GAME DISCUSSION THREAD GDT: Buffalo at Philadelphia 4-6-14 at 7:30 PM EDT

[kishoph]

I agree. The Filthy Flyers were taking liberties at every turn. I've not seen defencemen get away with heavy slashes like that team did tonight in a long long time. Add to that the elbow from Rinaldo and the goalie getting run. Drop the mitts boys. I'm hoping along with some gritty character guys we also get some backbone in the rebuild.

 

I honestly believe that the Sabres are being handcuffed by their coach and do not have the option to drop the gloves to retaliate for liberties taken against their teammates. With the amount of times our goalies have been run recently and nothing has been done about it, if it is the players that are backing down, it should have been addressed by the coaches, but I don't think that's the case. Players like John Scott don't all of a sudden turn into pussies, unless they are being told to do so.

[carpandean]

Graphic Images of the Hoff's Ear.

 

https://twitter.com/...8234368/photo/1

 

Best comment:

 

Wow, you almost became Christian Earoff!

[Taro T]

If you wanted to rant about black/white arguments on the internet, you can probably find a much better impetus for it than my post about Weber (I direct your attention to the Stafford thread). But whatever, I'll own this one since I was harsher/snarkier than I should have been.

 

Perhaps I stated my case too strongly because of Weber's (lack of) actions tonight...I was actually upset with a Sabres game for the first time in a long time! To be clear, I'm fine with Weber as my 6/7th Dman if he's bringing the stuff that many like him for, but when things like tonight happen it really makes me wonder "what's the point?" I'd probably rather have a 6/7 who can at least play some respectable minutes on the second PP unit and move the puck a little than Weber if he isn't bringing the attitude.

 

 

 

Would it make you feel any better if I told you the underlying numbers suggest the Avs aren't as good as their record this year? No? Okay, I'll go back to my spreadsheet now :ph34r:

I'm sure I could. Just that kind of a night last night; everybody a bit surly. Thought hard about hitting delete rather than send, but obviously, went w/ the latter.

[North Buffalo]

Yeh, last night was hard to watch. Was hoping one of the Sabres would go take a Flyers head off especially after the Renaldo hit, but the way they played on that powerplay and really for the rest of the game it was tough to take. Looks like they have their gold clubs out already... sigh.... guess we should start a 2015 draft thread soon, because I can't see them that much better next year. The young guys have too much growing up to do and the Vets by and large suck.... sigh... shake my head. Wish Sabres hadn't traded McNabb.

 

And Renaldo is being quoted on Philli news pages as saying "these are just unfortunate things that happen to me.... I shouldn't have done it...," kinda like he is the victim. Pulease.... Make him sit for the entire playoffs. That statement is so disingenuous it makes me sick.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Icehole

[26CornerBlitz]

Flyers' Rinaldo to have hearing for hit on Ruhwedel

Philadelphia Flyers center Zac Rinaldo will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety Monday for a hit on Buffalo Sabres defenseman Chad Ruhwedel on Sunday Night at Wells Fargo Center.

 

At 4:29 of the third period, Rinaldo was assessed a match penalty for hitting Ruhwedel near the blue line in the Philadelphia defensive zone. Ruhwedel left the game and did not return.

 

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.

 

Philadelphia won the game, 5-2.

[kishoph]

We'll probably hear Brendan Shanahan say that Ruhwedel turned into the hit, no suspension for Rinaldo, but John Scott and Pat Kaleta get 4 games each.

[26CornerBlitz]

Rinaldo to have phone hearing for Ruhwedel hit

 

 

Edited April 7, 2014 by 26CornerBlitz

[Rasmus_]

Seriously, more injuries. LOL. Rinaldo aka Carcillo aka any other typical goon on Philly. Ouch, I just saw that gif. Ridiculous that you can still do this kind of nonsense.

