GAME DISCUSSION THREAD GDT: Pittsburgh at Buffalo 2-5-14 at 7:30 PM EST

[SwampD]

I know the final was 5-1, but there moments in that game that were downright watchable (unlike the other night). For the disparity in talent, we had way more chances than we should have had.

 

Memorable moments-

 

-Varone stick checking Crosby as he entered the zone and stealing the puck from him.

-Ott trying to hipcheck a Penguin into the near boards and just not being fast enough and missing him.

-JR telling Milbury that nobody wants to listen to what he has to say.

-Ruhwedel's overall play.

[ALF]

Septic tank is appropriate, tanks a lot

[Assquatch]

Awww, poor Hammy. Ott stuck it to him for a change and he gave up on the interview. Good for Otter!

http://audio.wgr550.com/hosting/media/wgr550/1275168/ott-postgame-0205.mp3

 

Hamilton is terrible at interviewing. He spends more time telling the coach and players what he thinks and then sticking the microphone in their faces seeking validation.

 

You could tell Ott took offense to Hamilton's implication but I thought Ott handled it with class.

Edited February 6, 2014 by Assquatch

[26CornerBlitz]

POSTGAME LINKS

 

02/05 – POST-GAME NEWSLETTER: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Buffalo Sabres (NHL.com)

 

02/05 – Post-Game Report: 2/5 vs. PIT (Ian Ott – Sabres PR)

 

02/06 – GAME RECAP: SABRES UNABLE TO HOLD BACK PENGUINS ATTACK (Chris Ryndak – Sabres.com)

 

02/05 – Dan Dunleavy recaps the Sabres 5-1 loss to the Penguins. <2:19>

 

02/05 – Ted Nolan speaks with the media following the Sabres 5-1 loss vs Pittsburgh. <2:17>

 

02/05 – Jamie McBain speaks with the media following the Sabres 5-1 loss to the Penguins. <1:22>

 

02/05 – Steve Ott speaks with the media following the Sabres 5-1 loss to the Penguins. <1:51>

 

02/05 – Ryan Miller speaks with the media following the Sabres 5-1 loss to the Penguins. <1:35>

[dudacek]

 

But the stock that dropped last night in front of scouts wasn't Miller, it was McBain, Webber, Sulzer. Yikes. A coach just can't hide them against a stacked team.

It will be hard to throw any of those guys into a package playoff trade for playoff depth. . Any team might be asking for Rudy instead.

In that sense it was a tremendously bad night. Really bad.

 

Miller was average ( ;)). But this is right on the mark.

McBain can play on the third pair of a good team because of his skating, same with Weber because of his heart.

But when they have to play against players like that they look too far over their heads to be worth adding for a playoff drive.

 

Rudy continues to surprise. Since his signing I've been pencilling him in as an AHLer, but he was our best blue liner last night — shut down Malkin a couple times.

[Weave]

 

Memorable moments-

 

-JR telling Milbury that nobody wants to listen to what he has to say.

 

 

wait.... that happened? Oh man, there has to be a clip of that somewhere.

[SwampD]

wait.... that happened? Oh man, there has to be a clip of that somewhere.

End of the first intermission.

[Iron Crotch]

Miller was average ( ;)). But this is right on the mark.

McBain can play on the third pair of a good team because of his skating, same with Weber because of his heart.

But when they have to play against players like that they look too far over their heads to be worth adding for a playoff drive.

 

Rudy continues to surprise. Since his signing I've been pencilling him in as an AHLer, but he was our best blue liner last night — shut down Malkin a couple times.

 

Rudy can skate and he reads the game surprisingly well. He's kind of small, but I think it is okay to have one smallish d-man as long as you have some bigger guys to balance it out (Risto, Zadarov, etc.). McBain brings some offensive game and can play the point on the power play. That alone makes him somewhat useful. But, Weber is statistically one of the worst offensive players in the NHL. We basically never score when he is on the ice. So, if he isn't stopping the other guys then I really don't see the use for him.

[Jsixspd]

Ok, it's now officially posted at ESPN - Mike Weber has the WORST +/- in the entire NHL

 

And what makes it especially awful - he also has, at only 3 points, the fewest points by far of ANY of the bottom 10 in this statistic. The next worst bottom 10'er is Colin MacDonald, with 8 points.

