definitions), but they didn't gain control of the puck. Should have been a goal.

 

It could have gone either way, frankly. It's a judgment call as to when the penalized team controls the puck. Usually a goalie blocking a shot but giving a rebound is not considered control. In the case last night though, it was a combination of a goalie save, plus (it appeared to me) touches by not one, but two, Ottawa players. Since the puck ended up in the net, there is a strong case to be made that Ottawa did not control the puck, because they would never "control it" into their own net, but the call was within the referee's discretion of what control was. If they allowed the goal, Ottawa would have been howling the the opposite argument: Goalie save plus two touches is clearly control!!!11111!!!!

 

I don't see it as part of the grand conspiracy against Buffalo, or even a particularly bad call by the ref. Just one of those things. I like the human element in officiating and there are some decisions that should not be eligible for review. The Sabres need to play to the rules as written, and the ref was within the rules when he called that play dead (even if he took his time blowing the whistle).

 

I like seeing all the love for Gus but his ceiling is still rather low. If he maxes out, I see him as a 20 goal 40 point guy playing tough minutes against other teams top lines. Nothing to be ashamed of but not exactly a franchise type player either.

 

Stu Barnes.

 

Mike Peca.

 

Zemgus Girgensons.

 

All character guys. All 20 goal scorers (I hope). All captains (I hope).

[Drunkard]

I liked having ties. And it's a crap-ton better than having these manufactured winners.

 

Better than leaving the arena moderately satisfied that your team didn't lose but yet not really happy because they didn't win. Going back to having ties would be like having your team automatically lose the shootout. Hey, we got a point but we didn't win. Makes no sense when the shootout allows you to declare a quick winner without risking a triple OT that goes on until all the bars shut down and your team is about to play 3 games in 4 nights.

[nfreeman]

Better than leaving the arena moderately satisfied that your team didn't lose but yet not really happy because they didn't win. Going back to having ties would be like having your team automatically lose the shootout. Hey, we got a point but we didn't win. Makes no sense when the shootout allows you to declare a quick winner without risking a triple OT that goes on until all the bars shut down and your team is about to play 3 games in 4 nights.

 

Not to mention the fact that when there were ties, when the game was tied in the 3rd period it usually turned into a boring, low-risk affair in which both teams played not to lose the point.

 

The shootout ain't perfect. But the tie, IMHO, is not an acceptable outcome. There's a reason no other league has it.

[LTS]

I like seeing all the love for Gus but his ceiling is still rather low. If he maxes out, I see him as a 20 goal 40 point guy playing tough minutes against other teams top lines. Nothing to be ashamed of but not exactly a franchise type player either.

 

So a Selke candidate? I'm sold.

 

I think I want to revise my answer. As you wrote, the rule says,"When the team to be penalized gains control of the puck, the Referee …" It does not say, "When the team to be penalized controls the puck, the Referee…"

 

I don't know if those are viewed as the same thing, but to me they are different. They may have controlled the puck (by the most basic of definitions), but they didn't gain control of the puck. Should have been a goal.

 

 

Oh, and Pysyk had a hell of a game. He was fun to watch last night.

 

As for the ruling, it's correct. If the puck was directed in the opposite direction the whistle still would have blown and we would not be discussing it.

 

However, I think the NHL could alter the rule such to say that if the team to be penalized causes the puck to enter their goal during the process of controlling the puck it shall be awarded as a goal. Since this pretty much NEVER happens (I think this is the first time I've seen that) and they want scoring up, it seems to have a minimal downside.

 

I was calling for Girgensons to shoot as high as 4th... they finally listened. :)

[JJFIVEOH]

I recall a Sabres game earlier in the year where there was a delayed penalty on the Sabres. The puck went off a Sabres' stick but the play continued because he didn't have 'control' of the puck. It only touched his stick.

[IKnowPhysics]

Myers looked like an all-star last night. Positioned great, skated great, made plays in all areas, battled hard, helped sustain offensive pressure and possession, blocked shots, had good vision and decision making with regard to his puck movement, created good scoring chances with good shot selection at the point.

 

I really hope he can lock it in.

 

Zemgus is playing like a bull in a china shop below the face off dots in the offensive zone. He picks the puck up off the boards, often after a long battle, and nothing stops him from driving to the net. He uses his tools, wills his way to a good scoring position, and gets the puck on net.

[TrueBlueGED]

I like seeing all the love for Gus but his ceiling is still rather low. If he maxes out, I see him as a 20 goal 40 point guy playing tough minutes against other teams top lines. Nothing to be ashamed of but not exactly a franchise type player either.

 

I think you're selling his offensive ability short. I think he can get low-mid 50s if he hits his ceiling. Still not franchise player material, but more solidly in that second line level than a 2-3 tweener.