Edited April 7, 2014 by TheCerebral1

[inkman]

We'll probably hear Brendan Shanahan say that Ruhwedel turned into the hit, no suspension for Rinaldo, but John Scott and Pat Kaleta get 4 games each.

I'm already prepared for little to no penalty blaming Ruhwedal for skating with his head so low.

 

so two more D injured, where will we get more lol

Pysyk will get the call(along with John Scott I'm guessing). If you think this is crazy, you should see the Amerks D.

[Norcal]

I honestly believe that the Sabres are being handcuffed by their coach and do not have the option to drop the gloves to retaliate for liberties taken against their teammates. With the amount of times our goalies have been run recently and nothing has been done about it, if it is the players that are backing down, it should have been addressed by the coaches, but I don't think that's the case. Players like John Scott don't all of a sudden turn into pussies, unless they are being told to do so.

The question is...what happened to Nolan? I'm not sayin you have to be a bunch of jerks, losing and playing dirty hockey but the kind of things that have happened to the team with no retaliation is just sickening! Sad really!

[Gramps]

I'm already prepared for little to no penalty blaming Ruhwedal for skating with his head so low.

 

 

Pysyk will get the call(along with John Scott I'm guessing). If you think this is crazy, you should see the Amerks D.

 

Chris Chelios is available ...

[dEnnis the Menace]

that hit on Rudy was ridiculous, and Rinaldo acting like the victim is even worse. I hope he gets suspended thru the first series of the playoffs if not longer.

[Doohicksie]

...like Jochen Hecht.

 

Don't disrespect the backhand.

[Drunkard]

that hit on Rudy was ridiculous, and Rinaldo acting like the victim is even worse. I hope he gets suspended thru the first series of the playoffs if not longer.

It's a phone hearing so I think the max suspension is 3 - 5 games or something along those lines. I don't know what's the deal with Buffalo but soft and no talent is about the worst combination I can think of.

[Doohicksie]

IMHO, D'Agostini is basically Matt Ellis with slightly more skill.

 

Just slightly more though.

[Brawndo]

So Rosehill elbows our goalie, who has a history of concussions, in the head and does not get a league hearing. Great.

Edited April 7, 2014 by BRAWNDO

[Doohicksie]

There was no fight in this team tonight - Philly kept making them their bitch and nothing was done to settle the score. And with 4 games left in the season, who cares about suspensions?

 

It was like a Rolston game. First period was pretty even, then Philly scored and the fragile Sabres crumbled after that.

 

As for suspensions, frankly, they're running out of warm bodies.

[Jsixspd]

So Rosehill elbows our goalie, who has a history of concussions, in the head and does not get a league hearing. Great.

 

Lots of goonery by Philly was left uncalled. Look at the GIF above - I think Conacher took a stick in the back of the head, and his helmet went flying. There should have been TWO penalties called - one on Rinaldo, and the other for the high stick on Conacher. As I recall, the only called penalty was against Rinaldo.

 

Oh, and Rinaldo had this to say at ESPN about the Ruhwedel hit - I don't think he's too contrite - his attitude seems to be oh, well, these things happen - it's part of the game

 

"I had a lot of speed going at him. I put my shoulder down, and as he shot the puck my shoulder hit him clearly," Rinaldo said. "Proof is in the pudding right there. I shouldn't have done it. There's no need for it. We're up 4-0, but it's part of the game.

"That always happens with me. I get on a good streak and then something bad always happens. I try not to think about it too much."

The Sabres should have been retaliating - and it didn't happen. I would expect that from a softie like Lindy Ruff, but a Ted Nolan coached team?

[Doohicksie]

Look at John Scott as an example.....I think Nolan has taken great pains to try and make every player on the roster make an attempt to try and be a hockey player.

 

Have you watched Scott lately? It looks like they've been developing his conditioning and skating lately. He's no longer a pylon and he's moving his feet a LOT more. His work along the boards is decent, his stickhandling is fair. His biggest liability has been his skating, and that's improving. I don't think any previous team ever really bothered to push him; he was a on-dimensional player. I'm thinking he'll be with the team next year, at least at the start.