 

And of that bottom 10 group, he's played the second fewest games at 42. The fewest is Mike Cammalleri of Calgary, but he has 7 times as many points as Weber, so his +/- isn't quite so important.

 

 

Really, with those stats - Mike Weber should NOT be playing in the NHL. That is just brutally bad. He ought to be Tank Commander, instead of Leino. I like him, I like his grit, but he shouldn't be on the ice in the NHL.

 

I made a screen capture - check it out. P.S. Buffalo has the most players in the bottom 10 +/-. Myers and Ott are 3rd and 4th. But at least Myers has turned his season around significantly since Ted Nolan took the reins - but Weber continues to be awful game after game.

[Buffano DeBoom]

Would someone explain to me why the Sabres traded Sekera? Surely he is better than McBain, even considering the pp qb hyperbole. An NHL defenseman for the no.35 pic?

[spndnchz]

Would someone explain to me why the Sabres traded Sekera? Surely he is better than McBain, even considering the pp qb hyperbole. An NHL defenseman for the no.35 pic?

 

They couldn't pronounce his name correctly and he asked for a trade.

[LGR4GM]

Would someone explain to me why the Sabres traded Sekera? Surely he is better than McBain, even considering the pp qb hyperbole. An NHL defenseman for the no.35 pic?

JT Compher. 21pts in 22games as a Freshmen at Michigan.

Edited February 6, 2014 by LGR4GM

[Johnny DangerFace]

Would someone explain to me why the Sabres traded Sekera? Surely he is better than McBain, even considering the pp qb hyperbole. An NHL defenseman for the no.35 pic?

 

Mcbain wasn't the centerpiece coming back. Compher was

[Eleven]

 

 

 

 

Oh, I like this one. Fancy.

[Iron Crotch]

Ok, it's now officially posted at ESPN - Mike Weber has the WORST +/- in the entire NHL

 

And what makes it especially awful - he also has, at only 3 points, the fewest points by far of ANY of the bottom 10 in this statistic. The next worst bottom 10'er is Colin MacDonald, with 8 points.

 

And of that bottom 10 group, he's played the second fewest games at 42. The fewest is Mike Cammalleri of Calgary, but he has 7 times as many points as Weber, so his +/- isn't quite so important.

 

 

Really, with those stats - Mike Weber should NOT be playing in the NHL. That is just brutally bad. He ought to be Tank Commander, instead of Leino. I like him, I like his grit, but he shouldn't be on the ice in the NHL.

 

I made a screen capture - check it out. P.S. Buffalo has the most players in the bottom 10 +/-. Myers and Ott are 3rd and 4th. But at least Myers has turned his season around significantly since Ted Nolan took the reins - but Weber continues to be awful game after game.

 

I've been beating this drum for a couple of weeks now re: Weber. In 42 games we've only scored 9 goals when Weber has been on the ice. That is almost inconceivably poor. He averages over 17 minutes per game of ice time and we basically never score when he is out there, in part because his passing is terrible. If I saw great things from him on the defensive end, I could live with that, but...

[JJFIVEOH]

wait.... that happened? Oh man, there has to be a clip of that somewhere.

 

That was classic. Roenik then went on to say something like 'You need somebody to speak for you in public because you can't do it'. Haha, it was great.

[26CornerBlitz]

@BWipp

My net-cam photo of Ryan Miller reaching back to make a save in Wednesday's #Sabres #Penguins game.

[JJFIVEOH]

http://audio.wgr550.com/hosting/media/wgr550/1275168/ott-postgame-0205.mp3

 

Hamilton is terrible at interviewing. He spends more time telling the coach and players what he thinks and then sticking the microphone in their faces seeking validation.

 

You could tell Ott took offense to Hamilton's implication but I thought Ott handled it with class.

 

Yup, he handled it with class but made very sure Paul got the hint. I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm getting sick of listening to Hamilton's snide comments. He used to be decent, I don't know what changed him.

[apuszczalowski]

@BWipp

My net-cam photo of Ryan Miller reaching back to make a save in Wednesday's #Sabres #Penguins game.

I like how Miller and Ennis have the scared "Oh Crap" looks in their eyes, why Tallinder has more of a "hmmm, what should I be doing?" kind of look in that photo

[Norcal]

NBC has the Olympics and this game has the Canadian captain, a dynamic Russian goal scorer, and about as close to a household name as there is in the States with Miller.

 

In other words, it was an ad for the Olympics.

Yeah, you are right about that.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

I considered this, and I have no idea if Miller starts over Quick, but I would put 4 of those goals squarely on this defense.

 

3 goals were from point blank.....they walked right in. The Gibbons goal was a set piece that ....well, would give any coach from high school on up a stroke after the lost faceoff.

 

The Neal goal was a softy.

 

Giving up 5 goals never looks good. But only the Neal goal was squarely on Miller. And that was a bad one.

 

But the stock that dropped last night in front of scouts wasn't Miller, it was McBain, Webber, Sulzer. Yikes. A coach just can't hide them against a stacked team.

It will be hard to throw any of those guys into a package playoff trade for playoff depth. . Any team might be asking for Rudy instead.

In that sense it was a tremendously bad night. Really bad.

 

They weren't all softies, that's for sure. I was intrigued because I have always said the way to beat Miller is not from 15 feet, but from further out with non-anticipated shots. That was always the driving force behind my eyes googly woogly. Miller is great at being positionaly sound, but if the puck is going lateral from far out, he lets in a higher % of goals than average. I linked an OLD article, but I always believed that's how you get some rubber past him. Vancouver does it when they play the Sabres, and I've seen a few other teams employ it, but last night it was obvious. Interested in why it was so. Just way too many zany quick fires to make me think it was coincidence.

[Eleven]

Yup, he handled it with class but made very sure Paul got the hint. I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm getting sick of listening to Hamilton's snide comments. He used to be decent, I don't know what changed him.

 

I have noticed that, too. I wonder if it's connected to being passed over for the play-by-play gig.

[JJFIVEOH]

I have noticed that, too. I wonder if it's connected to being passed over for the play-by-play gig.

 

Who knows. I used to enjoy his commentary, it was generally unbiased and he covered the good and the bad. Now, in his commentaries he has his few select whipping boys and his interviews he acts more like a father scolding his kids.

[X. Benedict]

They weren't all softies, that's for sure. I was intrigued because I have always said the way to beat Miller is not from 15 feet, but from further out with non-anticipated shots. That was always the driving force behind my eyes googly woogly. Miller is great at being positionaly sound, but if the puck is going lateral from far out, he lets in a higher % of goals than average. I linked an OLD article, but I always believed that's how you get some rubber past him. Vancouver does it when they play the Sabres, and I've seen a few other teams employ it, but last night it was obvious. Interested in why it was so. Just way too many zany quick fires to make me think it was coincidence.

Neal's was a soft, IMO.

 

The one off the faceoff (Gibbons) is still giving me nightmares. It should be a bag skate for someone. Erhoff stood still, Hodgson stood still. Those guys didn't know their assignments .....I'm not saying laziness, but they weren't ready for a lost draw. Hodgson should usually cover the weak side point, but the draw went to the weak side forward. Who the hell should cover that? Erhoff was skating back to cover the wall - ARRGGG.....

 

I just don't get it.

 

I don't blame Miller on that one at all. Poor coaching? poor execution? I don't know. I would never blame any goalie for that one.

 

 

 

It's driving me nuts!

I

 

I'm not too concerned about Miller's trade value at this point. He's a known quantity. I think only a handful of active goaltenders have more starts than him.......Brodeur, Luongo, Gigere, .....he's about even with Lundquist. He's probably the most scouted goalie in the world at this point.

 

Teams that want him will continue to want him. Those with no need, will have no need for him.

 

What bothers me is not getting any value out of investments like Weber - McBain - Tallinder - Sultzer ....etc.

Teams will add d-men simply for depth. Nice way to pick up 3rd and 4th rounders.

[deluca67]

Yup, he handled it with class but made very sure Paul got the hint. I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm getting sick of listening to Hamilton's snide comments. He used to be decent, I don't know what changed him.

Didn't I see somewhere that Nolan basically said that a lot of guys didn't show up last night while in defense of Miller? If the coach can admit it, why would it be considered "snide" for a reporter to ask a player about it?