 

Is it possible Sacco is a case of a terrible head coach, but good assistant? I'm not to argue for that, but I don't think I'm ready to dismiss it either.

 

I think there's better out there.

 

Graphic Images of the Hoff's Ear.

 

https://twitter.com/...8234368/photo/1

 

That's actually a pretty clean cut.

[Campy]

Based on what I've seen over the past couple of weeks, it seems to me the players have clearly embraced a losing mindset.

 

If you are one of the pro-tank people, you are now getting exactly what you asked for - they've given up on the season, on Ted, on we fans, and maybe worst of all, on each other.

[kishoph]

The question is...what happened to Nolan? I'm not sayin you have to be a bunch of jerks, losing and playing dirty hockey but the kind of things that have happened to the team with no retaliation is just sickening! Sad really!

 

I really think he is trying to overcompensate and not get the label of a someone that coaches "goon hockey". If he did use those tactics back in the late 90's fine, the roster was made up of players that hung on the border of dirty play. Right now they have nothing to play for other than their "image" and they are coming off as a soft team that you can push around and take liberties to, without any consequences.

[Doohicksie]

FWIW, Murray, in the media, has been talking about dumping a lot of guys from this roster. It's a top down thing; the GM is telling you the current roster isn't worth keeping around - imagine if your boss was saying his staff is going to be turned around, how would the staff be collectively?

 

I think the guys that won't be here next year are self-selecting with their crappy play (I think the one exception is Ear-Off). Weber? Gone.

[Iron Crotch]

I agree. The Filthy Flyers were taking liberties at every turn. I've not seen defencemen get away with heavy slashes like that team did tonight in a long long time. Add to that the elbow from Rinaldo and the goalie getting run. Drop the mitts boys. I'm hoping along with some gritty character guys we also get some backbone in the rebuild.

 

Yeah, it was obvious watching last night's game that the Flyers were trying to play a physical, nasty brand of hockey. Finished all of their checks, lots of little cheap shots, lots of extra stuff that went uncalled. But, that is exactly the style that you see in playoff hockey from most of the top teams. And, it was clear that the team we put out there last night was totally unprepared and unable to handle that sort of game/style. Our smaller guys were getting tossed around like rag dolls (Rudy, Conacher, Ennis, etc.). We brought a knife to a gun fight.

 

I do think some of what went on is a function of injuries. Murray has always favored bigger, physical forwards and several of ours were missing last night (Stafford, Foligno, Stewart, Konopka), plus Hank and big Tyler on defense.

[Jsixspd]

I really think he is trying to overcompensate and not get the label of a someone that coaches "goon hockey". If he did use those tactics back in the late 90's fine, the roster was made up of players that hung on the border of dirty play. Right now they have nothing to play for other than their "image" and they are coming off as a soft team that you can push around and take liberties to, without any consequences.

 

It's really bad when your goalie takes a shot like that and no one does anything. There would be blood on the ice from Blues retaliation if someone cheap-shot Ryan Miller like that. Blues were ready to beat some behinds just because the opposing team took a shot on goal on Miller a second or two after the end of period horn sounded. They would have gone ballistic if Miller had taken an elbow like that.

 

Point of fact - Miller would NOT take an elbow to the head like that BECAUSE the other team knows how the Blues would react.

[Kristian]

Based on what I've seen over the past couple of weeks, it seems to me the players have clearly embraced a losing mindset.

 

If you are one of the pro-tank people, you are now getting exactly what you asked for - they've given up on the season, on Ted, on we fans, and maybe worst of all, on each other.

 

So, what else is new?

 

That's pretty much how things looked since 2008, barring a certain Ryan Miller olympic-year-season.

 

Only difference is, the roster is now tailored to suck just as bad as the general attitude on the team.